Split stay / Club level / Logistical - August Trip

[RoseGold]

I just stayed a GF and used the monorail on the second floor, including peak times like park close. Elevators are open on both sides, the glass cage one and also the normal ones on the opposite side. It didn’t seem like a problem at all.

Of course, at least two of the outer buildings are shut down and complete construction zones. I would imagine that is still true in august. They were ripping the sides off of buildings and it was not very magical.

 

[pregnantw4thprincess]

I just stayed a GF and used the monorail on the second floor, including peak times like park close. Elevators are open on both sides, the glass cage one and also the normal ones on the opposite side. It didn’t seem like a problem at all.

Of course, at least two of the outer buildings are shut down and complete construction zones. I would imagine that is still true in august. They were ripping the sides off of buildings and it was not very magical.

I appreciate that feedback - the construction would definitely kill the magic for us.

Swapped the BW CL for CR CL so that the transfer is less of a big deal, then extended our stay by 2 days and switched to RR 1 bedroom for the last stretch of our stay to take it easy by the splash pad - maybe a little Epcot/HS if we still have any life in us

 

[Mle8308]

I appreciate that feedback - the construction would definitely kill the magic for us.

Swapped the BW CL for CR CL so that the transfer is less of a big deal, then extended our stay by 2 days and switched to RR 1 bedroom for the last stretch of our stay to take it easy by the splash pad - maybe a little Epcot/HS if we still have any life in us

I sincerely wish you the best of luck. I would never switch resorts as many times as you are planning, (6 now ???) especially with children - in AUGUST! The absolute hottest month of the year in FL (and yes, I will be there at the WL for 11 nights in August and the only reason is because of school and sport schedules). I would be concerned about being "homeless" for so many hours with young children for so many times during your trip. And your luggage may not arrive until 6pm, be prepared for that. In August, it tends to storm nearly every afternoon, so the pools close and you may be limited in what you can do with the kids. Fortunately you will have the Club to pass some of the time. I don't mean to sound so negative, it just sounds like it could end up being very stressful for you and more so when you will be alone with the kids. You know your family best and your travelling style, I hope it works out well for you and you have a great trip!

 

[pregnantw4thprincess]

I sincerely wish you the best of luck. I would never switch resorts as many times as you are planning, (6 now ???) especially with children - in AUGUST! The absolute hottest month of the year in FL (and yes, I will be there at the WL for 11 nights in August and the only reason is because of school and sport schedules). I would be concerned about being "homeless" for so many hours with young children for so many times during your trip. And your luggage may not arrive until 6pm, be prepared for that. In August, it tends to storm nearly every afternoon, so the pools close and you may be limited in what you can do with the kids. Fortunately you will have the Club to pass some of the time. I don't mean to sound so negative, it just sounds like it could end up being very stressful for you and more so when you will be alone with the kids. You know your family best and your travelling style, I hope it works out well for you and you have a great trip!

Sorry my post was a little all over the place (like we will be ) - I changed our reservation so we do our time at WL (only those 2 nights were available - we are a family of 5 and the deluxe room was our only option), then we switch to the CR, then from there to RR. I think I made it sound like we had somewhere in between CR & RR.
Our trip is 20 days now - I think switching up resorts will keep things fresh for the kids. Plus, with my husband away, I don’t want to pay for a larger room while it is just me and the girls - and I want to be able to have my eyes on them

 

[Shellyred8]

Hey there hi there ho there!

We are a family of 5, 2A, 3 kids, 13/7/6. Traveling in August for 17 days - first trip since the world lit on fire! Last trip was Christmas 2019 #simplertimes

Doing our first ever (multi)split stay, first ever Universal stay, and first ever Disney CL stay (DH and I have stayed club level many times at other hotels for business, but never as a family).

A little apprehensive about the split stays, but hoping that it works out logistically - there is a method to my madness

Stays
3 nights at Hardrock Hotel, deluxe 2Q (wanted express pass)
5 nights at Cabana Bay, family room (building in a little relaxation - drastically cutting costs for a portion of the vacation)
2 nights at Wilderness Lodge, deluxe room CL (our favorite resort - we are not DVC members, but it sure is home - staycation for this portion, not visiting parks)
—— my husband leaves the day we switch hotels from WL to BW — —
3 nights at Boardwalk Inn, standard room CL (planning on focusing on HS and Epcot)
—— DH returns late in the evening after we have switched to GF resort
4 nights at GF, outer building TPV (focusing on MK and the super fun splash pad - renting poolside patio seating the first 3 days)

