Splitting time between 2 resorts: Yes or No

[deadheadbelle]

We are planning a trip in October. I have seen where many of you stay at 2 different resorts during your vacations & I am considering this for our next trip. First I'd like to know if you recommend this. We will be travelling with DS-5 and DD-22 months. Also, does Disney do anything as far as allowing a late check-out/early check-in if you are switching resorts 1/2 way through your stay, or are you "homeless" for 3-4 hours?

Any information would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

[tar heel]

Although you "might" get late check out and/or early check-in, Disney will not guarantee either, so you do run the danger of being homeless for three-four hours. For the record, we have been granted a late checkout four or five times (to noon or 1 p.m.) and been turned down once. The only time we've ever tried to checkin early, we did -- it was around noon.

 

[goin2disneyagain]

We have done a split stay twice and didn't have a problem with it. I have never been "homeless", every time (so far) that I have ever tried to check in to a WDW resort early I have been able to get a room right away. I have even checked in as early as 8:30am.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

We've split our stay several times. Once we were at WDW for 5 nights and stayed at 3 different resorts. My DH had a conference at the Contemporary so we stayed there for 2 nights, we'd always wanted to try Wilderness Lodge so we were there for 2 nights, and we decided to go a day early so stayed at Coronado Springs for 1 night. That was too much packing and switching!

Switching hotels isn't too hard, but you can be homeless for a few hours. That wasn't bad when my DH and I were both around, but when he was at the conference it was me with our toddler and that wasn't too much fun since my son wanted to nap and I needed a break. When our whole family is there it is fine, though (we have 4 kids) because we spend most of out time in the parks anyway.

How many days will you be at WDW?

T&B

 

[w8ting4pooh]

IF you don't get a late checkout/early checkin, it shouldn't be a problem. We checked out of the Dolphin early in the morning and had our luggage transferred by Disney. I took a cab to the Coronado @ 7AM! I was able to checkin and get room keys. Then I hopped on the Coronado bus and made it to Magic Kingdom before they opened for the day.

If you spend your 4 or 5 "homeless" hours at a park, you'll be having too much fun to think about the fact that you have no place to nap for the day.

We are going for 2 weeks this trip and plan to change resorts twice!

 

[deadheadbelle]

Originally posted by Tigger&Belle

How many days will you be at WDW?

We will be there 7 nights. My parents will be with us the first 4 nights. We are going to stay in a Wilderness cabin for the first 4 nights, then we will switch over to the Contemporary for the last 3.

 

[Blondiex46]

I am staying in 2 different ones in April so when it gets closer I would love advice on what I should do.

 

[NUHuskies#1]

Last couple of years we have split up our stay between WDW onsite and Universal onsite- nothing beats the front of the access you get by staying onsite at Universal and the convenience of staying onsite at WDW makes the trip most enjoyable. We kind of half unpack. Fill one suitcase for both kids for 3 days then fill another suitcase for both hubby and I for the 3 days. Then we do the same with two more suitcases for the other resort. It works well for us!

 

[currycook]

YES, we too enjoy spliting up long stays a two different resorts. There are so many wonderful places to stay and you can enjoy more than one place.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

We split our stay when we were at WDW in Oct. 2002 between the Poly and POFQ. It wasn't that bad. But you do spend time from your vacation packing and unpacking which you wouldn't have to do if you stayed put. That being said, we are splitting our stay when we go in Nov. also. 2 nights CR tower and 6 nights YC concierge. We have a 5 yo DS, who will be 6 by Nov. And a DD who will 13 months at the time of the trip.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

We have split our stays a couple of times and it worked pretty well. Just make sure you pack the night before and that you leave out anything you'll need that next day. When we switched from the Poly to the BCV's we didn't see our luggage until about 6:00 pm. I don't know why it took so long??

Also remember that you might not get that afternoon break and naptime if your room isn't ready yet.

 

[Sammie]

Ok we have done this several times with extended family with small children. Best case scenario is you can get a late checkout at resort #1 of 1pm. That is about as late as they will allow without you paying. Then you get lucky at resort #2 and your room is ready and in you go. Regardless of when you check in, if Disney transfers your luggage the earliest it will be available is 3pm, so pack accordingly. Have what you need with you.

Worst case scenario is you can't get a late check out due to the resort being busy. This really depends on when you are going. Then you move to resort #2 and again no rooms ready and you do not get a room until later in the afternoon say 3-4pm. That means you could be without a room from 11am to 4pm. This did happen to us and as luck or lack of it would have it, our youngest group member picked this day to be in the worst mood of the entire trip. At that point we were all really wishing we had stayed put and had this one down for a nap. Also luggage delays do occur, while rare, and sometimes your luggage does not arrive until later than 3pm.

Definitely do not plan any activities such as dinner with an early PS on the day of the move in case of any unexpected delays.

Most of our moves have gone smoothly, but some have not. In hind sight my SIL said she would never do it again until the children were old enough not to need a nap.

 

[kevind65]

OK, we do this every year and this is how I have done it without a single problem:
BTW: this works best if you have your own car with you....
Have your husband get up early the morning of check out from the first hotel and drive over to the contemporary about 7am with luggage(minus essentials that you need for morning) in hand...he can do an early check-in and disney will hold your luggage at the hotel until the room is ready....many times, they will have a room ready right then, and if so, problem solved...if the room is not ready yet, because you are pre-checking, you will be among the first to receive a room when one is available...if the room is not available when I first get there, we generally then will ask for a later check out from the first resort....disney will give you until 1pm without charging extra(usually no problem, no questions asked)....we then go to lunch and by that time the second room has always been ready....
If you don't a car with you, have husband take a cab....although disney will transfer your luggage for you, you never know exactly when it's going to arrive at the second resort....this way, you don't have to worry about that...
we've done this many, many times without fail....hope this helps

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I highly recommend switching resorts. You feel like you are having 2 vacations in one. Save the better resort for the 2nd part of your stay. It will give you something to look forward to during your vacation.

We didn't feel homeless. We picked a park and stayed there for most of the day. When we arrived at the Poly at 3:00 our room was available.

Lori

 

[deadheadbelle]

Originally posted by kevind65
OK, we do this every year and this is how I have done it without a single problem:
BTW: this works best if you have your own car with you....
Have your husband get up early the morning of check out from the first hotel and drive over to the contemporary about 7am with luggage(minus essentials that you need for morning) in hand...he can do an early check-in and disney will hold your luggage at the hotel until the room is ready....many times, they will have a room ready right then, and if so, problem solved...if the room is not ready yet, because you are pre-checking, you will be among the first to receive a room when one is available...if the room is not available when I first get there, we generally then will ask for a later check out from the first resort....disney will give you until 1pm without charging extra(usually no problem, no questions asked)....we then go to lunch and by that time the second room has always been ready....
If you don't a car with you, have husband take a cab....although disney will transfer your luggage for you, you never know exactly when it's going to arrive at the second resort....this way, you don't have to worry about that...
we've done this many, many times without fail....hope this helps

Thanks for the tips! We will have a rental car, so it looks like DH will be getting up early!!