1st visit online checkin

[frandevito]

Very new poster longtime reader! Thanks in advance for any info.

We have online check in coming up soon. We are staying at the Grand Floridian. We booked an outer building garden view. I tried reading the GF post but it's vey long & I'm not familiar with some things.

Should I do early check in? What should I request?

Myself, dh & Dd (4) are staying for 8 nights 9 days. Any help would be great!

 

[bumbershoot]

I do online checkin simply because it exists. I almost never request anything, since I've gotten perfectly decent rooms by NOT requesting anything.

 

[annemce118]

The thing that is nice with online check in is that you can go straight to your room when you arrive. ( I assume your magic band is being mailed to you)They will text or email your room number the day you arrive. Can't help with requests since I have never stayed there before. Good luck!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Online check-in is incredibly convenient and I recommend it. As far as requests, it depends on where you would like your room to be - high floor? low floor? near an elevater? a quiet room? near the main building? Only you know your preferences.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

With online check-in, once you set up a Magic Band PIN in MDE, not only don't you have to physically check-in at the front desk, but you can immediately begin using your MB to charge food and merch back to your room. Which is awesome.

 

[bumbershoot]

The thing that is nice with online check in is that you can go straight to your room when you arrive. ( I assume your magic band is being mailed to you)They will text or email your room number the day you arrive. Can't help with requests since I have never stayed there before. Good luck!

It doesn't always give you the text. I've never gotten the room text.

Online check-in requires you to place a debit/credit card number. Once you do that and set up a PIN on your Magic Band, not only don't you have to physically check-in at the front desk, but you can immediately begin using your MB to charge food and merch back to your room.

I've read one person saying that it's changed and they are requiring the card, but until a month or so ago you could just click through with no card.

And that's why I never get the room text, because I almost never want room charging, and I rarely put in a card.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

I've read one person saying that it's changed and they are requiring the card, but until a month or so ago you could just click through with no card. And that's why I never get the room text, because I almost never want room charging, and I rarely put in a card.

Interesting. We had to specificy a card last month when we did online checkin on a room-only reservation. Could there be a difference in policy between a room-only reservation and a package (since the latter is prepaid)?

 

[sndral]

Last trip (Dec. 2015) we did a 3 way split.
1st AKV - got the room text as soon as we landed - went straight to the villa, didn't discover until the next day that even tho' I'd entered a cc # w/ online check in it hadn't linked so had to visit the front desk to get it linked.
2nd BWV - got room text & cc was linked, never stopped at the front desk.
3rd VGF - had to stop at the front desk to check in & get villa # & get cc linked.
My conclusion was there's no rhyme or reason as to whether you get the room text or the cc gets activated on the MB.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

If it's your first visit I would check in at the desk so you have an opportunity to ask questions and get your bearings on locations, etc..

 

[kappyfamily]

We are taking a redeye from Oregon and land at 9:30am hoping to get our room early. It's usually 50/50 if they are ready when we check in this time will be around 11:00 or so. Should I do online check in or try and sweet talk the front desk when we arrive? I've never done online before but if anyone here has gotten their room early I might give it a go...thank you!

 

[Hounster]

In online check in one of the options is to take the earliest room available, you may wish to do online check-in just for that option

 

[Deb & Bill]

Check out the GF thread because, undoubtedly, there is a map of the grounds included. Then you can request a building, too.

If you do online check in, you can request any available room at the time you arrive. But you give up all your other requests. So if having a room when you arrive around 11 is more important than getting the view, building, floor at 3, check that box.

 

[KSR0330]

Touring Plans will show you room view from the various buildings. This may help you decide.

https://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-grand-floridian-resort

Also, if you subscribe, you can input information and they will send GF a text with your requested information. I did this along with putting my requests in on-line check in and got exactly what we wanted for our recent Poly trip. If it's your first trip or first stay on property, you can put that to help increase your chances of getting what you ask for. TP is also very helpful when planning your days at the park!

 

[dkrauss]

We are taking a redeye from Oregon and land at 9:30am hoping to get our room early. It's usually 50/50 if they are ready when we check in this time will be around 11:00 or so. Should I do online check in or try and sweet talk the front desk when we arrive? I've never done online before but if anyone here has gotten their room early I might give it a go...thank you!

If your room isn't a DVC room..........you've got a better shot. Two years ago we arrived at the WL around 10:30am. We asked nicely and the CM who greeted us was able to get us into a room in about 15 minutes On our last trip, this past January to the BWV, we arrived at approx the same time and tho they tried our room wasn't ready (they said because it was a DVC room ). We left our luggage and went to HS.....about 1hr later we received a text that our room was available.

So its a crap shoot........for the OP I would guess getting in early is about taking a nap...... I'd try to see if it can happen but have a secondary plan.

Doug

 

[The Hendies]

Wait! What? I can do on-line check in and not have to go to the front desk? It will link to my MB? I just get a text when our room is ready? What about getting a parking pass?

 

[kappyfamily]

If your room isn't a DVC room..........you've got a better shot. Two years ago we arrived at the WL around 10:30am. We asked nicely and the CM who greeted us was able to get us into a room in about 15 minutes On our last trip, this past January to the BWV, we arrived at approx the same time and tho they tried our room wasn't ready (they said because it was a DVC room ). We left our luggage and went to HS.....about 1hr later we received a text that our room was available.

So its a crap shoot........for the OP I would guess getting in early is about taking a nap...... I'd try to see if it can happen but have a secondary plan.

Doug

Ok thank you! I went ahead and just did on line check in. I have a full day planned after we land then an early 10k race the next morning so would love a quick nap when we check in at 11am. Here's hoping!!

 

[AngiTN]

The thing that is nice with online check in is that you can go straight to your room when you arrive. ( I assume your magic band is being mailed to you)They will text or email your room number the day you arrive. Can't help with requests since I have never stayed there before. Good luck!

Maybe, maybe not. In all our stays since MB came around, about 15 different check in's (we do lots of split stays) I've gotten a text 13 times.

If it's your first visit I would check in at the desk so you have an opportunity to ask questions and get your bearings on locations, etc..

Online check in and going to the front desk are completely unrelated. Doing online check in doesn't forbid you from going to the front desk. Getting your room number via text doesn't forbid you going to the front desk. I do both most every stay. Even if I've gotten the room number. I like greeting the staff but if I arrive and there is a line 10 deep and I've gotten my room number already I also like the opportunity to skip the desk. I'll stop by later when it's not busy sometimes. Best part of online check in is it gives a way to let them know you want your room ready prior to 3:00. It's not certain to happen but it sure helps

Wait! What? I can do on-line check in and not have to go to the front desk? It will link to my MB? I just get a text when our room is ready? What about getting a parking pass?

No parking pass needed

 

[chloelovesdisney]

The two times I've done online check in I've also gone to the front desk, they basically handed me a couple papers and smiled me away. Nothing like the greeting and information they've given me when I haven't done online check in, just my experience.