Split stays - How easy is it?

[Fish2girls]

Hi everyone,
I would like your input on a split stay between Poly and Contemporary resorts. We are looking to stay Nov. 30th to Dec. 5th 2008 and want to stay at the Poly standard GV room for 4 nights and then hop over to CR Tower MK view for the remaining 2 nights. We want to do it this way because we wanted to see what it's like to have a MK view just for a few days being that it's more $$ than staying at the Poly GV room for the whole week. We thought it would be cool to try splitting up the stay and experiencing both stays in one trip.
So, how easy is this to do? Would anyone recommend a split stay? Is it hard to switch resorts in mid stay?
Thank you for your time!!!

 

[klofan]

Hi everyone,
I would like your input on a split stay between Poly and Contemporary resorts. We are looking to stay Nov. 30th to Dec. 5th 2008 and want to stay at the Poly standard GV room for 4 nights and then hop over to CR Tower MK view for the remaining 2 nights. We want to do it this way because we wanted to see what it's like to have a MK view just for a few days being that it's more $$ than staying at the Poly GV room for the whole week. We thought it would be cool to try splitting up the stay and experiencing both stays in one trip.
So, how easy is this to do? Would anyone recommend a split stay? Is it hard to switch resorts in mid stay?
Thank you for your time!!!

Well, do you have a car? That would make it easy. I did a split stay this weekend. We checked out of All-Star Music at 11 am. We then took our stuff in our car, then checked-in at CSR around 11:30. It was very easy and I want to do it again because it was two different experiences.

 

[Fish2girls]

Well, do you have a car? That would make it easy. I did a split stay this weekend. We checked out of All-Star Music at 11 am. We then took our stuff in our car, then checked-in at CSR around 11:30. It was very easy and I want to do it again because it was two different experiences.

No, we weren't planning on getting a car, can this still be done without one? How would that work?

 

[Tinker*Shell*Bell]

You can do it, just get on the monorail with your luggage and go to the other hotel. They will keep your bags for you if your room is not ready.

Personal opinion: Did a split and will never do it again. Having no room for 5 hours sucked. Packing to move, checking out, moving and checking in wasted over two hours of my Dismey time. No room for the baby (was under 2) to nap in was awful.

Could be just me though...
Sheli

 

[Enchanted]

Actually, all you have to do is call the front desk and tell them that you need your stuff moved from your room at x resort to y resort. Make sure you have your stuff packed up and ready for the bellhop/cast member to move. Tags are put on your luggage with your party's name and destination resort so that your luggage isn't lost during transfer. The last time we did this, the CM came up within ten minutes, and we made sure that he got all of our stuff out of our room. We then headed off to the parks and checked in to our next hotel (the Poly ) later that night. Our luggage was ready and waiting for us at check-in. Couldn't be easier.

 

[AllyGirl_79]

I love split stays! I did my first one in November - we booked at the last minute so there were no rooms available for the length of our stay. Our trip was 4 nights Poly and the one (last) night at the POFQ.

Moving was a snap. Call bell services at the Poly in the morning - tell them you want to have your luggage moved to the Contemporary. (I can't imagine carting it on the monorail, but I am not a light packer.) They'll pick it up and move it. The luggage usually gets to the second resort around 3 or 4pm. If you want to have bathing suits or anything else during the inbetween times, just carry them with you in a small bag. Hop on the monorail to the CR, check in, and you're done! If they have a room ready, great. (Our room was ready at 10am when we checked into POFQ, and our luggage was there by the time we got back around 4:30pm.) If not, they give you a card with a phone number where you can call and get your room number later. They'll still give you your 'keys to the world' even if the room isn't ready, so you can go straight to your room when you get back to the resort. They'll put the bags in the room for you.

This trip, we planned to do a split stay between the BWI and the Poly ... though, as we are driving, we'll probably move our own bags. But we've just discovered that we can go a day early, so we'll be at the WL for NYE. Three resorts in one trip! Yay!

The caveat to all of this is that if you have really little kids, difficult packing needs, or some other complication, it might not be as much fun as it is for me.

 

[Fish2girls]

WOW!Thanks, I have a lot to think about!! If we do it right, it may be that easy!

 

[copper68]

I would never stay at any one disney resort more than 4-5 days...for any trip longer than that we always split our stays...usually between a MK resort and an Epcot resort...

It's like having another vacation when you switch over...

Definitely have bell services move your luggage...we never really unpack anyway, and live out of our luggage during our stay...so as said previously, when you get up and get rdy in the morning, you have bell sevices at the Poly get your bags...go to a theme park or wherever you're going for the day...around 3-4pm you head over to the CR using Disney trans...check in...get into your room...call down to bell services...and you have your bags in ten minutes...

 

[Cool-Beans]

You can do it, just get on the monorail with your luggage and go to the other hotel. They will keep your bags for you if your room is not ready.

