online checkin or not?

[mousetrapper]

I am checking in to POR next week(!) on 11/18. I used a travel company for my reservations. Because I have a special request (Magnolia Bend), my agent told me not to do online checkin and that she would take care of putting in special requests for me. She said I should do regular checkin so I can discuss my request with a CM when I arrive.

I noticed there's a place to make a special room request on the form though.

What do you recommend?

[Strmchsr]

Your travel agent should already have your special request on your reservation. It's as simple as noting it on there. That's still no guarantee.

The special requests section of online is not for a building or area. It's for if you need a medical request or a crib or something like that. Room requests have to go on your reservation.

You can still do online check-in to speed things up when you arrive (cc info, address, etc). It saves them having to enter your info. However, if you think you might want to be picky about your rooms (again, no guarantee) then just go through the regular line instead of the online check-in line. They can still retrieve your packet in the regular line, but you won't hold up those looking to get through quickly in the online-check-in line.

[PopPhan]

Although we have our agent request a 4th floor room at Pop every trip, that does not assure you that it will be noted on your reservation -- sometimes the reservation desk 'neglects' to put that on your reservation on their computers.

The last two trips we were issued third floor rooms...The first time, I just "grinned and beared (bore?) it," but this last trip I asked if there were no 4th floor rooms available and let them know that we had made a request for 4th floor...The CM looked it up, and there was no notation on the reservation to show our request.

[mousetrapper]

Thanks for the info. I've never done online checkin before so I just don't know what to expect, protocol, etc.

[Jeri Lynn]

Does anyone ever fax their room requests in, I know people did in the past, but I don't know if its still being done.

[crltkcagle]

Thanks for the info. I've never done online checkin before so I just don't know what to expect, protocol, etc. We always do online check in and I highly recommend it! You simply walk up to the online check in counter and they hand you everything you need. There is no waiting in long lines or dealing with crowds. We also stay at POR. As far as the request goes I have asked for a room change and they were happy to help me out with that. So if you are not satisfied with what you get you can ask them to change it.


Does anyone ever fax their room requests in, I know people did in the past, but I don't know if its still being done.
We still fax ours in every year and it seems to work because we usually get what we request. We don't request crazy things, just certain buildings.

[KathyMJ]

Online check in is a nice convenience. However, I always tell my clients that if you have a special request, especially if it were due to special needs, it's best to do regular check in.
The online check in form has no spot to put these requests. As travel agents, we always note our clients requests when we call in your reservation and again when we pay it off in full. I know that any time I make a change on a client's res and it has a special request, I make sure that it is still there after the change/modification. Unfortunately, technology is not always on our side. We have to trust that from the time we tell the CM and they enter it, to the time you check in, that it will still be there.

It's always best to ask when at the start of check in, "Were you able to meet our room requests". Disney will not guarantee room requests, but they try very hard to make everyone happy.

Rooms are assigned several days prior to check in. If what you wanted was not available at that time, it may be available by the time you check in. Which is why it's nice to ask before they print everything out for you.

The whole idea of online check in is to make a smoother and faster check in process. That's why I suggest not doing online check in with special requests. If you do not have what you want and you would like to see if they can change it, they will either send you to the other line to wait again or it could hold up the online check in line for others.

Also, we have been told on many occassions that Disney does not read the fax requests. They became so inundated with them that they no longer accept them. You can fax tehm in, but there's a good chance there is a trash can under that fax machine, lol. Requests should be made at time of booking or before arrival.

I hope this helps and I hope you have a wonderful trip! POR is one of my favorite resorts.

[brownie]

Also, we have been told on many occassions that Disney does not read the fax requests. They became so inundated with them that they no longer accept them. You can fax tehm in, but there's a good chance there is a trash can under that fax machine, lol. Requests should be made at time of booking or before arrival.

:ditto:

Just make sure your request is on your reservation; no need to fax anything.

[kaylamag]

Am considering doing online check-in, I looked at the site and there is an area for room requests. Is this were i would request a full balcony or daybed?

[Strmchsr]

Am considering doing online check-in, I looked at the site and there is an area for room requests. Is this were i would request a full balcony or daybed?

I think daybed is on there. Not sure about the balcony request.

[LudwigVonDrake]

I say that you should do the online check-in and make any changes when you arrive :mickey:

[LVT]

We requested connecting rooms on the initial reservation, did the online checkin and it all went smooth and fast.

[Kiwini]

I always send a fax and my request has always been fulfilled.

I own a business, and if any of my employees were to take faxes from paying customers and throw them in the trash, they would not be employees for very long.

[Strmchsr]

I always send a fax and my request has always been fulfilled.

I own a business, and if any of my employees were to take faxes from paying customers and throw them in the trash, they would not be employees for very long.

:welcome: to Intercot!!

For future reference, putting the request on your reservation is the practice Disney requests now. As noted, they were just being overwhelmed with fax requests and so have now made it clear that they do not always process those. It sounds like you've had good luck, but I would hate to see that change because of Disney's stance on faxes.

[Kiwini]

Right - I don't only depend on the fax! It's belt & suspenders.

I'm sure they'd like to lessen the number of faxes coming in, which is why they get the word out about making requests at the time of reservation. I just can't imagine that they'd actually toss business communications from paying customers in the trash without reading them, as I've seen suggested on a number of boards.

They could do a better job advising people how those requests made at reservation time relate to online checkin. 90% of posts I've read have people guessing that you'd better not check in online if you have a special request, because it will over-write the request, etc. I don't think that's true, but it would be good if Disney just said it once and for all. They'd get more online checkins if they did, which I would think would be to everyone's advantage.

[Strmchsr]

They could do a better job advising people how those requests made at reservation time relate to online checkin. 90% of posts I've read have people guessing that you'd better not check in online if you have a special request, because it will over-write the request, etc. I don't think that's true, but it would be good if Disney just said it once and for all. They'd get more online checkins if they did, which I would think would be to everyone's advantage.

Agreed. There are several policies on which Disney could communicate better. This is definitely near the top of the list.

[GBBT]

Although we have our agent request a 4th floor room at Pop every trip, that does not assure you that it will be noted on your reservation -- sometimes the reservation desk 'neglects' to put that on your reservation on their computers.

The last two trips we were issued third floor rooms...The first time, I just "grinned and beared (bore?) it," but this last trip I asked if there were no 4th floor rooms available and let them know that we had made a request for 4th floor...The CM looked it up, and there was no notation on the reservation to show our request.
Is there a big difference from one floor to the other.....bigger,smaller,etc?:confused:

[Strmchsr]

Is there a big difference from one floor to the other.....bigger,smaller,etc?:confused:

No. Room sizes are all the same. Folks request a certain floor for various reasons - some need 1st floor because they can't handle steps. Some want top floor for the view or for no sounds of someone walking above you (not been a problem for me when we've stayed on a lower floor). But, the rooms are all the same.

[PopPhan]

Is there a big difference from one floor to the other.....bigger,smaller,etc?:confused:



No. Room sizes are all the same. Folks request a certain floor for various reasons - some need 1st floor because they can't handle steps. Some want top floor for the view or for no sounds of someone walking above you (not been a problem for me when we've stayed on a lower floor). But, the rooms are all the same.

As Chris (Strmchsr) stated, the rooms are no different, it's just that we like that there is no one above us (stomping, partying, etc.) and the top floor is just a bit quieter generally.