Split Stay Advice

[Grnl706]

Hi All!

I was wondering what everyone would suggest for a split stay with a Standard King room in Gran Destino Tower? We were staying there for 8 nights but are thinking about doing a split 4/4 nights at a deluxe resort or villa? We're a couple and have 7 day tickets. We really really don't like having 2 beds in a room so we're hoping to get 1 king or 1 queen like we have at Gran Destino.

We're looking at Saratoga Springs (mostly because of the lower price but price not a deal breaker), Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk (Inn or Studio Villa?).

We're going to be at Universal for 6 nights prior to coming to Disney so we can even take a night from there if need be. We're really trying to do a nice upgrade for ourselves and I'm getting so overwhelmed looking at all of these hotels and searching old posts! What would be a good pairing with Gran Destino? We plan on going to Animal Kingdom the day we would be moving and Hollywood Studios for my husband's birthday the next day. The last 2 days of the trip are free for us to do as we please and slow back down before going home.

 

[DWillowBay]

I don't know what you might be looking for in a Deluxe that you won't get at Gran Destino. It's gorgeous. The dining choices are great. The Lounge choices are great. The pool is great. The Cast Members are amazing. You have workout facilities, laundry in the Tower and a gorgeous lake. Why pay for a deluxe when you can get the same, if not better, at CSR. Obviously, you have to do what's right for you, but having stayed at many resorts, CSR remains my ultimate experience. (I was SUPPOSED to be there in August, but....basketball. !

 

[bookwormde]

One of the best reasons to split is to be within walking distance to the parks that you are doing mostly those days.

 

[Grnl706]

I don't know what you might be looking for in a Deluxe that you won't get at Gran Destino. It's gorgeous. The dining choices are great. The Lounge choices are great. The pool is great. The Cast Members are amazing. You have workout facilities, laundry in the Tower and a gorgeous lake. Why pay for a deluxe when you can get the same, if not better, at CSR. Obviously, you have to do what's right for you, but having stayed at many resorts, CSR remains my ultimate experience. (I was SUPPOSED to be there in August, but....basketball. !

Ugh I'm so sorry about your trip that is a bummer! That is actually the dilemma that brought me to post. I'm struggling to pick because CSR is already soooooo nice.

We're going to Hollywood and Epcot on the days (plus a free day) that we were going to move but all the other deluxe options don't even seem as nice as Gran Destino! I kinda wanted to be close to Hollywood/Epcot but you make a solid point about what we're already getting. The rooms at Yacht Club seemed to be the closest in comparison. I thought a villa may be nice but it just does not look/feel the same level AND seems smaller somehow?!

 

[Grnl706]

One of the best reasons to split is to be withing walking distance to the parks that you are doing mostly those days.

That was partially our thinking. That end of the trip we would be at Hollywood and Epcot and had planned on a meal at the Flying Fish but it's definitely a hard choice on what is best!

 

[Wild4Walt]

I'm not a fan of split stay because I think it costs you a lot of time, even with them taking the luggage for you ( which I'm not sure if they are currently doing ).

That said, my 1st choice would be to upgrade to the Lake View ( so you have a chance to view fireworks from your room ) at the Gran Destino.

BUT if you wanted to do a split stay then the one's you have listed are a good option. Personally, I'd probably do Boardwalk Inn as I like the theme and the nightlife right outside.

You won't go wrong with any of them but keep in mind, if a balcony is important to you that many of the BC balconies are standing room only.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I wouldn't bother with a split stay unless you are getting a one bedroom DVC villa, or if there's a Deluxe with King Bed as a booking category. Otherwise, most rooms have two queens so king would only be a request.

 

[Grnl706]

I wouldn't bother with a split stay unless you are getting a one bedroom DVC villa, or if there's a Deluxe with King Bed as a booking category. Otherwise, most rooms have two queens so king would only be a request.

That is a very good point! I could not find a deluxe with a King category.

 

[Grnl706]

Everyone's made some solid points and we really do have a nice place in Gran Destino. Definitely looking into doing Water View instead of Standard!

I think in terms of split stay, the only thing I may be considering is a night or two at AKL Kidani in between Universal and Gran Destino (this would be before we are hitting the parks at Disney , we had a couple of days to move at a slower pace after Universal before picking up speed at Disney again) and kinda doing a resort only thing. A majority of our time would still be at Gran Destino and that was kind of the "dream" resort.

