Checking in - app vs front desk

[mrjack5]

My TA suggested checking in at the front desk. We were pixie dusted free upgrade's twice doing this at contemporary.

So not sure if we got lucky or would have been upgraded regardless of online vs front desk check in.

No we did not ask for any upgrades either.

 

[Dave006]

My TA suggested checking in at the front desk. We were pixie dusted free upgrade's twice doing this at contemporary.

Yes it is always a bonus when you get a free magic upgrade. I doubt that you were checking in for a group of (5) rooms.

Dave

 

[elvispursley]

And I certainly would not let any request that wasn’t met ruin such a special vacation.

 

[ww52]

Does this make sense?

It does.

And while I understand those that are questioning my agent's knowledge, I'm hesitant to be so judgemental (though that's my nature anyway). As one person above said, they did in fact get an upgrade when they went to the front desk. Highly likely that was done ahead of time

But all the same it's our 50th wedding anniversary and the agent assured me a few times she understands how special this is and will do what she can to reflect that. I don't see any downside to trusting her.

 

[Robber Baron]

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.

The TA probably knows exactly how it works, but there's no reason to go into all the details because as far as the guest is concerned it all happens when they check in onsite.

Knowing the rooms are assigned 5 days in advance is unnecessary information.

If the TA made the proper requests that's all that counts.

 

[ww52]

If the TA made the proper requests that's all that counts

Thank you.

 

[Dave006]

The TA probably knows exactly how it works, but there's no reason to go into all the details because as far as the guest is concerned it all happens when they check in onsite.

Not in 2025, any T/A that has any experience with Disney knows that Disney have moved to an Online preference for resort guest check-in, and the ability for the majority of guests to be able to go directly to their room when they are notified that their room(s) are ready.

Disney has been very actively redesigning their check-in areas. They try to no longer have long check-in queues with 8 or more Front desk CMs standing around waiting for a long line of guests to check-in. The Front desk experience is now more of an exception handling experience.

Great examples are the new Island tower at the Polynesian resort. There is no Front desk. Just CMs holding mobile devices to assist guests that need assistance. The Y/C & B/C have converted, the GF is going through a Front desk remodel that is also expected to remove an endless Front desk for more islands with CMs standing to assist guests as needed.

Dave

 

[Robber Baron]

Not in 2025, any T/A that has any experience with Disney knows that Disney have moved to an Online preference for resort guest check-in, and the ability for the majority of guests to be able to go directly to their room when they are notified that their room(s) are ready.

Disney has been very actively redesigning their check-in areas. They try to no longer have long check-in queues with 8 or more Front desk CMs standing around waiting for a long line of guests to check-in. The Front desk experience is now more of an exception handling experience.

Great examples are the new Island tower at the Polynesian resort. There is no Front desk. Just CMs holding mobile devices to assist guests that need assistance. The Y/C & B/C have converted, the GF is going through a Front desk remodel that is also expected to remove an endless Front desk for more islands with CMs standing to assist guests as needed.

Dave

Oh yeah, I know all that. Being able to go directly to your room is great.

All I was saying is I wouldn't discount the knowledge of a TA if they didn't provide paragraphs of details on how all this works behind the scenes.

 

[Dug720]

As one person above said, they did in fact get an upgrade when they went to the front desk. Highly likely that was done ahead of time

And it was likely one room. For 5 rooms that are linked, the odds of a pixie dust upgrade are very slim. They might be able to do 1 or 2, but what if it's not the "right" 1 or 2?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

All I was saying is I wouldn't discount the knowledge of a TA if they didn't provide paragraphs of details on how all this works behind the scenes.

I'm with you and your previous post on this one. We could all nitpick the "go the front desk because that will be who actually assigns the room" wording OP relayed. But even if that was verbatim or something lost in translation, skipping online check-in and going to the front desk instead doesn't seem like outlandish TA client direction to me. OP has a complicated set of circumstances - five rooms, seemingly multi-generational - who knows the technological competency or account setups of the five different lead guests, our OP, what may be needed with paying any balance due (if applicable), if people need room cards or MagicBands that need to be checked, etc. Sure Disney (and all hotels) now push online check in for a variety of reasons - most self-serving to Disney - but I see no critical reason it has to be done in these circumstances. With a large party/multiple rooms, directly talking to the front desk who does have visibility into the different reservations, where rooms are assigned, can initiate what's needed if changes are needed, or whatever situation may need addressing - seems well within the lines of good TA advice to me.

 

[gottalovepluto]

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.

