How to get room upgrade

[Meglen]

We have never stayed at contemporary and booked garden wing for a few nights in mid December before the holidays. What is the next level above garden view that would be possible to ask for an upgrade to? We aren’t arriving til 9 at night so wasn’t sure if we should do online or In person check in To help our chances. It’s just me and my husband celebrating our 5th anniversary and our 2 year old son

Garden wing is not connected to the main building. Anything is a upgrade from there.

 

[blbrodger1]

An upgrade is really based on luck and availability at the resort.

On message boards like these, "upgrades" may seem like a common occurrence because people love to share a story about an upgrade. I doubt that anyone would post a message to say "Yay! We got the garden room that we booked!"

 

[rangerxenos]

If OP does not get a Savannah room, I just wanted to mention that even though I had bought a CL Savannah room which I loved-! I ALSO Loved drinking my morning coffee in a sort of common area that was hardly ever inhabited (surprisingly). I would go grab my coffee and then on the way back to my room past the registration desks, was the doorway with the spiral staircase. I LOVED sitting in the wood rocking chairs there In that little circle area to drink my coffee, music is piped in and gaze over that whole area. There are many neat areas at this resort, don't confine yourself to your room or balcony.

One of the many reasons AKL is my favorite resort.

 

[blbrodger1]

I've gotten a water or pool view when I just booked a standard view. That's about as good as it gets.

 

[AngiTN]

back in the day when my kids were young and cute I would use them to get upgrade.
...
We were 50 / 50 on getting an upgraded room category. Who can resist a kid. CM's can and do adjust assigned rooms all the time.

Now my kids are old and rotten (joke) and we still book the cheap views, but dont worry about upgrades at all. Let the younger ones have that stuff.

You do realize that vast majority of the people checking in have cute kids with them, right? With your line of thinking upgrades would be the norm
Utterly ridiculous to think that that is the reason anyone gets an upgrade

 

[AngiTN]

I do not understand why it bother's so many people if someone else asks to be upgraded?

I'd say in most instances it is a case of someone projecting their views. If someone else has the guts to do it I'm not bothered by it, it's their choice and honestly, I'd never know anyway. To me it is equal to asking for a gift. I can't fathom walking up to someone and asking for a gift. I find it something that is distasteful

 

[buzznina]

I'd say in most instances it is a case of someone projecting their views. If someone else has the guts to do it I'm not bothered by it, it's their choice and honestly, I'd never know anyway. To me it is equal to asking for a gift. I can't fathom walking up to someone and asking for a gift. I find it something that is distasteful

Your comparison of asking a stranger for a free gift to a room upgrade at a hotel, which is done every day in thousands of hotels, is totally ridiculous!

 

[Disneylover99]

Your comparison of asking a stranger for a free gift to a room upgrade at a hotel, which is done every day in thousands of hotels, is totally ridiculous!

Especially when hotel chains around the country advertise or actively encourage you to ask for your free upgrade at check in.

 

[cwis]

Hotels regularly provide free upgrades to guests that ask AND are member of their loyalty program. Unless I missed the memo, there is no such program at Disney (too bad as we would surely have the Mickey Platinum Plus level somehow), and front desk doesn't have a clue about your previous stays history.

As far as I am concerned, asking for a free upgrade is a lack of consideration for the cast member behind the desk who most likely doesn't have the clearance to grant free stuff that costs real money to random guests.

This thread seems to be going nowhere: people are getting upgraded, regardless they ask it or not, and we've circled why already: yield, revenue management, unexpected maintenance, room assignments issues…

 

[Miffy]

Since the OP, who has apparently disappeared (perhaps in horror), isn't here to say this, I will. The OP never mentioned that they wanted a free upgrade. They asked how to get an upgrade. This is not like asking for a gift. This is like asking for something, finding out how much it costs, and then deciding whether or not you want to pay for it.

I'm kinda surprised that this thread has veered over into moralizing about asking for free upgrades, since that wasn't how the thread started. To me, asking for an upgrade isn't a big deal. Why not ask? Maybe they'll have something better than what you booked and maybe you'll be able to afford the upgrade (and maybe you couldn't when you booked the room--which is entirely possible) and maybe they'll give it to you. It's just not that big a deal. Asking rudely, demanding an upgrade at check-in, acting like you expect it to be free--those things are no-nos. But just asking? Chill, people. There's nothing wrong with it.

