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How to check in online at Disney World (so you can get to the fun faster!)

How to check in online at Disney World (so you can get to the fun faster!)

On arrival day, will you have to check in before you go to the parks?

Sometimes, but you don’t have to do it in person.

It is not unusual for people to want to hit the parks as soon as they arrive (including us!).

However, to do that you’ll need to make sure your tickets (and Disney Dining Plan, if applicable) are ready to go and activated.

Here’s what you’ll need to do:

Packages vs. Room Only reservations

  • If you have booked a Disney World Vacation PACKAGE – meaning you purchased your room + tickets or room + tickets + Disney Dining plan – you’ll need to check in before you go to the parks. If you don’t check in before you go to the parks, your tickets and your dining plan will not work.
  • If you have a ROOM ONLY reservation, you do NOT need to check in before you go to the parks. Since your tickets aren’t attached to a room, they are already “activated” and you can head to the parks whenever you are ready.

When it comes time, checking in can look like a couple of different things:

Guest check in and registration

In-person check-in

This is best for people that forgot to do online check-in, people that have super-specific room requests that they want to follow up on, and people that are already going to be at the resort dropping off their bags with Bell Services (but honestly, we’d still do online even if we were dropping off bags).

If you did not or could not have your MagicBands shipped to you, you’ll also need to do in-person check-in so that you can pick those up.

In-person is also good for people that want to do anything other than have 1 credit card attached to their account (but if you don’t need to do that immediately, you can always add it later).

Animal Kingdom Lodge

In-person can be thought of as the traditional way of checking in.

You go inside and find the counter. Maybe wait in-line for a bit and then give the person working there your information.

They do that type type type thing on their computer. (Why do they have to type so much?! Hotel desks and airline check-in counters BOTH. So much typing! Makes me nervous.)

After all the clicking and the typing, they give you some maps and maybe a flyer or 2 and then send you on your way.

Even if check-in time isn’t “officially” until 3 or 4 pm, you can still go ahead and check-in before then.

Your room may not be ready – but you’ll be “officially” checked-in and Disney will (barring any glitches) text you your room number when it is ready to be occupied. And, as long as you have your MagicBand, MagicBand+, or room key (aka Key to the World) or a cell phone with the My Disney Experience app on you, you shouldn’t have to go back to the counter.

Online check-in

This is best for people arriving during peak check-in and out times (you can avoid the regular counter lines this way), and for people who want to get to the action the fastest.

My Disney Experience

Online Resort Check-In is done through My Disney Experience and can be completed either on a computer:

Online Check In My Disney Experience desktop

or with a cell phone or tablet:

My Disney Experience online check in on phone

When you do online check-in, if you know you’ll want to head to the parks as soon as you can, make sure you select a check-in time that is before the time you think you’ll be headed to the park.

If you don’t have a check-in time selected that is before when you want to go to the parks, your tickets and dining plan may not be activated, and then you’ll possibly run into some snags when you get to the gates.

Check in times available

Sure, they’ll be able to help you there, but it will slow you down.

Again – checking in early online does not mean your room will be ready at the time you select. 

Rooms are sometimes ready earlier than the official check-in time (which is typically 4 pm) but that isn’t ever a guarantee.

But, if you need to use your tickets or Disney Dining Plan, your room doesn’t have to be “ready” for your package to be activated – you just have to be checked-in.

Notifications

If your room wasn’t ready when you checked in (if you did in-person check-in) OR if you did online check in, you should get a text message with location information in it when your room is ready.  

Note: if you plan to check in at the front desk, make sure you confirm your contact information with the Cast Member there and if doing it online, make sure you enter in your correct contact information into My Disney Experience or else your notifications will not work.

Enter info into My Disney Experience

Unlocking your resort room door

When your room is ready, you’ll just use your MagicBand or Magicband+, Phone (via the My Disney Experience App), or Key to the World Card to enter your room when you get back to your resort.

Unlock door with My Disney Experience

Bottom line: whenever possible, opt for online!

Our recommendation is to, whenever possible, use Online Resort Check-In. You can always follow up at the desk if you have any questions or issues, but checking in online saves you time AND gets you out into the fun faster.

If you DO need to visit the counter (to do things like add an additional credit card for charging), try to pick an off-peak time, like early morning or late evening.

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Heather Thomas

April

Sunday 12th of January 2020

Checking in in-person can pay off - I took an overnight flight, got to my resort at about 6:30 am - they found me a room already available so i could refresh myself after 2 separate flights and being up nearly 24 hours with only a short nap, and i was still at Magic Kingdom shortly after opening.

Tracy

Monday 16th of September 2019

Hi! Can you activate tickets and dining at the MK entry ticket desk? We will do rope drop on our check in day. Thank you!

Ann C

Tuesday 13th of August 2019

Do they still require a parking permit? We are driving down in December (UGGHHH - but it is still DISNEY!!), and it will be late when we arrive.....