You need to ask her specifically if she did this. This is not a room request, it's an actual thing where she calls and asks Disney to do this. You do this to try to ensure nobody gets booted to a different resort if problems happen. Yes, problems happen that render even Disney resorts overbooked and then Disney determines at their discretion what guests to place at other hotels. A traveling with notation will make it so Disney knows to keep your group together. If your TA already did this, she'll be able to say "already done!" and you can rest easy. (And you are not a proper "group" as far as Disney is concerned, groups are 10 rooms or more.)

 

[daae3]

I have seen at least 2 different influencers on instagram give the same advice to skip online checkin and go directly to the front desk to get the best possible room situation… the rationale was if you didn’t like the room assigned… or your room isn’t ready yet….You could ask for one available now or to switch rooms. I’ve always done online check-in and attempted room request through TP… and have had issues with not being placed with my traveling companions… Or anywhere near them… So I was thinking of trying the same on my next trip…

 

[Dave006]

I have seen at least 2 different influencers on instagram give the same advice to skip online checkin and go directly to the front desk to get the best possible room situation… the rationale was if you didn’t like the room assigned… or your room isn’t ready yet….You could ask for one available now or to switch rooms.

If you just show up at the Front desk there is no magic inventory of rooms. You will just take longer to complete your check-in steps, and you don't improve you chances of a better room or a magical upgrade.

That is more bad Influencer advice the socials are full of bad ideas. Remember they post junk just to get followers. By skipping Online check-in you don't improve your chances of getting a better room situation. You actually increase your chances of getting a left over room that only matches your booking category. Please note that all requests are just that requests.

Online check-in actually improves your visit to the Front desk if needed. Your data is already in the reservation system and updated. There is no downside to completing an Online check-in only an upside except in one specific situation.

If you complete Online check-in, nothing prevents you from stopping at the Front desk at any time. If you get your room assignment via Online check-in, if you don't like it, you are still able to stop by the Front desk to see if there may be another room available in your booking category.

Dave

 

[WDW4us2006]

There is a lot of information and opinion here, but I will tell you what has been my actual experience. I always do online check-in to make sure my credit card, pin, etc. are set.
Yes, I will choose a request from there, but I know it is not guaranteed. The requests are so basic now, sometimes I don’t even pick one If it doesn’t matter to me.
We are early arrival people, well before I would expect my room to be ready. Even though I have done online check in, I ALWAYS go right to the front desk, and let them know what my requests are, they already know what room I’m in, even though they can’t tell me. If I have already received the text, and I am unhappy with whatever it is, I never go to the room, I just go to the front desk and see if there is something else available. Anytime I have done this, at least six or seven times, I have always been given a different room. I understand rooms are assigned well in advance, but people at the front desk absolutely have the capability to switch things up and give a different option-it might not be exactly what you want, but the power is there.

I do feel like I would have faith in your travel agent if she made those requests and they are noted on your reservation. There’s no way of knowing until you get there. As others have said, just go right to the front desk, and not your room to see if your requests have been met.
If you all have separate reservations, I would definitely check in online as it will save so much time during the check-in process.

 

[Dug720]

I never go to the room,

This is key. If you go with online check-in and get a room number, you can check it on the room finder pages on Touring Plans to see location and usually view. DO THAT rather than go to the room - because if you don't like it, it will be easier to reassign you if possible if you have not gone to the room. At the very least if you went and didn't like the location, DO NOT open the door. That makes it even harder because the room would have to be taken back out of inventory to be rechecked since they have no proof that you didn't touch anything in there.

 

[Disneydawg74]

If OP has a long standing relationship with the TA, she may well have tried to arrange some pixie dust for him (if that’s possible) and she is trying to prevent anything from disturbing that.

 

[ww52]

I think I'm caught up on all the responses -

and I TRULY appreciate all the input.

(no - there's not a "but..." coming up either!)

A couple of clarifications - as I mentioned it's our 50th wedding anniversary. We decided on this trip in 2018 when we were there with most but not all the family. And again in 2021 with again not all the family.

We're paying for the rooms and have been saving all these years for it. Actually my inflation factor was higher than needed so it's coming in less than planned.

Anyway - I do know that reservations is aware it's our 50th and that is noted specifically on MY room. I called on another matter a while ago and the CM pulled up my reservation and said "Happy 50th Anniversary!".

No one in our group expects an upgrade on all 5 rooms. Of course not. Each of our (adult) children has said "we want this to be special for you two - we're just happy to BE there all together for the first time since we were kids"

And as our daughter pointed out when we concerned about on going construction at the resort - "you know Dad, this is a first world problem." I was very proud of her pointing that out.

It will be a great trip - I know that because all 16 of us are the ones that are in control of that.

