7 Things You Should ALWAYS Do When Checking In To Your Disney World Hotel

Staying at one of the Disney World hotels can be just as magical as visiting the theme parks!

These hotels have magical theming, great food options, and even fun activities in which you can participate if you’re not in the parks. Oh, and we can’t forget about the shopping! There are lots of shopping opportunities inside the hotels. If you’ll be staying at a Disney World hotel during your next Disney vacation, we’ve got some important advice to share!

When you check into your hotel, there are a few things you should ALWAYS do before you head on your way to ensure that you have the BEST stay possible and so that you’re setting your vacation up for success. Let’s talk about it!

1. Tell the Cast Member if you’re celebrating anything special

Are you visiting for a birthday, anniversary, engagement, honeymoon, or another BIG celebration? If so, let the Cast Members at the front desk know! In many cases, they’ll give you some celebration buttons, or they might even be able to upgrade your room, or provide some special treats in your room.

None of this is guaranteed, because it really depends on the Cast Member at the desk, how busy they are, and hotel availability. But, it’s always worth a shot! This also sort of ties in with our next point.

2. Ask for a room upgrade

There’s no harm in asking the Cast Member if they can upgrade your room! If it doesn’t seem too busy of a week at Disney World or your hotel has plenty of rooms available, then it is absolutely possible an upgrade may be available.

Once again, there are no guarantees here, but we’ve been successful in asking for an upgrade from time to time. If you never ask, you’ll never know!

3. Leave your bags if your room isn’t ready

In some scenarios, your room might not be ready when you arrive. If this is the case, you can leave your bags at the front desk or with bellhop and they’ll either take it up to your room for you when it’s ready, or they’ll leave it where you can pick it up when you return.

This is great for those of you who want to hurry and get to the parks, Disney Springs, or run some errands instead of standing around and waiting for your room to become available.

4. Ask about events and activities.

When you check in, make sure to see if the hotel hosts exclusive events and activities that you can check out during your stay. Most of them will offer activities like movie nights, s’mores, pool games, and even crafts.

While some of these are intended for children, they’re great family activities!

5. Make sure you know where you’re going

At check-in, the Cast Member will usually pull out a map of the resort and mark where your room is located. Make sure to pay close attention as they explain how to get there so that you don’t get lost and have to trek or drive all the way back to the hotel lobby. Some resorts are really spread out and require a lot of walking, so follow the map!

If you have any questions regarding location, parking, or anything else, ask the Cast Members these questions before you walk away!

6. Grab a hotel key card

Nowadays, you can scan into your hotel room using the My Disney Experience app. However, make sure to grab a key card or two when you’re checking in. If the Cast Member doesn’t offer any, ask for them! Sometimes, the app can be finicky and it doesn’t always unlock the door.

Having some extra room keys even when you may not need them is better than having to come all the way back down to the lobby with luggage in hand because your door won’t open.

7. Make sure your MagicBand is linked prior to check-in

Make sure your MagicBand (if you’re using one) is linked to your account either at check-in or prior to check-in. This way, you’ll automatically be able to link to everything easily, including your hotel room. You can even unlock your door with your MagicBand! (Well, as long as it’s working — remember what we said about it being finicky?)

Figuring all this out prior to arrival or AT check-in will be easier for everyone, though!

And there you have it! Doing these things while you’re checking in can help assure that your vacation is as magical as can be, and so that you’re not having to call or run down to the front desk to ask more questions.

We’ll continue to keep you updated for more Disney news, tips, and advice, so make sure to follow along for more so that you’re always in the loop!

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