 

[nkereina]

We really really don't like having 2 beds in a room so we're hoping to get 1 king or 1 queen like we have at Gran Destino.

Moderate resorts like CSR will allow you to book a king room, but king is not a bookable category at the deluxe resorts. Its only a request. However, if you book a DVC studio, you'd get one bed. The second bed in a studio is a pull out sofa.

We're looking at Saratoga Springs (mostly because of the lower price but price not a deal breaker), Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk (Inn or Studio Villa?).

Yacht Club doesn't have DVC rooms, so a king bed here would only be a request. Saratoga Springs makes for long commutes to the parks, but is walkable to Disney Springs if you plan to spend time there. You can't go wrong between Beach Club and Boardwalk, but I prefer the dining options and pool at Beach Club. Beach Club DVC is small and can be hard to book, but depending when you're traveling, its very likely crowds will still be low.

We're going to be at Universal for 6 nights prior to coming to Disney so we can even take a night from there if need be.

Where are you staying at Universal? 6 nights at Universal would be too many for us. We're good with 3 nights typically. I agree with PPs that a 4/4 split stay at WDW is likely not worth it, but if you take some days from Universal, then its a little easier to justify the hassle of moving everything doing a split stay.

the only thing I may be considering is a night or two at AKL Kidani in between Universal and Gran Destino

Why Kidani out of curiosity? If Jambo House is back open by the time you travel, that would be my vote. Its the "main" building and has the QS, store, front desk, etc. which can be a walk from Kidani.

 

[Grnl706]

Moderate resorts like CSR will allow you to book a king room, but king is not a bookable category at the deluxe resorts. Its only a request. However, if you book a DVC studio, you'd get one bed. The second bed in a studio is a pull out sofa.

Being request only worries me. The bed size/number is a huge issue for us and I don't like leaving things to chance for this big of a vacation.

Yacht Club doesn't have DVC rooms, so a king bed here would only be a request. Saratoga Springs makes for long commutes to the parks, but is walkable to Disney Springs if you plan to spend time there. You can't go wrong between Beach Club and Boardwalk, but I prefer the dining options and pool at Beach Club. Beach Club DVC is small and can be hard to book, but depending when you're traveling, its very likely crowds will still be low.

I don't think we'd spend too much time at Disney Springs, maybe one or two times over there. The rooms at those resorts just didn't feel as nice as Gran Destino to me. The biggest selling point was being close to DHS and Epcot but it's just two of us, travel time isn't a huge deal breaker. We are a part of a larger group but we'd be only meeting up some of the time with them.

Where are you staying at Universal? 6 nights at Universal would be too many for us. We're good with 3 nights typically. I agree with PPs that a 4/4 split stay at WDW is likely not worth it, but if you take some days from Universal, then its a little easier to justify the hassle of moving everything doing a split stay.

Honestly, we just added 2 nights each to Disney and Universal when we rescheduled our trip from 2020. This is why we started thinking about the split stay, 6 nights just felt way too long and Universal and we were concerned about spending 8 nights in one resort at Disney. I think we're leaning towards cutting a night or two away from Universal. We want to do all 3 parks and want to have some resort time (probably our check in day) and one more day just in case we want to go back into any of the three parks/unwind and pack up. We're both huge Harry Potter fans. We're staying at Sapphire Falls. I looked at the Deluxe ones there but I don't ride many rides and I feel like an express pass for me would be a waste. We would just get it for my husband only if we did. Would 4 or 5 nights be sufficient to cover Universal without feeling rushed? We are going in June if that makes a difference at all.

Why Kidani out of curiosity? If Jambo House is back open by the time you travel, that would be my vote. Its the "main" building and has the QS, store, front desk, etc. which can be a walk from Kidani.

Kidani is the only one available right now but I'm watching for Jambo House, I'd prefer that but would do Kidani if that's all that is available then. We have some time, not going until June 2021! This is just a really beautiful resort. Would a split here make more sense? We aren't going ANYWHERE this year so I really want to make this trip special.

 

[nkereina]

Being request only worries me. The bed size/number is a huge issue for us and I don't like leaving things to chance for this big of a vacation.

