Best "free" upgrade you ever got when checking into a WDW hotel?

[Ladyhawke10]

I'm sorry I'm so nosey, but I've got to ask. How badly did they mess up your previous reservation to offer you an entire free stay in concierge?? Wow

Shelly

Well, our original reservation was for the Yacht Club, standard view. I was alone w/ my then toddler. After we'd checked in, we walked into our room and found it was a handicapped room. My son would only take baths because of his age (no bathtub in there...) so we went back and I explained the problem. The hotel was completely full but they said they'd have another room available momentarily. So we waited in the lobby, checking every half hour or so, and kept hearing that it was supposed to be done and would be very soon...and well, it became a four hour wait. It was well past the 3:30 check in deadline. At this point the manager upgraded our room to a waterview so we could have a room. Then, after we returned from our stay, we received a call from the executive offices offering us a complimentary future stay. I had the choice of either the Yacht or Beach club, so I chose the Beach club. I think there were multiple mistakes made...asking us to wait for room to be freed up, handicap error, room upgrade done after official check in time...I think management just thought it was all handled really badly, and since we were nice about it (or maybe a young family who would return again and again) they offered to make it up on another visit. So when we returned it turned out to be a concierge room in BC where we'd been placed. I wrote a whole trip report of it not too long ago...we just had the stay a few weeks ago. It was great! No problems whatsoever and we'd return to either resort happily.

 

[Kallison]

From the Contemporary wing to the tower. It was 2 weeks after 9/11, the place was deserted. We asked for the upgrade, it was not offered, but they did say we could have any room at any view when it was approved. Funny thing was the desk CM got on the phone and I heard her say -- yes they are repeat customers. The place was empty, you think they would have automatically upgraded anyone who showed up.

 

[macs4us]

We decided to try WL for our last night of a 11 night trip since we wouldn't be going to the parks the last day and it was Christmastime. We were booked in a Woods View room, AAA rate, and they said since we were only staying one night could we do them a favor by staying in one of the Honeymoon Suites since they really needed the other rooms for families. Gee, I guess we could do that...

It was fabulous!!! Took a bath in the great tub, ordered a room service picnic, and watched the MK fireworks in our robes. It was the best!!! What a great way to end our trip.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

that is tooooooooo cooooool!!!!!! And at my favorite resort, too.

 

[Mickey Fanatic]

Our best upgrade was up three categories on the Disney Wonder. We had booked in "steerage" and ended up with a Navigator's balcony at the front of the ship. We were beside the hanpicapped cabins so the balconies had walls between each one so it was very private. I loved watching us pull into ports from there every morning. It was a fantastic trip!

 

[PamNC]

Well, it wasn't upon check-in, it was later in our trip. We were at the Beach Club, which at the time was our favorite resort. Now, it's in the #2 position as the Poly has taken the lead. Anyway, I had at the time a friend who worked at YC/BC and for our last 2 nights of the trip, he upgraded us to the Newport Suite...yep! 2200 square feet of bliss. It was an amazing experience and I'll never forget what he did for us!

PamNC

 

[robinb]

I have been upgraded twice. I was upgraded at AKL standard view to savannah view. Of course, we now have to book savannah view. I was also upgraded at the Dolphin from a standard view room to a 2 room junior suite with lounge privileges. My husband was SPG Platinum last year .

 

[boucheresq]

My dh and I went to Vero Beach Resort for our first anniversary (honeymooned at DW). We could only afford a standard room. When we got there, the CM said they would upgrade us for free as we always seem to spend our special occassions with them. It was a beautiful suite with a full kitchen, family room, jacuzzi in the separate bedroom and two huge balconies with a view of the ocean. And in the long run we saved a huge amount of money b/c we had all breakfasts and lunches in the room b/c of the kitchen and only ate out at dinnertime 2-3 times in a 9 day stay. If we had been in the standard room, we would have had to eat out most meals!

 

[Geoff_M]

We've been very luck in that department, but some of that was due partly to the season...

Jan 2000, PO - Booked standard view, given a 1st floor room facing the pool.

Jan 2001, WL - Booked standard view, given courtyard view.

May 2002, Dolphin (I know, not truely "Disney") - Booked standard room with teacher's discount. Mentioned to desk agent that I had stayed there on business before, but it was my family's first time at the Dolphin (they were hanging back in the rotunda) and if there was anything special she could do for them, I'd appreciate it. She checked, talked to a manager, and the manager came back and said that part of Walt Disney's "100 Years of Magic" celebration the Dolphin was granting "100 honorary check-ins" (2 families from each state). They picked us as one of the Michigan families. We got an upgrade to a "park view" room (facing MGM), a large plush Mickey, a special hat pin, and they took our photo.

