Question about Split stays

[hmire]

It is a hassle? I see a lot of people talk about it. Do you just pack everything up and move it to new resort or does disney move everything (once it is all packed of course)?

 

[n2mm]

Disney will transfer your luggage for you. You just have to tip (on both sides). We've used the service before. We made arrangements the night before and they arrived at our choosen time. They marked all the bags and took them to our next resort. Once we got our room, we then called to have them delivered. However, we do not like split stays and had to do it that time because we changed our plans too late and had to stay elsewhere. Normally for us, we are an unpack and hunker down type. There are many folks who like split stays and of course, there are folks like us who don't. I'm not a fan of packing, esp. the groceries, so find the whole idea a pain, but others don't seem to mind.

 

[mousefan1972]

It is a hassle?

Yes.



*in my opinion, of course

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I have done 2 split stays. One was because the resort I wanted did not have availability at 7 months out for all 6 of my nights so I had to stay at BWV for 2 nights, then move over to BCV. It really wasn't a big deal as those two resorts are close together. We called a cab and took it over that way although DH contemplated wheeling it down the Boardwalk

The second time we did it was between BCV and BLT and once again, we called a taxi to move our stuff. To me, it's a not a big deal because I leave almost all our clothes in our suitcase anyway and just have to pack up bathroom stuff.

The one thing that sucks is if you have milk/coffee creamer/anything perishable because if you have to wait for your room at the resort you are moving to, you don't want to have to worry about your stuff going bad. 1 out of our 2 times our room was ready at 1pm. They gave us our KTTW, we went to Magic Kingdom, and then they texted us our room number when it was ready. The other time (at BCV if that matters) our room was not ready til after 4pm so that was kind of a hassle. I wouldn't do it EVERY trip but it's okay to do it once in awhile to save points/see two resorts etc.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Did it once. Had a night at CSR (decided to leave earlier than we planned). Then another night is a different room category at CSR (we planned this night). Then did three nights at the Doubletree Guests Suites (got a Hilton Honors rate to tour HGV). Then three nights AKL-CL (fifth floor before it was DVC). Then three nights at BCV (right after it opened). Once was enough. Since that trip we stay the entire time in one location and don't move.

We did have our own vehicle and were able to move our own stuff.

 

[disneynutz]

The most moves that we have had was 5 but over 14 days it was because I was doing room reviews.

We normally will move once during a 14 day stay because we pick a resort close to the MK for one stay and a resort close to Epcot for the other.

Bill

 

[bumbershoot]

We don't find it to be a hassle, at least not enough of one that it makes us not do it.

If you have groceries, Bell Services can keep them in a fridge for you. If you have laptops etc, they can keep them in a special extra-locked area.

If you don't have a car, they can move everything, and it will all be available after official checkin time.

 

[KSL]

I guess my family is in the minority here-- we did a split stay this past August and LOVED it. 5 nights at AKL and then 7 nights at BLT. The resorts were very different and it was like having two vacations. For us it was no hassle at all, and worked great. Since we could do laundry, we just packed up again with everything all nice and clean, left our things with bell services, and later that afternoon they were delivered to our villa at BLT. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, as my 7yo would say! We did tip Bell Services on both sides, and we took WDW transportation between resorts.
We decided to make our transfer day an 'off parks' day and just took our time getting from one resort to the other, watching the animals for awhile before leaving AKL and then exploring BLT and the Contemporary when we got over there. It worked out great for us, though I know a lot of split-stay-vets head into the parks on their transfer days because you don't know when your villa will be ready and you're basically 'homeless' until it is ready.
We didn't have groceries for the first 5 days, so we didn't have to transport/transfer any perishibles -- I can see how that could be problematic. We had a grocery delivery meet us at BLT for the second-half of our trip.
I would try it once and see how it works for you - every family is different and it's hard to know until you try it. I would think that a split stay would not be worth it if you were only doing 1-2 nights on one leg, and I also wouldn't want to venture on a triple-(or more!)-split-stay, but I'm sure there are those who have done it and enjoyed it.

 

[kristenrice]

After the 2010 point reallocation, I look for split-stays!

