Checking in EXTREMELY late or just REALLY early

[Markiesgirl]

Our family is driving to WDW this June and it's about a 16-17 hr trip. We are driving straight through and are trying to figure out what time to depart from home. What is the earliest time you can check in? It might be that we arrive at 3-4am on our arrival day at the hotel. It would be nice to have a room ready to crash in. If by chance a room was ready would they let us in that early?? I'm just trying to figure out what to do about booking another night or taking our chances. Right now nothing is available on property for that night. Anybody have any suggestions for a clean but inexpensive hotel close by where we can crash for a few hours?? Thank you!!

 

[safetymom]

I doubt they would let you check in without paying for that day. I have checked in at 6:30 and the room was ready but that was during a slow season.

Wherever you end up staying I would notify the hotel about your arrival time. Typically hotels after you don't show up charge your card or cancel your reservation, or both. If you let them know it wouldn't be a problem.

 

[tkldisney]

Normal check is 3:00. They will let you check in before that, but then the room probably won't be ready and they will hold your luggage and off you go to the parks.
If you really think you'd arrive at 3 or 4 am, I'd see if you can get your room for an extra day, or stop on the way and get some sleep so you arrive around noon or so the next day. Or you could plan to arrive around 8 am and just hang around the pool and sleep until your room is ready. I'd wouldn't want you to drive that far, then not have a place to stay. You could also figure your arrive time based on check-in times. With you going in June, I expect it will be busy and room will not be ready until that time. I've had it happen to us, and it was late Oct. but then we didn't drive so headed to the park.

 

[jel0511]

A 3 or 4AM check-in time would be considered the previous day. WDW Hotels don't even download that days check-ins until around 7AM, so your info wouldn't even be in the system to check-in for that day at that time of the night. If you really want a room at that time, you'll need to have a check-in date of the prior day and call the front desk prior to leaving home, or on the road from a cell, and advise them of your arrival time so they will hold a room for you. The other option is to leave home later so you arrive later on that day, or stay over on the road and get to WDW around noon or so refreshed and ready to go.

 

[susy]

I don't think it is worth it to drive straight through just to arrive around 3am. I would plan on stopping , getting a good nights' sleep and arriving in the afternoon at Disney. check-in is not until 3pm anyway and rarely has our room ever been ready earlier.

 

[Acklander]

Since nothing else is currently available for the night before, you probably won't be able to get in until regular check in time. If it was me, I'd either change the time I left home, or if the leaving time is important to you, just continue to check with reservations and see if anything opens up, or go on priceline.com and see if I could find an inexpensive place to stay on arrival.