Upgrades when staying DVC?

[SuperLlama!]

I was reading on another board where someone said they booked a 2 room villa with their dvc points, and were going to ask for a free upgrade to a grand villa, and the poster seems to sincerely think it will be done. Does Disney really do this? I wouldn't think so, because that is one heck of an upgrade. I just flipped through the point charts, and wow, that would be a whole lot of "free" for someone to be given.

I know resorts give complimentary upgrades often .. but we're not talking a water view instead of a standard view at CBR, we're talking a lot of DVC points between a 2 bedroom and a grand villa. I would think that all DVC points would be equal -- and that a person would be charged for the grand villa, not be given it for the cost of a 2 BR. Now, if Disney made an error and had no 2 BRs available when the guest checked in, I can see them making amends for their error, but to just give it just because someone asks seems odd to me.

Okay, I really hope no one flames me for not being "happy" that a fellow Disney guest may get a huge free upgrade, but I am really sort of shocked that this sort of thing (free upgrades to grand villas, not flames, lol) happen with DVC.

 

[jarestel]

Anyone is free to ask but the answer will always be no unless there are maintenance issues with the original room. DVC doesn't (and can't) operate by providing free anything on a whim since it's a timeshare, not a hotel, and everything has to be paid for by the membership.

 

[castleri]

Sure hope they are not planning on taking 12 people with the idea of getting that free upgrade. I would think that they would be told they can get a GV if one is even available and it will be however many more points per night. It is highly unlikely that there would even be any GVs available anyway depending on where they are staying and when.

 

[dis-happy]

Some people live in Fantasyland. I wouldn't worry about it happening because it doesn't--or at least very rarely.


That said, I did recently receive an upgrade for one night at HH. But I had a medical related issue that made it very difficult for me to use the room we were assigned and I asked if I could wait for another studio to open up later in the day (and I was willing to make due with what we had if necessary). Apparently they were very booked, as well as very understanding, and I was shocked when they moved us to a 1 b/r in a different building. Major pixie dust. I don't ever expect it to happen again.

 

[spiceycat]

DVC does not give upgrade.

unless as noted there is something wrong with the room you are given. then most of the time you will be given a similar room not an upgrade.

the poster was living in fantasyland.

one person I rented to actually expected me to upgrade their unit. I say no -one, no points left and two, I won't have done it anyway.

hey when you ask for one thing and expect another when you get there - sorry that isn't DVC or any timeshare.

even the Disney resorts don't give upgrade often - unless you are willing to pay for one.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Nope, not going to happen! I'd be surprised if GVs were available last minute anyway, and the only way it is allowed is if the person has enough points to DO the upgrade, or if the unit they were to be in is taken out of service for one reason or another.

 

[DMKEDM]

I haven't see the post about which people here are talking (someone asking for and getting an upgrade from a 2-br to a GV)...but "inexplicable" upgrades at DVC resorts do happen...one happened to us...

It may not have been DVC, tho--ours was an upgrade from an OKW studio to an OKW one-BR, but it was a cash reservation made thru CRO...

We had booked a studio for just one night during the sold-out marathon weekend, thru CRO for cash...it was one of those deals where I called "on a whim" to add 2 days to our five-day reservation, two weeks before we were supposed to arrive...all of WDW was booked...called each day, both MS and CRO, for another five days, hoping for cancelations. Wound up getting a studio thru MS on points at SSR (Sat of marathon weekend) for one of my nights, and then a studio at OKW (Fri of marathon weekend, thru CRO for cash, w/an AP discount) for the other--both these reservations came through about 8-9 days prior to our arrival...

When we arrived at OKW they put is in a 1-BR ... after picking our teeth up off the floor at the spaciousness and beauty of that 1-BR (dianeschlict, I thought of you almost instantly!--we loved "your" OKW!!!), I reluctantly bowed to my raging conscience and called the front desk to report the "mistake." They told me they'd given us the one-BR on purpose and hoped we enjoyed it.

We were thrilled, and were instant "converts" to OKW (we're going back over Labor Day weekend)...and sad we would be there only the one night...(but we love our SSR and were happy to have our one night there, and then we loved our five-day "old" (made at 7 months out) ressie in a one-BR std view at BWV w/our friends who joined us on Sunday.

So, I still have no idea why Disney gave us that upgrade (but we sure did love it!)...they didn't mention the Year of A Million Dreams, and it was only for one night and it was a cash reservation thru CRO, not a points ressie thru MS...but an upgrade "for no reason" it was...

To me, it seems just as "splendiferous" as going from a 2-br to a GV would be...but I can't imagine ever "expecting it" and I'd be embarrassed to even think about asking for it!

 

[dianeschlicht]

It may not have been DVC, tho--ours was an upgrade from an OKW studio to an OKW one-BR, but it was a cash reservation made thru CRO...

You are right, that was not a DVC upgrade, but a cash/CRO upgrade. Those are much more likely than reservations made on points.

 

[DVCLiz]

Yep, I've been upgraded twice while staying at a DVC - but both times it was a cash ressie. I don't think anyone could seriously expect to get this upgrade on points.

 

[mbhoxsie]

I got upgraded once on a BWV points ressie...

Not a major upgrade...

I booked a 2BR-Standard.... My DS and family was going to arrive a few days later, to stay in a Studio-Standard (on my points)...

When I checked into the 2BR, I made a request that the Studio be near our 2BR..

We got put into a 2BR-Preferred on the second floor just thirty feet or so down the hall from the elevator.. Room was the best view we've ever had... I could look out my window and stare at Leaping Libations.

DS's family ended up being 4 doors down the hall with a Studio-Standard.

Like I said... Not a major upgrade in room size or anything, and I doubt I would have gotten it other than we had the other reservation booked for a few days later..

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

We would never expect an upgrade on points but that being said we did sorta get an upgrade at HHI. We booked a one bedroom which is what we got but it was right underneath a GV and the noise from just the occupants normal activity was awful! We heard several kids running laps through the rooms for about 20 minutes which would have been fine except we were trying to sleep! After that first night we asked the front desk if there was another one bedroom available and they gave us a 2 bedroom. We didn't need the second bedroom (just the three of us) but it was quiet which was all that mattered to us!