Showing up at midnight the day of check-in

[squirk]

I am 99.999% sure that I know the answer to this question before I even ask, but I've been surprised more than once around here.

We are checking into CCV in a few weeks, and the way the school and flight schedules worked out, we are flying in the day before our check-in, arriving in MCO around 11:30 p.m. that night.

Our current plan is to grab a hotel near the airport, crash, and then transition to our cabin the next day. While this may ultimately be the best way to go, I'd like to avoid schlepping ourselves to a hotel for 6 hours of sleep and a shower, and then repack our stuff to go to a different hotel, all within 18 hours. For lack of a better phrase, I'd like to avoid the "layover" if I could.

So my question is this: assuming there is open occupancy in the cabins the night we fly in, what are the chances that DVC would let us check in "early" if we showed up at, say, 12:01 a.m. the day of our check-in?

I am pretty sure the answer is "0%", but I've never tried it, so I thought I'd just throw it out there and see if I am wrong.

Please and thank you!

 

[MoreTravels]

I think they operate more by "night" and not "clock time at midnight" for day turnover... so the night is still young at mid night. Now if you check in at 7am, the night is considered over. You might have a chance to check in. You need to think like a hotel owner / business person.

In general, hotels will have some vacancy in most nights. They will try to save that vacancy for last minute walk-in clients. So even if there is one empty room, they will save it to generate income, in case out of no where someone walked in at 1 am, paying cash at front desk and looking for a place to sleep.

By 7 am, that possibility is gone. So hotels will not care if the new guest takes it at 7am or 4pm, it makes no difference from revenue point of view.

 

[squirk]

I think they operate more by "night" and not "clock time at midnight" for day turnover... so the night is still young at mid night. Now if you check in at 7am, the night is considered over. You might have a chance to check in. You need to think like a hotel owner / business person.

In general, hotels will have some vacancy in most nights. They will try to save that vacancy for last minute walk-in clients. So even if there is one empty room, they will save it to generate income, in case out of no where someone walked in at 1 am, paying cash at front desk and looking for a place to sleep.

By 7 am, that possibility is gone. So hotels will not care if the new guest takes it at 7am or 4pm, it makes no difference from revenue point of view.

Thanks. Yeah, I agree with your guess that the computers don't "flip" exactly at midnight. But still, I guess my thinking is that by 12:01 a.m., the chance of a "walk-in" for a CCV cabin is pretty much nil. If a cabin is unoccupied and has already been turned over, I am wondering if there are allowances that can be made in such cases as mine.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I believe they don't start handing out rooms until 6am so you're out of luck.
Plus at DVC I've heard the room ready time is a bit more strict so you may find you can't get in your room ujhntil 3-4pm that day.
Not sure how true that is but its what I've gathered from some DVC threads.

My advice is either change your flight to the next day or do as you were thinking and rent a room.
You would stay in the room for more than a few hours too if you want to get your money's worth.
Also why would you unpack and repack everything?
Just have one bag with what everyone will need for that night of crashing like pajamas toothbrush...

 

[rlk]

I believe they don't start handing out rooms until 6am so you're out of luck.
Plus at DVC I've heard the room ready time is a bit more strict so you may find you can't get in your room ujhntil 3-4pm that day.
Not sure how true that is but its what I've gathered from some DVC threads.

My advice is either change your flight to the next day or do as you were thinking and rent a room.
You would stay in the room for more than a few hours too if you want to get your money's worth.
Also why would you unpack and repack everything?
Just have one bag with what everyone will need for that night of crashing like pajamas toothbrush...

The only time we booked a flight scheduled to land late, we booked a night at a value resort. I also packed a carry-on bag with everything we needed for that first night as well as the next day. It worked out pretty seamlessly, except for our plane delay which caused us to arrive at the resort around 3:00 am.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I am 99.999% sure that I know the answer to this question before I even ask, but I've been surprised more than once around here.

We are checking into CCV in a few weeks, and the way the school and flight schedules worked out, we are flying in the day before our check-in, arriving in MCO around 11:30 p.m. that night.

Our current plan is to grab a hotel near the airport, crash, and then transition to our cabin the next day. While this may ultimately be the best way to go, I'd like to avoid schlepping ourselves to a hotel for 6 hours of sleep and a shower, and then repack our stuff to go to a different hotel, all within 18 hours. For lack of a better phrase, I'd like to avoid the "layover" if I could.

So my question is this: assuming there is open occupancy in the cabins the night we fly in, what are the chances that DVC would let us check in "early" if we showed up at, say, 12:01 a.m. the day of our check-in?

I am pretty sure the answer is "0%", but I've never tried it, so I thought I'd just throw it out there and see if I am wrong.

Please and thank you!

Yeah, about a 0% chance. Check in for the next day is 7 am I believe. Options are book the cabin for your arrival day/night, book another location for your arrival day/night or fly in a day later.

 

[squirk]

Thanks, all. Changing flights is not an option. As for packing/unpacking, we have three kids, so it's still a bit of a PITA even just with overnight bags.

I think the issue is moot, anyway, as it looks like the cabins are all full the night of our flight. Which I guess probably also means a hard 4 p.m. check-in.

