Good and Bad Experiences with Split Stays

[MissyDVC]

We are thinking about doing our first DVC split stay for our February trip. We would like to try BCV(first time) and SSR (our home resort). We love SSR and know that we want to end our trip with a stay there but we thought we'd try BCV if we can get in. Can anyone let me know your experiences, positive and negative, with split stays? Moving luggage between resorts, dining ressies, etc. If it matters, we are thinking 5 nights and 4 nights. Thanks in advance

 

[iluveeyore]

We did a split stay for our first DVC stay 8 years ago - the kids thought it was wonderful as they got a taste of each resort - we did four nights at BCV, four at VWL and four at OKW. Now OKW is their favourite. We also like SSR. We didn't have a problem with luggage - just took an overnight bag with us on the bus to check in to our next resort, and had them send our luggage over a couple of hours later. Enjoy!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

We did a split stay last fall between AKV and SSR. The best thing was we hated the AKV and could not wait to move the SSR. Our bed at AKV squeeked badly. Even reported it and there was nothing done!
Luggage was easy. We packed up with to bell services asked them to trans to SSR and no trouble. They told us what time it would be at SSR so we called and had it delivered when we were ready.
The other good this is you get a fresh clean room!

 

[Metsoskil]

We are thinking about doing our first DVC split stay for our February trip. We would like to try BCV(first time) and SSR (our home resort). We love SSR and know that we want to end our trip with a stay there but we thought we'd try BCV if we can get in. Can anyone let me know your experiences, positive and negative, with split stays? Moving luggage between resorts, dining ressies, etc. If it matters, we are thinking 5 nights and 4 nights. Thanks in advance

We've done a split stay twice, and both times it was pretty easy. No problems getting our luggage moved, and making ADRs was no more trouble than it would have been with a stay in only one resort.

Here are a couple of negatives, though:

1. You have to check out in the morning, and cannot check into the next place until 4PM (at SSR. 3PM at non DVC resorts). If you are with young kids who need naps, this forces you to either be in the parks all day, or find some other way to keep them busy. Our solution the first year was to go somewhere off-property for lunch and drive around and let the kids get a quick nap in the air conditioned car. Last year we just rode the monorail from TTC to EPCOT to TTC to EPCOT, etc. for an hour or so while they napped in their strollers.

2. With the new ADR system, you may not be able to make ADRs for the length of your stay anymore. It may only let you book 90+whenever your room ressie ends. I think they closed the loophole I was using in the past. Before I would just call 90 days out and make my ressies for even after I checked out of the first resort. Not sure if you can still do this.

3. It's a minor pain to pack everything up and then unpack again, especially if you are in a villa w/ a kitchen where you have stuff in the fridge.

We've found the fun of seeing different places outweighs the above detriments, though.

Good Luck!

 

[MissyDVC]

Thanks for the opinions/advice Please keep 'em coming!

 

[rentayenta]

It's easy peasy lemon squeezy. Truly, the bell desk can keep the cold things cold and the luggage safe. I have nothing to really add as it was uneventful. Call them, they grab your stuff, call them, they bring it to you.

 

[Sammie]

It is one of those situations where it is goes smoothly, you will want to try it again and again.

However, have one bad experience and you will never, ever want to move again.

We are in the latter category, as it is not worth the risk of Murphy's Law of being without a room during the day.

We had a child in our group get sick and really, really needed a nap. They lost our luggage. We checked out on time from the first resort and did not get our room at the second one until after 5pm.

It was a nightmare I will never revisit.

We just book different locations if we want to try something new. If I was going to stay somewhere for 7 nights then move, maybe but never for less than that.

Regardless of how smooth it goes, you will lose time moving. My points are too precious to me to let a day go by without me having full access to the room all day.

 

[PIERCEDRN]

My wife and I are split on split stays. I love the variety and the clean room, and my kids like the adventure of each new place. I also know we can't afford a week at some places (BLT) but a few days won't break the points bank.
My wife likes to unpack and settle in and gets anxious 2 days before a move. She never wants to live out of a suitcase. We also were "homeless" for a few hours as well on a prior split stay.

I have been trying to train her with a overnight out of DVC the first night usually Sat. so we get the whole first day at our DVC. We did a massive 13 day, 3 resort mega trip two years ago when we first used our points.
Be careful in counting your dining credits with a split stay! It seems easy but when you have 2 cards with meals and snacks on both when you move it gets to be like Algebra!

 

[Jillpie]

We did it with our family of five, over a year ago. Three nights at AKV, then six nights at BCV.

The Good: Loved experiencing both resorts, especially AKL. Absolutely loved switching over to our "home" BCV's, a whole new world. But loved both resorts.

The Bad: HATED packing again for all of us when we made the switch. Even if we "lived out of our suitcases", we still had bathroom stuff, kitchen stuff etc. It was SO much work to pack up again.

We didn't mind not having a home for a day, our kids were old enough that we made a day of it at Epcot, then came back to SAB. Easy.

My tip to make the transition easier if you don't have a car...take a cab over. Have Disney do your luggage still, and bring carryons with you with valuables and swimming stuff for the day. Its pretty cheap and you get over fast to check in.

Personally, I don't think I'll do it again. It was very stressful for me, and oh, I never really felt like I had a real home for a week, never felt settled. But thats just me, others love it. You just gotta try it to see if its for you. Have fun!

 

[Collette]

From Jillpie: "Personally, I don't think I'll do it again. It was very stressful for me, and oh, I never really felt like I had a real home for a week, never felt settled. But thats just me, others love it. You just gotta try it to see if its for you."

