When you arrive before check in time.....

[halssister]

how does it work, exactly?

We drive 20 hours, and have always arrived later in the day. On our next trip, we are planning on staying overnight around Valdosta GA so we can arrive for our first day before noon (hopefully!). This will be our "extra" MK day (otherwise it's four full days, one per park), so we want to be able to get to the park As soon as possible.

I've read that you can leave your luggage at the resort (where do you do this?). DH is worried that his stuff won't be "safe" that way. What's the process for this, and has anyone had any problems with stuff being lost/stolen?

Do we check in but not actually go to our room, or do we wait and do check in when we get back from the park? By that I mean, actually going through the paperwork process - like, will they say "your room will be "X", but it isn't ready yet"? It would be kind of nice to know where we are going, especially since it will be our first time at CBR, and my understanding is that you check in at the customs house building which is nowhere near the villages - it would be nice to not have to go back there after being in the park for several hours, and just go straight to our building instead. And is it better to do online check in or skip it if we plan to arrive that early?

I'm sure I'm making this more complicated than it needs to be - I am just the type that wants to know every little detail beforehand! Thank you!

(Edited to add paragraph breaks!)

 

[Dug720]

I have never had a problem leaving my stuff with Bell Services.

You can always check the "early arrival is most important" (or whatever it says) box when you do online check-in and there is a possibility there will be a room available. And there is a possibility you may get to go straight to your room. You can always stop by the front desk to see either if your room is available (I have yet to get a text, even pre-online check-in days when you'd get there and the room wasn't ready but "we'll text you when it is") OR if there is an available room you can get instead. The Customs House is so not that far from the villages. The resort is large, yes, but the way some people talk you'd think it was the size of one of the theme parks.

 

[SPAM]

Yes go to the desk to check in (get paperwork and all that) then leave your bags at bell services, I'm not sure where it is at CBR but at the values you see it where the magical express bus drops off. Then simply hop on a bus to MK and you should get a text when your room is ready. I always do online check in, you can put your credit card on file, put in room preferences and sometimes you can bypass the check in desk entirely, but you will get an email beforehand if that is the case. Regardless once you get the text you are free to enter your room whenever you come back.

 

[Princess Minnie321]

We went to the front desk and she said since we did online check in we were all set. I asked about leaving luggage and she said go to bell services. I went to bell services and they tagged and took our bags into a back room. We went to MK for the day and later that night when we go back to the hotel, we stopped at bell services. We had the option of taking our bags to our room or having bell services bring. We chose to have bell services and it arrived about 10 minutes later.

 

[AllieBoo]

On our last trip, we stayed at CBR part of the trip and we arrived around Noon. I went to the Customs house and checked in, but our room was not ready yet. They told us we would be in the Jamaica building, but not what room, and said they would send us a text. We actually just left our stuff in our car and went to MK for a few hours. While we were there, we got a text letting us know that our room was ready and the number, and were able to just go straight back to the room.

 

[clayfolks]

We almost always arrive early and leave everything, sometimes including my purse, at bell services. When we hand them the electronics bag (and my purse), we ask them to put those two items in the "cage". Apparently, the cage is a more secure area. We've been doing this for ten years and never lost a thing.

 

[WhispyPixie]

Either check in online, or check in at the desk. Either is fine. They will make sure you are good to go and text you when your room is ready. When you get back to the room, just call bell services and they bring it up for you! Leaving your things with bell services is extremely easy, convenient and safe. We usually leave everything computer bags, luggage, back packs etc. They usually load everything onto a rolling cart, tag it all and give us the claim ticket. From there they roll the cart in the back all is secure. Have a great trip!

 

[ErinsMommy]

we've always arrived 10:30ish and bell services is great with our carry ons until we're back from the park!

 

[loves to dive]

I drive down from Georgia and normally get there around 2 to 3. I do online check in and put early arrival is more important than room location. I think my room has been ready once. I always go to the front desk just to let them know I'm there in case they can find a room available and since I don't care about room location, sometimes they can. They do normally know at least the building if you are staying in a moderate or value resort. I just park my car at the building and leave everything in the car. I tend to just throw a blanket over the suitcases but since I have an SUV it doesn't really matter. I've never had any problems leaving my bags in the car and that includes a computer and at least 2 kindles. I do carry any cash and cc's with me to the park until I can get in the room and stick them in the safe. If our room isn't ready after we have parked the car, we just hop on a bus to whatever park we feel like going to that day and when we get the text the room is ready we decide if we want to go back at that time or not. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. If we are staying in a deluxe, sometimes we will go ahead and leave our bags with bell services, just depends on which one we are staying at. At BW and Swan/Dolphin the walk back to the parking lot and back to the room can be long if you are lugging luggage, at BC/YC it's not that bad.

 

[Dug720]

Either check in online, or check in at the desk. Either is fine. They will make sure you are good to go and text you when your room is ready. When you get back to the room, just call bell services and they bring it up for you! Leaving your things with bell services is extremely easy, convenient and safe. We usually leave everything computer bags, luggage, back packs etc. They usually load everything onto a rolling cart, tag it all and give us the claim ticket. From there they roll the cart in the back all is secure. Have a great trip!

They *might* text you when your room is ready. I have yet to have that happen - even when I have physically typed my cell number in their system (which the front desk CM had me do last time because I said I had never gotten the texts so I'd just check back with them). It may be getting better at texting, but I wouldn't count on it 100%.

 

[WhispyPixie]

They *might* text you when your room is ready. I have yet to have that happen - even when I have physically typed my cell number in their system (which the front desk CM had me do last time because I said I had never gotten the texts so I'd just check back with them). It may be getting better at texting, but I wouldn't count on it 100%.

Opps, sorry. I was just speaking from our experience with them. Maybe its even a resort specific thing?

 

[ErinsMommy]

They *might* text you when your room is ready. I have yet to have that happen - even when I have physically typed my cell number in their system (which the front desk CM had me do last time because I said I had never gotten the texts so I'd just check back with them). It may be getting better at texting, but I wouldn't count on it 100%.

Glad I'm not the only one - last time we went in November was the first time we ever got a text that our room was ready and that's at a deluxe level. Before that it was either luck/good fortune that our room was either ready or when we checked back at the desk after having lunch at the resort before heading to the park we found out the room was ready then. Maybe its just bleary blood-shot eyes that seem to help them find a room. LOL

 

[Dug720]

Opps, sorry. I was just speaking from our experience with them. Maybe its even a resort specific thing?

I've had it at ASM, POP, and CBR more than once. So who knows. I just figure if my room isn't ready I'll just pop back to the desk later on. (Super easy at the Values as that's pretty much where the bus stops are.)

 

[Calee]

If you are driving why don't you just leave your stuff in the car? Go to CBR and check in. They will probably be able to tell you your village even if your room isn't ready. Go park your car at that village and then hop the bus to MK. Each village has its own parking lot and it's own bus stop.

 

[Harambe]

when we go back to the hotel, we stopped at bell services. We had the option of taking our bags to our room or having bell services bring.

Yes - you can go directly back to your room (if it is ready and they have sent you a text), and simply call bell services. They will bring the bags right up!

We always tip these wonderful bell services people - both when we drop our stuff off at the bell services desk, and when they bring the stuff up to our room. Especially at OKW since there are no elevators for the most part.

 

[Princess Minnie321]

We always tip these wonderful bell services people - both when we drop our stuff off at the bell services desk, and when they bring the stuff up to our room. Especially at OKW since there are no elevators for the most part.

We also tipped. I gave the attendant who took our suitcases a tip when we dropped off and then when the attendant brought the bags to our room, I tipped him as well.

 

[rcraw45425]

You can also drive straight to the park since you have free parking with your resort reservation. They can scan your magic band to see that you don't have to pay to park. Then go from the park to your hotel later if you like. We don't as a rule do this as we stay deluxe and are most times staying by our first day park but it is an option.

 

[Melissakay1q]

I arrived before my room was ready and left my carry on with luggage services or whatever it's called. We POP I noticed it outside the main entrance. They took the bag, tagged it, gave me part of the tag and said they'd deliver it to my room once I had one. When I got in that evening, there it was! It was wonderful and so appreciated.

 

[halssister]

If you are driving why don't you just leave your stuff in the car? Go to CBR and check in. They will probably be able to tell you your village even if your room isn't ready. Go park your car at that village and then hop the bus to MK. Each village has its own parking lot and it's own bus stop.

We are concerned about leaving iPads, deodorant etc in the car in July heat. We've have thing like make up and deodorant actually melt (and make a mess all over everything!) before, and that wasn't even somewhere as hot as Florida! We would actually be more likely to just give them one bag with our toiletries and electronics in it, not too worried about clothing, and we usually pack clothes separate from other stuff since we have a "travel motel" bag and a "Disney motel" bag!

 

[halssister]

You can also drive straight to the park since you have free parking with your resort reservation. They can scan your magic band to see that you don't have to pay to park. Then go from the park to your hotel later if you like. We don't as a rule do this as we stay deluxe and are most times staying by our first day park but it is an option.

We don't want to leave iPads and deodorant in the hot car to get ruined/melt.
Plus, we won't ever drive to MK - DH won't ride on a boat or monorail, so we have to take the bus to that park.