Request a Room at WL OR Wait for Upgrade??

[boxer]

For our 9 night stay at WL next week, I'm hoping for an upgrade out of our standard view room to a courtyard view. Should I request the 'best' standard view in case I don't get upgraded, or just wait until we get there in hopes of an upgrade???

 

[pepe of ohio]

are 2 different animals. If the courtyard view is what is going to make your vacation, I'd pony up and pay ahead and reserve it. We've stayed at WL the last 8 or so times and only got up graded free twice. We took the woods view a few times but paid for the courtyard pool view too. Either area is nice but the pool view is the best, and in some cases worth paying for. When we had the woods view, hardly used the balcony, but when we're in the pool area, we spent alot of time on the balcony, during the day and alot in the evenings. As I said, if the view is going to make you vacation, reserve now and pay the price, but if its no big deal, save the money and just walk down to the pool and hang out, it's your money and vacation but we go like we're never coming back and I've been saying that for 40 trips.

 

[Lynne M]

Upgrades are MUCH less common than they appear to be from reading these boards. People post when they get an upgrade, but no one starts a thread to say 'hey, I got exactly what I paid for!'. And believe me, there are way, way more of those folks out there.

This past March, I did my 18th WDW trip. In all those stays at Disney resorts, I've been upgraded exactly once.

Chances are slim that you'll get upgraded. If it's very important to you to have courtyard view, go ahead and change your reservation, or make your room requests for standard view.

 

[sunnyday123]

what makes them give you an upgrade? I've never even heard of that till here! I am happy to just be onsite and not in a broom closet but if they gave me an upgrade I would take it!!!

 

[WDW~Lover]

For our 9 night stay at WL next week, I'm hoping for an upgrade out of our standard view room to a courtyard view. Should I request the 'best' standard view in case I don't get upgraded, or just wait until we get there in hopes of an upgrade???

this is to funny! I just booked the WL on Monday for May 12th thru the 16th. with an AP rate. I got the courtyard view and just called to see about getting just a standard view!! oh well! not sure if you are there at the same time as me, I did not want to pay as much as as I am, it is still discounted, but I upgraded from a mod. and did not want to spent to much!

 

[ashlansmom]

I think you should book it as such and pay for it to guarantee it. We just returned yesterday and the Lodge was fabulous. I had originally booked a standard room but I eventually changed my ressie to a Woods View. The CY view just wasn't in our budget, and with an 18 month old who needed to nap, I was afraid it might be noisy. Well, we ended up with a great woods view where we had a view of the lagoon, and ducks and bunnies all day, and could see the fireworks over the tree tops. It was room 3010 and I'm sure the woods views on that wing higher up are probably even a better fireworks view. When we checked in there was not a mention of an upgrade at all, and since this is not supposed to be the most crowded time of year and we haven't heard a lot of news on upgrades, I think it's not likely that they do it much. However, maybe upgrade at least to a woods view and hope for the upgrade to CY. The weather is so great right now that if you really want to see the courtyard, there are plenty of great places to sit and look at it. There is a deck that I never saw anyone on, off the main lobby, with rocking chairs, there is also an outdoor deck up the main elevators on floor 5 or 6... can't recall which.... also rarely saw it used. Personally I loved our woods view. I wasn't expecting much as we were a late check in around 9:30pm on a Saturday.... but we got a great room.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Boxer

As there are so few Standard View Rooms available at the Lodge. There are 9 located off the Lobby on the 4th floor over the check-in desk on the south side of the lodge, then 39 room that are located on the north side of the Lodge floors 4-6 over looking the service area but may have a great view of the fireworks & Magic Kingdom.

Just keep your request simple off the lobby or north wing.

This shouldn't keep you from receiving an upgrade if one is available, over the years I have found that at the Lodge most upgrades are one level higher standard/woods wood/courtyard yet I have received upgrades for both wood and courtyard views when I have booked standard view rooms.

Good Luck and sending PIXIE DUST for your trip.

 

[boxer]

this is to funny! I just booked the WL on Monday for May 12th thru the 16th. with an AP rate. I got the courtyard view and just called to see about getting just a standard view!! oh well! not sure if you are there at the same time as me, I did not want to pay as much as as I am, it is still discounted, but I upgraded from a mod. and did not want to spent to much!

LOL, I have the AP rate also, but I'm there longer than you, so we can't switch ..........how much per night is the AP rate for courtyard view??? I may just pay to switch if its not that much.

 

[boxer]

Boxer

As there are so few Standard View Rooms available at the Lodge. There are 9 located off the Lobby on the 4th floor over the check-in desk on the south side of the lodge, then 39 room that are located on the north side of the Lodge floors 4-6 over looking the service area but may have a great view of the fireworks & Magic Kingdom.

Just keep your request simple off the lobby or north wing.

This shouldn't keep you from receiving an upgrade if one is available, over the years I have found that at the Lodge most upgrades are one level higher standard/woods wood/courtyard yet I have received upgrades for both wood and courtyard views when I have booked standard view rooms.

Good Luck and sending PIXIE DUST for your trip.

thanks, this was the advice I was just about to ask for.......are most standard view rooms on the North Wing pretty good views of the fireworks??? I wouldn't mind the lobby rooms, but I prefer to see the fireworks if I can.

