Split Stay - Would you do this?

[Lisa3]

We are planning our 20th anniversary trip in the beginning of Nov. and hope to stay at the Polynesian again. We are planning on 8 nights and will book a garden view room as we did on our last trip. My question is has anyone ever split their stay at the same resort between a regular room and concierge? I would love to add a little something special to this trip but just can't manage concierge rates for the entire trip. DH thinks I am crazy to want to pack up the entire room and be essentially "homeless" for part of a day waiting to check into a new room. On the other hand we will have our 3 kids and could arrange our Character Breakfasts during our stay in the regular room and be able to take advantage of the goodies in concierge during the latter part of the trip. Would the resort handle transfering our luggage even if it just to another room in the same resort or do you all think I am crazy too? (Maybe I shouldn't ask that!)

 

[All Aboard]

Here's our only story with split stay, and it may not apply since it's two resorts. But, this past January we had 4 nites at WL followed by 4 nites at AKL. We've been doing the 8 night trip in January for quite a few years, and I thought I'd give a split stay a try. In retrospect, I wouldn't do it again. It actually made the trip feel shorter for some reason. I thought it would feel like two vacations (you know the sum of the parts being greater than the whole) but it didn't. I would have much preferred to be in either for the full 8 nights. That getting "fully settled in" feeling on those trips makes them feel nice and long. We didn't really have a homeless problem, but the move eliminated most of the touring that day. We got out of our room at WL at about 10:30 and our room was ready at AKL when we got there. After re-unpacking and settling in it was already pushing 1:00.

But, two rooms in the same resort. That might be better.

 

[Kallison]

I keep trying to talk DH into a split stay but he always says no way, for the reasons that gcurling had. Too much of a hassle to pack up and re-check in. The same resort should be really simple, just leave your stuff in the room and when you come back you will be in a new room. Frankly from what I've read about coincerge at Disney, I doubt I would even bother.

 

[Lexxiefern]

I switched resorts during my last stay and I would never do it again (we switched from the Epcot area to the MK area and we much preferred the Epcot area). BUT, switching within the same resort we are doing our next trip. We will be at the BW villas for the first half and then switch to the BW Inn. I am hoping it will be no big deal. If you ask for late checkout (1pm) and early checkin (1pm) you won't even lose the room during the day. I am just going to request the early checkin. We like to go back to the room midday to give the little one a nap

I think you will have no problem!

 

[PhilipP]

We almost always split stays when we visit. For us, it just makes it feel like we are getting more "magic" for the same money. Moving from one resort to another is pretty painless unless you absolutely cannot go from 11am to 3pm without a room. BUT, in our experiences we were always allowed to check in early at the 2nd hotel so this doesn't really apply. Maybe we're lucky.

It seems moving within the same resort would be even easier, but I have never done it. IMO, any opportunity to stay in concierge is definitely worth it.

Also, the Polynesian would hold your luggage until you checked into the 2nd room.

 

[scottygirl]

We are splitting our stay between AKL and YC (I know I have to fix my countdown). We are changing resorts on a "pool" day so we won't be missing time at the parks. I am just going to pack a small tote with bathing suits and sun lotion so that we can just move from one pool to the other. Also I am requesting late check out if possible that way there will only be two hours window between check out and check in.

 

[cottontail]

Hi: We did this for our 25th anniv family trip. First 4 nights at the animal kingdom lodge in a savannah view room. Which we really enjoyed.

The morning we moved we had our car so we loaded it up, drove to the animal kingdom park, spent half a day there and then headed over to the poly.

It was for 6 nights. In the begiinning we had a garden room only, and as time got closer I was able to change our ressie to a great code for $45.00 more a night move to gardenview concierge. We loved it, the availability of snacks and small meals all day was fab. The view of the magic kingdom castle, grand fl and cont. is fab from the lounge in the hawaii bldg.

I think with little ones the breakfast, snacks fruit, juice, soda, bottled water and a light meal at dinner time, also deserts at around 8 p.m. would be a great asset. You can take what your family will eat back to your room,

Now being from canada with the huge exchange rate on our money we were not booking any special sit down meals, just quick meals, so we ended up eating most of our meals at the poly. Lunch we would buy in whatever park we were in. But we were eating lighter as it was in the high 90's and the food was great. We ended up doing less park days than we had expected due to the extreme heat and everyone wanted to hang out at the poly most of the day and just plain relax, so that is what we did. So having the snacks and drinks, bottled water and the complimentary refrigerator in our room everything was great.

With little ones I would still do a character breakfast, maybe in one of the parks you will visit, but do this when you are staying room only, or you could do it while staying concierge, but eat the breakfast they offer and pick as late a time as possible for your character breakfast and use it as a brunch/lunch.

We just loved our time at the poly, if I could go back again I loved the animal kingdom lodge, but if I had one resort to pick it would be the poly for its tropical atmosphere and large grounds. I was glad to have had the experiences at the two different resorts.

Deb.

 

[jel0511]

I've moved resorts before and only would do it if I was going to be at WDW for 10 nights or more. The first time we did it, we were at WDW for 10 nights and it helped keep the vacation fresh. This past time, we were there for 7 nights and it did feel rushed and we didn't get a chance to settle in anywhere.
A note to Lexxiefern: None of the DVC resorts or Home Away from Home resorts allow for a late check out regardless of staying on cash or points. Due to the large size of the rooms, they need extra time to allow for cleaning of the unit for the next guest.

 

[Joan S.]

Hi, I would say split the stay, it is a good way to try out concierge! And the Concierge at the Poly is EXCELLENT!! I am sure you will love it! You also have the right idea about doing the more expensive meals before you stay in the concierge.We stayed at the Poly concierge in Feb.(we checked in very late and were even given an upgrade to a lagoon view!)for the first time and the breakfast and nitetime selections were more than adequate! WE would have a big meal for lunch and then a light dinner if anyone was still hungry after the 5pm selections.We showed up for desserts one nite and were the only ones in the lounge for a while!! (it was a Sat. and I guess most people were at the MK)The concierge is also a good way to go if you are early risers,breakfast is ready and waiting as soon as you are!! Joan

 

[SuzEm]

We split our 8 night stay in 2000 between CSR and WL and it went very smoothly. I really enjoyed experiencing two resorts. We had breakfast at Park Fare, then went to WL and checked in. This trip I'd planned to stay 7 nights at CBR and not do a split, but with the discounts that I've been able to apply, I've added 3 nights, and now we're going to move over to AKL Savannah view for our last two nights. The last day I added just to have a "rest" day before we make the drive home. What better place to spend a day relaxing and enjoying the resort than AKL! For me it's worth the trouble to move just to experience my daughter's excitement at watching the animals from our balcony. Transferring inside the same resort should be no trouble at all!

 

[WDW2000]

I always split stays of 7nts or more between 2 resorts and would recommend it to anyone like me who enjoys the resorts as much as the parks. However, I would never switch from 1 room to another in the same resort unless I was going from a standard room to suite. Just a thought - but couldn't you just ask to stay in the same room and just pay the extra fee for concierge for the last part of your trip? Unless the rooms are drastically different, I don't think it would be worth it - you might be setting yourself up for dissapointment if your first room is in a great location, and then your second room is not.

 

[Elk34]

Why not try to keep your regular room and just see if you can add Concierge as an upcharge? That's what we did last week at WL. We were in a 5th floor room but had access to the Concierge level (7th) for food and services. Maybe you could have the concierge added as an upcharge for just part of your stay and then you wouldn't have to move. That's easier for the resort too because it takes a lot more for housekeeping to prepare a room for a new guest than just do the uupkeep for an existing guest.