best split stay tip?

[wdwlvr94]

It has been a while since we did a split stay. We will have a vehicle, so not worried about luggage. Just wondered if anyone had tips! Thanks!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Packing cubes.

 

[Sandisw]

We pack in a way where we have things in one suitcase for stay one and another for stay 2...this way we unpack an put dirty clothes away which makes the switch stay easier.

We always do late parks night before, sleep in, and then head to DS for shopping and lunch. By the time we do all that, and get to resort 2, it’s usually between 3 and 4 and room is ready!

 

[jmb4118]

Following along, as I'm doing my first split stay next month!

 

[loves to dive]

Everyone does it differently but here is what I do. Our split stays tend to be just one or two nights in resort one then move to resort two for the rest of the trip. I take two suitcases and also a smaller tote for things like laptop, snacks and such that are going to be at both resorts. I just put my dirty clothes back in suitcase one and leave that in the car when I go to resort 2. We (or I ) am early risers but we are also seat of the pants Disney people so we tend to not make FPs in advance. I say that because we rarely know what park we are going to be at on any given day. So on move day, we get up when we get up, which for me can be 6 am, my son not so much. We pack up and usually go have breakfast, call down to the front desk and check out (sometimes they tell us to come to the front desk to check out) then move the car to resort #2. I always ask for early check in and never request a certain location. We go ahead and go in to the front desk when we move the car just to let them know we are there, sometimes they find us a room but usually they can at least tell us where we need to park if we are at a moderate. If we are at a deluxe, we go ahead and take the luggage in and let them store it, if we are at a moderate, we just leave it in the car. Then we head off to whatever park we are going to that day. When we get the room ready text sometimes we head back to the resort and put things away, sometimes we stay in the park, just depends on our mood. If we know we want to go to AK move day, we will go ahead and drive there since that day tends to be a shorter one and we leave the park around noon but that has only happened twice in about 20 split stay trips. My son just uses one suitcase and lives out of it the entire trip, I'm an unpacker. I have been known to use packing cubes instead of two suitcases and put my dirty clothes back in a cube then when we go to the car to move it, take the cube out of the suitcase and leave it in the car. Just depends on my mood when I'm packing and the season since winter means layers. We never loose any time on move day since we get up early. There have been times that even after packing, eating breakfast and moving, we are still at resort #2 before the parks open, that is just about the only time we do rope drop.

 

[Leigh L]

Packing cubes became my new best friend on our last trip!
(We almost always have some sort of split trip)

 

[ladyelizabeth]

I am also a packing cube fan! I just take the cubes and place them directly in the drawers. I found this helpful especially now with the pandemic when we visited a couple weeks ago.

 

[figmentfinesse]

Thank you for starting this thread! I’m doing my first split stay this January.

 

[nherbert]

Hi,
as you can see from my signature we do a lot of split stays. We are from Australia, and travel to Disney for 7-9 weeks at a time, and move places a lot. We normally stay about 7-10 nights at the moderates broken up with 3-5 days at deluxe or the family suite at AoA (we save for years to take this kind of holiday) or a cruise. For most visits we have had a car for part of the time, but the last trip we didn’t bother. We do almost none of the things suggested above, but still manage to have a great time.

so my tips:
1) we have a lot of luggage about 3 suitcases and 4-5 little bags at the start, by the time we are heading home we add up to 2 more bigs bags or suitcases (my hubby likes to shop). No stress at all, disney will move our luggage no matter how much - remember to put aside money for tipping though (At both ends).
2) I am an unpacker, but I organize it so I am really only unpacking 2 suitcases, the rest stays packed for when we occasionally need it (e.g food, games, books, technology) you only need to balance out the weight for planes, after that pack for convenience of access.
3) we don’t let moving interfere with our plans. We are early risers and quick untidy packers - just shove it in is my motto. You don’t have to go to reception when you leave (if putting bags in car or taxi Or Uber). We go to a park (generally a park we only want a half day at such as AK or HS) , or we might go to DS - there is no point getting to new hotel way early as most times room is not ready.
4) we love moderates, we are that kind of people, but go to deluxes to see how the other half live but only for short stays. After awhile we are hanging out for a good QS food court because they are so much more relaxed (and cheaper).
5) don’t allow yourself to be hung up on the inconvenience of moving but rather get excited by a change of experience and a chance to explore a new place and different food. If you are not sure you will enjoy do a short 3 night stay.
6) pick different types of places, don’t move from same to same e.g. AoA to POP not worth it.

have fun,

 

[figmentfinesse]

I was curious if anyone had any first hand experiences on how photopass works for a split stay?

