Split stays/ easy moving to 2nd resort?

[deelovesdis]

Hi ,

I really wanted a full stay at the BWV's but couldnt get my last two nights there, so I have to switch my stay to the AKV's.

Does anyone know if the transtion to the second resort is easy?

I read somewhere that you let the resort where you are currently staying know you are checking out and the bell captain takes your luggage to the new resort for you?

THey put it in your room, and all you have to do is go later to the resort to check in... Is this correct???

Does anyone know if its as if you are checking in as a new guest?

Thanks for any help,

Deedee

 

[TaraPA]

We've done split stays before, and it's 2 totally separate reservations. You will check out of BWV & take your luggage to bell services, and tell them to move it over to AKV. You can then go about your day, and later, go over to AKV to check-in there, and claim your bags at their bell services. (They will not take them to the room without you being there - however you can call bell service from the room once you're in it, to have them deliver). You also have the option of moving the luggage yourself by taxi, if you prefer to keep it with you at all times.

It's easy peasy & the only slight annoyance for us has been that either the room wasn't ready at the new resort (even by 4pm), or the luggage hadn't been transferred over yet when we got there, but those instances are rare. It will all work out - the hardest part for you is packing up the night before the move!

 

[spiceycat]

take a bag with everything you might need that day - sunscreen, prescriptions and over the counter stuff, sun glasses and swimming suit if you think you will be swimming at the new place.

I go immediately to the other resort - take which ever theme park is opening early and then get on the new resort bus. If you find that your room is ready then you can go back to the old room and bring stuff you can't live w/o.

For the few times that the room has not been ready - I just go back to the old room and stay there until check out time (11 AM). either bring your luggage to BS or call them and they will come and get your luggage (they expect a tip) - then tell the BS where you are going too. If you room is ready tell them the room number. (sometimes get faster that way)

when bs delivers your luggage to your room - again they are expecting a tip - so they will never deliver your luggage unless you are there. (the one exception is DME which takes care of their tip)

 

[goofy4tink]

They won't leave your bags in your room. The only time this happens is when you use DME for luggage handling. Otherwise, you have to be in your room to receive the bags. Why? Tipping purposes.
So, this is what I do. I hand off my bags as early as possible in the morning. I keep a bag with anything I may need during the day...change of clothes, swimsuit. There have been many times that although I handed my bags off at 7am, the bags didn't reach my new resort until close to 5pm!!! And if it's hot, I want to swim and cool off a bit.
Then, I head to a park for a few hours. And usually around lunchtime, I head to the new resort and get checked in. Sometimes the room is ready, sometimes not.
When I go this Dec, I think I may very well just take a cab between resorts. I don't want to have to wait for my bags to arrive much later. This way, I will at least have access to my bags during the day...even if my room isn't ready yet.

 

[ashleypmo]

I recommend marking your luggage in some very obvious, even obnoxious way. Disney transferred our luggage from ASMo to VWL perfectly and quickly. It was there waiting for us...only, not really for us--- it was waiting for the JONES family. They put their own resort-generated nametags on the luggage before transfer, and the labels printed out with the name of the guest that was checking into the ASMo after we checked out. The CMs at WL walked by our luggage repeatedly for several hours, but since it was marked w/ a different name, they didn't even consider the possibility that it was ours--- even though I described in detail "Large, green hardside Samsonite, bright red leather American Tourister bowling-bag style tote." One CM said that what clued her in was that another gal told her, "It's funny, because this luggage cart marked JONES exactly matches THEIR LUGGAGE."

We'll be transferring from AoA to AKV on our next trip. I will be wrapping all our bags with hot pink zebra striped duct tape prior to checking out of AoA.

 

[Sue M]

BWI Bell service will come to your room and get your luggage and take it down for transfer to new resort. After you check into your next resort inform Bell Service when you are in your room, and they will bring it up.

We prefer to check out early from first resort, have Bell Service call a cab for us, and we go (with our luggage) to new resort, & do early check in. If our room isn't ready, Bell Service holds our luggage. Resort will text you when room is ready.

 

[birmantaz]

Sorry to jump in here, but how much do you tip for transferring the bags? Thanks!

 

[deelovesdis]

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions!

I wonder if I pay the bell service guy his tip prior to leaving so he will leave my lugggage in the new room for me? I know they wont leave it because they want a tip, but what if I tip prior ??? Isnt the luggage going from one resort to the other?
The one thing I am not sure about , if the BellService guy at BWV brings my luggage to AKV, if the room isnt ready he would leave it with the Bell Service guy at AKV, so I would have to double tip, yes?

I will definitely think about which way I am going to go here. I might actually pack up everything and take my luggage with me and mark it. I wouldnt want my luggage to end up with the "Joneses" luggage.

Oh, Birmantaz, Last year I gave the Bell Cap $20 to bring up my luggage. it was a rack with about 3 suitcases , laptop case, 2 toiletry bags and some blankets. It was hard to push the rack and was pretty heavy. He was happy with the tip. He put the luggage on the rack and brought the luggage to the room and took it off the rack for me. Well worth the money to me, I am partially disabled, so I was very happy!

