SW Automatic Check-in by Disney?

[Tiggs14]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that Disney was automatically checking in SW passengers 24 hours in advance of their flight. Is this correct?

We fly home early in the morning and need to know if we'll automatically be checked in or if we'll need to do it through guest services at Pop.

Thanks.

 

[Jestocost]

There have been a couple of posters who have suggested that IF you use DME on the way in to WDW that RAC will automatically check you in for your SWA flight somewhere around the 24-hour mark. There are a few reports from posters who have said that this apparently happened to them.

I have not, however, heard anything official from Disney on it (not surprising since SWA still is not an "official" participant in RAC even though it is running at all resorts but OKW and CBR). Given that and the limited nature of the evidence, I personally would not rely on it happening and would check myself in (or use EBCI).

 

[grimley1968]

There have been a couple of posters who have suggested that IF you use DME on the way in to WDW that RAC will automatically check you in for your SWA flight somewhere around the 24-hour mark. There are a few reports from posters who have said that this apparently happened to them.

I have not, however, heard anything official from Disney on it (not surprising since SWA still is not an "official" participant in RAC even though it is running at all resorts but OKW and CBR). Given that and the limited nature of the evidence, I personally would not rely on it happening and would check myself in (or use EBCI).

I totally agree with this reasoning. Some people say things on the DIS that aren't quite factually accurate, and when it comes to something with as many logistical moving parts as airline check-in from a non-airport location and done by someone who is not the flyer, well let's just say I would only believe something like this until I saw it with my own eyes (or had the SW boarding pass in my hands before I left the resort).

I'm not saying it can't be done, but until I saw something official from either Disney or Southwest about this, I wouldn't trust any other source.

But it never hurts to ask the concierge desk at the resort what they can do for you in advance.

 

[Tiggs14]

Thanks! We'll plan to check in 24 hrs before our flight as we have in the past.

 

[lionqueen]

I had read the same thing about automatic check in at the 24 hour mark and did not check us in. I found out.....that did not happen for us this past april. We got the dreaded "C" boarding group although it worked out since we were traveling with a 2 year old that we boarded in between the A's and B's. definitely check your self in!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

My understanding is, if you check yourself in (with any airline), you can't then use RAC if you would have been eligible.

Best bet? Stop by the RAC counter early in your trip and ASK.

 

[pooch]

We used EBCI last year (so we were "checked in" already) and used RAC for our luggage? Never heard you couldn't use RAC if you checked yourself in, esp since a few airlines encourage you to check in 24 hrs in advance. In my case, both Delta and SW do and Delta has been a long participant in RAC.

As for the OP's question, we have flown SW many times to and from WDW and have NEVER had any resort check in for us at the 24 hr mark. Unless you have paid for EBCI, you must check in yourself.

 

[Manda]

We used EBCI last year (so we were "checked in" already) and used RAC for our luggage? Never heard you couldn't use RAC if you checked yourself in, esp since a few airlines encourage you to check in 24 hrs in advance. In my case, both Delta and SW do and Delta has been a long participant in RAC.

Ditto all that. In June, used EBCI to check-in and verified that it worked on my iPhone. Because I'm paranoid like that. Got to my room later that day and my DME paperwork and SWA boarding passes were hanging on my door. Checked our bags with RAC the next morning.

 

[Jestocost]

My understanding is, if you check yourself in (with any airline), you can't then use RAC if you would have been eligible.

Best bet? Stop by the RAC counter early in your trip and ASK.

I have not tried to check myself in prior to using the RAC desk with any other airline, but I can guarantee that it is fine to check in on Southwest before using RAC. If it wasn't, SWA passengers using RAC would be getting royally screwed in terms of boarding numbers because the earliest they could check in would be 12 hours after the 24-hour mark when anybody else could check in (and 24 hours after EBCI).

I have used RAC after checking myself in on SWA and after using EBCI without any problems.

 

[Madformickey]

we have always gone to the nearest guset relations at the park or resort at 24 hrs out and they did it for us. Last year we did recieve our boarding passes hanging n the door the next morning, so i guess they did something as well. But i really hate waking up to DME tags on my door. Just means its time to go home. BOO HOO