Is it just me or is there no benefit to the texting benefit on the online check in?

[over50visits]

On our last trip, I decided to try online check-in. Then I got to the end where I had to CERTIFY that I had read all of the terms and conditions. Not that I agreed to them, but that I had READ them. I clicked on that link, and that document had more links to read. In all about 47 pages in very small type. It probably would have taken me well over an hour to read them all.

So, either I made a false certification (using the "nobody reads all that, whatever" rationalization), or spend 5-10 minutes in the hotel lobby checking in. I of course picked the lobby check in. That is fun anyway, the lobbies are kind of cool, and it's fun to interact with the cast members at checkin. And, I can change our pin if we want to.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Not true. There are plenty of folks who reported setting up their pin during on line check in and never once had to visit the front desk during their visit. Another example of a phone/chat CM giving out incorrect information.

That would be me! At least the first part. I set up our pins online. I have to wait another couple of weeks to see if I can bypass the front desk

 

[troyseyfert]

On a computer, you first select "My profile" from the MDE drop-down menu. Then you see the option for "payment methods".

Ok, so went ahead and did that.

So you're saying because I did that, I can just go to my room and then go out and eat and have no hassle?

Here is my dilemma...we get in at 6:00 at night...we want to go to WPE to eat after arriving at POFQ. We have a 1 and a half year old and I want to bypass as much time as we can. It's kind of been our tradition to go to WPE on our first night.

What I don't want to happen is I listen to the advice here, go to my room (which I'm sure I'd be able to access), take the boat to DTD, go to WPE and then get ready to put in my pin for my MB and then they say at the checkout, "Sorry sir...this doesn't work"....

Then, we are stuck. We are on free dining so I wouldn't have to go back to our resort to reset the pin. That's why I'm pretty adamant about knowing this info.

So, if someone can 100% guarantee that if I reset my pin online, I'm good to go and shouldn't have an issue when I get to a restaurant, then I will be happy with that.

But if someone can't guarantee this, then maybe I should just go to the front desk anyways?

I leave in less than 10 days so I need to kind of decide this sooner rather than later. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you to ALL who have helped me out thus far!!!!!

 

[Hopefully]

Ok, so went ahead and did that.

So you're saying because I did that, I can just go to my room and then go out and eat and have no hassle?

Here is my dilemma...we get in at 6:00 at night...we want to go to WPE to eat after arriving at POFQ. We have a 1 and a half year old and I want to bypass as much time as we can. It's kind of been our tradition to go to WPE on our first night.

What I don't want to happen is I listen to the advice here, go to my room (which I'm sure I'd be able to access), take the boat to DTD, go to WPE and then get ready to put in my pin for my MB and then they say at the checkout, "Sorry sir...this doesn't work"....

Then, we are stuck. We are on free dining so I wouldn't have to go back to our resort to reset the pin. That's why I'm pretty adamant about knowing this info.

So, if someone can 100% guarantee that if I reset my pin online, I'm good to go and shouldn't have an issue when I get to a restaurant, then I will be happy with that.

Nobody on an Internet BB can 100% guarantee a Disney practice

But if someone can't guarantee this, then maybe I should just go to the front desk anyways?

Given your worries, I think YES

I leave in less than 10 days so I need to kind of decide this sooner rather than later. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you to ALL who have helped me out thus far!!!!!

See replies above

 

[sls404]

Skipping the front desk worked just fine for us in May. I received an e-mail notification that we had to setup our credit card for charging privileges in advance and we just used our same PINs that we've always had.

 

[Tink415]

Ok, so went ahead and did that.

So you're saying because I did that, I can just go to my room and then go out and eat and have no hassle?

Here is my dilemma...we get in at 6:00 at night...we want to go to WPE to eat after arriving at POFQ. We have a 1 and a half year old and I want to bypass as much time as we can. It's kind of been our tradition to go to WPE on our first night.

What I don't want to happen is I listen to the advice here, go to my room (which I'm sure I'd be able to access), take the boat to DTD, go to WPE and then get ready to put in my pin for my MB and then they say at the checkout, "Sorry sir...this doesn't work"....

Then, we are stuck. We are on free dining so I wouldn't have to go back to our resort to reset the pin. That's why I'm pretty adamant about knowing this info.

So, if someone can 100% guarantee that if I reset my pin online, I'm good to go and shouldn't have an issue when I get to a restaurant, then I will be happy with that.

But if someone can't guarantee this, then maybe I should just go to the front desk anyways?

I leave in less than 10 days so I need to kind of decide this sooner rather than later. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you to ALL who have helped me out thus far!!!!!

Come on. I mean this in a very nice way. No one can give you a 100% guarantee, and if they did, good luck with that. Having said that, I haven't had to change my pin since first setting it a few years ago. I liked being able to skip the front desk, it can save time.

 

[Accident]

Youll get an email 1 week before arrival that will tell you if you can skip or not.

 

[turkey1031]

Before you go to WPE try buying something small at the POFQ gift shop with your magic band like a soda or something. If your pin works there then I would think you'd be all set.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I just went into MDE and discovered what the problem was on our last trip...a deactivated credit card that was closed due to theft is still showing in MDE. I have updated that number no less than 3 times on our last three trips. I hate MDE.

ETA: In one section of MDE (under "Your Payment Methods") our correct number shows up. But in the online checkin section, there is the old/expired card number. This system is so stupid.

I had a similar problem. I had updated my expired credit card with my new card for online check in. But when I checked into the resort they had tried to charge my room charges to the expired card, which of course got rejected and I had to make a trip to the front desk to straighten it out. When I got back home I called Disney IT and asked how I could clear out the expired card. They said to delete all the credit cards in my account, log out and then wait a few days before putting in the new card. I did that and haven't had a problem since. But you would think that if someone has two credit cards listed in the MDE account, one expired and one active that they would choose the active one when checking you in.

