Quick question about early check in...

[Dismom820]

so, we are coming from NC to disney world and was thinking about driving down a little over halfway and finding a hotel about 2-3 hours from disney. my question is, if we decide to do that and get up early enough to make it into disney property around 10-11ish, i know the room more than likely wont be ready for us, but could we maybe drop our luggage off somewhere and hop on a bus to downtown disney for a while? will we have access to that or will we HAVE to wait til we actually get IN our room before we will be able to use disney transporation? we just want to be able to spend that first day relaxing and doing some downtown disney stuff and maybe some time at fort wilderness...to visit. i just wasnt sure what all we could do if we got there that early before check in time! thanks!

 

[Mama Lo]

You will be able to check in and use all of the amenities (transportation, pool, etc.) as soon as you arrive. If your room is not available they will text you when it is. Also, they will store your luggage for you and when you do get into your room all you have to do is call bell services and they will bring you your things.

 

[Dismom820]

You will be able to check in and use all of the amenities (transportation, pool, etc.) as soon as you arrive. If your room is not available they will text you when it is. Also, they will store your luggage for you and when you do get into your room all you have to do is call bell services and they will bring you your things.

perfect! that's exactly what we were hoping for! thanks for the information!

 

[SouthernSoprano]

Good to know!! We're driving down in Sept and will arrive the night before, staying offsite (just that night). I am so hoping to be able to head over to Caribbean Beach around 730am to check-in, and then head towards MK. Sounds like it may be possible.

 

[soniam]

We did this in March. We checked out of Royal Pacific at Universal and got to POR before 10am. Bell services was great. We parked at POR and took the boat to DTD. We have also swam after checking in early, before our room was ready. The hotels usually have bathrooms in the main areas where you can change.

 

[huntwoof]

We also live in NC ... we drive down to just south of Jacksonville Fla. We get to Disney around 10:30am. The last 2 or 3 times our room has been ready. Even if not ready as stated above you can check in and leave your bags with the bell hop and go have fun at the park.

 

[GrumpyDad1974]

We also live in NC, we did online check in for a 6 am arrival (we drove overnight) room was ready at 6 am. Checked in, showered, ate breakfast and made MK rope drop... yup I was tired that night but it was awesome timing.

 

[philharmagic fan]

You will be able to check in and use all of the amenities (transportation, pool, etc.) as soon as you arrive. If your room is not available they will text you when it is. Also, they will store your luggage for you and when you do get into your room all you have to do is call bell services and they will bring you your things.

Or if you don't want to wait in your room for luggage delivery (I think if you check things at bell services they won't deliver to an empty room), you can pick them up at the bell desk (we travel light and always do this and carry things to the room ourselves).

 

[disnut8]

You are a Disney resort guest, with full amenities to everything at that resort, from the minute you check in until midnight of the day you check out.

For example, when we were there two years ago for the Food & Wine Festival, we were leaving on Friday and then going to Daytona Beach. We had a few things we wanted to get done so we checked out of Pop Century before 11, left the car there at the resort, took the bus to the parks, returned back to Pop Century well after 11, we could have stayed and swam in the pool if we wanted and we would have been fine all day.

 

[Aurora0427]

so, we are coming from NC to disney world and was thinking about driving down a little over halfway and finding a hotel about 2-3 hours from disney. my question is, if we decide to do that and get up early enough to make it into disney property around 10-11ish, i know the room more than likely wont be ready for us, but could we maybe drop our luggage off somewhere and hop on a bus to downtown disney for a while? will we have access to that or will we HAVE to wait til we actually get IN our room before we will be able to use disney transporation? we just want to be able to spend that first day relaxing and doing some downtown disney stuff and maybe some time at fort wilderness...to visit. i just wasnt sure what all we could do if we got there that early before check in time! thanks!

We arrived at the GF at 10am last December and a room was ready. When you complete online check in, make sure to notate the time you'll be arriving. The room assignor will do their best to get you a room as close to your arrival time as possible.

 

[Dismom820]

We also live in NC ... we drive down to just south of Jacksonville Fla. We get to Disney around 10:30am. The last 2 or 3 times our room has been ready. Even if not ready as stated above you can check in and leave your bags with the bell hop and go have fun at the park.

we're stopping at jacksonville too...i know that with jacksonville only being about 2 and a half hours from disney, we wanted to get there as early as possible! that would be great if our room was ready at 10:30 am! i assumed it wouldnt be ready until atleast after the check out time! hahaha we wont be hitting the parks that day but wanted to definitely hit DTD and maybe visit another resort or two to view it for our next trip!

 

[Dismom820]

We also live in NC, we did online check in for a 6 am arrival (we drove overnight) room was ready at 6 am. Checked in, showered, ate breakfast and made MK rope drop... yup I was tired that night but it was awesome timing.

oh wow...that is a LONG day!!! hahaha i didnt know that with the online check in you can request an early arrival time...this will be my first time doing an online check in so i havent experienced it yet! but thats good to know! kuddos to you for surviving that day, by the way! theres NO way i could do that and i love my disney world! hahaha

 

[Dismom820]

Or if you don't want to wait in your room for luggage delivery (I think if you check things at bell services they won't deliver to an empty room), you can pick them up at the bell desk (we travel light and always do this and carry things to the room ourselves).

great, iw as wondering if we HAVE to use bell hop, we dont mind taking our own luggage to our room...we pack semi heavy, but we have a two year old haahah and its me and my mom...and grandmothers ALWAYS over pack!!! hahaha but as long as they have those little carts most hotels have, we have no issues getting our own luggage that way we dont have to wait around for it...since i know as soon as we get into our room, we'll be ready to change into our pjs and head to bed so we can get up early for the parks!

 

[Dismom820]

We arrived at the GF at 10am last December and a room was ready. When you complete online check in, make sure to notate the time you'll be arriving. The room assignor will do their best to get you a room as close to your arrival time as possible.

i know that we have two options to chose when we do an online check in...i have already planned to check off the 50's sections and close to transportation...will the early check in take away from those two choices, or will that be a different thing? this trip will be my first time doing an online check in so that part is sort of new to me!

 

[Aurora0427]

I'm not sure how they weigh your check in time vs. requests. We requested Sago Key monorail view and received sago key marina view, so they may weigh your arrival time heavier, but I'm not sure.

My guess would be they try and match as many as possible- I'm guessing you'll get time and maybe the building you want. But you could get everything- they may weigh being close to transportation as more important than building? Idk. Some of it's subjective.

 

[Dismom820]

I'm not sure how they weigh your check in time vs. requests. We requested Sago Key monorail view and received sago key marina view, so they may weigh your arrival time heavier, but I'm not sure.

My guess would be they try and match as many as possible- I'm guessing you'll get time and maybe the building you want. But you could get everything- they may weigh being close to transportation as more important than building? Idk. Some of it's subjective.

gotcha, i wasnt sure if i was able to check off MORE than two..and i might...im not sure, but ive heard that you have like your top two choices...maybe i'll get everything i want! hahah hoping for some disney magic...we've had a lot of luck with everything this trip so far in our planning!