All Disney-owned hotels at Walt Disney World participate in Disney'sOnline Check-In program. During Online Check-In, you will be asked to provide your credit card information and authorize charges, submit your estimated arrival time, and provide contact information to receive automated notification of your room status.
Online Check-In may be completed up to 60 days before your arrival. If you've checked-in online and provided a mobile phone number or email address, you will receive electronic information about your room availability and room number.
Guests living in the United States and a few other geographic areas, will have Magic Bands mailed to their home prior to their arrival. If you've completed Online Check-In and have your MagicBand, you may go straight to the room bypassing the lobby altogether.
Online Check-In can be completed on either the DisneyWorld.com website or the My Disney Experience app (available for Apple or Android).
If you have room requests and are a TouringPlans subscriber, you can (and probably should) complete online check-in prior to your arrival; However, you room request should be made using the Automatic Room Request tool. The TouringPlans tool allows you to make more detailed, specific requests.
There are a few pros and cons about Online Check-In:
ONLINE CHECK-IN PROS
- You don’t have to waste time during your vacation doing “chores” like waiting at the hotel front desk – leaving you more time for relaxation/touring.
- You don’t have to wonder about whether your room is ready yet.
- You don’t have to speak with extraneous people (possibly important for introverts).
- You don’t have to do extra walking by making two stops at the resort (main building and your room).
- Overall, you’re getting to your room faster.
ONLINE CHECK-IN CONS
- There may be a lack of warmth. No welcome greeting or smile at your “home away from home” means that a component of the Disney personal touch is missing.
- Guests unfamiliar with the resort layout may become lost.
- Guests unfamiliar with the resort may miss out on amenities like poolside activities or recreation because these have not been mentioned by staff during check in.
- Guests new to Disney travel may be unaware of benefits like Extra Magic Hours or confused by package components such as the Disney Dining Plan.
- You may miss out on unique resort touches like receiving a welcome lei at the Polynesian Village or watching the cast have a Hustle party at All Star Music.
Last updated by Erin Foster on August 15, 2018
