Online Check-In...Worth It? Advantages?

[2mickeys1minnie]

What are the advantages to online check in? We will be arriving early in the am on 8/20 and staying at BLT. Just curious what your experiences were with using this service?

 

[2giddy4wdw]

We used the online check in last year at OKW and we will be using it again in January! We were there by 11 am, our room was ready and our request for a room near the Hospitality House were granted. Never before have we gotten our room request. The CM said that with the online check in, that they are usually able to get the requests that people ask for.

 

[Sandisw]

I have used it a few times and I like having it set before I go. I don't know if there was any real advantage. Each time I checked in, there were no lines so it may not have really saved me much.

As far as room being ready, at both BWV and BLT, the rooms were ready when we checked in. At BWV, it was around 12:30 pm. At BLt, it was 8:30 am the first time and 12:00 pm the 2nd time. At VWL, the room was not ready until around 1:30 pm.

Now, I don't know if that had to do with online check in or we were just lucky. The one thing I did learn is that if you have the dining plan and want to pay for it with something different than a credit card, do not enter that information when you do online check in or it will automatically charge to the card. We had Disney Reward Dollars to use last year and didn't know this. They had to refund the credit card and then take the payment.


We will do it again for our upcoming stay, if for no other reason than it is just one more thing to look forward to before the trip (we count down to online check in date too!).

 

[CapeCodFam]

I like because I don't have to hand my credit card to a CM at check-in. They only see the last 4 digits.

 

[Lost in Neverland]

We used online check in during our stay last January. We did a split stay and used it for both legs of our stay. We arrived at OKW at 1030 am and were in our room by 1130. We got all of our requests met and were in and out of the HH in no time. Our next leg was at BLT. We arrived at 730am and were again in our room before noon. We recieved the exact room location we requested which was a total surprise because we had never had this happen in all our years of traveling to WDW. We will use online check in again on our next January trip and see if it really is the fact we used online check in that helped us get our requests.

 

[Cee]

I've used it several times now at different resorts and I always walk right up, get my packet, and am off to my room. I don't think I've EVER checked in that quickly without using it.

 

[2mickeys1minnie]

Excuse my newbness Dis friends...but is there a separate line or area of the front desk for on-line check in? I'm assuming there must be?

 

[DVCSAMNH]

As I stood in the check-in line at BLT in January that was about 30 people deep I made the decision then and there to always use online check-in at that resort going forward. Because it is a big convention hotel, the check-in lines at the Contemporary can be huge and that is what happened to us. The line moved very quickly. They were probably the most efficient front desk that I have ever seen. But, I still will use online.

Those that used the online check-in walked up, got their packets and left.

 

[tgan]

How early do you do the on line check in?

 

[disneynutz]

How early do you do the on line check in?

Online check in is available 10 days or less prior to your check in date.

Bill

 

[wildernessDad]

I wonder about how room requests are changed, if at all, with online check in. Also, I don't like that I can't designate who has charging privileges.

 

[Big Kid]

Excuse my newbness Dis friends...but is there a separate line or area of the front desk for on-line check in? I'm assuming there must be?

Yep, there are specific front desk clerks who handle online check-ins. Their stations are off to one side of the regular check-in counter and are identified by signs. The line, if any, for online check-ins is separate from the regular check-ins.

 

[Redbudlover]

The one thing I hate about online checkin is the short time it takes when you check in! Personally I always used to love savoring the whole long process. The feeling of "I am here, I am here, so dreamy, I am finally here and checking in and getting all this lovely Disney attention...." Now its I am here, your keys, madam and you are off! Where is the savor???

 

[Cee]

The one thing I hate about online checkin is the short time it takes when you check in! Personally I always used to love savoring the whole long process. The feeling of "I am here, I am here, so dreamy, I am finally here and checking in and getting all this lovely Disney attention...." Now its I am here, your keys, madam and you are off! Where is the savor???

 

[DenLo]

When we did online check in March 2010 at BLT we checked in a 7:00 AM. Of course our villa was not ready. We received the call on my cell phone around 2:00 pm that the room was ready. We were in a studio.

I wonder about how room requests are changed, if at all, with online check in. Also, I don't like that I can't designate who has charging privileges.

If all of your requests are already met with online checkin, I would think it would be a mute point. And since we all understand that requests are just requests and may or may not be met what real options are there? Take another guest's assigned room because we got there first? The CM's already have tried to give everyone checking in that day their requests and not every guest will get their view or location as desired.

Your last comment is more of a concern for me. The only two people I want to have charging ability in my villa is myself and DH. When we take other extended family members, we don't want them to charge to the room. They understand this limitation, but I always feel safer if we ensure their KTTW cards do not have charging privileges.

I know we did online check in for a stay CSR last April before we joined the DVC. We had the check in CM reissue my DBIL's card to show he did not have charging privileges on his KTTW. It's just a pain that this detail cannot be taken care of in advance with online checkin. Should it be an exception for online checkin?

 

[Brandis]

I wonder about how room requests are changed, if at all, with online check in. Also, I don't like that I can't designate who has charging privileges.

As they already print the keycards for reservations with online check-in the night before, I think they honor those request first. Lately I read posts of many people who said that their request had been met for the first time when they did online check-in. So I think online check-in really helps with requests.

 

[NJ2Aulani]

We just used online check the last week of June... It was wonderful to walk into the lobby at 3AM, after delays and our magical express journey to the SSR and simply be handed our folder with room keys ready! I will always check in online for now on

 

[Supermom3]

I used on-line check in when we stayed at POR, and loved it. We'll be renting points in March 2011 and staying at OKW. Is it possible to do on-line check in on rented points since I don't have any access to the reservation before check-in? Thanks!

 

[Lost in Neverland]

Excuse my newbness Dis friends...but is there a separate line or area of the front desk for on-line check in? I'm assuming there must be?

Yes there is a seperate line but in our case we were the only ones at the check in area at BLT and they said we could go to any CM.

 

[Lost in Neverland]

I wonder about how room requests are changed, if at all, with online check in. Also, I don't like that I can't designate who has charging privileges.

We handled this issue by not giving a credit card while doing the online check in. Then once we arrived we gave the clerk our card and designated no charges for kids room keys.