what time is online check in

[shelldub]

Hi all,

I am due to do online check in next week. What time does this open up at.

thanks,

Michelle

 

[Weedy]

12:01am EST

 

[sambycat]

And what's the trick about enter stuff ahead of time/selecting excursions? There's something you can do ahead of time, I can't recall.

 

[shelldub]

thank you. silly question alert - i am not from america is EST the same as florida time!!

 

[amosthefamous]

Hi Shelldub,
No worries. Yes, Florida is EST.
I would also like to hear about what I do beforehand, Not that I'm cruising anytime soon.....October 2016!

 

[shelldub]

ok great thanks. Mean i have to get up for 5am. can't wait!!

I am also interested in what the poster above said about having information already entered to speed the process up. What is this!!

 

[ahain]

ok great thanks. Mean i have to get up for 5am. can't wait!!

I am also interested in what the poster above said about having information already entered to speed the process up. What is this!!

For me, getting up at 5:00 a.m. would be WAY better than getting up at midnight after sleeping a couple of hours

 

[sambycat]

Someone will chime in. I can't recall offhand if you can enter passport numbers or something ahead of time or maybe it's something like enter the minimum you can so you can request excursions, then go back and enter specific info? I can't remember

 

[wdwgirl21]

You cannot input anything before your window opens up, however you can go back and edit things later.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

And what's the trick about enter stuff ahead of time/selecting excursions?

I would also like to hear about what I do beforehand

You can't do anything really in advance toward the online check in/excursion bookings. But, you can go to the excursions area on the website and mark "my favorites" so that you can go to them, maybe, a little more quickly when the actual time comes for booking them.

 

[Weedy]

Also you don't have to add your passport right away. You can go back and add later

 

[Mickey4me!]

Like others have said, be prepared with what you want to reserve. I log in exactly at midnight and everything was opened. Next, make sure you reserve the harder to get items first (i.e. Cabana and Palo brunch). If you do want a cabana, click on your Castaway day and go to Shore Excursions. All available cabanas will be listed. Pick the one you want (adult beach are hardest to get) and select it. You will then get a drop down listing the people in your party and asking you to select those that the activity will apply to. Use the CHECK ALL button if that applies. Then you hit Continue (or Confirm?) and it will be added to your shopping cart. Once the item is in there, CHECK OUT IMMEDIATELY. Don't wait until you have added everything as you may lose it. Continue in order of importance for you and your party. I completed the on-line checkin until the very last as PAT was not important to me.

Using this, I was able to secure the last available cabana on the adult beach and Palo brunch. I and Gold so had access a little earlier than some, but as of yesterday there were still 3 cabanas on the family beach available as well as plenty of Palo brunch times. Good luck!

 

[professorandmom]

Am I correct that PAT is irrelevant if using DCL transportation? Then, I'd do that last - correct?
Thanks
Barb

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Am I correct that PAT is irrelevant if using DCL transportation? Then, I'd do that last - correct?
Thanks
Barb

Best answer, maybe. Technically, if you are arriving via DCL transfers, you will be allowed to enter the terminal, regardless of whatever PAT you may have selected. I've read that your actual boarding number (which is tied to the PAT) will remain the same, regardless of when you arrive. It's been reported that those people arriving via DCL transfers still receive the same boarding number, as well as reports that they've received a lower number than their PAT would normally have generated. It seems to be hit or miss.

 

[professorandmom]

Best answer, maybe. Technically, if you are arriving via DCL transfers, you will be allowed to enter the terminal, regardless of whatever PAT you may have selected. I've read that your actual boarding number (which is tied to the PAT) will remain the same, regardless of when you arrive. It's been reported that those people arriving via DCL transfers still receive the same boarding number, as well as reports that they've received a lower number than their PAT would normally have generated. It seems to be hit or miss.

Thanks a ton- I'll do PAT with a plan to get the earliest available as soon as the higher priorities are set!

 

[kabbie]

I have online check-in showing on My Reservations for 8/22, but my final payment is due 9/6 - Am I able to complete online check-in before I am paid in full?

 

[jdb in AZ]

I have online check-in showing on My Reservations for 8/22, but my final payment is due 9/6 - Am I able to complete online check-in before I am paid in full?

Nope. DCL will be happy to take your money early. It's a good idea to give them an extra day or three to get your account up-to-date before you try to do your check-in. Our large family group paid-in-full but DCL took its sweet time crediting the account so we were delayed booking our shore excursions by about a week after they received payment.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I have online check-in showing on My Reservations for 8/22, but my final payment is due 9/6 - Am I able to complete online check-in before I am paid in full?

Yes, you can complete the online check in without being paid in full. You cannot, however, book excursions/adult dining/spa/etc until you are paid in full.

 

[over50visits]

I have online check-in showing on My Reservations for 8/22, but my final payment is due 9/6 - Am I able to complete online check-in before I am paid in full?

No, but you can do most of it. There is no hurry on online check-in anyway, Disney at this time ask you to complete it at least 4 days before sailing. And if you don't do it you can do it all at the port anyway. Don't worry about that.

But, once paid in full you can do all of check-in, and (more importantly) you can then also reserve port adventures, adult dining, etc (anything that requires a reservation) once in your particular window (based on Castaway Club level).

 

[kabbie]

During the online check-in, can you still choose a boarding time?