Reader Question: How Early Can You Check In?

Bay Lake Tower. Photo copyright Disney.

George left this question in the comments on yesterday's post.  Since it's one I hear a lot, I thought I'd post the answer here:

So if we wanted to fly in at 10am on check-in day, would they give us our park tickets before our check-in time?

The answer is yes. Check-in is sort of an amorphous concept at Disney World.  While your room may not be ready until later that day (usually 3:30 is a good bet), you can check into your resort at any time that day.  The advantage is that you could arrive at the Orlando airport at 5:00 a.m. and get to your resort an hour later and you'll still get your tickets and your meal credits as soon as you check in, regardless of whether or not your room is ready. This allows you to enjoy a full day in the parks long before you ever set foot in your room.

When you check in you'll be given a folder with resort and park information (maps, park hours, etc.) and asked to choose how you want to be contacted once your room is ready, either by phone or text. Since the parks are often a bit loud, I usually ask for a text.  If you have luggage or other items you don't wish to take to the parks, just take it to bell services and they'll hold it for you. Then your ready to go!