Checking In - Balance Paid

[bytheblood]

If you have a room-only reservation and you pay your balance prior ro arrival, do you find that your check-in is any faster or smoother or is it the same less the time to scan the credit card?

 

[goodferry]

Well, I am not sure. I have done it both ways. The first time at CBR took FOREVER and I was paying my room balance at the time. However, there was a large group of us and we needed connecting rooms and I had a Magic Kingdom club discount on our tickets, so it took forever. The second time EVERYTHING was paid for in advance, tickets and all and check-in took moments. That said, the second time was Poly concierge, so that might have been part of it, they definitely know what they are doing. I liked having everything paid for when I got there, one less thing to worry about!

 

[BamaTigger]

I have my room paid for when I check in and usually it is faster. But I dont do it for the fastness of it, I just pay for everything before I go so I too will have one less thing to worry about and have fun!!!!

But yes, usually it is faster, especially if you have your tickets already!

 

[SqueakyMouse]

We always pay prior to our trip. (I have this fear of their being problems with my credit cards when I arrive. Don't ask me why. I don't have this same worry when I travel other places -- even abroad. Just Disney.) However, I can say that the length of time it takes to check-in has been different every time -- from really long at CBR to fairly short at AKL. Still, "fairly short" is about 15 minutes.

 

[dudspizza]

I have always pre-paid and it makes things so easy. Check in at WL was a few minutes.... here are your key cards, sir!

I have other motives for paying early, though. I pay with my Disney Visa at before my last billing statement before our Disney trip. I then get those reward dollars for the trip, so it is like a little more discount for the trip. Every Disney Dollar counts when you are there.

Also, paying far enough in advance will allow CRO time to print a new confirmation and sufficient time to mail it to you. Last trip I never got a new confirmation. I called and they reassured me all was paid, but it was still a bit unnverving not to have that written confirmation in hand when checking in. All was fine though.

Have fun.

Duds

 

[bytheblood]

Thank you everybody. I believe I will pay it off at the beginning of May since we arrive 6/2. I would love to have that confirmation showing everything is paid for.

 

[cindyfan]

We've always pre-paid too.....so not sure if it really makes it faster or not.
But we still have them scan our CC just in case we go over what we pre-paid.
One time....I think it was at CBR...they tried to tell me that I still owed. And it took longer for them to go back and look at it to figure out that it was a "credit" she was looking at and not a "balance due". Made me a bit nervous for a minute there!
It is nice not to have to worry about paying for it afterwards.

I have this fear of their being problems with my credit cards when I arrive. Don't ask me why. I don't have this same worry when I travel other places -- even abroad. Just Disney.)

Don't know why....but ME TOO! I also have this fear that my wallet will get stolen and we won't be able to pay for anything.
So I only carry one CC and my ID (keep a copy of both in my suit case in the room)
Now....even if my wallet is lost or stolen....One simple phone call to cancel the card and We can still enjoy the vacation.
Have fun!!

 

[kjs1976]

We pre-pay now and notice check in and check out is piece of cake compared to when we paid at check-in and especially check-out.

 

[SaraMc]

On our last trip we paid all but $6.00 before we left. When we got there I thought that we would have to pay that. Nope It took about 3 minutes to get everything done however we also arrived earlier than the normal checkin time. Credit Card autorization takes less than a minute unless there is a problem. The trip before last check in took as long and we had only paid the down payment at that point.

 

[JDarling]

I always pre-pay as far in advance as I can. It just makes everything feel "free" when we're there! LOL

 

[YCFAN]

Last July when I pre-paid everything before going to Poly LVC this became a problem when checking in. They said I didn't have any "tickets" associated with the reservation. (we were getting length of stay passes) The manager said that the way CRO had put it in the system that she couldn't issue the tickets to me. I explained to her that the price had been quoted to me from CRO and I had a confirmation showing both the tickets and the room and that they had both been prepaid. After about an hour and going back and forth she just finally gave us our passes while still explaining to us that she really shouldn't be doing it this way. There were five of us and I told her it was very easy to see that there were five passes included in the price not to mention the confirmation I had. She said she could see that but it was some sort of "computer" problem. After about 30 minutes I was wishing I hadn't prepaid. Having said that......I also prepaid for the YC during that same trip and everything was fine.

 

[beth_cam]

Has anyone prepaid fully then had to cancel? I wasnt even considering paying in full till I had to just incase I had to cancel at the last minute. Atleast they would only have one night's charges if things got sticky trying to get refunded.

 

[Mommo]

We had to cancel after our package was paid for- we were able to get an AP discount on a room and decided to get AP's. They took the amt we had paid (by check) and put it on our new room reservation. The remaining balance they would not let me buy AP's with but insisted on refunding it so we could get the tickets ourselves. The CM was very kind and said the system just wouldn't let her divide up the funds that way.

It took FOREVER to get the refund. We started calling for rates when they were released, took the first ones they had available for our dates, and 3 1/2 weeks later (10 days before our trip) received the refund. I'm sure their notes with our name have comments about a desperate, crazy woman

Don't pay it in full if you really think you might cancel.

Beth

 

[Sleepy]

I have my room paid for when I check in and usually it is faster. But I dont do it for the fastness of it, I just pay for everything before I go so I too will have one less thing to worry about and have fun!!!!

But yes, usually it is faster, especially if you have your tickets already!

This is the only way I do my vacations. I like knowing everything is already paid for and the only thing I need to concentrate on is the expense of food.


If you pay for your room ahead of time, PLEASE make sure you bring proof of payment with you when you check in....just in case they show otherwise in the computer.

 

[alien]

YCFAN - we had similar problems at the Polynesian last July (GVC). Ours was a little complicated. Had booked 2 rooms using the 7 for 5 plan (us and 2 brothers-in-law). We had pre-payed because it was a package deal and I sent an additional 500 to the room for spending money. 3 days before vacation, brother-in-law had heart attack. Our family ended up going as we were also visiting my father the next week but we had to cancel one room. CRO said it was not a problem and that we would "have a great credit" on our room when we checked in, including the 500 we sent. In short, when we checked in, they said we had NO MONEY on credit (should have been over 2000), and any "extra" money applied to the reservation would be refunded to us they same way we paid (well we paid by check) AFTER we got home. It took us a couple of hours to get this straightened out. We'll pre-pay just the room this time for our convenience, but will never send extra money!!!