Any chance of getting in before 4pm...

[jimmytammy]

We are going home 1st time mid Dec and wondered if there is any chance of getting settled in studio before normal check-in time. We will be at WLV.

Has anybody ever done this before?

 

[Peterd]

We've checked in early plenty of times. It's really luck of the draw, and how busy it was the night before. Good Luck!

 

[Zurg]

Some times you get in aerly some times you don't only way to know is to walk uo to the desk.

We have gotten in at 10 am.

 

[Granny]

Checked in to VWL in May about noon and room wasn't ready until 3:00.

Checked in to BWV in July at 10:30 am and room was ready.

Both were Sunday check-ins.

You just never know. But you don't want to count on it...we just took it as a little extra piece of luck the last trip.

 

[Werner Weiss]

A room becomes available to guests who are checking when housekeeping finishes cleaning that room after the prior guests depart.

Let's say you've been assigned to room 1621 (an arbitrary number that I just made up). The prior guests check out at 7:00 a.m. to catch a flight. Housekeeping is able to get to it soon after that. You get to the front desk at 10:00 a.m., and you can go directly to your room.

Now let's say you've been assigned to room 1621, but the prior guests didn't leave till 11:00 a.m. Housekeeping is swamped with rooms from which guests checked out between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. They don't get to room 1621 until after 3:00 p.m. By 4:00 p.m., it's marked as cleaned, and you can settle in.

When you check in, you can always ask for a different room. If the resort is at less than 100% occupancy, there may be some clean, unassigned rooms -- unless other guests asked for them before you did. However, those rooms probably won't reflect whatever preferences you requested when you made your reservation.

 

[eva]

It's hard to say for sure. We usually can get in early. This is because I am not too picky about the view of the room. I think that OKW is the easiest to get checked in to early just because of the number of units. Sometimes they will tell me that our room is not ready and I will ask if any others are available. One usually is that meets our requirement of nonsmoking. Since 1996 we have only had to wait twice, once each at BWV and Vero. I think that it helps that most every trip we have been checking in between 7am and 9am. I think that the time of year plays a part in all of this too. We go a lot in May, which seems to be a slower season at DVC and WDW. Often the CM will pull out a map and show us the rooms that are available and give us a choice.

 

[mickey7861]

We've had 7 DVC checkins so far and we've only waited until 4 twice, once at OKW and once at BCV. When we were at VWL last year the villas was ready at 10:30 when we checked in, that was our earliest. We just keep calling back and usually have luck between 12-2.

 

[mikesmom]

Out of 6 DVC check-ins we waited until 4 PM twice.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Of 3 DVC checkins we have gotten in early once--at VWL--we went up to the desk at 1:15 and everything was ready. Although according to a housekeeping note in the room it had been empty for 4 days.
Both times we have gone to BWV we have had to go over to Epcot for a couple of hours and wait for the room--poor us!
Robin M.

 

[ToddS]

This past July 3 I checked in at BWV for a 2-bedroom at 7:30 am and had to wait until 4:30 pm (!!!) to get in. We had family joining us that had just arrived by car from NJ, and needless to say were exhausted. No other rooms were available.

Besides feeling that a 9-hour wait for a room was ridiculous, 4:30 was beyond the specified check-in time, and we were pretty annoyed. Even when 4:00 came and went, almost no one behind the desk seemed very concerned or apologetic, except for one very helpful and considerate fellow by the name of Joel. My father and stepbrother complained to a manager and got us dinner for 8 at Spoodles that evening for free. We felt a little better!

I am not normally one to complain about any aspect of my DVC vacation, but this situation just seemed extreme.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Check in time is anytime AFTER 4PM, not at 4 PM. Luckily, we were able to get our room at 10 am on the 15th. We were very pleased, but, were willing to wait until the AFTER 4PM time frame if necessary.

BTW: this is a quote right from the DVC member site.

What time is check-in and check-out?

Check-in is anytime after 4:00 p.m. (please notify the front desk, or Member Services if you're planning a late arrival), and check-out is by 11:00 a.m. For the consideration of all guests (as well as our busy housekeeping staff), we ask that you please do your best to respect these time frames.