"Room Ready" Best Check In Time

[Granny]

Inspired by the poll going on, it occurs to me that early morning is probably not the best time to check in under the new "Room Ready" policy.

As I understand it, whenever you approach the check-in desk, you will be given your choice of whatever rooms are ready at that time.

If you don't like the available rooms, you just get out of line and try again later. You can't ask for a room to be held for you that the people might be vacating later on that day.

So....to me, an early check-in is not a good idea. If you go to check in around 9:00 a.m., you will mostly only get to choose from rooms that nobody else wanted who is staying there.

By late morning, some of the rooms that people checked out of should be ready for occupancy.

I wonder when most people check out...that would drive the timing of room availability. Sounds like another poll!

In the mean time, when do you think will be the optimal time to check-in under this new system?

 

[Michelemouse]

I have another question regarding the Room Ready policy...

If you check in early and don't like the choice of rooms available at that time does it mean that you have to come back and check in again later? In the past, if you didn't like what was available, they would assign you a room and give you your keys, but not tell you what room you had. Then, later, you would call the front desk (or you could stop by) and when the room was clean you were told the number. It seems that with this new policy they will have longer lines at check-in because some people will have to come back later and check in again...or am I missing something?

 

[Granny]

Michele...as I understand it, they will no longer "block" a room for you. You can only choose from what is clean and available at that time. So they won't give you a room key.....people will literally have to keep getting back in line to check-in and see what is available at that time.

Someone please correct me if I'm getting this wrong. If they'll still assign you a room even if it's not ready, then early check in will definitely have the advantage.

 

[pat-rick]

My observation while at a Disney Resort is that housekeeping starts at one end of the hall and pushes forward.
Is this not correct ?
Do they jump around to get to the rooms as they are vacated?

If a room in the middle of the hallway was vacated and check out time for everyone is the same then would they not do housekeeping at approximately the same time each day dependent on how many Towel / Trash and checkout rooms they had that patricular day.

 

[ErinC]

Granny, I'm anxiously awaiting the responses to this post. I was all ready for an early trek to the checkin counter for our Dec. trip. But now I'm rethinking that. We have only been home once, and I normally don't put that much stock in location, other than I absolutely want a non-smoking room. However, our Dec. trip is with family (my parents, and DH's Sister), and I would really like to have a few more requests met. Hopefully, between now and then, others will be able to report back on their first hand experiences.

 

[Doc and Family]

Michele,
I see it the way you see it. It SEEMS as if we will all be standing around all day waiting for a room to be ready. We used to enjoy checking in, getting a key, and leaving. Probably a thing of the past.

Granny,
I expect to see a mad crush at the check in desk around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Check out time is 11. Allow time for cleaning and reporting the room clean to the front desk, and your you will probably have your best shot at getting more of what you want around that time, I would guess.

Maybe this is a new attraction at WDW. Have the guests arrive at the same time, children running around screaming, anxiously awaiting going into the park, only to be told they have to stand around the lobby all day, playing musical CMs (similar to musical chairs, of course, but with Disney Music), hoping a room that is not too far removed from what they really want becomes available at the precise instant they make it to the front of the check in desk line. But if not, its ok, you get to go to the back of the line and do it again. This could save a fortune on passes, everyone now needs one less day on their passes to go into the park, as the first day may be spent enjoying that new Disney Attraction (E-ticket at that): Disney's Musical CMs Check In.

 

[Terry S]

What happens when the resort is full and there are NO rooms clean when you check in??? Which is highly possible early in the morning during a busy time. Do they tell you sorry no rooms are clean, check back later? This is ridiculous if you ask me!

I really think that they are just telling us that they won't block a room so everyone doesn't try and check in early, but in reality, I just can't believe that that is the way it is going to work.

 

[DisneyHumbug]

What if you're putting UPHs on your room key? Will we have to wait for a room to be ready to get our passes now, too??? I guess everyone will definitely be dropping off the first day with this new policy. Sounds like there's some kinks to be worked out.

 

[Beth]

Yeah... all the above PLUS the difficulty of getting multiple rooms close to each other...

Yeah - this system is DEFINITELY better than the old one...

 

[inky dinky doo]

I'm anxiously waiting to see what actual experiences are, too. Everything I've read says you have to just keep checking back, but what a pain that will be -- for us and for the CMs at the front desk. Unless they plan to install fastpass machines in the lobby?

Doc and Family: I had to laugh outloud at your "new attraction" comment. December will be our first visit "home," and it's sounding more and more like it may really be an (unpleasant) "experience."

Pat

107 days and counting . . . again!

 

[LodgeMan]

Is this DVC-wide or limited to BWV?

 

[OneMoreTry]

I think this is an important thread.

If it's true that we are limited to rooms available at the precise moment of check in (which I can hardly believe given DVC's great computer system), then it would be good for us to know the most likely time for rooms to become available.

I assume the best person to ask would be the one who enters this information into the computer when a room is cleaned. Is housekeeping responsible for that? Are there certain times this information is entered? Ie, do they sit down and do it on the hour or every other hour or on even or odd hours?

As I posted on another thread, we got there at about 1130 am in June and had a couple good rooms to choose from.


