Swapping Resorts Mid Vacation?

[GMRO]

Great replies...

THANKS!

Wife does all our unpacking and repacking. We have not swapped as of yet. Usually we chose a resort and like it enough to stick with it - plus we make it HOME and really don't like to have to worry about leaving until the last day during the repack.

With the cruise at the front end of the vacation...it's already a separate set of bags for that part. And she even unpacks all there too when on the ship. Just sort of adds to the feeling and comfort of HOME - that is having your stuff outside of the suitcases.

BUT nice info from everyone. Maybe in the future we may try the 2 resorts in one vacation. For now we're pretty happy with our plans and how we do it for our 15 days at the WORLD.

Could be nice to start at Contemporary then swap to Boardwalk or Beach Club... who knows, maybe someday.

 

[MarkTwain]

We've done this many times with DVC resorts. Various reasons have been because there are disagreements for which resort we should stay at, so we split the difference, or because we don't have enough points to spend the entire trip at one resort, so we spend a few nights there (AKL) and spend the rest somewhere cheaper/more available (Saratoga).

 

[fredtom]

SSR is our home resort, so we reserve there 11 months out to have something secured. Then, we usually make changes at 7 months out since we like to split our stays and enjoy different resorts. Most often, our stay involves OKW or sometimes SSR and another resort.


"An Adventurer's life is best!" :lol:

 

[Sharkreef11]

Transportation?

How does transportation work then when you split for a hotel? Does Magical Express still pick you up for the transition or do you have to setup your own (like a town-car, cab, mears etc.) to get from resort to resort??

 

[Master Yoda]

How does transportation work then when you split for a hotel? Does Magical Express still pick you up for the transition or do you have to setup your own (like a town-car, cab, mears etc.) to get from resort to resort??

It works the same. The only difference is you put your arriving flight on your first reservation and your departing flight on your final reservation.

 

[PhilharMagician]

How does transportation work then when you split for a hotel? Does Magical Express still pick you up for the transition or do you have to setup your own (like a town-car, cab, mears etc.) to get from resort to resort??

No, it is not through Magical Express. When you transfer from one resort to another, you have multiple choices of transportation.

1. Drive your car (if you have one)
2. Use a taxi service or town car service
3. Take WDW transportation to a park and transfer to a bus going to your new resort. (best option without a car)

Most times when I transfer to a second resort I go to a park for the day and then return to my new resort that afternoon or evening.

 

[slappy magoo]

Well little do they know that we're doing our first 2 days at AKL Villas with a Savanna view, next 2 days at BLT with a MK view and then the next 5days at SSR in Congress Park!! I was'nt sure about the whole packing thing up and switching but you just pack it up and disney handles the rest!!
Its so killing me not to say anything, all we say is "this is gonna be the best trip ever"!! They just laugh, cause I think we always say that!!

Just a helpful tip, since your first two stays are so short - instead of each family member getting his or her own suitcase, try to pack one suitcase with changes of clothes for everyone for 2 days, same deal with a second suitcase, then 2 suitcases with clothes for all for the rest of the trip...unless you plan on doing laundry. In which case still split clothes up in half. This way you have less to repack before going off to each new resort, saving you time.

 

[Rinx]

Do it every year! :sohappy: We stay for 12 days each August. We're DVC members so we always do a studio for 4 nights at a DVC resort (we rotate every year) and ALWAYS finish with a week in a 2 bedroom at Old Key West. This year though, we are starting with 2 nights at Coronado Springs followed by 2 nights at Kidani Village (too many points to do 4 nights at Kidani), then our week at OKW.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

Have done it twice because the resort we wanted wasn't available for the full trip.

It isn't something I would recommend. If you do, do it... then it is best if you never unpack in the first hotel, just live out of the suitcase... also works best if you control you luggage and don't rely on Disney to move your stuff from one place to the other or even just place it in their holding area when you go to the second hotel keep it in your own car trunk its much easier that way. Because when you move from hotel 1 to hotel 2 there is a window where it is unlikely that you will have a hotel room.. check out might be made as late as noon... but check in is unlikely to happen before 3:00pm...

