bama_ed
It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2004
- Messages
- 13,735
Folks,
I've got a trip coming up and I thought I would pass on (for those of you who haven't done it this way yet) the latest and greatest way to make loop requests for your campsites at the Fort.
When I started going regularly to the Fort, there was a fax number to send in your request (for those of you who are old enough to remember a fax machine).
Then a few years later, instead of having to write a letter and fax a copy the Disney Reservation Cast Member could take a request and note it in your reservation.
Concurrently, about 10 days before arrival you would receive an email from Disney offering "early check-in" which among other things let you pick one option for a loop number, by a Comfort Station, or something else.
Now that My Disney Experience (MDE) has been around for a year, MDE incorporates this feature and appears to have it pretty well covered. When you use MDE and link your Fort campsite reservation number, you are ready to go. About 60 days before arrival, you will see a link appear "Online Early Check-in Available" out to the right of your first day shown in MDE (every day is listed).
Among the things you can do is specify your estimated arrival time on your first day and estimated departure time on your last day, add a credit card to your account for charging privileges if you wish (dangerous with the Magic Bands - too easy to spend money), confirm your address and contact info, and make your loop requests.
Why should you do early check-in? It makes the actual arrival at the Fort much quicker and easier. You basically pay any outstanding monies, take your prepared info packet, and head for your site. I prefer doing this.
This is what the MDE screen options look like for choosing the Loop Requests option. Note you can select up to two:
One interesting thing I noted. For this screen grab I populated the check-in/out times as 1pm and 11am. But when I went to actually enter an earlier check-in time, an additional dialog box came up below the "Woods View" bubble that asked if my pre-assigned site wasn't ready when I arrived, would I accept one that was. However, I might lose my requests (get one now but not near a Comfort Station or in a particular loop as I requested). So the choice is mine.
Finally, the app asked me to load my cell phone number so that I could receive a text (in the event my site wasn't ready) that they could send you the info via text and you could drive right down to it. This has happened to me in the past (pre-MDE) when I drove up to the Fort and my site (requested 1500) wasn't ready. I had done the pre-checkin and got my packet, paid up, all I didn't get was my site number. I gave the CM my cell number, went to lunch, and got a text with the site number during lunch and we drove right to it. Now all of that information is pre-gathered, automated, and authorized.
This looks like it might become my preferred and recommended way to do loop requests. It does help to know what loops are what types of sites (Preferred are 100-300, Full 1600-1900, Tent/Partial 1500 & 2000, Premium 400-1400) based on the type of site you reserved. But I hope it works for me coming up. Fingers crossed.
Bama Ed
I've got a trip coming up and I thought I would pass on (for those of you who haven't done it this way yet) the latest and greatest way to make loop requests for your campsites at the Fort.
When I started going regularly to the Fort, there was a fax number to send in your request (for those of you who are old enough to remember a fax machine).
Then a few years later, instead of having to write a letter and fax a copy the Disney Reservation Cast Member could take a request and note it in your reservation.
Concurrently, about 10 days before arrival you would receive an email from Disney offering "early check-in" which among other things let you pick one option for a loop number, by a Comfort Station, or something else.
Now that My Disney Experience (MDE) has been around for a year, MDE incorporates this feature and appears to have it pretty well covered. When you use MDE and link your Fort campsite reservation number, you are ready to go. About 60 days before arrival, you will see a link appear "Online Early Check-in Available" out to the right of your first day shown in MDE (every day is listed).
Among the things you can do is specify your estimated arrival time on your first day and estimated departure time on your last day, add a credit card to your account for charging privileges if you wish (dangerous with the Magic Bands - too easy to spend money), confirm your address and contact info, and make your loop requests.
Why should you do early check-in? It makes the actual arrival at the Fort much quicker and easier. You basically pay any outstanding monies, take your prepared info packet, and head for your site. I prefer doing this.
This is what the MDE screen options look like for choosing the Loop Requests option. Note you can select up to two:
One interesting thing I noted. For this screen grab I populated the check-in/out times as 1pm and 11am. But when I went to actually enter an earlier check-in time, an additional dialog box came up below the "Woods View" bubble that asked if my pre-assigned site wasn't ready when I arrived, would I accept one that was. However, I might lose my requests (get one now but not near a Comfort Station or in a particular loop as I requested). So the choice is mine.
Finally, the app asked me to load my cell phone number so that I could receive a text (in the event my site wasn't ready) that they could send you the info via text and you could drive right down to it. This has happened to me in the past (pre-MDE) when I drove up to the Fort and my site (requested 1500) wasn't ready. I had done the pre-checkin and got my packet, paid up, all I didn't get was my site number. I gave the CM my cell number, went to lunch, and got a text with the site number during lunch and we drove right to it. Now all of that information is pre-gathered, automated, and authorized.
This looks like it might become my preferred and recommended way to do loop requests. It does help to know what loops are what types of sites (Preferred are 100-300, Full 1600-1900, Tent/Partial 1500 & 2000, Premium 400-1400) based on the type of site you reserved. But I hope it works for me coming up. Fingers crossed.
Bama Ed
so I stalk the My Disney Experience site for openings like 10 times a day hoping something will open up allowing us to just merge the 15 - 31. I am not a happy camper trying to plan fast passes either. All this obsessive planning is sucking the fun out of it. I wish fast passes would just go back to the run and grab it style. Once we get there and set up all these pesky details will fade away..... Hope you had a magical day at the fort and can't wait for your update 
I have a small camper van, don't need a large site but was hoping for something nice since haven't been in awhile. I can go into the Sheraton with my pets for free on points so hoping for at least some kind of deal. 