 

[AngiTN]

Your comparison of asking a stranger for a free gift to a room upgrade at a hotel, which is done every day in thousands of hotels, is totally ridiculous!

Sorry, where did I say asking a stranger for a gift?
Besides you asked why some people have issues with it. I gave you my answer. I think asking for a gift (even from someone you love) with your hand out is ridiculous. You don't. So you do it. I find it in very poor taste. I do not do it. And why I'd never suggest to someone else they do it. But I'm not telling you not to do it either. As I said, I don't care if someone has the guts to do it, I'd likely never know.

On top of that, I find getting the upgrade as a surprise quite fun. Like getting an unsolicited gift is fun. Getting something you ask for, not as fun.

 

[Lacoccinelle]

In the past five years, we almost always book standard, always do online check in, and have been upgraded every time (except the night before our cruise when we booked garden view at POFQ and a seven night stay at Beach Club with connecting rooms). We really didn’t like the vibe of Beach Club and asked to go to WL two days in. There was not room available, but Beach Club asked if they could move our room. We were moved to a room where we could see fireworks from bed and much closer to the lobby. I was not mean or annoyed to any cast member we really just wanted to leave the hotel.
Wilderness Lodge (4 times) and Boardwalk (once) have been upgraded several times. AKL (twice) and both upgraded. We have never asked.

I never ask and have always taken the room that I am assigned at online check in
to start. We usually get there early and go to the desk if we haven’t gotten the text. Room always available by noon, too.

 

[Nancyg56]

Sorry, where did I say asking a stranger for a gift?
Besides you asked why some people have issues with it. I gave you my answer. I think asking for a gift (even from someone you love) with your hand out is ridiculous. You don't. So you do it. I find it in very poor taste. I do not do it. And why I'd never suggest to someone else they do it. But I'm not telling you not to do it either. As I said, I don't care if someone has the guts to do it, I'd likely never know.

On top of that, I find getting the upgrade as a surprise quite fun. Like getting an unsolicited gift is fun. Getting something you ask for, not as fun.

We all have our "thing" that we find distasteful or rude, and it always surprises me how diverse that list of annoying "things" is. The way I see this is that if someone wants to take a chance that they will be in a room that they are not happy with by waiting until checkin for that illusion room upgrade, go for it! Me? I seldom care about view in WDW with the exception of AKL, where I book and pay for Savannah view. If someone else manages to score the same view as Ihave for free because they asked for it, I am fine. I must say that in all the years of visiting, all of my wishing and hoping has never gotten me upgraded to Bungalow or suite....or in tha year of a million dreams, Cinderella castle for the night. To be honest, if I thought simply asking worked, and it Got me a week in a Bungalow, or on one of those amazing suites, I would ask! LOL! I have a tentative trip in December planned, AKL Savannah view, and before I even have my airline tix purchased I am ...you guessed it.... secretly hoping I get bumped up to that magnificent suite! LOL!

Frankly, I am not in the camp of believers in asking will get you upgraded. WHile it may work for a very few people, the odds of it occuring are slim ti none given the finite number of rooms available for upgrade at that given time, so IMO asking means you might be setting yourself up for more disappointment. It hurts no one but the family who wants that upgrade.

 

[Ecomommy09]

I'm surprised this is so triggery to people.


My grandparents were born in the great depression. Eventually... they were very successful, traveled extensively for business and pleasure, and NEVER booked what they wanted. My grandmother always asked for an upgrade (airports, hotels, restaurants, etc). She often got one.

When I read these kinds of arguments, I feel like the people who come from money are horrified and the people who didn't come from money are not. Meh....Ask for an upgrade. THE WORST thing that can happen is the person you are talking to thinks you are a looser. Who cares if they think you are a looser? You NEVER have to see them again.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

I'm surprised this is so triggery to people.


My grandparents were born in the great depression. Eventually... they were very successful, traveled extensively for business and pleasure, and NEVER booked what they wanted. My grandmother always asked for an upgrade (airports, hotels, restaurants, etc). She often got one.

