Checking in - app vs front desk

[ww52]

We have 5 rooms reserved for mid july for a very special occasion. We're working through an agent who recommended we NOT use the app to check in ahead of time - rather we should go to the front desk because that will be who actually assigns the rooms. she's noted our preferences and the occasion. Primarily decent view and that we aren't all scattered throughout the resort. I'm trusting her - she did come highly recommended.

Thoughts?

 

[erionm]

Rooms are assigned several days before arrival. The only way the front desk can change a room assignment is by phoning someone else and that individual checking to see what's available.

 

[dansdad]

We have 5 rooms reserved for mid july for a very special occasion. We're working through an agent who recommended we NOT use the app to check in ahead of time - rather we should go to the front desk because that will be who actually assigns the rooms. she's noted our preferences and the occasion. Primarily decent view and that we aren't all scattered throughout the resort. I'm trusting her - she did come highly recommended.

Thoughts?

Rooms are assigned 3-5 days prior to arrival. There's no difference between checking in online vs in person. And even if you check in online, you can still stop by the Front Desk if your preferences weren't met to see if you can be moved.

 

[focusondisney]

We have 5 rooms reserved for mid july for a very special occasion. We're working through an agent who recommended we NOT use the app to check in ahead of time - rather we should go to the front desk because that will be who actually assigns the rooms. she's noted our preferences and the occasion. Primarily decent view and that we aren't all scattered throughout the resort. I'm trusting her - she did come highly recommended.

Thoughts?

Rooms are assigned by a centralized team about 5 days before arrival. The front desk may be able to make changes after consulting with behind the scenes CMs. You can speed your check in process up by doing online check in. But don’t make any room requests since that would over ride what your TA has already put in.

 

[DavidDd]

We have 5 rooms reserved for mid july for a very special occasion. We're working through an agent who recommended we NOT use the app to check in ahead of time - rather we should go to the front desk because that will be who actually assigns the rooms. she's noted our preferences and the occasion. Primarily decent view and that we aren't all scattered throughout the resort. I'm trusting her - she did come highly recommended.

Thoughts?

How confident are you that the front desk will honor the preferences noted by the agent?

 

[Dug720]

How confident are you that the front desk will honor the preferences noted by the agent?

The bottom line is, even if the requests are not met, that's not the agent's fault. Requests are always only that. And the more specific the requests, the harder they are to meet because the possible pool of rooms shrinks with every extra request.

Even stopping at the front desk it's not always possible to meet requests. 5 rooms may make it extra difficult - it could come to all 5 get a "decent view" OR they are close together.

 

[Dave006]

How confident are you that the front desk will honor the preferences noted by the agent?

The front desk has no input to the initial assignment of rooms. As several posters have indicated all rooms are assigned before your resort stay begins.

Dave

 

[Disnsyncey]

As long as your preferences are in the reservation, that's your best shot to start out in a good option....

 

[Dave006]

We're working through an agent who recommended we NOT use the app to check in ahead of time - rather we should go to the front desk because that will be who actually assigns the rooms. she's noted our preferences and the occasion.

Did your T/A make all (5) of your room bookings under (1) reservation or are there (5) different reservations?

I would recommend that each of your (5) primary guests on each room check-in online well before you arrival date. This way you may get your room numbers early, and can compare notes on each of the room locations. As @focusondisney indicated don't make any room "Requests" during Online check-in as those selections will overlay any "Requests" that were already noted on your (5) reservations.

Finally when you arrive you can always stop by the Front desk to see there are any adjustments that could be made. The Front desk has very limited ability to make adjustments as they might involve moving other guests that already have room assignments that match their requests.

Dave

 

[reddog21]

Maybe find a new travel agent

Disney is no different then other hotel company where 99% of all the rooms are assigned via automation. The only time human intervention happens it when "fallout occurs".

As others have said the front desk doesn't have magical powers, there looking at the same information as everyone else. Chances are if your request wasn't honored there not much they can do for you. On occasion people have lucked out and the front was able to help but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

In your case I would recommend just waiting until you arrive since there is a chance that with online check in you'll not like your room locations and would go to the front desk anyways to see if there was something else available.
You might as well just go to the front desk and when they tell you where your rooms are if you don't like it then its a one stop shop to look for something else instead of being disappointed/frustrated when you walk up.

 

[Robber Baron]

We always check in online.

*Most* of the time we go to the front desk early in the morning before any room text is sent.

Whether we have a location request, or, have a request for multiple rooms to be near each other, the earlier you get to the front desk the more latitude they have.

We have many times taken a room different from the pre-assigned one because it is either ready now, or will be available earlier.

Many times they will do it on the fly without making any phone call.

We have seen and heard one thing they aren't too crazy about is changing your room, (just for location), after you've already entered it. People will say they just looked in, but in reality they may have sat on the bed, used the bathroom, dirtied a towel or two, and they do not want to have that room rechecked and recleaned.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Yikes, that's blatantly wrong info by your TA! If you have any other q's about your trip do double check that info here on Disboards.

If you get your room assignments early because you did online check-in, you can confirm their locations using touring plans room maps for your hotel to see exactly where they are (free, you don't have to pay for a sub to see them). If something isn't as you hoped, visit the front desk as soon as you arrive at the hotel, don't enter your rooms yet. That will make it easier for them to assign you another room if something else is available.

