Split stays, have you done this? Really torn!!

[myzel]

From the UK they are currently offering free dining for most of next year if you book now inclusive of park tickets but if it's a value no free dining, if it's a mod then free quick service and if it's a Deluxe then free Dining Plan. So we would do AoA first with no dining and would have to book our 2 week park ticket with the second part of the trip in order to get the dining included. I think I would need to book two separate bookings and start the park ticket early. People staying off property can buy the same park ticket and just activate it the first time they need to use it and it runs two weeks from then.

I think I would phone Disney to check all this before booking though just incase. Don't want stuck in a hotel with no park tickets that we can use! That would be sad!

OhioStateBuckeye that's interesting what you said about Pop, we liked Pop until one day we went back to POR for lunch for a little reminisce and after that Pop just annoyed us for the rest of the hols. That's the reason I'd want to do AoA at the start so you are going up a level rather than dropping down.

Does anyone have any experience of OKW or SSR? Can get the same deal on both and not finding anything that puts one infront of the other.

mo x

Location, location, location. OKW is a great resort nice atmosphere good pool bus service is nice, can't really say anything bad about it, the studios are a nice size. However... if you want to spend some time at DTD it is a short walk from SSR, newer resort same amenities with more bus stops and a bit more spread out.

The boat to DTD from OKW is a nice touch, I like it but it may be a bit too slow for some.

 

[chemnerd09]

I think your son will love AOA it looks great but I would have had enough after a few days especially in a LM room. I assume you are not getting a suite. If you were going for a suite it might swing my decision as you could get some alone time in the evening.

I feel the same way. We just got back from a split stay with 2 nights at the POP century, 5 nights at Saratoga Springs and 1 night at Art of Animation in a Little Mermaid room. I don't think I could handle having that room for more than 1 night. It would be great for younger kids, but I thought the decor was a bit much. I don't think we have ever done a trip that stayed at the resort the whole time in the 23 years I've been going to WDW. My mother manages to find really great deals but they only work for a certain number of nights which is why we move around a bit. If you're staying for 2 weeks, I'd split it if you could get a good deal. I know I would get bored with staying in one place for 2 weeks.

 

[Miss Mo]

Thanks everyone! Think we are going to do 5 nights AoA and 9 nights SSR. Just waiting for hubby's leave to be confirmed!!

 

[Ron from Michigan]

We have had many split stays over the years and really love it. We just returned last week from a 2 night stay at Bay Lake Towers, 6 nights at AKL and 2 nights at POR. We had a great time. I always do the on-line check in so we only have a short wait to get our new room. Disney also does a super job of moving your luggage to your new resort also. I say go for it.

 

[Miss Mo]

We have had many split stays over the years and really love it. We just returned last week from a 2 night stay at Bay Lake Towers, 6 nights at AKL and 2 nights at POR. We had a great time. I always do the on-line check in so we only have a short wait to get our new room. Disney also does a super job of moving your luggage to your new resort also. I say go for it.

Bay Lake Towers looks amazing! But WAY too expensive for us. Just don' t get any of the discounts over here that you guys seem to get unless I just have no idea how to sign up for them!? LOL!

I'm getting excited now so will actually cry if hubby doesn't get the leave period we need!!

mo x

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Originally Posted by Miss Mo
Bay Lake Towers looks amazing! But WAY too expensive for us. Just don' t get any of the discounts over here that you guys seem to get unless I just have no idea how to sign up for them!? LOL!

I'm getting excited now so will actually cry if hubby doesn't get the leave period we need!!

mo x

You are so right Miss Mo BLT is really expensive. We are DVC owners so we just use our points to stay at BLT, AKL etc. One thing to think about is renting points to stay at a DVC resort. You can rent points for $12 or lower most of the time. We did this many years ago before we became DVC owners ourselves.

 

[Miss Mo]

OH NO!!!!

