How big of a problem would a split stay be with AoA/AKL?

[JohnDaleswife]

We have a short trip planned for the first week of February. One night in Valdosta, four nights in Disney at the AKL. But my 12-year-old daughter is begging me to stay at AOA for our first night. Ugghhhh. I don't want to, but she has always wanted to stay there.

Would this be a logistical nightmare with a split stay? Two sets of magic bands? The first set might have our tickets and fast passes on them, the second would have our room key for the AKL on them. I am torn as what to do.

 

[smiths02]

The Magic Bands are tied to your MDE account, so anyone of them will work for room key, FP, tickets

The logistics would just be checking in, checking out, packing and moving (Disney will move your luggage for you, though)

 

[loves to dive]

I do split stays just about every trip now with the first night or two in a moderate than move over to a deluxe. I just can't see paying deluxe prices for that first night when I'll head to the parks when I arrive and just sleep that night and not spend any time at the resort. I drive down, which it sounds like you are doing since you are spending the night in Valdosta. I just pack a bag for the first part of the trip and a separate bag for the second part, no repacking that way. I have a hanging toiletry bag that never gets unpacked, it just hang it on the hook in the bathroom and take whatever I need out to use and put it right back in. Keeps clutter off the bathroom counter too. I carry a tote bag with my laptop and kindle and that goes in it so no issues. If you aren't driving, I would suggest packing cubes, just pull out the cube for that night and the next morning put it at the bottom of the bag with the dirty clothes in it. Disney will transfer your luggage if you aren't driving. No need to have to MBs unless you just want them, you can refuse one when it comes time to personalize them. They are interchangeable and will work at both resorts. Just make sure you check out of resort #1, I just call down when I get ready to leave and tell them I'm checking out. I do on line check in but since I drive and usually leave resort #1 pretty early, I just go over to resort #2 and go to the front desk to let them know I'm there. Sometimes that helps get a room a little earlier. I park my car and leave my bags in it, check in then head off to a park. You can drop your bags off a bell services if you would rather, then when you get in your room just call and they will deliver them. They won't deliver unless you are physically in your room. If you have them transferred by Disney, they do not guarantee delivery until after 3 so make sure you have what you need with you.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

I really think that this will be a no go for this trip, because of the short amount of time. And would you believe that a night at AoA is $20 more than a night at AKL?

 

[cassie58]

I really think that this will be a no go for this trip, because of the short amount of time. And would you believe that a night at AoA is $20 more than a night at AKL?

.

This is probably because you are pricing a suite at AoA, as 3 of the sections there are, and only 1(Little Mermaid) is rooms, which you would want I assume. This makes it difficult to get a regular room there. You can keep checking in case there is a cancellation, but if not try for next trip as you can plan ahead. It is very easy though, as PP have said, to do the split stay. We have done it twice, to be able to stay at AKL for a few nts at end of trip with friend's DVC pts., but take advantage of free dining for the bulk of the trip.

 

[scrapquitler]

We have a short trip planned for the first week of February. One night in Valdosta, four nights in Disney at the AKL. But my 12-year-old daughter is begging me to stay at AOA for our first night. Ugghhhh. I don't want to, but she has always wanted to stay there.

Would this be a logistical nightmare with a split stay? Two sets of magic bands? The first set might have our tickets and fast passes on them, the second would have our room key for the AKL on them. I am torn as what to do.

All the MB will be 100% interchangeable, that's a non-issue.

The only logistics you have to deal with is moving your luggage from AOA to AKL. If you have a car, you just put your bags in the car, no problem. If not, just take your bags to Bell Services in the morning before you leave for the park and they will move them to AKL for you. When you arrive at AKL, pick them up at Bell Services or call them to get the bags delivered to your room. When we moved from Pop to AKL, our bags did not arrive at AKL until almost 5Pm, so you need to plan around that just in case it takes a while for the transfer to happen.

 

[Hopefully]

Everyone is different For me it would be a nightmare. 4 days is such a short trip to begin with. And I like to unpack and "settle in". You are basically homeless on your move day. You have to check out by 11 and I think most folks tend to do it earlier and go to a park. Then you will not have a new room until 3 or after. Plus if Disney transfers your luggage it can easily be 5 or after before it is delivered and you need to tip the Bell Person.
I would choose one resort and stay there the whole time.

 

[bumbershoot]

And would you believe that a night at AoA is $20 more than a night at AKL?

Yes.

But then I am very biased against AKL, having had 2 very annoying and obnoxious stays there (and one...hope springs eternal and the last minute points for a DVC studio stay were right...neutral stay where I got to hear all the people on their balconies yelling at each other, with zero animals out on the savannah). So I would stay all AOA and no AKL.


But the MBs for split stays, as others have said, aren't anything to worry about. I have 13 active MBs from past trips, I have 1 in the prep pile for packing, I have another on the way. All work to retrieve the info in MyDisneyExperience.


That's a really short stay for two WDW resorts though.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

It wouldn't be a logistical nightmare, but it wouldn't be fun IMHO. As PP"s have noted, your magic bands are interchangeable and bell services can move your luggage for you if you don't have a car. But, as cute as AoA looks, it's a value resort. IMHO, the theming of the resort is much nicer than the actual comfort level and amenities it offers. We stayed there the first year it opened and it was not fun. The food court is absolute chaos and the rooms are really uncomfortable. Yeah, looked cute from the outside, but I would never stay there again. And if a deluxe resort is pricing out LESS than a value, I, too, would stay at AKL the entire time.

 

[friscofunfam4]

We just returned from WDW yesterday and did just this! We did have 2 sets of magic bands, chose our favorite color and wore that 1 the entire time. Kept the other 4 in a ziplock in my suitcase just in case but never needed them. We fly in and I didn't want to wait on bell hop services so we took our own luggage on uber XL the morning we moved.

I will agree, the theming was awesome at AoA. We loved it! Ariel is my daughter's favorite princess so we stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms, 4th floor, Building 7 overlooking the lake and room on the end. (we are light sleepers) Stayed 2 nights b/c of how our travel ended up being b/c of flight changes. We decided that we'd like to do this for ONLY one night. We wished we had done this on our other 2 trips!!! We are early risers naturally so we got up, checked out, and were checked in at AKL by 7:45am. Had an 8am reservation for Boma breakfast!

 

[mickeymom22]

We do this all the time. We love to experience different resorts. We just pack a bag for the first part of the trip and for the second part. Disney magic makes it so easy. They transport your bags for you. We have stayed at both resorts, and loved the theming at both! While the theming between them is very different, both are too notch with what they are portraying.

Happy Planning!

 

[JohnDaleswife]

I have completely decided against this. If it was a six or seven night stay, I would do it. But with just four nights onsite, it's going to be a no go.

Maybe next time.