Magical Express and checking out

Hmmmm ... Would it really matter if you slept in the other room without telling anyone? You are not exceeding room capacity. I am sure that is not unusual for families booking multiple rooms to have family members switching back and forth.

If you had connecting rooms there would be no questions asked regarding who slept where.

My main concern is someone coming in to clean the room and waking us all up and making us leave earlier than planned. Last Disney trip my kids slept much later than typical the morning we left. Plus I want to be well rested for the 6 or so hours we'll be driving that day.
 
Do not have your dad check out. Either you spend the entire night in the room with your dad and two oldest, or you move over there at 5am (whatever time he needs to leave). Then you check out his room when you leave. This is very simple.
 
As long as your father doesn't explicitly check out of the room, it's yours until 11 a.m. This won't be an issue.
And if you have a credit card on file for express check out, you don’t need to check out at all. We usually get an emailed receipt the morning of scheduled departure noting our room charges. Just clear out of the room by 11 am. We never stop at the front desk unless there’s a problem with the billing (which has been very, very rare over our 22 years of visiting WDW two or three times per year).
 


And if you have a credit card on file for express check out, you don’t need to check out at all. We usually get an emailed receipt the morning of scheduled departure noting our room charges. Just clear out of the room by 11 am. We never stop at the front desk unless there’s a problem with the billing (which has been very, very rare over our 22 years of visiting WDW two or three times per year).

Thank you!
 
If you don't get connecting rooms I would switch things up for that last night - maybe DH and 3 kids in one room, you, 1 kid and your dad in the other (if he and you are ok with this).

Put the DND on the door before you go to sleep and don't worry about it.

His taking DME early has nothing to do with checkout at all.
 
My Dad is flying but the rest of us are driving. He will be leaving for his flight at like 5 in the morning. Will that check out the room? He's the only adult listed but I would go over and sleep there with my two kids who are staying with him. We're hoping for adjoining rooms but obviously it's not guaranteed. Do I need to change things so I'm officially staying in the room? We're driving home and will probably be checking out much later that day.
Can the kids not just stay with you that night? Really it shouldn't be an issue, but just in case I'd either have them stay with me that night or once you all wake up take everything to your room.
 


Can the kids not just stay with you that night? Really it shouldn't be an issue, but just in case I'd either have them stay with me that night or once you all wake up take everything to your room.

We could but it would mean 6 of us in a room.
 
Lol. Leave it alone. No harm no fowl
Just don't leave the kids alone without an adult in the room

No "fowl"? Well, I certainly hope not. Don't want to get poultry involved in this one.

I believe OP is concerned that her Dad's DME reservation will trigger housekeeping coming early to the room. She has reason to be concerned. If she is not listed on the room, she, technically, cannot be in there and, after Dad leaves, neither can the children as they are minors. The best thing to do in this situation is to have her name on the reservation. Plain and simple. It's so easy to do. Either add it now if it's a room-only or add it at the front desk after check-in if it's a package.
 
Lol. Leave it alone. No harm no fowl
Just don't leave the kids alone without an adult in the room
I think the point was missed - I don't think anyone here is too concerned about rule breaking. The poster you quoted is suggesting to add the OP to her father's room for the one night to prevent housekeeping from busting in early if her father taking DME triggers the room as vacated. With OP on the reservation, and the room occupied sign on the door, it should hopefully prevent that. It would also give OP magic band access to that room, which she may need after her father leaves if they need to leave and go back go the room that morning.
 
While in the room, use the metal bar on the door frame a few inches above the latch plate to prevent the door from being opened from the outside. Dad should leave his magic band behind so the kids don't get locked out.

Pssst! It is not unusual for different persons in the room to depart at different times. It would therefore be premature for a Magical Express departure to trigger the room as vacated.

If, per chance or for peace of mind, you want to move to Dad's room, do it on the evening before Dad leaves.
 
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Pssst! It is not unusual for different persons in the room to depart at different times. It would therefore be premature for a Magical Express departure to trigger the room as vacated.
But, it is possible that Mousekeeping is privy to DME departure times and with the father being the only 18+ person on the room reservation, its possible Mouskeeping is aware of his 5am DME pickup and assumes he's long gone by the time they start their day.

