First time driving. check in advice please....

[realhousewife]

if I arrive early on a Sunday morning, can I drop my bags, activate my magic bands and head to the parks? I have never been able to arrive before regular check in time. Tia!

 

[siskaren]

You can check in as early as 6:00 (or maybe 6:30) - your room might not be ready but you can leave your luggage with Bell Services and head to a park - there's no activating the Magic Bands.

 

[sharadoc]

Plus if you do online check-in, you don't even need to go to the hotel if you don't want to. Your bags will be put into bell services until you call to have them brought to your room anyway, so you won't gain time dropping them off.

 

[georgina]

Or you can leave your bags in the car and drive straight to a park if you have checked in online. You should get a text when your room is ready. (Do you have a room only reservation? Not sure if it is different with packages, as we never do packages.)

Oops, I guess that is what sharadoc said too. I misread her post the first time.

 

[4cats2kids]

Or you can leave your bags in the car and drive straight to a park if you have checked in online. You should get a text when your room is ready. (Do you have a room only reservation? Not sure if it is different with packages, as we never do packages.)

Oops, I guess that is what sharadoc said too. I misread her post the first time.

You can only go to the parks if you have your magic bands right? If im driving from Canada (where they dont mail magic bands) I have to go to my resprt first to pick those up, correct?

 

[GillianP1301]

You can only go to the parks if you have your magic bands right? If im driving from Canada (where they dont mail magic bands) I have to go to my resprt first to pick those up, correct?

Correct, they don't ship the bands outside of the US. You'll also be able to pick up your parking pass (piece of paper for the window) that I prefer to use for the park parking lots.

 

[prisjoyce]

We usually drive & arrive early (7:00 am-ish), and park at the check in location at our hotel. We check in/activate, etc, and leave all of our bags in the car, as the room usually isn't ready. We hop a bus to the parks, and return to the resort midday to unpack the car & check out the resort- our room is usually ready by then; you can receive a text about this.
Enjoy!

 

[loves to dive]

I drive down every time I go, I always arrive early. If I'm staying in a moderate, they normally know what building/location the room is going to be in and I go park my car and leave my bags in it and hop on a bus to a park. If staying in a Deluxe, I park my car and take my bags to bell services to hold.

 

[tinkerpsu]

Correct, they don't ship the bands outside of the US. You'll also be able to pick up your parking pass (piece of paper for the window) that I prefer to use for the park parking lots.

We are here now and they told us we didn't need a pass to put in our car since we have magic bands. They have just been scanning them as we drive into the parks.

 

[LovesTimone]

When checking in early sometime the room is ready sometime not, If ready we would check-in, and head to the room to stow our stuff, and head for the parks. If your room isn't ready we would check out the lobby, store, pool area and have breakfast at the QS location, park the car (don't forget the parking pass in the window you will need it to park at your resort)find the room( if they have the room number), then grab a bus headed for the parks. Once the text came our room was ready, we would head back to the resort to get settled in, then back out again.

 

[goofyintoronto]

As stated, you can go to your resort anytime you arrive....simply check in at the front desk, you'll get your magic bands there. Im from Canada and never had an issue. Once you get your magic bands, you can either leave your bags in the car or with concierge. Go to the parks anytime you want...when you return, your room should be ready. We do this all the time. And its true that as a resort guest, all you need is your magic band for the parking. However if the front desk decides to give you a paper pass, just take it and post it on your car. But again, the magic bands are all you need I believe.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Correct, they don't ship the bands outside of the US. You'll also be able to pick up your parking pass (piece of paper for the window) that I prefer to use for the park parking lots.

Not all resorts give a paper pass. Very few give it any more.

 

[GillianP1301]

Not all resorts give a paper pass. Very few give it any more.

We got paper pass earlier this month, I guess we were lucky. I can understand discontinuing it with magic bands. It will slow down the entry into the parking lot (only slightly, but still).

Regardless, unless they start shipping MBs outside of the US, we will still always have to go to the resort first before heading to a park.

 

[Alfredo68]

Or you can leave your bags in the car and drive straight to a park if you have checked in online. You should get a text when your room is ready. (Do you have a room only reservation? Not sure if it is different with packages, as we never do packages.)

Oops, I guess that is what sharadoc said too. I misread her post the first time.

It would be good to note, however, that Florida's summer heat will destroy some of your possessions should you leave them in the car for a prolonged time. Many years ago I lived in FL in my 20's and worked at a video store. I cannot tell you how many people would bring in their VHS tapes literally melted from being left in their cars! People who do not live in the south, particularly FL, have little idea of how unbearably hot it can get. Make that 10 times more inside a closed car in the sun.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We got paper pass earlier this month, I guess we were lucky. I can understand discontinuing it with magic bands. It will slow down the entry into the parking lot (only slightly, but still).

Regardless, unless they start shipping MBs outside of the US, we will still always have to go to the resort first before heading to a park.

I didn't get any at either of my two resort stays last week and this week.

 

[Alfredo68]

I didn't get any at either of my two resort stays last week and this week.

That is good to know because I am driving down and will have my car and have gotten conflicting information from various Cast Members. While I did my check in on-line, I will still go in when I arrive and ask about parking my car at the parks (should I choose that route). There is also the issue of linking my MagicBand to my hotel charges, which currently it is not and MDE states I need to do it at check in AT the resort. While my MagicBand is linked to everything else, I will still need to make sure it is linked to hotel charges and in-park purchases. So, for those on the fence as to should they check in on-line or in-person I would say, do it in person and worry less later.