Experienced Resort-Hoppers, Please Give Me Your Advice...

[southernbohemian]

So the problem with liking the DisBoards so much is that I have fallen in love with the resorts almost as much as the parks themselves and now cannot fathom planning our vacation without visiting them also (whether to eat, to walk around, or to stay at).

We're planning on going in May '08. The dates are still a little tentative, and we're not sure if we are going to be bringing my DBF's youngest daughter or my mother, but I've already got a daily schedule worked up and of course have picked out the resorts I want to stay at - 3 nights at WL, 2 nights at CSR, and 3 nights at BC. It was simply too hard to pick just one, and then it was too hard to not add on one more. As I told DBF, it'll be like 3 separate vacations without all the driving! The resorts might change when I get to actually booking them, but I think we're going to stick with the 3 resort-9 day plan.

So, please, if you've done this, offer your advice, sage wisdom, and past experiences. I know about the bell service, but that's kind of it.

 

[Dizneydaz]

We've resort hopped several times and it's worked well for us. Only one time did we use bell services but then we always have a rental vehicle. Do try to check in early at the resorts. You might just luck out. We were able to get into our room at POP once at about 7:30 a.m. It was great since we needed naps after taking the red eye. If you're going to use bell services and don't have the advantage of having your own vehicle, you might want to carry a small bag with bathing suits, etc. in case you want to take a break from the parks and haven't gotten a room yet.

That's all I can think of for now, have fun! (The only reason we don't resort hop in Sept. is due to free DDP-each stay requires a base tix) The most we've done is 4 resorts-with extenuating (sp?) circumstances. We stayed at POP first night since we got in very late and didn't want to spend the extra $ at AKL. Stayed at AKL. Then part of our group went to Tampa for a few days (not me!) so my DD and I stayed at ASMov by ourselves, then when the others returned, we moved to POFQ for the last few days. I wouldn't do 4 again, but I would do 2, or 3

 

[Tink415]

We've done similar stays a few times. We did have a car so we could handle the bags ourselves. Rolling luggage makes it easy. When we're making multiple moves we usually don't unpack our clothes from suitcases (we roll everything) and we try to stay neat and keep the room picked-up, dirty clothes go right into a into a plastic bag, each person has their own tolietry bag, and usually when we're ready to move to the next hotel its pretty quick to pack up. Everyone over age 10 packs their own stuff
I second the idea to pack a small bag with whatever you might need before you get your next room and bags (if using bell services to transfer).
Have fun!

 

[southernbohemian]

We've resort hopped several times and it's worked well for us. Only one time did we use bell services but then we always have a rental vehicle. Do try to check in early at the resorts. You might just luck out. We were able to get into our room at POP once at about 7:30 a.m. It was great since we needed naps after taking the red eye. If you're going to use bell services and don't have the advantage of having your own vehicle, you might want to carry a small bag with bathing suits, etc. in case you want to take a break from the parks and haven't gotten a room yet.

That's all I can think of for now, have fun! (The only reason we don't resort hop in Sept. is due to free DDP-each stay requires a base tix) The most we've done is 4 resorts-with extenuating (sp?) circumstances. We stayed at POP first night since we got in very late and didn't want to spend the extra $ at AKL. Stayed at AKL. Then part of our group went to Tampa for a few days (not me!) so my DD and I stayed at ASMov by ourselves, then when the others returned, we moved to POFQ for the last few days. I wouldn't do 4 again, but I would do 2, or 3

What's the earliest you can check in? We're planning on doing rope drops a lot of days so we get in and out before the crowds - could we feasibly check in before we head over the park for rope drop?

 

[Redbudlover]

i have resort hopped twice and probably won't do it it again - though I might add a day at AK just for the ambiance and savannah and to be able to do a sunrise safari without paying for concierge for an entire stay... But I don't like living out of a suitcase - and I don't like packing and unpacking. I would be happier on a 9 day trip if I decided to hop to just do two resorts instead of three - it gives you time to really experience your resort if you stay in one a little longer IMO.

 

[southernbohemian]

We've done similar stays a few times. We did have a car so we could handle the bags ourselves. Rolling luggage makes it easy. When we're making multiple moves we usually don't unpack our clothes from suitcases (we roll everything) and we try to stay neat and keep the room picked-up, dirty clothes go right into a into a plastic bag, each person has their own tolietry bag, and usually when we're ready to move to the next hotel its pretty quick to pack up. Everyone over age 10 packs their own stuff
I second the idea to pack a small bag with whatever you might need before you get your next room and bags (if using bell services to transfer).
Have fun!

We'll be driving so we'll have our own car. I just thought sending it through bell services would be a lot easier than reloading and unloading the car. Is there something I should know about bell services? Give me the dirt, I can handle it. Does it take a long time on both ends?

Thanks for the ideas about the bags. I usually have a beach bag for everyone's swim stuff anyway just to keep it together. I'm thinking of just doing ziploc bags for each day so everyone's clothes from their undies out is already together. Now you've given me the idea of, instead of every person having their own suitcase, maybe having a suitcase for each hotel... hmmm

 

[GoingtoWDWagain]

I just did a split stay between CBR and WL and used a taxi service instead of bell services. The trip from CBR to WL was about $5.70 plus tip. The driver helped us with our bags from the room to the taxi, loaded them in and when we arrived at WL bell services held our bags while we checked in, the room was ready (12:00PM) and our bags were quickly brought up to our room.

Last year, we switched from CBR to BC and did the same but with a car rental.

