Why stay in multiple resorts?

[jayhjay]

This is probabaly a silly question, but I notice lots of folks stay in multiple resorts in one trip and I was curious why. Is it to experience more than one place? Or to get a chance to stay at a higher priced place than you can afford the entire trip? Is it worth the hassle of packing up multiple times?

Just curious as we plan our 2006 trip and trying to decide where to stay... JJ

 

[hauntedmansion]

We atay at Disney for 1/2 our trip and Universal for the other 1/2. I know I saw that some people stay at numerous Disney resorts?? We got spoiled at Universal by getting front of the line by staying at their resorts.

 

[*Fantasia*]

This is probabaly a silly question, but I notice lots of folks stay in multiple resorts in one trip and I was curious why. Is it to experience more than one place? Or to get a chance to stay at a higher priced place than you can afford the entire trip? Is it worth the hassle of packing up multiple times?

Just curious as we plan our 2006 trip and trying to decide where to stay... JJ

All of the above that you mentioned.
*Some needs to change resort due to the season rate change.
*Wants to experience two different resorts. -this would be me!-
*Some Folks who are there for two weeks or longer stay at different resort so they don't get "bored" staying at the same place for 10 days or longer.
*They can't get their resort for the whole duration of their trip. So they have no choice but to split their stay, so they can stay on property for the whole entire trip.
*Unintentional split~ When they don't like the resort they chose and they want to move to another resort or they are having problem with their room or whatever problem there is with that resort, they move to a different resort.
*Totally confused and undecided to which resort they want to stay so they end up splitting their stay. -this would be me!-

To do a split is no big deal to some people. But to some it is a hassle.

 

[jayhjay]

Thanks! I just read that splitting disney resorts is a potential complication if you are doing the Dining plan, so that might nix it for us. But otherwise it might be fun to try. JJ

 

[newcomer52]

I change resorts for both of reasons mentioned by the OP. I like to try different resorts and I can't also afford the high end deluxes for the whole stay. Sometimes I rent DVC points and change resorts to avoidl having to buy points for a Friday and Saturday night which require considerably more points.

It is worth it to me to move if I can spent 3 or 4 days at a resort. Disney makes the moving very easy.

 

[Minerva]

We're doing 3 this trip. The night we arrive we're staying at Sports. I wanted a value for that night because it's our arrival day and we won't be going to the parks and it's the last night of the expensive Thanksgiving rates. Then we'll be moving to Wilderness Lodge for 6 nights. We have a package which will give us tickets for every day we're going to be able to go to the parks and the dining plan. I could have made just a room only reservation for that last night but decided that since I'd have to check out and back in anyway we might as well try another resort. I'll just have Disney move our stuff and we'll check in to the new resort when we're done in the parks that last day. It says in my sig that we're staying at Pop but I may make it a moderate just so we can experience all three categories.

 

[Alison Wonderland]

I like to split stay for 2 reasons:
1. try out different resorts
2. will use a resort closer/more convenient to MK for 2-3 days and go to MK
then switch to a Epcot area resort for 2-3 days to be closer to MGM/Epcot I absolutely hate the buses and will pay more to stay at resorts that have boat/monorail transportation to the parks

Splitting the stay was not a hassle to me--I didn't unpack much out of the suitcase and when we were ready to switch hotels, just took it to the luggage desk and told me to transfer it to the other hotel. It was waiting for us when we got back from the parks

 

[Janet2k]

I have stayed in 20 of the Disney resorts so far (most, multiple times). I won't rest until I've slept in 'em all (gotta keep up my bad girl reputation ).

 

[crazy4wdw]

I do split stays to save a few dollars. I usually stay at least 8 nights for my WDW trips and can no longer afford to stay at one of the deluxe resorts for the entire stay. I usually stay at the deluxe for the last portion of the trip. I'm doing a split stay in about two weeks! POFQ and Beach Club.

 

[Ladyhawke10]

We usually move a couple of times.

The main reason is to change vantage points from which to experience the parks. We love AKL but feel too removed from the MK or Epcot to stay there the whole time (not to mention watching the fireworks, dining easily at many of our favorite restaurats or water transportation). So we usually go there first and enjoy this fantastic resort for a few days while solely going to Animal Kingdom and enjoying AKL's restaurants and experiences.

Then after three, four days I start missing the bustle of the Epcot area so we usually move over to the Boardwalk, Beach club or the Swan/ Dolphin (the Boardwalk is my favorite, the Beach club my son's favorite due to the pirate slide). I would never want to miss that relaxing walk back from Illuminations to my resort, after dark. (I've tried it the other way--on the buses with loads of people, no comparison). We go to Epcot and MGM for a couple days and then have Disney move us to a monorail resort.

Then we love to finish our stay at the GF (usually) and go to MK really early each morning and enjoy the electrical light parade, the lovely grounds, the motor launches (which I LOVE at night), the comfortable beds, fireworks and the restaurants at the other nearby resorts. It's a perfect ending for our vacation.

 

[becka]

I would probably never do it normally but for our next trip we really wanted to do both WDW and a Disney cruise. With the restrictions on our vacation dates, etc.. the only cruise we could do was a 4 night cruise in the middle of the week. That means that our WDW portion will be split into two parts: one stay of 3 nights and another of 2 nights. We could stay at the same resort but since we are already going to be moving around we decided to do two different resorts.