Mousekeeping doesn't wait until after check out time to start turning rooms over, and many people do not formally check out with the front desk, especially since folios are emailed to people. Mousekeeping has to start turning rooms over by probability of who has most likely left already - starting first with people who have formally checked out. I'm not sure how they determine it beyond that, but I would not be surprised if they have a report of DME pick up times they can base it off of. Perhaps using the latest one if there are more than one for the room.
 
But, it is possible that Mousekeeping is privy to DME departure times and with the father being the only 18+ person on the room reservation, its possible Mouskeeping is aware of his 5am DME pickup and assumes he's long gone by the time they start their day.

Mousekeeping doesn't wait until after check out time to start turning rooms over, and many people do not formally check out with the front desk, especially since folios are emailed to people. Mousekeeping has to start turning rooms over by probability of who has most likely left already - starting first with people who have formally checked out. I'm not sure how they determine it beyond that, but I would not be surprised if they have a report of DME pick up times they can base it off of. Perhaps using the latest one if there are more than one for the room.
Sorry, doesn't make sense. If they go by an assumed leave time, then mousekeeping would be jumping all over the rooms. So room 1234 MIGHT have left, then the next one in line might be 1295. Oh, now room 1254 has a 8am departure so let's jump back to that one, an 1357 has an 830 so we'll move over there.

Relying on DME departure times also doesn't make sense because people's plans change and they don't notify DME (I'd say especially when someone finds out they'd need to leave the hotel 3-3:30 hours before the flight). So you take the chance of disturbing those folks.

OP, as long as you're in your dad's room before he leaves (whether that's the night before or five minutes before is immaterial and your choice), AND you're out of the room by 11a, you'll be fine.
 
Sorry, doesn't make sense. If they go by an assumed leave time, then mousekeeping would be jumping all over the rooms. So room 1234 MIGHT have left, then the next one in line might be 1295. Oh, now room 1254 has a 8am departure so let's jump back to that one, an 1357 has an 830 so we'll move over there.

Relying on DME departure times also doesn't make sense because people's plans change and they don't notify DME (I'd say especially when someone finds out they'd need to leave the hotel 3-3:30 hours before the flight). So you take the chance of disturbing those folks.

OP, as long as you're in your dad's room before he leaves (whether that's the night before or five minutes before is immaterial and your choice), AND you're out of the room by 11a, you'll be fine.

If a housekeeper is assigned 50 rooms to clean, there may be 10 or 20 that are checking out on the same day. The rest are normal cleanings for them from carry over guests that require less time to attend to. Housekeepers DO have to jump from room to rooms sometimes because people are in the room, haven't checked out yet, etc etc. If they waited until 11am to clean all the rooms that were due to check out, check in time wouldn't be until 5pm or later. Check out rooms take longer to turn over, so they want to start on those as early as possible, especially at hotels that operate at high capacities where they know people will be waiting to get into those rooms.

There's been threads here before where people have complained about housekeeping knocking early and feeling rushed on their check out day. I even recall a thread where a housekeeper saw a person leave with their luggage, assumed they were gone, and then proceeded to clean the room and toss personal effects that were left in the room. When the OP returned (before 11am) to find this, they were furious. Not saying housekeepers should be rushing people like this, but having worked in the hotel industry, I know the pressure and timing housekeepers are under to turn rooms over. They most definitely try to clean check out rooms as early as they can.
 
Use the "do not disturb" sign.

... saw a person leave with their luggage, assumed they were gone, and then proceeded to clean the room and toss personal effects that were left in the room ...
You mean pilfer personal effects that were left ...?

I could understand the guest being furious when there is a Magical Express bus to catch and no time to make an itemized claim on the spot for what souvenirs were missing, etc.

Some cleaning activities, particularly those also performed for guests not checking out, can be done without having to remove personal effects.

There is probably some time, probably after 9 AM, that mousekeepers will start trying door locks to see who has departed. But the bar holding the door almost shut should be enough to suggest that the mousekeeper should jump to the next room on the list rather than waste working time waiting outside let alone sneaking a smoking break.
 
