Need advice please!

[disneymomma2010]

Sorry, this is long! Ok, origionaly we were booked for Oct. 21-26 at the csr. We have been anticipating free dining (unpatiently :blush:). Since now they have announced it and it starts on the 23rd, we are gonna have to just check in early the day before and do a room only stay for saturday night (22nd), and then start our package on the 23rd.

Saturday is my twins birthday and since we are planning on getting there early, around 1:00 pm I am considering AKL for that day. Dh just has to watch at football game that day so i know we are gonna be spending at least 3 or 4 hours at the resort that day, and Im not purchasing a park ticket for that day. I have always dreamed of staying at AKL and have never been there, or any deluxe and this might be my only chance.

My question is, we have never split stayed before and I am worried about the next day, how much time it might take out of the day to check into csr, if they don't have our room ready and all the unpacking I will need to do. We have breakfast reservations at the Ohana that morning at 10:25 and we are going to HS that day and definatly want to see the fantasmic at 8:00. We will have family already there meeting us and I don't want to hold them up if I have any problems at csr. What is your experience? Is it worth it to scrape for the next two months to be able to stay at AKL that day instead of CSR?

And for those who have stayed at AKL, if I do decide to stay there, what would be some good ways for us to spend our day there with the boys, of course swimming! Im thinking about going to the poly beach that night to watch wishes, never have experienced that either.:D

Or if I stayed at CSR that day, what would you do? I know the possiblities are endless. I could visit AKL and other resorts and/or go to DTD, and still see wishes that night on the poly beach.:confused:

Thanks for any help!:thumbsup:

[DisneyMom12]

I have a split stay, and they said they would move the luggage for us. So I am going to check out, check in and go for the day.

[Jeff]

We have split stays several times. The packing / unpacking is the big drawback and there is the possibility you will be "without" a room for a few hours.

One trip we checked out of the Swan (no transfer service to another hotel) so my family went to the parks as I got a towncar driver (who was waiting at the Swan) to transfer me and our luggage to the Contemporary. I figured this might take 3 hours or more so told my family I would meet them in the MK at 11:30. I had moved our bags, got the car, took the trip, moved our bags into the Contemporary, checked in, checked our bags at the Contemporary and was walked into the MK 35 minutes after leaving the Swan.!!!!

Point is, I don't mind split stays!

[brivers222]

when i did it back in '04 we went from AKL to ASM... I remember dropping the luggage off at the checkout counter and then they (disney) would move luggage over to our new room at ASM after we were assigned the room. We went over to ASM to check-in and get our park tickets and dining plan stuff for the remainder of the stay.

I remember saying I would never do it again lol.... now flash forward 7 years... the free dining plan that affected you has also affected us. So we are doing it again. And like you this maybe our only chance to ever stay at the GF so we are going for it for the start of our stay (pre-free dining). I wouldn't worry too much about it really, Disney is good at having your luggage in your room after its been made available.

This year we will have a rental car so we will check out of GF, go to Ohana then i am sending DW to GF spa (a surprise for her) while i go over to BWI and start the check-in process.

[disneymomma2010]

Thank you guys. Dh informed me that he would just rather stay at csr that day so we wouldnt have to worry about any moving, check in, and unpacking. We figured it would be better to get all that done on our first day since its a lazy day.

So, how would you spend your free day? I know I will be unpacking, going to the pool, and ending the night at poly watching wishes. What would you do inbetween?