Skipping front desk at all resorts?

[jpeka65844]

Last I heard, they were piloting a system where, if you have checked in online, you can skip going to the front desk altogether and your MB should work in your room door when your room becomes available.

Has that rolled out to all resorts yet or do we still need to stop at the front desk regardless if we've checked in online or not?

It's been just shy of 2 years since we've been last and I can't believe how many things have changed!!!

 

[scrapquitler]

I think it's all resorts. When you do online check in, it will tell you if you can skip the front desk. You can sign up for a text or email to tell you your room number, and once you know that, and you have your MB, you can just go to the room.

 

[Accident]

I've had it work and not work.. here is what I did last time where it finally worked

1: Paid in full over 1 week before arrival (room reservation only don't have to pay in full until check in).
2: you have a saved credit card in your account and have set a pin number for purchases (mde -> my profile -> payment methods)
3: you have a mobile phone and email in your account (mde -> my profile -> contact information)
4: you have a magic band in your account.
5: complete online check in or go in and submit it again after 1-3 are completed. 4 will add itself when your bands ship (I noticed it wasn't fully completed after I made the last payment).

From this point, everything will say you still have to visit the front desk but 7 days before you arrive an email will come saying you will get a txt and can go directly to the room bypassing the front desk. I was incredibly paranoid waiting for the txt because I was on property for several hours prior to my room being ready and there is no notification that everything is ok until the room txt comes. Many report they have the txt prior to boarding their planes or as they turn their phone back on when landing.

EDITED TO ADD: That list came from the you can bypass email I got last trip where it listed most of them as what was needed to qualify. I'm not sure if there is an email saying you need to add them to quality.

Side tips:
- If you have friends/family with their own MDE account and have a food plan purchased under your account, you'll probably need to get the pin reset on before it will work for everyone.
- same goes for bill the room purchases and the pin number for them to use it if desired.
- you can still pay incidentals with gift cards just remember your billed roughly every $1000 but that varies so inquire with the resort on the best way and when to pay with your gift card(s).
- If you are planning to head to the parks or use the meal plan before you get the txt with room number, stop at guest relations to have your tickets and meal plan activated. They do not activate until you have a room assigned if it was a package deal. Standalone tickets will work right away. (guest relations takes 5-6 minutes to activate, available at every park entrance and disney springs.

 

[nkereina]

It's at all resorts now, but you need to complete online check-in and enter all information during the online check-in process in order to be eligible. About a week or so before your check-in date, you'll get an email from WDW to notify you that you can bypass the front desk if you have completed everything correctly during online check-in. Also, it's worth noting that WDW will text OR email you your room number on your check-in day. I entered my phone number during online check-in, but never got a text. Happened to check my email while on DME and noticed they had emailed me the room number instead.

 

[dansdad]

As others have posted, all Resorts give you the possibility to Skip The Front Desk. However, by completing the Online Check In it is not guaranteed that you will be able to Bypass The Front Desk. After completing Online Check In you will have one of the following 3 experiences:

Bypass The Front Desk - You will receive an email about 5-10 days before your arrival saying Congratulations, you will be able to Bypass The Front Desk. When you arrive on property, you will get a text. If you room is ready, the text will have your room number. If it's not ready, the text will say so and then say you will receive another text once your room is ready. Either way you can now head to the parks if you want.

Streamlined Check In - Once completing Online Check In you will receive a pop-up stating you will be able to participate in the Streamline Check In process. Once you arrive at your resort, you will proceed to the Streamlined Check In Kiosk and hand the CM there your ID. They will check your ID and if your room is ready, they will give you your room number. If it's not ready, you will receive a text with your room number when it is. You can now head to the parks.

Online Check In - If do not receive the Bypass the Front Desk email nor the Streamlined Check In pop-up, when you arrive at your resort head to the Online Check In desk. The CM there will check your ID and if your room is ready they will give you your room number. If it's not, you will receive a text with your room number when it is ready. You can now head to the parks.

Nobody has been able to figure out how they decide who gets to do what. We were traveling together with another family recently, on the same plane, on the same ME bus, same packages, etc and we were able to Bypass The Front Desk and they did the Streamlined Check In.

 

[nkereina]

Streamlined Check In - Once completing Online Check In you will receive a pop-up stating you will be able to participate in the Streamline Check In process. Once you arrive at your resort, you will proceed to the Streamlined Check In Kiosk and hand the CM there your ID. They will check your ID and if your room is ready, they will give you your room number. If it's not ready, you will receive a text with your room number when it is. You can now head to the parks.

