Getting to Disney in the evening....is it a pain to stay at a cheaper resort that first night?

[bcbmommy]

Our reservation is at the Yacht Club, but since we're getting to Disney in the evening, I'm thinking about booking a cheaper resort just for that first night. I've been wanting to try POR, but would it be a pain to just stay there one night? I just can't stand the idea of paying over $900 a night for that first night since it'll be so late when we get there. Ideas?

 

[craigkerstiens]

It depends on how late you're getting in, but we've often actually just stayed at the Hyatt in the airport. We commonly have arrived at 9 or 10pm and just stayed there, which is much easier after a long flight from the west coast. We typically get breakfast at the hotel in the morning then catch MDE first thing in the morning, and being early morning the buses are usually quite empty. I want to say our cost for the room is usually about $200.

 

[Nole95]

We're doing this in April for the Star Wars race. Getting in late Thursday afternoon and staying at Pop Century. Will get up the next morning to go to ESPN Wide World and then check in to Beach Club. Does not seem like it will be that much of a pain. I see not reason to pay a few hundred extra when pretty much all we're doing the first night there is eating and sleeping.

 

[bcbmommy]

It depends on how late you're getting in, but we've often actually just stayed at the Hyatt in the airport. We commonly have arrived at 9 or 10pm and just stayed there, which is much easier after a long flight from the west coast. We typically get breakfast at the hotel in the morning then catch MDE first thing in the morning, and being early morning the buses are usually quite empty. I want to say our cost for the room is usually about $200.

I thought about that, but our flight arrives at 5:45. I figured we would probably get to Disney around 7:00ish, if everything goes smoothly. On the way home, however, we are planning on staying at an airport hotel, as we have an early morning flight.

 

[Marionnette]

Our reservation is at the Yacht Club, but since we're getting to Disney in the evening, I'm thinking about booking a cheaper resort just for that first night. I've been wanting to try POR, but would it be a pain to just stay there one night? I just can't stand the idea of paying over $900 a night for that first night since it'll be so late when we get there. Ideas?

DVC members do this a lot to save on points. Whether you stay onsite or at one of the airport hotels, my advice is to pack one bag with toiletries and a change of clothing for everyone. That way you're not unpacking and repacking several suitcases.

Oh, and you should not check your bags through on Magic Express. You will want to retrieve your bags at the luggage carousel even if you stay at POR that first night. You don't want to be waiting hours for your luggage to arrive at your room. Take it with you on the DME bus.

 

[Aurora0427]

Our reservation is at the Yacht Club, but since we're getting to Disney in the evening, I'm thinking about booking a cheaper resort just for that first night. I've been wanting to try POR, but would it be a pain to just stay there one night? I just can't stand the idea of paying over $900 a night for that first night since it'll be so late when we get there. Ideas?

We did this last trip.... We had 7 nights booked at the Grand Floridian, but it was cheaper to fly out Saturday and stay one night at AoA then fly in Sunday. It wasn't a huge pain, but next time we'll choose our dates more wisely. My husband took our daughter to MK in the morning while my mom and I took a cab with our luggage to the GF. You can also have Disney transfer your luggage, but it won't arrive in your room at the YC until between 3-5pm.

 

[rwdavis2]

If you already have a reservation make sure you can re-book it. WDW won't let you just remove a day off the reservation. It has to be completely re-booked.

 

[bigbabyblues]

We are going to do this for the first time in June, but we are driving.

 

[loves to dive]

I do it just about every trip, I drive down so it's easier for me. I've stayed one night ASsp then transferred to YC next day, I usually arrive around 3 pm so I check in and go to a park and am just in the room to sleep that first night. I've stayed 2 nights at PoP same reason except I knew I'd by taking a bus to the park the one full day so on day 3 I transferred to BWV. I've done 2 nights at POR and 3 nights at OKW. My upcoming trip in March we are doing 2 nights at CBR then 4 nights at Dolphin. We just pack a separate bag for that one or two nights and I have a hanging toiletry bag that never gets unpacked, hangs on the back of bathroom door and when we use something we just put it back. We transfer that from one set of luggage to the other. I get up early on move day, pack up and take the bag to the car, go down and check out and move on over to resort #2. You can just have Disney come get your bags and transfer them for you. I check into resort #2 early in the morning and go ahead and go to whatever park I'm going to that day, they text you when your room is ready and I just head back to the resort when I'm ready to, grab my bags and go to the room. If you have Disney transfer your bags they hold them in bell services and when you get to your room you call and they bring your bags up.

 

[bcbmommy]

DVC members do this a lot to save on points. Whether you stay onsite or at one of the airport hotels, my advice is to pack one bag with toiletries and a change of clothing for everyone. That way you're not unpacking and repacking several suitcases.

Oh, and you should not check your bags through on Magic Express. You will want to retrieve your bags at the luggage carousel even if you stay at POR that first night. You don't want to be waiting hours for your luggage to arrive at your room. Take it with you on the DME bus.

