Is it simple to change rooms a few days into a stay...

[mamaprincess]

In order to save points, we may possibly stay in a 1 br on friday and Saturday then switch to a 2 br during the week days. Is this complicated and time consuming? How is it done.

 

[Granny]

It's not complicated at all. You just make your reservations that way.

The resort will handle moving your items from room to room via bell services, so that's easy too.

Personally, it's not worth the move for us but there's no reason why you couldn't do this, subject to room availability when you make the reservation.

 

[jdvm]

You know, a lot of people do this and they talk about how easy it is. Well, they aren't married to my wife and, more importantly they don't have our four daughters. Their suitcases explode like geysers on arrival and it is about a 3-4 hour ordeal to pack it all up. Then there's the stuff in the fridge. And while bell services is great about helping you out with refrigerated stuff, it's not like they come to the room and pack it up for you. This, coupled with the 11am check out and the 4pm check in spells an absolute mightmare to us. No thank you.
John

 

[mamaprincess]

You know, a lot of people do this and they talk about how easy it is. Well, they aren't married to my wife and, more importantly they don't have our four daughters. Their suitcases explode like geysers on arrival and it is about a 3-4 hour ordeal to pack it all up. Then there's the stuff in the fridge. And while bell services is great about helping you out with refrigerated stuff, it's not like they come to the room and pack it up for you. This, coupled with the 11am check out and the 4pm check in spells an absolute mightmare to us. No thank you.
John

I would have thought you were my husband if not for the extra daughter.
Maybe we won't unpack to help things out. Hmmmmm.

 

[jekjones1558]

If you decide to do this, you might ask to be in a 1 bedroom lockoff and then request that you be assigned a room where you could just open the connecting door and have the studio adjoining for the rest of your time. They will not guarantee this but I have read on these boards of folks doing it. Sure would simplify things if it works out.

 

[Caskbill]

If you decide to do this, you might ask to be in a 1 bedroom lockoff and then request that you be assigned a room where you could just open the connecting door and have the studio adjoining for the rest of your time. They will not guarantee this but I have read on these boards of folks doing it. Sure would simplify things if it works out.

This can be done, but don't count on it as a certainty.

The logistics mean there has to be a specific unit where the one bedroom part is available for your entire length of stay (meaning someone else checked out the day you checked in) AND the people in the Studio portion will be checking out on the exact same day you want to switch to a 2 bedroom.

Since you're doing it as part of a weekend/weekday change, you do have a better chance since Sunday is a big check-out day for those who are only there for the weekend.

Good Luck.

 

[loribell]

I thought I should add to this to hopefully save you some aggravation. We did this for a couple of trips and it absolutely didn't bother us at all. The last two times we have done it though it has been awful. It just seems to make the trip so much less relaxing. I have vowed to never do it again until, of course, I can start going and staying for 6 weeks or more!!!! It is just entirely to much work for us MOM's!

 

[Sammie]

As others have said, its the uncertainity that is the problem. You might get lucky and get a lock off but even then the other room won't be ready at 11am when you check out.

If you might get a room early but then again it might be 4 or later. You will have to pack up, empty your frig, check out, check in and wait for the other room.

Best case, you lose an hour or so, worst case you lose hours waiting for the other room.

We try our best to avoid this situation.

 

[jbthi]

We did this once. Mainly to save points on the weekend but we had never stayed at AKL and wanted to so we moved there for 2 nights.

Never again. Nothing went wrong but it was just a waste of time. Not worth it to me.

 

[Scotch]

I'm thinking of doing a resort change for the first time for our next trip in 2008 -- AKV then BCV. I know bell services will transfer/store the luggage for you. How about transporting guests without cars? We'll want to take ME; can we catch a ride from the bell folks or would we have to do take the buses from resort 1 to park to resort 2?

 

[Sammie]

I'm thinking of doing a resort change for the first time for our next trip in 2008 -- AKV then BCV. I know bell services will transfer/store the luggage for you. How about transporting guests without cars? We'll want to take ME; can we catch a ride from the bell folks or would we have to do take the buses from resort 1 to park to resort 2?

Buses or taxis. Also be sure you realize that your luggage will not be available at the second resort until after 3pm, and plan accordingly.

 

[kimpossible]

Try staying weekdays as the first part of your trip and request the 2 br lock-off. That way when you drop down to the 1 br on the weekend it will simply mean closing off the studio and saving them from cleaning an addit'l 1 br. That is what we have done in the past.

