What happens if you refuse an 'upgrade'?

[BlovesC]

We had a similar situation a couple years ago when checking into POFQ, but were upgraded to BC. Before the sentence was even out of her mouth I was saying YES, since BC is my favorite resort! I love unexpected upgrades

Now THAT is truly an 'upgrade', not just a case of "we're putting you into rooms we can't sell and you'll have to like it". We love the BC, that's some awesome pixie dust, lucky you!!

 

[lynypixie]

That's kind of my fear. I booked LM room at art of animation. With the special, I could get a moderate for less. Yet I decided to stay at LM.

I don't want them to send me to a moderate. No way! This would NOT be an upgrade for me. We chose this hotel for in-your-face Disney. I'd very gladly go with a lion king suite, but not another hotel unless it's on the monorail.

 

[KMcCP]

I have to agree with the previous posters... it's not an upgrade unless it's a better level of hotel, and a Disney themed hotel! I'm so looking forward to AoA LM rooms in Dec, but if they ever said something along the lines of the BC or something on the monorail I'd jump at it in a second! SSR, not so much.

 

[goofy4tink]

With all due respect, there isn't a reason I would turn down a 1 BR suite at SSR for a value. Not even for a second. I may be a little biased as that is my home resort with DVC.

And that works for you. If I booked Pop and found out they had overbooked and wanted to move me to either BWV or BLT, I would be thrilled. I own at those resorts because they are my favorite places to stay. But for me, SSR is way down on my list.
I'm staying there in Dec only because I couldn't get anything else. I'm looking forward to staying at a resort I've never stayed at before, but it certainly wasn't my first choice.
If I had booked a particular value resort, I booked it for a reason. There are times I really want that 'in your face' theming. I love Pop and am prepared to love AoA for my one night there prior to SSR. If I had booked a room at one of those resorts only to find that they had overbooked and I now had to move??? I wouldn't be a happy camper!!!

 

[macnodos]

I'll be honest with everyone, we like SSR very much but the deciding factor for our purchase was based on point cost. I would love BCV or pretty much any other DVC property but our reasons were pretty much fiscally driven. Enjoy your stay wherever you may land.

To the original poster, I didn't completely read your original post, apologies.

 

[mad madam mim78]

Honestly I love PoR. If they gave me an unexpected upgrade it would have to be a resort I like. I personally don't care if the room costs more than what I originally booked. If I don't like it I don't like it.

 

[shalom]

Trying to fix your own overbooking error by selling your least popular resort as an 'upgrade' is kind of sneaky.

I don't think that SSR is the "least popular" resort in the sense of the fewest people like it -- I suspect it's "unpopularity" is just a reflection of the fact that it's the biggest DVC resort by far, nearly twice the size of the next runner up (OKW), so there's always availability there. So the fact that it's bigger than demand doesn't mean there isn't equivalent demand to the others.

That said, I wouldn't be happy getting moved to SSR studio or 1BR if I'd expected to sleep 4 people somewhere else. We prefer real beds, thanks.

 

[fla4fun]

I agree that you don't always have a choice. It depends on whether there are any rooms left. If you arrive after they have given out the very last open room at your booked resort, no amount of refusal will get you a room there.

I also agree that sometimes you are much better off just taking the change and rolling with it. I remember reading all the posts from people who got caught up in that Pop Warner mess, and there were a lot of people who regretted staying at their original resort. It depends on the circumstances.

But I also understand that the resort choice is a big part of the vacation. I booked a TPV at CR over July 4th, specifically to watch the fireworks from my room. I wasn't planning on going to the parks at all. I would have been very upset if I was moved to another resort (being a local, I probably would have demanded a refund and just gone home). There aren't a lot of rooms that would offer the same view that I could try to switch to.

I don't think there are a lot of overbooking situations at Disney, or we would hear about it a lot more. At least Disney has other hotels to move you to. At other hotels you can be sent anywhere - other brands, same brand but several miles away, it's not pleasant.

 

[nkereina]

Since you arrived early, they more than likely still had rooms left but were trying to cure the overbooking early so if someone did put up a big stink, they still had rooms left to accommodate them, rather than having every room occupied. If you arrived late at night, they more than likely would have been filled to capacity in which case you would have been walked to another resort. The good news is that the later you arrive and the fuller they are, the more bargaining power you have. When POR's renovations became delayed and rooms weren't going to be ready, people were phoned and offered upgrades. Some people were able to negotiate and get a resort they wanted, since Disney was in a jam.

 

[cocoachip]

Honestly I love PoR. If they gave me an unexpected upgrade it would have to be a resort I like. I personally don't care if the room costs more than what I originally booked. If I don't like it I don't like it.

Completely agree! POR was overbooked in Aug at our check in about 5 years ago. I was beyond disappointed, even when the upgrade was for GF. We have experienced several of the deluxes, but GF was never on our radar. I had to convince them to look for a room at POFQ. The CM actually seemed a bit irritated, but we like what we like!

