Online Checkin-wow!

[hsmamato2]

Just wanted to post a quick note for anyone wondering about using online checkin.... we did it this month for a stay at Pop, wow! so simple and quick! I love this! Got a text in the morning that we could just head straight to our room,arrived by 10:30 am ,and didn't have to go to the checkin desk at all! checkout was just as simple, and it was nice to avoid lines.

 

[AJA]

Just wanted to post a quick note for anyone wondering about using online checkin.... we did it this month for a stay at Pop, wow! so simple and quick! I love this! Got a text in the morning that we could just head straight to our room,arrived by 10:30 am ,and didn't have to go to the checkin desk at all! checkout was just as simple, and it was nice to avoid lines.

How did it go with your magic bands? I ask because our last trip a few weeks ago when we checked in at the front desk the cast member made sure to scan each of our magic bands, I assume to make sure our assigned room would work with them, this was at CSR. On our trip in January at AoA when we checked in the employee didn't do that and our magic bands did not open our room! We had to walk all the way back to the front desk from the LM rooms. I am not sure if scanning the magic bands when assigning the room had anything to do with it? Or maybe the employee in January was new and simply made a computer mistake?

 

[dansdad]

How did it go with your magic bands? I ask because our last trip a few weeks ago when we checked in at the front desk the cast member made sure to scan each of our magic bands, I assume to make sure our assigned room would work with them, this was at CSR. On our trip in January at AoA when we checked in the employee didn't do that and our magic bands did not open our room! We had to walk all the way back to the front desk from the LM rooms. I am not sure if scanning the magic bands when assigning the room had anything to do with it? Or maybe the employee in January was new and simply made a computer mistake?

Your Magic Bands are supposed to open the door to your room without any CM interaction. However, as with all technology there are glitches. Our last 2 trips we were able to Bypass The Front Desk and all our MBs opened the door. The trip before that we weren't able to Bypass The Front Desk but the CM at the Online Check In desk did nothing with any of our MBs.

 

[hsmamato2]

worked fine! ( and I'm not a MB fan) it was seamless- which for me and a Disney tech experience is rare lol I've never had a stay where we didn't need the desk at all....

 

[loves to dive]

While I've never gotten the coveted you can bi-pass the front desk your room is ready e-mail, I have been at the front desk many times when they haven't touched my MBs unless I have to reset my pin (which I have to do just about every time cause I can't ever remember what I used last time). I've also been there when they have had to walk me to my room and bring my MB up to me because they couldn't get it to work (they knew that before I ever even set foot in the place, technology ain't it grand).

 

[Nana2Callie]

I'm debating on the online check in (we arrive tomorrow) but in the past - we've had input on our room when checking in at front desk. We are staying Preferred Pool area - should we go online? Thanks,

 

[tinkerbella16]

Your Magic Bands are supposed to open the door to your room without any CM interaction. However, as with all technology there are glitches. Our last 2 trips we were able to Bypass The Front Desk and all our MBs opened the door. The trip before that we weren't able to Bypass The Front Desk but the CM at the Online Check In desk did nothing with any of our MBs.

Very true. In November, I went straight to my room after getting the text that morning that my room was ready. I had 2 magic bands, 1 that they give with the reservation and 1 I had purchased and linked to my account. When I got to my room at POR, neither of the bands opened the door, so I had to walk down to the front desk and the CM had to "hard code" both bands to my room. Thankfully it was real quick, so it wasn't a bother... but I am wondering if it was a glitch because I had 2 bands or if this happens a lot (now seeing others having the same problem).

November was the first time I used online check-in, and I loved it! We'll be using it again for our September trip. It was so easy to do, and knowing that my room was ready at 10am, before I was on magical express was great!

 

[verleniahall]

We did online check in last november and it worked just like OP - FANTASTIC - MB worked just fine

 

[bumbershoot]

I have used online checkin in its various incarnations since our first trip in 2010. Even since the start of "straight to room" we have not once gotten it. Doesn't much matter to me as I don't want it, but they don't know that.

I ask because our last trip a few weeks ago when we checked in at the front desk the cast member made sure to scan each of our magic bands, I assume to make sure our assigned room would work with them, this was at CSR. On our trip in January at AoA when we checked in the employee didn't do that and our magic bands did not open our room! We had to walk all the way back to the front desk from the LM rooms. I am not sure if scanning the magic bands when assigning the room had anything to do with it?