 

[NCombs]

I'm very excited to be splitting our stay next year. We are spending 3 nights in a 1 bedroom at the BWV. We are renting points so the great rate was too good to pass up. It will be great to be able to walk to Epcot and MGM and enjoy that atmosphere. My husband enjoys the ESPN Club so it will be great to relax there. I also really, really wanted to experience the Polynesian and stay at a monorail resort. So, we will spend 5 nights there while we enjoy the MK and the Polynesian atmosphere. We were at DW last year and have this tripped planned for June. I don't know that we will make another trip after that so I wanted to have the Epcot area experience and the Polynesian experience.

 

[wendypooh]

JayhJay -

You say you read where it is a problem to switch if you are on the dining plan? Can you elaborate.......... we are planning on a split stay......... DS really want's to stay at the "potato head" place -- LOL and so to appease him, we are doing a split stay. Can you tell me what you read, or link to it. I'm already not too "happy" about switching, or the potential "headache" that may accompany it..........


Thanks so much.

 

[jayhjay]

JayhJay -

You say you read where it is a problem to switch if you are on the dining plan? Can you elaborate.......... we are planning on a split stay.........

My understanding is that you have to get a new dining plan for each leg of your stay. So you can't get one set of park tickets that will run through the entire stay. This is a cost issue mostly, but it depends on how long you stay. For example, we typically stay six nights. So one long pass w/accompanying dining plan and park hopping is cheaper than two short passes (have to buy park hopping twice, tickets cost more per day on shorter stays). If you stay a long time at each place, or have an AP, this wouldn't really affect you. But for us it would be more costly. But still might be worth it.

Someone please correct me if I am misunderstanding how this works though... JJ

 

[MumTo2Princesses]

great question, OP!! I am so happy to read the reasons behind the switching b/c i was wondering the same thing. interesting! if we stay longer on our next trip we may do the split-- makes sense now that i have read this thread!

do i remember correctly that disney will transfer luggage b/w the resorts??

 

[Amyrlin]

I like to try different places, they are all well themed and very different. However, when with children I am more prone to stay in one place or have only one move in a two week period.

 

[wendypooh]

OH, I didn't realize that!!! I've decided now that we are not going to switch at all.......... it just seems like too much of a hassle for a week trip. AKL it is.......... DS will just have to "visit" the potato heads!!! LOL

Thanks for letting me know. That's why I love these boards!!

 

[Ladyhawke10]

We usually move a couple of times.

The main reason is to change vantage points from which to experience the parks. We love AKL but feel too removed from the MK or Epcot to stay there the whole time (not to mention watching the fireworks, dining easily at many of our favorite restaurats or water transportation). So we usually go there first and enjoy this fantastic resort for a few days while solely going to Animal Kingdom and enjoying AKL's restaurants and experiences.

Then after three, four days I start missing the bustle of the Epcot area so we usually move over to the Boardwalk, Beach club or the Swan/ Dolphin (the Boardwalk is my favorite, the Beach club my son's favorite due to the pirate slide). I would never want to miss that relaxing walk back from Illuminations to my resort, after dark. (I've tried it the other way--on the buses with loads of people, no comparison). We go to Epcot and MGM for a couple days and then have Disney move us to a monorail resort.

Then we love to finish our stay at the GF (usually) and go to MK really early each morning and enjoy the electrical light parade, the lovely grounds, the motor launches (which I LOVE at night), the comfortable beds, fireworks and the restaurants at the other nearby resorts. It's a perfect ending for our vacation.

Forgot to mention that I have always switched resorts as a single mom and beginning when my son was 2! I don't find it difficult to switch, but I guess we don't completely unpack and I'm so looking forward to the next great hotel I don't think about it

 

[tclowe]

Many of you will think that we are one crazy family but we will be resort hopping in December. 1 night at POP, 3 nights at GF and 3 nights at BC. Reasons for insanity:

1) we couldn't decide which one (bet. GF & BC) so why not try both. both have beautiful Christmas decorations.
2) fun to stay in a different themed resort.
3) convenient. because we can schedule our visits so MK & AK parks while at GF and MGM & Epcot while at BC. Also, signed son up for Grand adv. in cooking at GF as well as Albatross (pirate) cruise at BC.
4) staying 1 night at POP because flight comes in late (around 6:00pm). No chance to enjoy our resort so why pay $250 for that one night vs. $60 for POP for that one night.

How do we do the resort hopping with two small children (age 18 mons. & 6 years old)? our carry-on will hold our one day of clothes for POP. One large suitcase will hold 3 days of clothes for us. Another large suitcase will hold the other 3 days of clothes for us. That way, only open 1 suitcase per resort. Disney bell services make moving of the luggage a breeze. Plus, we are renting a car so easy to haul stuff or leave in the trunk.

Besides, if we don't try all the different resorts, how will know which should be our favorite?

 

[mill4023]

When we went in May, we stayed
1 night Royal Pacific Resort at Universal
4 nights Fairfield at Marriott Village
4 nights POR

It was a bit of a pain switching each time, but we did it for several reasons. RPR for FOTL at Universal, Fairfield because we were on a budget and it was a bargain at $50/night through AAA, and POR because I really wanted to try staying on-site, it was the least expensive option with 6 people(one under 3), and I got my wife to agree to a compromise of half on and half off-site.

Next March, we're going to stay at Fairfield for 8 nights and POR for 6 nights. My mom and sister are going to be with us for the first 8 nights and we've got a ton of stuff packed into the itinerary, including a day at Universal, a day at Sea World, and a day at the King Tut exhibit in Fort Lauderdale. We had planned on getting 2 rooms at a value, but with so little time being spent at the hotel, it didn't make much sense to pay peak season rates when we can get Fairfield for half the cost.

If money was no object, I'd probably choose to spend 5 nights at a monorail resort, 5 nights at an Epcot resort and 4 nights at AKL.