Are Check in times “a suggestion”

[xiphoid76]

Checking in at Contemporary and we were early at 2pm. They stated housekeeping was in our room and it would be ready shortly. We went on the monorail and shopping and ate. Came back at 4 and they said room was not ready yet. The check in person this time said 4 pm was just a suggestion and most rooms are ready by 6 pm. I always thought 4 pm check in meant room was ready by 4.

I wouldn’t be too upset but she was a little curt with us and we were tired after traveling all day and just wanted to get into a room. Our room was ready at 5:20. Not terrible, but not ideal. Is this normal? Is check in time just a suggestion? Does that apply then to check out as well (I know that is not true .

Still being here is wonderful. Love this hotel and looking forward to a Halloween party.

 

[scrappinginontario]

There is no official time that rooms are guaranteed to be ready.. We’ve had a room ready as early as 7:30AM right up to 8PM.

When a Disney resort provides a ‘’Check-in Time’, there is no guarantee your room will be ready at that time.

 

[Dave006]

I wouldn’t be too upset but she was a little curt with us and we were tired after traveling all day and just wanted to get into a room. Our room was ready at 5:20. Not terrible, but not ideal. Is this normal?

Were you actually staying at Bay Lake Tower DVC?

Check-in at Walt Disney World resorts officially starts at 3:00 PM, with a later standard time of 4:00 PM for Deluxe Villa Resorts (DVC). What type of room are you staying in?

Your room may not be ready by the official check-in start time; it depends on occupancy, your room request, and when housekeeping finishes cleaning.

Dave

 

[greeneyedchick]

Given how much Disney charges for a room, I feel like it should be ready at the check-in time. They certainly like to hold guests to check-out times. I have been to hotels where we arrive early and the room isn't ready but I can't recall the last time when we arrived at check-in time and the room wasn't ready (at non-Disney resorts). And when that happened to us years back, it was usually ready shortly afterwards.

 

[xiphoid76]

There is no official time that rooms are guaranteed to be ready.. We’ve had a room ready as early as 7:30AM right up to 8PM.

When a Disney resort provides a ‘’Check-in Time’, there is no guarantee your room will be ready at that time.

Thanks. Snarkily then does that mean there is no guarantee on a check out time? I jest, but I think if they are going to hold to a firm check out time then there should be a firm check in or some compensation if not ready such as a discount on the room or a free Mickey ice cream bar

 

[Eastern]

When a Disney resort provides a ‘’Check-in Time’, there is no guarantee your room will be ready at that time.

I think it's unacceptable at the prices they charge. They want you out promptly and I usually have people knocking on my door before that time.

 

[reddog21]

I think it's unacceptable at the prices they charge

cost is irrelevant, I have stayed at places way more expensive than Disney and they all operate the same. I find hysterical that people think because you pay more for something you're entitled to some treatment beyond what is clearly spelled out.

 

[brockash]

Only once have we not had around room ready by 4 (and they were nice about it)...usually much early. OP I'd be frustrated too if our room wasn't ready by 4 and the CM should have been polite about it at the very least.

 

[MICKIMINI]

The bigger the villa, the less likely it will be ready on time. If it is a resort like SSR with lots of extra availability at the time and you are in a studio, you are probably fine at 4 pm. If you are at BCV or BRV in a 2 BR which are typically sold out 7-11 months, not so much. You can chat and request an early check after you make your reservation in but it is not guaranteed. Ask nicely at the desk...smile (if you can manage!)

CM's need to have the patience of a saint! I know we've sat around for hours waiting for our villa after a 3 am drive from our home to the airport and a connecting flight or flight that runs late, rental car lines, grocery pick up and so forth...I'm ready to unpack, take a nap and a quick shower and go for dinner.

The opposite to me is CM's knocking on your door an hour or two BEFORE check out time. That has happened too many times, especially when we are in a larger 3 BR GV with company...and the CM's stand by the door staring at it and sometimes knock again even after I nicely tell them we are leaving at check out time!

I feel your pain!

 

[greeneyedchick]

The bigger the villa, the less likely it will be ready on time. If it is a resort like SSR with lots of extra availability at the time and you are in a studio, you are probably fine at 4 pm. If you are at BCV or BRV in a 2 BR which are typically sold out 7-11 months, not so much. You can chat and request an early check after you make your reservation in but it is not guaranteed. Ask nicely at the desk...smile (if you can manage!)

CM's need to have the patience of a saint! I know we've sat around for hours waiting for our villa after a 3 am drive from our home to the airport and a connecting flight or flight that runs late, rental car lines, grocery pick up and so forth...I'm ready to unpack, take a nap and a quick shower and go for dinner.

The opposite to me is CM's knocking on your door an hour or two BEFORE check out time. That has happened too many times, especially when we are in a larger 3 BR GV with company...and the CM's stand by the door staring at it and sometimes knock again even after I nicely tell them we are leaving at check out time!

