Check-in process

[oscar]

We are DVC members from Norway. Normally we visit WDW twice a year for 8-14 days at a time. We own at BoardWalk and always stay there. Needless to say - we love it! Just back from a visit to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, where we had two signature dinners and an evening with Party for the Senses - absolutely super!
We have about 14 hrs of flight before we arrive in Orlando. What never stops to amaze me, is the lenghty check-in procedure guests need to go through when arriving at the resort. My wife always drops down in one of the comfortable armchairs in the main lobby, while I do the check in. Over the past five or six visits she has made a habit of checking how long time I spend at the front desk during check in.
You should think that a vacation club, having all your personal details on file, having stored your past 15 visits in their computer system, having recorded names of all members of your party during an old fashioned voice reservation procedure months in advance, greeting you with a welcome home every time, would just take an imprint of your credit card, verify your passport and speed you through to your room faster than any downtown hotel chain. Not so. While I enjoy the small talk, I cannot understand the hundreds of computer keystokes and or scrolling that go into the computer every time I check in. Some times accompanied with a concerned look on the cast member's face. More often than not I have experienced that another cast member need to be called to assist with the computer registration or the key card printer. According to my wife, I have never spent less than 8-10 minutes plus a variable waiting time in line. Some times she claims upward of 15 minutes. My average check in time at a Marriott or Hilton in the U.S. (where I don't own a piece of the magic...) is less than two minutes. I wonder if DVCs computer systems are outdated, or the staff members are not sufficiently trained? I have noticed that some front desk staff are regulars for years, and allthough they are very nice people, even they can not speed this up in any significant way. Any other who have similar experiences?

 

[Disney Doll]

You know, I never thought about it before, but you are right!!!! It is a fairly long check-in process at DVC. And I love your "concerned look" comment...that happens all the time!!!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I had a concerned look on MY face when on Sept. 30th the CM said that it didn't look as if I had a room! I had already passed through the gate at BWV where the guard there didn't have my name on the list!!!

I had a room, of course I did!

I don't know what the "problem" is. Yes, I think things like this shouldn't happen.

Bobbi

 

[Kadorto]

And I thought it was just me....for us it doesn't seem to matter if its DVC or not as we've always experienced a slow check in every time we've visited....and I've even tried the ol' jedi mind trick thing to speed it up....maybe I just need a bit more practice

 

[owtrbnks]

Have to agree with you. WDW check in, hotel or DVC, is extremely slow as compared with a major chain hotel. Sup wit dat?

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

Have to agree with you. WDW check in, hotel or DVC, is extremely slow as compared with a major chain hotel. Sup wit dat?

Okay so my comment is going to come as a CM that has worked front desk AND a DVC member myself... You got me on this one too... I worked 3 years at the Beach Club, 1 year at the Wilderness Lodge and 7 months at Old Key West and it amazes me how long it takes some CM's to do a check in. I was trained that, unless there are circumstances beyond my control all non member check in's should be LESS than 7 minutes, they take a little longer because they have questions and you have to explain more, Now for DVC members, all the information is there, the longest amount of time is finding a suitable room as they are usually not pre-assigned it should be quick and painless... It always amazed me that I would check in 2-3 different reservations while the person next to me was still with the same person... Never figured this one out... (not saying that I am "Super Cast Member" but it was something that they checked us on at the Beach Club that I never lost.).

 

[Cruelladeville]

I hope you aren't comparing DVC with Marriott in Orlando! I would be upset if you got thru check-in there in 2 minutes, when it took me 10 minutes just to get into their parking lot to look for a parking spot!!! At least your wife could sit in a cushy chair at a DVC hotel while waiting--at Grande Vista I had to park by the villas and walk to the check in building to stand in line for another 15 minutes. Granted, once I got to the front desk, Marriott's check-in was fast--sign here, take your keys, move your backside, others are waiting...I rather liked the DVC chattiness, instead. I felt "wanted".

 

[Mickey4me!]

Just returned from a stay at BWV and the line to check in was about a 10 min. wait. I would love to see a separate line for DVC check ins at BWV, WLV and BCV. Since most DVC members have visited WDW numerous times they probably don't have as many questions that need answering.

Another idea would be to have a separate check in line for annual passholders as they don't need to review the ticket options. Just a thought......

 

[Dean]

Disney and DVC are in a somewhat different situation. At a hotel all they need is you name, basic car info and money in one form or another. They could care less about how many you have in most cases, even if they ask you. I would guess it's a number of issues. One related to their computer system. One is that the room must be selected for the room ready method and if already assigned, they must check it to see where it stands. They have to get all the info for each person and given the inconsistencies in party groups and two different computer systems, I'd doubt they can select and load that ahead of time. They then have to print the cards now with each person's name on it. I also suspect a lot of what they do is information gathering for the Disney management decisions.

Having stayed at many hotels and timeshares, I'd say timeshares in general tend to take longer, even at fixed week/fixed unit resorts for some reason. I think your concerns are valid and I'm just pointing out that there is likely more to it than meets the eye.

 

[oscar]

Thanks for all the shared thoughts on this topic. I am especially interested in how the computer programme works, so maybe one or more of your with cast member experience can elaborate somewhat on this.
While at the Members Update two weeks ago (at SSR) a rep from Member Services carefully explained that MS now registered the name and details for all persons in a party at the time of reservation in order to save time at check-in. Alas there must be some link between the reservation system and the front desk system. Also, regarding room allocation, I was told that this is all taken care of up front by a room allocator, who is trying to grant as many requests as possible regarding non-smoking, distance to elevators, higher or lower floors etc. Therefore there should not be any delay during check-in to identify the room number.

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

As I shake my head in disbelif (not at you at them for saying it) at the fact that they told you rooms are pre-assigned... The only rooms that are pre-assigned are ones with medical needs and those that are traveling with other parties. Everything else (for the most part...of course there are other circumstances that arise) is on a first come first serve basis, meaning when you get there if it is avalaible the CM that is physically checking you in is the one that is assigning your room with the "best fit room" at the time. This is a policy that has been in affect for sometime now in an effort to get people clean rooms upon arrival instead of having them all pre-assigned. I personally (when doing room assignment) would also pre-block VERY specific requests but we were not supposed to and I would often get yelled at for it and leave some crazy comment on the reservations stating that I had talked to the person (even though I had not) and not to move it because it was a special trip or soemthing. Personally as a member (and a CM) I understand check in is at 4pm and would prefer to have my requests met than push for a clean room that was somewhere I did not desire at 10am... Also this process makes it hard for Graveyard...if everything is first come first serve then Graveyard is left with the "undesirable rooms" for the most part. And at that time there is nothing you can do but apologize at 2am when the guest is tired and has been waiting all day just to climb into their bed...

As far as the computers go... The are SLOW and outdated (in my opinion) but can be negotiated fairly quickly if you are computer suave (which most are not). If it is OKW or DSSR (stand alone) it is all one system but if it is an attached DVC there are 2 seperate systems which can cause confusion as well for the CM. For example you have to have 2 screens up and running because WL is seperate from VWL and you have to make sure you know which resort the guest is staying at and that you are on the correct screen (again not rocket science, you can change the colors, so WL is say green and VWL is orange...amazingly if you have a pattern you always know where you are )

Anyway I also wanted to comment on Mickey4me...with the addition of Lobby Concierge at all the resorts the check in CM should not be discussing ticket options with anyone anymore (unless it is graveyard and Lobby Concierge is no longer open). They are there for dining, tickets, etc...so that problem should be resolved.