Numerous people report that when they checked in at their resort and asked politely for a room upgrade. If it were available the cast member at the desk was able to accommodate the upgrade. Obviously, the rooms have to be available before they would upgrade you. So, you have to be a little bit lucky for this to work.
How does this work? Well, like the airlines, Walt Disney World Resort oversells many different room types because they know a percentage of them will cancel or postpone their reservations for one reason or another. They want to make sure that their rooms are full because a full room makes more than an empty room. So, every day it’s a team of cast members’ job to figure out the puzzle of where to put everyone checking in that day. If they have more parties checking in than they have rooms for they will need to accommodate those guests somehow.
So, how do you take advantage of this possibility? Here are a few tips or ideas. First, when making your reservation make sure you mention that you are celebrating something. I know that if it were my job to figure out that room puzzle I would look for groups celebrating an anniversary, special birthday or honeymoon first. Second, arrive early in the day, before noon if possible, you can store your luggage at the resort and head into a park, but many times cast members are trying to fill the rooms and complete the puzzle as quickly as possible. Third, ask, I know that you can check in 60 days in advance of your arrival, but take the time to go to the front desk when you first arrive and politely, ask, ‘Is there any chance I could get a complimentary room upgrade?’ Again many people report that if they simply ask politely, their request is fulfilled if the cast member can accommodate them.
On our most recent trip, we had booked a room for 12 nights at the All Stars Movies Resort. We chose the standard room because we felt we could save a few dollars and honestly, we spend very little time at the resorts and a lot of time in the parks. When we arrived, we went to the front desk and asked if there were any room upgrades available. And to our surprise, they were able to upgrade us to a preferred room on the first floor that looked out on the Toy Story courtyard. It was an incredible room, I dare say, it might have been one of the best rooms at the resort. We definitely felt it was some Disney magic.
Have you received a room upgrade before? How did it work for you? Share your Disney magic story in the comments below.
