What happens if I can't make our check-in date? Might be a day late.

erinkpoole

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Feb 15, 2008
Messages
76
I am wondering if anyone has experience with being a day late for their package reservation.

We are booked on a Free Dining Package beginning Oct 1. My kids are both in middle school and have a break from Oct 3-8. We are trying to leave after school on Oct 1 as the teachers do not usually have much planned the day before a vacation period--think movies and play time. However, what happens if one of their teachers schedules a test or quiz that day? We can ask to take it early, but they could say no.

That means that we might be a day late checking in. I would notify the resort and CRO as soon as I knew. Will this be a big deal or no big deal?

FYI--The Free Dining dates allow a check-in of Oct 2nd so I am not violating any of the blackout dates.

Thank you.
 
I am wondering if anyone has experience with being a day late for their package reservation.

We are booked on a Free Dining Package beginning Oct 1. My kids are both in middle school and have a break from Oct 3-8. We are trying to leave after school on Oct 1 as the teachers do not usually have much planned the day before a vacation period--think movies and play time. However, what happens if one of their teachers schedules a test or quiz that day? We can ask to take it early, but they could say no.

That means that we might be a day late checking in. I would notify the resort and CRO as soon as I knew. Will this be a big deal or no big deal?

FYI--The Free Dining dates allow a check-in of Oct 2nd so I am not violating any of the blackout dates.

Thank you.

Wouldn't be easier to take Oct 1 off? Your paying rack rate for the room & paying for tickets you don't need..I'd change the dates..

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Wouldn't be easier to take Oct 1 off? Your paying rack rate for the room & paying for tickets you don't need..I'd change the dates..

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

i think they have to do 5 nights to get free dining? i don't know if missing first day would be an issue. i want to say no because they will charge you for the day at that point. i would call and ask. :)
 
i think they have to do 5 nights to get free dining? i don't know if missing first day would be an issue. i want to say no because they will charge you for the day at that point. i would call and ask. :)

FD only requires a 3 night stay. OP, you need to check in on your scheduled day or your reservation will be canceled. You will either need to take that day off of your trip, or be prepared to take a zero on any assignments that they won't give the kids early.
 

I am wondering if anyone has experience with being a day late for their package reservation.

We are booked on a Free Dining Package beginning Oct 1. My kids are both in middle school and have a break from Oct 3-8. We are trying to leave after school on Oct 1 as the teachers do not usually have much planned the day before a vacation period--think movies and play time. However, what happens if one of their teachers schedules a test or quiz that day? We can ask to take it early, but they could say no.

That means that we might be a day late checking in. I would notify the resort and CRO as soon as I knew. Will this be a big deal or no big deal?

FYI--The Free Dining dates allow a check-in of Oct 2nd so I am not violating any of the blackout dates.

Thank you.

You would be considered a no-show, after the computers roll over at 6 am the next morning on the 2nd.

I would call CRO and have them note it on your reservation that you may be arriving late on the 1st; early on the 2nd. You cannot call the resort directly.

The only time it would be a real problem is if you booked the 1st of October, which was the last day of FD in order to get it for your entire trip and then didn't show up until the next day. But as you stated, you are not.
 
You would be considered a no-show, after the computers roll over at 6 am the next morning on the 2nd.

I would call CRO and have them note it on your reservation that you may be arriving late on the 1st; early on the 2nd. You cannot call the resort directly.

Unless I am misunderstanding, OP is saying that her kids may need to go to school on the 2nd, so they will be arriving much later sometime on the 2nd.
 
It sounds like they "might" cancel my reservation if we are not able to check in on October 1 even if I call. That is likely more stress than I choose to handle.

I will see about dropping October 1 from my package and making a room only reservation for that night. I have more leeway as far as cancellations for a room only and it wouldn't have a domino effect on the package reservations with tickets and free dining.

Thank you. I am close to the 45 day mark. I knew someone had to have this same dilemma before!
 
FD only requires a 3 night stay. OP, you need to check in on your scheduled day or your reservation will be canceled. You will either need to take that day off of your trip, or be prepared to take a zero on any assignments that they won't give the kids early.

Really? I can't imagine this would be the case that they would cancel unless you didn't tell them ahead of time.

I know on a business trip I didn't check in to a room once until 2 AM the next day because of travel issues... if my plane had been cancelled and not just delayed it could have easily been the next day before I got there.
 
Really? I can't imagine this would be the case that they would cancel unless you didn't tell them ahead of time.

I know on a business trip I didn't check in to a room once until 2 AM the next day because of travel issues... if my plane had been cancelled and not just delayed it could have easily been the next day before I got there.

I do think it depends on how late one is talking about...I know if you get there anytime before the official changeover time--around 6:00 am, you would probably be safe.

I also think that Disney does work with people who have something like a flight cancellation and its an emergency situation out of control of the guest. IMO, I don't think I would chance it if the reservation can be modified and a room only booked for the 1st night.
 
FD only requires a 3 night stay. OP, you need to check in on your scheduled day or your reservation will be canceled. You will either need to take that day off of your trip, or be prepared to take a zero on any assignments that they won't give the kids early.

