On-line check in Vs in person

[Jenard]

Staying at the FW Cabins starting on the 7th, and I was wondering if there are any perks to checking online Vs in person. Any Help is greatly appreciated.

[minnie mum]

No perks, just the possibility of a shorter wait in line for your check in.

[glammadiva]

I always do online check in just in case we arrive at the same time as an ME bus!

[Mari23]

The benifit to on-line check-in is that if you have room "request" or if you really do need the pack n play, its a great way to let them know ahead of time and not just spring stuff on them when you get there.

[minnie mum]

Originally Posted by Mari23

The benifit to on-line check-in is that if you have room "request" or if you really do need the pack n play, its a great way to let them know ahead of time and not just spring stuff on them when you get there.

You can make requests at any time - from the time you make your reservation, right up until you check in. Online checkin requests are usually limited to specific ones in a drop down box, and depending on the resort, may be completely unrelated to the request you want to make. Much better to call with the details of your request, if you didn't add them at the time you made your reservation.

[KarBear]

We did on-line check in and it was a breeze!

[maxiesmom]

Not a fan of on line check in. It doesn't guarantee your requests will be met, it doesn't even guarantee you will get the room type you booked (yep, had that lovely experience). And if you are at all fussy about what location your room is in, if you will request a different one if you don't like what they assign you, it will take longer than normal check in.

I usually get better room locations not doing on line check in.

[Melissabo]

I did online check in and would do it again. The line was much shorter at POR. I mad a request for bed rails and to be close to the riverside mill. When we got there the person checking us in had our room ready at 11:00 am when we arrived and then gave me the choice of 4 different rooms.

[ncc1701]

We have done Online on our last couple of trips. For the most part it has been quicker. We have no special request so as long as we get the room category we booked we're happy

[nkereina]

Originally Posted by minnie mum

You can make requests at any time - from the time you make your reservation, right up until you check in. Online checkin requests are usually limited to specific ones in a drop down box, and depending on the resort, may be completely unrelated to the request you want to make. Much better to call with the details of your request, if you didn't add them at the time you made your reservation.

Definitely this. In fact, I've had a CM tell me that with online check-in people, they try to get them into a room that will be ready at their arrival time before they even consider any of their room requests. Last time I did online check-in, I got the exact opposite of my room request because it was a room that was ready when arrived. I asked for on that met my request, and I didn't get a room until 4 hours later (which was fine by me).

[kris4360]

I did the online check in and got everything I requested.

[helenk]

Originally Posted by nkereina

Definitely this. In fact, I've had a CM tell me that with online check-in people, they try to get them into a room that will be ready at their arrival time before they even consider any of their room requests. Last time I did online check-in, I got the exact opposite of my room request because it was a room that was ready when arrived. I asked for on that met my request, and I didn't get a room until 4 hours later (which was fine by me).

I do online check in all the time, it's just part of my getting psyched about by trip. However, my room is not always ready, but I generally have gotten my requests. I always make my requests when I book or later once I've decided on the area I want to stay in.

[fla4fun]

Originally Posted by maxiesmom

Not a fan of on line check in. It doesn't guarantee your requests will be met, it doesn't even guarantee you will get the room type you booked (yep, had that lovely experience). And if you are at all fussy about what location your room is in, if you will request a different one if you don't like what they assign you, it will take longer than normal check in.

I usually get better room locations not doing on line check in.

If you have room requests that will make or break your vacation, you should NOT do online check-in. You should always check in at the front desk so that the CM can work with you to find the best room out of the available inventory. That being said, I've done it for every trip since it became available and I've had pretty much perfect room locations every trip (with the exception of a one night trip that I really didn't care where my room was anyway - that one didn't have the best view but was an OK location).

I do online check in primarily to reduce the number of people swiping my credit card. Although they sometimes ask to see the card when I pick up my key (not always, sometimes they just ask for ID), it's just a quick glance and a hand back. These days, one of the more prevalent methods of skimming cc info is to install the skimmer within the wiring for the equipment (and in fact, a few years back, someone was arrested at WDW for doing just that) - so the fewer times my card has to be swiped anywhere, the better.