Love the idea of packing one bag for that first night! I will definitely do that. As far as taking our luggage on the DME bus, will they give us a hard time about that? There are 6 of us, so we'll have quite a bit of luggage.

 

[Marionnette]

Love the idea of packing one bag for that first night! I will definitely do that. As far as taking our luggage on the DME bus, will they give us a hard time about that? There are 6 of us, so we'll have quite a bit of luggage.

They put the luggage underneath. Lots of people put their strollers and carry on bags under there. It's pretty much expected that passengers arriving in the evening will retrieve their bags rather than wait for DME to deliver them. Don't forget to tip the driver for assisting you with all of your bags!

 

[bcbmommy]

I just thought of something. Will I need to attach our tickets to our first night's reservation then?

 

[goofy4tink]

I would stay at POR for that first night. I would even tag my bags with the yellow tags. Pack a carry on bag with whatever you'll need for that night, and possibly the next morning.
You can go to the resort, relax, check it out, maybe swim.
I wouldn't worry about attaching tickets to the first night stay, unless you really want to head to a park. But, sometimes it's nice to just get to the resort and relax for that night.
The next morning, you have a few options...
1. Have Luggage Assistance move your bags to the new resort....it will take until late afternoon/early evening before you get the bags though. Then just take a bus to a park and after lunch, head to the new resort to get checked in.
Or....
2. Just take your bags, and get a cab(s) to the new resort. If your room isn't ready, leave your bags with Bell Services and go to a park.

 

[bcbmommy]

I would stay at POR for that first night. I would even tag my bags with the yellow tags. Pack a carry on bag with whatever you'll need for that night, and possibly the next morning.
You can go to the resort, relax, check it out, maybe swim.
I wouldn't worry about attaching tickets to the first night stay, unless you really want to head to a park. But, sometimes it's nice to just get to the resort and relax for that night.
The next morning, you have a few options...
1. Have Luggage Assistance move your bags to the new resort....it will take until late afternoon/early evening before you get the bags though. Then just take a bus to a park and after lunch, head to the new resort to get checked in.
Or....
2. Just take your bags, and get a cab(s) to the new resort. If your room isn't ready, leave your bags with Bell Services and go to a park.

Thank you. I love your suggestions! I've been wanting to try POR, and now that I think on it a bit more, you're right about not going to the parks that first evening. It'll be good to get a full night's rest in preparation for the next day. When you say "yellow tags", are those the Disney tags they'll send us?

 

[fla4fun]

You just have to weigh the convenience factor vs. the cost savings. I usually check in after work because I don't like waiting around on check in day to get into my room (and prefer not to leave bags with the hotel, for security and potential bug issues). I like getting all settled and unpacked that first evening and hitting the ground running the next morning. But it is an extra expense. Only you know which is more important to you - convenience or cost savings.

 

[goofy4tink]

Thank you. I love your suggestions! I've been wanting to try POR, and now that I think on it a bit more, you're right about not going to the parks that first evening. It'll be good to get a full night's rest in preparation for the next day. When you say "yellow tags", are those the Disney tags they'll send us?

Yup, your DME tags. If you arrive at your resort around 7, you should have your bags by 10 or so.
I think it's a great way to check out other resorts. If you pack correctly, it's no big deal to move the next morning!
But, it's not for everyone. I love doing it. My husband? Not so much.

 

[criddopher]

I did this in december. I had rooms booked at animal kingdom and showed up 1 night early. I called that morning and booked a room in POR french. Showed up, checked in no problem. The check in woman even called my dining reservation for me to ensure I didnt miss it as I was about 30 min late already!. It was cool, I wanted to see port orleans, I got to wander around its a nice little place! I'm not certain about the luggage, as the time I flew my brother took care of everything via DVC But I do know our bags were in our rooms an hour or so after we arrived (we went to dinner). I'm not positive but I think if you ask, disney will have one of their vans take your bags to the next resort... If not uber runs you pretty much from-to anywhere on disney for like 20 bucks max.

 

[gdrj]

Love the idea of packing one bag for that first night! I will definitely do that. As far as taking our luggage on the DME bus, will they give us a hard time about that? There are 6 of us, so we'll have quite a bit of luggage.

Personally, with a lot of luggage I would let them deliver to the resort. I would put a Do Not Disturb sign up and let the Front Desk know to hold the luggage (if you are going to stay on property the first night). The next morning I would just have them transfer to Yacht Club.

 

[gdrj]

I just thought of something. Will I need to attach our tickets to our first night's reservation then?

If you mean Plane tickets for Magical Express, Yes.

If you are speaking of Park Tickets/ Dining Plan no, assuming you don't want to use that night.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

We did this in October - had a week at Yacht Club and flew in the day before and stayed at Port Orleans. Worked fine for us. Got up early in the morning to get to MK for EMH and left our luggage at bellhop to be transferred to Yacht Club. One note of caution - when we checked in at Port Orleans we were told that the tickets linked to the Yacht Club were activated but when we got to MK and waited in line to enter the ticket were not activated so had to go to get relations and get threat fixed