 

[WDW~Lover]

LOL, I have the AP rate also, but I'm there longer than you, so we can't switch ..........how much per night is the AP rate for courtyard view??? I may just pay to switch if its not that much.

$246.37
that is with tax. courtyard view. what is the price for a woods view?
well, if you are coming in on the same day...let me know, because you can stay longer, there was availability but there was no woods view rooms. and I am only staying 4 nights! lol

 

[tiger4me2]

Some wait hoping for an upgrade & are disappointed when they don't get what they want. If you want a better view pay for it now instead of waiting until you get there. If I wanted a woods view or courtyard at the WL I would get in now instead of waiting. Though I prefer Courtyard but would take a woods view as long as it was near the boat dock MHO Good luck !

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Some wait hoping for an upgrade & are disappointed when they don't get what they want. If you want a better view pay for it now instead of waiting until you get there

While this statement is very correct, Boxer booked standard view he was asking if he put a room request in would it effect a possible upgrade if the room assigner saw the request.

The answer is no it shouldn't if he keeps the request simple, as the request he/she is making could be for any room view not just standard view rooms.

 

[boxer]

$246.37
that is with tax. courtyard view. what is the price for a woods view?
well, if you are coming in on the same day...let me know, because you can stay longer, there was availability but there was no woods view rooms. and I am only staying 4 nights! lol

I'm coming in the day before on the 11th..........I'm still going to check though. Not sure of the woods view price?

 

[boxer]

While this statement is very correct, Boxer booked standard view he was asking if he put a room request in would it effect a possible upgrade if the room assigner saw the request.

The answer is no it shouldn't if he keeps the request simple, as the request he/she is making could be for any room view not just standard view rooms.

I'm a 'he'..........my wife refuses to post under the 'boxer' screen name since she doesn't want anyone to think SHE is a boxer. lol.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

Certainly don't expect it. As others have said, if your view is important to you, book the room you will be happy with. Most standard rooms are over the service area. Some have reported noise early in the morning (trucks backing up and beeping) so if you sleep in take that into consideration.

what makes them give you an upgrade? I've never even heard of that till here! I am happy to just be onsite and not in a broom closet but if they gave me an upgrade I would take it!!!

Sometimes if they have rooms available in other views they may upgrade you. There are more "courtyard" views than any other, but some of the "courtyard" views are toward the VWL quiet pool, that were considered "woods view" before the VWL was built.

I've actually been upgraded twice - once to woods view and once to the view of the VWL quiet pool. I booked standard view but requested a king bed. I didn't know until check-in on my last trip that there are no standard rooms with a king bed. When I asked at check-in if I have a king bed they have been able to switch me into a handicap accessible room with a king bed. Your mileage may vary...

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) There still are a few upgrades at WL, just like at other resorts.
2) However, they are significantly fewer this year!
3) There is a HUGE reason
. . . 2-yrs ago, WL reclassified a lot of Standard rooms as Woods view rooms.
. . . this created an excess amount of Standard room ressies
. . . WL upgraded excess ressies to Woods view
. . . actually they gave them the same room they first reserved !
. . . now the ressie cycle has been purged
. . . so, there are less shortages of reserved Standard rooms
. . . and less need to upgrade
4) If you want a Courtyard view, it is best to reserve it.

NOTE: Very few Standard rooms have good views of the fireworks. Trees have grown and block a lot of the previously good views. Now, there are about 10 Standard rooms that have decent views of the fireworks.

 

[ZZUB]

My .02: as others have said, if the view is important to you, then book it. I didn't read your post to say the view was that important. Thus, if you really don't care about the view, stick with standard view and keep the money. We were upgraded two years in a row, both times from standard to courtyard with bunkbeds. But if we had gotten exactly what we booked, we would have been ok with that as well. It was only b/c we had the view that we spent time looking at it.

In my estimation, the Wilderness Lodge has about the best standard rooms. While the view may not be all that hot, it's not as depressing as say staying at the AKL and getting a parking lot view. Plus the standard view rooms at WL mostly have convenient access to the main lobby. Some woods and courtyard views can be a bit of a schlep.

Whatever you decide, I hope you write a Trip Report. I remember you wrote one a few years ago and it was full on funny.

 

[boxer]

My .02: as others have said, if the view is important to you, then book it. I didn't read your post to say the view was that important. Thus, if you really don't care about the view, stick with standard view and keep the money. We were upgraded two years in a row, both times from standard to courtyard with bunkbeds. But if we had gotten exactly what we booked, we would have been ok with that as well. It was only b/c we had the view that we spent time looking at it.

In my estimation, the Wilderness Lodge has about the best standard rooms. While the view may not be all that hot, it's not as depressing as say staying at the AKL and getting a parking lot view. Plus the standard view rooms at WL mostly have convenient access to the main lobby. Some woods and courtyard views can be a bit of a schlep.

Whatever you decide, I hope you write a Trip Report. I remember you wrote one a few years ago and it was full on funny.

LOL.......I tend to people-watch alot at Disney, and it is pretty easy to come up with some funny stuff after 10 days of doing that.

$5000 vacation + 80 minute waits + no ADR's left = good boxer trip reports