Can you change Resorts at checkin

[dabell]

Hello,
We are going to Disney in November this year and have reservation at the Pop Century. We like it there and have stayed there in the past. But we are taking my in-laws who have never been to WDW and would love for them to stay at a Deluxe resort. We were wondering when we arrive at the resort can we ask if they have rooms still available at a Deluxe resort could we upgrade to there at a discount? Has anyone ever done this or tried? Is it possible? I do not want a free upgrade but we cannot afford the full price to stay at a Deluxe this year. Thanks for your help.

[lanejudy]

Ability to change resorts at check-in will depend on availability; if it's really important to change resorts, I suggest changing the reservation ahead. Upgrade will definitely not be free, and I'm not even sure they'll offer a discount. You might be better looking for a discounted room-only rate now and changing your reservation. Maybe try a moderate if deluxe is out of your price range.

Enjoy your vacation!

[wdwrich]

The folks I know (including family members) who have elected on their own to change resorts at check-in all ended up paying full rack rate at the resort they changed to.

[Missytara]

Originally Posted by dabell

Hello,
We are going to Disney in November this year and have reservation at the Pop Century. We like it there and have stayed there in the past. But we are taking my in-laws who have never been to WDW and would love for them to stay at a Deluxe resort. We were wondering when we arrive at the resort can we ask if they have rooms still available at a Deluxe resort could we upgrade to there at a discount? Has anyone ever done this or tried? Is it possible? I do not want a free upgrade but we cannot afford the full price to stay at a Deluxe this year. Thanks for your help.

You would void out your original reservation and you would be on a new reservation paying full rack rate for the new reservation. There are no discounts on rooms that are basically booked at check-in; they need to be done beforehand.

Essentially you are looking for a free upgrade and that is totally out of your control when that happens.

Best to book, and enjoy, what you can afford.

[Lynne M]

Generally, upgrades/resort changes at check-in are done at rack rate (full price). And, you stand a good chance of losing any promotional deals like free dining.

Disney doesn't really offer last-minute discounts like some travel operators. They publish their discounts well in advance, and then they end ahead of the travel date.

You'd do much, much better to look around now for discounts on deluxes that may apply for your dates. Check out our Discount Codes and Rate board, and Mousesavers.

[Ninja Mom]

Your best bet is for YOU to figure out the better discounts now, before you leave and change your reservation before you arrive at the hotel.

As reported numerous times, asking for a "free" upgrade is almost a guarantee that you will NOT get one. Upgrades only happen at Disney when it becomes necessary on the part of Disney's needs, for example a room category is overbooked and the only remaining openings they have are what we would call "upgrades".

Honestly your best bet is to search for Disney Discounts and book a room using one of those.

Places to find Disney deals include a reputable travel agent experienced in Disney vacation planning, The official Walt Disney world site, which often has the current deals listed under the "Packages" menu, pull down the sub menu and then click on "special offers" or other sites on the web, most notably "Mouse savers" (google that site to get the address). The Dis also has a discount information thread as mentioned above.

If you do find a better deal please contact the place that booked your travel (i.e. travel agent or with Disney directly if you booked with them) and let them know you found a better deal and you'd like to switch.

The bottom line is that asking for an upgrade at check in will more than likely result in you not getting one, as it is up to Disney to decide this, and no amount of influencing on your part will sway that decision in your favor.

Do your homework and check around for deals that are out there and may apply to your travel dates and needs. Then contact the appropriate party and make the change. If you do find something it will be worth the effort. If you don't find anything it will be worth the experience of learning how to do this yourself.

Good luck with finding a discount for what you want and have a great trip!

[shalom]

Originally Posted by lanejudy

if it's really important to change resorts, I suggest changing the reservation ahead. Upgrade will definitely not be free, and I'm not even sure they'll offer a discount.

Ditto this. Unlike a lot of places, WDW resorts rarely (as in, "close to never") offer same day discounts. Hotels do that when they really need to fill the place; WDW resorts are usually functioning close to capacity anyhow, and their policy is to offer at set number of discounted rooms on the off season to bring people in, so they have no need to discount same-day check-ins. But usually once those discounted rooms are gone, they're gone, so your best bet is to get discounts ahead of time.

There are two November threads in the Discount Codes and Rates board here that you could check, one for early November and one for the last half of the month. Good Luck!

[SharonZ]

The OP states that they can't afford to stay Deluxe, that's why they booked PopCentury, so changing her resort ahead of time doesn't do her any good. Dabell, enjoy your stay at Pop, to change your resort to a Deluxe at a discounted rate probably won't happen.

[dabell]

I figured it was a long shot as I have never heard on any one getting a chance to upgrade but ithought i would ask. We will definately enjoy our time at Pop Century. Thanks much for your responses.