Do all members of the check in party have to be present at check in

[monica245]

I'm meeting my parents at a Disney Resort during early September. We are staying in the same hotel room. Due to some scheduling conflicts, my parents will likely check in 2 hours before I can get there. We have a dining plan which is linked to the card, so I have to receive my own card. (I think my tickets are linked to the card as well) Will there be a big conflict because of my later arrival (on the same day)? Can my parents just get my card for me? Should my parents find a way to kill time for 2 hours before checking in? thanks!

 

[PHLtoMCO]

I'm meeting my parents at a Disney Resort during early September. We are staying in the same hotel room. Due to some scheduling conflicts, my parents will likely check in 2 hours before I can get there. We have a dining plan which is linked to the card, so I have to receive my own card. (I think my tickets are linked to the card as well) Will there be a big conflict because of my later arrival (on the same day)? Can my parents just get my card for me? Should my parents find a way to kill time for 2 hours before checking in? thanks!

Nope there shouldn't be any issues. Your parents should be able to check in without you there as long as you're on the same reservation and they can grab your card for you. I'm usually already in the gift shops while my parents are checking in haha

 

[Pats Dragon]

We have had some problems the last couple of years unless the person checking in is the first person listed on the reservation.

 

[PHLtoMCO]

We have had some problems the last couple of years unless the person checking in is the first person listed on the reservation.

Yes good point! Hopefully the first name is either her mom's or dad's so there won't be any issues. If so, she definitely shouldn't have issues. My sister and I are almost never present at check in if we are sharing a room with our parents. They usually just get our cards for us.

 

[juliebug1997]

I've checked in a couple of times before DH. I don't remember if his name was first or if mine was first, but I was allowed to check in. Since he was footing the bill for the actual part of the stay, I just made sure that I checked in online and put his CC down. I had to show a picture ID, but that was about it. Your parents shouldn't have any problem.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Good Question!

My upcoming trip is with my brother--we are coming from different parts of the country and I will probably arrive about 5 hours before him! I hadn't even thought that we might need to both be present! Glad to know that's not the case!

 

[kaligal]

As long as you're paying, you're all they need. I've checked in days before the other people.

Don't know about being the person who didn't reserve and isn't paying...never been that lucky!

 

[aubriee]

For my trip this past May I had already booked and paid, when a friend found out just a week or so before the trip that she could join me. Due to Spirit changing my flight time, she got there early in the morning and I didn't get there until that evening around 6:30pm. I called a week or so before and added her to the reservation, but I was the lead name and the one who had already paid for the room. She had no trouble at all checking us in and getting room keys for both of us. I just called her as I was leaving the airport and she met me at the front door of CSR with her rental car and took me to our room. I never even had to go in to registration.

 

[mickeynut1]

You shouldn't have any trouble as long as they are listed on the reservation. My DH usually ends up being the lead name and I always check in while he and the boys are elsewhere in the resort and have never had a problem.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

YES, THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM -- IF DOING FREE DINING.
1) For free dining, the CM's *usually* want to see everyone.
2) If not, you can get the keys, but all dining might be turned on.
3) Many people try to add phantom people.
4) This gives them extra dining for free.
5) So, in many cases, they check for "real people".

 

[kaligal]

YES, THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM -- IF DOING FREE DINING.
1) For free dining, the CM's *usually* want to see everyone.
2) If not, you can get the keys, but all dining might be turned on.
3) Many people try to add phantom people.
4) This gives them extra dining for free.
5) So, in many cases, they check for "real people".

LOL, never thought of that.

I don't do dining packages, so have never had a problem...but I can see why they want everyone present and accounted for in that case.

 

[Allieran3]

Back in 07, My DH, DS, and I all checked in almost 6 hours before my DSil and the reservations were in her name. They didn't give us any problems

 

[aubriee]

YES, THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM -- IF DOING FREE DINING.
1) For free dining, the CM's *usually* want to see everyone.
2) If not, you can get the keys, but all dining might be turned on.
3) Many people try to add phantom people.
4) This gives them extra dining for free.
5) So, in many cases, they check for "real people".

I'd forgotten about that. The only time we've ever had to show everyone was the second year they offered free dining. As you say, the first year it was offered alot of people made up phantom children and since kids and adult credits weren't differentiated, they could then use the meal credits of those phantam kids to do alot of Signature meals. Disney caught on, and so the next year did random checks at check in where you had to show everyone. My husband and I went down there with my mother and I guess the addition of a M-I-L looked suspicious because we had to show all three of us. I was checking us in, while my husband was getting the carryons out from under the DME bus, and my mom had gone to bell services to pick up an ECV we had rented for her. The CM checking us in, told me I had to round them up as she had to see everyone registered in the room. We went back for free dining for the next several years though and never were questioned again, when I checked us in by myself.

 

[QueenDoOver]

That's sort of funny. I can just see people grabbing a random stranger and offering them a quick $20 to stand at the register and pretend to be the Grandma...

Given the occupancy limits, and the ticket purchase requirement, it would seem Disney would not be at huge risk of too many phantoms.

 

[aubriee]

That's sort of funny. I can just see people grabbing a random stranger and offering them a quick $20 to stand at the register and pretend to be the Grandma...

Given the occupancy limits, and the ticket purchase requirement, it would seem Disney would not be at huge risk of too many phantoms.

Maybe not so much now, but back when free dining was first offered, all it required was the purchase of one day tickets (not two day tickets like now) and they did not differentiate between kids credits and adult credits. You don't have to pay extra to have kids in the room (no more than two of course), so couples would add two phantom kids for just the price of two single day kids park tickets and would then get an extra 14 TS, 14 CS, and 14 snacks for the week. They could then use those extra 14 TS and do three TS meals a day if they wanted and do alot of Signature restaurants, plus they'd have an extra 14 snacks to take home and if they were driving could get 14 extra CS meals to take home with them too. A family of three could add one kid for just the price of a one day ticket and then have an extra 7 TS, 7 CS, and 7 snacks that the parents as well as the one real kid could use. Again at that time they did not differentiate between kids credits and adult credits, so alot of adults were using free kids credits that technically belongs to their phantom kids.