Magic Band/Park entrance question

[VAB2013]

Our tickets start May 31 but we can't check in to AoA until that afternoon. We have FP reserved for Epcot for the morning of May 31 and plan to enjoy the park until the afternoon and then check into AoA.

My question is, since we won't have checked into AoA yet, how do we get into the park that morning? Are the Magic Bands already set up when you receive them and have the park ticket information already loaded?

 

[Alesia]

You can check in as early as 6:00am.

But, yes, your magic bands will work if you don't check in first.

 

[dancef150]

They may give you your room early if it is ready.
But either way your bands will be good to go to a park when you arrive.

 

[VAB2013]

You can check in as early as 6:00am.

But, yes, your magic bands will work if you don't check in first.

I assume that standard check in is 3:00 but you may just get lucky with an earlier check in? We will already be in Orlando the night before, so it seems just as easy to hit Epcot for awhile and then head over to AoA.

 

[Alesia]

I assume that standard check in is 3:00 but you may just get lucky with an earlier check in? We will already be in Orlando the night before, so it seems just as easy to hit Epcot for awhile and then head over to AoA.

It's not a matter of getting lucky. Every single person can always check in at 6:00. It's just that they won't guarantee your room will be ready until 3:00.

Actually, if you do online check in, you don't even need to physically at all. They'll just text you your room number when it's ready.

 

[tobikaye]

I have checked in as early as 9 am (ASMu) and gotten my room right then. I have also checked in at 1 pm and not gotten my room until 4 pm (FW).

 

[bumbershoot]

Many many many hotels allow people to go through the checkin process after around 6am (their computers have to switch over to the next hotel day). DH travels globally and I think he's still only run into 2 where he had to wait until the given time. Neither of those places have been at WDW (or DLR or Universal, for that matter). You cannot expect to get your room until after official checkin time, but you can do the process and get everything going.