Disney World Quick Tips – Room Upgrades is it worth it?

Our last trip to Disney World we stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The AKL is to me of the coolest resorts at Walt Disney World. When we booked our trip we picked the standard room. While not the largest room or the best view we were still excited to be at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Once in the room and walking out on the balcony we had a wonderful view of the parking lot. This is the part where there would be a “Wah Wah” sound effect. The way the AKL is set up all the animals are on the inside of the resort. Giraffes, Zebra, etc are only visible with the preferred rooms. What is the point at staying at a Deluxe Resort if you are not going to take advantage of one of the main amenities – The View!

So is the increase in rate worth the added cost?

I would say it depends on the resorts.

For example when we went in September of last year we stayed at the Boardwalk Inn & Villas. Again we did the standard room rate and not the preferred upgrade. We had a great view of the water slide but wished we would have paid the upgrade and had a view of the Boardwalk. To me it wasn’t a huge deal, nowhere near as bad as the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Would have been nice to see Illuminations: Reflections of Earth though.

Talking with Chris one of our local Pixie Vacations she had this to say about upgrading:

Should you upgrade your room? I would say no. For one it’s a lot more money for very little benefit. Unless you have a medical condition that makes it easier for you to be closer to the bus stop, skip it.  The only preferred upgrade I believe in paying more for are the rooms at Deluxe Resorts that provide you with better views (i.e., theme park, water). Otherwise, stick with the standard room rate.  And for goodness sakes, don’t pay for a “water” view at a value resort!

The only real benefit of a preferred room in the value and moderate resorts is being closer to the amenities:  Pool, Bus Stops, Laundry, etc. But remember, being closer to the pool also means more noise. Unless you need to be closer to these things, don’t worry about it. Save your money.

So like Chris I believe it depends on the Resort. When we book our yearly trip next year we are shooting for the Beach Club Resort & Villas. Will I pay to upgrade the room? You better believe it.

If we were staying at the Pop Century Resort? Probably not.

I am not a travel agent but highly recommend using an Earmarked Disney Travel Agency like Pixie Vacations. Contact Chris at [email protected] to book your Disney World vacation today. Be sure to talk to her about room upgrades and be sure to tell her Chip sent ya!

So what do you think? Do you pay for the preferred room upgrade? Let us know in the comment box below.

Related articles

• Disney World Quick Tip – Getting the best seat in the house (chipandco.com)
• Tips for Choosing your Walt Disney World Resort (chipandco.com)

For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!

Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.

Click Here for your FREE No Obligation Quote.