Is 3 hotels in one stay too much?

[phdhycster]

We are hoping to go to WDW in August/ September and due to free dining need to definitely stay in 2 different hotels. Right now we are looking at POP (4 nights) and POR (5 nights) but was thinking of trying to go to AOA instead to POP to see a new place. Unfortunately only 3 of the four nights are available at AOA sooo should we do AOA (3 nights) AK (1 night) and POR (5 nights)? Is this too much? These are all hotels we have never stayed at!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Changing hotels so many times is crazy! It is a real pain. Minimize the hassle and stick to two.

 

[minnie mum]

I agree. One night at AKL will not give you a chance to really enjoy the resort. Save it for a future visit.

 

[disneymayz]

I love changing resorts. It gives us new scenery and experiances. This up coming trip - 1 night at SSR , 6 nights at BC, 5 nights at AKL, ending with 2 nights at BLT. I drive over and check in while the rest of the family is getting ready for the day. If we did not have a car then it would be a pain.

 

[serene56]

Changing resorts for free dining-- you would need to buy tickets for each package in order to get free dining..

 

[phdhycster]

We will not have a car, relying on Disney transportation. We have the ticket issue covered. Still considering but understand the comment that one day may not be enough to experience a hotel.

 

[MEK]

It is quite possible that your AKL room will not be ready until 3pm. By the time you get your luggage, move on with your evening plans, get up and pack up in the morning, you really won't see much of the resort unless you plan to hang there all day. Then you have to repeat the same thing all over again the next day.

I especially think your plan is tiring because you will be relying on Disney transportation. If you had a car to drive you and your luggage it would be a little more doable.

I have changed resorts on many of my trips and it definitely eats into your park time. No matter how smooth it goes, it is always "one more thing" to fit into your plans.

That being said, I am always up for one resort change. Two resorts changes with a single day sandwiched in doesn't make sense to me. It would only make sense to me if the single night stay was at the front of the vacation or if I was planning a resort day on one of my transfer days.

Ultimately, you will have to decided what works best for you. It IS possible that your entire AoA stay could open up between now and September.

 

[elaw]

We are frequent WDW resort split-stay vacationers. Based on our experience, 3 nights is generally the minimum I recommend in order to get the most of your stay at any given resort.

 

[robinb]

We are hoping to go to WDW in August/ September and due to free dining need to definitely stay in 2 different hotels. Right now we are looking at POP (4 nights) and POR (5 nights) but was thinking of trying to go to AOA instead to POP to see a new place. Unfortunately only 3 of the four nights are available at AOA sooo should we do AOA (3 nights) AK (1 night) and POR (5 nights)? Is this too much? These are all hotels we have never stayed at!

I would not recommend changing 3 times, especially with a 1-day change in the middle. You would lose way too much time changing resorts. I would hold out for a stay at AOA with POP as your back up. Availability changes all the time. Just because that 1 day is not available now doesn't mean it won't be available in the future. I would just keep on checking online or calling until you can get it.

Can you slip your vacation 1 day so you have 3 days at POP/AOA and 6 days at POR? I ask because the way you have it set up now you will have to buy passes for your pre-Free Dining stay and then more (required) passes for your POR stay. Disney allows you to pick up passes from a package 3-days in advance of your stay. You can book your POR reservation with a 9-day pass and pick it up 3 days before your check-in. See "I. Picking up Package Tickets Prior To Start Of Package" for more information here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1452684

 

[kappyfamily]

We changed to three last time we went. 7 nights : 1 night at Beach Club, 3 nights at BLT, 3 nights at AKL. We didn't have a car either and for the BC to BLT we took a cab, the BLT we had the hotels transfer luggage and took the bus to AK in the morning until lunch time then took the bus to the lodge to check in. Our room was ready, so we hung out there for a bit then went back to AK for the rest of the day. We loved it. Not an issue at all. We all liked seeing different resorts to stay at. Now we know BC is nice, just not for us, AK was great for doing one time to see all the animals, but BLT is our new favorite and will stay there for our whole week next time.

Have fun either way!

 

[gillenkl]

I vote for keeping it to 2 resorts.

 

[mrsdrake625]

Last time we went, we changed hotels three times. We were only two people, were not spending tons of time there in our rooms, but it was kind of a pain. We had our own car to keep luggage in, too.

One transfer sounds good to me especially if you could get free dining! Maybe you could use some of those credits at AK and experience the resort that way??

 

[daannzzz]

Changing hotels is easy if you have a car. I understand not wanting to do just because you don't want to but it really isn't hard. One 9 day stay I did one night at All Star Music before everyone else arrived, 3 nights at the WL, 2 nights at POR and 3 nights at the Yacht Club. Everyone was fine with it. if you think it will work for you, by all means go for it. It is a great way to experience the resorts and spread out costs.

