6:45 AM Flight arrival and will the room be ready?

[SailorsWife]

That' pretty much it. It will be Monday Jan 2nd. So is there any big events that would keep people around after Sunday night.

Traveling cross country on a red eye and know we will want to sleep some when we first get in. Figure an hour and half to two getting our bags, taking the bus and getting checked in.

Odds of getting a room at 9 am good or bad?

What's our back up plan (sleeping in the lobby)??


Thanks

 

[2gr8DisneyKids]

I would think not great. You can book a room the night before and note you will be checking in early the next day, but there are no discounts out for the night of Jan 1...

I once got a room at 10:30 am, but it was in May and the parks and hotels were very empty.

Good Luck!

 

[tric8783]

It's pretty rare any room would be ready at 9am for check-in since check-out is 11. Good luck!

 

[Missyrose]

Considering the resorts will probably be pretty much packed for New Year's, I'd say getting a room that's ready that early would be slim to none.

Options would be eating a nice breakfast in the hopes of waking up a bit. If that doesn't work, you can always head to the parks and snooze through dark-theater shows (Captain EO, Little Mermaid, Carousel of Progress) and wander the parks slowly until your room is ready. Or you can pull up a lounge chair by the pool and take a snooze there.

 

[nkereina]

It depends on the occupancy rate for the night before. I would think many would be checking out New Year's Day but I bet there are a lot making a long weekend out of it. I know my work will observe Monday January 2nd for New Year's Day holiday and our office will be closed, and I bet the same for many others.

One way to improve your chances is to not make any room requests and do online check-in. Online check-in allows you to enter your approximate arrival time and the CMs assign rooms this way, trying to get everyone into a room that is or will be ready when they arrive. Not guaranteed, but has worked for us.

 

[padawans]

We always check in around 1000 am and our room has been ready. We don't go during the busiest week of the year so it's hard to say.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have had times where I checked in and a room was ready at 7am. You just never know.

All you can do is try to check in and have a back up plan if the room is not ready.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Not great.

I usually arrive around 1:30p - 2p in the afternoon and my room was ready only once.

 

[vinotinto]

I've had rooms not available until *after* the official check-in time, and I think the earliest my room was available was at 1:30 pm. That 1:30 pm time I was in Orlando, staying at PBH, and we checked in super early (8 something am), since we were already in Orlando and wanted to get our tickets and DxDP meals. Considering that New Year's is a very busy time and the 2nd is a holiday for pretty much everyone, I would think it's unlikely the room will be realy that early.

I think the best thing you can do is to do online check in. There's a section where you select your arrival time. If you put your early arrival time, at least Disney will try to accomodate you *if* a room is ready. Problem is, they may not have any rooms ready if they are booked to capacity and folks have not checked out. I would prepare for the room to not be ready until the afternoon, though. Have a plan for where to rest (I think a nice breakfast sounds like a great idea).

 

[mommytothe3cs]

It's gone both ways for us. Our room at the BLT was ready last year when we got there at 11:00 a.m. but this year it wasn't ready until almost 3:00 p.m.

 

[mb187143]

your chances are probably better if you have no requests on the room, we got there at 10AM during Free Dining when POR was 100% full and our room was ready - if you're really dead set on a certain room, and what's available doesn't meet that criteria, you may have to wait longer since that's likely to be a busy check out day.

 

[canopynut66]

That' pretty much it. It will be Monday Jan 2nd. So is there any big events that would keep people around after Sunday night.

Traveling cross country on a red eye and know we will want to sleep some when we first get in. Figure an hour and half to two getting our bags, taking the bus and getting checked in.

Odds of getting a room at 9 am good or bad?

What's our back up plan (sleeping in the lobby)??


Thanks

Normaly we have to wait for a room as we get in to resort by 10:30 AM but this last trip in September we got there and they had a room ready..BUT I would not count on that as a for sure thing...as check out is not until 11. Kinda luck of the draw and may be some that stay past January 2 for the week.

 

[Tistal]

I think it just depends on your luck. We checked into PORFQ at 6:30 AM this last trip, and they had a room for us.

 

[nkereina]

It solely depends on how full the hotel is the night before so there is no way to know. We checked into POR in late April at 9:30am with no requests and our room was ready. We checked into POR this past September at 11am having done online check-in and our room was ready but it did not meet my requests, so they moved us to a different room which was not ready until 2pm. Your biggest problem will be due to the New Years crowds.

 

[Disney DieHard]

Hey there S'sWife!

I'm not going to tell you definitely not but I wouldn't count on it ... VERY unlikely! The only way to guarantee you'd have a room waiting for you would be to book the previous day ... but do you really want to pay for a whole day you're not going to be there?

Like Tric8783 said ... check-out at the hotel isn't until 11:00AM and even if that family left a little early you'd still have to wait for the room to be cleaned. Posters like NK above me are also correct in that if you were to go during a slower time there may be rooms sitting vacant but I assume New Years is a kickin' time of year so I doubt it.

I'd say try to sleep as much as you can on the plane and I'm sorry I have to say it but ... yes ... crashing in the hotel lobby is a possibility. If it comes to that the hotel will store your luggage until your room becomes available so at least you can move about and fall asleep with out having to worry about dragging it with you or it walking off!

MAYBE, after doing the running and checking in you'll be awake ... tired, but awake ... and you can go have breakfast and kill a little more time that way.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for good luck!!!

Take Care & Be Safe!

Frank
Disney DieHard

 

[walkdmc]

Hmm...a poll would've been fun for this question. I would say no, only because I think a lot of people will be checking out that day.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We checked in once on Jan 1. We checked in about 7:30AM. Our room was ready about 6PM. The guests who had been the room the night before failed to leave at 11AM and on top of that, left a horrible mess for the housekeepers to clean up.

 

[Evi]

I wouldn't count on it. Last trip took early am flight in our room wasn't ready till 9:30pm though thats rare usually you don't get your room till about 3 or so.

 

[mariacj]

I would say to do online check in and keep you fingers crossed. All of my flights have left at 6am on departure days so we are out by 4am.


If you are dead tired and not going to a park a nice nap by the pool.

If you do not need any sleep, and a nice relaxing morning you could book an early reservation at Grand Floridan Cafe or Kona's.


I would try to get sleep on the flight... if you have a non-stop... drinking some sleepy time tea or if you are not against taking a natural sleep supplement, bring your own neck pillows, eye cover and ear plugs. If you have a layover... I would still bring my own pillow.

Good Luck!

 

[jmasgat]

You didn't mention where you're staying, but the lobby or the quiet pool of your resort may be options for grabbing a little rest. If it's a Value resort---you are more SOL since they have big loud lobbies with little seating and no quiet pools.Look for other out-of-the-way places, e.g. the lounges.

The other option is the "keep moving" approach. If the weather is nice, a good walk at a park (in hopefully warm and sun!) may help reset your body clock.

An admittedly odd third option is to rent a car for one day to get you to the hotel (you can drop off Alamo/National at Swan Dolphin or car care) and sleep in the car! Yes, odd, but if you REALLY want sleep, it could work.

Maura