 

[mrsap]

I love split stays and pretty much do them every trip! One thing we always do before moving resorts, is the night before we’re ready to leave, we wash all our worn clothes, and repack everything. The only items that we leave in the room are the clothes we are going to need for the following day and any toiletries and food we will need. All suitcases that we do not need go in the trunk. That way, the next morning, it makes moving to your next resort so much easier and definitely less stressful! Good luck and enjoy!!

 

[mrsap]

I was curious if anyone had any first hand experiences on how photopass works for a split stay?

You do not need to do anything, just continue using your magic band when you take your pictures. It will not affect your pictures in anyway. Have fun!

 

[Mike Marzano]

I was curious if anyone had any first hand experiences on how photopass works for a split stay?

Memory Maker will cover photos for 30 days from first use, and the photos usually stay in your account for 45 days from date taken.

So if you purchase Memory Maker for your "first stay", then you can use it the entire trip.

 

[Mike Marzano]

PRE-COVID We've done short split stays (a night or two at one resort, followed by a week at another), or longer stays (4 or more nights at one resort, followed by 4 or more at another). We generally use the same process for both types...

When we pack, we segment the luggage based on the stay, so that we only unpack the necessary clothes/items for each stay. We include a laundry bag and collapsible duffel in our packing. This gives us something to put our dirty laundry in for the resort switch

When we arrive at the first resort, we get out what we need in the first stay, hang it or put it in the drawers. We put the dirties in the laundry bag each night. Last night in the first resort, we make sure to be in the hotel by 9 or 10pm to empty the drawers, and repack for the resort switch. We keep the essentials out in the bathroom for the morning. We get up Early the next morning, do our bathroom routines, and pack the left over essential items, put the laundry bag into the duffel (so that its not loose), and take our bags to bell services. We inform them of our split stay, then head to a park. Our bags get moved by Disney. When done at the parks we head to the next hotel and, assuming we got the message our room is ready, head to our room to drop off our park stuff. IF Bell Services hasn't delivered our luggage, we go get it.

 

[tuckymom]

Was in Orlando (the convention center at CS) for almost 3 weeks in a series of conferences for my work. I had family/friends drive down at various times to stay with me since I was on property with a paid for room and moved 5 times total over 23 days.

Try to pack for the days, not the whole trip so its a bit easier to pack/keep packed.

If you take a bookbag, stroller, etc. to the park, make sure you pack the things YOU HAVE TO HAVE like specific medications, deodorant, phone charger, etc. in case your luggage gets stuck somewhere.

This is such a stupid tip but I've known at least 2 families who didn't do this when doing a split stay TAKE ADVANTAGE of the resort advantages and plan in advance. If you are staying at a monorail or skyliner resort, plan to use the unique and better transportation on those days to the parks they apply & same with TS reservations. Ex. Split stay at Poly and Rivera. Plan your days at MK while at the Poly. Plan your HS day(s) with FP or park reservations and restaurant reservations to the parks during your Rivera days.

 

[Jaydee51]

packing cubes!

 

[James From Utah]

Get your magic band reset at the front desk when you check into your second hotel... if not, it may still be coded for your first room and won't open the door.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Don't leave your Mickey balloon in your car all day on the day you change resorts. It will deflate. (Learned this the hard way).

 

[maryj11]

Get your magic band reset at the front desk when you check into your second hotel... if not, it may still be coded for your first room and won't open the door.

I thought once we checked out of the first resort we would be good to go for the second resort. We have to have it reset?

 

[glitzybabes]

I have a 3 hotel split stay coming up in December. Do we request magic bands for each hotel? The option is there to request for all 3 stays.