Split stay...yay or nay?

[thanxfornoticin]

Yea, split stays are clearly not for everyone, but we do them almost every trip. With some planning, it's not so bad on transfer day. We'll spend 3-4 days at one resort and enjoying AK, then we'll move to a new resort with very close proximity to EP/HS. It's like starting the vacation new. But until you've done it a couple times to work out the logistics, I can understand it's a little intimidating, perhaps. With Disney having the perk that they'll move the luggage if needed, we just check out, enjoy the day at the park or pool, and then go to the new resort.

 

[hardcorestitch]

I will have cold groceries. Can a Minnie Van transport luggage with us?

Unfortunately no, it’s going to end up your responsibility to transfer your cold items to the next resort. Bell Services at your next resort can hold your items once you get to the next resort.

 

[_19disnA]

Many older threads on this topic, some like doing this, others don't. Doubt that any of the comments will change your mind about what works best for your family. We like to unpack ONCE at the start of our vacation no matter where we are and only pack on the final day when departing. For longer stays, keeping your dirty clothes separate and then trying to pack/unpack them can be a hassle. You are also without a room for some portion of the day when you are relocating. If you have been to Disney many times, you probably already know the optimum length of stay that works best for your family.

 

[WLWildlife]

Unfortunately no, it’s going to end up your responsibility to transfer your cold items to the next resort. Bell Services at your next resort can hold your items once you get to the next resort.

I know it's my responsibility, that's why I asked if Minnie Van could move our luggage with us when we transferred to another resort or if they just move people.

 

[eticketplease]

I will have cold groceries. Can a Minnie Van transport luggage with us?

That shouldn’t be a problem since minnievans do airport runs for concierge people

 

[eticketplease]

Unfortunately no, it’s going to end up your responsibility to transfer your cold items to the next resort. Bell Services at your next resort can hold your items once you get to the next resort.

Why do you say this? Minivans are just glorified lyfts that have access to areas on Disney property that regular lyfts/ubers don’t.

 

[WLWildlife]

That shouldn’t be a problem since minnievans do airport runs for concierge people

Thank you!

 

[kylenne]

While I agree that split stays are not for everyone, and it may seem stressful or intimidating if you’ve not done one before, just a modicum of planning and organization will make moving day go smoothly and the pros to me vastly outweigh the minimal cons. I do split stays nearly every trip, usually between a Crescent Lake and a monorail resort. For me it’s a convenience and vibes thing, as I enjoy both resort areas a lot for the proximity to 3 parks but have a preference for MK resorts for longer stays (I determined a long time ago that 4 nights is my upper limit for the Crescent Lake resorts before I start getting antsy and the things I don’t like about them begin to outweigh the conveniences).

As an example our May trip was 10 days, we spent the first 3 nights at BWI and then switched to Poly for the rest of the trip, 5/28-6/3. We didn’t do the water park on arrival day because our friend had to connect in Detroit and landed after us, so our time was shorter. Also it was the day before Memorial Day. We all used packing cubes organized by resort and only popped the BWI ones into the drawers to unpack. Dirty clothes went into laundry bags as we went. Come moving day all we had to do was pack up the empty cubes, toiletries, charging cords and miscellaneous bric a brac that accumulates in Disney resort rooms (mugs, popcorn bucket, etc). It took around 20-25 minutes for 3 adult women. We called Bell Services, CM came and got our huge load of stuff (5 suitcases, 3 personal item bags, 3 lightsabers, and our water/snacks). We only took pool bags for the water park with us, with essentials (meds, etc). We headed to Cake Bake shop for breakfast and then hit Typhoon Lagoon. Got our room ready text for Poly around noon. Me and my gf have AirTags in all our luggage so we knew exactly where our stuff was, and saw that it got to Poly by the time we left at 3. We did a second IC order from the water park and just had Bell Services bring everything up when we got there. It could not have been smoother or simpler but a lot of that is me and my gf are old hats at this and know how to pack.

We also waited until the Poly portion of the trip to order perishables from Instacart. The initial curbside pickup we did on arrival day was non perishable snacks, clif bars etc and bottled water. None of us had meds that needed refrigeration though.

The only reason I’m not doing one next week is because it’s only Wed-Sun and mainly about enjoying views from the Poly tower and the holiday festivities. But when I go back for Labor Day I’m doing 2 days at CR before the Swan. This is mainly for ease of access to and from MK for the Halloween party. Otherwise I’d reverse it. The water park perk is absolutely a game changer for split stays, it was SUCH a relaxing day sleeping in after days of all the walking at Epcot and HS, having a nice sit down breakfast and chilling out. Normally we would have rope dropped a park and spent the room-less time there. But this was so great I plan to take advantage of it as long as they offer it.

 

[Simba's Mom]

The only way I will do a split is for the first night. We've done this in the past as kind of a happy accident where we had our DVC booked and then decided to come a day earlier but either didn't have enough points or DVC availability. We actually like to now book one separate day and get the dining plan for a night and get our refillable mugs, a meal we wouldn't want to pay for out of pocket, and then move to our resort the next day. The water park is an added bonus if you do it this way and you could choose to go wither the first or second day of the trip.

But then I like to unpack and get settled in and not move. I find a true split stay to be too disruptive.

I like doing this also, but I've never done it with the dining plan or water park. I find it's a good way to get a taste of a new (to me) resort. It's kind of fun to try something new for one night. But then, on the second day I know I'm going to transfer to the resort I wanted, unpack, and settle in.

 

[eticketplease]

I like doing this also, but I've never done it with the dining plan or water park. I find it's a good way to get a taste of a new (to me) resort. It's kind of fun to try something new for one night. But then, on the second day I know I'm going to transfer to the resort I wanted, unpack, and settle in.

Depending how long your trip is if you get the quick service dining plan that first night of the split stay it really is quite a savings considering it comes with the mug, which is good for 14 days or can be extended if staying longer. Even if you arrive late, the meal credits expire at midnight the next day so plenty of time to use them.