Very late checkin policy?

[deploylinux]

I hope someone can clarify the following for me as I'm reviewing my first reservation with DVC (finally got dvcmember site access after buying 350 pts at aulani):

- If one is flying an overnight redeye from the west coast (San Diego) in early august to florida to go to WDW and arrives in at 5-6am at the airport, is there any reasonable way to immediately get into a room?

- My understanding is that DVC doesn't provide early checkin, which means they'd be asking me to wait until 4pm

- My understanding is that DVC isn't that happy with people not arriving the first night of a reservation...if I booked for the night before, would they cancel the reservation or let me check in at 7-8am which is roughly when I'd expect to get to the resort?

- I know that most of the resorts will offer to hold bags and we could go visit wdw while waiting to checking, which might normally be fine, but I'll be bringing some young kids with me and I can't guarentee they'll be able to sleep on the plane and would feel better if I had a backup option in case they are very tired....or are not feeling well. Not currently planning to rent a car and am not really familiar with the WDW area..

- My current reservation starts only on the day that I arrive, if I wanted to book the day before just for safety, then I assume I'd have to waitlist for a completely new reservation and then cancel the old one if the waitlist is met?

- I think my guide mentioned that there is a waiting room at wdw or something that new visitors can use to crash while waiting to check in?

Advice/recommendations appreciated!

 

[Minniesgal]

If you want an early room you need to book the night before

 

[bruhl1j]

Yes, if you want a room, book it.

On past trips my room has been ready as early as 9 am when I arrived. However, it is luck of the draw.

You definitely can check your luggage, get your tickets, and plan on breakfast somewhere. Or spend some time at a park. If the kids are young enough for a stroller, rent one. Ours napped easily in a stroller.

Ask CM to text you when the room is ready. Since you are there early, you may get a room early. I would not book a room for a few hours when there is a chance it might become open early.

Good Luck!

 

[CarolMN]

If you book the night before, you will need to have MS put a note on the reservation that you will not be checking in until 5 am the following morning (or whatever time you think it will be).

I would also recommend getting the actual number of the resort (not the listed number which goes to a call center) and calling them 4 or 5 days prior to arrival to tell them the same thing. In lieu of that, you could fax the room assigner with that message ( be sure to include your name & DVC reservation number). The fax number might be easier to find than the "real" resort number.

 

[cseca]

...



- My current reservation starts only on the day that I arrive, if I wanted to book the day before just for safety, then I assume I'd have to waitlist for a completely new reservation and then cancel the old one if the waitlist is met?

- I think my guide mentioned that there is a waiting room at wdw or something that new visitors can use to crash while waiting to check in?

Advice/recommendations appreciated!

You don't have to waitlist for the whole thing. Only for the additional day if there's no availability right now.
And the waitlist can be automatically cancelled at 30 days prior to arrival or 7 days. You can set that up yourself online or call MS.

Almost every resort will have a room of some sort to hang out in.
You didn't specify a resort but at BWV there are seating areas in the lobby across from the check in desks, or you can hang out by the patio outside or downstairs.

At AKV Jambo there's a lounge area on the lobby as well with fireplace and sofas (turn right before you go down the stairs).

At BCV there are sitting areas by the lobby or a sunroom with seats.

At BLT there are no waiting spots but you can wait at Contemporary, tons of seating areas there.

and the list goes on
So there are places to hang out at the resort but they are not crazy comfortable.

Have fun!

 

[deploylinux]

Thanks for feedback -- we will be staying at BLT, currently have a reservation for August 9th-14th -- we fly out at ~9pm PST from San Diego on August 8th and are supposed to land just before 6am on August 9th in Orlando. So, I assume we would take the magical express and be at the hotel just before 8am.

I just put in a waitlist request for August 8th-14th and asked DVC to cancel the prior reservation if it is fulfilled. I'm not sure if that is realistic, but I'm more than willing to pay the extra points for the convenience of having a place to crash if the kids are too tired to go to the park....

If the waitlist goes through, I'll definitely call the hotel directly before we get on the plane to confirm when we will be arriving and have them hold the room... hope that will work. Our two boys are 8 and 10 yrs old and normally need 9-10hrs uninterrupted sleep....we'll see if they can sleep on the plane (it's non-stop).

