If your cabin is ready when you check in, they will allow you to check in. Otherwise they will go through the paper work, give you a card with a phone number on it to call later, and direct you to the overflow lot where you can leave your vehicle, then take a bus anyplace you want to go. Call the number later and if your cabin is ready, they will give you the site number. The earliest we checked in was 9 am for a campsite, normal check in for campsites is 1pm. We didn't get our site, however, until 11am. We took the bus to the settlement, then the boat to WL where we had an early lunch.