 

[goofyredraider]

ROFL...wrong person to ask right here. We are doing 1 night at ASMo, 5 nights at POFQ, 6 nights at AKL, and 7 nights at BC next month. But, we will have a car. Not sure I would if I didn't.

 

[bookgirl]

We are hoping to go to WDW in August/ September and due to free dining need to definitely stay in 2 different hotels. Right now we are looking at POP (4 nights) and POR (5 nights) but was thinking of trying to go to AOA instead to POP to see a new place. Unfortunately only 3 of the four nights are available at AOA sooo should we do AOA (3 nights) AK (1 night) and POR (5 nights)? Is this too much? These are all hotels we have never stayed at!

Last Oct I did 3 hotels in 7nights. This would be the second time I had done a split stay. 1st time I only did two resorts for 4 nights at one and 3 nights at the other.

I had a reservation and then my plans changed and I couldn't add days before and after so I did one night at AoA before, just to try it out, and then my last two nights at ASmu. (POFQ were the 4 nights in between)

I had no problem as I planned my moving days as partial park days. But I was one person, with basically 1 suitcase and a few items. I also had a rental car so I could pack up and move with my own stuff in my own time easily or even just keep it in the car until my room was ready. If you are laid back and plan your moving mornings as non park or late to park days it's really easy to move. (rental car or taking a taxi a must if you want immediate access to your things)

If you know you'll have a lot of loose stuff that will have to be moved by hand or by porters (whom move in thier own time not yours) and you are planning park commando days then I'd say moving is going to be more stress then it's worth.

 

[lanejudy]

IMO 1 night at a resort is not enough to experience it - since AK is new for you. Even if you are planning a day to hang out there either after check-in (potentially without a room available yet) or after check-out (again, after vacating your room), the lack of having a room would impact. So I'd stick with just 2 resorts and save one for another trip.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[goofy4tink]

I love changing resorts...the worst one yet??? About three years ago.....
arrived at AKL-Jambo on Sunday. Moved to BWV the next day...stayed there until Friday. That friend went home. I met up with another friend, moved to Kidani for two nights. She moved to BWV, and I moved to POP, for four nights of free dining!! Then, on Thursday, moved back to BWV for my last two nights!!!
Man, when I was ready to leave a park on that trip, I had to stop and give serious thought as to which resort I was going to!!!!
I seldom spend just one night at a resort though....if it's just to tack on a day at the start or end, then fine. But you really don't get a feel for the resort in that short a time...you really need to spend two days at a resort before you fully discover it.

The other thing to be aware of...especially if staying for just one night. It can take awhile for your bags to get to you if you let Disney move them for you. I always hand my bags off by 7:30 in the morning...and have yet to get them before 5pm!!! The worst time??? Moved from BCV to POR. I handed Bell Services my bags at 7:20am. They told me to expect our bags at POR by 2-3pm. No problem. We went to a park, then headed back to POR to get checked in. They asked about bags, and I told them BC would be moving them over. That was at about 1pm. We decided to wait for a specific room to be ready, rather than take the one that was ready right then. Dd and I went to the food court and had some lunch and then took a walk around the resort. We stopped at the front counter to see if the room was ready...it was now about 2:30ish. Yep, it was ready!!!! But, not bags. Went to the room, and called Luggage Assistence around 3:30-4. Nothing. By 4:30 I was getting nudgy. We really had wanted to swim but couldn't since our suits were in those bags. I went to Luggage Assistence. They told me that they had called BC after my first call to see about the bags. It seems that Bell Services at BC/BCV hadn't had time yet to move bags!! So,the nice CM called again since it was now well over an hour since they had made that first call around 3ish. And again, they were told that bags hadn't been moved but someone would do it immediately. Luggage Assis. CM told me he would bring the bags as soon as they got there. I went back to the room and waited. It wasn't until past 5:30 that those two bags got to us. And when I tried to tip the wonderful POR CM? He refused it. Said he wasn't taking a tip for such awful service!!! Tried again, but he just thanked me for my extreme patience and walked away.

 

[Amy&Dan]

We did three hotels in a ten night trip and it was a lot!

Still, if it gave me a discount or extended my trip, I'd do it again. But it was a pain.

We have done many split stays but only that once did we do three nights!

 

[Couchy]

I definitey would not want to swtich that many times. It would be such a drag for us . I like to be settled though.

 

[phdhycster]

Thanks everyone your advice has been helpful..thinking of sticking with just 2 hotels!