Southwest CHecking in for return trip

[wnickles99]

This is my first time on Southwest. I have no problem checking in ahead of time 24 hours before leaving to get boarding letters, but how do people on vacation at Disney do it for their return trip? Most people I would assume don't go with computers and printers and such while at WDW. How do you go about checking in for your flight if you're spending the days at the park 24 hours before leaving or don't have access to the internet or computer. Do you all pay for the early bird check in? If so do you have to have access somehow in printing off the boarding pass letter thing, or can you print it at the airport a couple of hours ahead of the flight when paying for the service to have the airline check you in?> Appreciate any and all experience and knowledge.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

This is my first time on Southwest. I have no problem checking in ahead of time 24 hours before leaving to get boarding letters, but how do people on vacation at Disney do it for their return trip? Most people I would assume don't go with computers and printers and such while at WDW. How do you go about checking in for your flight if you're spending the days at the park 24 hours before leaving or don't have access to the internet or computer. Do you all pay for the early bird check in? If so do you have to have access somehow in printing off the boarding pass letter thing, or can you print it at the airport a couple of hours ahead of the flight when paying for the service to have the airline check you in?> Appreciate any and all experience and knowledge.

It is important to understand that you do not need to print out your boarding pass at the time you check in. You can always do that at the airport. That being said, you can check in:

From a web enabled cell phone in the parks....done this many times,

From Guest Relations at the parks,

Having family/friends check you in from home,

Paying for Early Bird Checkin.

 

[pamickey]

If you are staying at a Disney resort, you can drop your luggage off at Bell Services by a certain time in the morning, and (if you have ME booked for your trip), they will check your luggage straight through to your home airport. Southwest was added about a year or two ago. I believe that the resort may also print boarding passes for you if you are checking your luggage. Just ask.

If you aren't staying at a Disney resort, I agree with PP. Just print your pass at the airport.

Terri

 

[DebbieB]

When the 24 hour mark hits, just go to the nearest guest services. I've done my check-in and had my boarding pass printed at City Hall at MK, Guest Services at Downtown Disney, Guest Services at Beach Club.

 

[wnickles99]

Wow. I did not know going to a guest relations and doing it there would be possible. So Disney lets you use their computer at the guest services location to go to the airline website and check in?

 

[DVC-Don]

So Disney lets you use their computer at the guest services location to go to the airline website and check in?

Yep. Before Early Boarding Checkin came out I used to check in via my cell phone.

 

[goofy4tink]

Wow. I did not know going to a guest relations and doing it there would be possible. So Disney lets you use their computer at the guest services location to go to the airline website and check in?

Sort of...I have always had to hand my confirmation email, with ID, to the CM, who then accessed SW's site and they checked me in.
Of course, I now just do EBCI..so much easier and certainly worth it (at least to us) to not have to worry about being at a computer at that 24 hr window. Then, when we get to RAC to check our bags they can just print out our boarding passes for us.

 

[wnickles99]

Thanks for the tips. My daughter also has a phone with the internet on it but I thought it was more complicated and you had to print stuff and everything. Thanks!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Along the same vein....I was thinking about adding EBCI for my return from MCO. Can I do it after I arrive for my vacay? My friend has a new cell and is not sure if she can connect to the internet while we are there....I know that I can not with mine and am not bringing my laptop.

 

[DebbieB]

Wow. I did not know going to a guest relations and doing it there would be possible. So Disney lets you use their computer at the guest services location to go to the airline website and check in?

No, the cm does it behind the counter. At MK, he had to go into a back room to pickup the print.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Yes, I have done the same thing Debbie said...... they just ask your name and reservation # and THEY use their computer to check you in and print it for you.

I do not worry about it too much unless I am flying Southwest.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Along the same vein....I was thinking about adding EBCI for my return from MCO. Can I do it after I arrive for my vacay? My friend has a new cell and is not sure if she can connect to the internet while we are there....I know that I can not with mine and am not bringing my laptop.

You can add EBCI up to 25 hours before your scheduled depature time. However, the earlier you sign up for EBCI, the early boarding pass number you get. If you don't care about when you board and just don't want to check in at 24 hours, then you could wait until after you arrive.

 

[alldiz]

I've always walked up to any front desk where I happened to be and had them check me in. You need your confirmation number.

Now that SW has the EBCI for $10.....That is priceless for me to not have to think about going home on my last vacation day
Kerri

 

[dancin Disney style]

You can add EBCI up to 25 hours before your scheduled depature time. However, the earlier you sign up for EBCI, the early boarding pass number you get. If you don't care about when you board and just don't want to check in at 24 hours, then you could wait until after you arrive.

Thanks...we are 2 moms traveling with our kids. We don't care if we all sit together but we do each need to sit with our kids. My friends son is only 5...he turns 5 right before our trip. My DD could sit alone but would not be comfortable at all...she is 11.

I'm thinking that I will add EBCI now for my tickets and then if we need to my DD and I can save 1 seat for my friends little guy. That way we will have 3 seats together...one of the adults can sit alone.

So based on what you are saying my EBCI # will be higher if I add it now rather than the week of our flight?

 

[goofy4tink]

Thanks...we are 2 moms traveling with our kids. We don't care if we all sit together but we do each need to sit with our kids. My friends son is only 5...he turns 5 right before our trip. My DD could sit alone but would not be comfortable at all...she is 11.

I'm thinking that I will add EBCI now for my tickets and then if we need to my DD and I can save 1 seat for my friends little guy. That way we will have 3 seats together...one of the adults can sit alone.

So based on what you are saying my EBCI # will be higher if I add it now rather than the week of our flight?

Technically, those who pay for EBCI earlier, get checked in earlier in the process. Say you are flying out on July 1. You buy your tickets on Dec 1. You don't buy EBCI though. So....along comes another family..they buy tickets on the same flight you do, but they also buy EBCI...they do all this on Feb 2. You go back to SW, and add EBCI to your flights, but it is now Feb 5. Theoretically the, the person who purchased tickets and EBCI on Feb 2 gets checked in before you do. It's basically first come, first served.

The longer you wait to buy EBCI, the higher your boarding number will be. The early buyers will get A16 and up...with the later people getting higher numbers.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Technically, those who pay for EBCI earlier, get checked in earlier in the process. Say you are flying out on July 1. You buy your tickets on Dec 1. You don't buy EBCI though. So....along comes another family..they buy tickets on the same flight you do, but they also buy EBCI...they do all this on Feb 2. You go back to SW, and add EBCI to your flights, but it is now Feb 5. Theoretically the, the person who purchased tickets and EBCI on Feb 2 gets checked in before you do. It's basically first come, first served.

The longer you wait to buy EBCI, the higher your boarding number will be. The early buyers will get A16 and up...with the later people getting higher numbers.

Thanks...that's what I thought. I worded it wrong...meant to say 'lower number'...not higher number. It's all basically like the old boarding style....first in line.

 

[quagmire0]

If you have an Android phone (and probably an iPhone) they have a Southwest app that lets you do pretty much anything the website does. It will be really nice since I can set an alarm for when my 24 hour window opens up and then check in on the spot.