Can someone explain how an upgrade works?

[DisneyObsessed]

Is it just given randomly? Do you need to ask at check in? (which actually seems a little rude to me) I would expect to get what I'm paying for. I certainly wouldn't mind if I got a little extra, but I couldn't ask for it. How do they determine who and where and what? Has anyone ever been upgraded to concierge from a regular ressie?

 

[antmaril]

We were given an upgrade at the Boardwalk Inn in January, '06. I was checking in and the clerk said to me "You've been upgraded to Concierge". I said "I have? Wow, thanks." He said "Yes, today is your lucky day."

It was fantastic. I think it helped because we were checking on a Monday in January and staying only three nights. We were at BWI again this January and my brother-in-law and his wife were joining us for a few days. They checked in on a Wednesday and stayed three nights. They were given an upgrade to Deluxe Concierge.

I think it just depends on many things. Perhaps the time of the year. How busy the hotel is. How many in your party. How many nights you are staying. If you are staying over a weekend or not. Who knows? It's fun when it happens.

 

[Tiffany]

Is it just given randomly? Do you need to ask at check in? (which actually seems a little rude to me) I would expect to get what I'm paying for. I certainly wouldn't mind if I got a little extra, but I couldn't ask for it. How do they determine who and where and what? Has anyone ever been upgraded to concierge from a regular ressie?

There is no pattern to how Disney determines who they give a free upgrade to or not. I guy I work with got upgraded from a water view room to a concierge room just because. They did not ask. They went to regular check in and were given gold keys and told that they were upgraded. Sometimes pixie dust just happens.

We have never asked for a free upgrade. At the AKL there were two trips where we had regular savanna view rooms booked and were upgraded to a deluxe savanna view room. At the YC we had a standard view room booked and we were able to see some of the lagoon from our balcony.

So what is comes down to just luck IMHO. Book the view that you will be happy with and if you get anything extra great.

 

[Lynne M]

It seems to me, after reading tons of threads on upgrades, that they are often done for the resort's purposes.....to even out room counts for housekeeping, clear out areas for maintenance, etc. It seems to be completely random.

Short of asking for a free upgrade (which I would never do), I don't think there's any way to increase your chances of getting one.

On occasion, people have been upgraded to concierge. I was, once. But that was the ONLY upgrade of any kind that I've ever gotten in 15+ trips, staying at values, mods, deluxes, and DVCs.

So, the important thing to keep in mind is that upgrades are not nearly as common as they appear to be from reading these boards. People come back from their trips and want to tell everyone about their wonderful upgrades, but no one posts to say 'I got the room category I booked!'. So it gives you sort of a misleading picture.

 

[Ellasgirls]

I have never been given any upgrades at Disney UNTIL NOW! Last week I got the email....we were upgraded from POP to Old Key West 1 Bedroom Villa. I guess they did this because the value resorts were all full due to the free dining and they chose a group of reservation numbers to upgrade. It is all random and a very nice surprise!

 

[ChrisAlli]

We got an upgrade last month at the Beach Club. Booked a standard room and checked in on a Saturday morning and when she wrote down the room number I saw it started with a five and knew we'd been upgraded. Then she said you need to use your key to get to the fifth floor you've been upgraded to concierge.

The funny thing is another Diser checked in later that night and was upgraded as well. Turns out they were next door to us! Never knew it!

My husband thinks it's because we'd been to WDW 7 months prior and before that a year, so he thinks they're trying to suck us in to keep coming back sooner and sooner.

I think it's random, the person checking us in did not upgrade us, it was the room assignor.

 

[Kim1964]

It happened to me last year, a free upgrade to concierge at YC. We checked in midweek, it was my birthday, and we only stayed for 3 nights. I did not ask for it.

We are checking in again midweek on my birthday this year, but that's just the way the plans worked out.....I am not expecting another freebie for our 6 night stay. I am considering asking if there are any concierge rooms available when we check in, but I would expect to pay for it.

 

[bytheblood]

It seems to me, after reading tons of threads on upgrades, that they are often done for the resort's purposes.....to even out room counts for housekeeping, clear out areas for maintenance, etc. It seems to be completely random.

Short of asking for a free upgrade (which I would never do), I don't think there's any way to increase your chances of getting one.

On occasion, people have been upgraded to concierge. I was, once. But that was the ONLY upgrade of any kind that I've ever gotten in 15+ trips, staying at values, mods, deluxes, and DVCs.

