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Transferring luggage and groceries during a split stay
- Thread starter kbmum
- Start date
DisneyFanatic12
Well-Known Member
I’ve never personally used it, but some of my friends have and they were quite impressed. Since I don’t have much in terms of personal experience, here is a PlanDisney article on it (for 2023, so it is back): https://plandisney.disney.go.com/qu...r-one-disney-resort-available-october-539433/
As far as a tip goes, that’s up to you. Someone else might be better able to answer that, but it would also depend on how much luggage there is, how difficult it is to move, etc.
JaxFLBear
Well-Known Member
They will transfer luggage and groceries, but will not transfer perishables (cold or frozen foods).
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
Bell Services will transfer your bags (including whatever groceries you've packed in them, although they may be destined for a non-climate-controlled storage space, so stick to non-perishables). We love split stays and have used the luggage transfer service repeatedly with no problems. We usually drop everything off at Bell Services early in the morning, head out to a park until dinnertime, and then check in at the second resort and pick up our bags. (We also pack specially to make it quick and easy to transfer between hotels: we pack very light using one 21" carryon per person, do laundry mid-way through the trip if we're staying for a week or more, and use packing cubes -- in a different color for each person -- for all of our clothes, toiletries, electronics/miscellany, and foodstuffs.) When we pick up the bags, we tip about $1-$2/bag, which amounts to about $10 for our 4 small suitcases and a backpack or two.
If you have perishable items in your fridge that you want kept cold, you'll need to give them to Bell Services in such a way that they'll "keep" at room temperature for many hours (e.g., in a cooler with ice). We usually don't bother with trying to transfer perishables at all, since ours are limited to milk and cream cheese for our morning cereal and bagels: we buy just enough for the first half of our split stay, use it up before moving, and then buy a new supply at the next resort. If you're trying to replenish more than just a couple of things, a grocery order might be a better way to go.
If you have perishable items in your fridge that you want kept cold, you'll need to give them to Bell Services in such a way that they'll "keep" at room temperature for many hours (e.g., in a cooler with ice). We usually don't bother with trying to transfer perishables at all, since ours are limited to milk and cream cheese for our morning cereal and bagels: we buy just enough for the first half of our split stay, use it up before moving, and then buy a new supply at the next resort. If you're trying to replenish more than just a couple of things, a grocery order might be a better way to go.
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Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
When you say they transferred the perishable items ..I mean they didn't keep them in a fridge for you, did they?
Yes, they did. Our frozen foods were still fully frozen and the cold foods still cold when they were delivered to the new room.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
I'm afraid your experience is no longer consistent with current practices. Years ago, yes, Disney would transfer cold items and keep them cold. This is no longer the case. The discontinuation of that aspect of luggage transfer was conspicuously announced in 2021. It has never been reinstated.
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Club Cooloholic
Well-Known Member
My bet is there have been way more people ordering from Amazon having groceries delivered etc, that it got overwhelming. It makes little sense for them to do this, too, as I imagine it was quite a headache logistically and probably resulted in times people complained about melted ice cream etc.
Before July 2023 I was able to have groceries transferred, perishable and non-perishable. Perhaps I was just lucky getting more than I should have. However, in July I was told that they'd not transfer any groceries, which sounds lucky not even having non-perishable transferred. I had a car but it was still unnecessarily complicated needing to leave with bell services to not leave in hot July vehicle, then pick up and move everything to the next resort.
Bell services was also over an hour wait so I ended up making over six trips from the room carrying everything to the car and missing my kid's birthday breakfast, but that's a separate issue.
Bell services was also over an hour wait so I ended up making over six trips from the room carrying everything to the car and missing my kid's birthday breakfast, but that's a separate issue.
Colonel Angus
Active Member
I was told this prior to my November 2022 trip so all the groceries I had I packed in my bags and unfortunately had to trash a couple of leftovers, one being part of a nice steakBefore July 2023 I was able to have groceries transferred, perishable and non-perishable. Perhaps I was just lucky getting more than I should have. However, in July I was told that they'd not transfer any groceries, which sounds lucky not even having non-perishable transferred. I had a car but it was still unnecessarily complicated needing to leave with bell services to not leave in hot July vehicle, then pick up and move everything to the next resort.
Bell services was also over an hour wait so I ended up making over six trips from the room carrying everything to the car and missing my kid's birthday breakfast, but that's a separate issue.
but, I respect the rules and value the service. I always picked up myself from Bell services but I caught the transport driver once and tipped $10.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
I've never heard of them refusing to transfer non-perishable groceries. Luggage transfer generally includes anything packed in your bags. We just pack our non-perishable groceries in our luggage/totes and have never had an issue.
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Tiki Traveler
Well-Known Member
Variation on a theme here - If you fly to Orlando, stop at a grocery store w/your car service and have perishable groceries, like yogurt, milk, etc, will they be refrigerated for you while you wait for your room to be ready?
I think that may be a crap shoot. We’ve stayed in many of the resorts and some room fridges barely keep a bottle of water cool. Personally I wouldn’t trust them to store food long term.
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
Yes. If you or a grocery delivery person bring refrigerated items to the hotel, Bell Services will keep them cold for you until the room is ready or you're able to collect them. What they will no longer do us keep things cold that Bell Services is transferring between hotels.
Ayla
Well-Known Member
Remember, the rooms now have beverage coolers, not fridges, unless you're staying in a DVC room. I would not trust them to keep perishable items cold.
Fill a gallon zip lock with ice. Put it near the top of the cooler. New ice every day. It should keep the stuff cold enough