Online Check In Advantages???

[KAT1811]

Coulld someone explain the advantages of online check in?

Does your resort room have to be paid for in advance or can you settle up upon arrival?

How far in advance do you check in?

[PopPhan]

If you are going to 'settle up' upon arrival, please do not use Online Check-In.

Online Check-In is to allow those who would like to take care of all their arrival paperwork ahead of time. Ten (10) days prior to arrival, you can go online and 'check in' to your resort, place credit card information on your room account, make a few "small" requests - room location is NOT one of these requests available. When you arrive at your resort, you will go to a "special" line to receive your arrival packet.

If you have any special room requests, need to complete payment, make reservations for shows/tours/etc. you should use the regular check in lines.

[TammiMcMan]

Online check-in helps to expedite the registration process. It's fine if you're making a final room payment when you arrive. Otherwise I think Disney would have specified it was only for guests with packages and not room only reservations.

Generally people using online check-in don't need a lot of hand holding when they arrive. It's more of a finish your transaction, grab your packet and get to the park or room if it's ready. If you need extra help with specific room requests or have other things that require extra time, then standard check-in is probably a better choice. That doesn't include changing a credit card on file or paying off your balance though .

[lindique]

I've found that my room is always ready when I arrive, since I've started using on-line checkin. They ask you on the check-in form when you expect to arrive and leave, so perhaps they use that information to match up incoming guests with a room that will be ready when they arrive.

[KAT1811]

Great! Looks like we'll try it this year. We don't need any hand holding at check in just pay and go so we should be just fine. We have annual passes and frequent WDW so we've got the check in process down to a science. Just wondered what the specifications were.

Thanks Tammi!!!

[elephant rider]

I think I'm going to try the online check in for our upcoming trip as well. We will be driving through the night and hope to arrive by late morning or noon at the latest. We would love to have our room ready and catch a quick nap before heading out to MK. It's worth a shot at least.

[Mickey91]

Sounds good! We might try it this time!

[massachusetts]

So let me get this straight, if you have booked a room only reservation you cannot use online check in?

[TammiMcMan]

So let me get this straight, if you have booked a room only reservation you cannot use online check in?

No, you can use online check-in for packages or room only. Not a problem .

[apequet]

What if your whole party isn't there yet...can u still do online check in, then go get your packet w/o everyone? My family maybe delayed a day when we go and wasn't sure if that would mess anything up.

[KAT1811]

What if your whole party isn't there yet...can u still do online check in, then go get your packet w/o everyone? My family maybe delayed a day when we go and wasn't sure if that would mess anything up.

That happened to me one year, DH was delayed a few days. I just checked in and got all of our passes and room keys and went on with our trip. When he arrived I gave him his key to the World and we continued on our vacation. No troubles. That was a few years ago but I wouldn't think much has changed.

[TammiMcMan]

The only problem you could have when trying to check in without your whole group, is if you have free dining. Unless the policy has changed, everyone needs to present themselves at the front desk before the credits are "turned on". If that's the case, then online check-in would not be the right option.

[KAT1811]

The only problem you could have when trying to check in without your whole group, is if you have free dining. Unless the policy has changed, everyone needs to present themselves at the front desk before the credits are "turned on". If that's the case, then online check-in would not be the right option.

Interesting. The year this happened to us was the first year they did "free dining" the CM never asked if my husband was there or when he would be arriving. I wonder if the policy was different back then?

[Tink1]

Interesting. The year this happened to us was the first year they did "free dining" the CM never asked if my husband was there or when he would be arriving. I wonder if the policy was different back then?

Yes, people were ordering one day base tickets and adding imaginary people to their reservation in order to get extra dining credits.

That is also the reason you can no longer get one day base tickets with promotional packages. Lately it has been at least a 2 day minimum.

Nanci

[KAT1811]

Makes sense Nanci!

[Mickey91]

The only problem you could have when trying to check in without your whole group, is if you have free dining. Unless the policy has changed, everyone needs to present themselves at the front desk before the credits are "turned on". If that's the case, then online check-in would not be the right option.

Really? I don't usually take my family in with me when I get our stuff. Is something new since Sept 09? Everyone else usually roams around the gift shop until I take care of the boring part.

[TammiMcMan]

Really? I don't usually take my family in with me when I get our stuff. Is something new since Sept 09? Everyone else usually roams around the gift shop until I take care of the boring part.

It was just for the free dining promotion and as Nanci posted, the policy was put in place when guests were coming up with "imaginary" room occupants to try and get more credits for themselves. I don't know if it's still in effect, but at one time, it was noted on the reservation confirmations that everyone had to be identified at the front desk before the free dining credits were applied.

[brownie]

I think we'll be giving this a try, although it will be interesting since we have 2 reservations since the free dining doesn't kick in until our second night.

[TammiMcMan]

You may want to do standard check-in, especially if you booked the same resort and category for both reservations. That way, you can take the extra time to talk with the CM about possibly keeping the same room throughout your stay. Online is designed to be more of an express check-in, where guests need very little assistance.

Whether you use online or standard check-in, you would still need to check-out on the final day of your room only reservation and go to the front desk to pick up all your new keys, coded with the package information.

[Mickey91]

It was just for the free dining promotion and as Nanci posted, the policy was put in place when guests were coming up with "imaginary" room occupants to try and get more credits for themselves. I don't know if it's still in effect, but at one time, it was noted on the reservation confirmations that everyone had to be identified at the front desk before the free dining credits were applied.

Thanks for the heads up. I will read over my stuff and make sure. We will be down for free dining in a couple of weeks!
A shame people have to be so greedy and try to mess up a good thing for everyone. It would have never even occurred to me to do anything like that.