direct to room check in??

[IronFozzie]

Perhaps these questions/concerns have been answered and if so I apologize for not finding the information myself. We will be going in October and are staying at OKW. I will be having our magic bands sent to our house and will sign up for online/direct to room check in. We will most likely get there early in the morning on Monday and would like to head straight to the park of our choice. My questions/concerns are this: Will we need to go by the resort first even if our room is not ready for any reason? Also, if we go straight to the park will they be able to tell we are staying on property without a parking pass or will that all be on the magic bands already? Trying to avoid having to pay for parking. TIA

If you have a package reservation including park tickets you will want to make sure your reservation has been completely checked in. Just because you have done online check in doesn't mean everything is checked in. Tickets aren't active until your package has checked in, or you stop by a guest relations window to perform an early ticket pick up. Shouldn't be a problem in all honesty though. Second for your question about parking, I would suggest stopping by for a parking pass, however you may not need it. I've heard they are starting to use MagicBand readers at the toll plazas. If they charge you though save your receipt and take it to your front desk later, they will reimburse you for your parking.

 

[Jersey Brian]

Direct to room checkin is the best for the veteran Disney traveler.....

 

[beesly]

We just returned from our first visit and experience with direct to room, online checkin. It was very convenient not to have to follow the rest of our MDE companions to the front desk upon arrival at Pop. Only one of our room requests was honored, and we were nearby the other family members in our travel party but did not get an adjoining room - but we knew up front that these things wouldn't be guaranteed, so we weren't completely surprised or overly disappointed. There was a small folder in our room with hotel info, but with this being our first visit, I don't know if it's what you usually get at the front desk check-in - it looked more like standard hotel room literature about amenities, TV, transportation, etc. We found our way around easily during our trip without stopping back at the desk.

 

[Disney Forever]

I am a little confused. I will be in Walt Disney World on May 3 at the Art of Animation.

I did online check in a few weeks ago, my tickets are the Florida Resident Discover Disney Passes and are linked to my MDE account. I am getting My magicBands this week.

I know that I need to go to guest services at a park to show proof of Florida Residency before I can use my tickets. will the online check in I did a few weeks ago allow me to go straight to my room or do I need to go to the Front Desk first.

Also, I have ordered groceries from GardenGrocer.com, if my room isnt ready, will they hold my stuff until it is and then bring it to my room?

TIA

Nathan

 

[IronFozzie]

I am a little confused. I will be in Walt Disney World on May 3 at the Art of Animation.

I did online check in a few weeks ago, my tickets are the Florida Resident Discover Disney Passes and are linked to my MDE account. I am getting My magicBands this week.

I know that I need to go to guest services at a park to show proof of Florida Residency before I can use my tickets. will the online check in I did a few weeks ago allow me to go straight to my room or do I need to go to the Front Desk first.

Also, I have ordered groceries from GardenGrocer.com, if my room isnt ready, will they hold my stuff until it is and then bring it to my room?

TIA

Nathan

To pick up your passes you will still have to go to Guest Relations at one of the parks or DTD. For the direct to room to work you will have to have a communication method on file and have your reservation paid in full. If you receive a message with your room number you can go directly to your room. If you don't receive a message just stop by the front desk and they'll get you all set up. Your groceries will be held by bell services until you either come pick them up or call from your room to have them delivered. Bell services can not deliver them to your room without you being present.

 

[Disney Forever]

To pick up your passes you will still have to go to Guest Relations at one of the parks or DTD. For the direct to room to work you will have to have a communication method on file and have your reservation paid in full. If you receive a message with your room number you can go directly to your room. If you don't receive a message just stop by the front desk and they'll get you all set up. Your groceries will be held by bell services until you either come pick them up or call from your room to have them delivered. Bell services can not deliver them to your room without you being present.

but we wont be picking up passes, they are already linked to the MagicBands and MDE, they just need to be activated, correct?

also, just so I understand if I don't receive my room number, I need to go to the front desk and check in?


I've been to the World many times, but this system is new to me

 

[Smiling72]

I don't like the idea at all. I may be old fashioned, but I want and enjoy the interaction with cast members while checking in. A text with room number seems SO impersonal to me.

 

[Golden Rose]

We officially had direct to room check in for both parts of our split stay (AKV - Kidani and BWV). We had attempted to already link our park passes to our magic bands. We arrived at WDW much later than our estimated arrival (we were driving and had a flat (slashed!) tire, on a car with tires of a somewhat unusual size AND we got stuck in 2 hours of traffic at a complete stop.) We were never texted our room number. We were rushing to make our dinner reservation at Boma as we arrived, and I noticed that there was no line at all at the Jambo online check in counter, so I stopped by to see if they could help me. They found our room number immediately and said we were ready to go. We did receive one of our requests (near an elevator). Our park tickets worked, our credit card was properly linked, all our FPs worked as intended, and our room doors opened. Very easy. Would have worked perfectly if they had actually texted our room number, but with no line, I was happy enough to interact to get it.

For part two of our split stay (BWV), we received a text that said to go to the front desk to get our room number. My mom reached the resort first, and indeed, the room was ready, and she was given the room number, and she got her magic band to work as a room key. However none of the rest of our party could access the room. (Another trip back to the lobby.) Then we realized they hadn't given us a parking slip for the front window of the car. (Another trip back to the lobby.) And then one of our bands didn't seem to have charging privileges. (Another trip to the lobby.) So, somehow, this check-in required 4 trips to the lobby to get everything straight. My husband joked that he got to know the front desk staff on this trip better than he ever had before.