One had nothing to do with the other. Honestly I'd rather NOT have them mess with things, as CMs can mess things up just as easily as problems can be fixed.

 

[disney world dreamer]

Just wanted to post a quick note for anyone wondering about using online checkin.... we did it this month for a stay at Pop, wow! so simple and quick! I love this! Got a text in the morning that we could just head straight to our room,arrived by 10:30 am ,and didn't have to go to the checkin desk at all! checkout was just as simple, and it was nice to avoid lines.

same experience here.
went in april 2015 and stayed at POP.
i got an email prior to arriving with my room number and it said i could head directly too my room.
i arrived at about 9:30am, found my room, and walked on in.
in december 2015 i stayed at all star sports and again received an email with my room number that said i could go directly to my room. this was also around 9:30am that i arrived.

both time i had made location requests as well as early arrival requests and i got everything i asked for.

 

[Toadi]

Did online checkin for the first time in January 2016 and had a very wonderful experience! Requested ground floor and early checkin (@12:30 pm) and got both. Got the text just before boarding the MEB. Walked to our room & magic bands opened the door. Very magical! Had not used online checkin in the past because I was skeptical, but now am willing to try it every time. If you don't like the room assignment, you can always go to the front desk and try to change. Never went to the front desk; got our room folio email before we left the resort on checkout day and everything was correct. Excellent!

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

Is it worth it to do online check-in if we have APs? Would we still need to go to the counter to show our passes, or is our online info enough? It sure would be nice to get one of those texts to go right to our rooms

 

[Sue M]

I wish they had this option for non US guests.

 

[Toadi]

Is it worth it to do online check-in if we have APs? Would we still need to go to the counter to show our passes, or is our online info enough? It sure would be nice to get one of those texts to go right to our rooms

We had AP's on our January 2016 trip when we did online check-in and went right to our room. Landing to room entry was one hour.

 

[jsrj21]

Awesome news for you! I may be weird but I actually love going into our beloved CBR and heading to the "Custom House" to check-in. It's the official start of our vacation, IMO, and the ambiance is great! If this is where check-in is headed, and I think it is, I'm just sayin' that I'll miss that part of our WDW vacations.

 

[Kaigler]

I'm glad you had a good experience. Seems to be hit or miss to be honest for a lot of people. Last time we tried it we never received a text and our MB didn't work.

 

[Minnesota!]

I love the technology aspect of it. But, I am refusing online check-in this next time as I want to be able to refuse my room if I get first floor again, ha! I love upper floor, and when they pre-assign you one, it’s not quite as easy to ask for something else.


Also, my kids love that few minutes of cartoons to decompress before we start our adventure.

 

[Dis703]

How did it go with your magic bands? I ask because our last trip a few weeks ago when we checked in at the front desk the cast member made sure to scan each of our magic bands, I assume to make sure our assigned room would work with them, this was at CSR. On our trip in January at AoA when we checked in the employee didn't do that and our magic bands did not open our room! We had to walk all the way back to the front desk from the LM rooms. I am not sure if scanning the magic bands when assigning the room had anything to do with it? Or maybe the employee in January was new and simply made a computer mistake?

For this reason we still stop at the desk every time. One trip we went straight to Epcot and despite having set up everything with a card and pin online, we had no charging privileges. I didn't have any idea until I had already ordered food at one of the booths. Went to Guest Services and was told they couldn't do anything that it had to be handled at the resort.

Then at CBR they checked all of our bands during check in and they were somehow showing up connected to a room at BC not CBR. There was some sort of glitch and even though they were new bands and new tickets it was showing up with the info from a trip 2 years prior. It took a solid 45 minutes to fix it at the desk but I'm glad we took care of it right away.

I'm okay with stopping at the desk. And the kids always get little goodies (and lots of attention) at the desk so I'm sure they would prefer it as well.

 

[DemoBri1]

If you have a split stay it might not work as smoothly. On our last trip we did online check-in and had no issues with our first resort and thankfully we didn't as we were on a late flight in and didn't get to Kidani until 11:15 at night. We then switched over to the poly and had an issue with our magic bands not working correctly. So beware with split stays.

 

[Bellhop97]

We are going in Sept and I really want to do online check in.. now how do you request which room/section you want and how do you let them know that your celebrating a special occasion like a birthday... my big 40..lol