Checking in late

[Sunelis]

In exactly 1 week at 8h38 pm my flight will be landing in MCO. I'll be taking the ME. I have a standard room booked at POP. Considering I'll probably be at POP around 10 taking the bus. I'm assuming that I'm getting the farthest, least desirable room checking in that late. I usually check in before noon. Anyone checking in late got good rooms without sending in requests?

 

[kaytieeldr]

People check in even later than you expect to, and generally no resort fills rooms from nearest to furthest.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

In exactly 1 week at 8h38 pm my flight will be landing in MCO. I'll be taking the ME. I have a standard room booked at POP. Considering I'll probably be at POP around 10 taking the bus. I'm assuming that I'm getting the farthest, least desirable room checking in that late. I usually check in before noon. Anyone checking in late got good rooms without sending in requests?

Rooms are assigned several days before arrival, it doesn’t matter what time you’ll be there. Do online check-in and you’ll likely find out your room number before you even leave for the airport.

 

[AngiTN]

We got to the resort last Tuesday night at 10:00 and got the exact room I wanted. Not sure why you'd think the time you arrive makes any difference. Your room is assigned about 5 days before you arrive

 

[AngiTN]

Oh and interesting note, we got our room ready text at the same time as our flight arrival was set in MDE. We always do. The only difference this time was how late we got in. I was surprised to get it so late this time. They are somehow tied together. Never fails that we either get our room number or a notice that our room isn't quite ready yet as soon as I turn on the phone at landing

 

[jaiminee krikit]

Oh and interesting note, we got our room ready text at the same time as our flight arrival was set in MDE. We always do. The only difference this time was how late we got in. I was surprised to get it so late this time. They are somehow tied together. Never fails that we either get our room number or a notice that our room isn't quite ready yet as soon as I turn on the phone at landing

That's weird, we've never had that happen. Our first super late arrival, I put in that we'd be arriving after midnight. We got our room ready text at 9am! That made for a very long day lol! And any time we arrive earlier, our room isn't ready until closer to 3.

 

[AngiTN]

I had that happen back when I could enter arrival times too. There is no chance to put an arrival time in now. It's always picked based on your flight arrival time. If you fly of course. If you don't give them flight info you can enter arrival time

 

[Disneylover99]

We got to the resort last Tuesday night at 10:00 and got the exact room I wanted. Not sure why you'd think the time you arrive makes any difference. [/QUOTE]

Because sometimes it does. You know....Early bird gets the worm. Squeaky wheel gets the oil. People who arrive earlier have more choices and opportunities to request a switch.

 

[Disneylover99]

Your room is assigned about 5 days before you arrive

But your room is not really your room until you get the text. You’ll just never know if you’ve been switched or not, unless of course you get the exact room you requested, as you did.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Because sometimes it does. You know....Early bird gets the worm. Squeaky wheel gets the oil. People who arrive earlier have more choices and opportunities to request a switch.

Room assignment isn't as simple as "oh, hey, room 9472 is empty, let's throw this person in there." Unless the property is 102% full.

 

[Lefty33]

We got to the resort last Tuesday night at 10:00 and got the exact room I wanted. Not sure why you'd think the time you arrive makes any difference. Your room is assigned about 5 days before you arrive

It's not uncommon for that to be the case at hotels in the regular (non-Disney) world. Major chains will allow you to check in online and even choose your own room 24 hours in advance but few people take advantage of that and unless you are booking a very specific type of room that the hotel only has one or two of, if you're arriving at the Hampton Inn (fill in the blank) to check in chances are that your room is being assigned at that moment and preferences like high floor or away from the elevator or away from the dumpsters are likely long gone if you're checking in 11pm versus 4pm.

 

[writerguyfl]

It's not uncommon for that to be the case at hotels in the regular (non-Disney) world. Major chains will allow you to check in online and even choose your own room 24 hours in advance but few people take advantage of that and unless you are booking a very specific type of room that the hotel only has one or two of, if you're arriving at the Hampton Inn (fill in the blank) to check in chances are that your room is being assigned at that moment and preferences like high floor or away from the elevator or away from the dumpsters are likely long gone if you're checking in 11pm versus 4pm.

Personally, I don't think it's that simple. Certainly, if a hotel is running at a low occupancy, there is little reason to assign rooms. But, when hotels are busy, chances are good that rooms will be assigned first thing in the morning (or sometimes the day prior).

