Hi Thomas,
Thanks for visiting Disney Parks Mom Panel, and hello to a fellow NJ Disney fan!
I'm my view, nothing is better than arriving at my Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, dropping my bags and luggage to be stored, and heading off to one of my favorite theme parks.
My own travel patterns and flight times typically have me arriving at Walt Disney World around 9 a.m., well in advance of the standard check-in time of 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. On my most recent stay at
Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, I arrived early in the morning, dropped my luggage to be stored, and went inside to relax with a coffee at
Kona Island while I enjoyed the resort's vibe before heading off to Magic Kingdom. (I take advantage of the
Online Check-in as a
Disney Vacation Club Member.) Later, I receive a text when my resort room is ready.
In my experience I would say so long as you have your theme park admission — either your theme park tickets or your
MagicBand with your theme park tickets linked — you are free to take in all the theme park magic you can before you check-in.
You can also check with Disney Resort Hotel Reservations at (407) WDW-1936 or (407) 939-1936 to ask about Online Check-in at your resort.
Enjoy your Disney!
Jerry