Unless you are going to be stuck in one of the value hotels, I wouldn't recommend it. The difference between moderates and deluxe resorts isn't enough to warrant the hassle... the difference in a value and a moderate or deluxe is worth the hassle.

 

[dixiegirl]

Just a helpful tip, since your first two stays are so short - instead of each family member getting his or her own suitcase, try to pack one suitcase with changes of clothes for everyone for 2 days, same deal with a second suitcase, then 2 suitcases with clothes for all for the rest of the trip...unless you plan on doing laundry. In which case still split clothes up in half. This way you have less to repack before going off to each new resort, saving you time.

Thanks about the tip slappy!!! Hubby was already all over it about bringing either 2 or 3 small carry on's. Figure by the time we get to SSR we'll do some laundry...Its amazing with having the facility there we do bring alot less clothes!! More room for all the crap we bring home!

 

[GMRO]

I'll let you know in August how it goes!!!

Please do! Would like to hear your take on it...

THANKS! AND HAVE FUN!!!

 

[SulleyanBoo]

My fiance and I swapped resorts when we were engaged at Disney. We started out at Sports and swapped to a moderate resort because we not ready to leave yet lol Swapping resorts is kind of fun because you get the feel that you are starting your Disney vaca all over again.

 

[ann0d]

We spend 2 days at Universal and switch over to Disney for the rest. Stay at Universal because their Fastpass. If not for that I would just book one hotel.

 

[dixiegirl]

Please do! Would like to hear your take on it...

THANKS! AND HAVE FUN!!!

No prob! We like to call it our "triple play stay!!" Now to keep quiet from the kids for the next 6 months!!

 

[Am I there yet]

We are doing this for the first time in Jan 2013. We bought the AKL because the guide talked up the concierge level, so we are doing 4 nights AKL concierge and then moving to Beach Club for the rest of the stay. I am a bit nervous about it myself, but so excited to see AKL!

 

[GMRO]

We are doing this for the first time in Jan 2013. We bought the AKL because the guide talked up the concierge level, so we are doing 4 nights AKL concierge and then moving to Beach Club for the rest of the stay. I am a bit nervous about it myself, but so excited to see AKL!

WOW, 2 top shelf resorts! I'm sure it'll be fine. GOOD LUCK - have fun!

 

[I_heart_Tigger]

I've done it a couple of times for a couple of reasons.

On one trip my family wanted to experience staying at Wilderness Lodge even though a full 10 days was out of our budget so we stayed at All-Star Music for 5 nights then moved to Wilderness Lodge for 4 nights.

On another trip when we brought the extended family and included small children we stayed at Poly for a few nights and got our fill of Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom (have to take the bus there no matter where we stayed) then we moved to Beach Club and did Epcot and Studios.

The kids loved the different resort pools and restaurants and the adults loved that when the kids were in bed (for the night or afternoon nap) one person could stay back at the resort and the others could skip over to the nearest park for a few hours of kid free time.

Switching resorts is quite easy. We don't rent a car so we pack everything and have Disney transport the luggage to our next resort while we head to the park, then when we're done we go to our new resort and check in our luggage is there waiting. We tip bell services quite well for the service as they don't charge us for transporting the luggage.

It's a great way to experience more than one resort for which ever reason you want.

 

[LoriSue]

We do this some times, mostly due to DVC availability but I agree that Disney does do a great job of actually moving your things. I do prefer to stay where we start for the simple reason is that there is an impact to my time having to pack and unpack again and I prefer to spend every minute I can in the parks. One thing we have learned, however, is that if you have to move, it's best to start at the "lower end" (POP, AS, or a studio) then move to the "higher end", (Contemporary, WL or a larger room). It just seems more worth it to me that you're gaining a nicer room for your trouble.