Struggling with whether we should just check into GF after WL and just stay there for the duration instead of switching to the Boardwalk in the interim

Wildcards/Questions
- our littlest two are autistic, so curious if anyone has any experience to share about staying club level with autistic kids? Interested to hear about whether experiences were generally positive and understanding of special needs. My littles also have pretty limited (but not unusual) food preferences - can a mama get a string cheese in CL? They would live on strawberries, apples, and bananas - and mama can run on (n)espresso, so feeling hopeful!
- my husband will be leaving for a conference for the length of our stay at Boardwalk CL; is it reasonably easy to navigate the property with a giant stroller? Are there bathrooms in CL in case my littles need the toilet in a hurry? Ideally handicap accessible?

Thanks in advance, Everyone - I appreciate any feedback!

I would vote for checking into GF after WL and skipping BWI for this trip. I like split stays, but this it a lot. Or maybe do 5 nights at BWI (so you can still get the benefit of being walking distance to HS/EP) and skip WL this trip. Or some other combination so you only have to do one Disney move.

 

[RoseGold]

Renting a car is an option. A big expense with all the parking, but at least you would know the luggage is in the car and you can go get it when the room is ready at 4.

And you wouldn't have to lug around all the car seats and such, those just stay in the car.

And if you got desperate, you could always drive somewhere outside the bubble, like a store or a restaurant or somewhere with AC.

 

[mrsswat]

Renting a car is an option. A big expense with all the parking, but at least you would know the luggage is in the car and you can go get it when the room is ready at 4.

And you wouldn't have to lug around all the car seats and such, those just stay in the car.

And if you got desperate, you could always drive somewhere outside the bubble, like a store or a restaurant or somewhere with AC.

 

[mrsswat]

You might want to consider using the Minnie vans when switching resorts. They have 2 car seats available. And you would have your luggage going to your next resort with you. Would have to store with Bell Services but it will be available at your resort when your room is ready. We used them several times last month. Traveled with 4 grandkids - 14, 4, 2 and 2 months. Easy peasy. And well worth it. Daughter and SIL agreed.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Hey there hi there ho there!

We are a family of 5, 2A, 3 kids, 13/7/6. Traveling in August for 17 days - first trip since the world lit on fire! Last trip was Christmas 2019 #simplertimes

Doing our first ever (multi)split stay, first ever Universal stay, and first ever Disney CL stay (DH and I have stayed club level many times at other hotels for business, but never as a family).

A little apprehensive about the split stays, but hoping that it works out logistically - there is a method to my madness

Stays
3 nights at Hardrock Hotel, deluxe 2Q (wanted express pass)
5 nights at Cabana Bay, family room (building in a little relaxation - drastically cutting costs for a portion of the vacation)
2 nights at Wilderness Lodge, deluxe room CL (our favorite resort - we are not DVC members, but it sure is home - staycation for this portion, not visiting parks)
—— my husband leaves the day we switch hotels from WL to BW — —
3 nights at Boardwalk Inn, standard room CL (planning on focusing on HS and Epcot)
—— DH returns late in the evening after we have switched to GF resort
4 nights at GF, outer building TPV (focusing on MK and the super fun splash pad - renting poolside patio seating the first 3 days)

Struggling with whether we should just check into GF after WL and just stay there for the duration instead of switching to the Boardwalk in the interim

Wildcards/Questions
- our littlest two are autistic, so curious if anyone has any experience to share about staying club level with autistic kids? Interested to hear about whether experiences were generally positive and understanding of special needs. My littles also have pretty limited (but not unusual) food preferences - can a mama get a string cheese in CL? They would live on strawberries, apples, and bananas - and mama can run on (n)espresso, so feeling hopeful!
- my husband will be leaving for a conference for the length of our stay at Boardwalk CL; is it reasonably easy to navigate the property with a giant stroller? Are there bathrooms in CL in case my littles need the toilet in a hurry? Ideally handicap accessible?

Thanks in advance, Everyone - I appreciate any feedback!

We do lots of split stays. My #1 tip is about packing. At each stop we don't unpack. Or at least we unpack as little as possible.

The other big thing I do is when I re-pack, I put everything back where it was.

#3, we have a HARD rule: on last morning of each stay- as soon as we unplug electronics, the cord gets packed. Otherwise it is easy to leave cords behind. I also found some very inexpensive bright-colored wrap stuff for the cables. It looks a little like a tiny slinky, but any bright colored tie would work just as well. Black/white cables are easy to lose, but the bright color is hard to miss.

