Online check in test for Disney resorts

[txwdwmom]

I was also told today that guests who book with an AP, military, FL res or TA rate cannot use this option as they need to show the respective ID to check in. Curious to hear if any of those guests have tested the new system.

 

[disneyholic family]

I don't think I'd like this actually. I quite like the check in process and it gives you the chance to check you're happy with your room. I'm not alluding to upgrades, but there are many rooms in the same category and some suit me better than others so I like to have the chance to look at what we've got. I've had them swap us twice with no drama in the same room category.

i assume they tell you your room number, otherwise how would you know where to go when you get there.
and if you don't like your room, i would think you would be able to contact them to change it.

however, i too like the interaction at the desk and i also very much distrust all things IT.
I have never done online check in for that reason.

but maybe i'd be better off doing the advance check in - to give me time to change rooms if i don't like the one assigned to me?

as for the magic bands - we were at WDW in august during the very first test of the magic bands (at pop).
We checked in twice (with a cruise in the middle) so we received two full sets of magic bands (each of us has two - one from each check in).

i was curious if the earlier group of MBs would work for the new rooms (after the cruise).
Sure enough - all the MBs worked, the old set and the new set.

one thing that was nice about the MBs, when we first checked in, one of the rooms was flooded. Or rather, had been flooded.
We only noticed it when DD took her sandals off and started walking around.
The carpet was not just soaked, but was actually a bit of a swimming pool.
At first i thought it was a flood from the bathroom, but as i called the desk, i saw that it must have been something from above (the ceiling and wall were wet).
Anyway, the CM had to move both of our rooms to another part of the set of buildings we were in.
I asked if i had to go to the desk to have the MBs and key cards reset.
She said no, everything would work in the new rooms. And she was right.
all the key cards and MBs worked in the new rooms. Very cool. (so i guess, IT isn't so bad sometimes )

 

[scoobydooby]

i assume they tell you your room number, otherwise how would you know where to go when you get there. and if you don't like your room, i would think you would be able to contact them to change it. however, i too like the interaction at the desk and i also very much distrust all things IT. I have never done online check in for that reason )

They text you the room number. No personal interaction.

Doing on line check in in almost identical to normal check in it's just marginally faster. It does increase your chances if getting room requests met if your request is one of the choices offered on the on line check in screen. Example. I asked for a room near reception and the buses when I did OLCI for AKL a few weeks ago. The on line check in woman have me my packet and said 'we have met your request for.....' So I went to a line with no queue, still spoke to someone as much as I needed to and got what I wanted. I had a question to ask so was able to do that as well.

 

[wilma-bride]

They text you the room number. No personal interaction.

And this is exactly what makes me wonder if UK residents will even be eligible. In 10 trips staying onsite they have never been able to text us our room number as they can't (won't?) text to UK mobile phones.

 

[2Tiggies]

i assume they tell you your room number, otherwise how would you know where to go when you get there.
and if you don't like your room, i would think you would be able to contact them to change it.

Oh but it would be so much fun if you could just go pick a room you liked. Imagine the fun at Halloween, all dressed up ..... magic band access, sneak in and "BOO! [to you]"

and if you don't like your room, i would think you would be able to contact them to change it.

Especially if you don't like who's already in it

Joh, I am guessing it's an automated text sent from the system once a room number is assigned. It probably doesn't like the format of our numbers. I got an email from Disney at the beginning of the year asking me to call them because they had been unable to reach me on my cell phone, even though the number they had was correct.

 

[Dimplenose]

Can you choose anything about your location during online check in? That alone would make it worthwhile for UK guests who often arrive late at the resort, even if we still had to pick up our magic bands when we get there.

 

[disneyholic family]

Oh but it would be so much fun if you could just go pick a room you liked. Imagine the fun at Halloween, all dressed up ..... magic band access, sneak in and "BOO! [to you]"

 

[2Tiggies]

Can you choose anything about your location during online check in? That alone would make it worthwhile for UK guests who often arrive late at the resort, even if we still had to pick up our magic bands when we get there.

If you have straightforward requests you can. If you are very specific about something you may not have an option to select. For example you can choose something like being close to transportation, ground floor or high floor but you can't specifically choose building x or section y or 5th floor etc.

 

[scoobydooby]

Can you choose anything about your location during online check in? That alone would make it worthwhile for UK guests who often arrive late at the resort, even if we still had to pick up our magic bands when we get there.

No there are pre configured tick boxes and from memory you can choose two. There is no where to put free text. The advantage though is it goes into the reservation system. An e mail or fax request can, quite frankly, go anywhere.

