Split stay questions

[CheshireCat12]

WDW vet here looking for advice on a couple questions:
1. What is the easiest way to transfer from one resort to another with a split stay- taxi? We would only have carry-on luggage. Any idea how much it costs to go from FQ to WL via taxi?
2. I know that a split stay is two separate bookings and that we would get a new magic band for each. What about the ticket that we linked to our account? Will the split stay mess up anything with the days on our ticket? I book room only and tix separate.

3. During Christmas week, I know MK is crazy. Are the other parks more accessible or just as bad?

 

[Figgy1]

Disney will transport your luggage so you can go about your day. Everything is crazy that week. Make sure to make all ADRs ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even the not as popular places fill quickly

 

[Rob562]

WDW vet here looking for advice on a couple questions:
1. What is the easiest way to transfer from one resort to another with a split stay- taxi? We would only have carry-on luggage. Any idea how much it costs to go from FQ to WL via taxi?
2. I know that a split stay is two separate bookings and that we would get a new magic band for each. What about the ticket that we linked to our account? Will the split stay mess up anything with the days on our ticket? I book room only and tix separate.

3. During Christmas week, I know MK is crazy. Are the other parks more accessible or just as bad?

As mentioned above, Disney will transfer the bags for you. It's as simple as calling Bell Services at your first resort and asking for a pickup. Tell them that your bags need to be transferred to your next hotel. They'll take the bags and in a few hours they'll arrive at your next hotel.
You can head to a park for the day and then head to your second hotel in the evening. Once in your room, just call Bell Services again and they'll bring up your bags. (It's not automatic like when arriving on Magical Express, and you must be in the room to accept delivery)

As for your tickets and Bands... Both Bands will be active on your trip. You can use them interchangeably throughout both parts of your vacation for your tickets, room key, etc. Just make sure both hotel reservations and the park tickets are all linked to your My Disney Experience profile.

-Rob

 

[minniemickeyfan]

The only time I have had Disney transfer luggage for me from Pop to CBR, I wish I had done it myself due to you have to wait until you check in your room, then call luggage service to bring it to your room. If I had brought it myself, we could have gone about our evening plans right away. But that's just me, I'm the person too that doesn't let Magical Express transfer my luggage either.
I can't remember about the bands, but I think I just carried both with me and either worked.

 

[CheshireCat12]

The only time I have had Disney transfer luggage for me from Pop to CBR, I wish I had done it myself due to you have to wait until you check in your room, then call luggage service to bring it to your room. If I had brought it myself, we could have gone about our evening plans right away. But that's just me, I'm the person too that doesn't let Magical Express transfer my luggage either.
I can't remember about the bands, but I think I just carried both with me and either worked.

So we could let Bell Services collect our luggage, transfer to the new resort, and when we check in to the second resort later that day we could either 1. pick our stuff up directly at Bell desk OR 2. Call down for delivery when we are in the room?

 

[Rob562]

So we could let Bell Services collect our luggage, transfer to the new resort, and when we check in to the second resort later that day we could either 1. pick our stuff up directly at Bell desk OR 2. Call down for delivery when we are in the room?

Correct.

-Rob

 

[docdebbi]

just a warning about the downside of split stays. we used to do it every trip, now never.
as it is two separate stays, and you can now only book dining and FP+ for "length of stay", not "plus 10 days", you can only book the first part of your stay for these at your 180/60 day marks. you need to wait for the window for the second part of your stay to open up to book things for when that starts.
so you lose some of the advantage of being on property. several hard to get restaurants and FP are gone within hours of opening up. you really need to book them for 5-7 days after your window opens. unless both parts of your stay are that long, you may miss out on them.

 

[DisneyJoe]

As mentioned above, Disney will transfer the bags for you. It's as simple as calling Bell Services at your first resort and asking for a pickup. Tell them that your bags need to be transferred to your next hotel. They'll take the bags and in a few hours they'll arrive at your next hotel.

