Checkout Question

[BlissfulMama09]

We are staying in a 2 bedroom villa next month and taking my in-laws with us. Here's my question, our flight leaves at 10am, theirs at 5pm. Since DH and I are the members that the reservation is booked under will my in-laws need to check out of the room with us early in the morning, or will they be able to check out at regular check out time instead? How would this even work since they are guests on our reservation?

Just trying to prepare everyone. If they need to wake up early and leave the room with us when we get on the ME to the airport I might make a breakfast reservation for them so that they have something to do while waiting for their flight.

This is our first trip on points so I don't know if checkout differs from cash stays.
TIA!

 

[Brian Noble]

You have the room until regular DVC checkout time. So, even though you will be leaving to catch your flight earlier, they can stay until 11AM.

 

[BlissfulMama09]

But can we checkout and settle room charges etc while they are still staying in the room for a few hours?

 

[erionm]

If you give a CC# for room charges, there's no need to go to the front desk to checkout. If you do go to the front desk, just let them know that some of your group is leaving separately and give them their estimated departure time.

 

[Lynne M]

There's no need to formally check out of the room at a Disney resort. Early on the morning of your check out day, a statement listing all the charges against your room will be placed in an envelope and hung on your doorknob. If you don't see any problem with the charges, there's no reason to go to the desk. Your credit card is automatically charged. You just leave whenever you're ready to go. You have the room up until the official check out time.

I think it's been about 20 years since I've gone to the front desk and checked out of a Disney resort.

 

[BlissfulMama09]

We've always done it that way too, but last July the night before checkout I saw we had the room charges pending on our bank account - normal right? Then a few days later they were gone. Then we get an invoice in the mail from Disney with the amount due. It turns out they had hit our account with the charges twice and although there was enough to cover the room charges, when it hit the second time it came back as non-sufficient funds so they canceled both transactions.
Dh was on R&R from Afghanistan at the time and I had made sure there was enough money in the bank and all bills were paid so that we didn't have to look/worry about bills or anything like that during those 2 weeks, so I never even noticed the room charges hadn't come out.
Anyway, I ended up calling the bank who could see what happened but it was a shocker to get an invoice in the mail for room charges when I had assumed they had already been paid. So from now on I just want to go down to front desk to settle it all just for peace of mind.

 

[drusba]

As to the question, can you go in the morning and finish up everything on billing (even if you are not using credit card), the answer is yes, but just don't actually tell them you are checking out when doing it. Once that is done, everybody can leave afterwards at any time by 11 without visiting the front desk.

 

[DVCBrian]

There's no need to formally check out of the room at a Disney resort. Early on the morning of your check out day, a statement listing all the charges against your room will be placed in an envelope and hung on your doorknob. If you don't see any problem with the charges, there's no reason to go to the desk. Your credit card is automatically charged. You just leave whenever you're ready to go. You have the room up until the official check out time.

I think it's been about 20 years since I've gone to the front desk and checked out of a Disney resort.

In October 2012 at BLT, we got our "day of departure" statement via email, and nothing appeared on our door. I don't remember if they asked which way I wanted it when we checked in, but it sure was nice to get it via email on my smartphone.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

In October 2012 at BLT, we got our "day of departure" statement via email, and nothing appeared on our door. I don't remember if they asked which way I wanted it when we checked in, but it sure was nice to get it via email on my smartphone.

Same here. I haven't had a statement on the door in the past few trips, because it's been emailed to me.

To the OP, if your in-laws aren't familiar with DVC, you might want to reinforce with them that the 11:00 checkout time is strictly enforced. At some resorts, the housekeeping staff will start knocking on the doors even earlier than 11:00. Since their flight is so long after check-out time, you should also explain to them that they can leave their luggage with bell services if they want to go out that morning to a pool, meal, or park. (If they're using Magical Express and are flying on an airline that uses the Resort Airline Check-in (RAC), they can actually check their big bags early, and then just leave their carry-on luggage with bell services to hold.) There are also showers and changing areas in or near the fitness center at every DVC resort. So if their DME bus isn't until 2:00, they can spend a half-day somewhere, then come back and shower and change for the flight if they want to. Guests are entitled to use the facilities of the resort until Midnight on their check-out day, even if they've already checked out and vacated the villa. One other tip, if they're going to hang out at the pool, pack some quarters. There are coin-operated lockers at all the pools where you can secure wallets, purses, cameras, and other stuff you didn't leave with Bell Services.

 

[Lynne M]

In October 2012 at BLT, we got our "day of departure" statement via email, and nothing appeared on our door. I don't remember if they asked which way I wanted it when we checked in, but it sure was nice to get it via email on my smartphone.

Oh, duh, now I remember that I got the statement by e-mail on my last trip. Thanks for catching that!

 

[BlissfulMama09]

Same here. I haven't had a statement on the door in the past few trips, because it's been emailed to me.