I have just gone to book our split stay - 5 nights AoA followed by 9 nights SSR - BUT ... I need to do two bookings, I expected this, but I need to book my park tickets with the second booking for SSR in order to get free dining. I expected this. But I have been told by Disney that I wouldn't be able to get my tickets until we checked into SSR. So we would have 5 days at Disney with no tickets!! Which we obviously don't want!!

Would be fine if we went to SSR first but not the other way round but we wanted the fun, chaotic bit at the start and the chilled out bit with free dining at the end!!

I really don't know what to do now! :-( Do we just go two weeks at AoA with no dining!? Or put AoA to the end? I have totally promised my 4 year old we'll go to AoA so don't want not to (plus I really do want to go there too)

Confused!!! Help!!

mo x

 

[dansdad]

Actually, you can pick up your tickets 3-days prior to checking in at SSR. This is from the "Everything About WDW Tickets sticky, post #15, posted here.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1452684

I. Picking up Package Tickets Prior To Start Of Package

In cases where Walt Disney World Resort Guests would like to begin using their Package Tickets prior to the day of check-in (up to three days in advance), the Guests will be directed to visit any Theme Park or DTD Guest Relations location and request Early Ticket Pick-Up. (Note this cannot be done at a water park.)

It is only valid for people with packages at a Walt Disney World owned and operated Resort. You can be staying off-property at the time you pick up the tickets. Note that if you have a package which includes Dining, although you can pick up your tickets early you cannot get access to the Dining until you have actually checked in to your Resort.

Note that since August 2011 the Call Centers have been telling Guests this cannot be done. However it is still a valid procedure and can be done with no problem at Park Guest Relations Windows.

There is a possibility that if your package and the stay prior to the package are at the same Resort that you will be able to get the tickets at the Resort and not have to go to a Park Guest Relations Office.

And the tickets issued will be valid for the entire stay; they will not receive valid tickets when they actually check-in to their resort. There is a strong possibility that the tickets you have received prior to check-in cannot be added to your KTTW on or after check-in.

 

[Miss Mo]

Ooh thank you very much for that!! That would only give us a couple of days without tickets and they could be resort/DTD days anyway!!

I do like to hit MK very early that first day though since the time difference always means we are up really early for the first couple of days and we get later and later as the holiday goes on!

mo x

 

[phi2012]

We had the same problem and ended up swapping our weeks around. Not ideal but we needed to go to Disney on the 2nd day of holiday next June as we are wanting to go to the star wars weekend. The Disney staff did say that you can pick up the tickets 3 days early which might work for you unfortunately for us it wasn't an option. Good luck and hope this works out for you.

 

[Miss Mo]

Thanks!!

BOOKED!!!

Have ended up shortening AoA to 4 nights. By the time we arrive after such a long journey it's always late afternoon so we only ever grab dinner and a beer (if we feel like a beer) at the resort the first night anyway so hopefully we'll actually be able to get our tickets the morning after we arrive. If not the absolute worst will mean that we have 3 days to hang by the pool, go to Downtown Disney or hit the outlets !

Excited!!!!

mo x

 

[married2mm]

fantastic

have a great trip-never done a split stay, but stayed at ssr last year in a 2 bedroom villa-it was lovely

 

[chemnerd09]

Thanks!!

BOOKED!!!

Have ended up shortening AoA to 4 nights. By the time we arrive after such a long journey it's always late afternoon so we only ever grab dinner and a beer (if we feel like a beer) at the resort the first night anyway so hopefully we'll actually be able to get our tickets the morning after we arrive. If not the absolute worst will mean that we have 3 days to hang by the pool, go to Downtown Disney or hit the outlets !

Excited!!!!

mo x

Sounds like what we do when we get to WDW. We always arrive in the afternoon and spend the day settling in and going to those outlets. We can't seem to go down without stopping at the outlets.

 

[Sue M]

Thanks guys. I was thinking maybe 5 nights at AoA then 9 at wherever else!?

