Split hotel-stay strategy?

[4girlsmom]

Our group of 9 (DH, me, DD's 13, 10, 8 & 4, friend + her DD's 8 & 7) is staying at the PPH for 4 nights in Dec. and will have 5-day parkhoppers.

I have decided to add a night at the Candy Cane Inn at the end of our trip so our last day in the parks is not cut short. We'll just close the park down on our last night, shuttle on back to sleep, and hit the road (for the Bay Area) after breakfast the next morning. We have stayed at the PPH before, but this will be our first stay at the CCI, which I've been wanting to try. In fact, I would have booked CCI for the whole trip, but the 4th night free deal lured me back to PPH.

We'll be switching hotels on a Thursday, so my tentative plan is to go to DL for Early Entry, then leave friend & big kids in the park while DH, DD4 & I check out of Hotel #1 and into Hotel #2. I'd do it by myself, but we'll have 2 cars to move since we can't seem to find a reasonably priced van to rent. It will only be 11:00 a.m., so hopefully CCI will let us check our luggage (assuming the rooms won't be ready) and ride the shuttle back to the parks. Then bring the whole group back when the rooms are ready, do a little swimming, laundry, pizza, and head back to DL for dessert and nighttime fun.

Is anyone else planning a split-stay? If you've done one in the past, how did it work out?

Last summer we spent 1 night at HoJo prior to our PPH stay, and I was crazy enough to have made an early a.m. PS for the Lilo & Stitch breakfast. It was a frantic & wild goose chase moving from pt. A to pt. B, but we received a glorious upgrade to the Newport Suite (perhaps due to our early arrival ), and it was ready.

 

[minnietoo]

Last Christmas we stayed at a non-Disney hotel on harbor blvd as we had my mom with us and it was easier than speding time licking asphalt - but the shuttle from the hotel (and I am sorry I can't remember which one) only ran to the pack in the AM for drop off and at park closing for pick-up - it did not run again during the day. So my advise is to check with Candy Cane and see if their shuttle runs when you will be needing it.

 

[hlbtimes2]

So my advise is to check with Candy Cane and see if their shuttle runs when you will be needing it.

The shuttle from the CCI runs from the hotel on the hour and 1/2 hour, and from the parks on the 15 and 45. There is one shuttle missing in the evening- some time between 7 and 8- its posted in the lobby. The driver takes a break at that time. The first shuttle is 1/2 hour before the park opens, and the last is 45 min after closing.

They will let you check in early, park and use the shuttle.

 

[4girlsmom]

Thank you, minnietoo. That is a good point. We should probably also plan on not taking the very last shuttle that night. After 5 days in the parks, the whole allure for the CCI for me is that shuttle back with all those kids. I wouldn't want to miss it.

 

[4girlsmom]

Linda, thank you for that info!

 

[disneyochem]

I do this every trip to DLR. I always stay at the CCI after a DL hotel and try to squeeze in as much Disney magic as possible. My advice is to check-out of PPH early, drive over to CCI. They will hold your luggage and issue parking permits for your cars. Hop on the shuttle--a dedicated shuttle that only goes between CCI and DLR. Call to see when your room is ready. Hop on shuttle to go back to CCI, check-in, and then go back to the parks. We like to stay as late as possible on that night. Then we sleep in, eat the free breakfast and then drive home.

You will find that CCI is very accommodating. You might also ask for shuttle pass (although I rarely am asked). To ride the shuttle you need to show your room key (which you won't have) so show them the pass instead.

 

[4girlsmom]

disneyochem, thank you for the advice! That's sounds awesome. That's exactly what we'll do.

 

[hlbtimes2]

They are pretty easy going on the whole pass/ room key issue. We never needed anything on our last 2 trips.