To the OP, if your in-laws aren't familiar with DVC, you might want to reinforce with them that the 11:00 checkout time is strictly enforced. At some resorts, the housekeeping staff will start knocking on the doors even earlier than 11:00. Since their flight is so long after check-out time, you should also explain to them that they can leave their luggage with bell services if they want to go out that morning to a pool, meal, or park. (If they're using Magical Express and are flying on an airline that uses the Resort Airline Check-in (RAC), they can actually check their big bags early, and then just leave their carry-on luggage with bell services to hold.) There are also showers and changing areas in or near the fitness center at every DVC resort. So if their DME bus isn't until 2:00, they can spend a half-day somewhere, then come back and shower and change for the flight if they want to. Guests are entitled to use the facilities of the resort until Midnight on their check-out day, even if they've already checked out and vacated the villa. One other tip, if they're going to hang out at the pool, pack some quarters. There are coin-operated lockers at all the pools where you can secure wallets, purses, cameras, and other stuff you didn't leave with Bell Services.

Thanks, I will definitely remind them of that. I think I will schedule them lunch at Captain's Grille and they can just hang out. Unfortunately they will NOT be taking DME... they booked themselves a "great" deal and are flying into Sanford not knowing Orlando has more than one airport...sigh... Since we're not renting a car they're using different means of transportation. We do love the RAC though, so convenient!
Thanks everyone for the helpful comments

 

[BCV23]

Noticed the photo in your signature is of the YC. If you will be staying at BCV, the health club is currently closed so no showers, etc.. Lunch at Captain's Grille is a great idea. Or a late breakfast there since they need to be out of the villa by 11. Have fun.

 

[Sammie]

They do not hang the bills anymore, they send you an email with an attachment with your copy of your statement.

If you use room charge and want a zero balance, settle it the night before. If you wait and settle it when you check out, it will already be on your card and they will have to credit it back.

I always settle mine up the night before, any time before midnight will work. That way I have a zero balance at the check out. Lunch at Captain's Grille is a great idea and a very good lunch.

 

[BrerNashville]

Also -- You can still charge things to your room for the full day of your departure. I assume you can cut that off, but you would need to request it specifically from the front desk.

 

[Brian Noble]

They do not hang the bills anymore

Surprisingly, I got one on my doorknob just two weeks ago at BCV.

 

[Sammie]

Surprisingly, I got one on my doorknob just two weeks ago at BCV.

Did you stay there on points? or not have an email on file. I have not seen or received any in a very long time but I guess if you do have an email on file they might have to leave you one.

 

[dis-happy]

Surprisingly, I got one on my doorknob just two weeks ago at BCV.

Got one today at OKW.

 

[bumbershoot]

But can we checkout and settle room charges etc while they are still staying in the room for a few hours?

I would do the settling *at least* the night before. I went to give the CMs at Jambo a giftcard to charge to at sick-and-wrong early in the morning, and they had already charged it. They told me they do it the night before. So working it out that morning is really too late, in a way.

We've always done it that way too, but last July the night before checkout I saw we had the room charges pending on our bank account - normal right? Then a few days later they were gone. Then we get an invoice in the mail from Disney with the amount due. It turns out they had hit our account with the charges twice and although there was enough to cover the room charges, when it hit the second time it came back as non-sufficient funds so they canceled both transactions.
Dh was on R&R from Afghanistan at the time and I had made sure there was enough money in the bank and all bills were paid so that we didn't have to look/worry about bills or anything like that during those 2 weeks, so I never even noticed the room charges hadn't come out.
Anyway, I ended up calling the bank who could see what happened but it was a shocker to get an invoice in the mail for room charges when I had assumed they had already been paid. So from now on I just want to go down to front desk to settle it all just for peace of mind.

If I were in your shoes, well, first, I wouldn't charge back to the room. I don't really like doing it to begin with, but it's so easy so I do it anyway, with some things. But with your experience in mind, that would stop.

If you do want to charge to the room, I would (if in your shoes) stop doing that a couple days before the end of your trip. Then I would go to the front desk with your your in laws and settle it all up late in the afternoon the day before checkout. That way it's all on the account and it's all DONE. Nothing more coming through at all and nothing to worry about the next day.

That's what I would do, if I were in your shoes with that experience.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We've always done it that way too, but last July the night before checkout I saw we had the room charges pending on our bank account - normal right? Then a few days later they were gone. Then we get an invoice in the mail from Disney with the amount due. It turns out they had hit our account with the charges twice and although there was enough to cover the room charges, when it hit the second time it came back as non-sufficient funds so they canceled both transactions.
Dh was on R&R from Afghanistan at the time and I had made sure there was enough money in the bank and all bills were paid so that we didn't have to look/worry about bills or anything like that during those 2 weeks, so I never even noticed the room charges hadn't come out.
Anyway, I ended up calling the bank who could see what happened but it was a shocker to get an invoice in the mail for room charges when I had assumed they had already been paid. So from now on I just want to go down to front desk to settle it all just for peace of mind.

Are you using a debit/credit card? I've heard that it will do an authorization and then the actual charge so that for a short time it appears there are two charges. After 24 hours or so the authorization disappears. But I don't think that going to the desk is going to change how the system posts - and I don't know why it seems to do that either but this isn't the first time I've heard of it.

 

[Brian Noble]

Did you stay there on points? or not have an email on file.

It was an RCI exchange, so it was a Points-based stay, but not as a Member. I may not have had an email associated with the stay; if the online check-in process asked for one, I would have supplied it, but I can't remember if they asked.