What happens if you refuse an 'upgrade'?

[BlovesC]

Originally Posted by mad madam mim78

Honestly I love PoR. If they gave me an unexpected upgrade it would have to be a resort I like. I personally don't care if the room costs more than what I originally booked. If I don't like it I don't like it.

Yeah, that was how we felt. POFQ is my husband's favorite resort and this trip was for our second anniversary, so it just kind of deflated us to be moved to a resort that we don't like at all.

[NHKristy76]

We are going to Pop for our anniversary 11/25-11/28 and I would be OVER THE MOON if they sent us to Wilderness Lodge!!!!! I so want this resort but my husband nixed the idea because it was more than a $500 difference...

I'm praying for pixie dust to take hold of this issue!

[I Love Pluto]

If the resort overbooked, and if they did not have a room for me - the ONLY way I would agree to it is if they UPgraded me big time. BLT sounds good!

[pixie08]

Although I like POR and PoFQ I would never NOT pick and upgrade at a deluxe,( even SSR if it is a theme similar to home). The room (1bdr) is insanely nicer then any of the mods...Soaking jacuzzi tubs, balconies, separate living and sleeping spaces etc. DVC owners pay a lot of points and $$$ to stay at those, so it is not even a comparison.I have stayed at every hotel on Dis property (except AoA and BC) and I will tell you, I will always pick any deluxe over a mod.

[sheilanne]

Originally Posted by goofy4tink

And that works for you. If I booked Pop and found out they had overbooked and wanted to move me to either BWV or BLT, I would be thrilled. I own at those resorts because they are my favorite places to stay. But for me, SSR is way down on my list.
I'm staying there in Dec only because I couldn't get anything else. I'm looking forward to staying at a resort I've never stayed at before, but it certainly wasn't my first choice.
If I had booked a particular value resort, I booked it for a reason. There are times I really want that 'in your face' theming. I love Pop and am prepared to love AoA for my one night there prior to SSR. If I had booked a room at one of those resorts only to find that they had overbooked and I now had to move??? I wouldn't be a happy camper!!!

Do you ever get upgrades at BLT? We are staying in a 1 BR 11/27 till 12/4? Also, any room requests?

[DebbieB]

Originally Posted by BlovesC

It's just kind of a pity that the resort that everyone gets shuffled to is SSR. When you have a resort that's never filled to capacity that kind of tells you something. Trying to fix your own overbooking error by selling your least popular resort as an 'upgrade' is kind of sneaky. I don't care what the rack rate is for a resort room; more money does NOT mean better for all people.

I doubt it was an error. If they are full at a resort but have one with empty rooms that are going to be hard to sell, they intentionally overbook the resorts they can sell and offer "upgrades". They do the same within room categories at a resort. For example, they overbook standard view at AKL and upgrade to the more expensive but harder to sell savanna views.

[Bonniec]

What conference is going on? Is it Pop Warner time now?

[BlovesC]

Originally Posted by pixie08

The room (1bdr) is insanely nicer then any of the mods...Soaking jacuzzi tubs, balconies, separate living and sleeping spaces etc. DVC owners pay a lot of points and $$$ to stay at those, so it is not even a comparison.I have stayed at every hotel on Dis property (except AoA and BC) and I will tell you, I will always pick any deluxe over a mod.

I just don't feel the same. We live a half hour from WDW, so I don't need a "home away from home" feeling in my Disney resort. I'd never pick a generic-looking room in an apartment-like resort simply because it's bigger and has more space. If all I cared about was a living room, kitchen, and giant tub, I'd just commute to the parks from the comfort of my own home. My favorite resorts are ones that offer a true "vacation" feel to me, AKL and BC. And I love the fun, bright themes at the value resorts. I'd honestly rather have stayed at one of them than at SSR. And I do wish I had tried to make that happen. My DB is an owner at SSR, and I endured a stay there with them back in 2008, so I already knew my feelings on the resort. That's my mistake.

Originally Posted by Bonniec

What conference is going on? Is it Pop Warner time now?

The Gartner Symposium/IT Expo was being held while we there.

[BlovesC]

Originally Posted by DebbieB

I doubt it was an error. If they are full at a resort but have one with empty rooms that are going to be hard to sell, they intentionally overbook the resorts they can sell and offer "upgrades". They do the same within room categories at a resort. For example, they overbook standard view at AKL and upgrade to the more expensive but harder to sell savanna views.

