What do I need to have prepared for online check-in?

[Doingitagain]

Thanks for all this info. But where on the Disney webpage is information as to what things you need to upload when you check in? It's been three years since we've been on a cruise so I've forgotten what the online check in required. Don't remember uploading pictures though.

I created notes from posts like this, but the official DCL info is in their Help Center / FAQ under What documents will be required when I check in for my cruise?

 

[mmouse37]

Just to confirm, based on the above, if we decide to change credit cards or need to change flight info (airlines seem to be moving around schedules quite a bit this summer) we can do so after completing checkin? We will get a boarding group when we finish checkin, but if we change the account info or travel plan info after checkin, that doesn't change the boarding group, right?

To make the check in go quicker I skip entering the flight info and just put that I am not flying. I say I am using cash too. Then after I am all checked in and have my PAT and boarding group I go back in and update all the info with my flights and credit card. Especially if you are doing it for several cabins.

I did this last night for two cabins.

MJ

 

[mmouse37]

I created notes from posts like this, but the official DCL info is in their Help Center / FAQ under What documents will be required when I check in for my cruise?

Having the physical passports with you or at least having the passport number, DOB and exp. date handy helps a lot. I had our passport pics on my phone already but forgot I needed to enter the number and DOB and exp. and had to stop, find the passports and go back and enter that info.

Next time I will have it written on paper next to me.

MJ

 

[Doingitagain]

To make the check in go quicker I skip entering the flight info and just put that I am not flying. I say I am using cash too. Then after I am all checked in and have my PAT and boarding group I go back in and update all the info with my flights and credit card. Especially if you are doing it for several cabins.

I did this last night for two cabins.

MJ

And dont worry if it doesn’t like your photo, just save and keep going, after you get your PAT you can go back and reload photos.

make sure photo isn’t too big or it will slow the uploading.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Anyone have the average file size for the jpeg images they’re uploading? I’m keeping a folder on my laptop and an album on my phone to keep them all easy to find.

 

[lucas]

I created notes from posts like this, but the official DCL info is in their Help Center / FAQ under What documents will be required when I check in for my cruise?

I read that part on the DCL website. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything about uploading a picture of yourself and uploading a pic of your passport pic/info.

 

[EddieK76]

You don't need a separate document with the info to upload...just have it for reference so you can add the info along the way during the check in.

Yes, you need an ID photo for each person which is different than the passport photo. The passport photo is actually a pic of the entire photo page from your passport.

MJ

Do you know if the passport card will work as the headshot photo and then the passport book for the passport section?

 

[Doingitagain]

I read that part on the DCL website. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything about uploading a picture of yourself and uploading a pic of your passport pic/info.

That is why I made a lot of notes from posts like these. Some of the info comes when you check in, which is too late. Some people were kind enough to copy it for the rest of us.

 

[Doingitagain]

Do you know if the passport card will work as the headshot photo and then the passport book for the passport section?

No. i read that the photo cannot be the same photo as the one on your passport, the photo needs to be head AND shoulders, no head ware, bows or anything.

 

[ohmyminnie]

We have three adults in our stateroom. Would I able to check in online for two of us, and have the third person do it separately? Thanks!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

We have three adults in our stateroom. Would I able to check in online for two of us, and have the third person do it separately? Thanks!

You need to upload information (passports and photos etc) for all guests in the stateroom to get the the PAT section. I think you could upload information for 2 and then someone else upload their own information as it does save between guests.

 

[Aquagirl]

We are taking Disney transportation to the port from the resort. Do I still need to check in that first day for a PAT? I have a feeling that our passports will not be here by next week. If I check in closer to 20 days before the cruise, will that be a problem?

 

[lucas]

That is why I made a lot of notes from posts like these. Some of the info comes when you check in, which is too late. Some people were kind enough to copy it for the rest of us.

Thank you. The info here has been a huge help!

 

[ArielRae]

Anyone have the average file size for the jpeg images they’re uploading? I’m keeping a folder on my laptop and an album on my phone to keep them all easy to find.

Here is the info my phone has on the two photos of DH and I that I used for our September sailing. Didn’t have any issue with them accepting them.

 

[TammiMcMan]

Here is the info my phone has on the two photos of DH and I that I used for our September sailing. Didn’t have any issue with them accepting them.
View attachment 676740View attachment 676741

Thank you!

 

[Uncwmark]

We sail in September on 4-day Bahamas cruise and have just applied for passport for our 8-month old. If we don't have passport back within 30-day check-in window will that prevent us from checking in and acquiring a PAT? We do have birth certificate (which is all that's, technically, required for him) but unsure if this will cause issues checking in.

 

[TinkLoverSam]

We sail in September on 4-day Bahamas cruise and have just applied for passport for our 8-month old. If we don't have passport back within 30-day check-in window will that prevent us from checking in and acquiring a PAT? We do have birth certificate (which is all that's, technically, required for him) but unsure if this will cause issues checking in.

No you can check in and say you will use his birth certificate and then change it to passport once it arrives.

 

[mmouse37]

I checked in Sunday night. I had all of my documents ready, but it was a mess anyway:

• At midnight, I logged into my DCL account from Chrome on my desktop and tried to start online check-in, but was shown a "cannot retrieve reservation, try again later" error.
• Switched to the DCL app on my phone, which gives a pop-up saying it's going to open the browser, but clicking "okay" did nothing at all.
• Tried refreshing in Chrome for a few minutes. No change.
• Decided to try Safari, where I was able to retrieve the reservation and start check-in (Chrome still failing.)
• Entered all my own information and clicked save. Was shown a "spinner" that went on and on, until I finally gave up and reloaded the page, which meant I had to start over.
• Eventually managed to enter information for our party of four, but not before reloading and restarting individual passengers multiple times. The photos would either load almost immediately, or get stuck on the spinner indefinitely. The size of the file wasn't a factor. The same file would spin forever on the first attempt, and then upload in a second or two after reloading the page and trying again.
• Out of four passport photos and probably at least ten total attempts, it managed to autofill the passport information exactly once, on arguably the least clear photo (but they were all easily readable.)
• Nothing was rejected, but the whole process took nearly an hour. I ended up with an 11:30 PAT and boarding group 8, which is not awful, but not awesome either.
• Throughout all of this, periodically I retried on Chrome. Eventually my login timed out and I had to sign in again, and after that it "worked" (but no better than Safari.)

So all I can say is good luck. Maybe I was just unlucky. Hopefully you won't run into any IT issues, but if you do, be prepared to reload if the page gets stuck uploading photos or saving a profile, and if you see the "can't retrieve reservation" error try signing out and back in or changing browsers, or maybe clearing cookies.

Had exact same things happen

 

[mmouse37]

We are taking Disney transportation to the port from the resort. Do I still need to check in that first day for a PAT? I have a feeling that our passports will not be here by next week. If I check in closer to 20 days before the cruise, will that be a problem?

Not really since the DCL transfers override a port arrival you would pick. Shouldn't be a problem to check in later.

MJ

 

[mab2012]

Quick question: For the passport picture is is the signature page, the photo page, both as their own jpeg, or both in one shot?

Just photo page is what I was told. Still pending review.

I know this question was a while ago now, but for anyone still looking for clarification: I uploaded the photo page only, and all of my documents have been approved.