Best Upgrade You've Ever Received?

[karly05]

2012, my first solo trip (to WDW or anywhere) - a big brave daring adventure for me. I splurged on a standard room at Beach Club because I had stayed there with my Sis and knew I loved it.

When I got off the DME bus, so happy just to be walking on WDW soil for the first time in over 7 years, a young lady CM with a clipboard approached me and asked my name. When I told her, she said they had a surprise for me, and she escorted me... To... THE ELEVATOR!!! I knew what that meant, and I swear I was tearing up with happiness as we went up to Club Level. My room overlooked the entrance drive/portico near the lounge/CL lobby, everyone was super nice, my Mousekeeper made great towel animals, and it was a fantastic trip.

That's the only upgrade I've ever had, only CL stay, and I haven't stayed Deluxe since, but it was an awesome dose of Pixie Dust.

 

[hill6]

POFQ we got upgraded to river view once from Std view.

We booked a studio at Jambo in 2011 for my birthday. Opened the door and seen full kitchen I looked at my husband and said we got upgraded. He said how do you know and he seen the kitchen.

 

[emilyindisney]

What a fun thread! I love to read stories of everyone else's pixie dust. I imagine it's a fun surprise to start your trip this way!

 

[Skullcrusher]

We were upgraded from 2 connecting rooms to the executive suite at CSR a few years ago. Here is a picture of the suite while standing in front of the master bedroom suite looking toward the other bedroom. It was a total of 5 rooms.

 

[rcraw45425]

We've had upgraded view categories several times but our two best upgrades were at CR (TPV atrium club to TPV Tower club 1 bedroom suite) and BC (standard room standard view to 2 bedroom suite pool view with club access).

 

[goofy4prez]

I actually think the opposite. Many people are upgraded from standard rooms to Gardenview rooms without even realizing it. We've been upgraded from standard to Gardenview on four separate occasions. The front desk never mentioned they were upgrades. For the most part, I figured it out, after the fact. I'm sure there are many others who get upgraded without even knowing.

I still say that upgrades are more rare than it appears here on the DIS. On here one would think that most people are upgraded when the truth is most are not. I'm willing to stand on my belief that more are not upgraded and receive what they pay for than those receiving an upgrade. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with people mentioning upgrades or receiving them. We all (ok, most) love to get them when the pixie dust falls our way. It's not to say it doesn't happen, because it does.

Even I was upgraded the first time we ever visited WDW. We had a standard view studio at the WL back in 2008 and received an upgrade to a concierge studio with a courtyard view. After that we always booked concierge in all our stays; Disney got us hooked, LOL. Since that day we have never received another upgrade... And with that I'm OK with it. But I still love to hear when it happens to people.

 

[TJA]

I think upgrades are smart marketing on Disney's part. Take us, for example. We had never even considered staying Club Level until one trip when we were upgraded at BC from standard room to Club Level room. VERY smart move by Disney because we have never looked back and have booked Club Level almost every trip since then, 2 or 3x a year!

Also, one trip we were upgraded to TPV at CR . Once we experienced a "room with a view," it's very hard to NOT book a room with a view .

Therefore, not only do we usually always book Club Level now, but we also book a water/lagoon/theme park view too!

 

[LurlaDisney]

Last fall I was updated on a trip with my daughter from all star sports to a 2 BR villa at SSR. It was because the room category I booked was not available (to be clear we like the all stars!). However we were moved late....my daughter was actually already asleep. Both front desks were so helpful and my horse loving daughter fell asleep at Sports and woke up in a horse themed room! We LOVED SSR. The pools were great and the space was amazing. Definitely a once in a lifetime memory.

 

[TeamSy]

At AKL we booked a standard and I though we got upgraded to a Savannah view but then I realized it was just one of those "reclassified" rooms because you could see the fire pen when you looked to the side. I was so excited at first to receive my first ever Disney upgrade after 20-something visits haha. Then I was so bummed to learn it wasn't. lol. Seriously though, we loved the room and I honestly didn't even notice the pen until I actually LOOKED because I was too busy staring at the zebras and giraffes that were RIGHT THERE! I agree to the pp who said it's a great marketing tool. I can't picture ever going back and not getting a Savannah view now. I don't know what we were originally thinking! Still holding my breath for the one day we get a real upgrade... I feel it's coming lol

Also, I don't know if it's just me but I feel like I hear about the most upgrades in general at beach club. Maybe I'm making that up.

 

[Disneylover99]

I still say that upgrades are more rare than it appears here on the DIS. On here one would think that most people are upgraded when the truth is most are not. I'm willing to stand on my belief that more are not upgraded and receive what they pay for than those receiving an upgrade. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with people mentioning upgrades or receiving them. We all (ok, most) love to get them when the pixie dust falls our way. It's not to say it doesn't happen, because it does.

Even I was upgraded the first time we ever visited WDW. We had a standard view studio at the WL back in 2008 and received an upgrade to a concierge studio with a courtyard view. After that we always booked concierge in all our stays; Disney got us hooked, LOL. Since that day we have never received another upgrade... And with that I'm OK with it. But I still love to hear when it happens to people.

I totally agree that most people are not upgraded. My point, is that many people are upgraded without realizing they were upgraded or they are upgraded a room category, but they don't really consider it an upgrade. I think it happens more frequently then people realize for one reason or another.

You mentioned that receiving an upgrade was more rare than it would seem here on the dis. I really don't see lots of people posting that they were upgraded anyways. But, if many people are posting about an upgrade, maybe upgrades are not as infrequent as you think.