Jan 2003, Poly - Booked "garden", given a room facing small pool with view of castle. Resort hopped to BC, booked standard room, given room with a view of the Boardwalk and Illuminations.

 

[Dee & Greg]

Our first trip at AKL, 2002: Booked with a postcard: $119/night standard view.. they upgraded us to a pool view. Beautiful!
AKL 2003: Standard room, booked with code $109/night.. they upgraded us to a corner King room (2 balconies) Savannah view!
BC 2004: Standard room for $189/night. They gave us a king room with an Epcot view.
Aren't we lucky? Maybe it's because we don't have children and only need 1 bed?

 

[DisneyFan09]

October 2003 - upgraded at Poly from a garden view to concierge!! Best part was that we were only paying $191 to begin with. It was a great trip and is now my favorite resort!!

 

[ksc37]

This is a fun thread...

As a non-paying seventeen year old (traveling with the parents):

Contemporary Standard to a 14th Floor 1 bedroom suite (Bay Lake View): They had no rooms available and asked if a suite would be okay.


As a hard-working, paying adult:

Booked a Beach Club standard view, received an extra large Water View room. Not a suite, but because it was on a corner it had two balconies (one standing and one extra long) and enough space for a separate sitting area in the room. I can't remember the room number (third floor, back corner overlooking rear entrance & SAB), but I've seen it listed on various Disney sites as a primo room.

Others have been AKL Std -> Pool and WL Std -> Woods.

 

[D&R love Disney]

We've gotten a few, always during value season:

First one was WL courtyard to WL concierge
Second one was WL courtyard to GF lagoon
Third was BC water to BC water one bedroom suite.

 

[4khansen]

We stayed at the Dolphin this July, 2004 for 3 nights. We had paid $69 through Priceline, so wasn't expecting much if anything...

We asked very nicely at the front desk if we could have a balcony and they obliged if we were willing to wait about an hour for it. We did, and certainly enjoyed the Swan view and of the lagoon -- as well as early morning coffee on our balcony!

 

[TaurusSES_Sport]

Do you usually ask, or do these things just happen as surprises? Do you offer to pay when you ask or do you just ask for an upgrade and see what they say?

 

[mmeb144]

TaurusSES_Sport, you hit the nail on the head with that last post. I was wondering if they had asked for the upgrade, or if it was a surprise.

When I stayed at POFQ this past October, we had a first floor room right across from the hot tub and laundry room. I thought it was the best room in the whole resort. I had just booked a standard parking lot view type room. But, I didn't ask anything at check-in, they just gave us this room. I can't believe that it was a standard view.

Marie

 

[Kallison]

Contemporary Garden wing to the tower, any view we wanted. It was two weeks to the day after 9/11.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

We have made many, many trips to WDW and I can't remember ever getting a free upgrade or a surprise of any kind. We payed extra to upgrade at check-in from WL cy to WL concierge. I think it was $40-50 a day and very much worth it. Normally I'm just happy if they actually give us the room category that we paid for. That's quite an accomplishment!

 

[Daisy Duck 5]

On Dec 26 we were told our room was not ready at the Dolphin. They asked us if we wanted to go to a conference room. We thought this was just a place to wait until our other room was ready. We soon discovered we were being upgraded. Our room has a full size living room with a couch and two chairs, a table for 10, a full size kitchen counter, and a walk in closet. We had brought a shoe back to hang all of our personal items in by the bathroom sink but we sure didnt need it! There was a large counter and sink in the bathroom as well as outside the bathroom. This was a great upgrade. It was at least 3 times the size of the normal rooms. We were used to a room at the All Stars. This room would be booked up anyother time of the year but it was Christmas so there was no meetings going on. The view was of the lobby and the Christmas tree.

 

[christianweecare]

We have been upgraded several times. This past trip (after Thanksgiving) we were upgraded from a standard savannah room to a deluxe savannah view at the AKL. I'm not sure if our WL portion of our trip was upgraded or not. We had woods view reserved but our room faced the pool on the villas side. We could see woods and the lake.

The best upgrade was last Dec. We were part of the POFQ closing for rehab and were relocated to the WL woods view for $110/night. When we checked in we were upgraded to the main courtyard. We have never asked for an upgrade. Just lucky, I guess.

By the way, I just reserved our trip for Nov. 2005. The CM told me that we were in the computer as having stayed over 100 nights at WDW. And I wonder where all my retirements funds have gone!