Best way to do split stay???

[princessap]

So last night I got DH to look at pictures of the resorts and he agreed to a split stay!! He loves the convenience of the monorail so we are starting at the CR and then heading over to AKL for the end of our trip (I really want to stay here while we all fit in one room!)

My question is how many nights should I do at each resort??

Our plan so far is the following

Sunday arrive and maybe hit MK
Monday MK
Tuesday MNSSHP
Wednesday sleep in and enjoy resort day

Havent finalized the other days but am not so worried about rope drop with the other parks. I know we will do epcot, dhs and ak though.

So was thinking CR Sunday to Wednesday and then AKL wednesday to sunday?!?

I know it is easy for disney to transfer our luggage so was going to pack a swim bag to enjoy the pool at akl before our room is ready. would that work??

 

[Missyrose]

So last night I got DH to look at pictures of the resorts and he agreed to a split stay!! He loves the convenience of the monorail so we are starting at the CR and then heading over to AKL for the end of our trip (I really want to stay here while we all fit in one room!)

My question is how many nights should I do at each resort??

Our plan so far is the following

Sunday arrive and maybe hit MK
Monday MK
Tuesday MNSSHP
Wednesday sleep in and enjoy resort day

Havent finalized the other days but am not so worried about rope drop with the other parks. I know we will do epcot, dhs and ak though.

So was thinking CR Sunday to Wednesday and then AKL wednesday to sunday?!?

I know it is easy for disney to transfer our luggage so was going to pack a swim bag to enjoy the pool at akl before our room is ready. would that work??

Honestly? I would save rest/resort days for AKL, much more to see and do at that resort. That way, you can maximize the location perfection of CR by maybe adding an Epcot day while you're staying there.

If you were planning to visit a park before checking into AKL, I'd say have Disney move your luggage. But if you're planning to check in at AKL and hang at the resort, I personally like taking a cab from one resort to the other. That way you can check everything at AKL's bell services while you wait for your room (but you still have access to all your bags if you find you need something out of them, whereas if Disney sends your luggage, you won't see the bags until very late in the day on moving day).

Glad your DH finally saw the light on the split stay! Sounds like you'll get the best of both worlds.

 

[princessap]

Thanks...so would you do 4 nights CR and 3 at AKL?? or 3 CR 4 AKL.

Adding epcot is a great suggestion. I was thinking of doing wednesday as a rest day because of MNSSHP the night before. But maybe we could sleep in and do a late start at Epcot instead? I know the only full days we will do will be at MK, I am planning on shorter days for other parks. I wanted to end at MK too but that will be a pain from AK so probably won't do that.

My plan is to do a package for the CR part and then do room only for AKL and pay oop for meals then! does that sound good??

I am glad DH agreed too...this will be our first and last onsite trip for a full week for a LONG time (I know everyone says that but it is true for DH). so I want to try AKL out while we can! but I LOVE the convenience of CR and walking to MK...we will do garden wing at CR as we wont be in room that much or even at resort that much to benefit from paying more for the tower.

 

[Missyrose]

1. Thanks...so would you do 4 nights CR and 3 at AKL?? or 3 CR 4 AKL.

2.Adding epcot is a great suggestion. I was thinking of doing wednesday as a rest day because of MNSSHP the night before. But maybe we could sleep in and do a late start at Epcot instead? I know the only full days we will do will be at MK, I am planning on shorter days for other parks. I wanted to end at MK too but that will be a pain from AK so probably won't do that.

3. My plan is to do a package for the CR part and then do room only for AKL and pay oop for meals then! does that sound good??

4. I am glad DH agreed too...this will be our first and last onsite trip for a full week for a LONG time (I know everyone says that but it is true for DH). so I want to try AKL out while we can! but I LOVE the convenience of CR and walking to MK...we will do garden wing at CR as we wont be in room that much or even at resort that much to benefit from paying more for the tower.