 

[cseca]

The problem is the chance of a room opening up for your whole stay is very slim vs. just 1 day.
That's why I think it's better to just waitlist for 1 day.
DVC waitlist looks for all the dates to match before reserving the room. That means if you waitlist for 7nights but there's an opening for 6 out of the 7 nights your waitlist will be skipped over and given to the next wait list that matches.

Just a thought.

 

[Chuck S]

I agree, if having a room ready, especially at a monorail or EPCOT area resort is a must, you should book the night before and let MS know if will be a very late check-in.

Another option is to drop your luggage (including any refrigerated items) with bell services and just go to the parks and enjoy your day until the room is ready. You can still "check-in" when you arrive and receive your room keys and any dining plan, (they may be "magic bands" by August) and when you return to the resort, find out your room number. You can also request a text message if your room is ready (sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't) or use a Disney "house phone" at any Guest Services location to call the Disney operator and see if your room is ready.

 

[lodge]

Another option is to stay at the Orlando Airport Hyatt- connected to the airport. You can get a deal there being a member of Lastminutetravel.com (occasionally free, as offers for free membership show up often, or someone here on DIS could help you with determining price, as members see the hotel prior to booking and non-members don't).

Then you could take the Magical Express next morning, early and right from the airport, and not have spent points on a mostly unused WDW day stay.

Our next stay there is only $108 for the night, but prices vary up to the mid $100's.

You can do a search on the DIS to find a LOT more information on this. Good luck on whatever your choice.

 

[MrShiny]

You can only guarantee a room by booking the night before (I'd also call the resort to lt them know).

However I have checked in at 6:30 or so and immediately gotten a room. It depends on availability (of course). If there is a room available, you will have a good chance of getting it checking in before most arrive, but no way to guarantee.

 

[JWG]

Another option is to stay at the Orlando Airport Hyatt- connected to the airport. You can get a deal there being a member of Lastminutetravel.com (occasionally free, as offers for free membership show up often, or someone here on DIS could help you with determining price, as members see the hotel prior to booking and non-members don't).

Then you could take the Magical Express next morning, early and right from the airport, and not have spent points on a mostly unused WDW day stay.

Our next stay there is only $108 for the night, but prices vary up to the mid $100's.

You can do a search on the DIS to find a LOT more information on this. Good luck on whatever your choice.

The Hyatt at MCO also has "day" rates. Due to the large number of cruise passengers who disembark early in the morning and don't have flights until later, they offer "reduced" pricing to have a room during the day and not overnight (as vacancy allows).

 

[Minniesgal]

I just put in a waitlist request for August 8th-14th and asked DVC to cancel the prior reservation if it is fulfilled. I'm not sure if that is realistic, but I'm more than willing to pay the extra points for the convenience of having a place to crash if the kids are too tired to go to the park....

This is a really bad idea. You don't need to waitlist a reservation you already have and it significantly reduces your chances of the waitlist being filled. Only waitlist the 8th. Once fulfilled you can call MS and they can make it all one booking, in fact most experienced CM would do that as they book it without you having to call.

 

[bumbershoot]

Our two boys are 8 and 10 yrs old and normally need 9-10hrs uninterrupted sleep....we'll see if they can sleep on the plane (it's non-stop).

Why did you book the redeye then? Sounds miserable. Also, someone mentioned in another thread that a redeye from San Diego is changing so be sure to see if your flight still exists

Just get a room for the hotel-time night before. When I did online checkin I was able to tell them what time I was arriving, including the early hours of the next date. The only issue caused was when I was setting up ME; the DVc people were really confused and I had to write back (I had done the online request to set it up) to explain it to them.

If you absolutely want a room when you arrive at 6, rent the room from the day before. It seems like a waste of points right now, but it won't when you are there and have a room for the exhausted children whose sleep needs weren't met. I hope the kids can sleep, but you truly never know with a redeye. My son is 9 and I still won't book a redeye. Don't want to have the whole first day be a waste

 

[deploylinux]

As I said, this is our first reservation with DVC....we booked the flights before we fully understood that the resorts are so heavily booked that their may not be a room available when we arrive or that they really meant 4pm....

Still, the redeye and non-stop flights are much shorter and less expensive when flying the entire family....