Welcome back to planDisney, Brisadelmar! I'm so glad to be able to answer a question for a fellow Texan today. Late check-ins happen all the time at
Disney Resort Hotels, and I'm happy to let you know exactly how it will work for your midnight arrival!
During online check-in in the
My Disney Experience app, there's a spot to note your estimated arrival time. Fill that in, and when you land, you can typically go directly to your room with
Direct-to-Room service. You'll get a text and a "room ready" notification, and your
MagicBand or
MagicMobile will unlock the door for you without ever needing to go to the front desk. Resorts handle late arrivals all the time, so no stress there.
The critical detail for your specific situation is picking the correct check-in date, since your arrival time crosses midnight. Think of your reservation like hotel "nights," not calendar days. For example, if your flight lands just after midnight on October 15, you need your check-in date to be October 14, the night you'll actually be occupying. That way, when you arrive after midnight, you're arriving late on the October 14 reservation, and your room is waiting. If you instead book check-in as October 15, the system treats you as arriving for the next night, and your room wouldn't be ready until the standard afternoon check-in time on the 15th.
A few tips for smooth sailing on check-in day: complete your online check-in before travel, make sure a credit card is on file, keep your phone charged for that room-ready alert, and bring a photo ID just in case you need to stop by the front desk.
I hope this answers your question, Brisadelmar, and please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help you plan your magical vacation!
Jessica