 

[mickeygirl78]

We were upgraded from a standard room to a preferred at Pop a few years ago. Other than that we've always gotten what we booked, which has been great.

 

[buzznina]

How do you get upgrated? Is it just luck?

Our GF upgrade was because of construction at WL. We have had a few upgrades, garden to river view or water view and at AKL to savanna view on both of our trips. It could be luck, I will add that we rarely do online check-in.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

We've gotten a few view/category upgrades but to honest they weren't that noticeable. We enjoyed them but we still book standard (except at Pop but that's a long story)

So far we've had:
From standard to water view at Yacht Club
From standard to preferred at All Stars

 

[Mousemommy1]

At YC, we were upgraded from our standard CL room to a lagoon view CL room, and we were chosen as Family of the Day!!! We got a ton of balloons and chocolate Mickey & Minnies!! It was very cool.

We also received the same upgrade at BC, minus the FOTD part.

 

[tcherjen]

I haven't ever gotten a room upgrade. It is exciting for those that do.
I am sure if I got upgraded to CL from standard I would never want to go back to standard.

We are doing our first deluxe stay and it will probably spoil us from the moderates too.

 

[Chrelaine]

It's nice to fantasize about the elusive upgrade. I don't expect it and will be perfectly happy in my standard view at the Poly this August...but a girl can dream

 

[focusondisney]

We have been going to WDW for about 21 years. Several years we went 2 or 3 times. Upgraded once to club level on a short 3 night trip. We usually book CL but because that trip was so short, I had only booked a waterview . So we got the CL anyway! That was nice!

Had the Ultimate Upgrade last month. We were doing a split stay-- 4 nights CR in a standard king club level room (Tower Club - 14th floor). We were upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite!! Living room, kitchen , 2 queen beds in each bedroom, full sized Christmas tree, 3 full bathrooms, 60 inch flat screen tv !!

Went on to our 3 night Yacht Club garden view club level stay after that. We were shocked to be upgraded AGAIN! And to The Captain's Deck Suite, no less. This is the largest suite at the YC!!! Marble foyer, huge living room, formal dining room with a beautiful table with seating for 10, office area, master bedroom 4 poster canopied king bed, walk in closet, dressing area with walk in closet, whirlpool tub, separate walk in shower, tv in the bathroom, 3 small patios & 1 large patio.

And there were only the 2 of us!! I kept texting my family to have somebody fly down & stay with us, but nobody did. I had booked these stays as bounceback reservations when we were there in January & told the CM we were celebrating my DH's 60th . She said several times she was noting that because "you never know when pixie dust might happen". I don"t know if she had anything to do with us getting these upgrades. But we certainly never expected it. And if it was a marketing ploy to get us to actually book suites in the future, not gonna happen at $2500 + a night!!

 

[rcraw45425]

We have been going to WDW for about 21 years. Several years we went 2 or 3 times. Upgraded once to club level on a short 3 night trip. We usually book CL but because that trip was so short, I had only booked a waterview . So we got the CL anyway! That was nice!

Had the Ultimate Upgrade last month. We were doing a split stay-- 4 nights CR in a standard king club level room (Tower Club - 14th floor). We were upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite!! Living room, kitchen , 2 queen beds in each bedroom, full sized Christmas tree, 3 full bathrooms, 60 inch flat screen tv !!

Went on to our 3 night Yacht Club garden view club level stay after that. We were shocked to be upgraded AGAIN! And to The Captain's Deck Suite, no less. This is the largest suite at the YC!!! Marble foyer, huge living room, formal dining room with a beautiful table with seating for 10, office area, master bedroom 4 poster canopied king bed, walk in closet, dressing area with walk in closet, whirlpool tub, separate walk in shower, tv in the bathroom, 3 small patios & 1 large patio.

And there were only the 2 of us!! I kept texting my family to have somebody fly down & stay with us, but nobody did. I had booked these stays as bounceback reservations when we were there in January & told the CM we were celebrating my DH's 60th . She said several times she was noting that because "you never know when pixie dust might happen". I don"t know if she had anything to do with us getting these upgrades. But we certainly never expected it. And if it was a marketing ploy to get us to actually book suites in the future, not gonna happen at $2500 + a night!!

that sounds like how we felt when we checked in at BC and they upgraded us to a 2 bedroom suite (it was our anniversary and we had brought one teen daughter with us, so she had an entire hotel room to herself. Her sister, who was in college and had stayed home, was livid!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Checked in today.

Arrived at CBR and was told I was "upgraded" to a pirate room. I politely declined saying we wanted the queen beds in our original "water view" category and to be closer to the main area (we requested Martinique or Barbados. She said there weren't any rooms available and I reiterated that we really wanted queen beds. My wife and I do not enjoy sharing a double. The woman checking us in spent about 20 minutes on the phone, I was starting to get frustrated but tried to remain calm...finally she tells me we're being upgraded to the GRAND FLORIDIAN. I almost cried!

So...I'm typing the post as we watch Monorails go by our balcony window. Crazy upgrade!

 

[Disneylover99]

Checked in today.

Arrived at CBR and was told I was "upgraded" to a pirate room. I politely declined saying we wanted the queen beds in our original "water view" category and to be closer to the main area (we requested Martinique or Barbados. She said there weren't any rooms available and I reiterated that we really wanted queen beds. My wife and I do not enjoy sharing a double. The woman checking us in spent about 20 minutes on the phone, I was starting to get frustrated but tried to remain calm...finally she tells me we're being upgraded to the GRAND FLORIDIAN. I almost cried!

So...I'm typing the post as we watch Monorails go by our balcony window. Crazy upgrade!

Enjoy!