Can someone enlighten me on online check-in?

[jasonumcp]

Not true. I have a distant cousin that currently works in the room assigning department. As of now it's still handled by humans.

Also not true. As long as there is availability, the online check-in CMs can absolutely make changes to your room assignment.

Not true. The on-line check in Cast Member can change your room assignment, trust me. I've been standing in the on-line check in queue and heard this being done. Any front desk Cast Member, on-line or regular line, is going to try and make the guest happy. Defeats the purpose of on-line check in when someone HAS to have a specific request but Disney definitely does NOT tell the guest it can't be done because they checked in on-line.

I can vouch that this is not true at all. I had 3 rooms at CBR in 2010. I requested a first floor, corner room in Jamaica area with a connection to another room and adjoining the 3rd room. Did online check-in ... can't remember if it was at exactly 10 days out or less... and got EXACTLY what I had requested.

Requests are just that. Sometimes requests are accommodated, sometimes they're not but I don't think online check-in has anything to do with whether or not your requests are available.

Well I'm glad to hear that what I was told might not be the case seeing as how many of you have had the opposite happen.

However,

I have been told not to do online check in by cm's if a specific request is important or if you have a room only followed by package and want to stay in the same room.

I find it interesting that I am not the only person who was told not to do online check in for specific requests.

For general "I would like to be in building ..." requests, it probably would not be a big deal. However, I think my TA was told by the CM not to do online check in for a specific request like connecting rooms (which is what I would like). They said that for something like a request for connecting rooms, it might not be accounted for during online check in and the CMs might not then be able to accommodate/correct it upon arrival with the available rooms.

Hopefully this is not the case, but I still might wait to check in upon arrival...

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

Hm.. I specifically requested to be "near room such and such" and on 3 separate bookings 2 times got a room above one floor or across the hall and last February, got the exact room I requested.

The only thing that has me stumped for my trip next month (!) is, I have a pool room view booked at AKL and my online check in asked if I wanted:
Highest floor
Ground floor
Close to elevator
Close to lobby
Sunset savanna
Kadu trail view

There is no pool on sunset or kadu.. My TA called and requested giraffe trail, lobby level and the CM shows that on my reservation... Just odd

 

[maggiemayhem]

Whether its true or not, I still will not do it. I like to talk to the CM - get a map of where my room is, bat an eye or two and hope for a better room... sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. As Wayne Gretsky says...."you miss 100% of the shots you don't take".

I've seen a few people on the boards mention occasional upgrades. Is that something that happens if the resort might have less guests for some reason (of course it wouldn't happen if all rooms were booked solid!), and the cast member at the desk notices available rooms at a higher level? Or do guests have to sort of say "soooo, do you happen to have anything better available?" I'm curious how it has happened for those who have had the luck of an unexpected free upgrade at Disney. I'm sure it can vary, and being polite and courteous at check-in definitely helps. The only time I've ever been upgraded at a hotel (non-Disney), it was because the employee at check-in seemed to go out of his way to look for a better room after we had been chatting for a while.

I saw someone say that either they or people they know (I can't remember specifically) were upgraded to the next resort category. I'm guessing that is the rarest of rare, but it sounds unreal. Makes for good daydreaming.

 

[goofyredraider]

Hm.. I specifically requested to be "near room such and such" and on 3 separate bookings 2 times got a room above one floor or across the hall and last February, got the exact room I requested.

The only thing that has me stumped for my trip next month (!) is, I have a pool room view booked at AKL and my online check in asked if I wanted:
Highest floor
Ground floor
Close to elevator
Close to lobby
Sunset savanna
Kadu trail view

There is no pool on sunset or kadu.. My TA called and requested giraffe trail, lobby level and the CM shows that on my reservation... Just odd

I noticed the same thing. I requested basically the same by calling.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have been told not to do online check in by cm's if a specific request is important or if you have a room only followed by package and want to stay in the same room.

Me too. And NOT doing OLCI has served me well in those cases.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

I've seen a few people on the boards mention occasional upgrades. Is that something that happens if the resort might have less guests for some reason (of course it wouldn't happen if all rooms were booked solid!), and the cast member at the desk notices available rooms at a higher level? Or do guests have to sort of say "soooo, do you happen to have anything better available?" I'm curious how it has happened for those who have had the luck of an unexpected free upgrade at Disney. I'm sure it can vary, and being polite and courteous at check-in definitely helps. The only time I've ever been upgraded at a hotel (non-Disney), it was because the employee at check-in seemed to go out of his way to look for a better room after we had been chatting for a while.

I saw someone say that either they or people they know (I can't remember specifically) were upgraded to the next resort category. I'm guessing that is the rarest of rare, but it sounds unreal. Makes for good daydreaming.

