On line check in? To do it or not?

[Luv2trav]

I've been reading it's not good to use on line check if you have multiple requests? We are checking in next Saturday and I have 2 request. 1. Close to the main building and 2. My mom will have her own room so I would like to be in the same area as her... Should I wait to check in?

 

[dianeschlicht]

Which resort?

 

[disneynutz]

IMHO you don't really gain much by using on-line check-in. Some have reported a small time savings, others have reported a waist of time.

I would wait and check-in in person.

 

[vascubaguy]

I debated whether or not to use it. We are staying at AKV Jambo House with check-in on Sunday. I noticed that there was only request option there "close to transportation". I just wanted something close to the lobby which I would assume could be interpretted as close to transportation.

We'll see how it goes when we arrive, but I know when you check-in in-person, you can ask the CM to check for what is available to put you in. During one of the times we stayed at SSR, the CM told me where different rooms where available and let me pick. (It was a slow time in the lobby, the other times it was packed!)

 

[Luv2trav]

Kidani Village.

I am opting to wait. We arrive around 11:00ish so I am will take my chances.

 

[abk96]

Kidani Village.

I am opting to wait. We arrive around 11:00ish so I am will take my chances.

I think that's a wise idea. I'm not using it for our trip in July. It just doesn't make any sense to use it IMHO. I never wait in line longer than a few minutes to check in anyway since we arrive early.

 

[DebbieB]

I'm staying at AKV Kidani in a couple weeks. I'm not planning on using it, I'd rather talk to a live person and make sure everything is in order. I've never stood in a long line at a DVC resort.

Your first request is "close to main building". Kidani is only 1 building. Do you mean "close to Jambo"?

 

[Luv2trav]

No close to main lobby at Kidani... I am trying to avoid being all the way down at the end of the resort.

 

[DebbieB]

No close to main lobby at Kidani... I am trying to avoid being all the way down at the end of the resort.

I would word it as "close to lobby" rather than "close to main building". There is no "main building", it's all one building.

 

[dianeschlicht]

No close to main lobby at Kidani... I am trying to avoid being all the way down at the end of the resort.

In that case, I think your request of "close to main building" may be confusing. I too would have thought that meant Jambo, in which case you would be down at the end of the hallway. I think you are smart to wait and check in when you arrive. I see no real point in the online check-in as it is now.

 

[Luv2trav]

In that case, I think your request of "close to main building" may be confusing. I too would have thought that meant Jambo, in which case you would be down at the end of the hallway. I think you are smart to wait and check in when you arrive. I see no real point in the online check-in as it is now.

When I told MS I told them close to lobby and pool... So I assume they knew I meant Kidani's lobby and pool seeing I am staying in Kidani.. We shall see I guess..

 

[kristenrice]

I just did the online check in for our one-night stay next week. (We have a studio for the first night and a 1BR for the rest of the trip) I had a request for a savanna view (we are booked in value at AKV) but when I clicked on the "request" tab, nothing came up. I figured I would try it for our 1-night stay since our room location/view isn't all that important for one night. If it gets deleted, it is not that big of a deal. The reservation did show our Deluxe Dining Plan and everything looked correct. I figure that since we are using DME, there is the potential for a lot of people to be checking in at the same time. This way, we have a chance of having a shorter wait if only a handful of people take advantage of online check in. I plan on being at the front desk between 7-8am the next day to check in for the rest of the week. This is the first trip for DH as a DVC member. He has never stayed at AKV and he will also be experiencing DME for the first time. I want to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.

 

[vascubaguy]

We are back from our trip and I will never use Online Check-in again. In theory it should be faster, BUT when we arrived there was only 1 CM working the online check-in and there was a family up there asking all kinds of questions about the resort, where things were, how to get to certain places, how to use the dining plan, even where to catch the monorail to AK (???)!!!

The other lines were not long at all, but since I did online registration I only had one line to pick from. Then when I got up there, we still had to go thru almost all the same routine of checking in, I just didn't have to give him my credit card and didn't have to wait for the cards to be printed or a room assigned.

Now, during the online check-in process, the only "request" you could select was "near transportation" which I assumed might mean near the lobby. We were on the far end of the Zebra trail beyond the pool (room 5546). It was a long hike to get to the transportation. I know it wasn't guaranteed, and I might have been able to ask about the location at checkin and other available rooms, but I was just happy the room was ready when we got there (2pm). I also didn't want to hold up the line that had formed behind me waiting for online checkin.

 

[wildernessDad]

One big downside IMO was that if one wanted room charging privileges, then ALL adults were given room charging privileges.

I think that those request options are a hold-over from other resorts. They aren't really tailored to specific resorts.

 

[famsen]

We are back from our trip and I will never use Online Check-in again. In theory it should be faster, BUT when we arrived there was only 1 CM working the online check-in and there was a family up there asking all kinds of questions about the resort, where things were, how to get to certain places, how to use the dining plan, even where to catch the monorail to AK (???)!!!

The other lines were not long at all, but since I did online registration I only had one line to pick from. Then when I got up there, we still had to go thru almost all the same routine of checking in, I just didn't have to give him my credit card and didn't have to wait for the cards to be printed or a room assigned.

Now, during the online check-in process, the only "request" you could select was "near transportation" which I assumed might mean near the lobby. We were on the far end of the Zebra trail beyond the pool (room 5546). It was a long hike to get to the transportation. I know it wasn't guaranteed, and I might have been able to ask about the location at checkin and other available rooms, but I was just happy the room was ready when we got there (2pm). I also didn't want to hold up the line that had formed behind me waiting for online checkin.

It was a waste of time for us. We had the same situation; the online check-in counter had only one person working it, so we had to wait longer than if I had just been in the regular line. There was no difference in time saving. I still had to go through the whole check-in procedure that I normally go through so I didn't see the point in doing it. I won't do it again.

 

[bookwormde]

I tried it for my OKW HH GV portion of my trip, we are checking in on Sunday and I put 7am, since there is no need for a room request (there are only 2 in the same building). We will see if it helps.

bookwormde