This is me, too. I really didn't like the packing and unpacking on moving day. I like to settle in at a resort and not worry about packing up again until it's time to leave. I like that feeling of "home".

We did a 4 night/3 night split at Pop/WL. I did say that if I ever did it again it would need to be a minimum of 4 nights at each resort. You have that. Disney does a great job of transporting luggage. You'll never really know until you try it for yourself!

 

[RLRDA]

I think it's either something you're open to try - or you're not. The fact that you're asking for opinions leads me to believe that a split stay is something you want to try so...Go For It! We've done it in the past (once) and are doing it again next month. We don't do it every trip but it's not that big of a hassle to us and we treat the changeover day as a "pool day" so I never feel like it's a wasted day or that we're homeless. Have a great trip!

Hey, I just noticed we're within the 30-day mark until our trip!

 

[florep1]

We did a split stay between BCV and AKV 2 weeks ago. Everything worked out well, the only snag was when I called bell services at Kidani for our luggage, they didn't have it, it was sent to Jambo House even though the CM at BCV specifically wrote down Kidani on the tags as I requested. Not that big a deal though, they retrieved it quick, and it made it to our room in 30 min. Would I do it again? Only if you're staying at least 7 days in each resort. Worked for us!

 

[Mary D]

We love to do split stays. Going next week 4 nights POP 3 nights CR 2 nights Poly. Mostly $ decision to get to stay in deluxe.

We do this all the time. BUT>>>>>> I will say, the only time we had trouble was with the BC sending our luggage to POR last year. BC was terrible, POR manager did wonders saving the day.

 

[Alexander]

Well, I HATE split stays and had one booked until a few hours ago. We really like BCV in the summer for SAB, but the kids wanted to stay at AKV too. So we split, 4/3 in studios (waitlisted for 1 bedrooms).

The more I thought about it, the less I wanted to do it. Soooo--I called MS and had my choice of OKW, SSR, BWV, or VWL in a 1 bedroom for the whole week. I took OKW because we like that resort best of the four available--well VWL we love too, but not in the summer--too many swimming campers (but we'll just leave it at that!)

 

[d-r]

For me they are OK for us if you have at least four or five days on each side of the "split." Then it can be nice to stay at someplace like wilderness lodge and beach club, and do the magic kingdom stuff at wlv and the epcot stuff at bcv. But one time we ended up getting airfare that was a whole lot less if we flew in a day early and there was not dvc rooms so we stayed one night at all stars. That was a nightmare. We were trying to use the magic express, and the flight was late, and I think magic express was even later with the bags so that we were already checked out of there by the time the bags came, we didn't get our bags for three or four days. Don't do that sort of thing. We haven't split a stay in a long time but next may we are doing 4 at bcv and 4 at akv unless we change over at 7 months.

ETA oh yeah, one thing we did the past 2 years is to stay five weeknights at one place, then a weekend at vero, then five week nights somewhere else. That way we get a little vero visit to change it up, we stay in an inn room at vero anyway so we save week end points over a 2-bedroom, and we aren't going to the parks on the busier weekend days. That's actually been good for us, but you have to be willing to travel that way - drive, pack for about five days each and do laundry while you go.

 

[d-r]

The more I thought about it, the less I wanted to do it. Soooo--I called MS and had my choice of OKW, SSR, BWV, or VWL in a 1 bedroom for the whole week. I took OKW because we like that resort best of the four available--well VWL we love too, but not in the summer--too many swimming campers (but we'll just leave it at that!)

I don't know if you've seen the new pool at the fort, but I don't think you have to worry about anybody riding their bikes over anymore.

 

[Nikisha421]

I have a split stay coming up and I am really nervous about all the things that can go wrong; though I know everything will go just fine

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH and I do split stays and I especially enjoy them, but except for VB/WDW stays, I haven't asked the extended family to do one. This is largely because I hesitate to move resorts with cold food and fruit.

With the family, I would much rather have a longer 1 resort stay than two smaller ones.

Bobbi

 

[tjkraz]

It is one of those situations where it is goes smoothly, you will want to try it again and again.

However, have one bad experience and you will never, ever want to move again.

Ain't that the truth!?!

The best advice I can offer is to avoid spending just one night in a single resort. With the DVC check-in times being "after 4pm" you never know exactly when you will get into the room.

We did one split stay where we arrived in town around 9am. Stopped by the resort to check-in...room not ready. It wasn't ready until 2-3pm. Then we were out of the room before 11am the next day. The first 24 hours of our trip went something like this:

* Arrive Orlando
* Check-in Resort #1--room not ready
* Visit theme park (gotta kill time)
* Room finally ready mid-afternoon; back to the hotel to get settled and change clothes
* Back out to the parks
* Sleep
* Re-pack and check-out
* Over to resort #2 to check-in

Getting into a room late is a risk you run with any Disney arrival, but the frantic pace was amplified by doing to resort check-ins in a 24 hour period.

I know some people travel pretty lightly and enjoy the Studio rooms. We prefer the larger villas and like to be able to settle-down and enjoy our vacation. That's harder to do when your trip is interrupted by a significant move.

 

[MissyDVC]

I really appreciate everyone's input! Our kiddies are 9 & 10 so we don't need a place to nap on "moving day" and we are very easy going and flexible so I think we will be fine that way. Has anyone encountered any difficulties with booking ADRs? We will not be on any Dining Plan but I am sure we will make some dining ressies. I haven't been able to think of why there might be problems but I vaguely recall someone mentioning some kind of a problem. Also, when I book, I will make 2 separate ressies, right? Because I can book the first stay @ 7 months from the last day of that stay.