I still get to talk to a CM..still get the map.. When I was shown my room in Feb, it wasn't the area I requested..she went to the back, came out and gave me the exact room. So, they CAN change you. I was booked in a standard but my request was for " the area around room 1234 " room 1234 was a interior courtyard view at WL with bunk beds.. A big upgrade. Now, it was February and value season, so the hotel was not nearly full.

When checking in, I have always just politely asked if there was any chance of getting a room upgrade. Once, I was told "why don't you go check the room and if your not happy, come back" ..unbeknownst to me, I had already been upgraded from a garden view at Poly to a MK lagoon... If I go in mid summer, I tend to book the room I want because there isn't as much available ..so, I try to book a better than standard view. ( I have a pool view next month and will home for savannah since there seem to be a TON of those left)

 

[Missytara]

I've seen a few people on the boards mention occasional upgrades. Is that something that happens if the resort might have less guests for some reason (of course it wouldn't happen if all rooms were booked solid!), and the cast member at the desk notices available rooms at a higher level? Or do guests have to sort of say "soooo, do you happen to have anything better available?" I'm curious how it has happened for those who have had the luck of an unexpected free upgrade at Disney. I'm sure it can vary, and being polite and courteous at check-in definitely helps. The only time I've ever been upgraded at a hotel (non-Disney), it was because the employee at check-in seemed to go out of his way to look for a better room after we had been chatting for a while.

I saw someone say that either they or people they know (I can't remember specifically) were upgraded to the next resort category. I'm guessing that is the rarest of rare, but it sounds unreal. Makes for good daydreaming.

Upgrades happen for a variety of reasons, you have absolutely no control over how and when it happens.

It will happen at the convenience of the resort, not the guest.

 

[dansdad]

I find it interesting that I am not the only person who was told not to do online check in for specific requests.

For general "I would like to be in building ..." requests, it probably would not be a big deal. However, I think my TA was told by the CM not to do online check in for a specific request like connecting rooms (which is what I would like). They said that for something like a request for connecting rooms, it might not be accounted for during online check in and the CMs might not then be able to accommodate/correct it upon arrival with the available rooms.

Hopefully this is not the case, but I still might wait to check in upon arrival...

Unfortunately, CMs can give incorrect information. What they should have said is if you have important requests like connecting rooms, do not make any requests during online check-in. If you do make any requests during online check-in, any other requests attached to your reservation are now gone and replaced with the request you made during online check-in. There are more request options now during online check-in than in the past, but they are still general, like upper floor, certain building, etc. As of now, there is no way to request connecting rooms with another reservation etc. But there are plans to in the future. So if you have already attached requests to your reservation, just skip that section of the online check-in process and you're good to go. Now please remember all room requests, no matter how/when you make them, are just that requests.

 

[JVig]

Is there anything you miss out on by doing online check-in?

We will be first time visitors this summer. Is there a benefit to regular check in that I shouldn't miss, like a brief orientation to WDW provided by the CM?

One factor is we are getting there early-ish (before official check-in time) and would like a room sooner rather than later. So that makes me think we should do online check-in, based on what I've read here.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

Is there anything you miss out on by doing online check-in?

We will be first time visitors this summer. Is there a benefit to regular check in that I shouldn't miss, like a brief orientation to WDW provided by the CM?

One factor is we are getting there early-ish (before official check-in time) and would like a room sooner rather than later. So that makes me think we should do online check-in, based on what I've read here.

I still think you get the normal interaction. The difference is, you don't have to hand them your credit card, sign papers..etc. My room has almost always been ready for my arrival at 10ish am, and that is a huge benefit to me as I drive in with my luggage and prefer not to wait to unload. I get "celebration buttons" from the CM if it is a special trip so, I think it is just quicker and if they know I am coming in at a special time, they know well in advance. (there is a drop down menu to select an arrival time). I will let you know in 16 days(!!!!!!!) how my check in went since I have requested a specific area and floor.

 

[nkereina]

Hm.. I specifically requested to be "near room such and such" and on 3 separate bookings 2 times got a room above one floor or across the hall and last February, got the exact room I requested.

If the room request you are making coincides with the housekeeping schedule and your arrival time, they will assign you a room that meets your request since it will be ready. If you are arriving earlier than your requested area will be cleaned/available, they will put you in a room that will be ready and disregard the request. It's that simple. For example, if you are arriving closer to 3pm, most rooms (if not all) should be ready by them, so it's easier to adhere to requests in those cases. I always arrive very early in the day, so they assign me whatever room will be ready when I arrive - if they can meet my request, they will do so. I have not yet had the luck where housekeeping cleans the rooms of the section I am requesting before the time I arrive, so I always have to wait, so I was advised not to do online check-in.