Whether you do online check in or not has zero affect on possibly getting an upgrade.
I've never personally been upgraded before, but I occasionally see stories about people being upgraded to better resorts and the such. If you were to do online check in, how do they inform you that you've been upgraded? would the reservation simply show up as a different resort?
Possibly, but most likely you will get a message to stop by the front desk and then you would be informed.
Both times for us it was an upgrade to club-level at the same resort. The room I booked shows up in my plans now. Guess I will see what happens after I do online.
I think my main takeaway from this thread is to find whoever the room assignor has been on @SkyGuy’s trips and stay wherever they are working.
We’ve been lucky. The Riviera was a one-night stay, so the room was kind of wasted, but I’ve been chasing that high since. I don’t think I’d ever pay out of pocket for a 2-bed at Riv! The BWI 2-bed was a week, but every time we left the room we felt guilty for not staying in it more. There were just two of us, so it felt cavernous, and we didn’t really spend time together while in the room. The Garden Cottage was a weekend trip to do the 6:30am early open for HS when Galaxy’s Edge was new. I was annoyed by that one because I was with my 19yo son with a king bed and a non-pull out couch, and I didn’t want to have to walk outside for CL. I asked for my regular cl room, and they said they didn’t have it. The BCV 2-bed upgrades were during full-on Covid, masking every time you left your room. The place was a ghost-town, so I’m not really sure that was too special.
The quick answer is yes - you can get a pixie dust upgrade when using online check in. Lots of people have gotten them, including us.
I go 1-2 times a year and never get upgraded either. Tons of friends/clients have gotten upgrades because it's their first visit so I think we are at a disadvantage the more we go.
I think this is true. When we were going several times a year I NEVER got a “pin-code” but after missing a couple of years I got a “Return to the Magic” code, which we are using on this trip. Saving almost $300 a night on a deluxe. Probably will be another 10 years before I get another one.
Just out of curiosity, did you get it in the mail or an email?
In my email.
