Typical check-in time

[jolynne28]

I know that check-in is officially 3 pm, but I was wondering if it was common for people to be able to check in say an hour earlier at 2? It's not a major issue for us, but it would be nice to be able to get things into our room and then head to the MK since I have things scheduled for our first day starting at around 3. Are they hard and fast with the 3 pm check-in time? I've also checked in online already, and read mixed responses as to whether or not I need to actually physically check in at the front desk. My understanding is that if it shows up on my app with the room number, we can just go up with the magic bands, but if not I need to head to the desk. Thanks!

 

[momma2ethan]

You can check in before 3pm but your room may not be ready yet. If it is not ready, you can drop your bags with bell services.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

You can check in at the front desk anytime after the computer starts the new day, which is either 6:00am or 7:00am. I lean towards saying 6:00am but just can't remember for sure. Your room won't necessarily be ready early, but you can drop your bags with bell services and start enjoying your resort or go to a park. With the new system, it is supposed to work that you do not have to physically check in at the front desk, but some people don't get the messages with their room numbers. Unless something has changed, I didn't think the room number came through the app. I thought it was sent only through text.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

You can check in at the front desk anytime after the computer starts the new day, which is either 6:00am or 7:00am. I lean towards saying 6:00am but just can't remember for sure. Your room won't necessarily be ready early, but you can drop your bags with bell services and start enjoying your resort or go to a park. With the new system, it is supposed to work that you do not have to physically check in at the front desk, but some people don't get the messages with their room numbers. Unless something has changed, I didn't think the room number came through the app. I thought it was sent only through text.

Just FYI, the room number showing up in the app was added during an update a few months ago, so it’s a relatively new feature.

Also, just like getting the text, it seems to work with some but not all people. It’s been 100% for me since it was introduced, but others have reported it not showing up.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Just FYI, the room number showing up in the app was added during an update a few months ago, so it’s a relatively new feature.

Also, just like getting the text, it seems to work with some but not all people. It’s been 100% for me since it was introduced, but others have reported it not showing up.

Thanks for the update. We were there in September and I don't remember getting our room number through the app so it could be we were there before the update, or maybe that feature of the app just didn't work for us.

 

[mco65]

We almost always check in early... the room is never ready that early.. we leave our bags at the bag center.. they deliver them to our room later in the day while we head to the parks...

 

[kiford]

We've had our rooms ready as early as 10 am and as late as 4 pm. If we check in and the room isn't ready, we just leave the bags with bell services and pick up later.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thanks for the update. We were there in September and I don't remember getting our room number through the app so it could be we were there before the update, or maybe that feature of the app just didn't work for us.

Yeah, I can’t quite remember when it started, it is recent. Honestly it’s pretty burried in the “My Plans” section and if not for reading about it somewhere around here, I would have never know it was there!

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

You can check in online pretty much any time and then there's a chance you don't have to go to the front desk at all.
Otherwise you go check in at the front desk when you get there. Disney resorts are not like your local hotel.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

If the room is ready, they will allow you to go to it prior to the 4PM checkin time, but there is no way to tell ahead of time if it will be or not. Did you put 2PM in the online checkin where it asks your arrival time? I have gotten in our room extremely early in the past and other times I have had to wait for hours. To us it never matters, because we check what we can with bell services and take the rest with us to wherever we are headed for the day.

 

[jolynne28]

Thanks for all the responses. We are driving in, so I have no problem leaving things in the car if the room is not ready. I am hoping it will be though, so that we can get things squared away in there for bedtime/etc with our kids. I think that will make the return to the room smoother if we don’t have to spend a lot of time unpacking. Again, not a big deal, I was just wondering if people were getting in their rooms earlier than 3. It seems to just be random chance, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed! And I’ll look into what time I noted for arrival on the check in. Thanks again!

 

[Maxie86]

I've had a room as early as 7 AM. Maybe we have just been lucky, but I only remember getting a room after 3 one or two times. If they know you are waiting they will clean your room before someone arriving later if they can. I'm about 50/50 on the room ready text...it doesn't hurt to check back if you don't get a text.

