Split Stay - Need you all to tell me how to do this!

[Ghostgirl]

I booked a studio at the Villas at Grand Floridian from 7/20 - 7/27 through David's Vacation Club Rentals, but can get really good airfare if we come in the night before. Am thinking of booking a room at one of the value resorts, just for the night of 7/19, head to MK the morning of 7/20 and check in late afternoon/evening of 7/20.


Questions:

1) Besides theming, is there any real difference between any of the value resorts if we are only staying overnight? I've never done any research on those because we always stay at Deluxe or off site. They are so similar in price and just wondering if any of the values are better than the others for the purpose of getting to MK in the morning.

2) Do I book our park hopper tickets using the value resort I choose, or the GF?

3) How would the meal plan play into this? I’m fine with cash pay for the first night, but would like to use the meal plan at MK before we check into the GF

4) What about Magic Bands? I don’t think we get them with the villa rental from David’s. Do we order those with the value resort?

5) What else do I need to be thinking about?


Appreciate any and all advice for a split stay (and points rental) newbie.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

1. Not really.

2. Your tickets are going to be completely separate. A DVC rental cannot be made a "package" with tickets. If you're booking 1 night at a Value, just buy the tickets separately, not from Disney. They will be cheaper.

3. Your Dining Plan associated with the DVC stay will not be activated until you check fully out of the Value resort, and check in to VGF. In theory, online check-in should be enough, but it very frequently isn't and you would be best off stopping at the VGF desk to check in that morning if you have dining credits active.

4. You will get Magic Bands with both reservations. DVC bookings get them, absolutely.

5. Your luggage will need to be transferred between the Value and VGF. You cannot take bags on a bus with you. Bell Services will do it, but you'll be without the bags most of that day while they are moved. You may want to just not need anything from your primary bags the first night before transfer.

 

[rosiebean]

Adding my agreement to the advice about luggage in #5 above:

I've done a split stay and am planning on doing one again this August (one night in a value before heading to GF). I'm planning on having a small bag with our overnight clothes, next day clothes, and essentials for our one night stay. We'll leave our 'big' bags unpacked that first night. In the morning, we'll take a taxi over to GF...and if our room isn't ready, we'll leave all bags with bell services and hit the pool or parks. Bell services will transfer your bags for you as well. I just want to be at GF early the next day, so I'll take a cab and bring bags along as well. However, if my kids decide they want to go straight to the parks, we'll hand bags over to bell services at our first hotel and pick them up later at GF.

 

[Shanti]

I booked a studio at the Villas at Grand Floridian from 7/20 - 7/27 through David's Vacation Club Rentals, but can get really good airfare if we come in the night before. Am thinking of booking a room at one of the value resorts, just for the night of 7/19, head to MK the morning of 7/20 and check in late afternoon/evening of 7/20.


Questions:

1) Besides theming, is there any real difference between any of the value resorts if we are only staying overnight? I've never done any research on those because we always stay at Deluxe or off site. They are so similar in price and just wondering if any of the values are better than the others for the purpose of getting to MK in the morning.

2) Do I book our park hopper tickets using the value resort I choose, or the GF?

3) How would the meal plan play into this? I’m fine with cash pay for the first night, but would like to use the meal plan at MK before we check into the GF

4) What about Magic Bands? I don’t think we get them with the villa rental from David’s. Do we order those with the value resort?

5) What else do I need to be thinking about?


Appreciate any and all advice for a split stay (and points rental) newbie.

1.) Pop Century has dedicated bus service. Not all values have that, so that's a plus for getting to MK in the morning.

2.) I recommend buying the tickets either as part of a package with your value resort stay, or buying them independently and linking them to your value resort stay, as that is where you will be staying first.

3.) I don't know.

4.) You will get MBs with your value resort stay.

5.) Bring cash to tip porters for luggage transport between resorts.