What's the earliest you can check in? And use facilities of resort

[Anabelletoronto]

We are checking in to POR on monday. We have no car. We have a dinner reservation at 4pm at 1900 park fare.
I would love to use the pool in the afternoon if that's allowed but I would want to shower and change and catch a bus by 2:30?
I would like to be able to go in our room at least before hand if possible.

Thoughts?

 

[hllb]

You may not get your room, but you can certainly use the facilities. Your room could be ready early, but don’t count on it. They will hold your luggage though and you could use the pool.

 

[kcpinwdw]

There really is no way to make sure you get an early room, but make sure when you do online check in that you put in your arrival time, and check the box that you'd prefer early room ready over your room requests (if that is true). I've gotten into my room as early as 8am before (at GF, was just planning on dropping off my luggage), but other times had to wait until 4.

 

[melanielll]

Also - when you get there, go to the desk and tell them you are there and are waiting at the resort. Even if you are going to a park, tell them you are waiting at the resort. That gets you bumped ahead of people not waiting in the resort.

The earliest I have gotten the room is ready text is 5:30 am. The latest is 6 pm. I complained about that one and got something knocked off the room rate for that night.

Does that resort have a gym? If so, you can shower and change there. Just pack accordingly.

 

[Hopefully]

You can check in and use the resort facilities as early as 6 AM. But it is likely that your room will not be ready until the afternoon.
Stop at the Front Desk to check in when you arrive. I do not recommend lying toget what I want as recomended by @melanielll but rather tell them you are there. POR doesn't have a gym and I do not know if there are showers at the pool. The front desk should be able to tell you that answer too.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

There really is no way to make sure you get an early room, but make sure when you do online check in that you put in your arrival time, and check the box that you'd prefer early room ready over your room requests (if that is true). I've gotten into my room as early as 8am before (at GF, was just planning on dropping off my luggage), but other times had to wait until 4.

Just FYI, that “click here to have getting your room early a priority over other requests” option during online check-in is currently not available. You used to have to select room request options for that check box to show up... but with Disney’s latest tinkering with online check-in those drop down menus are blank and there’s nothing you can do to make the “get the room early” box appear. Disney IT for you.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Also - when you get there, go to the desk and tell them you are there and are waiting at the resort. Even if you are going to a park, tell them you are waiting at the resort. That gets you bumped ahead of people not waiting in the resort.

The earliest I have gotten the room is ready text is 5:30 am. The latest is 6 pm. I complained about that one and got something knocked off the room rate for that night.

Does that resort have a gym? If so, you can shower and change there. Just pack accordingly.

Our plane lands at 5:19am. We are planning on showering at the gym. Do you know if they have things like hairdryers? I’m packing my carry on as I type this

 

[kcpinwdw]

Just FYI, that “click here to have getting your room early a priority over other requests” option during online check-in is currently not available. You used to have to select room request options for that check box to show up... but with Disney’s latest tinkering with online check-in those drop down menus are blank and there’s nothing you can do to make the “get the room early” box appear. Disney IT for you.

I was wondering why I was having so much trouble putting in my room requests for my December trip. I've had bugginess before but usually if I log back in a couple times I can get the options to appear. Not so this time!

 

[Hopefully]

Our plane lands at 5:19am. We are planning on showering at the gym. Do you know if they have things like hairdryers? I’m packing my carry on as I type this

POR does not have a gym

 

[Shanti]

Our plane lands at 5:19am. We are planning on showering at the gym. Do you know if they have things like hairdryers? I’m packing my carry on as I type this

I don't think any of the Disney resorts have gyms with showers.

 

[melanielll]

I am fairly certain the Contemporary gym has showers. And the best selection of toiletries on property.

 

[Anabelletoronto]

So maybe we will aim to arrive in the afternoon and just wander the resort instead of swimming. Just so we stay relatively clean.
We are not arriving from the airport, just a couple hours from my sisters so shouldn't be travel dirty.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

I requested early check in for our last trip, but it didn’t work out. They knew what time our flight was getting in and that we would be arriving by magical express and still our room wasn’t ready until about 5 hours later (3pm). Don’t count on your room being ready for you.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

POR does not have a gym

I’m sorry I should have been more specific. I’m not the OP. We are staying at the BWI

 

[Sue M]

We are checking in to POR on monday. We have no car. We have a dinner reservation at 4pm at 1900 park fare.
I would love to use the pool in the afternoon if that's allowed but I would want to shower and change and catch a bus by 2:30?
I would like to be able to go in our room at least before hand if possible.

Thoughts?

POR does have showers & change room and lockers. You can pack your change of clothes, any toiletries and hair dryer in a carry on or back pack to take to the pool.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I don't think any of the Disney resorts have gyms with showers.

There are locker rooms at many (all?) of the deluxe resorts. Sturdy Branches at Wilderness Lodge has fitness equipment with locker rooms. Contemporary has this too. It's not a gym of the scale of my local gym, but they're nice health and fitness centers.

 

[Sue M]

There are locker rooms at many (all?) of the deluxe resorts. Sturdy Branches at Wilderness Lodge has fitness equipment with locker rooms. Contemporary has this too. It's not a gym of the scale of my local gym, but they're nice health and fitness centers.

Also Poly/GF, YC/BC, AKL. Prob BWI, but I haven’t stayed there so not sure. I also think CSR also has one, but with all the construction going on at that resort, I don’t know if it’s open now. That’s the only moderate that has a fitness centre.

 

[AngiTN]

I requested early check in for our last trip, but it didn’t work out. They knew what time our flight was getting in and that we would be arriving by magical express and still our room wasn’t ready until about 5 hours later (3pm). Don’t count on your room being ready for you.

You should never count on a room being ready early. It's a bonus but would be a huge mistake to count on it. Want it for sure, book and pay for the night before. That's what I did