 

[bumbershoot]

Disney resorts are not like your local hotel.

In 7 years of 50% of the year global travel DH came across exactly two hotels that wouldn’t let him do the checkin process until the checkin time. Other than that they all let him do most of the process early.

So it might very well be like one’s local hotel (not those in Manhattan though...that’s where the two were!).

We are driving in, so I have no problem leaving things in the car if the room is not ready

For safety leave them with Bell
Services

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

In 7 years of 50% of the year global travel DH came across exactly two hotels that wouldn’t let him do the checkin process until the checkin time. Other than that they all let him do most of the process early.

So it might very well be like one’s local hotel (not those in Manhattan though...that’s where the two were!).



For safety leave them with Bell
Services

I guess we have never stayed in the same hotels then.
I've stayed at a couple local ones for birthday celebrations and weddings.
I've also stayed at a number of hotels around the USA, Canada, England, France, and Italy and only one in Hawaii allowed us to check in early.

 

[snowmedic]

I lean towards saying 6:00am but just can't remember for sure.

The system resets for the new day at 6:05 a.m. That is the time we check in when we arrive, but have never been lucky enough to have our site, we stay at FW, ready.

 

[scrapquitler]

I know that check-in is officially 3 pm, but I was wondering if it was common for people to be able to check in say an hour earlier at 2? It's not a major issue for us, but it would be nice to be able to get things into our room and then head to the MK since I have things scheduled for our first day starting at around 3. Are they hard and fast with the 3 pm check-in time? I've also checked in online already, and read mixed responses as to whether or not I need to actually physically check in at the front desk. My understanding is that if it shows up on my app with the room number, we can just go up with the magic bands, but if not I need to head to the desk. Thanks!

I've gotten the room ready text as early as 7:30 AM and as late as 5:30 PM. It depends on how full the resort is, when the people leaving 'your' room check out, and how fast they housekeepers can get it ready.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Thanks for all the responses. We are driving in, so I have no problem leaving things in the car if the room is not ready. I am hoping it will be though, so that we can get things squared away in there for bedtime/etc with our kids. I think that will make the return to the room smoother if we don’t have to spend a lot of time unpacking. Again, not a big deal, I was just wondering if people were getting in their rooms earlier than 3. It seems to just be random chance, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed! And I’ll look into what time I noted for arrival on the check in. Thanks again!

OP - here's a tip that can 'potentially' help get your room early. Obviously no guarantees, but it's something you should probably do if getting your room room early is very important to you.

During online check-in, when you select a "Room Location Request" from the drop down menu, a check-box shows up that says "Arriving early? Check here if having your room ready for early arrival is a higher priority than any of the requests you have selected." - you can see it in the pic below.

If you do not have any room requests that are critical to your stay, I would check this box.

Also, when you arrive that day (and assuming you have not yet received your room number via text or the app), make sure to tell a front desk CM that you'll take the first available room.

Again, this only is valid if you don't have any room requests, as it's a trade-off.

Sorry if this is obvious or you already did this, but maybe it helps. Have a great trip!

 

[jolynne28]

Great feedback all, thanks! I completed the online check in a while back, and don’t recall checking any boxes for anything regarding arrival or room preference. I assumed I didn’t get any “preferences” because I booked a special and it’s a standard room. If I have time to look into it tomorrow I might, but since it’s not critical that we get in early, and we are in that last minute mad dash to get packed up, I may just wait and see. We are getting up at 1 am to start our drive Saturday morning so wish us luck!

 

[ncc1701]

We check in as soon as we arrive at the hotel. A few time the room has been ready ( arriving around 11:00 am) , most of the time it has been an hour or so later and twice it was after 3:00. Our experiences with the text / MDE notification has been 50/50 so it can't hurt to go to the front desk once you arrive. Have a great trip.

 

[SharonZ]

I believe check-in at the resorts starts at 3:00 p.m.