Checking in when the lead on the reservation hasn't arrived yet

[Miffy]

On our upcoming trip, I'm going to be at AKL before my sister, who's the lead on the reservation, gets there. Can I check in at the front desk? Or will my checking in cause the reservation to be paid in my name? Or, say I do check in, they put the charge on my credit card, and then when my sister gets there, they take it off my card and put it on hers? Or is that not possible?

I don't even know if online check-in would "solve" this, but my sister and I both prefer to check in in person for several reasons.

If anyone could help, I'd appreciate it. Thank you!

 

[Deb & Bill]

As long as your name is on the reservation, you can check in. Your sister probably already has a card on file for charging if she made the reservation. But you can ask at the front desk to assign your card to your magic band for charging. Just make sure they don't change the card to your for everyone on the reservation.

 

[Miffy]

As long as your name is on the reservation, you can check in. Your sister probably already has a card on file for charging if she made the reservation. But you can ask at the front desk to assign your card to your magic band for charging. Just make sure they don't change the card to your for everyone on the reservation.

Well--putting my card on my MB didn't work the only time I did it. It worked for a day and then after that, everything I charged to my MB went to my sister's credit card! I didn't realize it until I got home and saw my credit card bill, which seemed really really low to me. Fortunately it was my sister, so I could easily remedy the situation.

I think that every time we check in they ask my sister for her card again. So I don't know if it's on file or not. But anyway, maybe I'll give it a try, see what I can do. At the very least, I could lobby (ha ha, since I'll be in the lobby!) for a particular room location. And thanks so much for replying, @Deb & Bill!

 

[Sandisw]

Last October, they switched the CC on me and put my card on my DD 23 and her debit on mine. Luckily, we caught it on day 2 when I went to put cash down and they said I didn’t have any charges, but my DD did.

They got it switched, but I realized that from now on, if we do the double cards, to check after the first day to see it’s correct!

But yes, you will have no problem checking in on your own!

 

[Miffy]

Last October, they switched the CC on me and put my card on my DD 23 and her debit on mine. Luckily, we caught it on day 2 when I went to put cash down and they said I didn’t have any charges, but my DD did.

They got it switched, but I realized that from now on, if we do the double cards, to check after the first day to see it’s correct!

But yes, you will have no problem checking in on your own!

My sister doesn't think her credit card (actually a debit card) is on file at WDW. So now I dunno.

 

[Sandisw]

My sister doesn't think her credit card (actually a debit card) is on file at WDW. So now I dunno.

Then if it is not, they will ask you if you want to put one down. You can just decline and when your sister gets there, she can decide for her own band!

 

[Miffy]

Then if it is not, they will ask you if you want to put one down. You can just decline and when your sister gets there, she can decide for her own band!

Wait--I'm concerned about paying for the room itself. It's a room-only rez, so it has to be paid for at check-in. You mean they'll let me check in and, say, if the room is ready, I can go there even before it's paid for? Or is there a way to pay for it in advance so that's not an issue?

 

[Sandisw]

Wait--I'm concerned about paying for the room itself. It's a room-only rez, so it has to be paid for at check-in. You mean they'll let me check in and, say, if the room is ready, I can go there even before it's paid for? Or is there a way to pay for it in advance so that's not an issue?

I would have her do online check in and put her card on file If she is the one who will pay for the room. I was assuming it was paid already.

This way, they should charge her card as the main one on file. She could also contact Disney ahead of time to prepay. The last option is to have her send you with Disney Gift Cards that are in the amount of the room to cover the cost in case there was an issue.

 

[Miffy]

I would have her do online check in and put her card on file If she is the one who will pay for the room. I was assuming it was paid already.

This way, they should charge her card as the main one on file. She could also contact Disney ahead of time to prepay. The last option is to have her send you with Disney Gift Cards that are in the amount of the room to cover the cost in case there was an issue.

@Sandisw--Thanks so much. I thought that would have to work that way. I'll talk to her about it and see what, if anything, she wants to do. Appreciate your help and Deb's too!

 

[CarolynFH]

@Sandisw--Thanks so much. I thought that would have to work that way. I'll talk to her about it and see what, if anything, she wants to do. Appreciate your help and Deb's too!

