Online Check In

[Frozen2014]

Is there any advantage to online check in? How does it work?

And does it impact getting our room request (submitted by Touring Plans) - either doing online check in vs waiting until we arrive?

 

[BigOnDis]

The biggest advantage to me, is that you dont have to go to the front desk, but can go directly to your room when ready. Depending on where you are staying I guess determines how big of an advantage that is. We have always gotten our room requests granted when doing online check-in, but our requests have always been fairly basic, so YMMV.

 

[StageTek]

Just leave the room request option blank when doing online check in and your TP request won't be impacted.

 

[Frozen2014]

The biggest advantage to me, is that you dont have to go to the front desk, but can go directly to your room when ready. Depending on where you are staying I guess determines how big of an advantage that is. We have always gotten our room requests granted when doing online check-in, but our requests have always been fairly basic, so YMMV.

So silly questions:

1. How do you know what room you are assigned then? (And when?)
2. How do you get your 'key' to your room? And what about the card if not using a magic band?

 

[Frozen2014]

Just leave the room request option blank when doing online check in and your TP request won't be impacted.

Thanks for mentioning. Definitely good to know.

 

[loves to dive]

So silly questions:

1. How do you know what room you are assigned then? (And when?)
2. How do you get your 'key' to your room? And what about the card if not using a magic band?

They send you a text with your room number. If you have MDE on your phone, you can open the door with it.

 

[BigOnDis]

So silly questions:

1. How do you know what room you are assigned then? (And when?)
2. How do you get your 'key' to your room? And what about the card if not using a magic band?

They send you a text when your room is ready and the room number shows up in MDE (cant remember if the room number is in the text, I dont think it is). You can use MDE to unlock the room, if not using a magic band, but how convenient that would be for everyone I dont know. We always have our Magicbands with us so never an issue for us.

 

[Moliphino]

Another bonus, if you get your room assignment before you arrive and don't like it you can call in right then and see if it can be changed. You don't have to wait until you get there.

 

[Frozen2014]

They send you a text when your room is ready and the room number shows up in MDE (cant remember if the room number is in the text, I dont think it is). You can use MDE to unlock the room, if not using a magic band, but how convenient that would be for everyone I dont know. We always have our Magicbands with us so never an issue for us.

We have very old magic bands from 2014 so hoping that they work. (From posts they should outside of ride pictures).

Question...what if we arrive before 3pm (formal check in time)? Wouldn't we have to go to the main desk then? Or do they text you before 3pm? (Our flight arrives 1ish and hoping to not check in bags).

I'm looking at the details on the app and it doesn't seem to have much about our hotel or plans (but I see everything when I sign into the website). (But I got a notification to check in, which is what prompted this post)

 

[theaterguy]

They send you a text with your room number. If you have MDE on your phone, you can open the door with it.

That's correct. Old magic bands registered to you will also work as a room key. They will txt you when the room is ready. I got there at 10:30 am last time... my flight info was online.. and I got a txt at 10:30 with my room number. So check in Online I think helped!

 

[Dug720]

Just a note... You *MAY* still have to go to the front desk. It is not a guarantee that you'll get to bypass it.

 

[reddog21]

We have very old magic bands from 2014 so hoping that they work. (From posts they should outside of ride pictures).

Question...what if we arrive before 3pm (formal check in time)? Wouldn't we have to go to the main desk then? Or do they text you before 3pm? (Our flight arrives 1ish and hoping to not check in bags).

I'm looking at the details on the app and it doesn't seem to have much about our hotel or plans (but I see everything when I sign into the website). (But I got a notification to check in, which is what prompted this post)

The NFC chips in magic bands basically work forever they don't require power.

I generally use my phone to open the door however the last trip half way thru my vacation all of our phones stopped being able to open the door. Absolutely no one at the resort had any
clue how to fix it or even try to fix it. One of the managers actually said with a straight face maybe it got demagnetized, my phone demagnetized.......ummmmm ok???? At that point I knew it was a lost cause. There solution was to give me a key card which I took however a day later the key card stopped working. The one thing that worked absolutely flawless the entire time was my son's magic band which we used the rest of the trip just to get in the hotel room. My phone and apple watch worked awesome for park entry and lightning lane the entire time. This is probably one of those once in a lifetime issues but just be aware it can happen so I would bring a magic band with you even if it's just the puck and not the entire band.

