chances of getting what you want w/ online check in?

[smhwalker2011]

hey everyone!

just noticed online check in is in 39 days! we are staying at AKL 09/05-09/11.. and we have a savanna bunk room. we really are hoping to be near the lobby & on the lower part (closer to the ground), what are the chances of our request being filled?

+ odd question..but a member of our party thinks all we're going to smell is the animals..which I doubt, but can someone clear this up so I can get him off my butt about it lol. thank you!!!

 

[lions1995]

Can't really speak about your chances. The earlier you actually arrive, the better the chance - though it may mean waiting longer for a room.

As for smelling the animals, I have never had an issue with that. I don't recall an animal smell anywhere on the resort.

 

[Aerinha]

I have a very sensitive nose and never got a whiff of anything unpleasant. Typically if someone is cleaning up the piles regularly, there isn't much odor. When I stayed there, there was always someone out there raking up the piles several times a day.

 

[aVASTGrl]

I can't really add anything about online checkin as I've never used it, but there is absolutely no animal smell anywhere in the resort. I'm extremely sensitive to smells, so I would have noticed!

 

[Mr & Mrs DD]

We did the on line check in last year and they came very close to meeting our requests. We were very happy. they even upgraded us from a standard view to a garden view.

 

[nkereina]

There's no way to know what your chance would be as it solely depends on how busy the resort is when you arrive. Online check-in doesn't help or hurt. If you are traveling at a slower time, arriving on a day when there is a lot of check-outs (weekends), and are arriving early in the day, these will all put you in the best position for receiving your requests.

 

[westie55]

I recently stayed at the Yacht Club in April and all of my requests were fulfilled: close to the elevator and a king bed. I even think I was upgraded to a garden view... either that or the standard view was also of a garden! It might've helped that we did arrive early and were probably at the hotel by 10am. I did online check in but also reminded the girl at the desk when we arrived.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We always do online check-in and have always gotten some, if not all, of our requests granted. Over Memorial Day, not only were our requests granted, but I got a text about 2 hours prior to check-in with our room number, so didn't even have to go to the check-in desk - just went straight to our room!

 

[buzzrelly]

I did online check-in at BLT this past April and none of my requests were met. I was really disappointed when I got the text that my room was ready and I could already see that we didn't get what we had asked for. And I had also CALLED and put in my request on the phone to make sure that they were listed.

So personally, I will never again do online check-in I think if I had been checking in at the desk, I could have spoken to someone to get it all straightened out. As it was, because I had already gotten the text, someone with an iPad came over to me and then was not very helpful at all. Lesson learned.

 

[Crispity]

We did online check-in for AKL last year (before the "text to room" thing). I did not make any room requests at that time, because I had called in my room requests (Zebra trail, third floor, close to lobby). When we checked in at the desk, we had Kudu trail, far from the lobby, fourth floor. I just politely asked at that time if they could change our room, and we got exactly what we wanted.

ETA: We had an Arusha view room at Jambo house, and a Savannah view at Kidani (both low floors), and never once smelled anything. Never smelled anything at the overlooks either. I wouldn't worry about the smell at all!

 

[dancin Disney style]

In general, I dislike online check in. I did it twice and was assigned a room that was the complete opposite of what I requested both times....I make very broad requests ie: a building or floor. Prior to those online experiences I had always received exactly what I asked for. This past March, for some unknown reason, I opted to try online again. That trip all I wanted was a particular building...nothing else. I got the perfect room which was the building I wanted but also my preferred floor, which I had not even requested. I arrived at the resort around 7pm where on other trips I arrived midday. I thought my later arrival would not be in my favour.

So the point to my story is that there really is no telling how it will go. Make your requests, hope for the best but don't be disappointed if you don't get what you want.

 

[Sue M]

I have my requests on my reservation, and also do online check in. It seems to me some resorts do a better job of room requests then others.
If you're unhappy with the room you're assigned, you can go back to the front desk and ask for a different room. Doesn't matter if you've been given the text with room numbers. If you've walked in room and didn't like it, don't touch anything. Just go back to desk. We were assigned a YC room over the garbage dump, ugh. 2 week stay, I don't think so. I just went back down and asked for another room. Had to wait till later to get into it, but that was fine by me.