Split Stay Cons?

[justme0729]

We are almost DVC members (assuming Disney approves the resale) and we will own at AKL. I'm considering doing a split stay between AKL and Poly but I am wondering what the cons are of a split stay with DVC. I've done a little bit of research but want to confirm...

1. I will be able to book all fast passes for entire stay at 60 days, correct?

2. I will have to book my dining reservations for each stay separately, correct? 180 days from the first stay, and 180 days from the second stay?

3. We will book the DDP for both resorts probably. When I check out of Poly and check into AKL, I will still be able to use Poly DDP points until midnight, right?

4. If I end up getting the Poly reservation at 5-6 months out after I have already reserved dining reservations, they wouldn't disappear after I cancel part of my AKL reservation would they?

5. Anything else I should consider with a split stay? We won't mind having Disney move the luggage and not having a place to be when we are checked out of Poly and not checked into AKL yet.

Thank you!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Frankly, I haven't found any cons about split stays. I often do split stays, focusing just on Epcot and DHS during the "split" where I stay at an Epcot resort, and focusing on AK and AK while I'm at the other resort I choose. On switch-over day, I just bring my suitcase to bell services for the transfer, head to the parks, then go to my new resort at the end of the day and call bell services there for my luggage. I find it very easy.

 

[supersnoop]

The only cons are #2 on your list and the fact that you have to move from new resort to the other.

 

[Simba's Mom]

The only cons are #2 on your list and the fact that you have to move from new resort to the other.

I will confess that my split stays have been exclusively on solo trips (or DH is going home, and I'll embark on phase 2 of my vacation at a different resort). I'm not so sure if the packing/unpacking would seem so easy if it was a family doing it.

 

[DIS_MERI]

We had dining plan issues on our split stays last month. You have to use all of the first dining plan before you can start on the 2nd one. And, I was unable to online check in for our last day and ended having to go to BLT to check in/start the dining plan. It was super annoying.

 

[bumbershoot]

Packing back up and moving can be annoying. But we all have our own levels of annoyance; things that don't drive others bananas make me lose it. But the packing and moving barely bothers me, when it can be the line in the sand for others.

#2 is sort of a con, but it makes sense since they are different reservations. Only bothers some of us because it used to be different.

 

[lovin'fl]

I like split stays but my family does not. I like to be at different resorts and book the parks, FPs and ADRs to go with each resort. My family, DH and 3 kids (16, 16 and 19), hate splits because they like to get settled in 1 room and stay there...they aren't really un-packers but they explode into the room and packing up to move resorts is not something they look forward to. Plus DH isn't a fan of the homeless period of 5 hours- from 11am to 4pm (usually we are out of 1st resort by 10am and sometimes our next resort room isn't ready until after 4pm so it could be more than 5 hours with no place to rest or watch ESPN ). And since my family is crabby about the split stays, it makes it less appealing for me too.

 

[justme0729]

Thanks everyone! I'll have to look at what dining reservations I'll want to see if that's big enough of a reason to stay away from a split stay... I'm thinking it will work for us since we are all adults and it would be nice to stay at two resorts

 

[disneynutz]

You need to be completely checked out at AKV before you check into PVB. That means that the resort needs to do their thing, I was told by the SSR front desk that their system should check you out at 11 but they said that sometimes it happens at 12 depending on how busy their system is.

The DDP credits don't transfer well and as posted, need to be used prior to the move.

There have been posts where guests use different names and accounts/bands at each resort, that keeps the problem from happening.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Split stays can be nice, but it's an additional packing/unpacking and the time spent checking out/in and getting settled into the new resort. Then if there are issues with MB's and MDE it adds even more time. So it's also very nice to just stay put.

 

[supersnoop]

Thanks everyone! I'll have to look at what dining reservations I'll want to see if that's big enough of a reason to stay away from a split stay... I'm thinking it will work for us since we are all adults and it would be nice to stay at two resorts

If you're all adults, I'd avoid the dining plan. It rarely saves money, and the added complication of the split stay just makes it worse. Maybe, depending on your ADR's, you could benefit from doing it for one stay, but both would likely not be cost effective.