Sounds good to me We love POR, it's our fav moderate. We prefer the mansion section, rooms have recently been refurbed, queen beds, very nice.

 

[Marshypooh]

Another fan of split stays. We have done this three times in the past and have never had any problems. As others have mentioned it is best to do a split stay when you have at least 12 days plus available. Still gives you plenty of time/days in the parks plus time to explore both of the resorts you are staying at, pool time, and other activities such as DTD. We always drive to WDW, so we move our own luggage. Once again, no problems and only took up about two hours of our day. It really is fun and does feel like you are on two different adventures.

Have a great time in the US and I hope to visit beautiful Scotland some day!

 

[Tinker_Belle]

Since you'll be there for two weeks, giving up a day to pack, and move, and then unpack, won't be a huge issue.
I love to do split stays. This coming Dec, I spend one night at AoA (LM room!!), move to SSR for five nights, then over to BWV for my last night...staying with a friend. Disney will move the bags for you...but keep in mind that it isn't a quick thing. You will spend most of the day without your bags.
I would split your stays up by weeks...spend a week at AoA, then move to OKW. Even if you split it up 5 at AoA and then 9 at OKW, it will still give you a good feel for AoA.

On the day that you move, pack your stuff up (actually, I prefer to do it before I head to bed the night before), hand the bags off to Luggage Assistence at AoA. Then, head to a park for a few hours. Around 1-2pm, head to OKW, get checked in. If your studio isn't ready yet (and it probably won't be), get something to eat there. Check out the area..maybe head over to DTD for a few hours while your room is readied. Then, when you get word that the studio is ready, head back. If you're lucky, your bags will be there as well...I have yet to get my bags prior to 5pm!!!
Then, head off to a park for the evening. You should only lose about 2-3 hrs of true park time by changing resorts.

Sorry to hijack...but I just want to make sure...

Will bell services leave our bags in our room if we're not there? (We're doing our first split stay too.)

 

[vicki_c]

Sorry to hijack...but I just want to make sure...

Will bell services leave our bags in our room if we're not there? (We're doing our first split stay too.)

No. Only Magical Express will put your bags in the room when you are not there. You will have to call Bell services to have your bags brought to the room. The PP meant your bags may be at the new resort.

 

[Tinker_Belle]

No. Only Magical Express will put your bags in the room when you are not there. You will have to call Bell services to have your bags brought to the room. The PP meant your bags may be at the new resort.

Thank you! I would've been waiting a long time!

 

[scanne]

This past summer we did 6 nights at POR with the deluxe dining plan and 6 nights at Wilderness Lodge and stayed club level. I do like the DxDP - I planned it all out ahead of time and was sure we used all of our entitlements so nothing got wasted. We ate very well the first 6 nights.

Then we switched to club level at WL which was a different world altogether. Very relaxed, no need to rush anywhere for ADR's and we found the lounge offerings very adequate for breakfast and even a couple of light suppers.

I would not hesitate to do a spilt stay like this again. And I agree with a previous poster that it is like two vacations in one.

Have fun planning!

 

[sndral]

... plus we might hire a car for a couple of days at the start and go to Legoland (son is OBSESSED with Lego) so prob eat off site anyway a few times...

All input greatly appreciated. Thanks x

Just wanted to make sure you know that there's a pretty impressive Lego store in DTD.

Thanks!!

BOOKED!!!

Have ended up shortening AoA to 4 nights. By the time we arrive after such a long journey it's always late afternoon so we only ever grab dinner and a beer (if we feel like a beer) at the resort the first night anyway so hopefully we'll actually be able to get our tickets the morning after we arrive. If not the absolute worst will mean that we have 3 days to hang by the pool, go to Downtown Disney or hit the outlets !

Excited!!!!

mo x

Have fun planning, you'll have 2 plans, one for if you can activate the tickets early and the second for if you can't.