Still undecided about online checkin

[anna08]

I go through this every reservation, debating in my mind whether or not it is worth it to do online checkin. The next trip I am thinking about it so much more because of being on MDE to schedule and book things - it starts me in the face -
Check in online now.

We'll be at VGF for this next trip. Magic bands customized, FastPasses reserved. Just not sure what, if any, are the advantages to checking in online. Sometimes the line is longer. In the past, it has not seemed to make the process once at the desk any faster. Once at BCV, they could not find our "packet" and had to start over. That was the weird trip that when we got in the room at midnight, someone had used the shower and left behind items AFTER the room had been cleaned. Always wondered if someone walked off with our packet and used the room keys to enter our room???

Does anyone feel strongly one way or the other? Especially now with MagicBands?

 

[WolfpackFan]

I on the other hand have never understood why someone would NOT do online checkin? It only takes a couple of minutes at home. When I'm checking in at the resort I want to get finished as soon as I can, so we can go ahead to a park. I don't see what you loose by doing online checkin.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

That was the weird trip that when we got in the room at midnight, someone had used the shower and left behind items AFTER the room had been cleaned.

WHAT!!!??? That's crazy!

Sent from my IPad using DisBoards.

 

[anna08]

Yep, a bathing suit and some underwear! They claimed they had no other one BR to move us to so we had to wait up for Mousekeeping to reclean the shower. I think it was 1:30am before we got to bed. We guessed that it was some CMs who took a dip and had a lover's tryst.

I still have never been able to dissociate that experience with online checkin. I guess now it couldn't happen as we would have our MagicBands with us. At least there were no charges on the account. In my mind, that would be a negative, is that they store your credit card info somewhere. And that the line is occasionally longer.

 

[Lynne M]

I still have never been able to dissociate that experience with online checkin. I guess now it couldn't happen as we would have our MagicBands with us. At least there were no charges on the account. In my mind, that would be a negative, is that they store your credit card info somewhere. And that the line is occasionally longer.

Believe me, that experience had nothing whatsoever to do with online check in. The previous guests in that room could have come back in after the room was cleaned. There have been instances were incoming guests have been given keys to a room that hasn't been officially vacated yet. That's been happening since long before online check-in started.

There really isn't a downside to online check-in, but there's no major downside to not doing it, either. It's meant to be a small convenience, nothing more. If it doesn't feel like the right fit for you, just check-in the old fashioned way.

 

[rocketriter]

We used online check-in at BCV a few weeks ago during the very crowded Christmas/New Years week. A few days before our arrival, we found a message in our voice-mail from the BCV front desk confirming our check-in details, with a phone number to call if anything was incorrect (it wasn't). When we arrived on ME at about 4:30 pm, we walked straight from the bus to the villas entrance, where a concierge already had our packet made up. The room was ready as well (and met our room request). Between stepping off the bus to entering our suite, maybe 7 minutes passed.

 

[runmommyrun]

I wouldn't say online check-in has ever saved us a ton of time, but it has cut the time at the check-in counter some. For what it's worth, online check-in has nothing to do with room availability. We've done online check-in and had to wait for a room, and done counter check-in and had to wait. There's never been a big difference. The main thing is not having to key in your IDs, credit cards, etc… I see no downside into online check-in. But I'd also say it doesn't mean your room will be ready any quicker!

 

[anna08]

Thanks everyone - you convinced me!

 

[DenLo]

Yep, a bathing suit and some underwear! They claimed they had no other one BR to move us to so we had to wait up for Mousekeeping to reclean the shower. I think it was 1:30am before we got to bed. We guessed that it was some CMs who took a dip and had a lover's tryst.

I still have never been able to dissociate that experience with online checkin. I guess now it couldn't happen as we would have our MagicBands with us. At least there were no charges on the account. In my mind, that would be a negative, is that they store your credit card info somewhere. And that the line is occasionally longer.

That was a horrible way to end your day. At least you had a clean shower the next morning.

I doubt if it was a CM more likely someone swimming before a flight and looking for somewhere to shower. It might have been the guest that had been in the room and they found their KTTW still worked even though it was after check out time.

