Split Stay

sethschroeder

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 24, 2013
Good show going over the benefit of the split stay for those possibly interested. It was interesting to hear about the past experience of being driven to the new resort for free it sounds like.

One thing I didn't hear brought up was the downfall of luggage delays. The closest I had to a split stay was going from a 2BR to a 1BR at AKV. Originally had planned OKW but with Dorian on the horizon to make landfall the day we were switch hotels snuck in to a 2BR at AKV instead.

Great point to stay at MK for part of the trip and Epcot the other part.
 
I did a few split stays. I've done my moves to the new resort several different ways. I've done by taxi, where I just bring all the luggage myself, I've done by fiends, and bring luggage then too. I've also done via Bell Services at old resort, told them I'm going to new resort, and taken off for a park, going to new resort later, going to Bell Services after checking in, then having them bring luggage to new room for me. Of course, this was all in the days when you sill had to go to the Front Desk to check in/get your key, and before Magic Bands. Don't remember having any major problems, anytime, any way, I did it.
 
I am doing a split stay in April and was planning on bringing all my stuff to bell services ( we are at poly) and then going to water park until room is ready at beach club. Assumed that from 9am- 3pm my luggage would get there. Is this a dumb plan?
 
I am doing a split stay in April and was planning on bringing all my stuff to bell services ( we are at poly) and then going to water park until room is ready at beach club. Assumed that from 9am- 3pm my luggage would get there. Is this a dumb plan?
I would have bell services come and pick them up for you. Call and schedule a time for pick up sometime during the day before. They will transport to the BC for you. I worked well for us on our transfer from OKW to BCV a couple of weeks ago. It may take a little longer than 3 to get there.
 


That was a real informative show! I always thought that a split stay would be inconvenient, but having them transfer your luggage and possibly bringing you to the resort makes it seem much more appealing. Also basing your resort choice around what park you want to go to also makes a lot of sense, in addition to staying a few nights at a higher point resort and picking a lesser point one to make the most use of your points. The biggest con to this would be the packing and unpacking, but for longer stays this makes a lot of sense particularly for making one vacation seem like two.
 
First time I did a split stay I had bell services bring the luggage over, which was super-convenient. They even took what was in our frig to the new place. However, we almost went to our dinner reservation in the clothes we wore to the parks all day and later over our bathing suits because the luggage took so long to get to the new room. The luggage made it just in the nick of time, but we were stressing a little bit. So on the next split we took a cab over to the new place with the luggage first thing and left it there at bell services, with bathing suits in an easy-to-reach place in case we got back there before our room was ready. One other time in the "overlap zone" on dining credits, I wanted to use one credit from the first dining plan and a credit from the second dining plan at a two-credit ADR. They worked it out, but it took a bit. I also was able to move remaining snack credits from my first plan to the second - just required an extra stop at the front desk. All in all, I really recommend doing it. We don't quite do a 50-50 split - maybe two nights one place and 4-5 at a second. That way, we haven't completely demolished our packing job before having to move. But I like being in the proximity of the parks we're going to be visiting to cut down on bus rides; for example, WL for MK, then Boardwalk/BC for Epcot/HS, or Jambo House for AK, then onto a different area.
 
I was very interested in this as we're thinking of doing a split stay for the first time in 2021. Did I hear correctly that in order to do a split stay you have to make two separate reservations at your home resort at the 11 month mark? Or can you just modify your one reservation rather than making two?
 


Does the luggage get delivered to your hotel? Has room been ready at 4 or later?
 
What is the advantage of having them pick up the day before- does it arrive sooner?
 
One more thing about a split stay.... There is that whole “homeless” feeling on moving day. If you’re someone who likes to take a break from the parks during the heat of midday, you may not have a room to go to. Need to be OK with relaxing at the pool, since your room may not be ready until after 5pm.
 
Does the luggage get delivered to your hotel? Has room been ready at 4 or later?
It does get delivered if you are there. Skier Pete was right that they won't deliver the luggage to your room if you're not there.

As with all checkin, whether it's arrival or split, there is no guarantee your room will be ready by 4pm. It's supposed to be, but we've all heard stories about people not getting into their room by 4pm.

I've done multiple splits and every time, my room has been ready before 4pm. That said, I was never in a position to need that to be the case.

Probably risky to bank on getting access to something you need for the evening as previous posters have mentioned.
Did I hear correctly that in order to do a split stay you have to make two separate reservations at your home resort at the 11 month mark? Or can you just modify your one reservation rather than making two?
You don't have to make two separate reservations, but it would make your life easier.

You can't split a single booking into two parts once it's booked. It would essentially be dropping days and rebooking those days at 7 months. With splitting your original 11-month home reservation into two, you're never at risk of losing the days entirely. The modify function on the booking tool allows the reservation to be held until the new reservation is secured. No risk of suddenly being without a room when you switch the resort.

Keep in mind that if you split a stay 5 days and 5 days, for example, they are treated as separate reservations and your second 5-day window does not open until the first day of that 5 day window at 7-months. That second 5-day booking does not benefit from the first 5 days "attached", if that makes sense.
One more thing about a split stay.... There is that whole “homeless” feeling on moving day. If you’re someone who likes to take a break from the parks during the heat of midday, you may not have a room to go to. Need to be OK with relaxing at the pool, since your room may not be ready until after 5pm.
My preference is always to do an all day park day on the split. The kind of stay where as long as my room is ready when I go back to sleep, I'm good. Say I do a split between PVB and Riviera. I'll do MK while at PVB and then on the morning of the move, I'll drop my bags off (or call for pickup, though that could take longer), and then head to AK, or DHS and spend all day there before heading back well after 4pm to my room, which should (famous last words) be ready by then.

If I plan a resort day, I won't move on that day.
 
Can we online check-in to both resorts ahead of time? or should we not online check in to our second reservation until we are done with the first?
 

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