Split Stay

[DznyCrzy11]

For those of you who have done a split stay, can you tell me the pro's and con's? I am thinking of possibly taking this approach in September. We have never done a split stay so I'm not quite sure how it would work. Also, we won't be driving, we will be flying and using the Magical Express to and from the airport so would they schedule the Magical Express to pick us up at the first resort and take us to the second resort? I'm thinking of starting off at POFQ and ending at the Poly. Any idea's or suggestions?

 

[AshleeH]

Pros:

~You get to see two different hotels in one trip (I enjoy seeing the differences in each of them).
~If your first choice is booked for one half of the week, you can still stay there for a few days (this was the deciding factor of us doing a split stay last year).
~Disney moves all of your luggage for you.


Cons:

~Even when the cast members say your tickets are good (for the day you change hotels) - don't listen! We were assured they would work and we would just need to check in (formally) to the other hotel after spending the day in the parks if we chose. Walked all the way from CR to MK and our tickets wouldn't work. Walked back to CR, got in the car, drove to WL, checked in and finally had valid tickets.
~The hassle of having to unpack/repack.
~Actually taking time away from the parks to get settled in again.


I would never try to talk anyone out of the decision because some people absolutely love it! However we will never do a Split Stay again, if we can help it.

ETA: I'm not sure if they would pick you up, but if you were wanting to end up at the Poly, you could always take a bus (or if that's not an option, take a bus to one of the parks and take the monorail since it's one of the big monorail resorts).

 

[Karabee]

I recently did a split stay in September and thought it was fine. We stayed at the WL and then POP. This was not planned at all since we were suppose to leave after the WL, but after another set of plans fell through - and with the flight booked - we decided to stay in POP.

Pros - getting a feel for two resorts, leaving your first hotel isnt nearly as sad!, if one hotel is closer to certain parks you can plan a bit around that, being a hotel person it added some fun to my trip

Cons - no free transportation to the second hotel - but we got a cab and it was great!

Disney will send your bags along so you can be out and about in a park and then head to your next hotel, but the bags may be a bit further behind than you. That's why we decided on the cab with our bags.

* In terms of the tickets - we had absolutely no issues at all. Started at MK, checked into hotel #2, and headed off to EPCOT without a problem at all. Our tickets stayed on our original room card.

(sorry so long!) Enjoy!

 

[Pakey]

Have done 4. I do not do packages so I don't have the hassle of tickets/meal credits.

We take a cab and move our own luggage. Bell services will move it (and you are expected to tip) but we had one bag go missing. It was found but what a hassle so now we move our own bags.

We are the types who do not unpack so moving is easy and we like the 2 for 1 experience. We also dine late and enjoy it when we can dine close to our resort so moving resorts gives us more options and less bus time.

 

[kappyfamily]

We are doing a double split in 36 days at beach club then bay lake tower then AKL. Eight nights total.

We are just taking a cab $20 at the most to bring us and our luggage to the next hotel.

Have fun!

 

[DznyCrzy11]

We are doing a double split in 36 days at beach club then bay lake tower then AKL. Eight nights total.

We are just taking a cab $20 at the most to bring us and our luggage to the next hotel.

Have fun!

I know I'm a bit late but how was it? We ended up booking just the Poly again this year, to avoid any hassle and because we love that resort so much, but with prices increasing the way they are I'm not sure if that will work next year, plus I would kind of like to try one of the EPCOT resorts.

 

[wdwrich]

DW and I love split stays, as long as the total trip is at least 6 days or more. There's really no reason to lose any touring time on the day you switch resorts. Let bell services pick up your bags first thing in the morning and go off to a park as usual. When you leave the park later that day, just head to the new resort and check in. Once you're in your room, call for your bags.

We've also done split stays with a rental car. Just brought or bags to resort #2 early in the morning, left them with bell services and went off to whatever park we planned for that day. It really isn't much of a hassle at all, and it's like getting two vacations in one!

 

[Masonmj84]

For me, the biggest pro is the convenience factor. While that may seem counterintutive (since you have the inconvenience of having to change resorts), let me explain by using a hypothetical:

We have a trip planned this December with my parents. Mom is not an early riser (on top of that, they're flying in from the West coast). The rest of us are early risers (generally, RD fanatics) and our kids are young and can't handle staying up too late. We have an ambitious schedule planned. For example, we have tickets for MVMCP and an 8:15 ADR at CRT the very next morning. We've also booked the Fantasmic Dinner Package for another night and plan to stay for Illuminations on yet another night. We also have signature dinners planned for many nights. In addition, Cape May breakfast is a "must do" for us.

We'd also like an easy commute back to our resort for some mid-afternoon R&R time (e.g., naps, pool, etc.).

How to pack all this in and still keep everyone relatively happy (e.g., mom not up too early, kids not up too late)?

A MK resort/EP resort split stay (e.g., Poly/BC, CR/YC, GF/BWI, etc.). With some careful advanced planning, such a split stay can enable mimimal commute times (less than staying at any single resort). No long waits for busses after evening shows. In fact, we'd theoretically be able to avoid the busses altogether except on our AK day.

And I don't see the transfer day as a huge problem. Simply check bags with bell services, head to a park, and then check into the new resort in the afternoon. For example, if doing a Poly/BC split, simply check bags with Poly bell services, hop on the Monorail to Epcot, enjoy a day at the park, and then walk over to the BC to check in (can even bring a small bag with swim wear into the park).

To me, the biggest downside is getting a dining plan on both ends of the split without overpaying for tickets (because, for the second leg, you either have to upgrade someone to an AP or get a 1 day MYW ticket for everyone). We do DxDP (although this might be our last time, given the price increases). It would really be more cost effective for us to, at most, do a DP on the first end of the split and pay OOP on the second. But, with my parents, it's going to be impossible to pay OOP for any meals because my dad's likely to have a coronary when he sees the menu prices (so unless I tell him I got a special "deal" and the meals are already paid for, I'll either get a lecture about being crazy to pay those prices and/or my parents will stop eating with us).

 

[goofy4tink]

I do them all the time. The worst one??? One night at Kidani, four nights at BWV, two nights at Kidani, four nights at Pop (free dining), two nights at BWV. I had my reasons for doing it that way, but man, it got confusing. Don't think I could have done it if my family had been with me.
Doing it again in Dec..one night at AoA, five nights at SSR, final night at BWV.
I usually hand off my bags by 7:30am, then go get some breakfast. I head to a park for the morning, and head to the new resort around lunchtime. I get checked in. I no longer expect my bags to be at the new resort until after 5, no matter what Bell Services tell me.
So, if you have something you are going to need, out of your bags, later in the day??? Take it with you to the new resort and you can leave it with Bell Services there...that way you'll have access to it.

Or, just take a cab and keep your bags with you.

 

[ChrissyBeth29]

We did one in April 0f 2011 and it was GREAT. We started off at ASM(family suite). We stayed there one night, then, as planned, checked out and transferred our luggage to BWV for 7 nights. Since we were going to Epcot, we just took the bus there and walked through to the other end when we wanted to check in. We were lucky though and did not have our room tickets on our KTTW card. Two days before we were leaving, I called Magical Express and told them of the new pick up point. Our luggage was delivered within a reasonable amount of time and nothing was missing! We really enjoyed seeing two more resorts. We would definitely do it again...