So, the important thing to keep in mind is that upgrades are not nearly as common as they appear to be from reading these boards. People come back from their trips and want to tell everyone about their wonderful upgrades, but no one posts to say 'I got the room category I booked!'. So it gives you sort of a misleading picture.

Very well said!!

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

We're going to stay at the Poly for the first time next summer! We are booking a garden view room. I've always dreamed of staying there but never thought I'd make it. We are staying in a Garden view room and I have looked at all the buildings, preparing to request the best garden view building for our needs. This is probably the only Poly stay I'll ever have, I will be so dissappointed if the view is of the parking lot. Do you think that if I tell reservations that this is our first time ever at the Poly, it would help us get picked for an upgrade???

I don't expect anything more than what's paid for, but an upgrade would be such a nice surprise!! Then again, it might spoil us for any trips after that too.

 

[inaminute]

We have been going to Disney on a regular basis, at least once (sometimes four) times a year since 1989. We have spent thousands of dollars and have NEVER received an upgrade. We always got exactly what we paid for. No more. No less. We don't even get postcard offers in the mail, and have never even received a special offer via e-mail.

To read all the posts about people getting upgrades from value to deluxe DVC resorts is making me a little angry with Disney, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for those who are getting it! But, I am a tad jealous.

I just can't help but feel that my repeat business is meaningless to Disney. I'm so discouraged that if it weren't for the fact that we're taking our grandson on our trip next week, I'd probably cancel. I don't even want to go now.

 

[paladin]

I have stayed on site about 20 times or so and have never received an upgrade. I have always just gotten the room type I booked - and I usually haven't even gotten my requests

I assume that it is done on a random basis, but if not, I would think they might be more likely to upgrade less frequent visitors as a way of roping them in, as it where - encouraging them to stay onsite. After all, they know that the frequent visitors are already roped in.

I also imagine that upgrades are not as common as they might seem from reading these boards. We just happen to hear about them (and unless there is a thread about upgrades, we don't have lots of folks posting and saying "I didn't get upgraded").

 

[Patti O'Furniture]

I be less inclined to give it to the people "trying" to get it - ya know.

I saved to afford Poly this year and it is probably the only time I will do it. I paid and booked a Garden View Room - because a water view is not the important to me . ( We have a beach house with great ocean views )

I would have liked a MK view but - it wasn't important enough to warrant the extra $ to me.

The only thing I am concerned about is that I get what I pay for. If something extra happens great ! If something extra happens to someone else - great.

We are just thrilled to be there.

 

[clombardi]

We have been going to Disney on a regular basis, at least once (sometimes four) times a year since 1989. We have spent thousands of dollars and have NEVER received an upgrade. We always got exactly what we paid for. No more. No less. We don't even get postcard offers in the mail, and have never even received a special offer via e-mail.

To read all the posts about people getting upgrades from value to deluxe DVC resorts is making me a little angry with Disney, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for those who are getting it! But, I am a tad jealous.

I just can't help but feel that my repeat business is meaningless to Disney. I'm so discouraged that if it weren't for the fact that we're taking our grandson on our trip next week, I'd probably cancel. I don't even want to go now.

I really know how you feel.

When my husband and I got married in 1990, we started staying on-site at WDW. I think we have had a total of 10 trips, ranging from value all the way to 2 Poly Concierge stays and 1 GF stay.

I have always felt a bit discouraged when reading posts about codes and upgrades given by Disney. Now that I got the email code to go from POP to SSR, I feel a bit guilty. I think it is all luck of the draw, but I can't help notice one thing that I've done differently this year.

I have been using the "my vacation" feature at the Disney site to check my reservation and create itineraries about once a week. Since I started to do that, I have recieved 2 postcards with pins and the big email on Thursday.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

A few times my family and I were upgraded from a standard view to a courtyard view at the Wilderness Lodge. We never expected it so it was a nice surprise. In fact that seems to happen a lot but not all the time, because I read of that upgrade happeing a few times.

The other time we were upgraded was back in May 2000 at the Contemporary when we went from the 12th floor Atrium Club, to the 14th floor Tower Club. At the time we were very happy and shocked that it happened because back then the Atrium Club was only Concierge light and the Tower Club was full Concierge, where as today both floors are the exact same services in terms of food and drinks.

 

[WickedWench]

We have been going to Disney on a regular basis, at least once (sometimes four) times a year since 1989. We have spent thousands of dollars and have NEVER received an upgrade. We always got exactly what we paid for. No more. No less. We don't even get postcard offers in the mail, and have never even received a special offer via e-mail.

