Hotel upgrades???

[LindaR]

We haven't been to Disneyland in over 9 years, so I have some refresher questions!

Has anyone gotten an upgrade on their room at one of the DL hotels?

Are reservations necessary for sitdown meals (we will be there last week of March 06)?

Thanks!

 

[Michelle2]

All of the times I have stayed onsite, I do not think that I had an upgrade. I think that you can pay extra for it if it is available, but I know especially at the Grand Californian, that since they are so booked up ALL of the time (even at the slow times) that they probably do not do any upgrades. I guess they do not need to. Not sure about the other 2 since I have not been to them in awhile. So I would book the room/view you want, just in case. I am sure upgrades happen, but I bet they are kinda rare.

Reservations are not necessary at sit down meals, but are preferred. Especially at busy times of the year, and weekends, and especially if they are in the parks. (Like Plaza Inn at Disneyland, or Ariel's Grotto at DCA.)
I usually always had a priority seating, but sometimes, spur of the moment we would feel like somewhere, and alot of times they could work us in. Especially if it was a week day or weeknight.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

We haven't been to Disneyland in over 9 years, so I have some refresher questions!

Has anyone gotten an upgrade on their room at one of the DL hotels?

Are reservations necessary for sitdown meals (we will be there last week of March 06)?

Thanks!

I can pretty much guarantee that no one is going to offer an upgrade during that time...As of right now, all 3 DLR properties are booked solid, all superior hotels, and CCI are completely booked until after spring break...no pkgs through WDTC, AAA, or Costco for any of these properties are available so the only way I can see an upgrade being offered without charge, would be if someone got there late and no rooms were available except an upgraded room..DLR properties suites are booked as well though

 

[GeorgeY]

Last June, 8-14 we booked a Standard view room at the Grand Californian. We called 2 hours before our arrival and pre-checked in and when we got to the hotel we got our keys. When we got to our room we were in a great room overlooking Grizzly Peak . Nothing was mentioned about being an upgrade, but it surely was one. They may be few and far between, so I think we just got really luck.

George.

 

[lulubelle]

If you mean by upgrade, booking a standard room and getting a theme park room, yes it does happen. But in my experience (I have stayed onsite over ten times in the past 3 years), it only happens during very slow times. Earlier this month we stayed at DLH with an AP rate of $89 and they put us in a parking lot view room, I nicely asked if there was anything else available and they put us in a lovely pool view room in the Sierra Tower on the 4th floor #2242). I was quite happy. But usually you get what you have reserved. And I always make ressies for sit down meals, better safe than sorry, you never know how crowded it might be. Have a wonderful trip.

P.S. I am Linda R, too!

 

[LindaR]

Thanks, everyone! All our trips in the past 9 years have been to WDW, so I was trying to figure out if things run the same at DL.

I have a standard room booked at Paradise Pier (which is fine or else I wouldn't have booked it!) and will make ressies for the couple of meals that will be sitdown.

Another question: Anyone done the premium viewing for Fantasmic?

 

[pjhootch]

We got upgraded at GC during the booked solid week after New Year's, but they weren't really doing us a favor. I had requested one of the bunk bed rooms, knowing of course that there was no guarantee. We were paying full rates through AAA travel, so the room was about as expensive as it ever gets. When we arrived about 10 a.m. to pre-register, the clerk very sweetly informed us we had been upgraded to a theme park view room. The view really was nice, but I would gladly have had the non-view room that I booked, if I could have had bunkbeds with a trundle for the kids. As it was I had one kid on the floor in a sleeping bag for three nights and it was a bit too much.

 

[Disney Hot Mama]

We haven't been to Disneyland in over 9 years, so I have some refresher questions!

Has anyone gotten an upgrade on their room at one of the DL hotels?

Thanks!

Just back from a weekend at the Disneyland hotel. We booked a standard view room on DVC points. Upon checking in was told we had been upgraded to a pool view room. We ended up in the Sierra Tower 8th floor. It was very nice and a fun surprise.

 

[Snow Brite]

It never hurts when you check in to ask. At any hotel that you are checking in to. The best way is to just say...(use whatever applies to you and your trip) that is it your honeymoon, or you are celebrating your 25th wedding anniversary, or your sons birthday. I am pretty sure that the DLH preassigns their rooms before guests check in (they decide who is going in what room the night before), so it is harder to get an upgrade at that kind of a hotel. It is easier at a hotel where the desk clerk assigns rooms as the guest checks in. However, like I said it never hurts to ask for specifically what you are hoping to get. If you want to have a pool view instead of a parking lot view, then ask. If you want a particular tower, then ask. Be polite, friendly and set up the situation so that the desk clerk can be your hero. It will not always work, but sometimes it does.

Booked solid times are actually really good times to get upgraded. The hotel is juggling their rooms to fit everyone in. While Reservations might have sold exactly the number of rooms available (although they probably sold a couple more) there will always be people staying over another night that the hotel didnt expect, people that had to cancel suddenly, and small mistakes made about arrival or departure or room types with that volume of reservations being made. If the hotel is looking to upgrade a couple of people to even things out, then it could be you!

Just remember that its the nice people that win this race. Those that are rude and unfriendly and bullies will not.

 

[undertheradar]

When I worked in the hotel industry, anyone who asked for an upgrade was given the cost to do so. We upgraded based upon room usage, buiding turnover, etc. I enjoyed upgrading folks who didn't ask, as they were usually very surprised when the went to the rooms.