Hi Shawn,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel and thank you for asking us a question!
We normally fly to Walt Disney World Resort and our flights often arrive well before the official check-in time. While our room has very rarely been ready the moment we arrive (especially during busier times of year, like the month of July), that hasn’t ever put a damper on our fun!
What I would recommend doing would be to check-in at your Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, regardless of when you arrive (the check-in time for your room really only relates to when it will be ready). There, make sure that you’re checked in and make sure that all of your entitlements, including
Theme Park Tickets, are active on your MagicBands. By doing that, we’ve often gone straight to the Theme Parks after our arrival, and we’ve been able to use our Theme Park Tickets and our
Disney Dining Plan credits immediately.
One tip that I’ve found really useful for my family: make sure to do
Online Resort Check-In and to note your early arrival on that form. If you make any room requests, tick off the box that says that you’d rather have a room available early, regardless of whether it satisfies the other requests you’ve made (such as choice of building, floor and other location-based criteria).
Please don’t hesitate to come back and see us if you have any other questions!
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne