On line check in?

[AlabamaMinnie]

I see the option in my Disney experience to check in? Is there any benefit for this? Or any downside? We're planning on "checking in" at the hotel and dropping our stuff early in the morning before heading to the park.

 

[Marc D]

The only downside is you won't have to be greeted at the front desk by a (usually) very nice CM. By checking in online, you'll get to bypass the front desk and go directly to your room when it's ready since your Magic Band serves as your key. If the room is not ready, you can just leave the luggage with bell services and head straight to the park. You'll get your room number by text message or email when it's ready.

 

[Fangorn]

No real downside. Generally it doesn't make to much difference one way or the other.

If you are arriving early - before the normal check in time of 4 pm, it can definitely have an up side. On-line check in has an option to list the time you expect to arrive, - meaning there is a greater likelihood that your room could be ready when you get there. On-line check-in will also get you (most of the time) a text when your room is ready.

The only gotcha that I've heard of is this: if you add room requests to your reservation, and then, during on line check-in, select one of the request options offered, your original requests -which are probably much more specific- will be removed and replaced with the on line check-in one. You're better off puting all requests on the reservation and ignoring that portion of on line check in.

Even if you do on line check in, you can always stop by the desk to check in when you get there.

Steve

 

[Dug720]

The only downside is you won't have to be greeted at the front desk by a (usually) very nice CM. By checking in online, you'll get to bypass the front desk and go directly to your room when it's ready since your Magic Band serves as your key. If the room is not ready, you can just leave the luggage with bell services and head straight to the park. You'll get your room number by text message or email when it's ready.

Maybe. There is still no automatic guarantee that you'll get to skip the front desk.

 

[ncc1701]

The online checkin lists getting the room early as one of the options and asks if it is ahead of any others you selected.

 

[loves to dive]

No disadvantage really. I almost always arrive early and always put early arrival as my first request and that it is the most important. I think my room has been ready once. When I arrive early if I haven''t received my text, I always go to the front desk and let them know I'm there. Sometimes they have been able to find a room, sometimes not but at least they know I'm there. I drive down so I just leave my bags in my car and head off to a park then when I get my text I'll either head on back or go back when I'm ready. You will not receive a room ready text if you have not put a cc number in your MDE account since they need that on your account.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

We requested early check in and arrived by magical express, but our room was not ready until about 3pm.
It might work better for those who visit during less busy times of the year.

 

[Dug720]

We requested early check in and arrived by magical express, but our room was not ready until about 3pm.
It might work better for those who visit during less busy times of the year.

Yes, it is only a request. There is no guarantee that a room meeting your party size is available for early check-in at any time - but the odds are much smaller during peak seasons.

 

[ncc1701]

We requested early check in and arrived by magical express, but our room was not ready until about 3pm.
It might work better for those who visit during less busy times of the year.

We have visited on most of our trips the same week (Friday or Saturday mid-November & arrive around the same time 11:00am). We have gotten the room at arrival, an hour or two later or after 3:00. Just luck of the draw. We always ask for room early if possible .The year it was the longest they had a large turnover and a lot of people waited until the official checkout time to leave.

 

[bumbershoot]

The only downside is you won't have to be greeted at the front desk by a (usually) very nice CM. By checking in online, you'll get to bypass the front desk and go directly to your room when it's ready since your Magic Band serves as your key. If the room is not ready, you can just leave the luggage with bell services and head straight to the park. You'll get your room number by text message or email when it's ready.

This isn't an absolute. I have never gotten the room-ready text, and I do online checkin all but one time.

We requested early check in and arrived by magical express, but our room was not ready until about 3pm.
It might work better for those who visit during less busy times of the year.

IMO it's just up to timing. If the person in your intended room got out early enough, left the room decent enough, and the housekeeper was in and out fast enough, then you'll get it early If the intended room was empty the night before you'll get it early. etc.


Our worst room did coincide with the time we didn't do online checkin, but it was ALSO a very late arrival. I figure person after person was given that room then asked for a different room, and by the time we got there they didn't have any other rooms to give so we got stuck with it.

 

[Hikergirl]

I did online check-in and we arrived at 11PM. I figured I'd get the text at some point earlier during the day letting me know but nope, still had to go to the front desk.

 

[hockeybabe]

What room request options are offered in online check-in? Is "closest to the bus stop" an option?

 

[cgattis]

The only downside I've ever experienced is that they charge your credit card when they check you in (before you arrive), so if you were planning to pay cash, gift cards, or Visa redemption dollars, you won't have that opportunity. If you want to use your Visa dollars, you'll need to pay in full a day or two before you do online checkin.