Is there any disadvantage to checking in to your room online ahead of time?

[Princesca]

Not sure how to best phrase this, but is there any disadvantage to going ahead and starting the check-in process? It says I can start check-in now, but wasn't sure if that had any effect on ability to cancel (not that we foresee any reason we would need to cancel).

 

[thanxfornoticin]

No, there's no real downside that we have found. But if you already made a room request (floor request, wing request, view request, etc), don't fill in any 'room request' items on the online check-in. If something comes up and you need to cancel, having checked shouldn't matter.

 

[Mome Rath]

Not sure how to best phrase this, but is there any disadvantage to going ahead and starting the check-in process? It says I can start check-in now, but wasn't sure if that had any effect on ability to cancel (not that we foresee any reason we would need to cancel).

No disadvantage and you can always go to the front desk to check on everything when you get there if you want to (like to make sure magicbands will open the door, etc...). You can still change or cancel your reservation after check-in online, if that was available to you anyway (there are sometimes it is too close to arrival and they have you call, but that doesn't change if you are checked in or not).

 

[flyingenie]

Piggybacking on this - if I need to go to the front desk anyway (e.g. getting luggage tags or magic bands being held there because I'm not a US resident), is there any point to me checking in online? If I'm already checked in online, would there be a separate (?shorter) line for people who've already checked in but need help?

 

[DizneyFamof4]

Piggybacking on this - if I need to go to the front desk anyway (e.g. getting luggage tags or magic bands being held there because I'm not a US resident), is there any point to me checking in online? If I'm already checked in online, would there be a separate (?shorter) line for people who've already checked in but need help?

The biggest advantage of online check-in is that you can, hopefully, get your assigned room sent to you so that you can go straight to your room without going to the lobby. No there is not a separate line. It would not hurt to do it, if you may want to know your assigned room ahead of time, but in your case you could also just skip it.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Not sure how to best phrase this, but is there any disadvantage to going ahead and starting the check-in process? It says I can start check-in now, but wasn't sure if that had any effect on ability to cancel (not that we foresee any reason we would need to cancel).

Yes, it can complicate it. They have to rebook instead of just changing the dates. That's what I was told anyway.

 

[RoseGold]

I mean how far ahead are we talking?