I still find it hard to believe that DVC would be using such a poor system with no other options. That would be a step back rather than a step forward.

 

[Granny]

Well, if we combine this with the results of the "When do you check out" poll, it would seem that most people check out in the last available hour (10:00 - 11:00).

Figuring that it takes some amount of time to clean the rooms, it looks like a mid-afternoon check-in would yield the most choice in rooms.

This most certainly will take some ironing out. I'm glad my next trip isn't until next July so they can get the bugs out of this system!

On the other hand, I can't book at BWV for the past three days....oh, that's another thread!

 

[OneMoreTry]

It would also be helpful to know when they actually sit down to enter the information into the system. Is it scanned in by housekeeping staff room by room as they clean? Or are blocks of rooms entered all at once at specific times? If so, what are those times?

(The reason I care, for those who don't and don't think others should either, is that we spend lots of time in our condo.)

 

[jel0511]

We were at BCV last month, and according to posts, the new "room ready" system was already in place there. Upon checking in, we were told no rooms were currently ready, and the CM then gave us a choice of rooms. She listed them out by floor, and gave me any additional informtion, like view. We decided to take a 5th floor Epcot view, as explained by the CM. The room was blocked for us, and I called the front desk a couple of times from SAB to see if it was ready. It finally was ready at 1:30pm and we were then given our room number. So, if there are no rooms available, it seems they are able to block off a room for you. Now, I don't know what would have happened if a room had been available, but knowing my DH, we would have taken it anyway!!!

 

[Mouse Ears]

If an acceptable room is not ready with the 'room ready' system, I would expect them to block a room that has been vacated but not yet clean. That would minimize your wait to get a ready room and allow them to go ahead and give you keys. If that is not available either, they should deal with it on a case by case basis (either blocking ahead or allowing you to try again depending on your circumstances).

However they work this out, I just hope that they don't make it a requirement to show up at 7am if you want a chance at your requests. We only really care about nonsmoking, but it will ruin my trip if I don't at least get that.

As far as the main question here, I think early afternoon will be the optimum arrival time for room availability.

In most hotels, housekeepers check in periodically and report cleaned rooms and they are entered into the system throughout the day.

 

[MrsG]

Will BCV store luggage until the room is ready? When we stayed at the Carribbean Beach before we were members, many times no rooms were ready, so they stored our luggage and told us to check back occassionally. We went off to the parks and either called or returned by 3PM. By then, our room was ready.

When we go home for the first time next July, I just want a clean room with everything in working order. We are rarely in the room so I really don't care what view I have. I am sure all views are nice in their own way. Is the view or location really that important (barring medical reasons) or am I missing something? I don't mean to start anything here, I just haven't been home yet so maybe I just don't get it?

Maryann

 

[kathleena]

Hmmmmm Ok so we have people checking in and waiting around in the lobby and then racing each other to the desk when they thing that the area they want was just cleaned?

And will they send scouts out around the resort to see where mousekeeping is?

Will we have families with walkie-talkies posted in strategic spots, coaching the designated check-in person?

OK, so before we start thinking that this can't work - remember - they have been using it at BCV and I think they were using it at OKW in May when we checked in. We could tell that he was searching for a room for us and he did give us a choice.

Now, having said that - if this has been in effect since BCV opened - here's what happened to me. We moved from BWV to BCV and went to check in around 9:30 ish. I had reserved on the first day BCV was open for ressies right at 9am. She said "do I have a great room for you, it's not ready yet, but should be shortly". Now, I assumed it was pre-assigned.

But was it?

And if it wasn't - I had my key in hand with no room number and had to call.

Anyone know when BCV started on this first come/first serve system?

 

[bjakmom]

According to Jackie from DVC they have been using this system for quite a while (I don't remember specifically how long she said, but I remember being surprised ) so it is very likely that it has been in effect at BCV as Kathleena mentioned. What Jackie said to me was that you would be offered a room - they would try to meet at least one of your requests, if it was ready when you check in - if you refuse that room then you must come back later to check in again - she said that there was no guarantee that on subsequent tries that you would be assigned a better or more suitable (to person checking in) room - in fact she specifically mentioned that the room may be less suitable, you just never know (I guess this is one way they may try to keep people from standing around trying again and again - besides the fact that we all know it's not helpful to tick-off the CMs at the front desk). It makes no sense to me that they would forgo the system of taking your luggage, giving you your keys and sending you off to the parks, telling you to call back now and then to check on a room - this has always worked great for us - we'll hope this is still the way it works out - maybe it's better if no rooms are ready when you check in ?! If it becomes as bad as some people fear, they'll have to rework it - I just don't see it being that drastic (disclaimer: I'm an optimist!)

 

[donmil723]

In June, we checked in early about 9 a.m. for two studios. I'm not sure if the "room ready" system was in place or not. The studios we got were not ready but they gave us our keys and we just had to call back for our room numbers. I only requested non-smoking & close to each other. Both requests were met. In July, we didn't arrive until 5 p.m. and our room was ready. Both of our requests (non-smoking and 3rd floor or lower) were met again. The funny thing is that in 3 trips to BCV, we have gotten the same room but on different floors--131, 331 (& 327), & 231.

Donna