That really kind of scares me. I've never given any thought to overbooking or how the reservation process works, which is why the whole thing took me by surprise. But when someone bases their vacation around a certain resort it can really throw them for a loop when its changed last minute. I completely understand needing to change room categories in the same resort, but moving them to a different resort is a big deal, in my mind at least.

[maxiesmom]

Originally Posted by BlovesC

I completely understand needing to change room categories in the same resort, but moving them to a different resort is a big deal, in my mind at least.

I can tell you from personal experience that having your room category changed at the same resort can "throw you for a loop" as well. I've had it happen twice, and both times I was downgraded from a preferred to standard room at the All Star Music. One time I had booked preferred to limit the distance my mom had to walk (she had just had minor surgery) and the second time because I had my 70 something dad along. I would have much rather they upgraded me to a different resort than been downgraded to the back of the resort.

[BlovesC]

Originally Posted by maxiesmom

I can tell you from personal experience that having your room category changed at the same resort can "throw you for a loop" as well. I've had it happen twice, and both times I was downgraded from a preferred to standard room at the All Star Music. One time I had booked preferred to limit the distance my mom had to walk (she had just had minor surgery) and the second time because I had my 70 something dad along. I would have much rather they upgraded me to a different resort than been downgraded to the back of the resort.

I'm so sorry that happened to you! But another resort might not be better...I mean, at SSR you could wind up half a mile away from the food court and a good walk from the bus stop, easily. And much of that walk is across roads with traffic and through parking lots.

[DebbieB]

Originally Posted by BlovesC

That really kind of scares me. I've never given any thought to overbooking or how the reservation process works, which is why the whole thing took me by surprise. But when someone bases their vacation around a certain resort it can really throw them for a loop when its changed last minute. I completely understand needing to change room categories in the same resort, but moving them to a different resort is a big deal, in my mind at least.

It's rare for it to happen at the front desk, where you are moved to a different resort. More often it happens in advance, where they contact people already booked and ask if they would like an upgrade to another resort, typically OKW or SSR. It happens more often in the late August/September time period when DVC resorts are not full.

[I Love Pluto]

We were also bumped OUT of a preferred room at All Star Sports, then again at All Star Movies. I will never stay there again. We were paying for PREFERRED, not for a room the farthest from the main building. Each time - I had made the reservations at least 6 to 8 months in advance.

We absolutely needed a first floor room (epilepsy) - but were given a 3rd flooor. We needed 2 beds, but were given a King. (Was with adult daughter who I love, but I would like my own bed!)

We asked for a handicapped room, but were given a regular room. This created additional problems for me. We did stay for one night without the HC room, but moved to Pop the next day. The 2nd time it happened, we moved to CSR. We have always gone to Pop, POR, CBR or CSR since then. They always get it right!

[gogo]

I read some of the replies but not all. I would probably not accept a room/villa if someone had to sleep on a pull out sofa. If you planned for it, ok, but I would not consider a pull out sofa an upgrade.

We stayed at the Amelia Island, FL Ritz Carlton in August. I always request two beds but they are not guaranteed. When we checked in I was given a king bedroom with a pull out sofa chair. I wasn't happy but thought we will try it. When I called housekeeping to make up the pull out, I told her we weren't happy with not having two beds. She said, "these are really comfortable, people actually request them".

Well, after a restless night's sleep at over $500.00 a night, I insisted we be moved the next day. The hotel didn't want to move us due to being full, but fortunately a room opened up with two double beds and we were moved.

I have only slept on one pull out sofa that was actually comfortable. I would probably not take that type of upgrade.

[fall08CP]

Just so you all are aware, when you book at WDW, you are booked for just that: the Walt Disney World resort. Your preference is the resort you select, but Disney has the right to place you at ANY of the "WDW resort" hotels. It's in the very very fine print.

Being walked to another resort is never the fault of the front desk CMs, so don't take it out on them. It may happen because of 1) computer glitch, 2) call center accidental or intentional overbooking, 3) the previous family didn't vacate the room (yes, it does happen!) or 4) rooms are taken off the market for engineering/plumbing issues. That's why you can't always stand your ground demanding a room- there may not be a room for the duration of your vacation or you may be one of the last to check in for the day.