Early check in?

[reelmom]

How early can you check in? I know the room will not be ready but want to take advantage of express pass.

 

[damo]

How early can you check in? I know the room will not be ready but want to take advantage of express pass.

Very early. Lots of us have checked in around 7 am.

 

[reelmom]

Very early. Lots of us have checked in around 7 am.

Thank you. That was the answer I was hoping for.

 

[kimkarli]

I have heard you are allowed to check in and have access to the express pass, but how early are the rooms usually ready?

TIA!!!

 

[darksidefan]

I have heard you are allowed to check in and have access to the express pass, but how early are the rooms usually ready?

TIA!!!

From my experience, around 4PM

 

[damo]

I have heard you are allowed to check in and have access to the express pass, but how early are the rooms usually ready?

TIA!!!

A lot depends on when you go. In non-busy times, you may be lucky and have a room that wasn't used the night before. Normally though, it is usually 2-4 pm.

 

[wdw&sonny]

How early should we check in (on a Friday in June) if we are buying our tickets there for 5 people so we have time to get to park for early entry?

Should we leave our car at resort or drive over to USF garage?

 

[RMulieri]

How early should we check in (on a Friday in June) if we are buying our tickets there for 5 people so we have time to get to park for early entry?

Should we leave our car at resort or drive over to USF garage?

Be there at or slightly before 7am.You can leave the car at the resort, but all resort guests get charged the nightly parking fee( I think it is $18 per night now).Makes no sense to move the car imho but that is up to you

 

[macraven]

How early should we check in (on a Friday in June) if we are buying our tickets there for 5 people so we have time to get to park for early entry?

Should we leave our car at resort or drive over to USF garage?

you would save time if you buy the park tickets in advance.
you can do the print at home process or pick up at the kiosk.

 

[wdw&sonny]

Thanks for great answers. My teens will be glad to know we can arrive as late at 7am and still get to park for early entry. I thought we'd need more time. So happy to try this. i think we'll probably even actually use the room in the afternoon to change and take a swim. Now I just have to find a good rate and buy the tickets.
thanks

 

[macraven]

Thanks for great answers. My teens will be glad to know we can arrive as late at 7am and still get to park for early entry. I thought we'd need more time. So happy to try this. i think we'll probably even actually use the room in the afternoon to change and take a swim. Now I just have to find a good rate and buy the tickets.
thanks

the first time you check into the loews hotels could take about 15 minutes.
the TM will go thru all the procedures with you and answer any questions.
the TM will explain the star service program, how you will be contacted when your room is ready, having the luggage stored in valet, dining at the hotel, services at the hotel, etc.
the brochures you will receive at check in will show the pool activities, locations of eateries, transportation, etc.
the usual repeat customer checking into the hotel takes less time to check in.
for me, i don't have many questions as i know the program.
also my cc is on file with loews and the hotel so that process is mute.

once you get your hotel card key, go to the kiosk in the lobby to create your express pass.
this only takes minutes.
except for me as it took me many times before i accepted the photo on my ep pass........
yea, you can redo the pic until you accept the pic on the screen..

after this is completed, go to the parks...

the water taxis run about every 15 minutes in the morning time.
it's less than 5 minutes to get to city walk on them from the hotel.
could be a 3 minute walk from the city walk dock to inside the park/ioa.

if you decide to walk to ioa from rph or hrh, you're looking at 6 minutes tops.
from pbh, give it about 10 minutes.

 

[bumbershoot]

the first time you check into the loews hotels could take about 15 minutes.
the TM will go thru all the procedures with you and answer any questions.
the TM will explain the star service program, how you will be contacted when your room is ready, having the luggage stored in valet, dining at the hotel, services at the hotel, etc.
the brochures you will receive at check in will show the pool activities, locations of eateries, transportation, etc.....


once you get your hotel card key, go to the kiosk in the lobby to create your express pass.
this only takes minutes.

Wow, we never got all that explanation! Now I feel sad.

The brochure we got at checkin each time, now that we should have read. Had the info about the shuttles, which would have been helpful during our 2nd or 3rd visit when lightning in the area shut the boats down and the choice was wait it out, walk in the downpour, or discover the shuttle.


Took us quite a bit of time to figure out the EP picture; just realizing that the camera can move, and tall people dont' have to stop (nor do short people have to go on tiptoes), took about a minute.


If early entrance is at 8 I personally would be getting there before 7.

