online checkin

disneyholic family

disney on my mind....
Joined
Jan 31, 2002
I've always been afraid to do online check in - but the line at the resort is usually pretty awful, so i'm thinking of doing it this time.
Any opinions pro or con on doing online check in?

how does it work with your special room requests?

when you get to the resort, what if you don't like the room they've assigned to you?

we're a group of 8 with two separate reservations, though they are linked together in the reservation system

has anyone done an online check-in with multiple reservations?
 
I've never been a fan of online check in as we have to go to the desk anyway to collect magic bands.
I believe you are staying at SS they seem to manage any lines very well and often at the times we arrive on UK flights lines are minimal.
At all DVC resorts I've found them to be super helpful in finding villas to meet our requirements although our upcoming trip will be the first to SS with the preferred and standard options.
My usual request is high floor and this time will be Paddock.
I have in the past, not at DVC, requested a room change when we have found it not to be suitable.
SS is not my home resort but I find it extremely relaxing and peaceful, love the walk to DS and apart from the rare occasion have had no problem with the buses.
Have a magical trip.
 
We do online check in and find it's hit and miss but then again we find that with check in at the desk. It all depends on the time of day and CM on duty. I've made room requests both ways and been given fabulous rooms but also had the complete opposite of what we requested! We did online check in at Easter and our room was everything that we didn't want and unfortunately nothing else was available but this has also happened with desk check in. I really don't think it makes any difference and believe it's pot luck!
 
I've never been a fan of online check in as we have to go to the desk anyway to collect magic bands.
I believe you are staying at SS they seem to manage any lines very well and often at the times we arrive on UK flights lines are minimal.
At all DVC resorts I've found them to be super helpful in finding villas to meet our requirements although our upcoming trip will be the first to SS with the preferred and standard options.
My usual request is high floor and this time will be Paddock.
I have in the past, not at DVC, requested a room change when we have found it not to be suitable.
SS is not my home resort but I find it extremely relaxing and peaceful, love the walk to DS and apart from the rare occasion have had no problem with the buses.
Have a magical trip.

good point!!! i completely forgot about the magic bands that we'll have to collect on check in!!

thanks for reminding me about that....so it really doesn't matter...we'll have to go to check in regardless...



We do online check in and find it's hit and miss but then again we find that with check in at the desk. It all depends on the time of day and CM on duty. I've made room requests both ways and been given fabulous rooms but also had the complete opposite of what we requested! We did online check in at Easter and our room was everything that we didn't want and unfortunately nothing else was available but this has also happened with desk check in. I really don't think it makes any difference and believe it's pot luck!

yes, i suspect the room location etc is probably the same whether you do online or not, since they supposedly assign them several days in advance...

probably it's more difficult to switch rooms at SSR than other resorts......

last time we were at WDW, they had to move us as one of our rooms was flooded!!!
they did somehow manage to find us two rooms together...

.
 


how does it work with your special room requests?

as mentionned above, you'll need to go to front desk anyway (unless you already have MBs and have room only + standalone tickets or a US package)

but, there will be a dedicated line for those who did online check in, and this one is much shorter (and usually empty

If you have a US phone, or access to your emails, you can get a room ready notification when your room is ready. (you set this up during online check in)
So if you're at the airport around 4pm you can already see what room you've been assigned. If you already have magic bands from previous visits, you can go check the room out before going to front desk for actual check if you need to do it.
That leaves you time to discuss room allocation with other party members en route for the resort and know exactly what to ask when you're in front of the Cast Member.

But the most important point, is that this is something free to do (how many things about disney are free ? :) ) and it will save you time, as well as something to do during the last 60 days of a, sometimes, multi year planning :)


regarding multiple reservations, make sure with the reservation office (or MS if you're on points) that the reservations are linked, and that a request is made on each reservation for them to be allocated close to one another (if you so wish, or be as far apart as possibile if travelling with the in-laws, lol ) :)
 
regarding multiple reservations, make sure with the reservation office (or MS if you're on points) that the reservations are linked, and that a request is made on each reservation for them to be allocated close to one another (if you so wish, or be as far apart as possibile if travelling with the in-laws, lol ) :)

:laughing:
you'll have to ask my daughter in law that one!

our reservations are linked in MDE and every time i've called and given my reservation #, they've immediately known that there was a second reservation, so i do believe they are linked in the system..

we're on the UK full package, so yes we have to pick up our magic bands..

do all the resorts have separate lines for those who did online check in?
(including SSR)

when you do online check in, are you able to see the room requests that you made when you first booked the package?
and can you update it? (edit it?)

this whole process is so nervewracking.

i have to find a map of the rooms at SSR....

i've never stayed there...i assume the same building has more than one 2 BR suite in it...
because we do want to be as close as possible...in one suite are DS, DDIL, and the two toddlers; in the other suite are DD, DSIL, DH amd me....
we all live within 4 blocks of each other (DH and me in the middle), and we're all together a lot, and that's how we all enjoy it...
we wouldn't want to suddenly be far away on holiday!!..otherwise we wouldn't be going on this crazy three week holiday together to begin with!!!!
 
there will be a dedicated line for those who did online check in,

Not all of the resorts have this now.

