Tips for a Multi-Resort Stay

[Disney On The Bayou]

We're traveling to WDW next weekend for a multi-resort stay.... First up is BWV for 2 nights, then 4 nights at BCV followed by 2 nights at Vero Beach.... We have been members for 12 years but have never changed resorts, and we will not have a rental car.... Any suggestions on making this a smooth trip?

 

[Callymum]

We have done Multi resort holidays every year. We. Do have a rental car each time though. We have done WL then a Cruise then Vero beach. I do know that you can leave your luggage with the Disney hotel you are due to leave and they will send your luggage to the next Disney hotel you are going to. We do this when we leave for our Cruise and they send it to our Disney world hotel when we are due to arrive.

We tend to pack everything and then send luggage down to storage and then sit at the pool area with a small bag and leave about 2pm to travel over to new hotel. The BCV and the BWV are close to each other. You could travel on the bus.
They won't include sending luggage to Vero though, you will have to get transport. Maybe a single rental and return to a Depot in Vero. We have been DVC since 2001 also.

 

[rlovew]

We're traveling to WDW next weekend for a multi-resort stay.... First up is BWV for 2 nights, then 4 nights at BCV followed by 2 nights at Vero Beach.... We have been members for 12 years but have never changed resorts, and we will not have a rental car.... Any suggestions on making this a smooth trip?

For BWV and BCV you just have bell services transfer you luggage. You can either walk across near the Swan and Dolphin to move between them or you can take the boat that goes between them to move yourselves. I suppose if you wanted to (and depending on the amount of stuff you have you could actually move your things yourselves walking around the lake.

For Vero Beach Disney does not provide transportation you will have to get yourself there either by renting a car or using a car service- they will also not provide you with transportation back to an airport from there so I would suggest planning on renting a car for the time you are there as I would suspect it will be more expensive to hire a car service for the about 3 hour trip both ways between Disney World and Vero Beach.

 

[n2mm]

You can transfer your luggage between the WDW resorts. You tip on both ends because it involves cast members from two resorts. Call and make arrangements the night before your move (we find it easier and set up a time for bell service to pick up and tag our luggage). Then after you get into your room of your new resort, you call and have bell service deliver your luggage. They will not deliver your luggage until you have a room and are in it to receive it. However, I'm curious, how in the world are you getting to Vero Beach? That would be one very large taxi bill? We just returned from a multi resort stay and it did include Vero Beach, but that is a 2 hour drive both ways. BTW, Vero does not have bell service.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Spilt stay is great! We pack before now with this in mind. So we have the 'resort one' bag 'cruise' bag 'resort two' bag etc. makes life easier! Obviously there are some items you use across resorts but I do divide my clothes and medication etc into different bags so I don't have to unpack everything! Also we use as much disposable kitchen items as possible if you make breakfast in your room like us. Sad but I got these socks that have days of the week written on them lol. I call them my vacation socks now! We only pack 7 days worth of clothes for 2 week stay as we use the laundry then repeat on week 2.

I would say the secret to a blissful split stay is in the packing and organisation. Dare I mention shoe organiser in the room for items. Where would we be without them! We also have an owners locker as we are from UK. Saves bringing heavy items back and forth on flight as we come at least once a year.

 

[LSchrow]

we used to do quite a few split trips ("try a new resort" nights).

we start with an entire day's outfit for each person (large ziplocks work well). each suitcase would have a few outfits for each (plus one & a bathing suit in each person's carry-on). it is much easier for the shorter stays, as you don't need to unpack everything. daily toiletries were in their own ziplock (sample sizes - toothpaste, etc - work well for this).
on "moving day", we would check-out of resort #1 - giving them all luggage to transfer except one carry-on. next, check-in at resort #2, leaving one carry-on at bell services with the daily toiletries, an outfit and bathing suit for each person. then we would just go to a park or hang out at the pool until the room ready call/text came.
as callymum said, they will transport your luggage within WDW resorts, but you might need a car anyway to get to VB. it's usually cheaper to rent one for the week, so you might want to look into it.
hth

 

[castleri]

Second the advice to look into rental car. I have been checking rates for August and originally just wante one for a 24 hour period. I am now looking at a week long rental since we will be there 8 nights. It is probably not much more for you to get one for a week than it is for the two or three days you need it for getting to Vero and then to whatever airport you are using. You might want to get an Alamo insider card or check Hotwire. Even doing a five day rental; picking up the car at the Swan or at the hotel on Hotel Plaza Blvd. that rents Dollar might be a good option. You can return it to the orlando airport.

 

[nalajms]

Watch out for online checkins. Last time I had to wait in the BCV lobby for about 30mins because they hadn't fully checked me out at resort 1. This was around 12pm. They said they'd text my room number when it was available. By 5pm, we were back in the lobby trying to get a room number. Not sure if that had anything to do with the split stay or just busy at BCV.

Also, if you have DDP in resort 1 and 2, it gets tricky. They shut off the dining for Resort 1 because I was "checked into" resort 2. I had to charge to resort 2, then have concierge take meals out of the resort 1 card.

Good luck, it'll be great! Nice clean rooms, different atmosphere. It's like several mini-vacations