To read all the posts about people getting upgrades from value to deluxe DVC resorts is making me a little angry with Disney, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for those who are getting it! But, I am a tad jealous.

I just can't help but feel that my repeat business is meaningless to Disney. I'm so discouraged that if it weren't for the fact that we're taking our grandson on our trip next week, I'd probably cancel. I don't even want to go now.

Wow. I do not understand that at all.

Upgrades are not rewards for frequent visits but are used to fill up resorts. If there are 100 MK view rooms, and only 80 people book MK view rooms, Disney isn't going to let the unbooked rooms sit empty. They make no money doing that. They'll oversell the standard view rooms, and upgrade the overbooked rooms to a different category. It's a simple business thing, not because they like certain customers better.

I have been to Disney 15 times. I have never gotten a free upgrade or a discount code. Do I resent Disney for it? Of course not!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

We have been going to Disney on a regular basis, at least once (sometimes four) times a year since 1989. We have spent thousands of dollars and have NEVER received an upgrade. We always got exactly what we paid for. No more. No less. We don't even get postcard offers in the mail, and have never even received a special offer via e-mail.

To read all the posts about people getting upgrades from value to deluxe DVC resorts is making me a little angry with Disney, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for those who are getting it! But, I am a tad jealous.

I just can't help but feel that my repeat business is meaningless to Disney. I'm so discouraged that if it weren't for the fact that we're taking our grandson on our trip next week, I'd probably cancel. I don't even want to go now.

Just because you have never been upgraded is no reason to cancell your trip and hurt your grandson, because that would be unfair to him. If your so desperate to have an upgrade you could always pay for one although then it would not be a free one, however it's still an upgrade.

 

[Allison]

It seems to me, after reading tons of threads on upgrades, that they are often done for the resort's purposes.....to even out room counts for housekeeping, clear out areas for maintenance, etc. It seems to be completely random.

Short of asking for a free upgrade (which I would never do), I don't think there's any way to increase your chances of getting one.

On occasion, people have been upgraded to concierge. I was, once. But that was the ONLY upgrade of any kind that I've ever gotten in 15+ trips, staying at values, mods, deluxes, and DVCs.

So, the important thing to keep in mind is that upgrades are not nearly as common as they appear to be from reading these boards. People come back from their trips and want to tell everyone about their wonderful upgrades, but no one posts to say 'I got the room category I booked!'. So it gives you sort of a misleading picture.

I think your post has some very good points.

 

[DVC-Don]

I know a lady who asked for an upgrade at the AK. CM gave it to her, but told her she had to pay the difference in price. She rose a stink, started yelling that she knew there were free upgrades from reading Disney discussion boards and demanded a manager. The manager wound up charging her $10 extra a night. Then she got upset with us when we told her she went too far.

 

[G8r4evr]

We were given an upgrade at the Boardwalk Inn in January, '06. I was checking in and the clerk said to me "You've been upgraded to Concierge". I said "I have? Wow, thanks." He said "Yes, today is your lucky day."

It was fantastic. I think it helped because we were checking on a Monday in January and staying only three nights. We were at BWI again this January and my brother-in-law and his wife were joining us for a few days. They checked in on a Wednesday and stayed three nights. They were given an upgrade to Deluxe Concierge.

I think it just depends on many things. Perhaps the time of the year. How busy the hotel is. How many in your party. How many nights you are staying. If you are staying over a weekend or not. Who knows? It's fun when it happens.

Too cool! We are checking into BWI for 3 nights on 7/27....I wonder if that is a busy time for them. We booked a standard (all they had available with the code I used), but when checking in, Im gouing to politely ask if there are any Boardwalk views available and if so, what the difference in price will be =)

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I know a lady who asked for an upgrade at the AK. CM gave it to her, but told her she had to pay the difference in price. She rose a stink, started yelling that she knew there were free upgrades from reading Disney discussion boards and demanded a manager. The manager wound up charging her $10 extra a night. Then she got upset with us when we told her she went too far.

I think your story is a good example of people taking things they read from here way to seriously. Just because she may have read of other getting upgrades which are a surprise anytime they happen, did not mean she could ask for an upgrade and not expect to pay anything. Generally if the guest asks for the upgrade WDW will charge you the full amount and if the Cast Member tells you that you have been upgraded, then there is no extra charge.