When do you find out about room upgrades?

[connie254]

We're staying at POR garden view, just my son and I. Now they started on room upgrades in the mansion buildings where the majority of 2 queen bed/ garden view rooms are, I'm wondering when people normally find out they get Pixie Dust upgrades?

 

[`OhanaHare]

When you check in or walk in the room. Don't be asking about it to Disney because you'll possibly mess up your chances. Do NOT expect pixie dust. It does not happen often.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

As PP said pixie dust doesn’t happen often. Especially now with resorts at near capacity. Book the room you want.

 

[MomOTwins]

If you do online checkin, you'll find out when you get your room number text message--usually around noon the day of check in--since you can look up that room to see what category it is in. If you don't check in online, you'll find out when you get to the front desk. When I got my upgrade at AKL I didn't realize what was happening. She just said "I've got you in a Savannah room with bunk bed" as she was checking me in and I started arguing no no, I had a basic view thinking it was a mixup and I was going to be charged more, but she just smiled and said the upgrade was compliments of Mickey.

 

[lanejudy]

If you’ve received an upgrade, you’ll find out when you receive your room assignment.

We're staying at POR garden view, just my son and I. Now they started on room upgrades in the mansion buildings where the majority of 2 queen bed/ garden view rooms are, I'm wondering when people normally find out they get Pixie Dust upgrades?

Are you hoping they’ve overbooked POR and you might get “walked” to another resort? While possible it’s unlikely. If that happens you may get called in advance or find out when you arrive. But again, highly unlikely.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[softball chick]

I realized it when I walked into my room at Yacht Club, looked out the window, and saw my view of Crescent Lake instead of the garden I was supposed to have. It was the first time in 20+ trips that the pixie dust fell on us, and it was an incredible surprise.

 

[rosiebean]

We're staying at POR garden view, just my son and I. Now they started on room upgrades in the mansion buildings where the majority of 2 queen bed/ garden view rooms are, I'm wondering when people normally find out they get Pixie Dust upgrades?

Pixie dust upgrades happen rarely. I usually request a room ahead of time in the area I personally find best in the room category I’ve booked. So, at YC, asked for close to lobby when I booked a garden view. A specific building when I booked a river view RR at POR. I’ve been very lucky to have gotten my requests granted most trips. Really, that’s the best you can hope for.

However, my most recent trip, I booked a discounted (through a travel agency) POR standard view and was upgraded (and it was definitely an upgrade) to a refurbished garden view...I found out when I checked in. The location was great and refurbish was really pretty. Ironically, I was placed in Alligator Bayou and wanted to be in a Mansion...so be aware, upgrades don’t always mean you’d like them better!

 

[tesquivel]

Better chances of pixie dust by checking in online or at front desk??

 

[cakebaker]

I found out about our upgrade to club level when my room was late getting ready and I got a text to go to the desk to discuss my reservation. I pulled it up on MDE and it showed my reservation being for CL. The front desk confirmed it. Any view upgrades I found out about when we entered the room. Despite what it may seem to be, they don't happen often. Been staying onsite since 1987 and this was my first year to get any kind of upgrade and it happened twice.

 

[Lynne M]

Better chances of pixie dust by checking in online or at front desk??

No difference. The CM presents it as pixie dust, but the resorts assign upgrades for their own operational reasons. In other words, it’s not about anything you did, it’s just that the resort needs to have you out of the room type you originally booked, and the dates of your stay happen to match up with the time frame the resort needs. Pure luck.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Better chances of pixie dust by checking in online or at front desk??

It doesn’t matter. It can’t be stressed enough they are rare. Most people don’t get- when people do they are excited and post here. Book what you want and don’t expect an upgrade, get mad if you don’t get one or ask for a free one.

 

[rosiebean]

Better chances of pixie dust by checking in online or at front desk??

Neither, rooms are assigned about a week ahead of time no matter if you’ve done online check in or not.

 

[suemom2kay]

I've received ONE upgrade over many many trips at WDW. It was a Junior Suite at CSR and we found out when we walked in the room. We each had our own bathroom! Now if I could just get that setup at home!

 

[jaiminee krikit]

Honestly, don't get your hopes up. If you go in expecting what you've booked you'll be a much happier person. I never ever ever expect an upgrade. I've been fortunate to get upgraded to pool view from standard twice, and a river view from standard once. I never asked, and don't even realize it until I get to my room.

