Why online check-in 60 days in advance?

[mdcpr]

I’m a little confused about the 60 day recommendation for online check-in. Is this necessary? Will that help me get a room faster?

This is our first trip to WDW and we’re staying at the Wilderness Lodge, and we’re arriving the day before Thanksgiving at 8:30 am. Would online check-in help in getting an available room earlier than check-in time? I’m not requesting a specific room, we’ll take the first thing available.

Also, what about getting a map of the resort, and a list of activities? Can I still go to the front desk for it?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Weather_Lady]

No, it won't help you to get a room faster. Apparently Disney recently shifted to a system whereby they start assigning rooms earlier than they used to -- closer to 30 days out -- so at best, checking in before 30 days may help them to accommodate you if you've made a room location request. As far as whether your room will be ready at check-in, that all depends on your arrival time, etc., how full the hotel is that day, how many rooms they have to turn over, etc. (Be sure you've made your DME arrangements and provided flight information and/or anticipated arrival information, which will at least let them know if you're arriving prior to the usual check-in time, although the room being ready then is not guaranteed.)

I don't know if our experience is typical, but out of our last trips, we've had: (1) an early arrival with a request for a room near an elevator at VWL -- room was not ready until several hours after arrival and request was not met; (2) an early arrival at CBR at 10am with no requests, which was ready upon arrival; (3) an early arrival at BCV with no requests, room not ready until several hours later; and (4) a post-checkin-time arrival at Poly with a request for a particular location, room still not ready until an hour later, no room ready text was ever sent, and request was not met. In short, it seems to be a total crap shoot!

In reality, the 60 day window just gives us all something to do while we're twiddling our thumbs in between the 60-day Fastpass window for onsite stays, and our travel day.

 

[mdcpr]

No, it won't help you to get a room faster. Apparently Disney recently shifted to a system whereby they start assigning rooms earlier than they used to -- closer to 30 days out -- so at best, checking in before 30 days may help if you've made a request.

In reality, the 60 day window just gives us all something to do while we're twiddling our thumbs in between the 60-day Fastpass window for onsite stays, and our travel day.

Haha - got it!

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

You can do online check in at any time prior to going.
You could do it before the 60 day mark.
I do mine as soon as I book my trip lol.
It helps expedite the process.
You can put in requests of things like highest floor or near transportation etc.
There's also a box to check if having your room ready as early as possible is most important to you.
You can also put when you're expe4cting to arrive or if taking Magical Express it will state that.
I absolutely love online check in because it gives you the chance to get your room number without waiting in a line at the front desk so you can go right to your room.
You can always go ask any questions or get any fliers you want at any point in time.

 

[mdcpr]

You can do online check in at any time prior to going.
You could do it before the 60 day mark.
I do mine as soon as I book my trip lol.
It helps expedite the process.
You can put in requests of things like highest floor or near transportation etc.
There's also a box to check if having your room ready as early as possible is most important to you.
You can also put when you're expe4cting to arrive or if taking Magical Express it will state that.
I absolutely love online check in because it gives you the chance to get your room number without waiting in a line at the front desk so you can go right to your room.
You can always go ask any questions or get any fliers you want at any point in time.

Great advice--thank you. We're not picky about rooms, so the first thing available would work for us.

 

[KaliSplash]

Have only done early check-in once, and like the Weather Lady above, never received a text that the room was ready. We had gone to Epcot first thing the morning we arrived and got no text, so when the typical afternoon storm arrived, we headed over to the Yacht Club and our room Was ready. Didn't bother with early check-in last month since we were coming in on a Sunday and didn't plan to go to a park until Monday morning anyway. Arrived around 4 or so and had no trouble at CBR. We had made no room type request in either case. In the last decade, we have checked into room before 9 a.m. and both Pop and All-Star Music. (for what it's worth)

 

[Heppenheimer]

I’m a little confused about the 60 day recommendation for online check-in. Is this necessary? Will that help me get a room faster?

This is our first trip to WDW and we’re staying at the Wilderness Lodge, and we’re arriving the day before Thanksgiving at 8:30 am. Would online check-in help in getting an available room earlier than check-in time? I’m not requesting a specific room, we’ll take the first thing available.

Also, what about getting a map of the resort, and a list of activities? Can I still go to the front desk for it?

Thank you in advance!

I seem to recall some kind of list of daily activities being provided to me at my last visit, but I don't remember if was already in the room, or given at the front desk.

Compared to some other resorts, the Wilderness Lodge isn't particularly big and everything is logically laid out. It's pretty easy to find everything without a map.

 

[poster]

I’m a little confused about the 60 day recommendation for online check-in. Is this necessary? Will that help me get a room faster?

This is our first trip to WDW and we’re staying at the Wilderness Lodge, and we’re arriving the day before Thanksgiving at 8:30 am. Would online check-in help in getting an available room earlier than check-in time? I’m not requesting a specific room, we’ll take the first thing available.

Also, what about getting a map of the resort, and a list of activities? Can I still go to the front desk for it?

Thank you in advance!

Since this is your first trip to WDW, I would really reccomend checking in at the front desk. They will take the time to make sure you know how everything works at the hotel, things that are going on, and make sure you understand the transportation. Plus the lobby is great!. Also try to sign up to be the flag family. You get to go to the roof of the hotel and raise all the flags and have breakfast in the suite level. The list fills up quick, but you can ask when you sign in. Enjoy your trip

 

[mdcpr]

Since this is your first trip to WDW, I would really reccomend checking in at the front desk. They will take the time to make sure you know how everything works at the hotel, things that are going on, and make sure you understand the transportation. Plus the lobby is great!. Also try to sign up to be the flag family. You get to go to the roof of the hotel and raise all the flags and have breakfast in the suite level. The list fills up quick, but you can ask when you sign in. Enjoy your trip

Great tips, thank you!

 

[DisAl]

Since this is your first trip to WDW, I would really reccomend checking in at the front desk. They will take the time to make sure you know how everything works at the hotel, things that are going on, and make sure you understand the transportation. Plus the lobby is great!. Also try to sign up to be the flag family. You get to go to the roof of the hotel and raise all the flags and have breakfast in the suite level. The list fills up quick, but you can ask when you sign in. Enjoy your trip

Our last trip there we we told they don't do the family flag raising thing any more.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

If you have requests for a particular room or location I have found that using Touringplans.com to fax a request has been more successful for me. However, every time I have done the online check in, I had our room number texted to me by the time I Boarded the Magical Express.