Getting into your room early?

[GOOFY26]

I have never gotten my room early and I have over 25 trips to Disney World. I just returned in August arrived around 11 am and my room was ready around 4 pm. Kept checking the desk to see when room would be ready and was told check-in time is 4 PM.

 

[CarmenPeteron]

We are driving to WDW overnight and expect to arrive around 9AM (barring traffic). We will be staying at AKL-K. What are the odds of getting our room that early?

Any suggestions on where to change and maybe grab a shave prior to going to the parks if I can't get our room that early?

What is the earliest you have gotten your room?

Thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

Funny, We can never seem to get in earlier than four P.M..

 

[castleri]

Got into a GV at OKW at 7:30am one Christmas week but I think it was only because I had requested non smoking( back when there was an option) and they had done a complete cleaning on the unit because it was a smoking allowed unit. They had to do it the day before so the rugs would dry. Have gotten in a number of times in the late am and a couple as late as 4. I just don't plan on getting the room early and if it happens I consider it a good amount of pixie dust. Have a reservation for Nov 28 and am hoping for getting the room early but already have plans for the day if we don't. Good luck and hope you have a great trip.

 

[Goofy DVC]

Back in July of 2002, we stayed the weekend at a Courtyard by Marriot with the plan to move to a Grand Villa at OKW on Sunday. When we called early Sunday around 7:00 AM to check on dropping our luggage off before we headed to the parks, we were informed that our Grand Villa was ready and to come on over. I couldn't believe it.

 

[Inkmahm]

From what I have read do the on-line check in and put down your expected arrival time, they assign the rooms either late the night before or early in the morning, if by chance there is a vacant room they may the keys with your packet and you will be all set. If your room is not ready (after doing on line) you can always ask a CM if any are available, Good luck

I did online check in for this trip to BWV and arrived Thurs at about 12:30. The CM told me it was rare to have a room ready at that time but I told him to check because we have been pretty lucky wih rooms. We were lucky again, the room was ready! He was surprised.

 

[eporter66]

For us - with flight and rental car, we usually do not get to the resort before noon - but most of our trips we have been able to get into our room either at check-in or at the latest 1:00 - 1:30

We just got back from AKV Kidani, and this trip we actually were not able to check-in when we arrived, and did not get our room call until 3:30. That was fine as we spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool.

I did use online check-in, and requested a room on the top floor, so I can't complain about having to wait when I had a special request

 

[dmoore22]

The work out facility at AKL has fabulous locker rooms that you can use. I used them in July before my husband and I got on a plane late in the day. They have lockers, showers, a wonderful steam room, sauna, and then your standard restroom. They also provide towels.

I believe there are also locker rooms at Kidani. All you have to do is show your key to the world card and just let them know you want to freshen up.

The only time we arrived and our room wasn't ready was when we used the online check-in service. We arrived around 12:30 pm and were told our room would be ready in less than an hour. We decide to wait before going to the parks. After waiting an hour and a half, and the CM assuring us the room was almost ready, we decide to head to the restaurant anyway since we had reservations. Ended up our room wasn't available until after 6 pm. -- and we had no special requests to rationalize why the late availability. After that fiasco we make sure that we were prepared to use the workout room/pool facilities to freshen up and our our park passes are handy so we won't be in that predicament again. Since that time our rooms have been ready when we arrived.

 

[LSchrow]

until about 2-3 years ago, our room would not be ready until 4-6pm.

the past few years however, our room is almost always ready when we arrive about 10am (mostly BWVs 2-3 times a year). btw, we do request upper floor near elevators for our BW view studios, and always get rooms x029 or x031, floors 3 thru 5. i love the front desk CM's face when i say the room number before them

 

[dzorn]

I do not have any idea but I would suspect the more location requests you have the later it would be, assuming they try and fill your requests.

Denise in MI

 

[tecodis]

Just got back from SSR and our studio was available upon arrival around 10:30am. I did online check-in and had no requests.

I always appreciate rooms ready upon arrival. I like to unpack first thing so my vacation can truly start.

 

[~Brandy~]

I don't think we've ever gotten in prior to 3:30, and closer to 5 pm more than a couple times. We no longer buy our groceries until we're totally sure we have a room.

 

[jamn]

We always stay at SSR and for some reason we never get in our room until the very last minute. Maybe its because we always request a downtown disney view. I don't know if the view request makes a difference at any of the resorts.

 

[DopeyDave]

Just got back from the World, and we 'checked in' 3 times during our visit. All three times a room was ready for us prior to the official 4pm check-in time. We arrived at AKL Jambo House Concierge on a Friday about 2pm, and the room was ready. We transferred to AKL Kidani Village on a Sunday, and our room was ready about 11:30am. Then on Friday our room at BLT was also ready about 11:30am when we transferred there. It was a good week!

 

[psimon]

....

OP, won't work for you leaving so soon, normally; i'd suggest leaving a day early if possible & stopping somewhere economical along the way a few hours from WDW, eliminating 1 night's usage of points @ DVC. All you need to do is then stop by in the early am @ your resort, check your luggage & enjoy the parks; knowing your room will be ready later in the day. If you room isn't ready & you really need to crash/sleep for a few hours, why not head out the main gate & find on the decent/budget off-site property that could accommodate you and take a nap

It's kind of a tradition for us.... leave right after the kids get home on Friday and head south. Last year, I had a 10AM reservation at Cape May Cafe for Saturday morning. We left NJ after school, about 3:30PM on Friday, and got to the restaurant an hour early! Fortunately they moved our dining reservation for us and we ate earlier.

After that it was off to a day at the parks. Sure, we don't stay till closing, but we sure do get in a lot.

As to the drive, the kids love it (14,14 and 21) and we really don't mind the drive. Between iPods, iPads, iTouchs and videos, the time goes very quickly. Once we get past the driving nightmare of Washington DC, it's really a very easy drive. No one else is on the road... a very peaceful drive. If only we didn't see all of those orange barrels on I95


---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[BEASLYBOO]

At OKW & SSR, I usually get the villas when we arrive between 11 and 1pm, I've never had to wait.

BWV however, always around the 5 to 5:30pm area no matter when we check in so we hit the pool!

AKV, BCV-Jambo, usually ready around 3:30pm

 

[gstew24]

there are places to change ask the front desk

 

[SnowWitch]

The 2 times we have a stayed at Kidani we got our room on arrival both times we arrived around noon. Our last trip, it was myself and DD's 2 turning 3 on the trip and my 4 yr old. We had driven 8.5 hrs. The cm who checked us in chatted us up, our room wasn't ready, blah, blah, blah. Asked where we were from, did we fly...and then goes oh you drove by yourself with 2 little ones. Let me see what I can find and he found us a nice little studio ready.

The BWV's, if I'm in the room by 3, I feel like I've had a great checkin.

 

[Sorcerer's Dad]

My wife and daughter got their room at Boardwalk Villas at 0730 on one trip. Usually, though, we've gotten in closer to 4pm

 

[Alexander]

There is no real science to getting your room early. We have gotten rooms as early as 7 am, but that is only because they were empty from the night before. Both times was at VWL. We stayed at the Dolphin for our first few nights, and then moved over to VWL and checked in early to then head out to EMH at MK.

It does seem like the studios are ready early more times than the bigger villas. It is just common sense that they are so much smaller to clean and get done faster. We've never waited longer than 2 pm anytime or any resort we've been at (well DVC resorts--once at POFQ our room wasn't ready until almost 6:30 pm).