The CL's are helpful with food allergies to some extent. We do split stays, and I am somewhat familiar with special needs children, but each CL is a little different. For him, I'm not sure how to say, but staying put might help the CL to give him the foods he likes.

By that i mean, at each new stop, you'll have to tell the hotel his dietary needs, and they are great, but... I'm not sure how to say....If you need for him to have a specific food, the hotel might not have that food on hand (day 1), but they might be able to obtain it in time for day 2 breakfast. If you will be at the hotel for 5 days, then they will be able to have 5 days worth of that item.

I have never seen string cheese available on CL. They have cheese every day, but it tends to be more exotic cheese. They often have cheddar, but also goat cheese and exotic cheese I can't identify.

You can get sometimes get bananas, almost always whole apples (but not very good ones), strawberries are somewhat rare. You will likely be offered melon, maybe grapes. You should be able to get espresso every day.

Some CL's have bathrooms, but not all. I do not recall seeing one at WL. Main lobby has one. I have not been to BWK in some years, so I do not recall. The Hard Rock CL does not have one. Hotels that do have bathrooms by the CL include: AKL, BC, YC, Portofino, and Royal Pacific. Contemporary- no bathroom. Not sure about the rest. They should all technically be handicapped accessible, but they all tend to be small. I can't say for certain, but it might be hard to bring a double stroller in the CL bathroom.


WDW is about as easy as any place with a double stroller, but that doesn't = easy. It also depends on the stroller. The lighter it is to lift, the better. the more compact it is, the better. Getting through gift shops can be tough.

Even with CL, if you really need a few specific foods, it is possible to have them delivered from a grocery delivery, or top pick them up at a store. Like if you just wanted string cheese and strawberries that would be simple. What isn't simple is keeping it cold on days you transfer between hotels. So maybe get it just when you stay at Cabana Bay or something.
One small warning though is that strawberries sometimes give off an odd smell when they are kept in the tiny in-room dorm fridge.
If you have a car, there is a Whole Foods very close to Universal. Also many options near WDW.

 

[Dave006]

Now that I look at it written out, I am more concerned about the WL transfer than anything - that is a lot of transportation methods - all to avoid an UberXL

Why not use the Epcot bus for this one from the WL?

Dave

 

[mickeyluv'r]

It is a lot of switching - it probably sounds batty, but my reasoning is to try to avoid being in a vehicle (other than monorail/boats). I will have a large stroller for the girls; I *think* that sending our luggage via bell services would be easier than having to get an Uber or Minnie van with two car seats - which is why I was thinking visiting HS from Boardwalk would be a huge plus. And I am definitely really wanting to try out BW CL

We will definitely be getting the “stroller as a wheelchair” and each theme park’s version of DAS.

I suppose we could take the monorails to Epcot, then take a boat/Skyliner/walk from the IG to HS - and reverse back. I would rather skip HS all together than juggle my kids in anything with 4 wheels

We aren’t a commando family (catch me and my 13y old when it is just the two of us though ) - we usually do a park in the morning, back to the resort, maybe hit another in the afternoon.

My plan was:

On checkout day for WL CL, send luggage with bell services, hang at WL and enjoy the pool/lounge until DH leaves, then grab the boat over to MK, monorail or boat to TTC, monorail to Epcot, enjoy the park and walk to BW when we are ready

On checkout day for BW CL, send luggage with bell services, visit Epcot, monorail to TTC, monorail to GF

Now that I look at it written out, I am more concerned about the WL transfer than anything - that is a lot of transportation methods - all to avoid an UberXL

When we do split stays, we always have a car, and that makes it so much easier. If you rent a car, the company can provide them. In your situation, I might opt to bring one carseat, but rent the other. Trying to get through the airport with 2 car seats is a lot.

A big plus of having car is that we leave half the luggage in the car at each stop. We use a trash bag as our laundry bin, or even better the hotel rooms have plastic 'laundry bags.' They have a drawstring. On the airplane, we put all our clothes in real luggage, but between hotels, a drawstring trashbag works fine as temporary 'luggage' for laundry that needs to be washed.

I have used the WDw luggage transfer, and it is okay. As others have said though, for a good chunk of the day you can't access your stuff. One time I forgot to change my shoes, and it was a pain because I was stuck most of the day. It is also a pain if you want to swim in teh afternoon.

