How many splits are too many for a split stay?

[Disney got all my$$$]

I’m planning a June 2026 trip with 3 splits to use 11-month priority at my 3 home resorts.

Current plan:
4 nights (AKL Jambo) 3 bedroom grand villa - hosting extended family for son’s high school graduation
5 nights (Riviera) 2 bedroom - just us (2 adults and our 2 “kids” DS18 and DD20)
5 nights (VGF) 2 bedroom - just us again

I want to try all the DVC resorts so I’m excited to split stay! My family is going along with it but we have never done a split stay so may end up hating it!

Is three resorts too many?
We’ve never stayed at AKL as DVC nor VGF since buying DVC so definitely want to stay at those two places.

At 7 months I can try to combine points to get the Riviera portion moved to Grand Floridian for fewer splits or maybe move it to Boardwalk or BLT to try one more resort (we have stayed at Riviera many times and love it but I want to try all the resorts).

Thanks for any input.

 

[JulieBeeRN]

A split stay is whatever you feel like you can handle. Some people use the check in time as a park day (and now as a water park day). You may want to check to see if your resort has direct transportation to the water park bc we are at CCV and there is a direct bus route through the end of September (I think).

If you have a car, you can move your own luggage; otherwise you can use bell services but make sure that you have your essentials bc you may not receive your luggage until later that evening.

We do split stays all the time, so feel free to ask any questions! In fact, I need to go bc we are checking out of CCV for the YC right now.

 

[Disney got all my$$$]

Thanks! I hope are enjoying your trip!

We will have a car and will probably move our own luggage. We are very much “on our own time” kind of people and wouldn’t want to be rushed. I don’t think we would mind just waking up and throwing our stuff in the car, checking in at the next resort (it’s an adventure!) and then hitting the park.

We don’t rope drop and don’t mind spreading things out.

 

[SG131]

That split seems reasonable. I enjoy split stays when I have enough time at each resort, but I find 2-3 days a bit too short of a stay. Especially having 5 days at 2 of the 3 resorts, I think you'll be fine especially with your own car.

 

[DisneyGal24]

We really enjoy split stays. When changing resorts, we go to the parks. We drop off our bags at the resort and go have fun. For years we handled our own bags but now we let bell services handle them and it’s so much easier. Once we’re back at the resort, we call them and our bags are delivered pretty quickly.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Looks like I'm going to be the only person so far who disagrees. I've done split stays often and usually really enjoy it BUT only when it's a split stay of 2 resorts. The one time I really didn't enjoy it, was a 3-way split, when I had to pack up and move twice. I admit that it was fewer days total (11, I think), but I swore then that I'd never do a split stay where I had to pack up and move more than once. But a split stay of 2 resorts can be very enjoyable.

 

[BoardwalkGlenn]

I think it sounds like a fantastic plan!
I did 3 stops in 2021 for the 50th with the middle stop at Vero Beach and would do 3 again.
PVB for 4 nights
VBR for 2 nights
BWV for 3 nights.

 

[cruisehopeful]

It sounds like fun! Since I want to stay at all the resorts, I'm sure I'll have some split stays in the future, also. I think it'll just depend on how much work it is to pack everything up and if you end up throwing out a lot of food.

 

[Sandisw]

Over that many days? I don’t think so. I split stay between two resorts on my 3 or 4 night trips!!

Sounds amazing!

 

[MICKIMINI]

I think it sounds like a fantastic plan!
I did 3 stops in 2021 for the 50th with the middle stop at Vero Beach and would do 3 again.
PVB for 4 nights
VBR for 2 nights
BWV for 3 nights.

I just love VERO! We've done many splits and find two is okay as long as it is 5-7 nights each. We did three twice and I am the packer...not fun!

 

[Spittyfire]

Looks like I'm going to be the only person so far who disagrees. I've done split stays often and usually really enjoy it BUT only when it's a split stay of 2 resorts. The one time I really didn't enjoy it, was a 3-way split, when I had to pack up and move twice. I admit that it was fewer days total (11, I think), but I swore then that I'd never do a split stay where I had to pack up and move more than once. But a split stay of 2 resorts can be very enjoyable.

Agreed!

 

[Disney got all my$$$]

Ok - so the majority would combine at 7 months to staying only GF? Epcot is my favorite resort. I just saw in another thread, the horrors of travel time to Epcot from some monorail resorts. Is getting from GF to Epcot OK?

 

[Cyberc1978]

IMO if im doing an optional split stay id stay minimum 5 nights each place. With 5 nights you get a chance to settle in and unpack.

If I stay less than 5 days I don’t care to unpack and I hate living out of a suitcase.

