Please help with split stay ?'s

[closetmickey]

We (me, and DD's 7, 10, 11) are coming from west coast for five nights. I am booked with a pin code- first ever!- in a Royal room at POR for five nights- but the pin code only worked on the last two. So I am thinking of a split stay, staying with my pin code for the first three nights at CR, garden wing room. The pin code CR room is $115 more a night than the POR non-pin code room.

We have never stayed on the Monorail, and have always, always wanted to. Though we are also very excited about the Royal room and the POR grounds! We will be visiting parks each day, but also want time to enjoy the resorts, so will not be commando.

Would love your thoughts re: the hassle/ work involved with a split stay and any other advice, opinions you can share. Will it be worth it to move? Hubby is not a Disney fan, and we live far, so we do not get to WDW often. Thanks so much!!

 

[elaw]

I love split stays ... for us they are not a big deal ... as long as you pack for them and prepare ahead of time.
I believe the key is preparation. When I pack, I create daily outfit packages. Specifically, I match up 1 shirt and 1 pair of shorts for any given day … I usually save the “Fancier Clothes’ i.e. button down collared shirts, for the fancier deluxe resorts. I place each days worth of clothes in an individual large ziplock bag, So when I get to any given leg of the split, I only unpack what I need for that particular resort. I also bring an addition duffel bag to put the “dirty” laundry so that packing/moving to the next resort is easier. Moving day takes us only 10-15 mins to completely pack up on move mornings. We drop our luggage off at bell services early on move day and have the luggage transferred to the next resort. Express checkout basically means not checkout hassles. We usually head off to the park closest to the new resort and enjoy our morning there. Early afternoon (1:30-2:00 ish), we head over to the “new” resort from the park and check-in. If the rooms not ready we explore the new resort until they text us our room number. We call bell service around 4:00 ish to have our luggage brought up (Resort luggage transfers usually occur between 3-4 pm). At the most, it has taken 1 hour or our time to do the moves and for us its just part of the adventure. People wait in lines for attractions longer than that all the time.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Two words: Do it!

We have done two split stays and, quite honestly, I'm certain we will always do split stays from now on!! It's like two vacations in one! Your girls are at the age where they can be big helpers with keeping their stuff together and getting it all ready to go when it is time to head out.

All you do is pack it up, take it down to Bell Services, ask them to transfer your luggage to POR and off you go!

Some folks have run into problems with their luggage not being at their next resort when they return arounf 4:00 or so to check into the new resort. We did not have that problem.

In your case, I would not hesitate to do the split stay you have outlined. We positively ADORE CR and would do whatever it takes to be able to stay there for part of our trip. Good luck with it all!

 

[closetmickey]

Thanks for the replies. Is there anyone who wouldn't recommend a split stay? And why? Thanks agan!

 

[shellybaxter]

I wouldn't recommend a split stay for such a short stay. We love split stays for stays of two weeks or more, but for just five days I wouldn't want to waste a day changing resorts. I would want to check in to one resort and stay put for just five days

 

[mountdew1]

The only thing that we have run into with split stays is that you need to pack everything up the night before, and then unpack the following night. (Or you can pack up the morning of your move, but that can be hectic)

The inconvenience really depends on how you do the parks. If you are at park until late, and then just want to go back and crash, the extra 10-20 minutes while you check in, find your room, get settled etc can seem like forever. But if you typically hang out for a bit afterwards then its not as bad.