Your sister had to pay a deposit via CC when she booked the room. The remainder of the cost for the room-only reservation will be charged to that CC the morning of check-in. It doesn’t matter whether she checks in online or not. That is a separate process from linking a CC to your MB to be able to charge purchases to your MB. So if you check in first and link your CC to your MB account, you will not be charged for the room itself.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Your sister had to pay a deposit via CC when she booked the room. The remainder of the cost for the room-only reservation will be charged to that CC the morning of check-in. It doesn’t matter whether she checks in online or not. That is a separate process from linking a CC to your MB to be able to charge purchases to your MB. So if you check in first and link your CC to your MB account, you will not be charged for the room itself.

FWIW, this doesn’t match my experiences. If I do online check-in, yes, I get charged the balance that morning usually when the computer system rolls over for the day or sometime around then. If I haven’t done online check-in, I have to pay the balance at arrival. I can use a different credit card via any check-in method, the card I used for the deposit isn’t automatically charged if I do nothing at all.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

@Miffy - Just wanted to note that doing online check-in does not preclude a guest from also checking-in in-person when you arrive. I usually do both.

I prefer to get the payment/credit card on file situated via online check-in - it makes actual check-in a bit quicker. But I also like the personal interaction with someone upon arrival, getting a resort map and any other paperwork, maybe a check of MBs (I routinely have MB issues these days), etc, so I’ll also check-in upon arrival.

Not sure if helpful in your particular circumstances, just thought I’d mention it.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I don't think that they will give you the room number unless the room is paid for. You could use your credit card to pay at check in and then have the charge moved to your sister's credit card later. But it really would be a lot easier to do online check in. They assign the rooms days ahead of time, anyway.

 

[Disneylvr1971]

DD lives in FL so we do online check in with our card on file and when the room text comes we just forward it to her and she heads right to the room to wait for us as she is there 1st.

 

[Kathy1628]

My name is always the lead on the reservation. I fly in from the west coast and my sister is on the east coast. She has always been able to check in before me and we've never had a problem.

 

[DLgal]

You can check in. This almost happened to my friend and I last may. I was the lead. Due to major flight delays, there was a chance she would arrive first. I called the hotel and they said she would be able to check in even though our reservation was a military rate. They told me I just needed to stop by the front desk when I arrived to show my military ID and "complete check in." They would have simply activated her magic band and given her the room number. All the credit card stuff would have been held off until I arrived and took care of it. As it turned out, she was delayed too and I arrived an hour before she did.

 

[CarolynFH]

FWIW, this doesn’t match my experiences. If I do online check-in, yes, I get charged the balance that morning usually when the computer system rolls over for the day or sometime around then. If I haven’t done online check-in, I have to pay the balance at arrival. I can use a different credit card via any check-in method, the card I used for the deposit isn’t automatically charged if I do nothing at all.

Thanks for the correction. We always check in online, so I didn’t have any experience with the alternative.

 

[Miffy]

My name is always the lead on the reservation. I fly in from the west coast and my sister is on the east coast. She has always been able to check in before me and we've never had a problem.

Do you do online check-in? I'm just trying to wrap my head around what procedures will be necessary. I will definitely be there before my sister since I'm flying in the day before and staying at a different resort that night.

As for online check-in, my one and only experience with it was so lousy that I vowed I'd never do it again. In short: We never got room text so checked in at front desk. Fine. Got room. Went to lunch. While at lunch got a text saying our room was ready--at a totally different resort! So we had to go back to the front desk, wait in line, and talk to someone just to make sure we weren't being charged for this nonexistent reservation at the other resort.

But perhaps if my sister does the online check-in and that would solve the problem of my arriving earlier, this could work for this trip.

Can you tell how reluctant I am to do this? I am!

 

[lanejudy]

Or is there a way to pay for it in advance so that's not an issue?

Yes, she can call at any time and make a payment towards a room-only reservation. We always pay ours off before arrival. It just can't be done online.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[Miffy]

Yes, she can call at any time and make a payment towards a room-only reservation. We always pay ours off before arrival. It just can't be done online.

Enjoy your vacation!

Thanks, @lanejudy!