Checking in on-line

[Lizziejane]

I didn't realize you could check in on-line 60 days prior to arrival. This may be a stupid question - but what is the advantage of checking in so far in advance? Is you credit card charged when you check in?

 

[bleeps]

We check in online in advance every time.

When we use online check in, we have already paid in full so I can't answer your question about paying your final package charges. Otherwise, there's no additional charge for using online check in, etc.

The advantages are that you are then in their system, and they have your room preference requests. Then, when you arrive at your resort, your entire package is ready to go -- your KTTW cards, everything -- they have everything ready to hand to you (you just need to show a credit card and drivers license). They have separate lines for people who checked in online, and if there is any line at all it moves very quickly. I would estimate it saves a minimum of 20 minutes when it is your turn with the CM (using standard check in). Also, those standard check in lines move a LOT slower, since it takes so long to manually check each guest in.

We've gotten exactly what we've requested (when you do the online process, they ask you to put in order a set of room preference requests).

Online check in is generally not recommended for people who have very complicated room requirements, nor for people who may not like the room they are assigned by the system in advance of arrival (although again, our family has never had an issue with this).

When we checked in at the BC in June, a CM standing outside the front doors anticipated our arrival (our town car driver had to give our names at the security gate), greeted us by name, checked us in on her iPad, and walked us to the desk where we were handed our package and room keys. Took about 3 minutes.

 

[Lizziejane]

We check in online in advance every time.

When we use online check in, we have already paid in full so I can't answer your question about paying your final package charges. Otherwise, there's no additional charge for using online check in, etc.

The advantages are that you are then in their system, and they have your room preference requests. Then, when you arrive at your resort, your entire package is ready to go -- your KTTW cards, everything -- they have everything ready to hand to you (you just need to show a credit card and drivers license). They have separate lines for people who checked in online, and if there is any line at all it moves very quickly. I would estimate it saves a minimum of 20 minutes when it is your turn with the CM (using standard check in). Also, those standard check in lines move a LOT slower, since it takes so long to manually check each guest in.

We've gotten exactly what we've requested (when you do the online process, they ask you to put in order a set of room preference requests).

Online check in is generally not recommended for people who have very complicated room requirements, nor for people who may not like the room they are assigned by the system in advance of arrival (although again, our family has never had an issue with this).

When we checked in at the BC in June, a CM standing outside the front doors anticipated our arrival (our town car driver had to give our names at the security gate), greeted us by name, checked us in on her iPad, and walked us to the desk where we were handed our package and room keys. Took about 3 minutes.

The last time we were there, I believe I checked-in on-line the a week before. Everything was ready when we got there, and we got all our requests. i guess I'm just a little puzzled as to why they're now allowing 60 days in advance. Seems to me that's a LOT of time in advance. Just wondering what the advantage was to doing it so early.

 

[Paigesmom2013]

I just checked us in for ASMu this week for our early September trip. I was on the Disney site and saw that we could check in, so I did. This is our first visit so I didn't know any better!
But that could be a good sign if the pp got all her preferences with online check in. What I don't get is paying extra for a "preferred" room when you can just request it online and (most likely) get it?

 

[shyjade]

I just checked us in for ASMu this week for our early September trip. I was on the Disney site and saw that we could check in, so I did. This is our first visit so I didn't know any better!
But that could be a good sign if the pp got all her preferences with online check in. What I don't get is paying extra for a "preferred" room when you can just request it online and (most likely) get it?

You won't get a preferred room if you paid for a standard room, unless you get a magical upgrade.

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Resorts board.

 

[fla4fun]

They used to limit online check in to 10 days prior, but changed it to 60 days as part of the roll out of the FP+ program. Once the program is up and running, you will be able to make your FP+ selections once you have done online check in at the 60 day point. But there's no real advantage to doing it so far in advance at this time.

So for now, I still wait until about three weeks out (once I'm sure I won't be getting a jury duty summons or anything that might cancel the trip) and then I do online check in. The whole purpose of doing it is to save the time the CM would take to enter your information in the computer system. I also like the fact that I am the one who enters my cc information - they haven't even asked to see the card (maybe because I've used the same one for so many visits, lol). The fewer people who handle my cc the better.

I agree that if you have a room request that will make or break your vacation, you should not do online check in. Just go to the front desk and check in so you can go over the available inventory with the CM and pick the room that best meets your needs. While you can change your room once it's been assigned through online check in, it definitely negates any time savings you gained by pre-registering.

 

[Lizziejane]

They used to limit online check in to 10 days prior, but changed it to 60 days as part of the roll out of the FP+ program. Once the program is up and running, you will be able to make your FP+ selections once you have done online check in at the 60 day point. But there's no real advantage to doing it so far in advance at this time.

ahhh....now that makes sense! Thank you.

 

[tigerfan2012]

"who may not like the room they are assigned by the system in advance of arrival (although again, our family has never had an issue with this)."

So if you check in 60 days out you will know your room assignment at that time?

 

[TxRabbit]

When we used online check in for our room only reservation, our credit card was charged for the balance due on the reservation. I've read of others having the same experience with a room only reservation, payment is charged as part of the online check in process.

 

[OklahomaTourist]

I will respectfully disagree with the PP who offered that there was "no benefit" to early check-in.

