Online check-in confusion (normal or a weird glitch?)

Aimeedyan

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
We did online check-in for our BLT stay (just checked out this morning). Arrived around Noon on check-in day but since we didn't get a text/email/MDE note we parked the car and walked to MK to blow time. It was super hot and we were hoping to hit the pool so I kept checking my email and MDE account for a room ready notification and it never came.

At 4:30pm, we were overheated and slightly frustrated that it was now after the official check-in time so walked back to BLT to inquire.

She asked if we came inside when we arrived to check in. I told her no, my assumption was online check-in avoided standing in the line to check-in upon arrival. She said that had we checked in with them, it would have finalized the check-in and allowed for us to get the room notification. She apologized and immediately gave us our room number.

Who knows how long it had been ready for us :rolleyes1

We are very frequent visitors (we'll be back Sunday!) but rarely stay onsite so the online check-in was a new thing.

Did we do it wrong? Are you supposed to still go inside and stand in line upon arrival? And if so, what is the point of online check-in?
 
We had the same problem with our Saratoga Springs stay last week. We never received our room number. We had to go to check in counter to get it. Last year when we did online check in we were texted our room number at check in time.
 
I agree. It has worked both ways for us. WHEN it works, it is great and I often get the room number before our flight leaves to head to Orlando. When it doesn’t work, you have to go through the usual front desk. If we physically arrive at the hotel and haven’t gotten the text, I go straight to the front desk as I prefer to not have to store my luggage if at all possible.
 


We did online check-in for our BLT stay (just checked out this morning). Arrived around Noon on check-in day but since we didn't get a text/email/MDE note we parked the car and walked to MK to blow time. It was super hot and we were hoping to hit the pool so I kept checking my email and MDE account for a room ready notification and it never came.

At 4:30pm, we were overheated and slightly frustrated that it was now after the official check-in time so walked back to BLT to inquire.

She asked if we came inside when we arrived to check in. I told her no, my assumption was online check-in avoided standing in the line to check-in upon arrival. She said that had we checked in with them, it would have finalized the check-in and allowed for us to get the room notification. She apologized and immediately gave us our room number.

Who knows how long it had been ready for us :rolleyes1

We are very frequent visitors (we'll be back Sunday!) but rarely stay onsite so the online check-in was a new thing.

Did we do it wrong? Are you supposed to still go inside and stand in line upon arrival? And if so, what is the point of online check-in?

It should work where you do not need to go to check in at the hotel if you checked in online - but they are having issues. We had the same thing happen to us twice this summer.
 
Right. Something has changed without notice. The whole point of online check in was supposed to be that a party could skip the front desk and be notified of their room being ready. However, for the past 2 trips (August and March), we had to check in with the front desk anyway. So...like everyone else, I ask...what's the point? :confused3:confused3:confused3
 
I’m so sorry that happened!

My frustration is I can’t select room preferences on the website, even though I’m 55 days out. It doesn’t give me any options.. only says “select.”

They need to get these glitches fixed ASAP!
 


Checking in online does not guarantee you will not have to go to the front desk on arrival. UNLESS YOU GET A ROOM READY TEXT (with a room #) you still need to go check in at the desk.

Fun fact, we have never received a room ready text in any of our half dozen+ trips since the process was implemented. We always do online check in and always have to stop at the desk.
 
Checking in online does not guarantee you will not have to go to the front desk on arrival. UNLESS YOU GET A ROOM READY TEXT (with a room #) you still need to go check in at the desk.

Fun fact, we have never received a room ready text in any of our half dozen+ trips since the process was implemented. We always do online check in and always have to stop at the desk.

This :thumbsup2

***Very important***

Not everyone that does Online Check In gets to Bypass The Front Desk. Some guests will still have to stop by the Front Desk and check in. Nobody knows how they decide who gets to Bypass The Front Desk and who doesn't.
 
I’m so sorry that happened!

My frustration is I can’t select room preferences on the website, even though I’m 55 days out. It doesn’t give me any options.. only says “select.”

They need to get these glitches fixed ASAP!


That's been broken for almost a year now. I don't expect them to fix it. It's always been best to call in any room requests anyway.
 
Right. Something has changed without notice. The whole point of online check in was supposed to be that a party could skip the front desk and be notified of their room being ready. However, for the past 2 trips (August and March), we had to check in with the front desk anyway. So...like everyone else, I ask...what's the point? :confused3:confused3:confused3

Actually the whole point of Online Check In is to speed up the time needed at the Front Desk when checking in. Being able to Bypass The Front Desk is just a bonus for some guests.
 
Thanks y'all - now I know to stand in the line next time we stay on property ;)

We had an excellent stay and it was truly a tiny blip at the start but I wanted to clarify once we were home so we know for next time!
 
Recently I had done on line check in for 2 reservations. When I checked the other day one of them had reverted to not yet checked in. When I looked at edit on both reservations, my check in time had defaulted to midnight and my phone number for texts was blank. So I reentered them.
Going forward I’ll recheck that I am still checked in and to make sure things haven’t mysteriously changed or disappeared.
BTW, you can check in and swim even if your room is not ready, although I get that it’s better to have a room for when you leave the pool.
I had a 3 way split a couple of years ago and was able to skip the front desk for 2 of the 3 - not sure what the deal was w/ the third one, but these days the front desk lines seem to be far shorter than previous years.
 
She said that had we checked in with them, it would have finalized the check-in and allowed for us to get the room notification. She apologized and immediately gave us our room number.

Well, FWIW, they'll say just about anything at the front desk.

my assumption was online check-in avoided standing in the line to check-in upon arrival

Alas, no. Never has worked like that for everyone.

It should work where you do not need to go to check in at the hotel if you checked in online

Has literally NEVER worked for me, and I've done online checkin in whatever form they have, except for ONCE in 2010, on every single one of our trips.

The whole point of online check in was supposed to be that a party could skip the front desk and be notified of their room being ready.

That's a side effect that *sometimes* happens. Doesn't always happen.
 
If we haven’t gotten a room ready text by the time we arrive, i just go to the front desk and ask. Since we seldom have room requests, we most likely will take any room that is available.

We did a split stay last year. We left AKL about 9am and drove over to the Contemporary. We didn’t expect a room to be ready that early so we were going to just leave our luggage and go to MK. DH suggested we ask at the check-in desk, just in case. Sure enough, the room was ready.
 
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Just back from a 4 resort split stay. We had to stop at the front desk each time to check in, even though we completed the online check-in. They had to encode our magicbands each time at the desk. I don't know if that is a new development as our trip before this was in 2016.
 
My last stay the online check in didn't work because even though the hotel reservation had the correct number to text, my main disney profile had an old number attached to it and for some reason decided that number was the one to use.
 
If we haven't gotten a room ready text when we arrive, we go to the desk to check in. Sometimes it just isn't ready yet. Sometimes they have another room that we can have. And sometimes we are just too early.
 

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