I've done a few split stays, and the time when your luggage arrives at the second resort can vary greatly. It can be very quick, it can sometimes not arrive until 4pm, and at the extreme, it didn't get transferred at all and they had to hunt it down, and I never got it until after 7pm (which hurt our evening plans).

I highly suggest that if you are doing a split stay that you pack a carry on or a backpack so that you have what you need while you are without your luggage.

 

[DisneyDaver]

3. During Christmas week, I know MK is crazy. Are the other parks more accessible or just as bad?

Everything will be crazy that week!

 

[DVCOwner]

We did a split stay this last trip and had a problem with our Magic Bands opening the room doors on the second stay. The front desk could not get them to work and had to get IT to fix all of them.

 

[CheshireCat12]

Thanks all! After some deliberation we have decided NOT to split Going to have to do some resort hopping though!

 

[minniemickeyfan]

So we could let Bell Services collect our luggage, transfer to the new resort, and when we check in to the second resort later that day we could either 1. pick our stuff up directly at Bell desk OR 2. Call down for delivery when we are in the room?

Yes. We tried to pick it up ourselves first in the early afternoon, but wasn't there yet.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

just a warning about the downside of split stays. we used to do it every trip, now never.
as it is two separate stays, and you can now only book dining and FP+ for "length of stay", not "plus 10 days", you can only book the first part of your stay for these at your 180/60 day marks. you need to wait for the window for the second part of your stay to open up to book things for when that starts.

Easy solution. Book a third reservation that covers the entire length of stay. So if you have a four night reservation and a three night reservation, book an additional seven night reservation that spans the whole week. Make your dining reservations based on the seven-night, then cancel it.

so you lose some of the advantage of being on property. several hard to get restaurants and FP are gone within hours of opening up. you really need to book them for 5-7 days after your window opens. unless both parts of your stay are that long, you may miss out on them.

That's rarely true. I know the OP is talking about Christmas, so it definitely applies to him/her, but I've made several Be Our Guest dinner reservations within 60ish days and Mine Train Fastpasses within a day or two.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Separate question, can any experienced split-stayers opine on whether it's worth extending a trip by one day if the split is going to end up being 7 / 1? We can save a good bit of money on our return flight if we move it back a day, meaning the extra night would only cost a few dollars. It would, however, be a switch from Saratoga to French Quarter for just one day. Worth the hassle?

 

[Rob562]

Separate question, can any experienced split-stayers opine on whether it's worth extending a trip by one day if the split is going to end up being 7 / 1? We can save a good bit of money on our return flight if we move it back a day, meaning the extra night would only cost a few dollars. It would, however, be a switch from Saratoga to French Quarter for just one day. Worth the hassle?

Hmmm, that's a tough one. Almost every time I've done a split stay it's been with the extra days in the smaller accommodation at the start of the trip (we did 1 night in 1 room at Riverside to a 2-bedroom at Saratoga last year). Doing that was easier because going into the first stay you know you should only unpack the few things you need for that night or two.

I tend to really "move into" the room when I'm somewhere for a week, so packing up to move for the final night would be a bit of a pain.

-Rob

 

[DarthVader]

We're splitting our stay, not to experience different resorts but rather we chose to fly out Friday instead of saturday and yes our original plans were for a saturday stay. We opted for a value resort, to minimize the financial impact.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Hmmm, that's a tough one. Almost every time I've done a split stay it's been with the extra days in the smaller accommodation at the start of the trip (we did 1 night in 1 room at Riverside to a 2-bedroom at Saratoga last year). Doing that was easier because going into the first stay you know you should only unpack the few things you need for that night or two.

I tend to really "move into" the room when I'm somewhere for a week, so packing up to move for the final night would be a bit of a pain.

-Rob

That's what I was thinking. I ended up pricing it all out and it cost a total of $11 to add the extra night with the significant savings from the flight, so we're going to go ahead and extend the extra day. We won't plan anything more than Downtown Disney or pool time that last day and just use it as some down time.