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They most definitely try to clean check out rooms as early as they can.
Never said they didn't. But they shouldn't be assuming someone is out of the room unless they're actually checked out. If they're unsure (and I mean 100%), they shouldn't be knocking on doors until 9am. Regardless, if a hotel visitor latches the lock (the one that can only be done/undone from inside the room), then housekeeping can't get in.

I would not rely solely on a DND sign because it would be easy to hang that and forget to put it back inside, so that's really no guarantee the guests are still in the room. If the bar/chain is latched, you KNOW someone is in the room.
 
My Dad is flying but the rest of us are driving. He will be leaving for his flight at like 5 in the morning. Will that check out the room? He's the only adult listed but I would go over and sleep there with my two kids who are staying with him. We're hoping for adjoining rooms but obviously it's not guaranteed. Do I need to change things so I'm officially staying in the room? We're driving home and will probably be checking out much later that day.
Check out is at 11am.
 
Use the "do not disturb" sign.


You mean pilfer personal effects that were left ...?

I could understand the guest being furious when there is a Magical Express bus to catch and no time to make an itemized claim on the spot for what souvenirs were missing, etc.

Some cleaning activities, particularly those also performed for guests not checking out, can be done without having to remove personal effects.

There is probably some time, probably after 9 AM, that mousekeepers will start trying door locks to see who has departed. But the bar holding the door almost shut should be enough to suggest that the mousekeeper should jump to the next room on the list rather than waste working time waiting outside let alone sneaking a smoking break.
There is no 'Do Not Disturb' sign. They went away a long time ago. And Housekeeping starts at 8am.
 
Use the "do not disturb" sign.


You mean pilfer personal effects that were left ...?

I could understand the guest being furious when there is a Magical Express bus to catch and no time to make an itemized claim on the spot for what souvenirs were missing, etc.

Some cleaning activities, particularly those also performed for guests not checking out, can be done without having to remove personal effects.

There is probably some time, probably after 9 AM, that mousekeepers will start trying door locks to see who has departed. But the bar holding the door almost shut should be enough to suggest that the mousekeeper should jump to the next room on the list rather than waste working time waiting outside let alone sneaking a smoking break.
I don't recall exactly the scenario, but the poster left a few items in the room that they intended to go back for shortly before the 11am check out time. The housekeeper saw them wheeling luggage to their vehicle, assumed they were leaving, and presumed the few things left behind in the room were intentionally left to discard. I can't remember what it was but it was insignificant enough for the housekeeper to think it was garbage, but important enough that the OP intended to go back for it.

But yes, I agree the bar lock and room occupied sign should always be used, and what I also would recommend to the OP in this case.

But they shouldn't be assuming someone is out of the room unless they're actually checked out.
The problem with that is Disney does not require people to formally check out. People do not have keys to turn in so if they have no questions on their emailed bill, they can simply leave without stopping at the front desk. A formal check out would be a courtesy for the resort, but its not required. So housekeeping is stuck between a rock and a hard place and have to use their judgment. If they knock on your door, no one is there, and all personal items are gone, then they will assume you have left and start turning the room over.

they shouldn't be knocking on doors until 9am.
9am would be great but we've unfortunately had housekeeping come by as early as 8am. Its been said that Mousekeeping is understaffed at many resorts, which means more rooms per housekeeper.

Regardless, if a hotel visitor latches the lock (the one that can only be done/undone from inside the room), then housekeeping can't get in.
Agree. The latch and the room occupied sign are the best bet to avoid a housekeeping disruption.
 
There is no 'Do Not Disturb' sign. They went away a long time ago. And Housekeeping starts at 8am.

I just got back Tuesday and I definitely had a DND sign at AOA, prior to that we stayed at YC and also had a DND. Actually room occupied sign but it serves the same purpose.

I just don't think this is something to worry about - the chances of DME alerting housekeeping of departing guests is so minimal, I sincerely doubt this happens as the effort it would take just isn't worth it.

As I said upthread the OP could add herself to the room on the last night, slap the DND on the door and sleep there with the kids and her dad.
 

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