So, anyway, we were 0 for 2 on actually bypassing the front desk, despite our attempts to try direct to room check in. We love the idea of it, but we know our way around the resorts we're most likely to be checking in to. I would hate skipping the point of first contact at a resort we were unfamiliar with; I'd have questions, and I would want tips about where to find certain things. I'm comfortable with the idea of it, even though it didn't actually work for us this trip, at resorts I already know well.

 

[IronFozzie]

but we wont be picking up passes, they are already linked to the MagicBands and MDE, they just need to be activated, correct?

also, just so I understand if I don't receive my room number, I need to go to the front desk and check in?


I've been to the World many times, but this system is new to me

By pick up passes I mean if you booked a package that includes park tickets. Your tickets won't become active until the reservation with the package attached is actually checked in, unless you pick them up early from guest relations. Some guests though still purchase tickets in other forms, military rate, Florida resident, ect. And those guests will still need to link them to their bands.

 

[bmwdw]

I am a little confused. I will be in Walt Disney World on May 3 at the Art of Animation.

I did online check in a few weeks ago, my tickets are the Florida Resident Discover Disney Passes and are linked to my MDE account. I am getting My magicBands this week.

I know that I need to go to guest services at a park to show proof of Florida Residency before I can use my tickets. will the online check in I did a few weeks ago allow me to go straight to my room or do I need to go to the Front Desk first.

Also, I have ordered groceries from GardenGrocer.com, if my room isnt ready, will they hold my stuff until it is and then bring it to my room?

TIA

Nathan

I chatted with Disney on-line yesterday. IronFozzie is correct that for tickets to activated you must be checked into your room. After that happens everything is ready to go. I asked them if we chose to do direct to room check in would I still need to check in at the hotel before going to the parks. They responded that if you chose direct to room check in and are selected for it your entire package is simply activated the day you are set to arrive and you can go straight to the parks. Afterwards you would just go to the room that they notify you is your room. I do not know about the Florida Resident ticket aspect however.

 

[HeatherGomez143]

Just saw this on Facebook...

http://www.chipandco.com/direct-room-checkin-coming-walt-disney-world-resorts-207093/

Has anyone heard this being true or experienced it. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

I just did this and it was awesome.

 

[sweetpea29488]

I guess we are one of the few that likes the experience of checking in at the counter. We always take our dn for her birthday and she likes getting her birthday button. We also like to check where our room is. We don't have alot of requests. We like a top floor room away from the pools.

I'm assuming you can still check in at the counter if you don't want to do online, straight to the room check-in, right?

 

[disney world dreamer]

just back from disney world and i did direct to room check in and i loved it!
i had requested the 50's section, lake side, and early check in and all 3 requests were honored.
i opted for an email with my room number since i don't have qa texting plan.
i received the email at 9:15am as i was about 15minutes away from the resort.
the email did come with a resort map attachment although i already know about where the room was located as i stayed about 5 rooms down from it last time i went.
i walked off DME and dodged the CM's that were stopping people asking them if they had to check in, checked in online, or had direct to room check in.
i figured there was no need to hear some spiel about how things work.
i walked right to my room and got ready to go to MK.
i will definitely be doing direct to room check in from now on!

 

[IronFozzie]

I guess we are one of the few that likes the experience of checking in at the counter. We always take our dn for her birthday and she likes getting her birthday button. We also like to check where our room is. We don't have alot of requests. We like a top floor room away from the pools.

I'm assuming you can still check in at the counter if you don't want to do online, straight to the room check-in, right?

By no means are you required to do online check-in. If you want to have the interaction with Cast Members that you are used to just don't check-in online.

 

[somesong2sing]

we have arrived early several times and utilized the pool area and food court. Each time we have signed up to get a text when the room is reay (also verified that at check in) and have never received a text. we just check every hour or so until we find out now just in case. I like the check in process. I think it solidifies you being there and helps clarify any questions at check in.

 

[jeepnjudy]

Online check-in is not perfect and did not work for us...we still had to go to the desk because it never sent us the text/e-mail with our room numbers...Ahhh, have to LOVE Disney IT!

 

[m86]

I would love to be able to go straight to my room after a long flight. Not having to deal with a line in the lobby. But sadly Disney refuses to send Magic Bands to Europe, even though the cost would be very small. (I would even pay for it myself).

 

[Sully321]

Got back April 23rd and we had direct to room at ASMusic. When we landed an turned the phones on it popped up with the room number. Dropped off carry on and to the park we went. Never went to the front desk the whole week.

I think it is great to have the feature.

 

[ParrotBill]

For some time (2 years at AKV!) now they have been putting all the resort info in a packet in the rooms rather than at the front desk, and as noted, handing out parking pass at the guard shack instead of at the desk.

The only thing that bothers me about this is we can't ask if our room preferences were met or not... because very often I can tell they weren't, and then they go looking and make a change for us, especially if we are willing to wait for our room a while longer. I have seen them allocate rooms based on "room ready" on arrival as the first preference now... even over any requests you made in my reservation.

 

[Princesspolly0110]

Room switching is gonna be bye bye shortly as well...it creates "holes" or "lockouts" that cause efficiency problems.

They used to take phone calls, letters, faxes for that type of thing.

But that was a warmer, fuzzier disney. I'm guessing it has been largely eliminated now anyway.

I'm usually not a fan of streamlining...but in the case of room switches I fully am. They are more trouble than they're worth logistically. Barring maintenance issues - that's different.

After handling a ton of complaints regarding room locations...I got one reason 95% of the time:
"I'm paying all this money"

Not a valid argument.

In 2012, we called due to the amount of noise in our section, they moved us no questions asked due to large foreign tour groups being in our section.

2014, at POP, we had been given the wrong room number, had a sleepy 8 year old at 2 am and when she went to the bathroom, water leaked everywhere and we noticed black mold in the carpet. We were promptly moved.

So yes, I do pull the "I paid good money" card when they're issues like this.