 

[bumbershoot]

I believe they don't start handing out rooms until 6am so you're out of luck.

That’s about when the clock clicks over to that day, so yep.



Since your room type is full for the hotel-day your plane is arriving, just get some place elsewhere.

Have stuff as organized as possible so toothbrushes pjs etc are in the smallest space. Maybe have the next days clothes for everyone in another carryon so you’re only looking at two carryons to deal with.

 

[crazywig]

I would book that night onsite at a value or whatever. That way the next day you just do a luggage transfer and head to a park. head over to CCV later in day when you get room text.

 

[kboo]

We are landing around midnight on our next trip to the World - we booked a room at the Hyatt MCO and plan to take DME the next morning. We have 2 little kids - honestly for landing at that hour, they can sleep in whatever and then we can shower/clean up in the AM before have a nice breakfast take DME. Then we plan to drop our bags and treat that next day like a regular day.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Thanks. Yeah, I agree with your guess that the computers don't "flip" exactly at midnight. But still, I guess my thinking is that by 12:01 a.m., the chance of a "walk-in" for a CCV cabin is pretty much nil. If a cabin is unoccupied and has already been turned over, I am wondering if there are allowances that can be made in such cases as mine.

As someone who has arrived at hotels at this hour numerous times due to work schedules. I’m sure they’ll make an allowance. They will be glad to check you in and charge you the rate for the room that night. They’re not going to do what you want you’re not really going to be true that specially


So unless you want to sleep in the lobby Or pay the walk rate I would suggest you either stay at the hotel at the airport hotel or booked the room for the night before.


You are not the first Person to think of this brilliant idea. and it doesn’t work. Hotel systems actually did not reset at midnight it’s more like three or four in the morning

 

[rlk]

Thanks, all. Changing flights is not an option. As for packing/unpacking, we have three kids, so it's still a bit of a PITA even just with overnight bags.

I think the issue is moot, anyway, as it looks like the cabins are all full the night of our flight. Which I guess probably also means a hard 4 p.m. check-in.

If you can't use one carry-on for everyone's first night/day items, you might want to look into using packing cubes. Packing cubes will help keep that first night and first day items in easy reach without having to dig through everything else you have packed.

 

[Bing Showei]

I'd like to avoid schlepping ourselves to a hotel for 6 hours of sleep and a shower, and then repack our stuff to go to a different hotel, all within 18 hours.

Repack?! When we travel like this, I guard the suitcases like a ninja. Anyone even think of taking anything out more than a toothbrush and they’re tasting the cold steel of my blade.

“Get back, People! Vacation had not officially started! You don’t need to change out of your airplane clothes. Here’s your toothbrush.”

But yeah, I think the “layover” option is your best bet at this point. Just channel your inner ninja, drop off your bags at 7am, and go rope drop FoP.

 

[squirk]

You are not the first Person to think of this brilliant idea. and it doesn’t work. Hotel systems actually did not reset at midnight it’s more like three or four in the morning

I certainly didn't think I was. I figured that many others have already tried it, which is why I posted - to get some personal-experience feedback.

Repack?! When we travel like this, I guard the suitcases like a ninja. Anyone even think of taking anything out more than a toothbrush and they’re tasting the cold steel of my blade.

“Get back, People! Vacation had not officially started! You don’t need to change out of your airplane clothes. Here’s your toothbrush.”

That's pretty much it. I am fighting an uphill battle against people who like to sprawl out, and I am outnumbered 4 to 1.

The Homewood Suites we have booked will be fine. We will Lyft over to CCV in the morning and drop off our bags. I don't think rope-drop is in the cards that day, though.

 

[rlk]

The Homewood Suites we have booked will be fine. We will Lyft over to CCV in the morning and drop off our bags. I don't think rope-drop is in the cards that day, though.

This plan looks fine. You will be having a late night anyway, a little later start will probably be a wise decision. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you arrive after midnight and a cabin is available, they will probably let you check in. And pay for the night at rack rate. It won't be free by any means. You can't even check in for your reservation until at least 6am in the morning.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Resort day starts ay 6AM. If you arrive at midnight, they will not let you check in for "your stay." IF they have room at the inn, they'll happily charge you the extra night. At rack rate, most likely.
.
And, of course, do you really want to roll the dice showing up at 12:30 to be told "got nothing?" I mean, I wouldn't

 

[Momto2minniemice]

Vacation does not start till we check in at our real Disney resort. For one night like that I would pack like a sleepover. Wear the shoes you want to wear to the park on the plane too. Get up grab breakfast or pack something simple catch DME, drop your bags and head to the Parks!

 

[squirk]

And, of course, do you really want to roll the dice showing up at 12:30 to be told "got nothing?" I mean, I wouldn't

Of course not. “Rolling the dice” at midnight with three kids in tow wasn’t really my game plan.

The Homewood Suites reservation would have been made and held regardless. But if I had gotten an affirmative response here (which, again, I didn’t expect), I probably would have called DVC a few days ahead of time to confirm policy, and then called WL when we landed at MCO to see if there was an empty cabin that we could enter at 12:01 a.m. If that didn’t work out, we would just shuttle over to Homewood.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

and then called WL

Added issue is you cannot call the WL desk directly. You would get the call center.