For example, at Beach Club, Concierge, Check-in and Online Check-in are all now the same desk with one queue.



We use Online Check In to do room requests that match those on our booking. Have to collect MBs anyway, so ask to see the room on the map, and see if it has the facilities we want.
 


when you do online check in, are you able to see the room requests that you made when you first booked the package?
and can you update it? (edit it?)

those are 2 different things

during online check in, you get to choose 2 items from a rather limited list, such as floor, close to transportation, sometimes section (paddock, grandstand, etc for SSR)
but the requests you've put through the reservation office are a whole different thing
you won't see them during online check in, so do make sure you do not make conflictinf requests.

you also can do online check in without adding request if you think the requests you've already made are enough

i have to find a map of the rooms at SSR....

i've never stayed there...i assume the same building has more than one 2 BR suite in it...
because we do want to be as close as possible...in one suite are DS, DDIL, and the two toddlers; in the other suite are DD, DSIL, DH amd me....

have a look here
https://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-saratoga-springs-resort-spa

you'll see all building, and you can click on units, and even see the rough view from those units.
 
Not all of the resorts have this now.

For example, at Beach Club, Concierge, Check-in and Online Check-in are all now the same desk with one queue.

We use Online Check In to do room requests that match those on our booking. Have to collect MBs anyway, so ask to see the room on the map, and see if it has the facilities we want.

so what's the point of online check in if you have to wait in one line anyway?

those are 2 different things

during online check in, you get to choose 2 items from a rather limited list, such as floor, close to transportation, sometimes section (paddock, grandstand, etc for SSR)
but the requests you've put through the reservation office are a whole different thing
you won't see them during online check in, so do make sure you do not make conflictinf requests.

you also can do online check in without adding request if you think the requests you've already made are enough

have a look here
https://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-saratoga-springs-resort-spa

you'll see all building, and you can click on units, and even see the rough view from those units.

great site! thanks!! i know where i want to be. I'm a bit upset about the standard/preferred designation. This was just introduced, so it wasn't available to choose back when this package was purchased. I would have chosen preferred. And now there is no way to upgrade the UK package.
very annoying. Especially given we have one in our group who can't walk long distances. Nor can he sit for long, so there is no point in any kind of sitting unit.
So any distance we are away from the food court is an issue for him. i am annoyed.

we do have requests on our reservation. I asked for a particular section of the resort. And i requested a full size crib and that the two villas should be near each other. I think that's all i requested.
 
so what's the point of online check in if you have to wait in one line anyway?

It's most useful for US guests, who get their MBs shipped at home.
They can totally bypass the front desk and go straight to the room.
So I guess that's why they're getting rid of the dedicated online check in queue

but you still save time because your "welcome folder" is already ready. Your CC details are also on file.

but, yes, it's more beneficial to US guests, and not so much for us (unless, as said previously, if you have MBs from previous visits)
 
so what's the point of online check in if you have to wait in one line anyway?


What @chmurf said, but also because your room requests are also put in, so hopefully when the allocation team select your room, it will be what you requested.

I'm a bit upset about the standard/preferred designation. This was just introduced, so it wasn't available to choose back when this package was purchased. I would have chosen preferred. And now there is no way to upgrade the UK package.
very annoying. Especially given we have one in our group who can't walk long distances. Nor can he sit for long, so there is no point in any kind of sitting unit.
So any distance we are away from the food court is an issue for him. i am annoyed.

Frustrating that is, I guess there always has to be a cut off with these things. No harm inquiring upon check in and explaining the situation. You might get come welcomed Pixie Dust :)
 
unless, as said previously, if you have MBs from previous visits

If you do this as a Non US guest you specifically have to decline the bands I think, that way they actually send you the email with your room details :)
 
only half of us have MBs (the others haven't been to WDW since MBs were introduced)
and the MBs we have, are the old ones anyway, so i'm not even going to bother bringing them.

i do have the springs listed as our reservation request. And i'll call as we get a little closer to put in the request a second time.
But it is what it is.
i've never stayed at SSR, so i don't know how they are with requests.

At OKW, we were alway very fortunate to get exactly the building we requested. Maybe some pixie dust will come our way this time around as well.
 

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