While I cannot state it with authority, I personally believe on-line check-in inevitably gets you "racked and stacked" in some order for any preferences you may request on check-in. For us, we just finished a stay at Saratoga Springs, and I checked in 60 days out and requested a villa as close to the Carriage House as possible, with a secondary preference of a ground-floor room. We arrived thirty minutes after my specified arrival time, and both of my requests were honored; we were on the first floor of the Springs, barely 30 seconds from the bus stop and maybe 60 from the pool and the restaurant (Artist's Palette).

I personally do not believe both of these requests, combined with early arrival, would have been honored had we not checked in early.

As far as credit card charging goes, my final payment was not due until 45 days before arrival, so no credit card charging occurred when I did online check-in.
Beyond that, I can see no negatives to checking in online, so I would encourage you to do it.

 

[maxiesmom]

I will respectfully disagree with the PP who offered that there was "no benefit" to early check-in.

While I cannot state it with authority, I personally believe on-line check-in inevitably gets you "racked and stacked" in some order for any preferences you may request on check-in. For us, we just finished a stay at Saratoga Springs, and I checked in 60 days out and requested a villa as close to the Carriage House as possible, with a secondary preference of a ground-floor room. We arrived thirty minutes after my specified arrival time, and both of my requests were honored; we were on the first floor of the Springs, barely 30 seconds from the bus stop and maybe 60 from the pool and the restaurant (Artist's Palette).

I personally do not believe both of these requests, combined with early arrival, would have been honored had we not checked in early.

I've had such horrible room locations when I've done on line check in that I won't do it anymore! Forget getting any requests met! Heck I've even been downgraded when using on line check in!

Disney will pre-assign you a room. However, if someone shows up before you and wants the room type you have, the CMs can still take it away from you and give it to the person in front of them. Your room is not your room until you are standing in it.

On line check in holds no value for me at all.

 

[DznyCrzy11]

I've had such horrible room locations when I've done on line check in that I won't do it anymore! Forget getting any requests met! Heck I've even been downgraded when using on line check in!

Disney will pre-assign you a room. However, if someone shows up before you and wants the room type you have, the CMs can still take it away from you and give it to the person in front of them. Your room is not your room until you are standing in it.

On line check in holds no value for me at all.

Wow, that's odd!!!! I've never heard of Disney downgrading a guest, and I've always heard that they will not downgrade, just upgrade. If you are downgraded I believe they would have to see if you are ok with it first and if so they would have to refund you the difference. I know twice my cousin and her family have booked standard view at AKL and when they got there the rooms were all taken so they were upgraded to savannah view.

We've done online check in twice and love it!!! Both times all our requests have been met. Once we arrived, we just gave them our reservation # and they had our packet all ready. I didn't realize they are allowing 60 days in advance now!! I'm going to check that out and see if I can check in since we're under 60 days!! Yay!!!

 

[Lindajh22]

Last time we checked in online and arrived at BLT, they didn't have our reservations at the Contemporary where the Magical Express dropped us. That was about a year ago. Does anyone know the current procedure? We are returning to BLtT in September.

 

[DznyCrzy11]

Last time we checked in online and arrived at BLT, they didn't have our reservations at the Contemporary where the Magical Express dropped us. That was about a year ago. Does anyone know the current procedure? We are returning to BLtT in September.

Wouldn't you check into BLT and not CR?

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

"who may not like the room they are assigned by the system in advance of arrival (although again, our family has never had an issue with this)."

So if you check in 60 days out you will know your room assignment at that time?

We knew you could do online check in at 60 days out, but we finally just got around to doing it Monday - we arrive in 15 days. We've always done online check-in (except for our 1st onsite stay when we were newbies and didn't know all the ins and outs.) It makes the check-in process so much smoother and quicker.

I've had such horrible room locations when I've done on line check in that I won't do it anymore! Forget getting any requests met! Heck I've even been downgraded when using on line check in!

Disney will pre-assign you a room. However, if someone shows up before you and wants the room type you have, the CMs can still take it away from you and give it to the person in front of them. Your room is not your room until you are standing in it.

On line check in holds no value for me at all.

Not everyone's experience. We've used online check-in nearly every trip and we've always had our requests met. I know it's still possible to NOT have them met, but that's been our experience.

 

[Lindajh22]

Wouldn't you check into BLT and not CR?

The bus drops you at the Contemprary and you are told to check in there. We are not dvc members

 

[DznyCrzy11]

The bus drops you at the Contemprary and you are told to check in there. We are not dvc members

Oh, ok. I would still think they would want you to check in at BLT. I would call the resort and explain the issue you had last time and see what they as far as checking in.

 

[maxiesmom]

Not everyone's experience. We've used online check-in nearly every trip and we've always had our requests met. I know it's still possible to NOT have them met, but that's been our experience.

Good grief, I would hope everyone didn't share in my horrible on line check in experiences. However it just goes to show that OLCI isn't perfect, and they don't meet everyone's requests all of the time. It is a mixed bag of good and bad, just like pretty much everything else.

My bad experiences are no less valid than your good ones. The fact is you can't know ahead of time if you will get your requests met or not. It has a lot to do with luck.

 

[Missytara]

"who may not like the room they are assigned by the system in advance of arrival (although again, our family has never had an issue with this)."

So if you check in 60 days out you will know your room assignment at that time?

Your room assignment is not known until the room is physically ready for occupancy.

This is not like a cruise where everyone is boarding and disembarking at the same time. No one is ever arriving or departing at the same time.

In addition, rooms could be taken out of inventory for a myriad of reasons. How is it possible anyone could tell you 6 months from now that room no. 6682 is even going to be available?