Should I checkin online??

[accord99cutie]

In only TWO days I will be Ten days from check-in!!! :sohappy:
My question is, if I check in online 10 days prior does it increase my odds of getting the room request I've already put on my reservation?

On my past trips, I have put in requests and always got them (just a certain building, facing a certain direction). With the on-line check in will it up my odds for getting this if I do it early? Or will checking in when we arrive still give me the same odds of getting my requests?

Any help appreciated!

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I don't think it would improve your chances, but it also won't hurt them. As long as your requests are in, i think they would be treated the same. By checking in online you will just save yourself some time at the counter.

 

[Disney Daddy]

Online check-in question

Meant to start my own thread....oops....sorry!

 

[Scooter]

I would think that personally checking in would be better.
Online check in you could request a room/area but they could assign you a room and it's a done deal.

Self checking in you could at least barter a little with the room they give you. My wife and I have done this several times. They tell you which room you will get but then we ask why we can't have a differant room and most times they give in and give us the room or area we want. It doesn't always work but most times it does.

 

[disneygirl76]

Although convenient at the online method maybe, I am opting to check-in in person. I just like the process, the experience, and I think it does make a difference to be face to face with Cast Members. :wave:

 

[HoneyMnShawnee]

I was wondering what effect Online check-in was going to have on my requests as well. I have decided that I will be checking in to the resort in person as well. I have never had the check-in process take more than 10-15 mins and we are getting to the resort very early, so I don't see there being many people there ahead of us to check in. I don't think that Online Check-In would save us that much time. I am another person who really enjoys the Cast Members at the front desk. I think checking in in person might give us a better chance to get the request we want and if we can't get our request we can at least discuss with the Cast Member what other areas we would like.

 

[Monty]

I am an old curmudgeon, I won't use "convenient" new ways of doing things that remove or reduce the number of human beings that get paid to do them.

I go into banks and stand in line to see a real teller. I wait for a cashier to ring up my purchases in a grocery store. When I fly I wait in line to check in with an attendant. There is already too much unemployment, I won't deliberately contribute to it if I can avoid doing so. If that means things I want cost me more, so be it.

And at Disney I will check in with a CM. I have never asked for a specific area beyond whatever room-rate I've booked or requested a change to my room at check in and likely never will. I like the human interaction.

There are things I do because it's too late to save the jobs that have been eliminated. I book airline tickets on-line because Travel Agents get no commission from Airlines any more. I buy items on-line that simply aren't available locally. But where I can, I'd rather pay more and be greeted by a friendly face than try to interact with a faceless machine or a token human who is handing out pre-packaged kits.

[/soapbox] :lookaroun

 

[nancy33458]

Booking airline tickets online helps reduce employment also. I used to work for an airline when booking on the internet was just coming on board. Sorry to say my sales office closed, we once employed over 1000 people and when it closed it was down to about 600. Soooooo think twice about booking your ticket online if you are into saving jobs.

 

[Monty]

Booking airline tickets online helps reduce employment also. I used to work for an airline when booking on the internet was just coming on board. Sorry to say my sales office closed, we once employed over 1000 people and when it closed it was down to about 600. Soooooo think twice about booking your ticket online if you are into saving jobs.

I agree, my point was that now the only way to book is through a Travel Agent that doesn't get paid for it. I think it was shameful that the airlines stopped selling tickets "in person" and went to on-line only sales, I used to go downtown to an Air Canada ticket counter to book flights and pay for them. But once that option was no longer available the only choices were to force slave-labour onto TAs or do it on-line myself.

Sadly, the masses tend to hear "We're saving you money" and follow along like sheep. A perfect example of people's collective idiocy is the current Mayor of our Nation's Capital: He was a CEO of an internet start-up company and ran for Mayor on the basis that the city could be run like a businessand he was the man to do it. He promised no tax increases during his four-year term, his campaign slogan was "Zero means Zero!". Sadly the sheep voted for him... He got into office and discovered that his was only one vote on City Coucil and he couldn't actually do anything he had promised. Taxes went up by 4.5% in his his year in office and look to be going up by the same this year. The city services have been drastically reduced, fees for use of city-owned and 'maintained' sports facilities increased by 85% and our Mayor goes on trial for Election-tampering shortly but won't resign until they throw his sorry butt in jail...

