DLH Online Check-in for Early Entry

[thenicefamily]

Hi! We're arriving at LAX late the night before we arrive at the Disneyland Hotel. I've booked Anaheim Discovery Inn for that one first night - just a place to sleep and close proximity to DLH.

Our plan is to do online check-in on November 11th for our November 16th-19th DLH stay and then, on the morning of the 16th - early, like 6:00a.m. - walk over to DLH and leave our bags with them then head directly to the Security line for Early Entry via DTD.

Does this sound like a doable plan? By doing the online check-in in advance, will that allow us to just leave the bags with Bell Services outside the main entrance without needing to go and line-up at Reception?

We plan to return mid-morning and just chill by the pool until our room is ready. I'm assuming that, again, by doing the online check-in it'll be clear to whoever needs to see confirms, that we are guests of the DLH and are checked in. Am I right?

This is an annual trip for my adult daughter, myself and a friend and each year we seem to miss out on so much of our 3-night stays by arriving in the afternoon on the first day and leaving mid-day on the 4th day. So excited to be trying it this way to take 100% advantage of our 3 full DLH days/nights - got 4-day park-hoppers too so it'll be the ultimate in flexibility for us. Can't wait!

 

[Wedgeout]

We do the online checkin days prior. Arrival early morning check-in day. Leave bags in car and go straight to the early entry. That first day instead of scanning in with key card is showing your reservation on the Disneyland app. Get notification room ready then go back to hotel, stop by the desk for key cards. Totally doable.

 

[thenicefamily]

We do the online checkin days prior. Arrival early morning check-in day. Leave bags in car and go straight to the early entry. That first day instead of scanning in with key card is showing your reservation on the Disneyland app. Get notification room ready then go back to hotel, stop by the desk for key cards. Totally doable.

Great, thanks Wedgeout! I see you leave your bags in the car but, we won't have a car so our query re: leaving bags with Bell Services after doing online check-in is still unanswered. Have you, or anyone else here, had experience with checking your bags at the hotel before actually getting your room?

 

[meeshy1342]

Yes, they will hold your luggage. We stayed at the Grand Californian last year, checked in online the night before. We arrived around 8 AM the next day and left our luggage at the front desk and went into the park. Once we got our room key and went up, we just had to call the bell hop and they brought our luggage up to our room! Another year, we did the exact same thing you are doing - stayed at an off-site hotel the night before our Disneyland Hotel reservation, only we made the mistake of picking an off-site hotel off Harbor Blvd. We thought we would cut through DTD around 6am to drop our stuff at the Disneyland Hotel, but we didn't realize it would be closed, so we had to walk alllll the way around lol. So the hotel you picked is in a much better location for this plan

 

[Wedgeout]

Hope get more confirmation but once checked in that first day is good to go. We could valet and give bags to bell services but prefer to self park and keep bags. The front gate has us logged already in the system too when arrive. Gives us a print out for the dash. All bell services will need is reservation information. Registration service desk is close too and in the early morning it’s a walk up if have any issues. Lately security opens there at 7 and the lineup starts about 6:45. Moves fast once opens. Trickiest part is with one park having the early entry now to match reservation to the correct day.

 

[pharmama]

You'll be totally fine-even if you don't to the online check-in-as far as bell services goes. They can look up and see that you have a reservation starting that day. However, the online check in will still be useful so you get room notifications etc. and make sure you have your hotel reservation linked to your account in the app for EE proof as mentioned by others. Personally, I might even try to squeeze in the early in person check in since the desk won't be busy and then you'll already have your room keys (I prefer still having at least one or two physical keys and not just the mobile one) and can go straight to your room later after you get the text notification that its ready and what the room number is. This will also make the pool access easier. I am not sure if the mobile key will be available in the app to let you into the pool area before your room is ready but the physical key card should and you can verify this with the desk during check in. Maybe someone else can verify mobile key access to the pool area before room is ready?

So all that to say, yes, your plan as described will be totally fine but I might suggest trying to do the full check in. One person could even do the desk check in while the other is dropping the bags at bell services.

 

[thenicefamily]

Thank you so much everyone, very reassuring. We'll divide and conquer - one can sort bags, the other will hit up the Reception desk, and hopefully we can be in line at Security by 6:45'ish. Ohhhhhh, the girls are going to hate me when I tell them we're in for a 5:30a.m. alarm - until we get there and the excitement kicks in!