1. I would do 4 at CR and 3 at AKL:

2. Sunday arrive and maybe hit MK
Monday MK
Tuesday MNSSHP
Wednesday Sleep in, Epcot
Thursday Resort day at AKL
Friday DHS or AK
Saturday DHS or AK

3. Price out what your meals would actually cost before committing to the dining plan. You might find you'd do better OOP with discounted tickets.

4. Sounds like a great plan for CR, did you book the GW already?

 

[princessap]

1. I would do 4 at CR and 3 at AKL:

2. Sunday arrive and maybe hit MK
Monday MK
Tuesday MNSSHP
Wednesday Sleep in, Epcot
Thursday Resort day at AKL
Friday DHS or AK
Saturday DHS or AK

3. Price out what your meals would actually cost before committing to the dining plan. You might find you'd do better OOP with discounted tickets.

4. Sounds like a great plan for CR, did you book the GW already?

Thanks SO much...looks like a great plan!!! I am super excited now!!

I have booked the CR for the whole week already but am hoping a discount comes out!!

should I worry about booking AKL now or just wait till discounts come out or does AKL ever sell out?? I am considering renting points for that part of our trip as we will be at the resort more those days....would that be good idea??

You are AWESOME!

 

[nolanboys]

AKV is a large resort so you should be ok waiting to book as long as you are not going during peak times. AKV is a great resort to relax at.

We often do split stays. I always pack a pool bag and then we swim until the room is ready - so you're smart to do that.

Are you looking to rent points for a studio or 1 bdrm? The studios are nice, but they have a bed and a sleeper sofa. If you want two beds, then a regular hotel room will probably be a better fit for you.

 

[princessap]

there will be five of us so we would need two beds and preferably a daybed and playpen! LOL

The more I look at pics of AKL/V I am so excited to stay there....it looks beautiful!

 

[princessap]

AKV is a large resort so you should be ok waiting to book as long as you are not going during peak times. AKV is a great resort to relax at.

We often do split stays. I always pack a pool bag and then we swim until the room is ready - so you're smart to do that.

Are you looking to rent points for a studio or 1 bdrm? The studios are nice, but they have a bed and a sleeper sofa. If you want two beds, then a regular hotel room will probably be a better fit for you.

we are going in September 2014 which is value or regular season so hoping we will be ok.

 

[princessap]

any other thoughts???

 

[grimley1968]

any other thoughts???

You may not like my thoughts, but they center on not doing a split stay. I have done them in the past to take advantage of discounts, etc. that required multiple resort reservations. It was nice to save money, but I dreaded having to pack our stuff up in the middle of our vacation and then unpacking at the next resort, on top of moving the luggage or having it moved. This all takes time, time which could have been used for a park, swimming, sleeping, etc. It all seems too much like work to me for a vacation.

Personally, if it's affordable, I'd do one resort this trip and try the other resort the next vacation.

 

[princessap]

I would LOVE to do a week at the CR and then next trip do a week at AKL...however, my DH is not a go every year kind of guy so this will be it for a while and when we go back we won't all fit in one room at AKL, hence my dilemma??

 

[grimley1968]

I would LOVE to do a week at the CR and then next trip do a week at AKL...however, my DH is not a go every year kind of guy so this will be it for a while and when we go back we won't all fit in one room at AKL, hence my dilemma??

I see. Somewhat similar to our dilemma when we needed to split stays to take advantage of savings that ended in the middle of our trip, forcing us to move from a deluxe to a moderate (Poly to CSR).

Keep in mind that some of the villas at AKV will sleep 5 if necessary, or some of the BLT (next to CR) villas sleep 5. Whether they cost more than 2 regular resort rooms is up to what kind of deals you can get.

Another time we did a split stay (necessitated by a cruise in the middle of our vacation), we stayed at Pop Century the first night, went on the 4-night cruise, then stayed at a 1-BR BLT villa the last 3 nights. The BLT villa was spectacular, with a great view (I don't think there are any bad views at BLT). We got to use all the amenities of CR, in addition to a nice added pool for BLT. Again, I hated all the packing and unpacking, but BLT was a very nice way to end our vacation. Staying there for 3 nights wasn't really a sticker shock pricewise, compared to a week at just about any other deluxe resort.

