Tips for smooth spilt stay...

[Jennygt]

I was never one to try this as I never wanted to keep unpacking and repacking etc etc. This next trip my children are a little older and I am considering spit with GF for a few days then the Poly. My family is saying no way they want to spit. Is it that much of a hassle? I need some good tips to make this smooth and painless...... any advice?

 

[dansdad]

We've done multiple split stays and we feel they're a piece of cake. This is what we do which keeps us from losing any park time.

Have Bell Services pick up our luggage at resort #1 and deliver it to resort #2.

Head to a park for the day.

Around 4 or 5 head to resort #2.

Check in and go to our room.

Call Bell Services and have them bring up our luggage while we get ready for dinner.

We never unpack our stuff into drawers etc. and are oretty neat so getting ready the morning of the move is easy. Some people don't like being "homeless" and not having access to their stuff for some of the day, but we're in the park all day anyway so there's no difference.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We will be doing our first split stay in a few weeks. We will be going from Poly to BC.

Our plan is get up at our leisure that day and take a cab over to the BC with our luggage. We want to walk into the WS and have lunch at VN and then head to SAB for some pool time. So we will need our luggage. We then plan to hit DHS PM EMH.

We have a date night the night before and the kids will be hanging in the room. I plan on packing mostly everything the night before so it's not a huge hassle in the morning.

 

[Julylady]

We just did a 4- resort split stay. We packed a separate pice of luggage for each hotel and used lacking cubes. We let Disney transfer all the luggage.

 

[loves to dive]

I drive down but some of what I do will apply. Like Julylady, I pack separate bags and have a hanging toiletry bag that I just transfer from bag one to bag 2 or put in a little carryon that has my things like my kindle, laptop or IPAD, GPS out of my car, etc. According to low long each stay is determines whether I actually unpack either bag. If I don't plan on unpacking a bag I carry big ole ziplock bags (the huge kind that will hold a couple of gallons) and each night put my dirty clothes in one bag, roll it tight to get all the air out before I close it to make it as flat as possible. That bag then just gets slipped into the bottom of the suitcase, that way the clean clothes are on top. If there is something I going to wear again, say a pair of shorts I just put on for 2 hours that night and am going to wear the next day, they will go into a drawer. I try to take shoes that will go with all outfits and can just be transferred from bag to bag. I leave the first bag in the car. Since I have a car I just get up early on move day, drive over to resort two, check in and go about my day. If I'm valet parking my car, I let bag services have my bags (deluxe resorts) if I'm self parking, I just leave it in the car til I'm ready to go to my room. I know some people use the packing cubes and do the same principle that I do with the plastic bags.

 

[wdwrich]

I was never one to try this as I never wanted to keep unpacking and repacking etc etc. This next trip my children are a little older and I am considering spit with GF for a few days then the Poly. My family is saying no way they want to spit. Is it that much of a hassle? I need some good tips to make this smooth and painless...... any advice?

You've received some good advice so far, but just want to say that even though we like split stays, I wouldn't split between GF and the Poly. The two resorts are right next to each other and other than the decor and landscaping, you get the same views and access to theme parks. I think a more useful split would be between a MK resort and an EPCOT resort so you get completely different experiences with respect to views and theme park access.

 

[thisismyusername]

I hope this will be helpful: http://www.disboards.com/threads/the-ultimate-split-stay-thread.3322505/

 

[TeamSy]

I agree with doing a split stay at a MK resort and an Epcot resort. It really makes it more worth it! It's easy to check out both the Poly and GF when staying at either as they are right next door to each other.

We do something similar as another pp mentioned, but we don't leave the park to check in around 4 or 5 - we stay at the park ALL DAY, just like we normally would, and there really isn't any difference except we return to a different hotel. It's an extra few minutes to unpack, but really - SUPER EASY!

 

[bumbershoot]

The main thing is to have a plan and follow the plan.

 

[galaxygirl76]

We did a split stay between Pop and AoA last year and everything went smoothly, I don't remember what we did that day park-wise
(I want to say Epcot, but I'm not sure). This year we're doing VGF and AKL: Kidani. Our game plan this year is to go to DHS for the day until 4-ish, go back to AKL to rest and do DTD at night.