So let's say you are driving and should arrive 7pm on your arrival day but you hit MAJOR traffic or get into an accident? They cancel you? If you call and say you got into an accident they would actually cancel your entire reservation?

I know the OP has a totally different circumstance in that they are planning to show a day late...in that case they need to change their reservation to the next day, or pull the kids out of school and make it for their arrival day.
 
Well its basically like any other hotel reservation if you arent there by a certain time they have the right to cancel you with full penalty UNLESS you have an agreement with them and in this case I believe they will tell OP to change her dates..I mean we arent talking about a few hours here we are talking a full day.. Thats a big difference.. I just dont see paying several hundred dollars (or more) not to be there.. Seems like a total waste..
 
If you call and say that you won't be able to make it until the next day, they cancel the whole reservation, even if you pay for the night you missed? Wow, who knew.
 
So let's say you are driving and should arrive 7pm on your arrival day but you hit MAJOR traffic or get into an accident? They cancel you? If you call and say you got into an accident they would actually cancel your entire reservation?

I know the OP has a totally different circumstance in that they are planning to show a day late...in that case they need to change their reservation to the next day, or pull the kids out of school and make it for their arrival day.

The computers do not roll over until 6am the next day, so that would have to be a pretty bad traffic jam for you to be that late. If you were in an accident and could not arrive, they have the option to cancel your reservation because you wouldn't be there. That is what their trip insurance is for. They are under no obligation to keep the reservation, but my guess is that they would work with you if they are at all able to in that type of situation.
 
We booked a rom only one time and didn't arrive until 4am on the next day, but I wanted to make sure we could get in the room when we got there, so we had to book a room for the day prior. There was a little difficulty at check in when I tried to add charging priviledges, but other than that, they had our packet printed out as well as our room key. I am sure I had it noted that we were going to be arriving at that time.
 
We booked a rom only one time and didn't arrive until 4am on the next day, but I wanted to make sure we could get in the room when we got there, so we had to book a room for the day prior. There was a little difficulty at check in when I tried to add charging priviledges, but other than that, they had our packet printed out as well as our room key. I am sure I had it noted that we were going to be arriving at that time.

But you arrived before the 6 am computer roll over..

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards
 
But you arrived before the 6 am computer roll over..

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

And that makes all the differenece!

OP--Why not take that first day off of your package, and play it by ear? If you get to leave as planned you can always get a room for the first night when you get to WDW. Heck you could even get a room in Downtown Disney, or someplace you might like to try.
 
In light of the fact that you can arrive until 6 am the next morning (presumably with some sort of "heads up"), if it was my family (and I recognize we are a bit cuckoo, and particularly disney cuckoo, but so is half the DIS boards), I would definitely keep the reservation as is. From the description of deciding to go back and forth by a day, I am assuming you are driving, and it also sounds like you are no more than a day's drive (or less). Worst case scenario, the primary driver takes a nap at home while kids at school, then either pick kids up from class or as soon as they get home, immediately start driving. Depending on when u arrive, u could grab a quick snack and/or maybe even catch fireworks, but more importantly, then also be onsite to start your disney trip, rather than just driving on the "second" day of your vacation. Good luck whatever u decide.
 
I would check with the teachers. Surely you aren't the only family thinking of adding a day to a school break. Has school started yet? Are they really so strict in middle school they won't let kids make up a missed test? What if a student gets sick?
 
In light of the fact that you can arrive until 6 am the next morning (presumably with some sort of "heads up"), if it was my family (and I recognize we are a bit cuckoo, and particularly disney cuckoo, but so is half the DIS boards), I would definitely keep the reservation as is. From the description of deciding to go back and forth by a day, I am assuming you are driving, and it also sounds like you are no more than a day's drive (or less). Worst case scenario, the primary driver takes a nap at home while kids at school, then either pick kids up from class or as soon as they get home, immediately start driving. Depending on when u arrive, u could grab a quick snack and/or maybe even catch fireworks, but more importantly, then also be onsite to start your disney trip, rather than just driving on the "second" day of your vacation. Good luck whatever u decide.

OP said her kids might need to go to school on the 2nd, so there would be no avoiding driving on the "second" day of vacation if she leaves her check in day as the 1st.
 
I would check with the teachers. Surely you aren't the only family thinking of adding a day to a school break. Has school started yet? Are they really so strict in middle school they won't let kids make up a missed test? What if a student gets sick?

In our school district, vacations are unexcused absences and that any missed work could be give zeros. We always pull are kids out a day before Fall Break to beat the rush in the airport. So far we have been lucky and the teachers have given Friday test on Thursday for our kids, but we were prepared to accept the zeros if we needed to. This will likely be the last year we pull them out early, though. DD will be in middle school in 2014, and we feel that it is more important not to risk her grades suffering if the teachers are more strict to policy.


OP, I would check with the teachers as soon as you can. In all likelihood, they can tell you now whether or not they will be able to help you out. Good luck! :goodvibes
 












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