How To Get A Free Resort Upgrade At Disney World

I had us booked for The Little Mermaid rooms at the Art of Animation resort at Disney World. They are the cheapest room there, and I am all about cheap. But it's okay, because the theming is fabulous. 

So how did we get upgraded to The Lion King suites? 

Well. 

I think we got lucky. I truly think the way to get an upgrade is pure luck. 

Some suggest to be sure to check in to the front desk in person. They'll insist it's the only way to receive an upgrade.

They are incorrect.

I checked in via the app. I did this, and it still showed The Little Mermaid rooms. (There are 4 different areas at the resort: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars.)

When I received the notice that the room was ready I noticed it changed to The Lion King suites.

I thought it was a glitch.

A suite?

For us?

We have NEVER been upgraded before. 

But it was our lucky day. 

And it was true. We had a Lion King suite. I thanked the Disney gods, because oh my gosh, more space! The Little Mermaid rooms just have the two Queen bed set up. 

But The Lion King suite?

SPACE!

This was the living area. The couch folds out into a bed.

This was the primary room. 

And even better, you get your own bathroom. And the Lion King details are wonderful.

There is a kitchenette with an actual fridge. In the standard rooms, all you get is a beverage cooler. 

Here is the other bathroom, and this area leads into the shower and toilet. It was nice having another bathroom because Natalie has so much makeup and creams and lotions. She took control of this one while Tommy and I used the other in the mornings. 

Another bed pulls down on the table, and yes, it was comfy. Natalie slept here. Tommy slept on the couch bed and said it was comfortable as well.

And be sure to check into details. I loved the song lyrics on these.

And even the carpet in the hall is Lion King themed. Check out the paw prints!

We were so thankful for the upgrade. The extra space was wonderful, and the theming was impressive. 

Heck, even the lobby is impressive, so truly, any room at the resort is a win. Even if you don't get the upgrade, you'll still be happy with what you receive. 

We will return to Art Of Animation one day. And if we get another upgrade, yay. If not, well, we know we'll still enjoy our time. It is considered a Skyliner resort, so you can reach two parks, Epcot and Hollywood Studios, via the nearby skyliner, which is convenient. 

Hey, It's Okay

 I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

......to have had a wonderful time at Walt Disney World last week. We walked so much, but it was worth it. And we went to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party.

.....to already be planning the next Walt Disney World trip. I always get a bounce back offer and it's a discounted price for a Disney hotel so you save a bunch. 

......to have moved Natalie back into college. Her classes start this week. 

......to be going to an Obsession pop-up market this weekend with the kids. Yup, Natalie is already coming home. She loved the movie Obsession, an actor from the movie will be there, plus other vendors. 

.......to be amused that Natalie took shooting aliens seriously in Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin in Magic Kingdom at Disney World. She got a high score. I said her photo reminded me of Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy shooting stuff. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Michael Jackson Tributes At Disney World

 Michael Jackson was a fan of Disney. He went to Disneyland and Disney World frequently. I mean, it makes sense: he was like a big kid, and the theme parks cater to that. It's probably why we love them as well. You can feel young and whimsical. 

Disney World has some Michael Jackson tributes, and we wanted to be sure we found them.

For starters, you can get Fuzzball from Captain EO at Hollywood Studios. Remember Captain EO? It was a short film that starred Michael Jackson, and it used to be at both theme parks. I believe it shut down in 1998 and returned in 2010 as a tribute to Michael, and then closed for good in 2015. Fuzzball is his sidekick. 

In front of Mickey's Runaway Railway in Hollywood Studios, you can see Michael's signature, so we brought Fuzzball to say hello. You can purchase Fuzzball in Galaxy's Edge--apparently he's in that world because he was a BRIEF appearance in The Mandalorian & Grogu movie. Blink and you'll miss it. I did. The cast member had to explain it to me. 

It was neat to see Michael's signature and handprints. The cast members were touched that we had brought Fuzzball over to say hello.

Even Geppetto was a fan.

The spot where Captain EO used to show is in Epcot. It's now the area where Disney & Pixar Short Films are shown.

Fuzzball was eager to be where his movie once was.

It still looks basically the same, just different signs. 

Finally, Michael loved the Kali River Rapids ride in Animal Kingdom. So if you look up in the room where you stand before entering the tubes, you'll see a painting of him on the ride. It's the Sherpa Surfer painting:

 It was fun checking out all the Michael spots at Disney World. We are hoping that Captain EO returns one day. With the popularity of the Michael movie, there is a chance it might. 

And if so, Fuzzball will be there.