Split Stay

[magicmag]

I searched through old threads and found some great information, but there are still some questions looming about our split stay this May/June.

We will be doing two days at CBR before moving to BC on the day that the hotel itself reopens. We are going to pack only what we need for those two days in one suitcase while leaving the others virtually untouched until we move into BC.

However, I was wondering about what time they *typically* make this transfer happen. We are early park goers with mid day break/nap/swim time before returning to the park type of travellers. So,I was wondering just what we may need to pack in our park bag on our transfer day or if I could count on our things being moved early that morning. (And I know that not every trip is the same but this being our first split stay, I didn't know how/when transfers really worked.)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Meglen]

Most reports say don't expect your transfer to be there till after 4pm

 

[JFDIS]

What park are you doing that day? I'm curious if you don't have a massive amount of luggage if you could just drop if off via the skyliner in the am? That way you'd know for sure it would be there.

 

[magicmag]

Animal Kingdom is planned for that day. I didn't even think about the possibility of taking things before especially since the part of BC is open currently.

Looks like we need to pack chargers etc in our park bags that day so we can recharge during our afternoon. Also, I wonder if we would be able to take our swimsuits in our park bag and enjoy some time at SAB during our break.

 

[hes122]

We packed our swimsuits in our park bag on our transfer day so that we wouldn't have to worry about whether or not our bags would be there when we arrived midday. It worked out fine and when we were finished at the pool we called Bell Services to see if our bags had arrived yet (they had) and they brought them to us not long after that.

 

[leannak]

I had heard that Disney doesn’t provide resort transfers anymore (during Covid) and that I’d need to do Lyft or Uber at our most convenient time and have bell services manage our luggage at the resorts before/after the transfer. They used to transfer your luggage but that is apparently no longer available? Am I wrong? (Hope so

 

[Shellyred8]

We have been to WDW 4 times post-covid and every one of them was a split-stay. Disney is providing luggage transfers between Disney resorts. They always tell us the luggage will be at the new resort between 3pm-5pm when we drop our bags off early in the morning before heading out to the park.

I would not count on your bags being at the new resort in the morning if you have Disney transfer your luggage.

Normally, we go to the parks at opening and then go back to the resort in the afternoon when the parks get busy and then go back to the parks in the late afternoon/evening. On our move day, we sometimes do a later start and don't leave the room until 10-11am. Then we go to a park for the day and by the time we are ready to be done at the park, our room is usually ready and the luggage has been delivered to the new resort.

 

[Rick195275]

I had heard that Disney doesn’t provide resort transfers anymore (during Covid) and that I’d need to do Lyft or Uber at our most convenient time and have bell services manage our luggage at the resorts before/after the transfer. They used to transfer your luggage but that is apparently no longer available? Am I wrong? (Hope so

Don’t worry it’s not true. We just came home from a split stay yesterday, they transferred my bags from beach club to poly for me.

 

[Eastern]

I like to get a cab or Uber and move the luggage myself, very early, to the new resort's bell services. Then go to the park. Whenever you come back to your new room you can get your luggage from bell services yourself. I hate waiting in the room for luggage pickup/delivery.

 

[Fangorn]

The luggage transfer process begins, property-wide, at approx 1pm. Bags from each resort are taken by truck to a central warehouse where they are sorted, put back on trucks and delivered to the new resorts. The process is normally completed by 4pm, but can take longer. You will not have access to your bags from the time you drop them off with Bell Services in the morning until you pick them up, or have them delivered to your room at the new resort. Bags are NOT delivered automatically to your room.

Steve

 

[LiveLifeLoud]

I have never had my bags before 5 pm when doing a split stay. I’ve also never had my room ready early either.

We are also midday pool break people and it throws a wrench into our plans because we don’t take bags into the park so no packing swimsuits.

Some trips we’ve done RD had then been cranky come 1-2 pm. We learned it’s best for us to do a later start, check out at 11 am and head to a park and do a late lunch ADR. By 4 we are ready for a break and by then our room is ready and bags are available. Then we freshen up, rest a bit and head out for the evening. It’s a “modified rest day.”

 

[magicmag]

Thank you all for your replies. I did a little research on the possibility of using the Skyliner, but apparently, you can't take luggage on the skyliner (or any Disney transportation other than Magic Express). I think my early riser and I may take our backpack carry ons over to BC in the morning, and then, we can meet the rest of the crew at Animal Kingdom later on- leaving the actual luggage with bell services. Then, we won't have to lug around all the extras during the day, and the things we will need, or potentially need, will be at bell services when we take our afternoon break.

I also like the late start to the day idea just to change things up a bit! Thanks again for the advice.

 

[gharter]

We did a split stay last week.
They picked up our luggage and food at 7 am.
No idea when it arrived at our new resort, but when we arrived there at 4 pm, our luggage was ready to come to our room.
Very happy with how the process worked.

 

[goofygallisa]

If you are moving to BC the day it opens I would think you could get into your room earlier since they won’t have to clean it from a past guest.

 

[Blondie58]

I had heard that Disney doesn’t provide resort transfers anymore (during Covid) and that I’d need to do Lyft or Uber at our most convenient time and have bell services manage our luggage at the resorts before/after the transfer. They used to transfer your luggage but that is apparently no longer available? Am I wrong? (Hope so

We have had luggage transfers with no problem. We never count on transfers being done before 4:00. Sometimes they may be earlier but we don't know becasue we are out and about.

 

[Eastern]

I think my early riser and I may take our backpack carry ons over to BC in the morning, and then, we can meet the rest of the crew at Animal Kingdom later on- leaving the actual luggage with bell services. Then, we won't have to lug around all the extras during the day, and the things we will need, or potentially need, will be at bell services when we take our afternoon break.

I haven't done it in awhile but we have used the lockers at Epcot to store jackets when it's warm during the day and then gets colder later on. It was about $5. I wonder if all the parks still have lockers?

 

[JFDIS]

Thank you all for your replies. I did a little research on the possibility of using the Skyliner, but apparently, you can't take luggage on the skyliner (or any Disney transportation other than Magic Express). I think my early riser and I may take our backpack carry ons over to BC in the morning, and then, we can meet the rest of the crew at Animal Kingdom later on- leaving the actual luggage with bell services. Then, we won't have to lug around all the extras during the day, and the things we will need, or potentially need, will be at bell services when we take our afternoon break.

I also like the late start to the day idea just to change things up a bit! Thanks again for the advice.

Thanks for the update! That is great information to have in the future.

 

[trishadono]

Animal Kingdom is planned for that day. I didn't even think about the possibility of taking things before especially since the part of BC is open currently.

Looks like we need to pack chargers etc in our park bags that day so we can recharge during our afternoon. Also, I wonder if we would be able to take our swimsuits in our park bag and enjoy some time at SAB during our break.

Another option:
We will leave our stuff with bell services in the morning before heading to the park. One of us , or me and dd together will go from park back to hotel #1 and get our bags and ride share to hotel#2. . Generally less than $15. It doesn’t take long and we have our things.

Not for your example but for others it may help. We have been going to park in morning and leaving between 10:30-11 and walk back and get bags from room and then rideshare to hotel #2. We have been splitting from yc which is easy to do this. If staying at cr or gf where you can walk and know back to resort timely is also doable, however even catching a bus should work too.

 

[jorbrenner]

Too many variances on when to expect the room to be ready. Safe to assume it will be the standard late afternoon and anything earlier could just be a surprise.