There are three reasons why hotels pre-assign rooms.

1. The Front Desk staff at a well-run hotel will look through the arrivals and assign the best rooms to the best customers. In a chain hotel, those best customers will be either guests associated with the largest local corporate clients or top-level members of the hotel chain's frequent guest program.
2. Next, the staff will then look through the room requests made by arriving guests. It's almost always easier to plan ahead. You don't want to needlessly disappoint a guest who makes a reasonable request. As you wrote, many guests don't care about their specific room (as evidenced by the fact that they don't check in online and choose their room). It just makes the work day easier if you plan ahead and pre-assign rooms for those guests that have a preference.
3. Finally, during periods of consecutive high occupancy nights, it's critical to carefully fit the right reservation into the right room. If you don't, you will potentially end up with a room that's only available for 1 night and a guest with a 2+ night reservation. I can't remember who said it (it might have been one of the regular posters here: kaytieeldr or AngiTN), but it's a lot like the video game Tetris.

That said, there will be lots of hotels that don't do any of the above. Hotels that don't care will indeed assign the room only when the guest walks up to the Front Desk. Unless you are a repeat visitor, it's tough to know if you're reserving a room at a well-run hotel or one that just does the minimum and takes your money.

Note: This is all based on my personal experience of working in various hotels, working at the Disney Reservations Center, and following the hospitality industry for decades.

 

[Disneylover99]

Room assignment isn't as simple as "oh, hey, room 9472 is empty, let's throw this person in there." Unless the property is 102% full.

It doesn’t matter if it’s simple or not. I’m just stating that the possibility does exist.

 

[Hi Pluto]

You could always try to put your arrival time as much earlier in the day, like a good reliable 3pm. You'll get your room ready text telling you the room number. You can look it up to see where it is/what its view is/room layout (the disworld is wonderful isn't it?). If it's not to your liking, you could try calling the resort and requesting a change before you even get there.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I can't remember who said it (it might have been one of the regular posters here: kaytieeldr or AngiTN), but it's a lot like the video game Tetris.

Both of us but I'm sure I got it from somewhere. The Unofficial Guide, maybe?

It doesn’t matter if it’s simple or not. I’m just stating that the possibility does exist.

Pretty much anything is possible. Possible is very different from likely. If the hotel is not fine ull, even the 10 PM (or later) arrival can request a more preferable room. Or move the next day.

 

[SaintsManiac]

In exactly 1 week at 8h38 pm my flight will be landing in MCO. I'll be taking the ME. I have a standard room booked at POP. Considering I'll probably be at POP around 10 taking the bus. I'm assuming that I'm getting the farthest, least desirable room checking in that late. I usually check in before noon. Anyone checking in late got good rooms without sending in requests?

You will probably receive your room number via text before you even leave your home airport. That's what happened to me last time I flew in late.

 

[AngiTN]

But your room is not really your room until you get the text. You’ll just never know if you’ve been switched or not, unless of course you get the exact room you requested, as you did.

Well, I guess I should not say exact room because I do not ever request a specific room
I requested a ground floor room in building 4
I got a ground floor room in building 4
That's what I mean by exactly what I requested

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

We’ve arrived at the resort after midnight more than once.

Our rooms have always been what I would call acceptable if not exactly what we requested.

Also, we have never received a “room ready” text (international traveller) or had our room number posted in MDE before arrival. YMMV

 

[AngiTN]

You will probably receive your room number via text before you even leave your home airport. That's what happened to me last time I flew in late.

I'm really curious how they send them now. It's been a couple of years since we flew in late. Well before the change in MDE to where they tie arrival time to flight time if you sign up for ME. Before the change you could enter any arrival time you wanted, no matter what time you landed. And we would indeed get our text about then. I got it sitting at my desk at work before. Now, if you've signed up for ME it just says Arrival via magical Express and no place to select a time. Now we always get some sort of text as soon as we land. This trip we didn't take off till 8:00 pm and I hadn't gotten my text yet. I'm pretty sure the room wasn't still being cleaned but who knows. Got my text when we landed at 9:30

 

[bumbershoot]

You will probably receive your room number via text before you even leave your home airport. That's what happened to me last time I flew in late.

Whereas I have NEVER gotten a room ready text or email or anything based on online checkin. Ever.

And there are others who don’t get them for all their reservations.

So I don’t think there’s a “probably” involved.