 

[cwis]

As many have already pointed out, statistically speaking, you will not HAVE get a free upgrade. WDW has thousands of rooms, maybe once in a while someone will get upgraded. I hate to be the one to tell you: it's not going to be you.

This post is going to be quite long, feel free to skip it if you're not interested as to how things work behind the scenes.

The inventory of bookable rooms do not always match the available inventory at resort. Maybe they have 10 rooms that they are trying to sell at $200/night, at 5 rooms they are trying to sell at $300/night. If nobody is willing to pay $300, they better sell 15 rooms at $200, and unless they have 5 no-shows, some guests are going to be upgraded. Another reason for free upgrades might be unexpected maintenance in one of several rooms. It makes sense, you might have a leakage in your house, so does WDW.

A few days before you check-in, a room assignor will try to find a room in your booked category in the resort you've selected. If they can't, two things might happen: either they leave you being unassigned (this is the same as if you'd make a last-minute reservation, someone will find a room for you on your check-in day) or they decide to switch you to another resort. This is your first occasion to be notified that your actual room might not be the one you made a reservation for: they will contact you by phone, and ask you if you are OK. Sometimes, this is not an upgrade per se: they will offer you a similar room in another resort of the same category, and give you a small gift, such as room credit or free dining. If inventory is very low property-wide, there is a slight chance that you end up being upgraded, and even sometimes, downgraded. (This is not what people usually think when they don't get the actual room being reserved, but it happens.)

Now, if you've not been contacted prior to your check-in day, this means you have a room at your resort, and possibly a room number. Which would not guarantee you will stay in this room: unexpected maintenance, wreckage from previous guests, police investigation… not trying to picture a script for a Hollywood movie but, heh, it's Walt Disney World, once in a while, everything happens.

Suppose you have been assigned a room number. If everything goes on track, housekeeping will perform its duty, someone will inspect it, and mark the room VCI on the system: “Vacant, Clean, Inspected”. If you've opted in online check-in, you will receive a text, and My Disney Experience will show your actual room number and room type. If the assignor went forward to giving you a free upgrade, that's your occasion to know!

Now, some of the reservations have not been assigned room numbers until your actual check-in date. This, I am not 100% how they do it since they've implemented online check-in, though this is your last chance of having a room “change”. Not always an upgrade though: if all the bookable rooms (that is, all rooms except the rooms under maintenance or off the system for any reasons) are busy, they won't let you sleep in the hotel lobby or restaurant, and they will have to walk you to another resort. Maybe for a better room, or maybe for a worse.

TL;DR: if you WANT some room category, BOOK IT. Statistically, this is the MOST RELIABLE way of having the room you want!

 

[MrsInsG]

I've gotten two upgrades in 20+ trips. The first was when I checked in to Boardwalk and was chatting excitedly with a gentleman wearing business clothes. I didn't notice his name tag until the end of our conversation, but had been telling him about our plans, how excited we were to be there, our baby dd's first trip, etc. When it was my turn to go to the counter he walked ahead of me and introduced me to the CM at the desk and said something to the effect of "let's make sure we take good care of her." We were upgraded to a Boardwalk Green view that was right beside the elevator to help make it easier with an infant and young child in tow. The second time I got the text as we were waiting to board our plan to MCO. We were staying at the Grand Floridian in a standard room but the text stated our room number as well as "Main Building." I was confused because I thought the only rooms in the main building were club level. I double-checked online and sure enough, all CL. I figured it was a glitch that would be sorted by the time we arrived. I double-checked our room assignment at the front desk and sure enough we'd been upgraded. It was a huge pixie dusting! I don't expect it ever to happen again, but it did happen and we were appreciative!

 

[Donald - my hero]

We're staying at POR garden view, just my son and I. Now they started on room upgrades in the mansion buildings where the majority of 2 queen bed/ garden view rooms are, I'm wondering when people normally find out they get Pixie Dust upgrades?

Are you asking if you'll be getting a room that has been "renovated"as opposed to being "upgraded" to a completely different category? If that's the case you've got a fairly decent chance of that happening since all of the buildings in the Alligator Bayou section are completed and they've started on the mansion buildings as you mentioned. If you take a glance at the POFQ thread you can see suggestions for room location requests to help you get a better chance at getting what you would like. As others have said if you're hoping to get moved to a different category that prolly ain't gonna happen.