Online check-in / room request & early arrival

The online system works well. We've had great success with it. There's one key, though. It will ask if your location preference is most important or if you time request is most important. In other words, if you want a specific building and that's the most important thing then focus on that. If getting into your room early is most important there is a box which says something along the lines of "Make my arrival time the greatest priority. At that point if they can honor your other requests they will but if not then they'll give you whatever is open at your arrival time, regardless of location. So it's really an either / or situation depending on what is most important to you.

We've had great luck with our room(s) being ready early since we started using on-line check-in.

But, I agree with Chris, there is an option to make "room ready" most important, or location most important. You'll have to choose.

One time, we had one room ready, and the second wasn't. That was still OK, since we could unpack and then just moved some of the stuff to the other room later.

Chris & Heather,
Thank you, that helps tremendously! I would have to say that location is most important concerning this trip. I have no issue storing our luggage and coming back later if it means getting the requested area.

The way I am reading your responses there is still a check in process with a cast member where the actual room(s) are assigned it just happens a little faster. I just want to have the opportunity to "discuss" room location and hopefully adjust if by chance it is no where close to the request.

As always your insight is greatly appreciated.

Davy Crockett;2477001 wrote: Chris & Heather,

The way I am reading your responses there is still a check in process with a cast member where the actual room(s) are assigned it just happens a little faster. I just want to have the opportunity to "discuss" room location and hopefully adjust if by chance it is no where close to the request.

Online check in gives you the opportunity to bypass the front desk altogether but you can always go talk to a CM if you choose. One thing I suggest is to reconfirm your room requests by phone after doing online check-in. On two trips I've had online checkin override my room requests so I now call and double check the requests are there.

Strmchsr;2476946 wrote: The online system works well. We've had great success with it. There's one key, though. It will ask if your location preference is most important or if you time request is most important. In other words, if you want a specific building and that's the most important thing then focus on that. If getting into your room early is most important there is a box which says something along the lines of "Make my arrival time the greatest priority. At that point if they can honor your other requests they will but if not then they'll give you whatever is open at your arrival time, regardless of location. So it's really an either / or situation depending on what is most important to you.

This is an important point. For me, location is important. For everyone else in party, it was a room available upon arrival.When we were on the Magic Express, I received a text stating our room was ready, which made everyone very happy. Once we arrived, I hated the location. I am a huge fan of being "Deep in the Bayou" at Port Orleans Riverside. I love being immersed and enjoy the morning walk to the Riverside Mill. Our room, while being quite close the the food court, overlooked a parking lot and actually crossed it on the way to the bus stop. That's a deal breaker for me. Others in my party couldn't care less. They just wanted to get into a room and change.

VWL Mom;2477002 wrote: Online check in gives you the opportunity to bypass the front desk altogether but you can always go talk to a CM if you choose. One thing I suggest is to reconfirm your room requests by phone after doing online check-in. On two trips I've had online checkin override my room requests so I now call and double check the requests are there.

Lynn you are dead on! I was planning on calling the Lodge on the direct number at around 10 days prior to our arrival and reconfirm the location request as I've been told that WDW doesn't transfer reservations to resorts until around then.