If I was **Hoping***(not expecting) for an upgrade at AKL....

[Ladybugsy]

what time would be the best time to check in. We'll be there on September 18th, and have booked a standard view, which will be fine with us, because, HEY! We're at Disney!!! But I do have an animal freak son who would LOVE LOVE LOVE to wake up each morning and sit on the balcony with animals in sight. Would it be better to check out of POP and head over there first thing in the morning, or wait till around lunch time and our scheduled break?

 

[wld]

January checked in around noon and was upgraded from savannah to deluxe savannah I think
May checked in around midnight and was upgraded from standard to savannah

I say I think for the first one because I had a savannah view booked. When we got our room it was huge with a day bed. I thought it was regular savannah and maybe it is except that in May our upgraded room did not have a day bed and was much smaller. (But it did have the bunks I had requested.

I did not ask either time. Had just put in the request for bunks on the ressies.

 

[leanne11]

our t.agent told us to say this" our 5,ds would love to see the animals from our balcony" we said it and ended up with a sav, view but it was all set up before we got there.. he said you have already been upgraded,,and it was late about 8:00 night..wait till you see the lobby and i remember the smell of boma,we didn't eat there too exotic for us but the smell...wow...also take a picture of the bridge in the lobby you will get the stained glass picture window behind it,,,unforgettable..i would def. check-in early it only takes a ride over in the bus and then ask, even if you can't get a room then tell them you'll wait for SAV. room
your, checking in Sept. i would think you could get an upgrade it is not there busy time and the amount of standard rooms is far less than the Sav. view..

 

[Tinkerbelles]

when I checked in at 6am to the WL, the CM said..."oh the room assigner has given you an upgrade, so it looks like it is done before you get there

 

[chip64]

In the many years we've been to WDW, we honestly have been upgraded very few times but having said that I've read a lot of posts on what resorts upgrade more than others and to me it seems like the Animal Kingdom Lodge seems to do the upgrades more than others ever do. It really depends on how booked they are which in Sept., it shouldn't be a problem. Good luck and by the way and the very least, it never hurts to ask. Chip.

 

[laurabelle]

I just booked a standard room at AKL last month, they were booked up the day I checked in and we got pixie dusted and were upgraded to the Kudu savanna. We did "pre-check in" about 8:00a.m. and got our room about 3:00. It was a nice surprise!

 

[TiggerCat]

There seems to be quite a few threads asking how to get a "free" upgrade. I am just wondering if a lot of the disappointment with the resorts that has been expressed lately might not be at least partially related to the fact that people are getting their hearts and minds set on a free upgrade but not getting them. I mean, there are only so many rooms and not everyone is going to get the "room with a view". These generally go to the paying customers first. This also seems to be the case with the towel animals. I realize that everyone is saying that they will be fine with the standard view but hey, that sounds like they're settling for the standard view which is what they asked for in the first place. I just don't get it .

Honestly, there is no magic formula for getting an upgrade. Some people get lucky and many don't. It really has nothing to do with the time you check in, how many special requests you make or whether you say it's your anniversary, juniors birthday and the cat's first year without fleas. The room assigner allots the rooms based on what is available and what was paid for. If there are some of the special rooms left over (after holding a specific number for last minute reservations) than they may make a few people happy.

Than again, I heard that if you wait until late evening to check-in and if you dye your hair green and sing the Mickey Mouse Club song, you will get a partial upgrade to whatever is available.

 

[Stitches]

I agree with the others who said it is already decided before you arrive. I think the main factor is how many people have requested standard view versus how many are available. As Leanne said, there are way more savannah view rooms than standard.

 

[chiconh]

Very good response Tiggercat.

If you really must have a certain view then pay for it at booking, it's that simple. Too many people just have to have a "free" upgrade and are very dissapointed when they do not get it. I've also read response from people who sound jealous that someone got an upgrade and they didn't.

As the old saying goes..."You get what you pay for". If you are lucky enough to get a little Disney Magic then be thankful but don't be angry when you do not get it.

 

[tekmom]

We received an upgrade from standard to savanna 2 weeks ago. checked in at about 10:15. Good luck on your trip!