 

[BroganMc]

In my fantasy planning stage, I envisioned a 4 resort stay over 10-12 days. The caveat is that I'd fly in and use ME thus forcing myself to one suitcase and a carryon.

It goes something like this:

Day 1: (BWV) Take an early AM NS flight (1-2 hrs). Arrive at BWV by noon, check-in and enjoy the Boardwalk area. Head over to Epcot's Nations. Then have dinner somewhere. Get my room on my return.
Day 2: (BWV) Sleep in and/or enjoy the pool in the morning, take a ferry over to MGM for the afternoon and return to the resort. Eat dinner somewhere.
Day 3: (AKV) Check out and send luggage over to AKV. Hop a bus to AK for the day and return to AK for dinner and checking in to room.
Day 4: (AKV) Resort day at AKV. Lounge by the pool. Do my laundry. Eat in. Watch the animals from my balcony.
Day 5: (VWL) Check out and send luggage to VWL (or CRV if that's around). Take bus to MK and spend day there. Take ferry back to VWL and check in.
Day 6: (VWL) Half resort/pool day. Perhaps head to MK for the evening.
Day 7: (SSR) Check out and send luggage to SSR. Take bus to DTD. Either spend time at DTD or head straight to SSR to check-in (depends on how ansy I am about my room assignment). Either way, kick back and enjoy the area.
Day 8: (SSR) Resort day. Do my laundry, lounge by the pool. Head out at night for dinner and/or PI.
Day 9: (SSR) Go to another park. Perhaps Epcot or MK. Whatever I didn't get enough of.
Day 10: (SSR) Another what ever I didn't get to do day. My last night as well. Finish up any laundry I have. Final packing.
Day 11: Fly home and crash on my sofa not to be heard or seen for at least 24 hours.

I figured I could do it and stay in one bedrooms all the way through, even Fri/Sat, on my yearly points. I've lived the suitcase life before. It just requires a little smart packing and organization. With a laundry at your disposal, you really only need to bring 4 complete outfits. With mix and matching (and the obligatory tshirt I end up buying), you can have a variety of styles. I've been to Disney enough that I don't need to see and do it all every trip. A few things in a park/area is enough to satisfy me.

But while I could do it, my dad swears he'd rather be tied and fed to the aligators. Of course, he can't bring himself to bring less than 3 big duffel bags and a suitcase per trip. (Man will not unpack so just accrues vacation clothes.) It's the curse of always taking a van on vacation. You throw ungodly amounts of things in there at the last minute.

Me? I like the adventure. Come May, on one of my solo days, I'm going to attempt my "4 Parks in One Day" marathon. The goal is to do at least one thing in each park, get a snack or souvenir, and use only Disney transportation. My Guide thinks I'm nuts for wanting to try it, but I love adventure.

FWIW, I think transferring resorts is easier with fewer people and fewer pieces of luggage. A family with kids or packrat teenagers would spend more time arguing than anything else.

Oh and yes, I have resort hopped before. Last December I moved my packrat group out of a 2 bedroom Marriott apartment, with all their luggage and 3 bags worth of kitchen groceries and into SSR within 90 minutes. No bellmen to help, just me schlepping bags down 3 floors via elevator (took me about 6 trips) and barking commands to "stay focused and hurry up". The room wasn't ready when we checked in, but in the interim we ate breakfast at AP, went on a 3 hour DVC tour, then moved all our stuff in and went to DTD for dinner and PI. Bell Services held our perishables and charged up an ECV for my dad.

 

[BroganMc]

In order to save points, we may possibly stay in a 1 br on friday and Saturday then switch to a 2 br during the week days. Is this complicated and time consuming? How is it done.

I believe Diane "Queen of OKW" has mentioned doing this at OKW. The trick is to start out in the 2 bedroom and going to a 1 bedroom for the end of your trip. And letting MS know when you book as well as the Front Desk when you check in. I can't imagine it would be that hard to give up the studio lockoff on the weekend.

 

[tomandrobin]

I would do it if just my DW and I were going. If the kids are with us ......forget it! Not even worth the hassle of having them unpack and then repack. I rather suck it up and use the extra points.

 

[Starr W.]

I rather suck it up and use the extra points.

 

[La2kw]

We'd rather pay cash a few nights than move to stay points. Too much hassle to move.

 

[mathed101]

Been there, done that, total PITA!!

We are "sucking it up" and paying the extra points for the weekend with the family.