I agree. This is part of the reason why DH and I usually stay at the moderate level, so we can actually book a king room. But as I mentioned above, a DVC studio will get you one bed as well and DVC resorts are all that will be open at the deluxe level for some time anyhow.

I don't think we'd spend too much time at Disney Springs, maybe one or two times over there. The rooms at those resorts just didn't feel as nice as Gran Destino to me. The biggest selling point was being close to DHS and Epcot but it's just two of us, travel time isn't a huge deal breaker. We are a part of a larger group but we'd be only meeting up some of the time with them.

Have you considered Riviera? Its on the Skyliner which is a fun way to get to and from DHS and Epcot, walking distance of CBR for additional dining options, and its the only resort newer than Gran Destino so would be similar in terms of quality.

Honestly, we just added 2 nights each to Disney and Universal when we rescheduled our trip from 2020. This is why we started thinking about the split stay, 6 nights just felt way too long and Universal and we were concerned about spending 8 nights in one resort at Disney. I think we're leaning towards cutting a night or two away from Universal. We want to do all 3 parks and want to have some resort time (probably our check in day) and one more day just in case we want to go back into any of the three parks/unwind and pack up. We're both huge Harry Potter fans. We're staying at Sapphire Falls. I looked at the Deluxe ones there but I don't ride many rides and I feel like an express pass for me would be a waste. We would just get it for my husband only if we did. Would 4 or 5 nights be sufficient to cover Universal without feeling rushed? We are going in June if that makes a difference at all.

Yes, 4-5 nights at Universal would definitely be sufficient. We usually spend one full day at each park and then will use our last day to re-ride anything at IOA/Universal that we like. Sapphire Falls is great, but I wonder how much more Royal Pacific Resort would be. It comes with unlimited express pass for each of you that are good for every day of your stay. We like EP because it gets us on the ride faster of course, but it also gets us out of the sun or rain faster, we can sleep in and not worry about early entry, and we can tour the parks at our leisure with no strategy necessary. In the current environment, Universal is doing virtual queues in lieu of standby queues for the popular rides. During AP weekend, it got rather busy and people were unable to obtain virtual queue times. If they didn't have express pass, they would not have been able to ride. It has not been that busy since, but its something to monitor and consider as you get closer. Who knows what it will be like next year, but I suspect they will keep VQs in place.

Kidani is the only one available right now but I'm watching for Jambo House, I'd prefer that but would do Kidani if that's all that is available then. We have some time, not going until June 2021! This is just a really beautiful resort. Would a split here make more sense? We aren't going ANYWHERE this year so I really want to make this trip special.

Gotcha. I tend to agree with PPs that a split stay is beneficial when you can tailor your touring strategy to the parks closest to where you're staying. The only park near AKV is AK of course, and the commutes to other parks from AKV are longer than most any other resort. It would not be my choice for a split stay from a logistical perspective, but I do understand the appeal from a bucket list perspective! Whatever you decide for the split stay, I would keep it to Gran Destino plus one other resort. I would not do Gran Destino plus AKV plus a third resort.

 

[Grnl706]

I agree. This is part of the reason why DH and I usually stay at the moderate level, so we can actually book a king room. But as I mentioned above, a DVC studio will get you one bed as well and DVC resorts are all that will be open at the deluxe level for some time anyhow.


Have you considered Riviera? Its on the Skyliner which is a fun way to get to and from DHS and Epcot, walking distance of CBR for additional dining options, and its the only resort newer than Gran Destino so would be similar in terms of quality.


Yes, 4-5 nights at Universal would definitely be sufficient. We usually spend one full day at each park and then will use our last day to re-ride anything at IOA/Universal that we like. Sapphire Falls is great, but I wonder how much more Royal Pacific Resort would be. It comes with unlimited express pass for each of you that are good for every day of your stay. We like EP because it gets us on the ride faster of course, but it also gets us out of the sun or rain faster, we can sleep in and not worry about early entry, and we can tour the parks at our leisure with no strategy necessary. In the current environment, Universal is doing virtual queues in lieu of standby queues for the popular rides. During AP weekend, it got rather busy and people were unable to obtain virtual queue times. If they didn't have express pass, they would not have been able to ride. It has not been that busy since, but its something to monitor and consider as you get closer. Who knows what it will be like next year, but I suspect they will keep VQs in place.


