Split Stay/Package Questions

[GeorgiaHoo]

We have reservations at Yacht Club with the free dining plan for a trip from October 26-November 1, checking in to Yacht Club on the 26th. We are flying in to Orlando on the 25th and currently have a room at the Doubletree Suites in Downtown Disney. We were going to stay there one night before going on to Yacht Club the next day. However, we can book a room at Port Orleans Riverside for about $50 more for the 25th, and once you subtract the money we'll save using DME instead of taking a cab the difference is only $20-30. So here are my questions if we want to stay at Port Orleans:

1. When we try to book Port Orleans under the my existing Disney account I get a message that my existing package at Yacht Club will be canceled. Can I create a new account -- say in my wife's name -- and book the room only at Port Orleans for the 25th using that account? Will we get in "trouble" with Disney if we do that? My recollection is that if you have a dining plan you are supposed to have it the entire time you are at Disney.

2. If we are able to book Port Orleans how do you arrange DME for a split stay? What if we book under two different accounts? I assume we can have DME take us to Port Orleans then arrange for the trip back to the airport when we get to Yacht Club?

3. We've never had a split stay but I believe that Disney will transfer our luggage from Port Orleans to Yacht Club, correct? How do we make that happen and what has been your experience with luggage transfer?

Thanks in advance. My primary concern here is not losing our Yacht Club package. We'd like to stay at Port Orleans if at all possible but can live with Doubletree.

 

[AngiTN]

There is no reason you can't book a single night at POR before your package starts at YC. Are you sure the dates on the POR are just a single night? Sounds like it's trying to overlap them.
We did exactly what you want to do on a trip in May. I booked it all online.
We spent 1 night at AoA before checking in to CR, then moving to YC after that. We used ME to AoA and then departed from YC. We asked Bell Services to just leave our bags for the night, instead of delivering them just to pick them back up that next morning. They had no problem doing that. We had brought a carry on with the items we needed for the one night. Disney transferred both the ME luggage and the carry on bags for us from AoA to CR. They'll tell you how long the transfer will take when you arrange it. They have a schedule for moving the bags

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Did you have the dining plan? Wonder if that makes a difference. Thanks for the response.

 

[AngiTN]

Did you have the dining plan? Wonder if that makes a difference. Thanks for the response.

I didn't but it won't matter. People book single nights before their packages all the time.
Especially when they fly in late and need a less expensive Value room just to spend a night before a more expensive Deluxe stay.
If you are positive that MDE is only booking for 1 night and you are still getting a message about it cancelling your other stay just call. They will do it on the phone. But watch those default dates on MDE. It will make it for like 5 or 6 nights, if you don't change it.