When I read these kinds of arguments, I feel like the people who come from money are horrified and the people who didn't come from money are not. Meh....Ask for an upgrade. THE WORST thing that can happen is the person you are talking to things you are a looser. Who cares if they think you are a looser? You NEVER have to see them again.

I don’t think it is the “people who come from money are horrified”. Most people these days don’t come from money. I sure don’t and said I think it’s a bad idea. Why in my view- because once someone gets a free super upgrade and posts it then others think it happens all the time. They don’t get a free upgrade and come and complain and then it’s oh go to manager and they’ll pixie dust you. (Now that might be extreme but.... upgrades are rare and happen in few cases).

We all think Disney should be perfect, but like everything else it’s not. People need realistic expectations there. It’s understandable if something is a horrible experience (reading on theme park boards OP had awful experience at DAH at AK) to go and ask for help. It is unreal to expect pixie dust for everyone and everything! Imagine if they gave freebies for everyone celebrating (all those celebration buttons for birthdays, anniversaries, engagement, selling the most Girl Scout cookies, getting an A, potty training, etc). They can’t and it’s unrealistic.

Sure ask for upgrade if you are willing to pay, if not book the room and view you want and enjoy your trip. It is not about people with money being offended.

 

[Disneylover99]

Sorry, where did I say asking a stranger for a gift?

Isn’t that what we’re talking about? Asking the front desk for an upgrade? A stranger.

On top of that, I find getting the upgrade as a surprise quite fun. Like getting an unsolicited gift is fun. Getting something you ask for, not as fun.

Most people probably feel this way, but not me. I don’t like surprises at check in. I book the category I want, which is usually a standard room, because that’s what I want. If others find it fun to ask for an upgrade at check in, I say go for it!

I recently got bumped up from standard to gardenview at POFQ. I didn’t want that because we had a car and wanted to be close to the parking lot. The room they offered was lovely, but about as far away from our car as possible.

 

[cwis]

Sure ask for upgrade if you are willing to pay, if not book the room and view you want and enjoy your trip. It is not about people with money being offended.

Exactly.

What triggers me is that most people I have been reading saying they prefer to ask for upgrades seems to have no clue about why upgrades are happening in the first place.

I know people will still believe what they want to believe, but the front desk staff of the Pop Century will not be able to upgrade you to a suite at the Contemporary, regardless how cute you are. Not even the front desk of the Contemporary will be able to upgrade your standard room to a suite free of charge.

Most complimentary upgrades I keep reading about is standard view getting pool/water/savannah views. Technically they are better room categories, but WDW sells more standard view that they have anyway (because of yield), and who knows maybe you're losing something like being in a preferred building, your new room might be noisier, with a connecting door, on the middle floor, far away from the elevators…

And, again, chances are you would have been assigned that exact same room whether you'd ask for an upgrade or not.

 

[DSLRuser]

You do realize that vast majority of the people checking in have cute kids with them, right? With your line of thinking upgrades would be the norm
Utterly ridiculous to think that that is the reason anyone gets an upgrade

Well.....believe it or not...some kids are cuter then others...and like many parents....i believe mine were / are the cutest. truth be told....in real life......people judge other people.....and looks, communication skills, and sales skills (social engineering) have a big impact on your day to day experience in life.

i just choose to get the most out of my experience in life by trying to change every outcome in my favor. This includes how i interact with a CM at check in. including having my child "ham" it up in front of the CM.

 

[MilitaryMouse]

Well.....believe it or not...some kids are cuter then others...and like many parents....i believe mine were / are the cutest. truth be told....in real life......people judge other people.....and looks, communication skills, and sales skills (social engineering) have a big impact on your day to day experience in life.

i just choose to get the most out of my experience in life by trying to change every outcome in my favor. This includes how i interact with a CM at check in. including having my child "ham" it up in front of the CM.

It’s the opposite of “utterly ridiculous” - it was a totally cute story that made me smile as I read it. Don’t know why PP got so triggered. My toddler (also the cutest kid in the world ) hams it up in front of strangers too and it brightens everyone’s day. And yes, sometimes we get pixie dusted (can you still call it that when it’s not in Disney??).

 

[Minniesgal]

book it and pay for it