Online Check-In for DVC Resort-- yay or nay?

[kahluacream]

Excited to be staying at BLT for the first time this week. I see that I'm now eligible for online check-in. In the past, I've always checked in early in the day in person & found this to be a great way to ensure that reservation requests (like high floor) are met.

What are the advantages of online check-in?

Am I more or less likely to have requests met this way?

I would appreciate feedback from anyone who has used online check-in.

TIA!

 

[oldfastpassxpert]

I've used online check-in but I'm not sure it offers an advantage or disadvantage to getting your room requests met. It speeds up the process of check-in. I think requests are hit and miss...they probably do their best, but there is never any guarantees...it all comes down to room availability.

That being said, we own at BLT and have stayed in TPV and LV. For our TPV reservation we were given a room that had a view of the monorail on the 4th floor (I believe it's no longer considered TPV). That's all they had available that day. My request for an upper floor wasn't honored. After speaking with the MOD, we could change rooms the following day. As much as I hated changing rooms, my DW was happy. Me, I like the LV of the electric light parade on the lake.

cB

 

[PoohsFan1]

I like to do online check-in, only because I get excited to know that I am partially checked into our resort before arriving. Now whether or not this helps with room requests, sorry I can't really say. The only time I do not do online check-in is if we are paying cash for the same villa type for one night, rather than using our points, and I want to ask at check-in if we could stay rather than moving for the one night. Again, I don't really know if for my situation it helps or not, but we have been successful in the past by doing it that way.

 

[DizBub]

We do on-line check-in mainly because we usually arrive around 1:30 pm and the room is normally ready since they know our estimated time of arrival. Plus arriving early allows us to try to change things if our requests aren't met.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We prefer to check in ahead of time online. I'm not sure if there is an advantage or not, but it makes sense that letting them know your arrival time could expedite when you get in the room.

 

[disneynutz]

We have used it many times and also not used it. It doesn't seem to improve your room ready time or your chances of getting your requests.

Sometimes the check-in packet is made up in advance, sometimes not. Sometimes online check in has caused us delays at check-in with longer lines compared to the other line.

The polices and implementation varies by resort.

Bill

 

[carlbarry]

The 6 times I've stayed as a DVC member, I've checked in on-line.
The first time I stayed at AKL, my request for "near lobby" was honored.
The first time I stayed at OKW, my reservation of "near Hospitality House" was honored, and I was able to check in early.
My second stay at AKL, my request for "near lobby" was ignored, and I was given a room at the end of the corridor.
My second stay at OKW, my reservation for "near Hospitality House" was ignored, and I was given a room not in that category.
My requests for BCV and VGF were honored. BCV allowed early check in, VGF was close to 4 pm.

 

[patsal]

Not sure there is a benefit, but I always do online check-in. Usually my room is not ready, but I arrive very early taking the 6 am flight and getting in at 8:30. No problem for me though, grab the welcome packet, double check that cell phone number is in the system so they can text me my room #, check my carryons with bell services and head right over to the park.

From my experiences, when I stay on cash at a value resort it is always ready when I arrive.
Moderates on cash, always ready when I arrive.
DVC BLT, ready when I arrive about half the time
DVC OKW ready when I arrive 2/3 of the time
DVC BCV never ready when I arrive even if it is a split stay and I get there at 4pm...I have a love hate relationship with this resort...love the location hate the way the resort is run!
DVC WLV always ready when I arrive
DVC BWV ready about 50% of the time

 

[carlbarry]

DVC BCV never ready when I arrive even if it is a split stay and I get there at 4pm...I have a love hate relationship with this resort...love the location hate the way the resort is run!

I guess it's luck of the draw. My only stay at BCV was the 3rd week of December 2013. I left OKW and got to BCV at maybe 10:30 am, and my room was ready.

 

[kahluacream]

OP here- Thanks for these replies. I just wanted to let you my family ended up trying online check-in for our first trip to BLT. It didn't work out so well for us. The room wasn't ready, check-in wasn't so fast, and request to be on the same floor as sky bridge wasn't met. On the up side, we really loved BLT! It was so convenient to the Magic Kingdom. In the future, if I really want to have a specific request met, I will go with the strategy that seems to work best for us: arrive at resort before noon and ask nicely at check in. Just my two cents.

 

[mb168]

I've never seen a benefit to us, it only benefits Disney. There's never a line at check in at a DVC resort so it's not jumping you ahead, and if you have to make changes you can't and still have to have a CM do it.

With Magic Bands and the text system that they've had for years, there really should be no reason to even go to check in if you don't have to. You should check in online and when the room is ready they just text you the number. You could get your room number on the drive down and head straight there.

 

[mdsd8700]

I guess it's luck of the draw.

I agree. We don't use on-line check in and our room at BLT last October was ready by 9 am. Never had a room ready that early but was thrilled when we arrived to go directly to the room.

 

[Micca]

We've been checking-in online, but when we arrive we find that the line in the lobby is about equal with the regular check-in line: i.e., less than 5 minutes.

I suppose if you were to arrive at a time when a lot of people are checking in--like a Friday afternoon/Saturday (?) it might make a difference.

We've never made any special requests.

 

[disneynutz]

We've been checking-in online, but when we arrive we find that the line in the lobby is about equal with the regular check-in line: i.e., less than 5 minutes.

I suppose if you were to arrive at a time when a lot of people are checking in--like a Friday afternoon/Saturday (?) it might make a difference.

We've never made any special requests.

Sometime the online check in line can be longer.

Bill

 

[Murron]

I've done on line check in many, many times now. If there is a particular request I have, I do the on line check in and then call member services to make my request noted in the system. As of this date, only one request, (out of maybe 15 since it was implemented) have not been met. And a p.s. I've never ever had to wait in line. That being said, it's always BWV, VFW, BCV, SSR, AKV....there may be lines for other resorts or less able to meet requests. I can only speak to these resorts.

 

[BUDDYBEAR]

we always do online check in it works out for us

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

After four trips with no requests being met, we began to use online check-in. Since then, we have had the opposite experience. We are fans of the online check-in now.

 

[suebeelin]

Sorry, old thread but wanted to find out if anything has changed for online check in. We are just under two weeks from the date of our arrival and wondering if it will help with room requests or hurt, or it doesn't matter. Any advice is much appreciated! Going to Poly for the first time ever and super excited!

 

[carlbarry]

Sorry, old thread but wanted to find out if anything has changed for online check in. We are just under two weeks from the date of our arrival and wondering if it will help with room requests or hurt, or it doesn't matter. Any advice is much appreciated! Going to Poly for the first time ever and super excited!

I'm going next week, and have already checked in on line. A split stay, second half at the Poly. I called to request a building, since that wasn't available on line.

 

[DenLo]

I don't see any difference as to what room we are assigned with online check-in or checking in at the desk and making a room request then. Perhaps the more persuasive persons can make it work at the desk, but for me either works the same. I think we have always been very nice to the CM checking us in--the rooms just were not available even though we might check in before 9:00 am or we were already assigned what we requested. I think the fact that we usually stay for 10-12 days is more of a factor because it's hard to fit our reservation in.

Personally I like online check in. If we want a request we make it with MS at booking or email them the request. Either way with check-in at the desk or online check-in one of the two requests we have made for the room we get the request about half the time. Although I am not sure how you would rate it when you make two requests and you get only one of them. E.g. what we really wanted was a high floor in a room ending with XX but was assigned a bottom floor room ending in XX, would that mean I got my request? IMHO yes, I just have to adjust my thinking as to why we wanted an room ending in XX as being an important factor.