Help plan last day including when to move car!

[cmadara]

Trying to plan our last day and I would love some input! If this is posted on the wrong section, please move for me.
So our last day at Disney is August 18th. We are staying at the Grand Floridian!! So excited as we usually stay at the Poly but got an awesome deal that I couldn't refuse! Anyway, plan to spend our last morning (EMH) in MK. I have CP reservations for a late breakfast. Early afternoon I was thinking we could run over to DS to do some shopping at the Disney store (want to save this for the last day). Then I thought we could go over to EPCOT -we will already have spent 2 days there so it will be just to hit our favorites and maybe snack our way around the world! End our evening with Illuminations our DD favorite nighttime show.
I know this sounds ambitious but I am traveling with my husband and 2 young adult children and we love to squeeze every last drop out of our vacation!
I booked a room off-site as we are just going to sleep there that evening and then head to Hilton Head (about a 5-6 hour drive).
So, my question is- I know I have to move everything out of the room before we go to MK. Do I check everything with bell services and when do you think I should move my car? I'm debating on taking the car to DS with all our stuff and then drive to EPCOT. A bit nervous in leaving all our things in the car in the parking areas. Is this a problem? Car break-ins?
What are your thoughts?
Thank you so much for all input and suggestions!!!

 

[Lynne G]

Since you are not in a hurry to leave. Then, this is what I would do, check the bags in at GF, and leave the car there. When you are ready for Disney Springs, I'd go back to the GF and get the car. I'd drive to the Springs, then drive to Epcot. Since Illuminations is not that late, I'd then drive back to the GF and retrieve the bags after done with Epcot. It's not a far drive from Epcot to GF. Sounds like a really fun last day at the parks.

I personally, would not leave luggage in the car. Not only theft may be an issue, but that time of year, the car sitting in an open lot gets hot, like really hot. So, depending what is in your luggage, I would not like something to burst or be ruined. At least when you are at the Springs, the car will be in a garage.

 

[cmadara]

Thank you so much Lynne G! I was also thinking about the heat and keeping stuff in the car.
I think this is exactly what I am going to do!!

 

[mtemm]

We are doing what the pp suggested. We are spending our last day in HS and then heading to DS for dinner and a look around. Will head to our local friends house after for the night. Originally I had planned to grab our car from the YC along with all of our stuff and head to DS, but the more I thought about it I figured July is not a good time to leave everything in the car. I thought about throwing all melty stuff into a tote and just carrying it with me at DS but have decided to keep it all at YC and just grab it after dinner. But I do think taking the car to DS makes more sense than dealing with the busses!

 

[FSU Girl]

I would leave your car at the hotel until you are ready to leave completely. Take the monorail back from Epcot and get your bags and leave then. After fireworks can be a crowded time on the road and I think it would be less stressful to just rely on the monorail to get back to your resort since you'll have to go back there regardless.

 

[bumbershoot]

I am traveling with my husband and 2 young adult children and we love to squeeze every last drop out of our vacation!
I booked a room off-site as we are just going to sleep there that evening and then head to Hilton Head (about a 5-6 hour drive).


So, my question is- I know I have to move everything out of the room before we go to MK. Do I check everything with bell services and when do you think I should move my car? I'm debating on taking the car to DS with all our stuff and then drive to EPCOT. A bit nervous in leaving all our things in the car in the parking areas. Is this a problem? Car break-ins?

To me, to squeeze every last drop, I would stay at GF and NOT go to an offsite hotel. That way you don't have to spend that time packing the night before or the morning of, and you can just go on out and do your day. Then when you get back after having all that fun, pack up, sleep, and leave the next morning.

Don't leave your stuff in the car. If you're going to do that, at least do it at the hotel lot (and if I were doing it I would move the car to another area of the parking lot just in case someone was watching). I would NOT do it at DS.

So if you're really wanting to leave GF before you need to, pack it up and take it to Bell that morning then go about your day and come back to get it when you're ready to go offsite.

But I would just stay at GF, personally.

 

[cmadara]

Boy Bumpershoot I would love to stay another night! Our original plan was to leave that morning and head to Hilton Head, but we got waterpark with our tickets for "free" so I planned one day for that and then that gave us tickets for the last day.
All the ideas above are great and I guess I will see how we feel when the day comes. But we will not leave our stuff in the car but keep it at the resort. In fact, we might drive to DS, bring our car back to GF and then go to EPCOT for the evening- riding the monorail back to GF.
So excited!!
Thanks for all the advice!!

 

[gatour]

Not sure what may be in your luggage.

However as a Florida resident there have been times that we have done cruises out of Ft Lauderdale/Pt Canaveral. Many times, we make a pre or post cruise stop at a hotel (at Disney or otherwise) and leave our "big" luggage in our car for a day or two. Never had problems with things bursting or break-ins