 

[gdrj]

I have visited WDW 6 times in the past two years and have used the same pin and never had to reset on the website or at the front desk. I have also changed credit cards probably 4 times on the site. We have rec'd the text, first one was that our room is not quite ready but they will let us know when it is and the second saying the room was ready. It worked for us.

 

[Debbie7452]

Here's another wrinkle to add...I set my pin up in advance on my computer. However, when I went to pay for our first meal, the computer said I didn't have charging privileges. My pin was accepted but I couldn't charge with it. I had to go to the front desk to get it fixed. They had no explanation for why it didn't work since all my info was correct.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

I had a similar problem. I had updated my expired credit card with my new card for online check in. But when I checked into the resort they had tried to charge my room charges to the expired card, which of course got rejected and I had to make a trip to the front desk to straighten it out. When I got back home I called Disney IT and asked how I could clear out the expired card. They said to delete all the credit cards in my account, log out and then wait a few days before putting in the new card. I did that and haven't had a problem since. But you would think that if someone has two credit cards listed in the MDE account, one expired and one active that they would choose the active one when checking you in.

THANK YOU FOR THIS! I have been having credit-card related problems at Disney since that card was cancelled. The first trip after I updated that number, none of my room charges went through and Disney sent us a bill--payable by check only--after we got home. It sucked to have to forgo all of those credit card points.
I'm going to go in and try your suggestion. Thanks!

 

[JFox]

We completed online check in and set up a pin. Will still be stopping at the front desk on our way in to set up a different credit card for each magic band. That way we can head out to the park after dropping off our carry on bags.

 

[sls404]

We completed online check in and set up a pin. Will still be stopping at the front desk on our way in to set up a different credit card for each magic band. That way we can head out to the park after dropping off our carry on bags.

Can you set up different cards for each band now? I thought it was just one CC per reservation.

 

[troyseyfert]

Before you go to WPE try buying something small at the POFQ gift shop with your magic band like a soda or something. If your pin works there then I would think you'd be all set.

Thank you! Great suggestion. That's what I'll do. With a one and a half year old, we have to get Vitamin D milk at the gift shop anyways. I will try it there before we go (should only waste a few minutes then).

Thanks everyone. It seems like people have had issues with MDE and the pin option so don't want to risk it I guess.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

Ok, so went ahead and did that.

So you're saying because I did that, I can just go to my room and then go out and eat and have no hassle?

Here is my dilemma...we get in at 6:00 at night...we want to go to WPE to eat after arriving at POFQ. We have a 1 and a half year old and I want to bypass as much time as we can. It's kind of been our tradition to go to WPE on our first night.

What I don't want to happen is I listen to the advice here, go to my room (which I'm sure I'd be able to access), take the boat to DTD, go to WPE and then get ready to put in my pin for my MB and then they say at the checkout, "Sorry sir...this doesn't work"....

Then, we are stuck. We are on free dining so I wouldn't have to go back to our resort to reset the pin. That's why I'm pretty adamant about knowing this info.

So, if someone can 100% guarantee that if I reset my pin online, I'm good to go and shouldn't have an issue when I get to a restaurant, then I will be happy with that.

But if someone can't guarantee this, then maybe I should just go to the front desk anyways?

I leave in less than 10 days so I need to kind of decide this sooner rather than later. Any advice would be greatly appreciated and thank you to ALL who have helped me out thus far!!!!!

Thank you! Great suggestion. That's what I'll do. With a one and a half year old, we have to get Vitamin D milk at the gift shop anyways. I will try it there before we go (should only waste a few minutes then).

Thanks everyone. It seems like people have had issues with MDE and the pin option so don't want to risk it I guess.

This is what we do and my suggestion to you as you are also on free dining. We stop in the food court and get our free mugs. You have to use your pin for the free credit for them, so this way you'll know your dining credits is set up. If you want to check the charging privileges, get your milk as you said and you'll have made sure everything works in one quick swoop

 

[BarbieGal457]

We had no issue setting our pins online before our trip this past May-June, although we did go to the front desk because we wanted birthday pins. We were texted our room which was amazing as we could just go right there before leaving for Hoop Dee Doo, and our bags were already waiting for us. All the times we've used this service it has worked beautifully.

 

[BarbieGal457]

Can you set up different cards for each band now? I thought it was just one CC per reservation.

You can. I thought that too but in January they told us that wasn't the case, and we were able to do it this past May-June too. My boyfriend set his up with his card, and me with mine, so nothing was charged all to one card. I do believe on the statement though we only got one statement with the activity for both cards, so it was confusing at first but everything was correct on the statement.

 

[sls404]

You can. I thought that too but in January they told us that wasn't the case, and we were able to do it this past May-June too. My boyfriend set his up with his card, and me with mine, so nothing was charged all to one card. I do believe on the statement though we only got one statement with the activity for both cards, so it was confusing at first but everything was correct on the statement.

That's great! I'm assuming you have to go to the front desk to do that?

 

[BarbieGal457]

That's great! I'm assuming you have to go to the front desk to do that?

We did - I had no idea we could before that so I'm happy we did! We went for NYE and it was our first time with Magic Bands so at check-in they asked would we like to set up charging privileges and we figured with the crazy crowds it would make life easier (oh it did haha no fumbling for a wallet in a line of 50 stressed people behind you!). When we were trying to decide what card to use the CM said "oh no miss you can each link your own." I want to say when I changed our pins before our last trip I had the option to change but I can't 100% remember. My boyfriend and I have a linked MDE account so maybe it just kept what we used previously as defaults since we were linked when we set them up originally? We checked at the front desk last trip too and they were still the same cards.