I dont know if that was a good tip or not, but he seemed happy and thanked me several times.

If I will be doing an early check in, how far in advance do I need to inform the front desk? Same thing with a check out? If I need a little later check out , do they allow that?

Thanks so much!
Dee

Dee

 

[Tigger's ally]

We love split stays because we feel like we have new things to explore. We do follow the old golden rule of never moving down in class so to speak. Mod first, deluxe next or Pop first, PoFQ second. We almost always have a car at our disposal whether we drive or fly and rent but this is what I do.

Call Bell service as soon as bags are ready. Keep one suitcase with swimsuits and things we "might" need. Send whole famdamily on to park of choice. I drive over to new resort and check in. If room is ready (only happened once) then I put suitcase in room. If not, I check it. Go about my buswax of meeting said family in park. They text me when room is ready. If we are ready before the room, we go to hotel, uncheck bag, go to poolhouse and change into suits and relax at pool. Me, I relax at pool bar.

When relaxing at pool bar, be sure not to tell family when text comes saying room is ready until you yourself are good and ready...

 

[Tigger's ally]

Sorry to jump in here, but how much do you tip for transferring the bags? Thanks!

Going rate is $2 per bag. But, when there are alot of the little disney bags/little duffle bags/sling bags, I don't adhere to that rule.

$2 per suitcase, $1 per little bag. My family usually has 3 bigs and around 4 lil ones = $10

 

[SharonZ]

Dee, I don't think tipping the bellservice in advance would make much of a difference. It is the same as a new reservation and I would just take a cab to AKV with my bags, check in, leave my bags, and call to have them delivered after I am in my new room. I know you can request a late checkout, but it's not guaranteed. I believe that the request is made through housekeeping, but I'm not sure that the same applies at the Villas as it does with a regular room.

 

[TaraPA]

I wonder if I pay the bell service guy his tip prior to leaving so he will leave my lugggage in the new room for me? I know they wont leave it because they want a tip, but what if I tip prior ??? Isnt the luggage going from one resort to the other?
The one thing I am not sure about , if the BellService guy at BWV brings my luggage to AKV, if the room isnt ready he would leave it with the Bell Service guy at AKV, so I would have to double tip, yes?

Dee

There are a lot of different people involved in Bell Services, so tipping one person ahead of time isn't likely to get you anything, since most likely a different person will actually handle your bags. You will tip the bellman who touches your bags at BWV (either called to come up to your room to retrieve them, or at the Bell Services desk when you drop them off), then tip the person that brings them to your room once you call at AKV, or the person that hands them to you at the AKV Bell Services desk. $1-$2 per bag is what we usually do, as someone else said if it's just a backpack or tote, $1 each, larger carry-ons or suitcases, $2 each.

So yes you'll be tipping twice. Might be just as cost effective to take the bags over yourself in a taxi. But then if AKV room isn't ready, you have to store them there with Bell Services, which will warrant a tip.

Late check-out is generally not an option at any DVC resort, if someone who is DVC can chime in, I think it's actually not permitted at all.

 

[deelovesdis]

Ok, Looks like I am packing early and having the Bell Service take my luggage downstairs and taking it with me to AKV. Leaving it with the Bell cap at AKV and coming back later. I will take one bag with me. It is way too hot in August for me to go to the parks early. We hang in the pool and go to the parks late afternoon , early eve and take advantage of those EMH nights when it is cooler.

Does anyone know if the DVC Villas allow an early or late check in /check out?

Tigger' s Allay you are too funny! I like the way you think! LOL

 

[Mamato3Princes]

Everyone else described the process but I just wanted to say that, yes, the process is very easy. Well, it was for us! Speaking of tipping- When we transferred to BWV my DH was on the phone and I was trying to bathe our boys when bell services brought our bags up. We were so preoccupied and distracted that when he brought the bags in we forgot about tipping. The guy was slowly backing out the door saying over and over again, "are you sure there's nothing else?". Finally DH was like, "Oh yeah, give him this!" and handed me the tip. The guy broke out in the hugest grin and ran out the room so fast after he snatched the money . I'm sitting here chuckling about it. It may sound like he was being rude... but you had to be there . Anyway, so yeah- split stays are pretty easy! We would definitely do another one. Enjoy your trip!

 

[birmantaz]

Thank you!!

 

[Tltorrez]

We're also doing a split stay between BWV and AKV. It will be our first split stay so I've been doing a lot of research on this subject, reading old threads. The biggest complaints seem to be from people who hang around the resort and the room wasn't ready early enough.

Honestly, we're not hanging around the resort at all. I trust Disney not to lose my luggage. Or to compensate me well if they do. (We have a running joke in our house that the best thing that could happen on a vacation is for DME to lose our luggage.

Anyway, we're planning to give the luggage to Bell Services and spend the full day at DHS - rope drop to 8pm (or whenever we're done with Osborne Lights). I'm sure our room will be ready by then. No stress. No wasted time. That's the whole reason I pay to stay onsite in a Deluxe resort.

Just my 2 cents.