We have sometimes done 1+x meaning, the first night at somewhere else if we are arriving late and then switching to our final resort the day after for any number of nights.

This summer we are staying 23 nights in FL and NY and between our multiple locations which none of were originally Disney we needed 1 night somewhere to get our itinerary to add up. So I booked a club level stay at AKV. During that stay we definitely won’t unpack but as an AP holder I get to visit the parks

 

[muppets3d]

I see the point of a split day whenever you’re changing guests in your villa, but I don’t like not having a room in the middle of my stay and having to pack up and move so I don’t do split days just to try different resorts anymore.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Ok - so the majority would combine at 7 months to staying only GF? Epcot is my favorite resort. I just saw in another thread, the horrors of travel time to Epcot from some monorail resorts. Is getting from GF to Epcot OK?

When I stayed at VGF, there was a bus from Epcot to GF. However, the monorail had been down for a while, come to think of it, and was just starting again, so I don't know if the bus was permanent or just replacing the monorail.

 

[Skywalker3]

I really enjoy and like split stays, DH not so much, but he's also be happy only staying at BWV again forever. I love to try out new resorts, and splits offer that opportunity. We usually do mix another in with an Epcot resort. Our favorite parks are Epcot/HS, so we love BWV for the ability to easily walk/boat. Except for one long, 12 day trip, we've only done 2 resorts though, BUT with your total length of stay, I think 3 would be ok, if you're ok w packing up everything, including food/drinks, etc. We always have a car, so not as big of deal at all to move luggage, etc. But we often have a lot of groceries, drinks, refrigerated stuff, and we bring an ice chest for that. Just need to get ice, or be ok leaving some things behind. While we've rarely (like maybe once or twice) gotten a room late, we have experienced transfer days where room not ready until mid afternoon, so you are kinda homeless. I think the split you have is great. Get to experience AKL, which is a fabulous resort, but inconvenient in getting to parks beside AK, and then enjoying a MK resort, and an Epcot area resort.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I’m planning a June 2026 trip with 3 splits to use 11-month priority at my 3 home resorts.

Current plan:
4 nights (AKL Jambo) 3 bedroom grand villa - hosting extended family for son’s high school graduation
5 nights (Riviera) 2 bedroom - just us (2 adults and our 2 “kids” DS18 and DD20)
5 nights (VGF) 2 bedroom - just us again

I want to try all the DVC resorts so I’m excited to split stay! My family is going along with it but we have never done a split stay so may end up hating it!

Is three resorts too many?
We’ve never stayed at AKL as DVC nor VGF since buying DVC so definitely want to stay at those two places.

At 7 months I can try to combine points to get the Riviera portion moved to Grand Floridian for fewer splits or maybe move it to Boardwalk or BLT to try one more resort (we have stayed at Riviera many times and love it but I want to try all the resorts).

Thanks for any input.

This sounds like an amazing plan. We'd definitely do it. 3 very different experiences, especially the Jambo GV! 3 resort-split stays is as far as we've gone, so I wouldn't hesitate to do what you're doing. Just be sure to plan for the 4-6 hours you might be without a room on transition days - we often take care of moving the luggage and then do a park or pool day waiting for our new room. You even have your choice of either resort pool on your check out/check in/transition days. Enjoy your trip - sounds awesome!

 

[AstroBlasters]

I’m planning a June 2026 trip with 3 splits to use 11-month priority at my 3 home resorts.

Current plan:
4 nights (AKL Jambo) 3 bedroom grand villa - hosting extended family for son’s high school graduation
5 nights (Riviera) 2 bedroom - just us (2 adults and our 2 “kids” DS18 and DD20)
5 nights (VGF) 2 bedroom - just us again

I want to try all the DVC resorts so I’m excited to split stay! My family is going along with it but we have never done a split stay so may end up hating it!

Is three resorts too many?
We’ve never stayed at AKL as DVC nor VGF since buying DVC so definitely want to stay at those two places.

At 7 months I can try to combine points to get the Riviera portion moved to Grand Floridian for fewer splits or maybe move it to Boardwalk or BLT to try one more resort (we have stayed at Riviera many times and love it but I want to try all the resorts).

Thanks for any input.

IMO, the key is the “what is the minimum # of nights at a resort to make a split stay worth the PITA for being homeless from 11am to 4pm on changeover days and having to deal with the stress of not feeling settled/repacking”.

 

[Disney got all my$$$]

Thanks so much for the insight! We’ve never split-stayed before so I’m excited to try new resorts and learn more about how we like to travel!

I think we will keep the 3 way split but at 7 months I may try for BWV instead of Rivera. Only to get another report I haven’t tried, I love Rivera but I’d love to walk to the park instead of riding the skyliner. I have a horrible fear of heights but do it for my kids…