I feel your pain!

This is a staffing issue. Disney needs to hire more housekeeping staff if they can't manage to have the rooms ready by check-in time. It sounds like they are on top of making sure that people are checking out on time. They can't use that as an excuse as to why the room isn't ready. I don't want to hear that there's no one willing to clean the rooms. I don't hear about this issue with the convention center or Universal hotels. Somehow they manage.

 

[Dave006]

I don't hear about this issue with the convention center or Universal hotels. Somehow they manage.

Notice anything different your example above? Anything? The difference is the location and not needing to commute out to WDW with limited public transportation options.

Dave

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

I can see both sides of the argument. I get staffing issues. Obviously, most people aren’t staying for just 1 night. But if they were, check-in is 3pm and check-out is 11am. Loosely, if a room at WDW or any other location is $500/night, that comes to $25/hour for the 20 hours of that first night.

Check-in is 3pm but room not ready until 6pm? That’s a drag, much like a dinner reservation at 7pm but not being seated until 8pm. The difference? For the hotel room, you already paid the $75 for those 3 hours of your room, but the hotelier refused you entry to what you paid for.

Is WDW refunding for that truth? Hahahhaha

 

[LilyWDW]

A lot of people don't seem to travel all that much...

Check In STARTS at X time. Things can happen that can cause a room to take longer to get ready for the next guest. Maybe people called in sick. Maybe there is an issue with the AC. Maybe the last guest was a real jerk and messed up the room so bad it is taking longer to clean. Maybe they had to wash the carpet and are waiting for it to dry.

 

[Disneydawg74]

I’m really amused at many of these indignant (in jest) suggestions that you should be able to stay beyond checkout time. That would really help on time check-in, right??

 

[vinotinto]

Did you have room requests? If you didn't, you can ask if there is another room / unit that is already available. If you have room requests, then you are at the mercy of when the room was vacated by the previous guest, etc.

While mid-September is slow at WDW, CR is very popular during the party season for its proximity to MK.

 

[fatmanatee]

They clearly state on their website that check-in is 3:00 pm.


I'm empathetic to concerns about housekeeping delays for whatever reason, I generally don't even have an issue with this because I arrive later more often than not, but there's a good reason people have an expectation that rooms are ready at this time.

They can always change the wording on the website to "starts at 3:00" instead but I'm guessing that would just invite annoying questions about what that means. So we get this.

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

I used to travel a lot for work. In the aggregate, over the course of a year, I would spend month(s) in hotel rooms, often for short, 1 - 3 night stays. These were domestic and international stays. In the rare instances when a room was not ready at published check-in time, I was always polite. Unless it was only for a brief period of time, I was also always firm, that this was not an acceptable scenario.

Regardless of reason, these are problems that are on the hotel’s side of the equation; paying guests should not be the ones absorbing the result. If you paid $X to get Y, the hotel should not unilaterally have the ability to still take your $X, but give you less than Y.

On each of the rare occasions this happened, apology and some concession by the hotel was given. I never demanded a set amount, and the concessions varied, from a few cocktails at the bar while I wait, to a significant number of brand points,, to room upgrades, to a full refund of the night.

Of course, it is in the best interest of hotels to take the position that check-in times are a guideline, but not a guarantee. Where does the guideline end? It should be reasonable. Sure, 5, 10, 20 minutes before the room is ready might be reasonable. Waiting hours after the published check-in time is not reasonable.

Again, I get that delays happen due to myriad of causes. There needs to be some flexibility and reasonableness on both sides. For a hotel to be flippant, cavalier, and dismissive, effectively conveying ‘suck it up, it’s only 3 hours, it happens’ is wholly inappropriate.

For what it’s worth, the official Disney website states:

Q:

What are the Disney Resort hotel check-in and check-out times?
A:

The check-in time is 3:00 PM for Disney Resort hotels and 4:00 PM for Disney Deluxe Villas. The check-out time is 11:00 AM.

There is no mention of ‘we’ll try for that time, but if we fail, oh well.’

 

[gottalovepluto]

I would drop a line to the manager. There is not some secret time of 6pm and there is no reason for the CM to be rude.

 

[Kae]

Other places I have stayed (not just WDW), if my room is delayed, I get compensated -Cocktail, Parking fee dropped, upgraded room, something. I'm talking for over an hour, so. and it is usually offered I haven't asked for it.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I’m really amused at many of these indignant (in jest) suggestions that you should be able to stay beyond checkout time. That would really help on time check-in, right??

It really is an issue at times. Many trips we've seen folks wheeling their suitcases out of the room at 12 o'clock or later. So rude. I expect Disney cast members are not going to go and break down a door to kick them out by the 11AM checkout deadline. So yes, that clearly impacts the checkin time for the next guests...... We figure anytime we get our room before 4PM, it's early and a nice bonus.