Split Stay tips?

[kylenne]

Where do you find the packing cubes? Amazon?

Yes you can find a ton of sets on Amazon. I use the Away ones right now just because they are made specifically to fit their luggage but before I got those I used eBags and Eagle Creek. eBags frequently has cashback on Rakuten so I ordered that set from their website.

 

[notatallmagic]

We've been doing split stays since the pandemic so we get a clean room mid-trip. . We've always had Disney transport our luggage to the new resort, and have never had a problem. They also have transported groceries, and that had worked well - but not sure if they still do that?

If you'd like Bell Services to come get your stuff from your room, call early Otherwise, take everything to Bell Services when you leave that morning (we've always done a park day). We are pretty much park warriors on our transfer days, but have always had our room ready when we returned, usually early evening.

And yes, pack intentionally - We typically have three backpacks and one large checked bag that we use as a dirty laundry hamper. That bag gets all the extras (toiletries, etc) for the move, with fresh clothes for the rest of the trip going into the backpacks. And my kids still love Pop and the Skyliner, so we usually start there for the Epcot reports, and then move to something else after three nights. It's been super fun to explore the different resorts! We have a Pop/Port Orleans French Quarter split stay coming up in 29 days!!!

 

[Rich M]

Doing a split stay next week actually 3 different resorts total. Has anyone ever dropped off bags the night before? I was thinking about doing this since I will have a rental car. I have stored luggage for 4 days before while on a cruise but never dropped off the day before checking in. Anybody ever do it?

 

[Aela]

We are doing a split stay swapping from AKL-KV to BRV @WL. That night we are doing our anniversary dinner at Cali Grill at 6pm. We should have our room and bags by 5pm to change before dinner, right? We’re doing AK that day and wanted to go clean up and check into our room around 4pm.

 

[loves to dive]

Doing a split stay next week actually 3 different resorts total. Has anyone ever dropped off bags the night before? I was thinking about doing this since I will have a rental car. I have stored luggage for 4 days before while on a cruise but never dropped off the day before checking in. Anybody ever do it?

I don't think they would allow that. I always drive down so have a car with me. Depending on my mood and where I'm moving to, I either go ahead and move my car to resort #2 in the morning and store my luggage with the resort or just put it in my car and leave it at resort #1 until I'm ready to move to resort #2. I have never had anyone bother it in the car.

We are doing a split stay swapping from AKL-KV to BRV @WL. That night we are doing our anniversary dinner at Cali Grill at 6pm. We should have our room and bags by 5pm to change before dinner, right? We’re doing AK that day and wanted to go clean up and check into our room around 4pm.

They say they will deliver your bags by 4 but I wouldn't count on it. I've seen others say it has been after 5 before they got theirs.

To answer OP: Typically I go to a park on move day. I tend to stay in a value one or two nights at the front of my trip then move to an Epcot resort the rest of the stay (lately Dolphin). I use the value nights to go to AK and MK since you have to bus to AK no matter where you stay and unless you are staying at a Bay Lake resort, are going to have to bus to MK. Bonus for me, Dolphin drops you off at TTC at MK so I prefer to knock it out while I have Disney buses. I always have a car so I just drive over to resort #2 after I've had breakfast, I'm an early riser even on vacation. I go ahead and go to the front desk just to let them know I'm there, I've noticed they tend to try to get your room ready earlier if they know are there. I also never pick any special room, just first available, I don't care about view. I always have PHs (right now an AP) so if the park I go to is too busy at 2 I hop somewhere else. Since I stay at Epcot resorts the second leg of my trip Epcot is usually my go to move day park but since it doesn't open until 10 or 11 now days I've switched that to HS. I can waste enough time until 2 there then walk over to Epcot if my room isn't ready.

 

[Aela]

I don't think they would allow that. I always drive down so have a car with me. Depending on my mood and where I'm moving to, I either go ahead and move my car to resort #2 in the morning and store my luggage with the resort or just put it in my car and leave it at resort #1 until I'm ready to move to resort #2. I have never had anyone bother it in the car.


They say they will deliver your bags by 4 but I wouldn't count on it. I've seen others say it has been after 5 before they got theirs.

To answer OP: Typically I go to a park on move day. I tend to stay in a value one or two nights at the front of my trip then move to an Epcot resort the rest of the stay (lately Dolphin). I use the value nights to go to AK and MK since you have to bus to AK no matter where you stay and unless you are staying at a Bay Lake resort, are going to have to bus to MK. Bonus for me, Dolphin drops you off at TTC at MK so I prefer to knock it out while I have Disney buses. I always have a car so I just drive over to resort #2 after I've had breakfast, I'm an early riser even on vacation. I go ahead and go to the front desk just to let them know I'm there, I've noticed they tend to try to get your room ready earlier if they know are there. I also never pick any special room, just first available, I don't care about view. I always have PHs (right now an AP) so if the park I go to is too busy at 2 I hop somewhere else. Since I stay at Epcot resorts the second leg of my trip Epcot is usually my go to move day park but since it doesn't open until 10 or 11 now days I've switched that to HS. I can waste enough time until 2 there then walk over to Epcot if my room isn't ready.

Makes sense. AK opens early, so we might head back to AKL to have Sanaa for lunch, then head to MK at 2pm. Maybe we’ll move our bags to WL during that two hours. We can’t take them on the bus can we? We have to Uber? Correct?