 

[sbkline]

Although convenient at the online method maybe, I am opting to check-in in person. I just like the process, the experience, and I think it does make a difference to be face to face with Cast Members. :wave:

I am an old curmudgeon, I won't use "convenient" new ways of doing things that remove or reduce the number of human beings that get paid to do them.

I go into banks and stand in line to see a real teller. I wait for a cashier to ring up my purchases in a grocery store. When I fly I wait in line to check in with an attendant. There is already too much unemployment, I won't deliberately contribute to it if I can avoid doing so. If that means things I want cost me more, so be it.

And at Disney I will check in with a CM. I have never asked for a specific area beyond whatever room-rate I've booked or requested a change to my room at check in and likely never will. I like the human interaction.

There are things I do because it's too late to save the jobs that have been eliminated. I book airline tickets on-line because Travel Agents get no commission from Airlines any more. I buy items on-line that simply aren't available locally. But where I can, I'd rather pay more and be greeted by a friendly face than try to interact with a faceless machine or a token human who is handing out pre-packaged kits.

[/soapbox] :lookaroun

I agree with wanting to check in in person. I hadn't thought it out nearly as much as Monty did, as far as helping to keep people employed, although he makes good points. I was basically coming at it from the point of view that walking up to a counter and going through the check in process, is all part of the fun of vacation, and I don't want to eliminate that.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I am an old curmudgeon, I won't use "convenient" new ways of doing things that remove or reduce the number of human beings that get paid to do them.

I go into banks and stand in line to see a real teller. I wait for a cashier to ring up my purchases in a grocery store. When I fly I wait in line to check in with an attendant. There is already too much unemployment, I won't deliberately contribute to it if I can avoid doing so. If that means things I want cost me more, so be it.

And at Disney I will check in with a CM. I have never asked for a specific area beyond whatever room-rate I've booked or requested a change to my room at check in and likely never will. I like the human interaction.

There are things I do because it's too late to save the jobs that have been eliminated. I book airline tickets on-line because Travel Agents get no commission from Airlines any more. I buy items on-line that simply aren't available locally. But where I can, I'd rather pay more and be greeted by a friendly face than try to interact with a faceless machine or a token human who is handing out pre-packaged kits.

[/soapbox] :lookaroun

Monty wins the thread!:lol:

Exactly how I feel. Even though technology is there to help and is less formative that is used to be, I would rather go to a CM who knows his stuff and can be more helpful. The human touch is just better.:shrug:

 

[Computer Magic]

Disney is about the human touch. That is what brings the magic. All this check-in online and save time and pass the counter. I'm on vacation, why should I be in a rush. Give me the CM behind the counter.

 

[nancy33458]

Actually Montyman you can call the airline direct and book with that airlines agent. What I do is search the web for the best fare and then call that airline and book with them.
Saw a news article the other night that one of our airlines closed it's res office in India and will eventually close the one in S Africia and Jamaica and all that work will be brought back to the US. They said people were finally starting to complain.
Can't wait for our trip in 9 days.

 

[WDWNooby]

Since this is my first visit to the World, I'm checking in in person. I want to experience the WHOLE adventure

 

[cabihler]

just a few short weeks ago

in another thread on the online checkin process i made the arguments about losing jobs as well and for the most part people replied i was stupid and against progress. i said back then that disney would cut jobs soon and while online checkin would not in it of itself cost a job it was just another tool in the hands of management to cut people. incidently, i am usually a pro-management thinker. well jobs have been cut and we need to take a stand and avoid the AUTOMATED systems when possible such as online checkin and making online reservations etc. let disney, and every other company know, we want to speak with REAL people. you know i like using online banking and when i had a question i was able to go into a branch or call a customer rep at the branch and ask a question but now make those calls and you are not talking to someone near but half a world away. i have worked in IT since 1970 and i am sorry to say that we have allowed the field i loved to dictate if/when someone has a job. sort of TERMINATOR-ESQUE.