Personal opinion: Did a split and will never do it again. Having no room for 5 hours sucked. Packing to move, checking out, moving and checking in wasted over two hours of my Dismey time.

Could be just me though...
Sheli

It isn't just you.

I absolutely hate a split stay. Did it once for fun - HATED it!

Had to do it again - hated it again. At least our room was ready that time and we weren't stuck outside in the heat from 11 until 3...the hottest and busiest times.

I think it is a major pain in the buttinski as well as a big time-sucker, too.

I don't care what it costs or where I have to sleep - I am NOT switching hotels again.

 

[Fish2girls]

I would never stay at any one disney resort more than 4-5 days...for any trip longer than that we always split our stays...usually between a MK resort and an Epcot resort...

It's like having another vacation when you switch over...

Definitely have bell services move your luggage...we never really unpack anyway, and live out of our luggage during our stay...so as said previously, when you get up and get rdy in the morning, you have bell sevices at the Poly get your bags...go to a theme park or wherever you're going for the day...around 3-4pm you head over to the CR using Disney trans...check in...get into your room...call down to bell services...and you have your bags in ten minutes...

Some posters mentioned how their experience was terrible, is there a chance that if I follow your and other posters guidlines to switching over resorts I will still experience some kind of trouble or headaches. It just seems so easy when described by you and other Diser's using the bell hop service!!!
It must be the time of year being too busy or booked up.

 

[Smailey]

We loved splitting our stay so much last time that we decided to do it again in Jan!! It really makes it into a new vacation.

 

[ciera321]

We've only done this for a longer stay of 12 days, but it was very easy and we plan on another split stay at CR/Poly in July. We stayed at WL for 6 nights then moved to BC for 6 more. We decided to head to BC early, have our luggage transfered and spent most of the day at Stormalong Bay. We did have a car, but since your 2 resorts are on the monorail, it will work out fine. Have a great time!!!

 

[Cool-Beans]

When people say you have 2 different vacations, they are right. I guess some people like that - I don't.

You have to pack everthing up - the wet and dry, the clean and dirty, the stuff you bought. This is a lot less fun after a day in the parks than it is at home. Also no fun if you plan to do it in the morning and want to get to a park for opening. If possible, schedule your switch for a day where you are sleeping in and can pack in the a.m. - that will help if you don't get a room until 3:00, too. Less time outside.

Then you have to unpack and check-in again. Then when you leave, you have to pack up again. If it seems like I'm talking about packing a lot, just wait until you're doing it.

It really does seem like two different vacations. You have to end one and start another. Not for me.

I had no trouble with bags. First time, the luggage guys picked it up and put it in the car, then the luggage guys at the new place unloaded it. Second time, we wheeled it to the car ourselves (no biggie) and the new place took it out for us.

It is all the extra work, the being outside at the hot/crowded part of the day and the fact that I don't have a seemless vacation that I don't like.

Obviously lots of people like having two different vacations. Only you can decide what is right for you.

 

[grimley1968]

When people say you have 2 different vacations, they are right. I guess some people like that - I don't.

You have to pack everthing up - the wet and dry, the clean and dirty, the stuff you bought. This is a lot less fun after a day in the parks than it is at home. Also no fun if you plan to do it in the morning and want to get to a park for opening. If possible, schedule your switch for a day where you are sleeping in and can pack in the a.m. - that will help if you don't get a room until 3:00, too. Less time outside.

Then you have to unpack and check-in again. Then when you leave, you have to pack up again. If it seems like I'm talking about packing a lot, just wait until you're doing it.

It really does seem like two different vacations. You have to end one and start another. Not for me.

I had no trouble with bags. First time, the luggage guys picked it up and put it in the car, then the luggage guys at the new place unloaded it. Second time, we wheeled it to the car ourselves (no biggie) and the new place took it out for us.

It is all the extra work, the being outside at the hot/crowded part of the day and the fact that I don't have a seemless vacation that I don't like.

Obviously lots of people like having two different vacations. Only you can decide what is right for you.

I couldn't agree more. It just seems like a lot of trouble to me. My opinion is pick a place you'll like and stay there. You will probably be coming back someday. Stay at the other place then. Once I'm on vacation, I like to put away my luggage until the last possible minute.

 

[Princess Amy]

We decided to do a split stay this December. We are staying AKL savanna bunkbed room Dec 1-5 and then switching to CSR Dec 5-9.

They were the two resorts I couldn't decide between when I booked it last April. We were originally to stay at CSR Dec 1-9. But I was dying to stay at AKL. Well will see how the switching goes, since this will be our first time as well. Hope it goes as smooth as everyone else's. We are more laid back with our vacations since we go so often. We don't have to be at the park at opening, we don't plan our whole day out months ahead of time...we kinda go with the flow...as some people call it.

I can understand how it could be a headache..if you are worried about time. Because I can already tell you switching resorts will eat up a lot of time that you could be doing something else....like going to a park or eating.