Resort check in

[jeal]

We were told today although resort check in is 3:00 the rooms that does not guarantee your room will be ready at 3:00 and may not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. Is this accurate information? Every other hotel we have ever checked into had the room ready at check in time.

 

[dansdad]

We were told today although resort check in is 3:00 the rooms that does not guarantee your room will be ready at 3:00 and may not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. Is this accurate information? Every other hotel we have ever checked into had the room ready at check in time.

Yes, that is correct information. Check In officially starts at 3:00. WDW resorts have always allowed guests to check in earlier than that. But getting into your room prior to 3:00 is a bonus. And if it's a DVC room, 4:00.

 

[Shanti]

We were told today although resort check in is 3:00 the rooms that does not guarantee your room will be ready at 3:00 and may not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. Is this accurate information? Every other hotel we have ever checked into had the room ready at check in time.

It's typical for rooms to be ready by 3pm. If lucky, yours might be ready earlier.

 

[jeal]

I agree with early check in but we questioned the fact that we were told that even though check in begins 3:00 that doesn't mean your room will be ready at 3:00 and may not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. I thought all rooms would be ready by 3:00.

 

[dansdad]

I agree with early check in but we questioned the fact that we were told that even though check in begins 3:00 that doesn't mean your room will be ready at 3:00 and may not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. I thought all rooms would be ready by 3:00.

It means the process starts at 3.

 

[jeal]

We have stayed in hotels around the world and our room has always been ready at check in time including every time we have stayed at Disney. It was surprising to be told it was normal for rooms not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. I'm not sure this would be okay with us. We expect our room to be ready at check in time.

 

[buzznina]

We were told today although resort check in is 3:00 the rooms that does not guarantee your room will be ready at 3:00 and may not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. Is this accurate information? Every other hotel we have ever checked into had the room ready at check in time.

The big difference is that WDW resort constantly run at 90%+ occupancy level, where other hotels are not trying to turnover that many rooms daily. I really realized how good WDW is when I stayed at the Westin Peachtree Plaza convention hotel in Atlanta and our check-in day was the same day another conference was checking out, we did not get into our room until 7:00PM because it took them that long to turnover those rooms.

 

[dansdad]

We have stayed in hotels around the world and our room has always been ready at check in time including every time we have stayed at Disney. It was surprising to be told it was normal for rooms not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. I'm not sure this would be okay with us. We expect our room to be ready at check in time.

We personally have always had our room available to us by 3:00 at WDW. However I know people who have had to wait. We've also had to wait until after 3:00 at many a hotel/resort during our travels. Heck we've had some make us wait until 3:00 Just to go through the check in process only to be given our room number but told it won't be ready until later.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

It’s not ‘normal’ to not have your room ready until 5 o 6. Possible, yes.... normal, no.

Our room has been ready many times before 3. Lots of times right around 3. Once or twice it was closer to 4.

Usually I’m just happy to be there and don’t much care when our room is ready.

 

[AngiTN]

We have stayed in hotels around the world and our room has always been ready at check in time including every time we have stayed at Disney. It was surprising to be told it was normal for rooms not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. I'm not sure this would be okay with us. We expect our room to be ready at check in time.

It is not normal, I don't care what a CM told you.
Can it happen? Yes
Does it happen normally, often, or to a majority (however you want to phrase it)? No
We've had over 50 check ins/stays at Disney. Twice have we gotten a room after 3:00, including 3 DVC stays.
Once was when we were arriving at 9:30 PM, which Disney knew based on our ME arrival time. We got our room assignment later than 3:00
Second time we had arrived early and 3:00 came and we didn't have a room. I said it was unacceptable and suddenly, we did have a room.
We've never waited after 3:00 any other time.

 

[Lynne M]

We have stayed in hotels around the world and our room has always been ready at check in time including every time we have stayed at Disney. It was surprising to be told it was normal for rooms not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. I'm not sure this would be okay with us. We expect our room to be ready at check in time.

Disney's policy may not be like other hotels you've stayed at. They don't have a hard-and-fast time when they promise rooms will be ready.

That being said, it's fairly unusual for guests to be waiting until 5 or 6 PM to get into their room. Rooms are made available to guests as they're prepared, and that process rolls throughout the day. Most rooms are available by 3 PM. Some may be ready earlier, some may be ready later.

 

[Tinkerbell2017]

I've only had to wait once when we arrived before noon, our room was ready by 2:30pm

 

[Mari0824]

Our room has always been ready at check in with the exception of times when we get there and don't like our assigned room. They happily will accommodate us but request we wait a bit until it's ready. The two times it has happened though I got my room at 3pm and the other time it was close to 7pm. But we understood and were thrilled as we got our requested room.

 

[bjcaed]

Our room has always been ready early. One time by 9:00am. I would not worry too much!

 

[jeal]

Thank you everyone for your input.
Here is the final answer straight from a supervisor at Disney Guest Services - all rooms are expected to be ready for check in at 3:00 and it is highly unlikely that your room wouldn't be ready by 3:00.
The process does not begin at 3:00 - 3:00 is the time that all rooms are expected to be ready. They don't want everyone checking in at 3:00 - imagine the lines. Whew - I know we have checked in early most times at Disney - sometimes had a room by 9:00 in the morning. Glad to hear their policy has not changed.

 

[bumbershoot]

We were told today although resort check in is 3:00 the rooms that does not guarantee your room will be ready at 3:00 and may not be ready until 5:00 or 6:00. Is this accurate information? Every other hotel we have ever checked into had the room ready at check in time.

Was it the front desk that told you that! Someone else? Phone cm? Friend?

Since you don't know if it's accurate that phrasing feels like it's not a front desk cm.

Anything can happen in the hotel world. The room slated for you might need its carpets cleaned and there might be no other rooms. The past guests might have had a party. Half the housekeepers might have called out sick with a cold. Etc. They aren't going to compensate unless it's an egregiously late checkin. So it's both accurate and it's not the norm.