Online check in versus waiting until arrival

[Don137]

We are staying at CSR the first week of April so it's during peak season when we check in. We have a preferred room and asked for a room in 9B or 9A. We heard that online check in makes it harder for them at arrival to fulfill the request for some reason and causes a bigger headache. We plan on arriving around 8:30am and checking in to get our passes but no need to go to our room until after a day at the park. Is it better to wait and do the full check in at arrival especially during peak season in order for them to satisfy our building request or can we check in online and not worry about them satisfying our building request?

[dvcHammer]

All rooms are assigned before you arrive even if you do not make any requests or use online check-in. There is no human involved in the decision, it is all done by the reservations computer system.
Since you are arriving early, you have a good chances of getting very specific room requests granted, simply due to the fact that the rooms are not occupied by other guests yet and they have more flexibility to make changes.

Online check in does not limit you from making a request at check-in if the building you get is not what you were hoping for. I have often changed rooms at the front desk after online check-in with no problems at all.
Tell them you are not in a hurry and willing to wait for the room. It's never a guarantee, but patience and early arrival gives you a pretty good shot.

There is no downside to online check-in. It is one of the most persistent rumors you hear on these boards. It can only save you time by having your arrival time and information already in the system. Plus you may get the request that you have made automatically and not have to wait in the longer lines.

I've worked in the hotel industry for over 20 years and have installed and trained hotels and resorts on how these systems work.

[Don137]

Thank you very much for the feedback. It is greatly appreciated.

[maxiesmom]

All of the preferred rooms at CSR are in the Casitas section. You won't be able to have preferred and end up in any of the 9 buildings. Sorry!

[jdcthree]

Originally Posted by dvcHammer

There is no downside to online check-in. It is one of the most persistent rumors you hear on these boards. It can only save you time by having your arrival time and information already in the system. Plus you may get the request that you have made automatically and not have to wait in the longer lines.

Unless the CM checking you in doesn't know what she's doing. The one and only time we tried it, several people in the regular check in line were done before us! I'm sure online check in is faster for 99% of people using it - just not for us, lol.

[maxiesmom]

[QUOTE=dvcHammer;47805886]

There is no downside to online check-in. It is one of the most persistent rumors you hear on these boards. It can only save you time by having your arrival time and information already in the system. Plus you may get the request that you have made automatically and not have to wait in the longer lines.

/QUOTE]

On line check in will not save you time if you have a request that you really want, and they don't assign you a room that meets that request. They then have to redo all of the room keys . Or you can be unlucky like me and they don't have anything ready anyway.

[MichelleWDWfan]

I don't do online check-in.
I arrived at POP on the 6th at 11am.
I requested to be in building 1 or 10 first floor standard room.
There was only 1 person in line ahead of me. Check-in was pretty fast.

The cast member made a quick phone call, and was able to grant my request.
They gave me a room in building 1...first floor, and the room was ready so I was able to go right to my room & drop off my carry-on before heading to Epcot.

[dancin Disney style]

In my experience online check in stinks....I will never use it again. The first time I did it the CM had no clue as to what she was doing. The package was not ready and the keys were not ready. I had requested only a particular building (this was low season) and I was assigned the complete and total oppposite to my request. It took 2 phone calls and a manager to change my room to the building I requested....which BTW, had more than one available room as I was offered my choice of several different rooms. This entire process took nearly 20 minutes.

Second time using online check in.....again I asked for only a particular building(low season again and resort was not close to being full) got the total opposite. Same process....phone calls and a manager to make the change. Again took about 20 minutes to straighten out.

In comparison, all the times I've used the regular check in line I've never been more than 10 minutes including standing in a line and have always been granted my requests without having to ask.