 

[Frozen2014]

Just a note... You *MAY* still have to go to the front desk. It is not a guarantee that you'll get to bypass it.

Yes of course. But sounds like nothing to lose by trying online and worst case, we go to the desk when we line up.

The NFC chips in magic bands basically work forever they don't require power.

I generally use my phone to open the door however the last trip half way thru my vacation all of our phones stopped being able to open the door. Absolutely no one at the resort had any
clue how to fix it or even try to fix it. One of the managers actually said with a straight face maybe it got demagnetized, my phone demagnetized.......ummmmm ok???? At that point I knew it was a lost cause. There solution was to give me a key card which I took however a day later the key card stopped working. The one thing that worked absolutely flawless the entire time was my son's magic band which we used the rest of the trip just to get in the hotel room. My phone and apple watch worked awesome for park entry and lightning lane the entire time. This is probably one of those once in a lifetime issues but just be aware it can happen so I would bring a magic band with you even if it's just the puck and not the entire band.

Great. We hope to use our old magic bands. They are really old...thin rectangle (not even the circle in the middle).

Where in the app do you see your resort info? I can see tickets but not resort (whereas I can see everything in the website). And then where does the app function as a key? Or maybe this only shows when you hit your check in day?

 

[StageTek]

Where in the app do you see your resort info? I can see tickets but not resort (whereas I can see everything in the website). And then where does the app function as a key? Or maybe this only shows when you hit your check in day?

On the bottom right hand side there are three lines. Click on that and you'll see "Resort Hotel" is you scroll down a bit.

Touch that and scroll down - you'll see "Room" (which will be blank now) and "Unlock Door".

 

[Frozen2014]

On the bottom right hand side there are three lines. Click on that and you'll see "Resort Hotel" is you scroll down a bit.

Touch that and scroll down - you'll see "Room" (which will be blank now) and "Unlock Door".

Thanks. I did that and it just told me i linked them already....and just see the same page to link a reservation.

 

[JBRB828]

I arrive tomorrow and just did online checkin, first time doing that. I doubt our room will be ready since we land around 9:45AM. It did ask me my arrival time to the hotel, I said noon.

 

[Dug720]

Yes of course. But sounds like nothing to lose by trying online and worst case, we go to the desk when we line up.

Agreed - though I actually LIKE starting my trip with speaking with a CM at the desk. But it's asking for people to come back on here - or other socials - and complain that they had to go even though they did online check-in. Yes, the possibility seems to have gone down, but it still exists.

 

[reddog21]

Agreed - though I actually LIKE starting my trip with speaking with a CM at the desk. But it's asking for people to come back on here - or other socials - and complain that they had to go even though they did online check-in. Yes, the possibility seems to have gone down, but it still exists.

My wife and I are the total opposite, the less interaction I have with the front desk the better the vacation(this goes for all hotels not just Disney).

 

[StageTek]

Agreed - though I actually LIKE starting my trip with speaking with a CM at the desk.

Me too!

I've had many fun interactions with Front Desk CM's. They are so helpful in personally checking what rooms are available.

 

[CarolynFH]

Thanks. I did that and it just told me i linked them already....and just see the same page to link a reservation.

It won't show your room number until your room is actually ready for you to enter it.

Question...what if we arrive before 3pm (formal check in time)? Wouldn't we have to go to the main desk then? Or do they text you before 3pm? (Our flight arrives 1ish and hoping to not check in bags).

If you arrive before your room number is showing in MDE, then you can check your bags with Bell Services/Luggage Assistance (different names for same service, depending on resort) and go do whatever, until you get the text message that your room is ready. You don't have to go to the front desk, although some guests do go, just to ask whether a different room might be ready that they could be switched to.