 

[Ladybugsy]

I'm not expecting anything at all. Hoping is the word I believe I used. It will not distract from my vacation one bit if I get a view of the parking lot, or the dumpster, since that is what I paid for. We spend little time in the room, and I of course expect the best rooms to go to those who have paid for them. I was just wondering what kind of luck others had had, and if there was any sort of pattern. I make my vacation special...not Disney. Disney is just a fun place to do it in. And if I get pixie dusted...then that's just icing on the already too sweet cake!

 

[paladin]

I make my vacation special...not Disney.

I think that is a marvelous attitude and I agree with you completely. Hope your vacation is wonderful.

 

[Stitches]

Ladybugsy,

You were very clear that you were "hoping, not expecting" an upgrade. I think the comments about how some people expect an upgrade, may be valid, but they certainly don't apply to you. Have a great trip!

 

[LeesyUD]

what time would be the best time to check in. We'll be there on September 18th, and have booked a standard view, which will be fine with us, because, HEY! We're at Disney!!! But I do have an animal freak son who would LOVE LOVE LOVE to wake up each morning and sit on the balcony with animals in sight. Would it be better to check out of POP and head over there first thing in the morning, or wait till around lunch time and our scheduled break?

There is definitely nothing wrong with hoping! I am also booked for a standard room at AKL, Sept29th-Oct 4th. I called the other day to see how much it would be to upgrade to savannah view but it was $480 more. I would looove to have a savannah room but unfortunately I just cannot afford it right now. Me and my boyfriend are HOPING we might get a free uprade, but at the same time are assuming we are not. We figured if we have more money when we go and there are upgraded rooms available, we will pay isf we still want it. If it is not available I will be prefectly happy staying in a standard room It will be my first time even seeing AKL so I am so excited!

 

[erinch]

When we checked in on July 30, at about 11:30 am, I had a savannah room reserved, had requested zebra trail, arusha savannah, nonsmoking with bunk beds --and had asked, if possible, to be on third or 4th floors in at least the 3rd section of rooms out.

They had preassigned us a room on zebra trail, arusha, but it was the first room off the lobby on the second floor with a view of nothing but arusha rock.

I was just opening my mouth to try to argue that I wasn't paying for "rock view" when my 9 year old DD took a deep breath (she was standing with me) and said, "Please, do you have any room that is further away from the lobby on the third floor? We'd really be willing to wait." The CM had a soft spot for her, and did find us a room--not an upgrade, but did reassign the room. I think if my DD had not been with me, I might have been out of luck.

It certainly would not hurt for your child to accompany you to the desk, and ask about the best places to see the animals. I could be wrong, but in watching people check in over the week, it seemed to me that upgrades went more often to families with wide-eyed children. I'd also suggest that around 10:30 am or so lets them know who's checked out, but they still have some inventory to play with.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Ladybugsy]

Thanks, that makes sense, erinch. I guess we'll wait till around lunch time to head over and see if we get pixie dusted.

 

[minnie61650]

,
Than again, I heard that if you wait until late evening to check-in and if you dye your hair green and sing the Mickey Mouse Club song, you will get a partial upgrade to whatever is available.

You forgot to specify lime green !
Linda

 

[angey77]

I like to pull this line when chit-chatting with a CM when checking in: "How much would it be for an upgrade?"
We've been upgraded at both AKL and CR. I can't remember what time we checked into AKL, but we had pool view booked. I asked the question and was told "Oh, I'm not sure if you want to pay this, but we can get you in Savannah for $10 more per night." Needless to say, we took it!
Checked into CR on our honeymoon and asked the same question. Unfortunately, the tower was all booked up with a medical convention and ESPN (this was Dec. 2004), but we were upgraded at no charge from standard view wing to garden view.
And even if you are told there are no upgrades avail or the quoted cost is out of your league, keep being nice and personable. We did this at DL Hotel two weeks ago. Our room was not ready, so we went to the parks and came back later to find we ended up with a great pool view. Much better than the parking lot view we were expecting.

 

[marj70]

Are you ever able to do a paid upgrade to Savannah (if a room were to be available) at check in? If we do make the plunge and switch to AKL I'd be nervous to commit to the extra expense of a Savannah view, but if my trip fund gets fat enough it would be nice to be able to have that flexibility.

 

[marj70]

I am sorry for the redundant question, I just read the post above which answers my question! Duh!