Split Stay: WDW to Universal... and Then Back to WDW?

[rhoni88]

We're planning our honeymoon for September 2019 and I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about this... I basically want to begin and end at Disney (because DME and I just really love Disney), but we want to spend a couple days at Universal since we have never been. This is the plan I'm considering:

Contemporary: Saturday 9/7 thru Thursday 9/12
Royal Pacific: Friday 9/13 and Saturday 9/14
AK: Sunday 9/15 and Monday 9/16

Staying at a Universal hotel on a Friday and Saturday would save a bit of money, compared to a deluxe resort at Disney, but I'm also assuming it'll just be a lot easier at the end of the night to walk/boat 15 minutes to our room, rather than figure out how to get back to Disney. I also think the free express unlimited pass is worth it (for us).

Has anyone done something similar before? If so, was it manageable?

 

[Haley R]

Are you dead set on beginning and ending at Disney? We did our honeymoon in Orlando, too. We started at Universal and then ended at Disney and it was perfect. I wouldn't want to keep moving around.

 

[coast2coastmickey]

Are you dead set on beginning and ending at Disney? We did our honeymoon in Orlando, too. We started at Universal and then ended at Disney and it was perfect. I wouldn't want to keep moving around.

We did this. Do this, OP

 

[rwdavis2]

Are you dead set on beginning and ending at Disney? We did our honeymoon in Orlando, too. We started at Universal and then ended at Disney and it was perfect. I wouldn't want to keep moving around.

I would recommend this. That's how we do both.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

As others have suggested, start at Uni and end at WDW. As for DME, no matter how you slice it, you'll have to take two car rides for the Uni portion of the trip (either from airport and then to WDW or, as you originally have it, from WDW and back to WDW again), so I would take DME out of the equation in making a decision here.

 

[Haley R]

You could always just take DME back to the airport when your trip is over but would still need a way to get from the airport to universal and from universal to Disney.

 

[coast2coastmickey]

You could always just take DME back to the airport when your trip is over but would still need a way to get from the airport to universal and from universal to Disney.

Uber/Lyft/taxi. Easy peasy. Or rent a car

 

[Lesley Wake]

Uber/Lyft/taxi. Easy peasy. Or rent a car

Yeah, less than $30 from MCO to WDW, probably less than that to get to USO!

You can still do the Split between contemporary and AK, but then you will be able to take advantage of one day to book ADRs and FPS, rather than having two different days for each stay!

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

We did a split stay last year, three nights Universal (at Royal Pacific!) then over to Disney. We did it this way as we were taking granddaughter and she is a Harry Potter buff. It all worked out well, but just my opinion packing up and moving once was more than enough. By the time you pack up, get to the next resort, check in and wait for the room to be ready, it is at least a half day wasted, possibly more. We drove but if flying I probably wouldn't rent a car, all resorts charge to park and once you are at either place you don't need or want to take out the car. The only time we did was a quick trip to WalMart to stock up on breakfast foods, snacks, bottled water, etc. (if it was just the two of us we wouldn't have bothered but for five people all on our nickel it saved a lot!) Take Uber or taxi to move and airport.

We have stayed at Royal Pacific twice and really love it. It is an easy and beautiful 10 minutes or so walk from resort to parks, and we loved the boat service and City Walk at night. And you will LOVE the express pass! RP is such a relaxing feel resort with beautiful tropical grounds.

 

[cadawson]

We're planning our honeymoon for September 2019 and I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about this... I basically want to begin and end at Disney (because DME and I just really love Disney), but we want to spend a couple days at Universal since we have never been. This is the plan I'm considering:

Contemporary: Saturday 9/7 thru Thursday 9/12
Royal Pacific: Friday 9/13 and Saturday 9/14
AK: Sunday 9/15 and Monday 9/16

Staying at a Universal hotel on a Friday and Saturday would save a bit of money, compared to a deluxe resort at Disney, but I'm also assuming it'll just be a lot easier at the end of the night to walk/boat 15 minutes to our room, rather than figure out how to get back to Disney. I also think the free express unlimited pass is worth it (for us).

Has anyone done something similar before? If so, was it manageable?

I think - it is your honeymoon, so do it the way you would like to! You have a nice long stay at Contemporary planned - you’ll get to enjoy MK and easy monorail to EP. We love Royal Pacific! You can take it easy with Express Pass included in your stay - also enjoy the pool there. Then, focus on AK with you AKL portion. Any chance you could tag on one more night at AKL? Just don’t overpack. I’d do your plan if it was just me and my DH- it’s harder to do now w 2 kids. We prefer to stay at least 3-4 nights on each leg of a split stay now.

 

[rhoni88]

I think - it is your honeymoon, so do it the way you would like to! You have a nice long stay at Contemporary planned - you’ll get to enjoy MK and easy monorail to EP. We love Royal Pacific! You can take it easy with Express Pass included in your stay - also enjoy the pool there. Then, focus on AK with you AKL portion. Any chance you could tag on one more night at AKL? Just don’t overpack. I’d do your plan if it was just me and my DH- it’s harder to do now w 2 kids. We prefer to stay at least 3-4 nights on each leg of a split stay now.

I assume this will be our last trip before we add kids to the mix, so I think we may just go for it. There's no way I'd attempt it with small children in tow. If we start at Universal, I'll just be waiting for it to end so we can get to Disney. Plus, our time at AKL will be the most "leisurely" leg of the trip, so I think we'd look forward to that as a nice ending. Adding another day to AKL would actually be great! I'll see what I can talk him into...

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions!!!