Benefit of doing online check in?

[leebee]

Other than not stopping at the front desk to check-in (which I have to do anyhow), is there a benefit to doing online check in? Are you more likely to get your room request filled if you do online rather than in-person? I REALLY don't want a ground floor room, and that's in my touringplans room request (along with no handicapped access and a room range for the view). I always do the touringplans request and never do online check in, and I've never gotten the room requests I've made. Do you think it's more likely I'll get the upper level room if I check in online? Is there a way to request a room change if it's not an upper floor room, online? I really don't want a ground-floor room, can you tell?

 

[Robbie Cottam]

You drop your bags off with bell servie and goto the parks, the pool, lunch...

you get a text message with you room number when you room is ready

you walk to you room and walk in with your. magic band of phone (i think, nevr used the phone )

you call bell service they bring up your bags...

The big reason to use online check in is to skip the front desk.... and start your vacation easy

You never go near the from desk

Room requests are filled two weeks in advance....

with DVC I make the request with member services....

not sure who to make the request with maybe the hotel front desk for non DVC rooms....

 

[scrappinginontario]

There is really no guarantee that you will not get a ground floor room regardless if you do online check-in or not. I like to check-in online as it gives me another opportunity to request an upper floor.

If you are assigned a ground floor room you can go to the front desk and request to be moved.

You do not have to check-in online but it gives you an opportunity to make requests and hopefully, skip the front desk.

 

[Marthasor]

I am not a fan of online check-in. I really enjoy going to the front desk and speaking with a CM and getting to know the staff in the lobby. For me, it just makes for an overall better resort experience and starts off our stay in a really pleasant way. I have found, if you do not like the room you are assigned, the CM can immediately try to find something else that might be more to your liking. We just stayed at POFQ last week - I did the touringplans request and also called in and placed the same requests on our reservation. No guarantees, but we got every request we made and had a lovely time speaking with the front desk CM who checked us in.

 

[CarolynFH]

I like online checkin because when I receive the text with the room number, I can check the location, and if it fills my request or close to it, I can go straight to the room. If I don’t like my room assignment, I can stop at the front desk and ask to be moved before I go to the room. I submit my requests ASAP with MS for DVC reservations, but for cash reservations you can call the Disney reservations number.

 

[nw6675]

I aways do online...and 0 luck with TP requests. Definitely go to front desk if you need the request for a better chance.

 

[Micca]

Definitely go to front desk if you need the request for a better chance.

DW likes chatting up the front desk folks. Does it make any difference? Dunno, we're not that picky. Still, being pleasant to a CM is a reward in itself, imagine the *)(*( they deal with every 13 minutes.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I am not a fan of online check-in. I really enjoy going to the front desk and speaking with a CM and getting to know the staff in the lobby. For me, it just makes for an overall better resort experience and starts off our stay in a really pleasant way. I have found, if you do not like the room you are assigned, the CM can immediately try to find something else that might be more to your liking. We just stayed at POFQ last week - I did the touringplans request and also called in and placed the same requests on our reservation. No guarantees, but we got every request we made and had a lovely time speaking with the front desk CM who checked us in.

I get to do that 75 plus nights a year!
It’s get old meeting the front desk staff

 

[DJFan88]

The best way for me with requests has always been to call Disney and have them note the most important things on my reservation.
I’ve gotten nothing on TP. Honestly, I think you really want the ground floor and no accessible room, so I think you’re hurting yourself by throwing in that whole TP range thing. It is sometimes hard for them to accommodate a range of rooms, if a room is not available in that range, and with all you got going on, they may not know what’s most important and at this point just give you anything.
If you were me, I would dump the TP request, or at least get rid of the range of room numbers. Then I would call Disney and ask them to add the requests to your reservation (only the 2) in order of importance. If the online check in has a box for the 2nd floor -I would check it. If not don’t check any because that would confuse them with a 3rd thing. Then I would follow the above advice of visiting the desk first If I received a text with a room that’s not fitting.
Bottom line to me is getting rid of that range of rooms. The less requests you make the better your chances.

 

[DJFan88]

Edit to delete duplicate accidental post

 

[Disneylover99]

I always do the touringplans request and never do online check in, and I've never gotten the room requests I've made.

Then give online check in a shot.
You’ve got nothing to lose and you can still go to the front desk and ask if your room requests were met if your room is not ready yet when you arrive at the resort.

 

[Marthasor]

DW likes chatting up the front desk folks. Does it make any difference? Dunno, we're not that picky. Still, being pleasant to a CM is a reward in itself, imagine the *)(*( they deal with every 13 minutes.

Me too! I just stayed at POFQ for the first time and the front desk CM told me a ton of info about the resort that I probably could have figured out on my own, but she was far more knowledgeable and really set me up for a great stay.

 

[CarolynFH]

If the online check in has a box for the 2nd floor -I would check it.

Checking anything on online checkin overwrites and negates any requests made via any other means. Leave that section of online checkin blank.

 

[Genie+]

We have the same request next trip - rather not have ground floor. My plan is to make the request. See what room we end up being assigned. If ground floor then I’ll go to the desk and see if a move is possible.

We have Poly Lakeview booked and really hope we don’t get ground floor looking right into the bungalows. 66% chance we get 2nd or 3rd floor

 

[DJFan88]

Checking anything on online checkin overwrites and negates any requests made via any other means. Leave that section of online checkin blank.

Was just thinking that was her main thing she wanted

 

[CarolynFH]

Was just thinking that was her main thing she wanted

Just wanted OP to know that if she checks anything in the request section of online checkin, submitting a request by any other means is a waste of time.

 

[Mle8308]

I like online checkin because when I receive the text with the room number, I can check the location, and if it fills my request or close to it, I can go straight to the room. If I don’t like my room assignment, I can stop at the front desk and ask to be moved before I go to the room. I submit my requests ASAP with MS for DVC reservations, but for cash reservations you can call the Disney reservations number.

THIS! Also, if you get the room number and don’t like the location, don’t go to the room and make sure you let the FD person know you never entered it. That way they can make sure it shows as inspected in the system and can be assigned to another guest.

 

[CarolynFH]

THIS! Also, if you get the room number and don’t like the location, don’t go to the room and make sure you let the FD person know you never entered it. That way they can make sure it shows as inspected in the system and can be assigned to another guest.

Good advice. I’ve read that if you enter a DVC villa booked on points and then want to change, you can be charged a $25 cleaning fee. So be sure you want it before you unlock the door!

 

[Moliphino]

I like online checkin because when I receive the text with the room number, I can check the location, and if it fills my request or close to it, I can go straight to the room. If I don’t like my room assignment, I can stop at the front desk and ask to be moved before I go to the room. I submit my requests ASAP with MS for DVC reservations, but for cash reservations you can call the Disney reservations number.

And if you aren't at the resort yet you can call the number in the room ready text and see if they can change your room assignment right then. No need to wait until you get to the resort.

 

[fla4fun]

And if you aren't at the resort yet you can call the number in the room ready text and see if they can change your room assignment right then. No need to wait until you get to the resort.

I did this once. I always do online check in, but I have very generic room requests. I have only had a bad room location once out of dozens of online check ins and I was able to get it changed over the phone.

The benefit to me of doing online check in is that you have nothing to lose. You have a decent chance of getting a satisfactory room assignment and being able to go directly to your room. If the assignment isn’t satisfactory, you have the option to call or visit the front desk to have it changed. You aren’t locked into a bad room either way (unless the hotel is fully booked and your room is the only one available - an unlikely scenario).

The important thing is to do what you feel comfortable with.