How early can you check into Resort?

[JrBernal83]

How does it work checking in before 3pm. We will be arriving at our resort at about 8am on a Monday. We have a rental car and want to make sure we don't have to leave our luggage in the car. We also want to make sure we are able to hit the parks right away after we check in.

 

[mousehockey37]

Hit or miss.

 

[mouse_luv]

You can check in when you get there and if they have a room then you're good, if not then you can ask them to hold you luggage in bell services and then they will send you a text when your room is ready.

 

[Rob562]

The earliest you can definitely check in (or "pre-register" as they call it) is 7am. Your room may not be ready, but you can get all set up for your stay.

You *may* be able to do it even earlier, but that depends on when the overnight "end of day" processes have finished in the front desk system and they've started the new business day. Disney won't guarantee that being done until 7am.

-Rob

 

[tractor tipper]

Your best bet for an early check in would be to do on-line check in giving your arrival time and any other requests you might have.

 

[Marianm]

I also think it's probably hit or miss, but when we went last October we arrived around 10am and our room was ready. I did not do online check in.

 

[Master Yoda]

The earliest you can definitely check in (or "pre-register" as they call it) is 7am. Your room may not be ready, but you can get all set up for your stay.

You *may* be able to do it even earlier, but that depends on when the overnight "end of day" processes have finished in the front desk system and they've started the new business day. Disney won't guarantee that being done until 7am.

-Rob

This^^^

Our typical arrival time is between 7:00 and 7:30 AM. If your room is not ready yet, they will store your luggage, give you all of your paperwork and you can head to the parks.

We have found that doing online check in has increased the frequency in which our room was ready prior to 3:00 PM, but it is in no way guaranteed.

 

[Weather_Lady]

It's been hit or miss for us, too, but it does seem like doing online check-in (especially if we don't have a laundry list of requests!) increases our chances that the room will be ready early. Arriving on a weekday (instead of a weekend, when the cleaning staff is more taxed with rooms that need to be turned over for new occupants) also seems to help.

If it's not ready when we arrive, though, leaving our bags with Bell Services (and then calling to have them delivered after we arrive at our room later, following the text message with the room number - we do tip $1/bag when that happens) has proved to be very convenient. If you don't want to leave your bags in the car (vulnerable to heat and thieves) and would like the convenience of having them delivered to your door, definitely use Bell Services.

 

[cursivesailor]

I am currently planning on doing this for our trip. If the room is ready, great. If not throw the luggage with the bellhop and get to the park. AKL wasnt available for DVC for a full week when we are going, so we are missing one day. So we are gonna drive up halfway the day before and then get there early on checkin day to take advantage of the bulk of that day.

Will they deliver your bags once it becomes available? Or do you have to be present for delivery?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Hit or miss.

It's been hit or miss for us, too, but it does seem like doing online check-in (especially if we don't have a laundry list of requests!) increases our chances that the room will be ready early. Arriving on a weekday (instead of a weekend, when the cleaning staff is more taxed with rooms that need to be turned over for new occupants) also seems to help.

If it's not ready when we arrive, though, leaving our bags with Bell Services (and then calling to have them delivered after we arrive at our room later, following the text message with the room number - we do tip $1/bag when that happens) has proved to be very convenient. If you don't want to leave your bags in the car (vulnerable to heat and thieves) and would like the convenience of having them delivered to your door, definitely use Bell Services.

To be clear, it's not "hit or miss" whether they let you check in. They 100% let you check in. The "hit or miss" part is whether your room is ready.

 

[Rob562]

I am currently planning on doing this for our trip. If the room is ready, great. If not throw the luggage with the bellhop and get to the park. AKL wasnt available for DVC for a full week when we are going, so we are missing one day. So we are gonna drive up halfway the day before and then get there early on checkin day to take advantage of the bulk of that day.

Will they deliver your bags once it becomes available? Or do you have to be present for delivery?

They will deliver yellow-tagged DME luggage without you being there. Anything you give to Bell Services you'll have to be present in the room. (Though sometimes if you have a mix they'll include your carry-on stuff when they deliver the yellow tagged stuff)

-Rob

 

[mousehockey37]

To be clear, it's not "hit or miss" whether they let you check in. They 100% let you check in. The "hit or miss" part is whether your room is ready.

Yeah. My bad, wasn't clear enough.

In 2014, we got to our resort at 11am and everything was ready, so we went right in.

 

[YozhikRoth]

How does it work checking in before 3pm. We will be arriving at our resort at about 8am on a Monday. We have a rental car and want to make sure we don't have to leave our luggage in the car. We also want to make sure we are able to hit the parks right away after we check in.

I do online check-in, then drop my bags the bell desk. Usually get a text between 2-4 pm that the room is ready. Never had a problem in all my years...

 

[donsullivan]

Also keep in mind that if you are willing to take whatever is available it's much more likely you can get in early vs if you have a specific request (room#, building, location, etc..) and they have to wait for something that matches that to be ready for occupancy.

Unless its a super high-occupancy week there are likely some rooms that went unused the night before and therefore could be available for early occupancy in the morning. They just may not be in the most desirable locations.