 

[LSchrow]

I doubt if it was a CM more likely someone swimming before a flight and looking for somewhere to shower. It might have been the guest that had been in the room and they found their KTTW still worked even though it was after check out time.

agreed...

btw, you can remove charging privileges anytime after you are checked in (although, we don't since they started requiring PINs to charge ).

 

[disneynutz]

For us online check in has provided little if any benefit. On occasion it would have been faster to not have used it. In December at VGF and BWV, it didn't help at all.

Bill

 

[tinkfan]

I loved it when we arrived at BWV in Sept they met us at the doors and took us to sit on a couch in the lobby and did everything there. No line, no standing! It was a nice personal touch.

 

[Donna M]

I will only do online check in if it's me and DH. This upcoming trip my DS and BIL will be staying with us and since I don't want them to have charging on our card it will be easier to check in at the desk and just designate the two of us.

 

[disneydenisel]

Our experiences with online check-in are that it hasn't saved us any time and when we have arrived at BCV, nothing has ever, ever moved quickly. So it hasn't helped, but then again, the only thing I lose is the time it takes to try it. So if it takes just a few minutes to try it, why not, especially if it *might* help.

For this past trip, the website was a complete mess due to the various technical problems related to FP+ and MagicBands, so Goofy kept saying "sorry," and asked me to try again. In past years, it wasn't like that. I used up a lot of time this year with online check-in and MDE issues. Maybe it will be better for our next trip.

 

[ErinC]

I did online check in for our last trip to BLT. There wasn't much of a wait anyway when we arrived, so I can't tell if it made any difference in our wait time. I do remember asking if they were going to be able to possibly honor my requests on my room (which I had called DVC and added to the reservation). They said there were no requests shown on my reservation. The room we got was the complete opposite of what I requested. I know requests are hit or miss and I know we aren't promised anything, but I couldn't help but wonder if the online check in had messed me up on them seeing my requests for the room. I'll probably do online check in for our upcoming BWV reservation since I don't really care where we are for this trip anyway.

 

[disneynutz]

I did online check in for our last trip to BLT. There wasn't much of a wait anyway when we arrived, so I can't tell if it made any difference in our wait time. I do remember asking if they were going to be able to possibly honor my requests on my room (which I had called DVC and added to the reservation). They said there were no requests shown on my reservation. The room we got was the complete opposite of what I requested. I know requests are hit or miss and I know we aren't promised anything, but I couldn't help but wonder if the online check in had messed me up on them seeing my requests for the room. I'll probably do online check in for our upcoming BWV reservation since I don't really care where we are for this trip anyway.

DVC room requests are best communicated to MS via the member website contact form. Online requests are designed for cash stays through CRO.

Bill

 

[CarolMN]

I did online check-in for our 2 night stay at BLT this past November. Previously, I had sent an email to MS asking that they add my request to the reservation.

We were met as we exited the ME bus. At the check-in desk, I was told that my request was granted but the room was not ready. They offered a room available right now, but I decided to wait for my request.

I try to use the online check-in whenever I can so that I do not have to give my credit card to a front desk CM. (Still nervous about the possibility of skimmers being used. This happened not all that long ago at some of the WDW resorts, including my home resort of BWV. I'd rather trust the online system to keep my data secure than a human being, but that's me).

FWIW, we also got our request when we moved over to the BWV to complete our stay.

Anyway, IMO, as far as requests go, it makes no difference whether you check in online or at the resort. We've been about 50/50. Seems that what matters most is the cleaning schedules and the number of rooms vacated on the day you check in.

 

[disneynutz]

I try to use the online check-in whenever I can so that I do not have to give my credit card to a front desk CM. (Still nervous about the possibility of skimmers being used. This happened not all that long ago at some of the WDW resorts, including my home resort of BWV. I'd rather trust the online system to keep my data secure than a human being, but that's me).

As you know Target has at least 40 million customers who have had their credit card info stolen so handing your card to a CM isn't the answer, just saying.

Bill

 

[CarolMN]

As you know Target has at least 40 million customers who have had their credit card info stolen so handing your card to a CM isn't the answer, just saying.

Bill

Very true (I was one of them). I still think I'm better off entering the info via online check-in than giving my card to a CM. My choice.