August = afternoon storms are common. I mean not light rain, but VERY heavy white-out rain coming down in buckets. It maybe lasts 15 min, maybe 2 hours....It varies. Sometimes we get all ready to swim, then can't.

VERY IMPORTANT: WDW shuttle BOATS STOP running during lightning! And it can even be sunny! If lighting is within a certain distance of WDW, the boats stop, pools close, some rides stop. It is also not all that uncommon for monorails to go down. When they do, WDW changes over to all buses. I'm not saying that will happen, but it can.

I can also second that BWK is a sprawling resort, that's why I have not stayed there in some time. Of all the WDW pools, it is also deep. While the BC/YC pool area is SUPER with small children. It is big, but if your 13 year old is reliable as a helper, the BC/YC pool has a whole area that is like a beach with sand and water. If your children like playing in the sand at the beach, it is great. The BC/YC also has a kiddie size water slide they might enjoy.

 

[Dave006]

The CL's are helpful with food allergies to some extent. We do split stays, and I am somewhat familiar with special needs children, but each CL is a little different. For him, I'm not sure how to say, but staying put might help the CL to give him the foods he likes.

By that i mean, at each new stop, you'll have to tell the hotel his dietary needs, and they are great, but... I'm not sure how to say....If you need for him to have a specific food, the hotel might not have that food on hand (day 1), but they might be able to obtain it in time for day 2 breakfast. If you will be at the hotel for 5 days, then they will be able to have 5 days worth of that item

For @pregnantw4thprincess and special food requirements for Disney CL can be made aware of your needs before your arrival date by working with DSS and having a CL CM at your current hotel double check with your new CL to see that your dietary information is communicated to the chief team.

Call 407-939-7777 or email disney.signature.services@disneyworld.com with your reservation numbers and they are here seven days a week from 9 to 5 Eastern Time.

Dave

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I should maybe elaborate on what I mean about unpacking/not unpacking. This is our system:
1. Toiletries are packed in ziplock bags. One bag is stuff we use every day, the other is stuff like o-t-c meds we don't need every day. We only unpack the toothbrushes and stuff we need every day. I pull the 2nd bag out, but we only take stuff out if we need it, then put it back.
2. Ideally, it is good to pack by day within each suitcase. So you have a day 1 gallon bag with the entire day 1 outfit (top, shorts, maybe socks) That way, the little ones can dress themselves!

Nowadays though I'm not that organized. I maybe do the first day outfits, but that's about it. Otherwise, each person just gets a suitcase. (or the kids can share since they need less space). Still, we do not unpack at each stop. Each person is responsible for their own bag. Wheels are good! But this means we have t bring in most of the bags at each stop. If you can pack as I describe above, then you can leave most of the bags in the trunk.

The bag that holds toiletries is a duffle bag. The end compartments hold toiletries, and the bigger middle holds pajamas, bathing suits and underwear. None of that has to be folded. It is the only bag that gets 'unpacked' at each stop. As soon as PJ's come off, they go there. No place else. Each person has a ziplock bag of underwear/socks.

For summer trips, we also bring a combo of plastic ponchos and compact rain jackets. The ones I love fold-up into one packet. They are called a "packable" parka. Uniqulo carries a version, except the Uniqlo ones are more windbreakers. Other brands are more water-proof.

You will also want a rain cover for the stroller! Or a stroller than can get WET and dry very quickly, like mesh. It is also helpful if your daybag is vinyl or something that can get wet. In a pinch, plastic bags can work. Cheap plastic ponchos can also be multipurpose.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

For @pregnantw4thprincess and special food requirements for Disney CL can be made aware of your needs before your arrival date by working with DSS and having a CL CM at your current hotel double check with your new CL to see that your dietary information is communicated to the chief team.

Call 407-939-7777 or email disney.signature.services@disneyworld.com with your reservation numbers and they are here seven days a week from 9 to 5 Eastern Time.

Dave

huh. I never had that happen quite as you describe. If we tell the hotel of our special dietary needs in advance, they still ask us to talk to staff at each hotel in person when we arrive.

I mean, yes, that's great if WDW has improved communication for split stays. In practice, they sometimes needed like 24 hours to obtain some foods. In the case of allergens, they usually have something on hand all times (that is allergen-free), but the staff also wanted a day to stock-up. So they might have one pre-packaged treat on hand on the first day, but the second day they have multiple sweets on hand.

It has REALLY varied each time we stay what the staff was able to do and how prepared they were when we arrived. They are always very nice, and do what they are able, but the advance notice has not tended to be of much use in my experience.