 

[RealBlast3]

Ok, my opinion and prior check-in experiences is most definitely different than what most are saying here. All I can say is I have had many trips and utilized both methods of checking in. Prior to the pandemic and prior to the change in how Disney charges you $200 for charging privilege's(You cant even use online-check in unless you agree to put a card on file and have them charge you $200 even if you don't want charging privledges) , I used to always do online check in. It seemed easier and more convenient but these were also the days when the Magical Express would deliver your luggage to your room for you so it made much more sense to skip visiting the front desk and hit the parks immediately without wasting time. Anyway, for whatever reason, all those years of using online check in , my room was never ready for like many many hours after I arrived, and maybe now that I am older, I really don't like that, esepcially since I have to lugg my own luggage there, I prefer to quickly unpack and fix my room the way I like it sooner rather than later.

So, all of my recent trips, I decided to do something different and go back to physically checkin in person. Initially, the main reason was due to my dissatisfaction with the charging to the room change as I don't want all those preemptive banking charges on my bank account. Well, all I can tell you, is that since I have switched to desk check in in person, I have never waited longer than 15 minutes for my room. This includes all of my recent trips post Covid which include stays in 2024, 2023, and 2022 ( 4 trips in total) as well as my 2018 and 2019 trips.

Now I don't dispute what everyone has said about rooms being assigned in advance...however all of my front-desk experiences have given me the distinct impression that the cast member who were in front of me has the ability to facilitate the process for you to have a room ready in a timely manner based on my interactions with them. So, while there may be no guarantee that a room will be ready for you in a timely manner by doing in person front desk check-in, that has been my experience every time. So, if that was something that was important for you, I would personally recommend it.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Ok, my opinion and prior check-in experiences is most definitely different than what most are saying here. All I can say is I have had many trips and utilized both methods of checking in. Prior to the pandemic and prior to the change in how Disney charges you $200 for charging privilege's(You cant even use online-check in unless you agree to put a card on file and have them charge you $200 even if you don't want charging privledges) , I used to always do online check in. It seemed easier and more convenient but these were also the days when the Magical Express would deliver your luggage to your room for you so it made much more sense to skip visiting the front desk and hit the parks immediately without wasting time. Anyway, for whatever reason, all those years of using online check in , my room was never ready for like many many hours after I arrived, and maybe now that I am older, I really don't like that, esepcially since I have to lugg my own luggage there, I prefer to quickly unpack and fix my room the way I like it sooner rather than later.

So, all of my recent trips, I decided to do something different and go back to physically checkin in person. Initially, the main reason was due to my dissatisfaction with the charging to the room change as I don't want all those preemptive banking charges on my bank account. Well, all I can tell you, is that since I have switched to desk check in in person, I have never waited longer than 15 minutes for my room. This includes all of my recent trips post Covid which include stays in 2024, 2023, and 2022 ( 4 trips in total) as well as my 2018 and 2019 trips.

Now I don't dispute what everyone has said about rooms being assigned in advance...however all of my front-desk experiences have given me the distinct impression that the cast member who were in front of me has the ability to facilitate the process for you to have a room ready in a timely manner based on my interactions with them. So, while there may be no guarantee that a room will be ready for you in a timely manner by doing in person front desk check-in, that has been my experience every time. So, if that was something that was important for you, I would personally recommend it.

And on the online check-ins you also went to the front desk immediately upon arrival, notified them you were there and requested first available room in person? (The front desk does have limited discretion to change your assigned room as you can see from everyone saying see them first.)

On the charging- are you saying Disney has been allowing you to check-in to hotels with no hold whatsoever on your credit or debit cards? Even if you do not charge to your room I thought they required a hold on your card in case of damages.

 

[RealBlast3]

And on the online check-ins you also went to the front desk immediately upon arrival, notified them you were there and requested first available room in person? (The front desk does have limited discretion to change your assigned room as you can see from everyone saying see them first.)

On the charging- are you saying Disney has been allowing you to check-in to hotels with no hold whatsoever on your credit or debit cards? Even if you do not charge to your room I thought they required a hold on your card in case of damages.

Most of the years I utilized online check in, I didn't visit the front desk, so I can't say what would have happened in those scenarios. And yes, I am saying that you don't have to put a credit card on file for charging privileges,. i.e. give permission to Disney World to allow you charging privileges by making purchases using your magicband or whatever. So, I don't have charging "privileges" on my Disney vacations. But then, it isn't much of a "privilege", is it? Disney does not require you to opt into the charging program though I wonder how many other vacationers think that. I haven't participated in it in years. I tried it once and it was a disaster for me because it took forever for the holds to drop off my banking account. I just pay for everything on my trips in real time using Disney gift cards. That's what works for me.