Checking out then heading to the parks...luggage question

marshallandcartersmo · Mar 28, 2015

What do you do with your luggage when you're checking out then headed to the parks? We'll be checking into a Disney hotel that night, and driving our own car there.

Is it smarter/faster to:

Take our luggage on to our car that morning before the parks, then later walk back from the parks to the hotel parking lot and leave from there?

Take our luggage on to our car that morning before the parks, then later drive our car from the hotel parking lot to the park parking lot so we can leave straight from the park?

Leave our luggage somewhere & go to the parks & pick it up on the way out?

TIA

scoobydooby · Mar 28, 2015

Pack your car up, drive it to the parks, head back to the airport from the parks. Unless you are flying Virgin and can do DTD check in, in which case get up early and drive there to check in and dump your cases. Drive to the park then drive to the airport. You can get an extra park hour with the latter option as you can get to the airport an hour later.

vbmom40 · Mar 28, 2015

This will be the second year we have done what you are doing. We go to universal first, then to Disney. Last year when we called, Disney had our room ready when we were checking out of Universal so we went and dropped off our bags and came back. This year I have spoke with the Disney hotel management where we will be staying and we will do and early check in leave our bags with the front desk and they will move them to the room when ready and call or text us you can do this before universal opens unless you are doing the early morning then you can pack your car and leave it in the universal hotel parking lot. Hope this helps. Unless you have a large trunk and your luggage will not be visible i personally would not leave it in your car in the parking garage. Hope this helps have a great stay.

chmurf · Mar 28, 2015

If you take your car to the park's parking lot you'll need to pay for parking even if you've already paid for parking at your hotel

So the easiest will be to leave your luggage with bell services at the hotel (assuming it'a universal hotel)

Then when you're ready to leave, go pick up your luggage, pack the car and head for disney

You could load the car before going to the park, but it depends if you're more comfortable leaving everything in the trunk all day, or leaving that with bell services

Bluer101 · Mar 28, 2015

We put our luggage in the car at the hotel lot and go to the parks. Then return to the hotel and use the restroom and drive from there. This is the best choice because there is way less traffic leaving the hotel vs the garage.

marshallandcartersmo · Mar 28, 2015

Thanks everyone! We're really still undecided. How far is Port Royal to Disney? I think driving to Disney then back to Universal sounds long (???). And being charged to park in the parks does stink...hmmmm

Bluer101 · Mar 28, 2015

marshallandcartersmo said:
Thanks everyone! We're really still undecided. How far is Port Royal to Disney? I think driving to Disney then back to Universal sounds long (???). And being charged to park in the parks does stink...hmmmm

You are putting way to much thought into it.

The best 2 options are:

1. The day of checkout either call star service to get your luggage from your room or bring it yourself down to luggage service to store your luggage while you go to the parks.

2. The day of checkout take your luggage to your car and go to the parks.

Option 1 has your luggage secure with hotel employees and option 2 is secure in your car but always a risk of break in but very rare.

Checking out and driving down to Disney, checking in there, then driving back is too long of a process. Besides then paying to park in the garage or return to hotel parking lot. You are already paid for parking at the hotel through to midnight on checkout day.

scoobydooby · Mar 29, 2015

Please ignore my answer I'm
Sorry I misunderstood your question. Fail.....

scoobydooby · Mar 29, 2015

Please ignore my answer I'm
Sorry I misunderstood your question. Fail.....

bumbershoot · Mar 29, 2015

Bluer101 said:
You are putting way to much thought into it.

Agreed.

I try to not leave luggage in a car. So usually our bags do to Bell Services and we go play. As long as you're out of the onsite hotel lot by midnigh you won't be charged another day, so the car is fine at the hotel. Once you're done playing, go back to the resort. If you're ready to go, get your bags and car and head on out.

I cannot imagine going to Disney then back then back to Disney for luggage storage purposes. Breakfast, sure, for something compelling and unavailable other days, maybe, but not for the bags.

Bluer101 · Mar 29, 2015

We put ours in the car but it's then covered by a black sheet so when you walk by you can't tell anything there. We have no trunk as we have a suv with dark windows with black interior. So the Walmart full flat black sheet does the trick. Besides we don't leave or bring anything valuable.

bumbershoot · Mar 30, 2015

Bluer101 said:
Besides we don't leave or bring anything valuable.

Besides your clothing?

We don't have THAT much clothing, so to lose what we bring on vacation is to lose a lot!

If we end up with a sedan with a proper trunk we will consider leaving bags, but never ever with an SUV unless we're absolutely desperate. We don't even like going to a store on the way to the hotel, when our bags are in there.

Bluer101 · Mar 30, 2015

bumbershoot said:
Besides your clothing?

We don't have THAT much clothing, so to lose what we bring on vacation is to lose a lot!

If we end up with a sedan with a proper trunk we will consider leaving bags, but never ever with an SUV unless we're absolutely desperate. We don't even like going to a store on the way to the hotel, when our bags are in there.

Lol, I forget sometimes that we are there so much that we have our own suv and bring just enough clothes too. I would never go offsite like to the mall or something with our stuff in the vehicle. But with the black cover we have or people with a trunk I have no issue leaving the stuff at the hotels. Plus there are more security riding bikes all around that it is pretty safe imo.

chmurf · Mar 30, 2015

marshallandcartersmo said:
I think driving to Disney then back to Universal sounds long (???).

Your're looking at roughly 15 miles one way (will depend on where you stay at wdw)

Depending on how long it takes you to find your way, drive, check in, go back to universal, it could take you up to 90 minutes or maybe 2 hours if you hit rush hour on the I4 (personnally I'd use turkey lake road to avoid traffic)

But it would not make sense anyway
Your room might not be ready before 3pm (4pm for some hotels) so you might very well have to store your luggage with bell service at your disney hotel before your room is ready

So that's zero benefit compared to storing your luggage with bell services at RPR. The only difference would be 2 hours lost for nothing

Checking out then heading to the parks...luggage question

marshallandcartersmo

DIS Veteran

scoobydooby

DIS Veteran

vbmom40

Mouseketeer

chmurf

DIS Veteran

Bluer101

Waiting till vacation comes, oh that's next week!

marshallandcartersmo

DIS Veteran

Bluer101

Waiting till vacation comes, oh that's next week!

scoobydooby

DIS Veteran

scoobydooby

DIS Veteran

bumbershoot

DIS Veteran

Bluer101

Waiting till vacation comes, oh that's next week!

bumbershoot

DIS Veteran

Bluer101

Waiting till vacation comes, oh that's next week!

chmurf

DIS Veteran

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