 

[Sue M]

We always plan a park day because you could be homeless for the day. Sometimes our room has been ready, and sometimes not ready until 3:00 or later.
We are packed the night before and get an early start to Uber/Lyft to new resort to drop off luggage. I like having my luggage at my resort for when we go back to our room.
We take resort transportation to whatever park we have planned from new resort.

 

[loves to dive]

Makes sense. AK opens early, so we might head back to AKL to have Sanaa for lunch, then head to MK at 2pm. Maybe we’ll move our bags to WL during that two hours. We can’t take them on the bus can we? We have to Uber? Correct?

No, you can't take them on the bus. You can get Disney to transfer them as others have noted so Uber is only necessary if you want to do it yourself.

 

[Sabine W.]

How long will Bell Services at Resort #1 hold on to luggage before you pick it up? Our split is BCV->AKL. We're planning to leave bags with bell services at BCV, go to Epcot, swing by BCV after Epcot, and then Uber our bags to AKL. Will there be a problem if our luggage stays at BCV until about 5pm?

 

[Rich M]

How long will Bell Services at Resort #1 hold on to luggage before you pick it up? Our split is BCV->AKL. We're planning to leave bags with bell services at BCV, go to Epcot, swing by BCV after Epcot, and then Uber our bags to AKL. Will there be a problem if our luggage stays at BCV until about 5pm?

I left my bags for 4 days so I don't think you will have a problem

 

[ktink]

We just returned home from a split stay. We stayed 3 nights at BWI and moved over to GF. We went to the parks the day we checked into GF. Our room ended up being ready at GF by noon. We went to our room around 3 to take a nap because it was deluxe resort after hours at Epcot. Our bags were there by 4. It was such an effortless transfer.
We’ve booked another split stay for this September staying at POFQ and Poly. I may change to YC as we loved being in the Epcot area.

 

[ktink]

@ Sabine W when we checked in to GF I asked Bell Services when they expected our bags to arrive. They said anytime between 3-6 but 6 being the ideal time frame. I told them that we would be going to Epcot for deluxe after hours and wouldn’t return until possible midnight, would that be a problem? They said absolutely not. They have people available 24/7 and will bring the bags at anytime that we requested them.

 

[gottalovepluto]

… They also have transported groceries, and that had worked well - but not sure if they still do that?

They abruptly stopped that last year. Like overnight abrupt. They will not transport groceries or cold items now. I think people have still gotten water flats moved though?

 

[notatallmagic]

They abruptly stopped that last year. Like overnight abrupt. They will not transport groceries or cold items now. I think people have still gotten water flats moved though?

I seem to remember that too. As long as they take my water!!! We are big water drinkers!

I can put my other food in my bags...(shhh....)

 

[XoxoAmy]

Be prepared to possibly not have your luggage until 5:00-6:00 if you use bell services to move your luggage to your next resort. If you want to have it with you as soon as your new room is ready I would suggest bringing it there with you in an Uber.

This. We did a split with WL and BLT. Our bags didn't arrive at BLT until close to 6pm. We are going in Feb and doing a triple split stay (ha!) and I plan to uber to the next resort both times with our bags to save time.

 

[XoxoAmy]

We've been doing split stays since the pandemic so we get a clean room mid-trip. .

Oh this is SO smart! Great point.

 

[XoxoAmy]

They abruptly stopped that last year. Like overnight abrupt. They will not transport groceries or cold items now. I think people have still gotten water flats moved though?

This is good to know. We will be moving from RR to VGF so uber it is!

 

[notatallmagic]

Oh this is SO smart! Great point.

Yeah, I don't do dirty rooms or dirty floors...blech. Even with taking off our shoes at the doors (always), it is nasty by about the fourth day. I. Just. Can't. Do. It. We've chattered alot on the Boards about Mousekeeping, but I don't go on vacation and pay what I do for a Disney Resort - and then have to pack cleaning supplies and clean (like a mop fits in my luggage...eyeroll). So, instead of fighting that uphill battle, we decided to do split stays. At least there's a clean room halfway through and a fresh supply of coffee! Yay!

 

[Shellyred8]

We've done lots of split stays and we always have disney move our luggage. They tell us it won't be at the new resort until sometime between 3-5pm. I think it's almost always been there in that window of time. We've started doing a lazy start/park day on move day and we almost always do AK on our move day. On move day we will sleep in a little and finish getting things packed up. Sometimes we grab breakfast at the hotel, sometimes we eat at AK. When we are ready to check out, we drop our bags off with bell services and hop on a bus to the park. Our split stays are usually between the EP resorts and the MK resorts and we plan our park days so we are at the parks closest to our resort so we don't have to take buses any more than absolutely necessary. This is why we do AK on our move day. We have to take a bus here regardless of where we stay, so we just do that on move day.

 

[kylenne]

We've done lots of split stays and we always have disney move our luggage. They tell us it won't be at the new resort until sometime between 3-5pm. I think it's almost always been there in that window of time. We've started doing a lazy start/park day on move day and we almost always do AK on our move day. On move day we will sleep in a little and finish getting things packed up. Sometimes we grab breakfast at the hotel, sometimes we eat at AK. When we are ready to check out, we drop our bags off with bell services and hop on a bus to the park. Our split stays are usually between the EP resorts and the MK resorts and we plan our park days so we are at the parks closest to our resort so we don't have to take buses any more than absolutely necessary. This is why we do AK on our move day. We have to take a bus here regardless of where we stay, so we just do that on move day.

I did that on my first split stay last year and it was great. AK on move day for the same reason. It was great only needing to take the bus to 1 park the whole trip. Also nice to get a room ready text while chilling in the AC with an adult beverage at Nomad Lounge.