Online Check In- or not?

the1nonlysinger

the1nonlysinger

Active Member
Our flight arrives around noon at MCO. Taking the Magical Express over to PORS and hoping to be able to be there by 1:30... Really hoping to get into our room right away so we can freshen up before heading out to enjoy the World. Will we have a better chance of getting a room immediately if we do online check-in? Or better off if we just check in that day?

(I'm not sure if online check in assigns you a room prior to arrival or if that gets assigned when you arrive anyway...)
 
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the1nonlysinger

the1nonlysinger

Active Member
Original Poster
RonAnnArbor said:
Yes. Much much better chance of getting in with the Online checkin since those are assigned overnight.
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Thank you for giving me some insight on how the online check-in process works! I'm concerned that if they assigned our room the night before, and it hasn't been cleaned by the time we get there, that we won't be able to get in right away. Hence, why I was considering not checking in prior. If it's not ready when we get there, would they just reassign us?
 
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luv

luv

Well-Known Member
No way to know. It depends on what time the people in the rooms leave them and how long it takes to get it clean after they're gone. If the hotel is full, a bunch of people stay until 11:00 or 12:00 and they're short a housekeeper, it might take a LOT longer to get a room than if it is slow, housekeeping is fully staffed and people are staggering check-outs like normal.

The rooms don't show up as available on the front desk computers until housekeeping shows them as clean.

Arriving 1:00 - 2:00, you will likely get a room. But you might not.

If the room isn't ready, they will give you a number to call to see when it is ready or they'll text you (or they'll say they will text you and then not do it, lol). Rooms are always supposed to be ready by three. The latest I ever had to wait was until a little after four...and since I had a late check-in, I asked for a late check-out on my last day. I got it. :)
 
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the1nonlysinger

the1nonlysinger

Active Member
Original Poster
luv said:
No way to know. It depends on what time the people in the rooms leave them and how long it takes to get it clean after they're gone. If the hotel is full, a bunch of people stay until 11:00 or 12:00 and they're short a housekeeper, it might take a LOT longer to get a room than if it is slow, housekeeping is fully staffed and people are staggering check-outs like normal.

The rooms don't show up as available on the front desk computers until housekeeping shows them as clean.

Arriving 1:00 - 2:00, you will likely get a room. But you might not.

If the room isn't ready, they will give you a number to call to see when it is ready or they'll text you (or they'll say they will text you and then not do it, lol). Rooms are always supposed to be ready by three. The latest I ever had to wait was until a little after four...and since I had a late check-in, I asked for a late check-out on my last day. I got it. :)
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Thanks for the info! The part about them showing up on the front desk computers is along the lines of what I'm looking for. My guess all along has been that we would have better luck getting a room if we waited to check-in until we arrive. (Instead of checking in online, having them assign a room to us and then having it not be ready.) It seems logical to me but I wasn't sure if it meshed with how it really works.
 
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lunchbox1175

lunchbox1175

Well-Known Member
When you check in online, they give you a few options as to being able to chose the building and ammenities in some cases, and they also have an option of getting your room as soon as possible, that can override the other choices if that is what you wish, so that may be the best option for you. On another note, I always arrive arround 10:30 at MCO and usually to the resort around 11:30, and i have yet to have to wait for a room. Hope it all works out for you and have an awesome time!
 
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the1nonlysinger

the1nonlysinger

Active Member
Original Poster
lunchbox1175 said:
When you check in online, they give you a few options as to being able to chose the building and ammenities in some cases, and they also have an option of getting your room as soon as possible, that can override the other choices if that is what you wish, so that may be the best option for you. On another note, I always arrive arround 10:30 at MCO and usually to the resort around 11:30, and i have yet to have to wait for a room. Hope it all works out for you and have an awesome time!
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Awesome, thanks for the advice!! :-)
 
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RonAnnArbor

RonAnnArbor

Well-Known Member
Since they have started the Online checkin, I have always used it -- probably 10 trips now in the past three years, and the room is always ready no matter what time I arrive - granted, I usually travel off-peek times, not during the holiday periods, but literally, every one of the ten trips, arriving as early as 11 am and never later than 2 pm, the rooms have always been ready. Plus, at the moderate resorts, while there are 20 people in the regular checkin line, there has never been more than 1 or 2 in front of me in the Online Checkin line -- Also, the Online Checkin line, if it gets longer than a few people deep, gets priority from the Concierge desk if they are not busy, and they will check-in the next person in line.
 
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