Your split stay tips

[kollerbear]

Our split stay was so bad, I will never do it again. However, I learned two valuable lessons:

1) Plan on losing half a day. This may not happen, but it's best to plan for it. We were told to go on to the parks, our luggage would go to WL and we could check in later in the day. Wrong! We walked to MK, couldn't get in, wasted a half an hour or more at Guest Services (nothing they could do), hopped on a boat to WL, checked in, went to the room, but by then it was nearly 11:00 (peak time - we don't go at peak time) and my in-laws were arriving within two hours. We hung out in the hotel to wait, but it was disappointing to lose a morning in the parks.

Luckily I've done 1 triple and 1 quadruple split stay and never had a problem with this! And I don't think I actually "checked out" of any room aside from the automatic check-out. Definitely follow the advice to check out, but I wouldn't necessarily worry about this particular experience.

Another suggestion I would make is to plan your park days (and ADRs) such that you are always close to whatever park you are visiting. This is one of the main advantages of split stays (minimizes your reliance on buses).

For example, we often start out at a MK resort (usually Poly), focus on MK during that part of the vacation, then switch to an EP resort (usually BC) and then focus on EP and HS during that part of the vacation. We usually go to EP on the transfer day (just hop on the EP monorail from the TTC, spend the day in EP, then walk from the International Gateway to one of the EP resorts).

Another idea is a 3 way split where you stay at a MK resort when focusing on MK (and MK area restaurants), an EP resort when focusing on EP/HS (and restaurants in that area), and AKL when focusing on AK and waterparks (and AK/AKL restaurants).

CANNOT AGREE WITH THIS MORE. Have done that triple split for that exact reason and love how little time we spend on transportation that way. Hard to imagine doing it any other way at this point!

We always split our stay. We do it a bit different though. On our transfer day, we use that as our day to sleep in, grab breakfast, and then transfer to the new resort. Then we check in and hang out at the new resort, and then hit a park at night. So, next May, we are staying at the BC for five days. Then we are transferring to the Poly. On the transfer day, we'll check in at the Poly, swim, eat lunch, and then go to MK in the evening for about 4 hours.

I've done it both ways--because I usually have to pack up at least a little bit in the morning, I try not to save anything for transfer day that requires me to be at park open. However, you can either choose to sleep in and relax around the resort, check out/swim, go to a water park or DTD, and then return to your resort in the late afternoon for check-in and dinner, OR you can just go to a park and return to your new resort later that night. Both approaches have worked for me. Just don't have anything packed in your bag that you will NEED before dinnertime just in case there is a delay with your bags or something. But I've never had a problem doing either of these in terms of park tickets or bags being transferred.

 

[dansdad]

We don't have tickets for our first night at AKL, but for the second part of our trip. I would prefer to not going to CSR before heading to the parks so we can enjoy AKL in the morning before we check out and then head out to the parks. Will there be any issues with dining and tickets? I wonder if AKL can check that for us to make sure we can get into the parks...

It's very possible you will be able to head right from AKL to the parks, but only if you get the email 1-2 weeks prior to your arrival stating you can Bypass the Front Desk. If you do not get that email, you will have to go to CSR first. If you do Online Check In for your CSR stay you will have 3 possible scenarios. All of these will have to be completed:

Complete Online Check In
Provide Credit Card during Online Check In
Set PIN for charging to your Magic Bands
Be paid in full
Provide a US based Cellular number
Provide an estimated time of arrival

If all of the above has been completed here are your possible check in scenarios:

Bypass The Front Desk - You will receive an email 1-2 weeks prior to your arrival informing you of this. Around the time you specify you will be arriving, I would suggest you say you'll be arriving around 7-8AM, you will receive a text. If your room is ready, it will have your room number and a link to the map of CSR. If your room is not ready, the text will say it's not ready but that you will get another text when it is ready with the number and link to the map. Either way, once you receive that first text you ware considered "checked in" to CSR and will be to able to head right to the parks. Your Magic Bands will get you park access and you will have access to any other entitlements linked to your MDE account. Like Dining Credits, Memory Maker, etc.

Streamlined Check In - After completing Online Check In you will receive a banner message stating you are able to do the Streamlined Check In. Once you check out of AKL you will have to go over to CSR and find the Streamlined Check In kiosk. Then hand the CM your ID and if your room is ready they will give you your room number and the map. If your room is not ready, they will give you a map and tell you they will text you your room number when it's ready. Either way, you are now "check in" at CSR and can head to the parks and your MBs will work for everything.

Online Check In - After checking out of AKL you will have to head over to CSR and go to the Online Check In Desk. The CM will check you in and give you your room number if it's ready. If not, you will receive a text with your room number when it is ready. You are now "checked in" to CSR and can head to the parks and your MBs will work for everything.


Whenever we've done a split stay, we always buy the number of days/tickets we will need for the entire trip with the first reservation and just get a room only for resort #2. This way we don't have to worry about our MBs and tickets etc.

 

[MKay]

Thank you everyone for your input and advice. We had already figured out focusing on the parks closest to the resort we will be staying in. And also going to the Value/Pop first then transferring to Beach Club for the last 3 days. We have stayed at both resorts in the past and are familiar with them both; it will be nice to be able to end our trip in the Beach Club environment. And...once we heard the Pop Warner Football/Cheerleader event was coming in those last 3 days and read about the age level of most of those guests coming in to Pop, it was an easy decision to set up the transfer.
We did set up our park tickets with our first reservation and thought we would just get one set of MBs but have been told a second set for BC is on its way; wondering if we will have to wear both...oh well...whatever makes it work.
Time is ticking now...less than 3 weeks away!

 

[dansdad]

We did set up our park tickets with our first reservation and thought we would just get one set of MBs but have been told a second set for BC is on its way; wondering if we will have to wear both...oh well...whatever makes it work.
Time is ticking now...less than 3 weeks away!

Both sets of Magic Bands will work for your entire trip.

 

[hsmamato2]

a side note about suitcases and split stays (many of my trips to different places involve moving every 1-3 days to sightsee) you learn quickly to live out of your suitcase,so pack accordingly,what I mean is a way to get things in/out easily,without pulling everything out at once, it makes for much easier transitions to just toss in your toiletry bag on moving morning and bring it to your car or bell services....then just keep on going with whatever you need for your day in your personal bag that day.

 

[maryj11]

I would love to try to do a split stay but I'm worried it will get all messed up on my MB. Ok so say we split between POFQ/BC. We stay at POFQ first and have our tickets for our entire stay on the POFQ reservation. Do we link both sets of MB together so the tickets and our reservation for BC will carry over ? Does this cause any problems with the MB not working right?

 

[thisismyusername]

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

 

[nkereina]

a side note about suitcases and split stays (many of my trips to different places involve moving every 1-3 days to sightsee) you learn quickly to live out of your suitcase,so pack accordingly,what I mean is a way to get things in/out easily,without pulling everything out at once, it makes for much easier transitions to just toss in your toiletry bag on moving morning and bring it to your car or bell services....then just keep on going with whatever you need for your day in your personal bag that day.

One way we have helped make this easier is by using packing cubes and a hanging toiletry bag. The hanging toiletry bag just gets unzippered and hung from the towel bar in the bathroom. The packing cubes get pulled out and set in the dresser drawers. When we're ready to leave, we just throw the packing cubes back in the suitcase and zipper up the toiletry bag and throw that in the suitcase as well. Helps keep us organized, and makes it quick and easy to pack up.

 

[karpy111]

Can you pack a bag and send it a day in advance to resort number 2? This way when you get there you have some clothes.