 

[BlovesC]

Honestly I love PoR. If they gave me an unexpected upgrade it would have to be a resort I like. I personally don't care if the room costs more than what I originally booked. If I don't like it I don't like it.

Yeah, that was how we felt. POFQ is my husband's favorite resort and this trip was for our second anniversary, so it just kind of deflated us to be moved to a resort that we don't like at all.

 

[NHKristy76]

We are going to Pop for our anniversary 11/25-11/28 and I would be OVER THE MOON if they sent us to Wilderness Lodge!!!!! I so want this resort but my husband nixed the idea because it was more than a $500 difference...

I'm praying for pixie dust to take hold of this issue!

 

[I Love Pluto]

If the resort overbooked, and if they did not have a room for me - the ONLY way I would agree to it is if they UPgraded me big time. BLT sounds good!

 

[pixie08]

Although I like POR and PoFQ I would never NOT pick and upgrade at a deluxe,( even SSR if it is a theme similar to home). The room (1bdr) is insanely nicer then any of the mods...Soaking jacuzzi tubs, balconies, separate living and sleeping spaces etc. DVC owners pay a lot of points and $$$ to stay at those, so it is not even a comparison.I have stayed at every hotel on Dis property (except AoA and BC) and I will tell you, I will always pick any deluxe over a mod.

 

[sheilanne]

And that works for you. If I booked Pop and found out they had overbooked and wanted to move me to either BWV or BLT, I would be thrilled. I own at those resorts because they are my favorite places to stay. But for me, SSR is way down on my list.
I'm staying there in Dec only because I couldn't get anything else. I'm looking forward to staying at a resort I've never stayed at before, but it certainly wasn't my first choice.
If I had booked a particular value resort, I booked it for a reason. There are times I really want that 'in your face' theming. I love Pop and am prepared to love AoA for my one night there prior to SSR. If I had booked a room at one of those resorts only to find that they had overbooked and I now had to move??? I wouldn't be a happy camper!!!

Do you ever get upgrades at BLT? We are staying in a 1 BR 11/27 till 12/4? Also, any room requests?

 

[DebbieB]

It's just kind of a pity that the resort that everyone gets shuffled to is SSR. When you have a resort that's never filled to capacity that kind of tells you something. Trying to fix your own overbooking error by selling your least popular resort as an 'upgrade' is kind of sneaky. I don't care what the rack rate is for a resort room; more money does NOT mean better for all people.

I doubt it was an error. If they are full at a resort but have one with empty rooms that are going to be hard to sell, they intentionally overbook the resorts they can sell and offer "upgrades". They do the same within room categories at a resort. For example, they overbook standard view at AKL and upgrade to the more expensive but harder to sell savanna views.

 

[Bonniec]

What conference is going on? Is it Pop Warner time now?

 

[BlovesC]

The room (1bdr) is insanely nicer then any of the mods...Soaking jacuzzi tubs, balconies, separate living and sleeping spaces etc. DVC owners pay a lot of points and $$$ to stay at those, so it is not even a comparison.I have stayed at every hotel on Dis property (except AoA and BC) and I will tell you, I will always pick any deluxe over a mod.

I just don't feel the same. We live a half hour from WDW, so I don't need a "home away from home" feeling in my Disney resort. I'd never pick a generic-looking room in an apartment-like resort simply because it's bigger and has more space. If all I cared about was a living room, kitchen, and giant tub, I'd just commute to the parks from the comfort of my own home. My favorite resorts are ones that offer a true "vacation" feel to me, AKL and BC. And I love the fun, bright themes at the value resorts. I'd honestly rather have stayed at one of them than at SSR. And I do wish I had tried to make that happen. My DB is an owner at SSR, and I endured a stay there with them back in 2008, so I already knew my feelings on the resort. That's my mistake.

What conference is going on? Is it Pop Warner time now?

The Gartner Symposium/IT Expo was being held while we there.

 

[BlovesC]

I doubt it was an error. If they are full at a resort but have one with empty rooms that are going to be hard to sell, they intentionally overbook the resorts they can sell and offer "upgrades". They do the same within room categories at a resort. For example, they overbook standard view at AKL and upgrade to the more expensive but harder to sell savanna views.

That really kind of scares me. I've never given any thought to overbooking or how the reservation process works, which is why the whole thing took me by surprise. But when someone bases their vacation around a certain resort it can really throw them for a loop when its changed last minute. I completely understand needing to change room categories in the same resort, but moving them to a different resort is a big deal, in my mind at least.

 

[maxiesmom]

I completely understand needing to change room categories in the same resort, but moving them to a different resort is a big deal, in my mind at least.

I can tell you from personal experience that having your room category changed at the same resort can "throw you for a loop" as well. I've had it happen twice, and both times I was downgraded from a preferred to standard room at the All Star Music. One time I had booked preferred to limit the distance my mom had to walk (she had just had minor surgery) and the second time because I had my 70 something dad along. I would have much rather they upgraded me to a different resort than been downgraded to the back of the resort.