Advantage of Online Checkin

[dopey2]

What is the advantage of checking in online? Will I have a better chance of getting my building requests and if I do not like the room location how easy/hard would it be have it changed? Is the checkin at the resort faster with on line or do I still have to wait to get my room keys.

 

[erionm]

Disney has pitched on-line check-in as a way to reduce the amount of time it takes to get your welcome packet when you first arrive at your resort.

 

[Chuck S]

Your room keys should already be printed and waiting, whether the room is ready for occupancy or not. There is an advantage/disadvantage to online check-in. If you want to use a credit card and room key charging, you enrter the card number into the website. The front desk will not need to rescan your credit card, and the front desk personnel can not see the number...a little more secure. But the disadvantage is you can not select which room keys will have charging rights, they all will.

 

[erionm]

If you do enter a credit card number and are using one of the dining plans, that CC will be charged for the dining plan on your check-in day.

 

[disneynutz]

The advantage for using online check in is that it saves Disney money.

Bill

 

[noname70]

The advantage for using online check in is that it saves Disney money.

Bill

True. I've read many posts where people have said it saved them no time in line. Others have.

 

[Chuck S]

If it doesn't save check-in time, it thus doesn't save any employee time. How, then. does it allegedly save Disney any money?

 

[disneynutz]

If it doesn't save check-in time, it thus doesn't save any employee time. How, then. does it allegedly save Disney any money?

Do you really think that Disney would pay a thousands of dollars to put a process in place if it doesn't save them money in the long run?

Online check ins are processed by the night crew. This reduces the number of experienced Front Desk Cast Members required during the day. It also reduces the Guest to Cast Member contact time because the Guests take the rooms are pre-assigned and don't request as many changes.

Depending on the resort, the CM's may let you request a different room or they may tell you that they are no longer allowed to make changes to the pre-assigned rooms. We have experienced both.

Bill

 

[Chuck S]

Do you really think that Disney would pay a thousands of dollars to put a process in place if it doesn't save them money in the long run?

Online check ins are processed by the night crew. This reduces the number of experienced Front Desk Cast Members required during the day. It also reduces the Guest to Cast Member contact time because the Guests take the rooms are pre-assigned and don't request as many changes.

Depending on the resort, the CM's may let you request a different room or they may tell you that they are no longer allowed to make changes to the pre-assigned rooms. We have experienced both.

Bill

Front desk personnel at DVC resorts are paid for by dues, not Disney.

 

[Inkmahm]

We just got home from a split stay at AKV and BCV. I did the online checkin for both and added my credit card info for both.

AKV: The room keys we were given all said they couldn't be used to charge to the room. When we discovered that I went back to the front desk and was told I had not put a credit card on file. I had and I had the printed email confirmation that showed that I had. The room was not ready and it was almost 4:30 pm when we asked about it. Suddenly, it was ready afterall.

BCV: The room keys weren't in the Welcome Home packet when I got to the front desk at about 6 pm. It took awhile to get 6 cards prepared. I suspect that someone earlier in the day didn't want the room we eventually were assigned so new keys had to be printed for us. The room was fine for us- 2nd floor facing the entrance to BC.

 

[cymomtx]

I did on line check in and added my credit card. We arrived at SSR, our welcome packet was ready along with room cards for everyone in the room. The credit card information was not on file, had to rescan the information, when you do on line check in you can you designate that you don't want childrens cards to not have charging privileges, so had to have their cards reprogrammed. Yes, I think it does help speed the process, but it does not help with all your needs.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Front desk personnel at DVC resorts are paid for by dues, not Disney.

I'm sure that's true at OKW and SSR, since they're exclusively DVC. But I wonder how they allocate the payment of the front desk staff at places like BC (BCV) and WL (VWL). The front desk CM may register a BCV guest, then the next guest may be BC.

 

[kristenrice]

If you do enter a credit card number and are using one of the dining plans, that CC will be charged for the dining plan on your check-in day.

Ugghh!! I just did my online check in and I put my AMEX card info on file...but I have Disney gift cards and Disney Visa Rewards that I want to use to pay for my dining plan. Hopefully, they can change it at check in.

 

[Chuck S]

Ugghh!! I just did my online check in and I put my AMEX card info on file...but I have Disney gift cards and Disney Visa Rewards that I want to use to pay for my dining plan. Hopefully, they can change it at check in.

Yes & no. the DDP will be billed out to the AMEX, but assuming you'll be making additional purchases on the room charge during your stay, you can apply the gift cards and rewards to those purchases at the front desk.

 

[dmoore22]

Our experience with online check-in has been rather negative. It was not any quicker than regular check-in. The last time we went we used regular check-in which went quite smooth. The line was shorter than those in the online check-in que. I think the online check-in is still in the beta testing stage.

 

[Chuck S]

I think the online check-in is still in the beta testing stage.

Maybe, but it really shouldn't be still in the beta stage. It is the same basic type of check-in program that they used for DVC Members Express Check-in in the early 1990s when you could check-in by phone with your CC#, the basic difference is it is now online.

 

[WDWMom]

We didn't have any problems when we used it last year. Got to AKV, keys were waiting no problems. Same when we moved to SSR.

I just did online check in for our trip to OKW next week. We are low maintenance people so I don't expect any problems.

 

[dmoore22]

Maybe, but it really shouldn't be still in the beta stage. It is the same basic type of check-in program that they used for DVC Members Express Check-in in the early 1990s when you could check-in by phone with your CC#, the basic difference is it is now online.

Ah, yes, the 1990's. Those good old days with those simple lines of code in DOS. Or if you wanted a gui, Windows 3.1. It was so much easier to troubleshoot code then. At least it was for me.

 

[dopey2]

Thanks to all for the information. I think we willl skip online checkin for now.

 

[Halle]

Stayed at BLT in November and was in the online check-in line only to be moved to another line which was not designated as an online check-in, CM was totally confused about the process.