Checking in late...

[BraveLittleToaster2]

We won't be checking into our hotel this time until 7:30pm or so. Will this make our room less desirable? We paid for a lake view at BLT.

The only other time we checked in later in the evening (at wilderness Lodge boulder ridge villas) we were stuck with a handicapped accessible room which drove us nuts, but they had no other rooms available. We had a toddler and with all the lower light switches that he could reach it wasn't preferred.

Does checking in late guarantee a worse room?

 

[writerguyfl]

First, 7:30pm isn't late. As someone who used to work in hotels, I'd say late is midnight or later.

Second, in most cases, Disney assigns guest rooms several days in advance. Whether you arrive at 7:30am or 7:30pm, you're still going to get the same room. I wouldn't equate your late arrival as the reason why you were assigned an accessible room on that previous stay.

Keep in mind that because Disney does pre-assign guest rooms, that makes it harder to check a different one if you dislike the one you get. At that point, you're at the mercy of whatever vacant rooms are still vacant.

 

[shocker]

If you check in on-line, you'll receive a room assignment by 3pm at the latest.

 

[kiford]

We didn't check into WL in Feb until 2:30 am and CR in May until 1:30 am. Both times great locations and exactly what we'd requested.

 

[maxiesmom]

If you check in on-line, you'll receive a room assignment by 3pm at the latest.

Not true. I checked in on line earlier this month for CSR and didn't get my room until 5:30 pm.

And OP, yeah, I have had the experiences of getting less desirable room locations when I check in later at night.

 

[shocker]

Not true. I checked in on line earlier this month for CSR and didn't get my room until 5:30

Actually, check-in is 3pm. So, if you've checked in & not gotten a room...there's another problem. I have stopped in at concierge at 3pm to get my assignment when they hadn't sent it to me already, I never would have just stood around for 2.5 more hours til they got good & ready to give me a room.

 

[maxiesmom]

Actually, check-in is 3pm. So, if you've checked in & not gotten a room...there's another problem. I have stopped in at concierge at 3pm to get my assignment when they hadn't sent it to me already, I never would have just stood around for 2.5 more hours til they got good & ready to give me a room.

Check in starts at 3, 4 for dvc. Not everyone gets their room right at 3 or 4.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Actually, check-in is 3pm. So, if you've checked in & not gotten a room...there's another problem.

Well, no. Check in starts at 3 PM. If check in were actually AT 3 PM, all guests would be required to be at the front desk in and completing the process of checking in at exactly that moment.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Actually, check-in is 3pm. So, if you've checked in & not gotten a room...there's another problem. I have stopped in at concierge at 3pm to get my assignment when they hadn't sent it to me already, I never would have just stood around for 2.5 more hours til they got good & ready to give me a room.

For DVC resorts, check in is after 4PM. Your villa might not be available until after that. You might have been assigned a villa three days before, but someone else may have checked before you got there, hated their room or found a maintenance issue in the room and wound up getting the room you were assigned. So you get the one they were assigned. So the later you check in, the odds of getting a less desirable room increases.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Actually, check-in is 3pm. So, if you've checked in & not gotten a room...there's another problem. I have stopped in at concierge at 3pm to get my assignment when they hadn't sent it to me already, I never would have just stood around for 2.5 more hours til they got good & ready to give me a room.

I'd think the last thing anyone would do at Disney if their room wasn't ready is stand around at wait for it. There shouldn't be a need to go to Lobby Concierge for assistance. Just tell the Front Desk CM you want a room that's ready right then.

 

[Babsy]

We won't be checking into our hotel this time until 7:30pm or so. Will this make our room less desirable? We paid for a lake view at BLT.

The only other time we checked in later in the evening (at wilderness Lodge boulder ridge villas) we were stuck with a handicapped accessible room which drove us nuts, but they had no other rooms available. We had a toddler and with all the lower light switches that he could reach it wasn't preferred.

Does checking in late guarantee a worse room?

Yes, your odds of a less desirable room does increase slightly with a late arrival. Rooms are assigned in advance so you are likely fine, but another person can get their room changed to yours if they don't like the room assigned to them. However, even if you arrive late, your room is likely to be just fine and.....ready. Yay, ready!
However, if you are really unhappy with the assignment, just speak to the CM at the desk. If another room is still available you may get moved there. If nothing is available right away, they will likely move you the next day, if you wish. Just don't unpack the first night.

We arrive midnight and later all the time. Our rooms are usually fine. On the rare time we have had a less than stellar room, we just move the next day. When you arrive late, the bed is all you really need til morning.
We don't worry about it - not much you can do until you arrive anyway.

Good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

If you check in on-line, you'll receive a room assignment by 3pm at the latest.

Ah, if only that happened for everyone.


OP it might be just fine. It might not be. We got to POR after 1am once and our lovely perfect RR was sitting there waiting for us. On our FIRST trip we went to Jambo and checked in after dark (it was almost winter, so that could hae been 5:30 LOL), went to dinner at Kidani, came back, and it was a room that didn't work for us. Had to wait until the next day to move b/c there was nothing else. That was the ONE time I didn't do whatever version of online checkin that they've had over the years.