Transportation between DVC resorts

[MrsPook]

For our trip in May, we were thinking of doing a split stay to check out 2 different resorts. How would we and our luggage get from one hotel to the next?

 

[DVCismyhappyplace]

Bell services will transfer your bags for you. I've done it a number of times with no problems.

 

[Brandis]

I would recommend sending just the luggage to the new resort in the morning via Bell service, enjoy the day in the park and then just go to the new resort in the evening.

There is no direct transportation between the resorts, except some boat routes on Seven Seas Lagoon / Bay Lake and on Crescent Lake.

So even if you want to go to the new resort right away, without visiting a park, the fastest way probably still is to take a bus to a nearby park and change busses there to the new resort.

 

[hakepb]

Fastest would be renting a car or taking a taxi.

But that does not help you if you have any cold items waiting for check-in at 4pm or later, so you are back to arranging with Bell Services as they have refrigerated storage (make an appointment to pick up)

 

[Dizny Dad]

Luggage with Bell Services - never a problem!

Getting to the other resort can be an interesting trip if you try to do it first thing in the morning. A taxi works best, but costs. Using the "go to any park and transfer to the resort" may not work first thing in the morning. We have stood at the resort area for our transfer only to find that the bus that just let out people from the resort listed on the sign, most probably is NOT going to the resort on the sign. You have to make contact with one of the CMs directing the busses to get back to a resort first thing in the morning. We have always been able to do it, as we like checking in first thing BEFORE going to a park for the day, but it may take a bold initiative on your part.

Take the taxi.

 

[hakepb]

It would probably be easiest if one part of the trip was BLT because BLT is within walking distance of the MK bus stop.

(Or you can walk BWV-BCV. Technically you can walk SSR to OKW but that is more of an adventure than easy)

 

[Kidanifan08]

When we transferred from AKV to BLT a few weeks ago, we had bell services take the big stuff and we got a cab. We had some sensitive items that we wanted to take ourselves to the new resort. I did not want to transfer that stuff using the park transportation. The cab ride was about $20 from AKV to BLT and well worth it to us. Fortunately, our villa was ready for us to check into when we got there at about 11:30.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've done a split stay many times. I have bell services transfer my luggage. Then I go out front and wait for the first theme park bus (except the one going to Epcot if I'm transferring to Epcot resorts). At that theme park, I just go to the bus stop for the new resort. Last time from AKV to BCV I took the bus to DHS, then the boat to YC/BC. The whole process took me 45 minutes.

 

[hakepb]

I've done a split stay many times. I have bell services transfer my luggage. Then I go out front and wait for the first theme park bus (except the one going to Epcot if I'm transferring to Epcot resorts). At that theme park, I just go to the bus stop for the new resort. Last time from AKV to BCV I took the bus to DHS, then the boat to YC/BC. The whole process took me 45 minutes.

You made really good time!
I once spent an hour on the boat-only leg of that trip. (A lot of people were already at the DHS dock and I had to wait for the 2nd boat..)

 

[disneynutz]

We migrated from Disney transportation to car rental a few years ago. We still enjoy the boat rides and will take a bus to experience what we are missing but to get anywhere quickly without several stops, and to get from resort to resort, a car is the way to go.

Bill

 

[Suger Mag]

I have been curious to try a split stay, usually we do not go for long enough to make it worthwhile.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

We do a split stay on almost every trip, now. (With the exception of our short trips when we head down for just 3 or 4 nights.) Bell services does a wonderful job of transferring the bags. I've never had any problem with it. You do need to be in the room both when they pick up the bags from the first resort, and when they drop them off at the new resort. Just call them from your new room to have the bags delivered.

If you're moving the contents of your refrigerator, they'll also have refrigerators in the baggage rooms to store it.

It just costs you a tip at both resorts.

Here's the one thing I had to carry with me when we switched resorts this past summer. I'd had a floral arrangement delivered by the Disney Florist. I suppose I could have given it to bell services, but chose to carry it on the bus instead. You wouldn't believe how many people spark up conversations with you when you're carrying a floral arrangement on a Disney bus. One woman even wanted a picture with me.

I pesonally like to head to the new resort before it gets too late in the day, just in case there's a problem with the room we've been assigned. We just switch buses at the closest theme park.

 

[KweenofDis]

The front desk has always been accommodating when transferring us over to our new resort during split stays. We had a BWV/OKW split stay a couple of years ago and they shuttled all 5 of us over (with luggage) in one of the DVC vans. We didn't ask, they offered. Then, the same guy took us over to the HDDR one night, after we asked the front desk to call a cab for us. They really bent over backwards for us on that trip. (My DH did tip him nicely throughout ) We have a split AKV/SSR stay coming up in 10 days and we will see how that goes.

 

[Starr W.]

We migrated from Disney transportation to car rental a few years ago. We still enjoy the boat rides and will take a bus to experience what we are missing but to get anywhere quickly without several stops, and to get from resort to resort, a car is the way to go.

Bill

We too have migrated from Disney buses to rental car. Staying at SSR, we took the DTD to Beach Club to go to Illuminations and ran into people staying at CBR who had been on DTD buses for almost 2hrs trying to get to YC for an ADR.

I really think it's faster heading to a park and getting on the desired resort bus than using DTD to transfer.

Used the car to get to Sanaa and Bluezoo.