 

[BudgieMama]

If you have straightforward requests you can. If you are very specific about something you may not have an option to select. For example you can choose something like being close to transportation, ground floor or high floor but you can't specifically choose building x or section y or 5th floor etc.

When I called to book our places on DME, the CM asked about room preferences and put them on our booking (I can see them on our invoice), along with a note of *CELEBRATION*... Does anyone know if that information actually goes to the hotel? Are they good at passing it on?

 

[chmurf]

Can you choose anything about your location during online check in? That alone would make it worthwhile for UK guests who often arrive late at the resort, even if we still had to pick up our magic bands when we get there.

the choices pretty much depends on the resort you stay at.

As PP said, it's mainly tick boxes and you get to choose 2, and only 2

Usually it's "close to transportation", floor level, and so on. But nothing too specific.

What I usually do is send an email to WDTC UK (as I book with them) and ask to add a few requests to my file.

If you do this, keep it to precise, but not too precise requests with no more than 3 requests

For example, a POP Century request would look like
1. 50's section
2. Ground Floor (be aware that our american friends do not number floors like we do, their 1st floor is our ground floor/street level)
3. Building 2

requests by order of importance.

I found out that, sending the requests in advance (before OLCI) sometimes would prevent me from making the requests during online check in (something like "unable to save your preferences) but I always got what I requested. I even once requested a room number, saying I'd like to stay in the same room as the previous year, and I got it.

Now if you wonder what room you could possibly ask, you may want to use TP's tool

here's the page for OKW for example
http://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-old-key-west-resort
clicking on a building displays all of the units, and clicking a unit will display pictures of their view, and there is a little text below you can use to request a room similar to that one.

 

[edinburghlass]

When I called to book our places on DME, the CM asked about room preferences and put them on our booking (I can see them on our invoice), along with a note of *CELEBRATION*... Does anyone know if that information actually goes to the hotel? Are they good at passing it on?

It does go on your booking. I asked for a specific building early on and it was marked as a request but not guaranteed on every invoice. I then did online check-in and only ticked the ground floor level box. At check-in I was given the specified building but not ground floor and when I queried it was told I had specified the building at online check-in which I hadn't. After a few calls back and forth by the front desk CM a suitable ground floor room and all ended well.

 

[scoobydooby]

I think you have to remember they can't accommodate the individual requests of every family who checks in. I have found the simpler I keep it the more likely I am to get what I want.

 

[SPOERLX3]

I wonder how this test results ended up for Disney and the guests?
Wondering if this will become permanent? Anyone heard anything?

 

[igk]

I guess they could go the whole hog and allow you to select the actual room online - like FP+ or airline seat selection. I'm sort of joking but it wouldn't surprise me - another date for the diary when the room selection window opened and long threads about who gets what room...

On a more serious note, what about ID and security? IIRC when you check in they always ask to see picture ID and a credit card - presumably this goes out the window if you just turn up at the room with your MB after getting a text to say your room number...

This is great btw:

Now if you wonder what room you could possibly ask, you may want to use TP's tool

here's the page for OKW for example
http://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/d...ey-west-resort
clicking on a building displays all of the units, and clicking a unit will display pictures of their view, and there is a little text below you can use to request a room similar to that one.

 

[scoobydooby]

They ask for CC info at on line check in already and already have that if you have booked ADRs....

 

[SPOERLX3]

I guess they could go the whole hog and allow you to select the actual room online - like FP+ or airline seat selection. I'm sort of joking but it wouldn't surprise me - another date for the diary when the room selection window opened and long threads about who gets what room...

On a more serious note, what about ID and security? IIRC when you check in they always ask to see picture ID and a credit card - presumably this goes out the window if you just turn up at the room with your MB after getting a text to say your room number...

This is great btw:
Now if you wonder what room you could possibly ask, you may want to use TP's tool

here's the page for OKW for example
http://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/d...ey-west-resort
clicking on a building displays all of the units, and clicking a unit will display pictures of their view, and there is a little text below you can use to request a room similar to that one.

I have used touring plans for several years along with that website page just to look at room views but I have never used the text they provide to request a room so I tried it this year
When I called the CM to add the room request to my September reservation, I read to her the text they recommend we give to the CM when requesting what I believe to be "my perfect room": Bldg 3,Flr 4,NW-facing room. Exmple:3430-3436.
The CM started chuckling at me (can't blame her). She said wow, I have heard it all now and chuckled a little more (she was not being sarcastic, just thought it was funny with all the details). She said, "Disney is going to have to give me a larger area to type in requests I am not sure that I can fit that all on the area but let me try". She did confirm that these requests are priority order and then she said "I am going to be curious to see if these requests get you what you want, I wish you the best of luck". She was super sweet and I felt really stupid. We will see how it works