We usually stay for 5 nights. I look to do our first two nights in a studio and we add a dining plan (usually the DxDDP) which will cover our meals for 3 days. That way, we don't need to order groceries. Then, we do a 1BR for the last 3 days without a dining plan. We eat at either CS places or eat some simple meals that we've packed (mac n cheese, spaghetti, etc) in our room. We do our laundry at that point and then we can go home with clean clothes.

I have so far done 3 split stays. The first one was 1 night in a value studio followed by 4 nights in a value 1BR at AKV. The second one was with my parents. We started in 2 studios for 2 nights at AKV-Jambo and then moved to a 2BR standard at Kidani. Both stays worked out just fine since our luggage never really left the property.

Most recently, in October 2011, I did my first split-stay between 2 different resorts. It was just my DSiL and I so there was not a lot of luggage involved. We started in a LV studio at BLT and then moved to a std 1BR at BWV. We scheduled our moving day to be our day at Epcot. We checked out of BLT and gave our luggage to bell services. Then, we went to Epcot, rode Soarin' and Test Track and then went to BWV to check in. By mid-afternoon, our text came that our room was ready. When we were done at Epcot, we went to the BWV, grabbed our luggage from bell services and headed up to our room.

I think in the future, I will definitely schedule our switch day to be a park day. That way, I don't have to worry about being "homeless" since we will be in the park anyways. For our next split stay, I'm hoping for a studio at BWV and a LV 1BR at BLT.

 

[shellybaxter]

We do split stays so it feels like two vacations. We stay for two weeks. One week at one resort and one week at another. We usually change on a Saturday and make it a non-park day. We don't do groceries, just water, which is easy to move, so its no big deal. We rent a car because I use a scooter, so we move our own stuff. We think it is fun.

 

[Sandisw]

We do split stays every summer for our 5 or 6 night trip and we enjoy it. We stay a few nights at BWV and then a few at BLT which allows us to walk to 3 of the 4 parks.

In order to make it doable, I pack our things in such a way that we have one suitcase for the first resort and another for the 2nd. It allows me to completely unpack what I need for those few days and as we use things up, they go back in the suitcase. This also makes it very easy to pack up when we change resorts.

I don't think I would ever want to do it any other way!!!

 

[dr&momto2boys]

It is really only a minimal disturbance. Packing and unpacking again is the extent of the hassle. We often split between either AKV and BLT or BWV or BCV and BLT. It's great to experience 2 resort areas and not have to get on a lot of buses to get to the parks. I wouldn't do it on a short stay though. We usually stay 7-10 days.

 

[btk2333]

We love split stays, and we only do relatively short trips (no two week vacations for us yet!) Over Christmas we did 3 nights at SSR and 3 nights at AKL. In March we did 4 nights at BC and 3 nights at CR. It's great to experience a second resort and really makes it feel like separate vacations. I really enjoyed doing half the trip at an EPCOT resort and half the trip at a monorail resort. Having short trips to 3 of the 4 parks during a vacation is wonderful. Weve never had any issues with luggage transfer, and find it to be a rather painless process.

 

[rascalmom]

For those who have done this with groceries, I read it several time that bell services will refrigerate things for you.....but what do you put the stuff in? Just grocery bags?

 

[Song of the South]

In two weeks we will be doing a heckuva split stay! We start out our first night at POFQ. In the morning we'll check out and go to a park. Then early evening we will drive to Tampa and check in to our next hotel. We will stay 3 nights there. Then we will drive back to WDW and check in to AKV. We will spend the night. Get up in the morning and check out and go to a park. CRAZY! But it was cheaper to fly in and out of MCO as well as rent a car then Tampa...so we HAD to do it!!!

This may ruin split stays for me though!

SotS

 

[disneynutz]

In two weeks we will be doing a heckuva split stay! We start out our first night at POFQ. In the morning we'll check out and go to a park. Then early evening we will drive to Tampa and check in to our next hotel. We will stay 3 nights there. Then we will drive back to WDW and check in to AKV. We will spend the night. Get up in the morning and check out and go to a park. CRAZY! But it was cheaper to fly in and out of MCO as well as rent a car then Tampa...so we HAD to do it!!!

This may ruin split stays for me though!

SotS

Next week we start with 3 nights in Tampa, 3 nights at the Yacht Club, 1 night at BWV, 4 nights at AKV, then 4 nights at BCV.

Bill