Room requests and upgrades

[Dug720]

I’ve been upgraded twice and both times were at BWI. This past August, I booked Garden View and did a TP room fax, noting that it was a special birthday and requesting a room in an area that the TP room finder had marked as Garden. I checked in and was told that I’d been upgraded to Water View - only to find that it was one of the exact rooms that I’d requested! I didn’t mean to request a higher category than I booked, but they gave it to me anyway. It was awesome. And I’m completely spoiled when it comes to BWI, as I’ve only stayed there twice and was upgraded to a view of the Boardwalk and Crescent Lake for both. And the first time was from Standard to Club Level Deluxe!

From what I've learned, it's easy to accidentally request a different-than-booked category as the room finder is not 100% perfect on its categorization (in spite of their "make sure you are requesting the room type you reserved" warning). It is not surprising that they mistakenly have a Water View categorized as a Garden View.

 

[Disneylover99]

Be careful what you wish for.....an upgrade may seem exciting at first, but it may not be what you want.

As an example, I book standard at Pop, and that's exactly what I want. I don't want a preferred, preferred pool, or a standard pool room. Just give me a standard room, where I know I have a better chance of peace and quiet.

 

[AngiTN]

Staying at BWI garden view late Feb 2019. We arrive Tuesday after PHM so CL is low-med. We need 2Q+daybed in order to make room for really long DS to have his own bed (poor DD always gets stuck on daybed or rollaway). Looking on TP room requests I can come up with two options. Here's my question though - if I have a specific room request sent - does that decrease my chances of a pixie dust upgrade? Also, if I don't do room request through TP how do I let them know our bed request?

Just to let you know, you can still use the TP service and include what you like best about the room in the text of the fax. This is what I always do, since calling is a PITA and it's not unheard of for requests to disappear from your file.
I use the finder to request a room based on the location I like, in the correct basic category. Then I put in the body that I want X (ready early, King bed, full balcony, etc.) I always just list my priority request, no others.

 

[AngiTN]

From what I've learned, it's easy to accidentally request a different-than-booked category as the room finder is not 100% perfect on its categorization (in spite of their "make sure you are requesting the room type you reserved" warning). It is not surprising that they mistakenly have a Water View categorized as a Garden View.

TP suffers from the "garbage in/garbage out" syndrome. They made it using the info Disney gave them. In some cases Disney gave them bad info and in others the rooms have changed/evolved to new categories and if they aren't told, then their list doesn't get updated. Still, while it's got lots of errors MOST are correct. One of the biggest things it's got wrong are bed types. There are many with King beds that aren't shown

 

[Dug720]

TP suffers from the "garbage in/garbage out" syndrome. They made it using the info Disney gave them. In some cases Disney gave them bad info and in others the rooms have changed/evolved to new categories and if they aren't told, then their list doesn't get updated. Still, while it's got lots of errors MOST are correct. One of the biggest things it's got wrong are bed types. There are many with King beds that aren't shown

I think there is some input from other sources too. Boardwalk has one standard that shows up in the middle of a huge water view or garden view block - not a random end room that could be other...smack in the middle and only one floor.

I definitely agree with king beds though. The room I have requested for AOA I know directly from someone on here who stayed in it has a king bed, but it is in TP as 2 doubles.

 

[buzznina]

Thirty-five times?!?! You are my hero.

Most of those trips were when it was much more affordable, now with all the increases, it's more like 1 trip every other year

 

[Polydweller]

One of the rules of message boards is: the more unusual something is, the more people will talk about it. There's a lot of talk about complimentary upgrades because they're so rare.

It also helps to understand that Disney gives out free upgrades because of their own business and operational needs. They need to get guests out of a certain room or room type for a certain range of dates. If you happen to have booked that room type for that range of dates, you might be the lucky one who gets the upgrade.

I’m a hotelier and your comment about business and operational needs is spot on. These are actually the only reasons. In addition to your example , the business needs can include that the room you we’re assigned had to be taken out of inventory for servicing, giving a superior room to try to sell it to you (or your friends ) the next stay, and yes sometimes goodwill though that is generally rarer. Regardless, there is a very small percentage of room night upgrades and they shouldn’t be expected.

 

[NJlauren]

We were upgraded once, from standard room at the contemporary to theme park view.

The short version of the story is, We arrived around 2:30 for 3pm check in. Was told we were upgraded but room isn’t ready. At 430 we went back to the front desk still not ready at 530 I ask to speak to a manger. He tells me they can downgrade me to garden wing and give me my room now or it could be 8pm before it’s ready.

Now I got upset, they then tell us they have us in connecting room (which I don’t want with my in laws anyway) and if I’m willing to give that up we can get one room now. So an upgrade in this case was way annoying, my in law got their room text around 830! Now they did end up making
It right by crediting us a nights stay, 3 anytime FP each for the next day and comped dinner at the wave that night.

However I really would have preferred my room on time at 3 with my 10 month old.

 

[mtrib]

Most of those trips were when it was much more affordable, now with all the increases, it's more like 1 trip every other year

I hear ya. This will be two years in a row this time. I think we've lost our minds.

 

[_19disnA]

Think of a room request as stating a 'preference'. I really doubt HOW you submit it makes any difference and I can imagine some busy fax machine with hundreds of documents that may end up in the trash.