Benefits of online check in?

[Mrs Hobbes]

What are the benefits of checking in early online? Does it guarantee room requests or any other perks?

When we checked in at VWL we noticed the online check in desk but guests were queuing there too so we could not see the benefit

 

[RocketEAR99]

In my experience, the benefit was minimal. There was a separate desk for it, and for me there was no line but as they promise, you pretty much just verify your ID with them and they give you your check-in folder so it's pretty quick.

But when I check in normally, it takes maybe a couple more minutes since Disney has been just that efficient. And if I am getting tickets added to select room keys, I still need to go to concierge and do that anyway. So I don't bother with online check-in anymore.

 

[Mert]

the main benefit is it speeds up your check in. Sometimes the desk can start to back up quite a bit. Instead of the desk re-entering and confirming info you've already done it. It can help if crowded and sometimes they set up a line just for that.

 

[FigmentLady]

I'm not sure if this is actually related to online check in, but whenever I have checked in online, my room has been ready, regardless of how day I get there. When I havent used it my room wasn't ready till after 5:00pm . Keep in mind, only my latest trip was DVC so that could make a difference too. I also prefer the shorter lines I have had at online check Nj at the dvc resorts. I have also always gotten my requests when doing online check in but they are never too specific and I'm not sure online had anything to do with that either.

 

[Havana]

I try to do online check in when the system is running correctly. The majority of the time it saves me some time. Less time in line = more time for fun.

 

[drusba]

It does very little that is different from regular check-in. It does not increase or decrease chances of getting requests or chances of getting room earlier than 4. All it does is possibly speed up check in. That is "possibly" because you still may have to wait in the usual long line at some (such as at AKV Kidani) but at others (such as BWV) there is a quick line for those who did on-line check to get their check-in packages and card keys.

Also make sure you put in requests to MS as part of reservation because on-line check-in does not deal with those when you do it.

 

[Dash&Maggie]

We had a great experience with online check-in the last time we stayed at Pop (March 2010). Very quick and efficient while the regular check-in line was very long. I would recommend it.

 

[Mrs Hobbes]

thanks for all the information I guess the policy is online check in - well it can't hurt and may help us get into our room quicker!!

So can you link your credit card to your room key through online check in too? We always do that as it is how we spend money in the world to save on exchanging currency.

Would love to hear from another UK resident that has done online check in does it work as easily for us too

Thanks

 

[Lost boy]

It didn't get us in the room any quicker, we arrived at OKW around 12:30 and our room was ready around 5:00. There were quite a few OKW guests on the ME bus with us and we seemed to get thru the front desk faster with the online check in but that was about it. You can enter requests doing the online check in but of course their not guranteed, all in all we'll probley use it again.

 

[Tom Cecere]

We used on-line check in at BLT and Beach Club, once the room was ready the second time it was not. It might depend on the time of day you are checking in.

 

[newyorkmike]

As others have mentioned, using online check-in makes the check-in process much faster. I've been in and out in less than a minute - literally!

Room availability is a different matter. I think that because the online check-in packets are prepared some time in advance, you are assigned a room before parties who may be occupying that room the previous night have checked out. So if at the time you pick up your packet via online check-in that assigned room has not been cleaned, you have to wait. This happened to us once at SSR. When I asked if there were any current rooms available, there was an identical room meeting our requirements that was immediately available (Grandstand, lower floor), so the CM changed us to that room and printed new keys for us. It only added two minutes to the check-in process.

 

[HotdogDncrs]

I stopped doing online check in because both times I did it, they didn't have any of my credit card info that I had entered into the system online. It took longer for the CM to go into the reservation re-enter the cc info and then reprint the room keys since they now had the ability for room charging. When I advised that I had entered my info online they weren't able to retrieve the data, so I'm not too sure where my cc info ended up. Another time there was no one working the online check in desk, a manager came out to help, but had no clue what he was doing so we had to wait for another CM to be available. My parents who were with us didn't do online check in for their reservation and ended up waiting for us when it should've been the other way around.

 

[Squidrific]

We had a terrible experience with it on our last trip, they more than double charged our card for the dining plan. Plan should have been $377.91 and they charged our card over $800.00. We spent over an hour at check-in while they got a manager and tried to figure out what the problem was. It was after 5:30 p.m. and member services was closed. They ended up just giving us our cards so we had our room keys and could go get something to eat that night. Then we had to come back the next morning and it took another 45 minutes while they called member services, verified the correct amount, issued a credit to our card and then had to cut new room keys.

It was just a glich, but I won't be using it again.

 

[n2mm]

For me, the only benefit for online check in was that I got into my room earlier than past visited when not using it.

The downside, whenever I use online check in I NEVER get any request. So you have to decide what is important to you.

 

[DisneyStoryMania]

we have used OLC both times that we went, and just from looking around I really did not see any difference or benefit I should say, both lines were about the same size...Hope this helps

 

[drumms2112]

We did online check in for BLT and after about 5 min of waiting in the "online check in line" ,(I was next in line), A cast member made me get in the other line where about five other people were infront of me were as if I started there I would have been at the check in desk already. This was very annoying but I was not about to get upset because we were starting our vacation. Even after all that I still had to wait while they printed our cards ect....and we did not get our request. No online check in for us next time. Good luck!

 

[Cee]

My experience has been shorter check-in times. Whenever I've done the online check-in, my packet has been ready and so has my villa. My last trip, Oct. 31-Nov. 7 at VWL, I was not able to do the online check-in and it took FOREVER in the regular line....but the villa was still ready.