 

[ProudMommyof2]

We are here now, checked in yesterday. Our room was ready around 10am. We brought a bag and used the room as a day room to get some AC and change for the pool. Kids had a blast st the pool and we all enjoyed some munchies pool side. We are staying in a 2 bed condo so no one wanted to sleep there. Going back today and will park there again as the $18 will cover today too. Will bring a bag for the pool again but won't have a room.

Anyone know where we can go and change?

 

[Bluer101]

Wow, we never got all that explanation! Now I feel sad.

The brochure we got at checkin each time, now that we should have read. Had the info about the shuttles, which would have been helpful during our 2nd or 3rd visit when lightning in the area shut the boats down and the choice was wait it out, walk in the downpour, or discover the shuttle.

Took us quite a bit of time to figure out the EP picture; just realizing that the camera can move, and tall people dont' have to stop (nor do short people have to go on tiptoes), took about a minute.

If early entrance is at 8 I personally would be getting there before 7.

We just got back and at RPR as usual they explained everything at checkin. The also normally ask if you stayed before. I think if you answer yes they ask how long ago. Then they will modify the info for what's new since last stay.

As for the camera on the express pass. We laugh all the time we see people that are squatting of getting up on toes to take the photo. All they have to do is read the bug button directions on the screen. One says camera up and another says camera down, what a concept. Lol

It just proves not many people read a thing or listen, but that's the public for you.

 

[patster734]

Wow, we never got all that explanation! Now I feel sad.

The brochure we got at checkin each time, now that we should have read. Had the info about the shuttles, which would have been helpful during our 2nd or 3rd visit when lightning in the area shut the boats down and the choice was wait it out, walk in the downpour, or discover the shuttle.


Took us quite a bit of time to figure out the EP picture; just realizing that the camera can move, and tall people dont' have to stop (nor do short people have to go on tiptoes), took about a minute.


If early entrance is at 8 I personally would be getting there before 7.

I've used the shuttles before. I don't think they would have been very helpful in that rainy situation as the waiting area is outside. So you would still get wet waiting. Plus the shuttles make a loop between the three (soon to be four) hotels and the Citywalk dropoff between HRH and US. Last time we used them, we waited about 15 (possibly 20) minutes for a shuttle to pick us up from PBH. Plus, I recall that the shuttle zone doesn't seem to be marked well at any of the hotels.

Only time it was really beneficial was after HHN a few years back, and I had missed the last boat back to PBH (2am). As I started onto the long path back to PBH, I noticed the shuttle waiting at the Citywalk dropoff. I was really relieved that it was there as I wasn't looking forward to the long walk back to the hotel, after being in US all day and night.

 

[bumbershoot]

The whole story.....

Once we found out about the shuttles they were VERY helpful. It was a huge, long rain. It had gone from late afternoon as we were leaving the park literally trying to outrun the storm clouds, to full dark. We waited for a boat with many others until we were told no boats. We waited there for the storm to pass with many others for awhile. In pretty much the only bad attitude from a TM I have seen, one came back and yelled at us that it was metal and we weren't allowed to be there. Would have been nice for the first guy to have let everyone know 20 min before.

Ran pellmell up to random store in CW, waited for at least 30 min, freezing. Noticed storm easing a bit and people going back to boat dock. Like lemmings we followed. it was still too much rain to be happy walking back to portofino. Another TM showed up and told the group the boats were not running anytime soon but did we know about the shuttles? Why no we did not.

Went to the area explained to us, waited a bit (I remember there being shelter of sorts but we were already soaked so that might be wrong), a shuttle came. Got on the nice dry shuttle, we were the last group to be dropped off, but had bonded with the other sopping wet people.

We could have walked quicker but did not want to. We were already wiped out from the day and the cold and the wet and i do not discount the concerns of my son about walking outside when we already know there is lightning in the area.

It just would have been awesome for the first TM to have given us all the info when he announced the boats were closed. An when we got back an dry and I flipped through the info pamphlet that clearly gave the info about shuttles, I felt even worse! If only I had read it.

And now I make sure that others know .

 

[patster734]

Thanks for supplying your shuttle experience. I'm glad you had a good experience with them. I wonder if they increase the number of shuttles running when they stop running the boats.

Another option might be that Citywalk is where they wait until another shuttle is on the way. Do you recall how long you waited for the shuttle to depart once you had boarded? Did it leave immediately once everyone was aboard, or did you wait a few minutes? My good experience was boarding at Citywalk too.

 

[macraven]

the shuttles take forever..........last fall it was about a 35 minute turn around.

they loop to the 3 hotels. drop off, pick up.


the shuttle stop for rph is at the far end of Tower 3.