If you have a car, have bell services bring it to your vehicle for you and check it in yourself, that seems like the safest way to not lose luggage to me.

I don't personally feel comfortable about sending the luggage up ahead through bell services when switching resorts. I've had a missing luggage once and someone else luggage given to us while waiting for DME.

Good Luck and hope this helps!

 

[Tink415]

You can check in before rope drop, no problem, maybe less likely that a room will be ready for you depending on the season. I think Bell Service is usually fine! I've had waits at checkout time, 11am, which is understandable. We rent a suv or minivan which makes packing easy. Our habit has been to check out at 11, drive over to new hotel, and spend the afternoon there. If the room isn't ready we'll be lunching, swimming, boating, exploring. And we've had really good luck getting rooms earlier than 3pm. I do remember one long afternoon sitting in BC lobby waiting for a room while it POURED outside, and we didn't have a park planned for the day, but that's been the exception! The fist time I wanted to stay at multiple hotels - 10 years ago - I had to promise my DH I would pack everything up as he was against the idea, but now he sees the benefit - a nice long afternoon of relaxing I think whatever you choose will be fine, just have a good attitude about moving and if something goes wrong, remember the benefits!

 

[texasmom]

I have had a split stay once. I enjoyed the hotels, but to me, it seemed like kind of a hassle since I didn't have a car and I was only at the first hotel one night. I felt like we had to rush to the second hotel in the morning to check in and get our park tickets so we could get to the park early. Bell services wasn't bad. Once our room was ready at our second resort, they delivered.

Next week we are going to WDW and I will have a car. We are splitting btw. two hotels again, but I am not worried this time since we will already have park tickets and our bags can stay in the car.

I like the idea of keeping different bags for each hotel. I have a four and seven year old. We can easily put four days worth of clothes in one bag and the rest in another. Our toiletries can be in one bag we take to both hotels. That is a great idea so we won't be toting so much and unpacking and repacking.



Enjoy your stay!

 

[laurabelle]

Well, let's put it this way...I apologized to my family for putting them through it...we have just resort hopped for the last time! Yes, it's wonderful trying new places, but even being as totally organized as you can possibly be, there is way too much work, and above all, time wasted packing and unpacking, moving and checking in, when you could be relaxing or doing something fun. Never again. It's a vacation... you can always stay at a different resort next trip. Sorry, probably not the advice you wanted to hear...

 

[Kim1964]

We did a split stay last year, 3 nights at POR, 3 nights at YC. We have two kids, who were 10 and 4 at the time. We had a rental car.

When I did the packing, I packed one suitcase for the first 3 nights and one for the 2nd 3 nights. That made it really easy because we had one whole suitcase that we didn't have to touch until we moved to YC.

It was fun to have 2 completely different resort experiences in the same trip. I highly recommend starting at the less expensive resort first and working your way up to the most expensive. We all enjoyed POR, but I know it would have been a letdown if we'd done YC first and then moved to POR.

This year we are doing our first night at Pop, and then moving to YC for 6 nights. I plan on packing one small suitcase with everything we need for that first night, and not touching the big suitcases at all until we move to YC.

 

[bellebud]

here's my experience... we've resort hopped a few times, and haven't many times. While I enjoy the experience of the new resort, I found it hard to relax and enjoy the resort we were in because I was 'looking forward' to the next resort too much. But that's just my personality... i'm always planning our next 2 vacations during our present one... dh gets so annoyed!

I'd definitely do your own bags... you're going to have to move your car anyway... so you're already checking out, getting your car, driving to new resort and checking in (possibly getting your room then, or not... doesn't matter). If you just bring your bags w/ you, they'll be held by bell services and be available to you if you need something.

I do recall once being at the boardwalk and our room not being ready (we had switched from somewhere else and checked in early)... we were going to have a 'resort day'... but it got annoying by 4pm that our room wasn't ready... we had been swimming all day and were tired of being in wet bathing suits and just wanted to go to our room. I wish we had done a park day that day... we wouldn't have been 'bothered' that our room wasn't ready. If I ever hop again, i'll make that day a park day and even plan on dinner in the park... then enjoy the resort the next day - waking up at the resort and staying all day that day.

I love the idea of separate suitcases for each resort. I think that will make the moves easier. OH, and definitely save the deluxes for last.

Another experience I had was one time doing bcv first, then an MK resort (i can't recall which one). Our plan was to do epcot and mgm while we were at beach club, then when we moved doing MK and AK. I hated having to wait to do the MK till 6 days into my disney vacation... i felt like i wasn't at disney at all till we arrived at our mk resort. Again, that's just me... MK "is" disney to me, and until i'm there, i'm not at disney!

Enjoy your planning and trip!

 

[Goofy_4_WDW]

I just did a split stay between CBR and WL and used a taxi service instead of bell services. The trip from CBR to WL was about $5.70 plus tip. The driver helped us with our bags from the room to the taxi, loaded them in and when we arrived at WL bell services held our bags while we checked in, the room was ready (12:00PM) and our bags were quickly brought up to our room.

Last year, we switched from CBR to BC and did the same but with a car rental.

If you have a car, have bell services bring it to your vehicle for you and check it in yourself, that seems like the safest way to not lose luggage to me.

I don't personally feel comfortable about sending the luggage up ahead through bell services when switching resorts. I've had a missing luggage once and someone else luggage given to us while waiting for DME.

Good Luck and hope this helps!

We are going to WL from POFQ and are planning to use a taxi also,
my question is where do you get the taxi from? Do you ask the front desk to get one for you or are they usually outside waiting?
Thanks!