If the situation has improved recently, that is welcome news.

 

[pregnantw4thprincess]

For @pregnantw4thprincess and special food requirements for Disney CL can be made aware of your needs before your arrival date by working with DSS and having a CL CM at your current hotel double check with your new CL to see that your dietary information is communicated to the chief team.

Call 407-939-7777 or email disney.signature.services@disneyworld.com with your reservation numbers and they are here seven days a week from 9 to 5 Eastern Time.

Dave

Thank you so much - that is extremely helpful! I will reach out tomorrow!

 

[pregnantw4thprincess]

I should maybe elaborate on what I mean about unpacking/not unpacking. This is our system:
1. Toiletries are packed in ziplock bags. One bag is stuff we use every day, the other is stuff like o-t-c meds we don't need every day. We only unpack the toothbrushes and stuff we need every day. I pull the 2nd bag out, but we only take stuff out if we need it, then put it back.
2. Ideally, it is good to pack by day within each suitcase. So you have a day 1 gallon bag with the entire day 1 outfit (top, shorts, maybe socks) That way, the little ones can dress themselves!

Nowadays though I'm not that organized. I maybe do the first day outfits, but that's about it. Otherwise, each person just gets a suitcase. (or the kids can share since they need less space). Still, we do not unpack at each stop. Each person is responsible for their own bag. Wheels are good! But this means we have t bring in most of the bags at each stop. If you can pack as I describe above, then you can leave most of the bags in the trunk.

The bag that holds toiletries is a duffle bag. The end compartments hold toiletries, and the bigger middle holds pajamas, bathing suits and underwear. None of that has to be folded. It is the only bag that gets 'unpacked' at each stop. As soon as PJ's come off, they go there. No place else. Each person has a ziplock bag of underwear/socks.

For summer trips, we also bring a combo of plastic ponchos and compact rain jackets. The ones I love fold-up into one packet. They are called a "packable" parka. Uniqulo carries a version, except the Uniqlo ones are more windbreakers. Other brands are more water-proof.

You will also want a rain cover for the stroller! Or a stroller than can get WET and dry very quickly, like mesh. It is also helpful if your daybag is vinyl or something that can get wet. In a pinch, plastic bags can work. Cheap plastic ponchos can also be multipurpose.

All sound advice!

I ordered a rain cover for the stroller, so we are good there. We have our trusty ponchos from past trips as well.

I found 2.5 gallon slide lock ziplock bags - my goal is to use those as packing cubes as much as possible. The kids and I usually dress for whatever park we are going to, so my plan is to pack for two halves of the trip - ie: pack for Universal and pack for Disney. I plan on keeping the Disney items completely separate so that they are as out of the way as possible until we need them.

I will pack a soft-sided cooler for transferring food - we always wind up getting food for the room with our picky crew, so it is a must.

Pulled out the suitcases today to get started!

 

[Dave006]

If we tell the hotel of our special dietary needs in advance, they still ask us to talk to staff at each hotel in person when we arrive.

They will still want you to confirm the dietary requirements when you arrive and many times you talk to the actual chef so no mistakes are made or they can suggest alternative food items they can make available in the CL lounge for Breakfast and Evening service offerings.

DSS has been a big improvement after they got back up to speed after Covid-19 and the local CL CMs are often also calling guests directly a few days before arrival to confirm details.

Dave

 

[Her Dotness]

I considered GF CL, but if we stay at GF I don’t want to be in the main building. We will have a large stroller and my most memorable experience of being in the GF was at Christmas bringing my MIL and DSD for tea for MIL’s birthday. The line for the elevator in the lobby was so bad that people were carrying strollers up and down the stairs.

Do you have any insights on that as a GF aficionado?

Haven't ever been in August but would say not to equate Christmas at GF with a much less busy time like August. Christmas is insane because the GF's decorations are so over the top that they draw lots of "decoration tourists."

That said, August right before FL schools start up again will be busier than August-after but nowhere near as mobbed as Christmas from what I've seen people say. No direct experience myself with summer at WDW other than one stay years ago.

Based on our past experiences there, GF main building is absolutely a great CL experience.

I've compared notes with others who've stayed in it and in Sugar Loaf who said the Royal Palm Club is superior. For one thing, the SL lounge is much more cramped.

I have concerns as well about a multilevel lounge with a stroller - I will bring some kind of a tray regardless for Food&Wine - good tip in that!