I'm not familiar with this option - is this the CMs who greet you at the door with an iPad as you get off DME? We were at AKV in October and there were CMs greeting people with iPads, but they were able to help anyone who approached them (or whom they approached), seemingly regardless of whether online check-in was completed or not. Aside from this, I didn't see any designated lines other than the online check-in line.

 

[dansdad]

I'm not familiar with this option - is this the CMs who greet you at the door with an iPad as you get off DME? We were at AKV in October and there were CMs greeting people with iPads, but they were able to help anyone who approached them (or whom they approached), seemingly regardless of whether online check-in was completed or not. Aside from this, I didn't see any designated lines other than the online check-in line.

Hmmm...I don't know. At CBR and at BWI there was a separate, stand alone kiosk in the lobby with a CM. There was a sign at the top of the kiosks that said "Streamlined Check In". But those trips were 3 and 6 months ago so they may have eliminated the kiosks and went with the CMs holding the IPADs. Now that I think about it, the CM at the kiosks did have an IPAD so maybe they moved them out front.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'm not familiar with this option - is this the CMs who greet you at the door with an iPad as you get off DME? We were at AKV in October and there were CMs greeting people with iPads, but they were able to help anyone who approached them (or whom they approached), seemingly regardless of whether online check-in was completed or not. Aside from this, I didn't see any designated lines other than the online check-in line.

The CM's at the door will greet all arriving guests. They will ask if you're checking in and if you've already received a text with your room number. They will take care of you, whether you are going to go straight to your room or if you have to complete your check in at the front desk. That part of the check in process hasn't changed for deluxe resorts.

 

[sndral]

I didn't receive an email a few days before arrival saying anything about bypassing the front desk, but we checked in to AKL yesterday and the email w/ our room number came while I was in flight - it popped up when I turned my phone back on after landing. The email gave us our room no. and said we could bypass the front desk - which we did. However, we had to stop by the front desk today as I discovered that the credit card wasn't linked onto the band (even tho' I'd entered it online) to link it to the band. We have a 3 way split, so it'll be interesting to see what happens w/ the next 2 resorts.

 

[nkereina]

The CM's at the door will greet all arriving guests. They will ask if you're checking in and if you've already received a text with your room number. They will take care of you, whether you are going to go straight to your room or if you have to complete your check in at the front desk. That part of the check in process hasn't changed for deluxe resorts.

I understand what the CMs at the door do, I've used them before. But I didn't realize there was (or used to be?) a designated "streamlined check-in" area and that you can actually receive an email referencing this. I was always under the impression you are helped by these people at the door, who have the same capacity as the online check-in desk CMs, or you head straight to the room if you get your room number.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I understand what the CMs at the door do, I've used them before. But I didn't realize there was (or used to be?) a designated "streamlined check-in" area and that you can actually receive an email referencing this. I was always under the impression you are helped by these people at the door, who have the same capacity as the online check-in desk CMs, or you head straight to the room if you get your room number.

I have never seen a separate area that was designated as a streamlined check in area in any of the resorts I have checked into in the last two years. We've been at WL, OKW, BC, YC and POR, but all of them had the regular check in desk separated for those who have done online check in and those who have not. Maybe these separate areas existed for a time or at a few resorts, but I haven't seen them.

 

[dansdad]

I have never seen a separate area that was designated as a streamlined check in area in any of the resorts I have checked into in the last two years. We've been at WL, OKW, BC, YC and POR, but all of them had the regular check in desk separated for those who have done online check in and those who have not. Maybe these separate areas existed for a time or at a few resorts, but I haven't seen them.

We saw the Streamlined Check In kiosks at CBR in June and BWI in September. My parents used them at WL in May and POFQ in October.

 

[Lefty33]

I have never seen a separate area that was designated as a streamlined check in area in any of the resorts I have checked into in the last two years. We've been at WL, OKW, BC, YC and POR, but all of them had the regular check in desk separated for those who have done online check in and those who have not. Maybe these separate areas existed for a time or at a few resorts, but I haven't seen them.

Same as you, I've never seen anything like this at CSR last year or when I was there less than three months ago. In fact when I went to check in, the front desk spot to the far right where someone is supposed to be for online check in was unmanned and the two cast members working were both fairly far down to the left. Just like I've been told on two different stays at CSR that they would text me when my room was ready and it never happened.