off of my soapbox and regarding the checkin process itself. its disneyworld... and to many one of the first contacts we have entering the world is at checkin with the faces of the CMs behind the counter at checkin. you can ask questions and even beg if need be for a different room or location, i did it last year at the CBR when they wanted to asign me to barbados and i asked for AND GOT jamaica. liken the experience to going to a NYC Deli --- you can wait in line for the sandwich to be exactly as you would like or you can go the the vending machine at the front door and get whatever they stack up in the machine.... OKAY sorry but i am a bit hungry so i was thinking about a great deli sandwich from the Stage Deli (ps i am in memphis tn)....:hammer:

so please, please everyone... its disney and let's just slow down a bit and not rush everywhere but experience and enjoy everything otherwise one day parts may be gone that you wish were still there.

 

[accord99cutie]

yay! finally some replies! So I have decided that I will check-in on arrival. Not today, (im ten days out!!!) or any day before the trip. Not just because of the fact that I am hoping my odds of my requested room section are the same either way, but I do enjoy getting there, and waiting in line for my check in CM! Thank you everyone for the input!

Also, If anyone has any inight into the original question regarding if it makes a difference on the request Im very interested on hearing if the chances are changed if you do one or the other. Basically, Im asking, if you checkin online ten days prior, are the rooms given out at that point? or do they still wait until your actual check-in day. For people who arrive late at night, if they check-in online early, is there a room set aside for them? say someone is getting in at 9pm, they checked in online early. Someone else arrives at 8pm, and didnt check in early, is there already a room "on hold" for the 9pm people that the 8pm can not get? Sorry if that was confusing, but Im really curious how this all works!

 

[DisneyChik17]

Also, If anyone has any inight into the original question regarding if it makes a difference on the request Im very interested on hearing if the chances are changed if you do one or the other. Basically, Im asking, if you checkin online ten days prior, are the rooms given out at that point? or do they still wait until your actual check-in day. For people who arrive late at night, if they check-in online early, is there a room set aside for them? say someone is getting in at 9pm, they checked in online early. Someone else arrives at 8pm, and didnt check in early, is there already a room "on hold" for the 9pm people that the 8pm can not get? Sorry if that was confusing, but Im really curious how this all works!

I work at a Hilton and we offer "e-check in," which I assume is very similar to this. When a guest opts to check in online, the room is randomly pre-assigned by the computer based ONLY on the guest requests saved with their reservation. I would guess that WDW works very similar. Not to mention, if you are checking 10 days early, you would get preassigned to a room that meets your requests.

 

[Foolish Mortal]

count me in as another who wants the interaction with a cm. no online check in here.

 

[Monty]

yay! finally some replies! So I have decided that I will check-in on arrival. Not today, (im ten days out!!!) or any day before the trip. Not just because of the fact that I am hoping my odds of my requested room section are the same either way, but I do enjoy getting there, and waiting in line for my check in CM! Thank you everyone for the input!

Also, If anyone has any inight into the original question regarding if it makes a difference on the request Im very interested on hearing if the chances are changed if you do one or the other. Basically, Im asking, if you checkin online ten days prior, are the rooms given out at that point? or do they still wait until your actual check-in day. For people who arrive late at night, if they check-in online early, is there a room set aside for them? say someone is getting in at 9pm, they checked in online early. Someone else arrives at 8pm, and didnt check in early, is there already a room "on hold" for the 9pm people that the 8pm can not get? Sorry if that was confusing, but Im really curious how this all works!

As I understand it, the rooms are assigned two or three days in advance. Sometimes they're overbooked in a particular category and the CMs are either told to upgrade a certain number of guests or the guests are upgraded in advance in the system [I get the impression the Manager can do either, as I've heard both]. The former would likely be something affected by checking in on-line, if the CM has flexibility on who to upgrade, it'd likely go to a person they interact with. :shrug:

I don't think you would be bumped outof a room assigned to you if an earlier-arriving guest requested a change...