I should have qualified my distaste for the WL tray experience by stating this was one CM one morning in a weeklong stay 8 years ago. There were other issues with that stay, not least of which was our very much preferring the GF to WL. We stayed at BRV a few years ago and still prefer the GF by far.

You might have marvelous lounge service at WL and enjoy the resort immensely.

Don't bring a tray for FWF. It'll be useless, as there's no place to sit and eat at most FWF kiosks. Virtually all the tables are hitops without seating. You stand to eat the fairly small portions served.

The only pavilion where we've found regular tables is the American one.

 

[pregnantw4thprincess]

Haven't ever been in August but would say not to equate Christmas at GF with a much less busy time like August. Christmas is insane because the GF's decorations are so over the top that they draw lots of "decoration tourists."

That said, August right before FL schools start up again will be busier than August-after but nowhere near as mobbed as Christmas from what I've seen people say. No direct experience myself with summer at WDW other than one stay years ago.

Based on our past experiences there, GF main building is absolutely a great CL experience.

I've compared notes with others who've stayed in it and in Sugar Loaf who said the Royal Palm Club is superior. For one thing, the SL lounge is much more cramped.


I should have qualified my distaste for the WL tray experience by stating this was one CM one morning in a weeklong stay 8 years ago. There were other issues with that stay, not least of which was our very much preferring the GF to WL. We stayed at BRV a few years ago and still prefer the GF by far.

You might have marvelous lounge service at WL and enjoy the resort immensely.

Don't bring a tray for FWF. It'll be useless, as there's no place to sit and eat at most FWF kiosks. Virtually all the tables are hitops without seating. You stand to eat the fairly small portions served.

The only pavilion where we've found regular tables is the American one.

We love the Wilderness Lodge! My husband had fond memories of taking his oldest there when she was small, so when we had our littles and wanted to go to Disney, WL was his first choice. We usually stay at CC in a 2bdrm villa, but one of my goals this trip is to see how we do in different room types. I would rather vacation for longer in a deluxe room or 1 bedroom villa (very doubtful that we can do a regular room, which is why we are only in one for a night while my husband is with us - the girls and I are probably better off within just the one hotel room), so I am interested to see how we fare with the permutations, which are now:
3 nights HRH Deluxe Queen
5 nights 2bdrm VV at Cabana Bay
2 nights WL Deluxe Room CL
4 nights CR GW Room (can’t pass up a newly refurbed Incredibles room)
5 nights RR 1bdrm villa PV (I think this will be the winner for us for this trip)

My plan is to just grab the appropriate giant ziplocks out of the suitcases and stick them in the drawers, keeping the basics on hand for the kids to eat. I do all of my shopping at Whole Foods online, so that won’t be a change.

Excited for F&W!

 

[mickeyluv'r]

All sound advice!

I ordered a rain cover for the stroller, so we are good there. We have our trusty ponchos from past trips as well.

I found 2.5 gallon slide lock ziplock bags - my goal is to use those as packing cubes as much as possible. The kids and I usually dress for whatever park we are going to, so my plan is to pack for two halves of the trip - ie: pack for Universal and pack for Disney. I plan on keeping the Disney items completely separate so that they are as out of the way as possible until we need them.

I will pack a soft-sided cooler for transferring food - we always wind up getting food for the room with our picky crew, so it is a must.

Pulled out the suitcases today to get started!

A small challenge when moving is how to keep things cold. I speak from doing this many times. Sometimes the room fridge is more of a drink cooler, and there is no way to freeze cold packs.

Also, some meds and toiletries don't do well when they get too hot.

Cars heat up quickly in FL, esp in summer.

One tip trick I have learned is that soda cans stay pretty cool for quite a while, and they are somewhat easy to find. the hotels bell services will - or used to - be willing to keep some stuff in a fridge, but I would check. It was getting overrun by grocery deliveries. It also takes time: returning to bell services, waiting in line, etc)


Eating at Universal, IME, is a little more reasonably priced that WDW, at least if you want to eat on the cheap. I also feel like...they make it easier than WDW to have what we need. Like, for some reason finding plan rice at WDW is nearly impossible. Universal has Panda Express. and way more variety of beverages.

Love 2.5 gallon bags. I also often pack sandwich bags, a few 1 gal bags. You can buy reusable grocery bags themed to WDW or US (or bring one). Those can also be handy when trying to move between rooms in a hurry.

With small children, I'd likely also try to recruit their help and cooperation. We used to go to WDW with extended family all the time and having them make a thank you drawing/note for housekeeping was a great way to keep them busy every morning and they had fun.