 

[princessap]

I have thought of renting points and doing both BLT and AKV instead but wondering if it is worth it when we won't be in the room that much at the CR for sure...we will use the amenities at AKV more and I don't like the look of the pool features at CR just like the convenience of walking to MK after two MK days and MNSSHP.

 

[LJSquishy]

I would do 3 nights at CR and 4 nights at AKL if it fits into your plans.

Sunday: Arrival & MK
Monday: Epcot
Tuesday: MNSSHP
Wednesday: Resort Day @ AKL
Thursday: DHS
Friday: AK
Sat: Leftovers! Any park (probably MK), reride any favorite rides

This plan gives you a break mid-way into your trip on the same day that you transfer to AKL. AKL would be much better to relax at than CR. It gives you a little dose of what's to come at AK on Friday, so Thursday might be a good DHS day to break up seeing all of the animals at the resort & park back to back. I loved saving the last day of the trip to go back to any park and reride the favorites, or finish a park if we didn't have a chance to see everything we wanted to. Tuesday will be a full MK day, and if you can even get a few rides in on your arrival day at MK you will be in great shape to finish the park on Tuesday. If you have Park Hoppers it would be even better in case you only spend 1/2 day at DHS or at AK. Come Wednesday, you can always choose to only take a 1/2 day break at the resort and visit one of the parks in the late afternoon/evening if all of you are feeling great and want to continue in the parks.

 

[princessap]

I would do 3 nights at CR and 4 nights at AKL if it fits into your plans.

Sunday: Arrival & MK
Monday: Epcot
Tuesday: MNSSHP
Wednesday: Resort Day @ AKL
Thursday: DHS
Friday: AK
Sat: Leftovers! Any park (probably MK), reride any favorite rides

This plan gives you a break mid-way into your trip on the same day that you transfer to AKL. AKL would be much better to relax at than CR. It gives you a little dose of what's to come at AK on Friday, so Thursday might be a good DHS day to break up seeing all of the animals at the resort & park back to back. I loved saving the last day of the trip to go back to any park and reride the favorites, or finish a park if we didn't have a chance to see everything we wanted to. Tuesday will be a full MK day, and if you can even get a few rides in on your arrival day at MK you will be in great shape to finish the park on Tuesday. If you have Park Hoppers it would be even better in case you only spend 1/2 day at DHS or at AK. Come Wednesday, you can always choose to only take a 1/2 day break at the resort and visit one of the parks in the late afternoon/evening if all of you are feeling great and want to continue in the parks.

Thanks for this option! I was thinking of relaxing that morning of the MNSSHP and doing a character breakfast at GF maybe and not doing MK until we do the MNSSHP. is that not a good idea??

 

[princessap]

My dilema is this....we LOVED doing prepark opening BBB appt this year and want to do that again next year! so what day do I book that on??

 

[Missyrose]

There won't be a day bed at any studio villa or standard room at AKL/AKV. You'd have to use a pack-n-play for the little one.

The 1-bedroom villas have an extra sleeper chair at AKV, but they're pretty much double the cost.

 

[princessap]

The daybed was great at the poly so my older kids didnt have to share a bed! My youngest will be in a pack n play still.

I think we would be cramped in a studio so if i rented it would be a 1 br or else we would just stick with a std room.

My dilema is what days to do what parks??

 

[Missyrose]

The daybed was great at the poly so my older kids didnt have to share a bed! My youngest will be in a pack n play still.

I think we would be cramped in a studio so if i rented it would be a 1 br or else we would just stick with a std room.

My dilema is what days to do what parks??

The 1-bedrooms are FABULOUS! So much space, plus the washer/dryer and kitchen are such a luxury!

 

[princessap]

The 1-bedrooms are FABULOUS! So much space, plus the washer/dryer and kitchen are such a luxury!

We wouldnt do dining plan at akv so would need groceries. will they deliver to akv??