 

[ww52]

Well, it sounds like a crap shoot at best which is what I expected.

And I did doubt what she said about the front desk assigning the rooms.

Each room has it's own confirmation number but she assured me she requested they be relatively near each other (Beach Club is a maze and so "relatively near" could actually be on different floors and still closer - taking the stairs.

A LOT of challenges with a large group (16 including 7 children). I'm amazed we got every ADR we wanted.

What's confusing to me (since I posted this) is going back at form messages her agency sent out - one of which recommends checking in online. I do think (perhaps) I know why she is saying what she did as I'll explain.

So I understand here - the consensus seems to be checking in online (each of the 5) but do NOT request a room. Then I guess about 3-5 days in advance we'll see what we were assigned and then figure out whether we want to try to change or not.

I think that's the ONLY benefit? Seeing the room assignment before we get there?

The family does NOT expect we'll all get exactly what we prefer - it's my wife's and my 50th wedding anniversary so the kids are just hoping we get something special - and maybe even an upgrade. Which as I think of it MAY be why the agent doesn't want us to check in on the app since we might inadvertently mess up her request.

 

[sponica]

Well, it sounds like a crap shoot at best which is what I expected.

And I did doubt what she said about the front desk assigning the rooms.

Each room has it's own confirmation number but she assured me she requested they be relatively near each other (Beach Club is a maze and so "relatively near" could actually be on different floors and still closer - taking the stairs.

A LOT of challenges with a large group (16 including 7 children) as well as a lot of challenges. I'm amazed we got every ADR we wanted.

What's confusing to me (since I posted this) is going back at form messages her agency sent out - one of which recommends checking in online. I do think (perhaps) I know why she is saying what she did as I'll explain.

So I understand here - the consensus seems to be checking in online (each of the 5) but do NOT request a room. Then I guess about 3-5 days in advance we'll see what we were assigned and then figure out whether we want to try to change or not.

I think that's the ONLY benefit? Seeing the room assignment before we get there?

The family does NOT expect we'll all get exactly what we prefer - it's my wife's and my 50th wedding anniversary so the kids are just hoping we get something special - and maybe even an upgrade. Which as I think of it MAY be why the agent doesn't want us to check in on the app since we might inadvertently mess up her request.

Did she add a "traveling with" notation to all 5 reservations with WDW?

 

[erionm]

So I understand here - the consensus seems to be checking in online (each of the 5) but do NOT request a room. Then I guess about 3-5 days in advance we'll see what we were assigned and then figure out whether we want to try to change or not.

You won't know the room assignments until check in day and only after the has been cleaned.

 

[Dave006]

So I understand here - the consensus seems to be checking in online (each of the 5) but do NOT request a room. Then I guess about 3-5 days in advance we'll see what we were assigned and then figure out whether we want to try to change or not.

@erionm covered the timing of when you will get your (5) room assignments before you reach the resort. And yes sometimes you will not get your room numbers in MDE or by SMS Txt, and you will still need to stop by the Front desk anyway.

Your rooms will be preassigned but may not yet ready as @erionm indicated, and the Front desk will be able to check that you the (5) assigned room numbers are close to each other. They will not provide you with the room numbers.

I think that's the ONLY benefit? Seeing the room assignment before we get there?

No, the online check-in allows you to have all your information updated.

This includes the default Credit card that will be used for your resort charges to you room, and the updated PIN. It normally saves steps at the Front desk but in your case you make want to add additional Credit cards for guest specific charging for any purchase they want to make using their MBs or Room keys.

ETA: clarify the room number discussion.

Dave

 

[ww52]

Did she add a "traveling with" notation to all 5 reservations with WDW?

Cant' say she said that specifically but from our conversations I know she has us as a group.

And yes sometimes you will not get your room numbers in MDE or by SMS Txt, and you will still need to stop by the Front desk anyway.

I see a spot for the room number in MDE but obviously that doesn't mean we'd know in advance.


Regarding Credit Cards - can we set that up on MDE without checking in online?

And one related question - given we can enter the room using Magic Bands - is there a possibility then of not needing to go to the front desk at all?

 

[Dug720]

Then I guess about 3-5 days in advance we'll see what we were assigned and then figure out whether we want to try to change or not.

You will still not see the room assignment until the day of check-in.

Regarding Credit Cards - can we set that up on MDE without checking in online?

And one related question - given we can enter the room using Magic Bands - is there a possibility then of not needing to go to the front desk at all?

Each room would input the credit card they wish to use upon doing online check-in. This would have to be done manually if you waited until you got there.

If you do online check-in and get the room numbers either through text, email, or on the MDE app, yes. If you are fine with the room you can go straight in. But as was pointed out above, if you've entered the room there will be much more push-back to change it barring something verifiable mechanically wrong with it.

 

[_19disnA]

Rooms are assigned 3-5 days prior to arrival as several others have said, the Disney front desk are not the people who do that. If your TA got that wrong, I wonder what other bad information about a Disney trip they may have also provided? Many guests use online check-in and never need to go to the front desk. You can 'check-in' months in advance if you want to.

You won't know your assigned room # until check-in day regardless of which method you use. Clearly Disney doesn't want newly arriving guests knocking on the door of those departing in an effort to speed along the process...............LOL. Once housekeeping has prepared the room is likely the first time you will be informed of your actual room #. Whether or not you choose to use online check-in has nothing to do with how your room is assigned.