Going a day early--will it help?

[jamstew]

I'm debating going down a day ahead of the rest of my family so that I can be onsite to check into VWL early on their arrival day. There's no way we can get there before mid-afternoon, and I'm afraid if I wait, we'll get the worst location possible. Does anyone do this? Has it helped?

 

[CarolMN]

I wouldn't do it. VWL is very small - and AFAIK, the difference between the "worst location" and "best location" has got to be very small. Certainly not worth going a whole day early. JMHO. YMMV.

 

[hakepb]

There's mentions in the SSR thread that with "Room Ready" you may get whatever room was first cleaned if you check in early, so it depends on the staff if they will regularly check throughout the day to see if a more ideal room opens up, and then gets you into it... Sometimes you may get a better location by checking in at 3 or 4pm?

 

[n2mm]

We check in early (around 8:00AM) and we check in later (around 5:00PM). So far it's never really made a difference. When we check in early, we have to wait for our room until 4:00 or 5:00PM. We almost never get any requests fulfilled, so we've gotten use to that, but yet I still make them. Unless you are getting in really late (after 8:00PM) I wouldn't worry too much. Like others have said, WLV is so small it really doesn't matter. Someone has to have the not great rooms too, sometimes it's you and sometimes it's me. (BTW: I already had my not great room this year at the BWV next to the dumpster near jellyrolls---gotta love hearing that truck beeping every morning backing in).

 

[Inkmahm]

I'm sort of doing this in December. We're staying at AKV the first night mostly because I want my niece and nephew to see it and because we're eating at Jiko's that night. We won't get to the resort until probably 8 or 8:30 pm.
Then the next morning we move to VWL for the rest of our trip. I will be there early before we head to the park to check in. It did cross my mind that I didn't want to check in to VWL at 8 or 8:30 at night and I'd rather be there first thing in the morning. Will it make a difference on which room we get? Maybe, maybe not. We're in a dedicated 2 bedroom so my guess is that whichever dedicated 2 bedroom happens to be open, that's the one we'll get.

I don't think I'd travel separately from my family just to get a shot at a better room.

 

[jamstew]

I got to AKV at 7:00pm on the 7th, and it was 1/3 of a mile from my room to the front door! When I moved to VWL on the 12th, I went over at noon and got the very last room at the end of the building. I called downstairs immediately and told them I was pretty tired of walking down hallways, and they moved me to the end of the building next to the lodge, which was great.

The only reason I really wanted to get something special in May is that it's my grandchildren's first ever Disney trip. We have a dedicated 2BR, and I've requested a pool view near the elevator and keeping my fingers crossed.

Whoever said that you may be better off getting there at 3 or 4pm may have a point. I certainly didn't expect to have a room ready when I checked in at noon, and it makes some sense that they'd have more rooms available somewhat later in the day. We just don't have a lot of flight options from Austin. The only non-stop doesn't get us to MCO until almost 6pm, so it will be 7pm by the time we check in, which may be too late.

 

[5forDiz]

Can you take your first VWL night and switch that to become the last night of your reservation? ( guess you'd have to change your homebound flight to a day later too - don't know if this is possible for you & family )

Then you and your family could stay the first night at another onsite resort & be well rested & head over to VWL early the next morning. Even if your villa isn't ready you & the grandkids would have the entire day to enjoy.

 

[jamstew]

Can you take your first VWL night and switch that to become the last night of your reservation? ( guess you'd have to change your homebound flight to a day later too - don't know if this is possible for you & family )

Then you and your family could stay the first night at another onsite resort & be well rested & head over to VWL early the next morning. Even if your villa isn't ready you & the grandkids would have the entire day to enjoy.

Unfortunately, the dates for the group are set in stone because of everyone's vacation schedules. I, however, could go down a day early by myself and stay at a value, but it would require me to fly down on Memorial Day, which is a lot more expensive. I'm paying for the whole trip for eight people as it is, and really don't want to add any more expenses to it

 

[5forDiz]

Unfortunately, the dates for the group are set in stone because of everyone's vacation schedules. I, however, could go down a day early by myself and stay at a value, but it would require me to fly down on Memorial Day, which is a lot more expensive. I'm paying for the whole trip for eight people as it is, and really don't want to add any more expenses to it

I see what you mean. I would leave things as they are then. As pps have said here ( & it has sometimes been our experience too ) checking in early doesn't always get the better room locaton. I'm sure you've noted your request with MS & perhaps a couple days before your check-in date email the room controller/assigner with an upbeat ' greetings from Texas ' message mentioning it's the grandkids very first trip & your hopes that the request can be met. It certainly can't hurt & hopefully that Disney magic will happen !!

The only other suggestion I can think of would be if instead of checking luggage everyone can do a carry-on, that really makes it so much faster to get out of the airport & on your way to WDW. Find out the largest size carry-on your airline allows; my sister & neice had pretty large pieces when the flew with Jet Blue.

Best wishes on your planning & I'm sure it will all come together for an amazing trip at WDW

 

[beachblanket]

I'm debating going down a day ahead of the rest of my family so that I can be onsite to check into VWL early on their arrival day. There's no way we can get there before mid-afternoon, and I'm afraid if I wait, we'll get the worst location possible. Does anyone do this? Has it helped?

I can't speak for the experience at VWL, but at BWV, BC, HH and VB it definitely has helped us.

Arriving the day before check in so you can get to the DVC resort early the next morning accomplishes two things.

First, it allows you to in essence tell the check-in desk "hellllllllllloooooooooo...I'm here so you can start focusing on what I requested" before all the other hordes with the same agenda arrive later in the day.

If you leverage that early arrival -- by politely reminding the check-in CM of your requests and then saying "since we are heading off to a park for opening and will be there all day we don't have any problem waiting as long as necessary to get into whichever one is opening up today that comes closest to meeting our requests" -- they end up de-facto holding the best possible villa for you.

Late arrivals won't get that benefit since the early birds grabbed it first.

Candid of the day: Kari!!!

 

[buzz5985]

I normally never get what I request - but it really doesn't matter to me when at WDW. But - when I am at HHI - that's when I get picky. My experience is that HHI is the only resort that will pull out a map and tell you this is what is available what building would you like??