Gotcha. I tend to agree with PPs that a split stay is beneficial when you can tailor your touring strategy to the parks closest to where you're staying. The only park near AKV is AK of course, and the commutes to other parks from AKV are longer than most any other resort. It would not be my choice for a split stay from a logistical perspective, but I do understand the appeal from a bucket list perspective! Whatever you decide for the split stay, I would keep it to Gran Destino plus one other resort. I would not do Gran Destino plus AKV plus a third resort.

You have been so incredibly helpful, thank you!

I did check out Riviera but it was too far out of our price range currently. The Tower Studio was but I didn't like that it was a pull down bed!

Royal Pacific is about $650 more and I don't think express passes for my husband would cost more than that for 2 days. I'm going to keep watching, even right up to the week we arrive, to see if the price drops.

I was messing around with it because I agree, a split stay + going to the parks would mean I should be more strategic with it. If I'm taking 2 nights off of Universal, I'm thinking of doing 2 nights at AKV and then moving to Gran Destino. I would not be starting the parks until after I'm already at Gran Destino so my time at AKV would be resort only. Here's my *really* rough draft of the new plan;

6/6/2021 - Check in Sapphire; Visit a Park (Arriving late morning/early afternoon)
6/7/2021 through 6/9/2021 - All 3 Universal Parks for a full day each
6/10/2021 - Morning Half Day to revisit parks/Check out Sapphire/Check in AKV
6/11/2021 - AKV Resort
6/12/2021 - Check out AKV/Check in Gran Destino
6/13/2021 through 6/19/2021 - Disney Parks/Disney Springs
6/20/2021 - Check out/Go Home

 

[nkereina]

6/6/2021 - Check in Sapphire; Visit a Park (Arriving late morning/early afternoon)
6/7/2021 through 6/9/2021 - All 3 Universal Parks for a full day each
6/10/2021 - Morning Half Day to revisit parks/Check out Sapphire/Check in AKV
6/11/2021 - AKV Resort
6/12/2021 - Check out AKV/Check in Gran Destino
6/13/2021 through 6/19/2021 - Disney Parks/Disney Springs
6/20/2021 - Check out/Go Home

This looks like a great plan to me! I normally wouldn't do a split stay for two nights only, but in your scenario, you're not sacrificing park time for it and that's always the biggest concern. Having the downtime at AKV will be nice, and gives you the freedom to head over to AKV when you want to on the 10th, and then move to Gran Destino when you want to on the 12th.

I'm not sure whether you'll have a car, but if not, I would highly suggest taking an Uber/Lyft with your luggage on the 12th when you move from AKV to Gran Destino. I'm not sure if Disney is currently offering luggage transfer service (or if they will by next year), but even if they are, there have been a lot of bad experiences reported here with people not seeing their luggage for 12+ hours. IMO, its just easier to hop in an Uber, take the 10 minute ride, and then just store your own bags with Bell Services if your room isn't ready yet. You at least know where your bag is and have access to it at all times. And since you aren't doing a park that day, you can also wait until you receive your Gran Destino room ready text and just head over and go straight to your room at that point.

 

[Grnl706]

This looks like a great plan to me! I normally wouldn't do a split stay for two nights only, but in your scenario, you're not sacrificing park time for it and that's always the biggest concern. Having the downtime at AKV will be nice, and gives you the freedom to head over to AKV when you want to on the 10th, and then move to Gran Destino when you want to on the 12th.

I'm not sure whether you'll have a car, but if not, I would highly suggest taking an Uber/Lyft with your luggage on the 12th when you move from AKV to Gran Destino. I'm not sure if Disney is currently offering luggage transfer service (or if they will by next year), but even if they are, there have been a lot of bad experiences reported here with people not seeing their luggage for 12+ hours. IMO, its just easier to hop in an Uber, take the 10 minute ride, and then just store your own bags with Bell Services if your room isn't ready yet. You at least know where your bag is and have access to it at all times. And since you aren't doing a park that day, you can also wait until you receive your Gran Destino room ready text and just head over and go straight to your room at that point.

Oh wow I didn't know that about the luggage transfer! No thanks, I'll definitely be taking an Uber. Thank you again so much for all of your advice. I feel like I finally have the cherry on top to make the trip really special. I haven't been since I was a kid. Now it's just watching and seeing how things change/unfold as we get closer.