Switching Resorts during stay

[MNT568]

Can someone explain how switching resorts during your stay works? We keep changing our minds on where we want to stay. We now want to stay at BWI but it is not available the first 2 nights of our trip. So we were thinking of POP for the first 2 nights then switching over to the BWI. How does it work with transferring your luggage. Would there be any confustion if we are using Magical Express?

Any info, hints or tips on how to do this would be much appreciated!

 

[hammie59]

We switched between CSR and ASMo. I wouldn't do it again unless we had our own car. We called bell services and arranged a time for them to take our luggage. They came on time and transported all of it over to movies the day we switched. Since there is no resort to resort bus, we had to take a bus from CSR to downtown disney, then get off and get back in line for the bus to ASMo. Along the way we had to make multiple stops such as pleasure island, and a waterpark. I had a one yr old and 5yr old with me plus a diaper bag and stroller. We rode the buses for close to 2 hours just to make the switch. It was h*ll on earth. When we checked in to movies, our luggage took 2 more hours to get there. Normally it wouldn't have mattered, but we mistakenly packed up my husband's migraine meds so we had to wait for it before we could leave again. Bell services was great, they picked up on time, were friendly, and everything arrived in one piece. It's the travelling part that was the killer. As far as ME goes, you just need to call them and tell them you're switching resorts and they'll give you a separate travel voucher for when you need to go back to the airport.

PS-In hindsight, I should have looked into taking a cab instead of the bus during the switch. I'm not sure how much that would run $$$. Also, you may want to call the night before to arrange the luggage pickup time. That way you'll get a time you want incase it's busy. Something I learned is to pack up the night before so that it's ready in the AM or you'll end up wasting precious time the next day. I would have to say that most of our day was wasted on packing up and riding the bus.

 

[MPHARJ]

We did a split stay last year and it was no problem at all. We made arrangements the night before for luggage pick up the next morning. They were there promptly and moved our luggague to the BC from CSR. Once we arrived at the BC, we spent the day in the park so we weren't wasting time on buses or anything, we went to our room and had our luggage delivered rather quickly. We are doing another split stay this year, POR/BC and I am thinking since it is just my youngest and I that day we will move our luggage ourselves since we will also have a car.

 

[carmie3377]

We did a split stay in 06. We had a car but still let Disney move our baggage for us. It worked great and was very simple.

This year, we are staying at AS Sports for 1 night then moving to AKV. We will not have a car this time but plan on taking a cab. I called a cab service that was recommended and the cost will only be about $8. I didn't want to do what a PP said about spending so much time on the bus. This way, in less than 15 minutes, we'll be at our new resort.

 

[I Love Pluto]

We love split stays. It's like having two different vacations.

If you don't have a car with you, I would take a cab to the second resort. It saves a lot of worry.

 

[WLfan]

I LOVE WL, but trying to economize I booked my stay at POFQ. Maybe I'll look into a split? It might be a nice compromise. Thanks!

 

[wdwrich]

I'm not sure why one would need to proceed directly from one resort to another when doing a split stay. We just have bell services take our luggage in the morning at our first resort, then go directly to a park for the day. Sometime after the 3pm check-in time, and at our convenience, we go from the park to the new resort and check in. Bell services will then deliver the luggage. Why hassle with resort-to-resort travel, or more improtantly, why waste the better part of a WDW day moving with your stuff?

 

[720L]

I'm not sure why one would need to proceed directly from one resort to another when doing a split stay. We just have bell services take our luggage in the morning at our first resort, then go directly to a park for the day. Sometime after the 3pm check-in time, and at our convenience, we go from the park to the new resort and check in. Bell services will then deliver the luggage. Why hassle with resort-to-resort travel, or more improtantly, why waste the better part of a WDW day moving with your stuff?

ditto.

 

[carmie3377]

I'm not sure why one would need to proceed directly from one resort to another when doing a split stay. We just have bell services take our luggage in the morning at our first resort, then go directly to a park for the day. Sometime after the 3pm check-in time, and at our convenience, we go from the park to the new resort and check in. Bell services will then deliver the luggage. Why hassle with resort-to-resort travel, or more improtantly, why waste the better part of a WDW day moving with your stuff?

Two reason I can think of.

1) We have a breakfast scheduled at our new resort at 7:45.
2) For those getting the DDP at the new resort, they may need their credits before proceeding to the parks. Can't get credits until check-in.

For us, we won't be waisting a good part of the day. We'll leave AS Music at 7:15 and proceed to AKV. If time permits, I'll check in before breakfast. If not, I'll wait till after breakfast. Then, we'll go to MK. They open at 9:00 that morning, so if we can get checked in prior to breakfast, we may make it by rope drop, if not then not long after. Then, we don't have to worry about going back to the resort mid day.

Also, we'll be getting the dining plan. Of course, people doing split stays NOT on DVC/AP probably won't do this since they would have to buy an extra ticket for the dining plan. Anyway, we plan on using some of our credits from AKV for lunch. I would think the credit issue would be the main reason people would transfer prior to going to the parks.

 

[wdwrich]

In your case, that makes sense. We never do the DDP so for us, it's not a consideration.

 

[hammie59]

I'm not sure why one would need to proceed directly from one resort to another when doing a split stay. We just have bell services take our luggage in the morning at our first resort, then go directly to a park for the day. Sometime after the 3pm check-in time, and at our convenience, we go from the park to the new resort and check in. Bell services will then deliver the luggage. Why hassle with resort-to-resort travel, or more improtantly, why waste the better part of a WDW day moving with your stuff?

We did because we packed my husband's pain meds in the luggage by mistake and bell services had already taken it. By the time we realized it, we decided it made more sense to just go to the new resort since bell services told us it would be there within 3 hours (which it was not, it was more like 5 or 6). There was no way he'd be able to do one of the parks without it. So that was bad planning on our part. I would consider a split stay again if I didn't have a baby with me. We just had too much stuff and packing all of it up twice was not fun. And I wouldn't try to go right to the 2nd resort either unless I had my own car or was calling a cab. Just to a park, which is what we originally were going to do, but as you see, we messed that one up. Live and learn I guess.