Both times we ended up with a split stay because of flight prices, last year it was cheaper to fly with Allegiant and stay an extra two days(and I really wanted a LM room, hence AoA otherwise we would have stayed at Pop) and this year it was cheaper to fly on different days than the ones we originally had booked(VGF was booked so we decided on AKL: Kidani instead of the DVC resorts that were still available).

 

[Jennygt]

You've received some good advice so far, but just want to say that even though we like split stays, I wouldn't split between GF and the Poly. The two resorts are right next to each other and other than the decor and landscaping, you get the same views and access to theme parks. I think a more useful split would be between a MK resort and an EPCOT resort so you get completely different experiences with respect to views and theme park access.

I know, but we are Poly fans, were planning an Aug trip this summer to GF to avoid construction drama, and we sort of sold DD on GF.Due to a health reason we had to cancel. I figure 2-3 days will be enough for DD to get her fill. Next trip when kids older I want to do BC/Poly

 

[Jennygt]

I agree with doing a split stay at a MK resort and an Epcot resort. It really makes it more worth it! It's easy to check out both the Poly and GF when staying at either as they are right next door to each other.

We do something similar as another pp mentioned, but we don't leave the park to check in around 4 or 5 - we stay at the park ALL DAY, just like we normally would, and there really isn't any difference except we return to a different hotel. It's an extra few minutes to unpack, but really - SUPER EASY!

Thanks for the advice! For a few reasons I need to do GF and poly, crazy I know. Next trip BC and Poly!

 

[Jennygt]

We travel with my parents so we really need connecting room for when the little ones are asleep and Gparents are babysitting. I am so stressed out trying to get 2 , connecting rooms in the right building for our needs,I don't know if I want to worry about it 2 times. First world problems I know, just trying to think if I should just keep it simple.

 

[Monykalyn]

When you are ready-split stays are awesome-did one for our recent trip as it started out cheaper (by far) to fly in 2 days early, then I changed resorts, then I wanted to be by DHS for SWW but didn't want to fork out the money for 6 days at BC , so the split with CBR and BC. Loved them both. The split stay thread is really helpful on logistics and tips (although we had a car so that made it super easy to change resorts).
FWIW-Grand Floridian was my favorite resort waaaaayyy back when I was on the college program-that resort is just beautiful!

 

[Jennygt]

Can I ask does split stay make fp+ more complicated? I guess I mean would I have multiple reservation numbers?

 

[illinidp]

Can I ask does split stay make fp+ more complicated? I guess I mean would I have multiple reservation numbers?

No, but it does make ADRs at 180 days more complicated.

 

[dansdad]

Can I ask does split stay make fp+ more complicated? I guess I mean would I have multiple reservation numbers?

I didn't feel like it did.

 

[Jennygt]

No, but it does make ADRs at 180 days more complicated.

May I ask how? I might just forget it if it is a headache, I also have my parents with us in a separate room, so thats another set of reservation numbers.

 

[dansdad]

May I ask how? I might just forget it if it is a headache, I also have my parents with us in a separate room, so thats another set of reservation numbers.

Say you have a normal 10 night, single resort, stay booked. On your 180 day mark you can make your ADRs for the entire 10 night trip all at once.

Say you have a split stay of 5 nights at resort #1 and 5 nights at resort #2. At the 180 day mark of resort #1 you can make your ADRs for the first 5 nights only. Then you have to wait for the 180 day mark of resort #2 to make ADRs for the rest of your trip.

 

[pens4821]

We aren't Disney regulars and did a split stay last year and it was easy. In the morning we dropped our luggage off at AOA bell services, went to MK for the day, then went to CR about 6. After a quick bite we went to the room, called bell services and had our luggage quite fast. We had time to see wishes from the balcony of our room.

It's easy for us because we always live out of our suitcases on vacation. We don't unpack everything. We also took a rest day the day before we left AOA so as we were lounging at the pool we did laundry. I know people would hate the thought of laundry on vacation, but we hate the thought of a weeks worth for five people at the end of it. It wasn't a bother to do while swimming/relaxing.

It was so easy that we are planning another next May. This time probably one of the all stars and CR (but this time bay lake view).