Multi-Resorts One Trip!!

[jaredkari]

My wife and I have always talked about how much fun it would be to stay at different resorts on the same trip to WDW. For instance if we stayed at a Moderate for the first 4 nights of a week long trip. Then transferred over to a Deluxe for the last 3 nights. Is this possible to do and still get a package deal on tickets and dining? Has anyone done this before? How does it work?

[brownie]

You'll have two separate reservations, so that can impact package deals and ticket prices. It all depends on how you arrange things. If you're considering it, I'd recommend working with Magical Journeys to see what your best options are.

[Alaska Disney Fan]

On our first trip we did it because we thought it would be our only time visiting, Yeah Right! it worked just fine. You will end up with 2 different reservation, so planning is the key, especially if you do the DDP. Make sure you use all your meals and snacks for the first ressie, because they end when you check out. All you have to do when transferring between the resorts is take you luggage to the baggage center and they will send it to your next resort, then check in later in the day when you go to your new resort.

[moe513]

Did it once and didnt like it. It was a pain to pack us up and move. The worst part was it took alot of time. You can't check in till after 3pm so we went to the parks and then back to the new hotel after 3pm. We were exhausted so the last thing we wanted to do was get our stuff out of bell service and unpack. By then all the rooms were gone so we didnt get our request which I know isnt guarnteed but we were told this was the only room available. No chioce. good luck

[KarenP]

My wife and I have always talked about how much fun it would be to stay at different resorts on the same trip to WDW. For instance if we stayed at a Moderate for the first 4 nights of a week long trip. Then transferred over to a Deluxe for the last 3 nights. Is this possible to do and still get a package deal on tickets and dining? Has anyone done this before? How does it work?

It can be done but a split resort stay on packages is not cost effective. You have to book a separate package for each resort stay and you have to take some type of ticket on each package. Magic Your Way tickets are structured so that the more days you buy, the less you pay. So admission cost per day is much lower on the tickets purchased for more days.

[buzznwoodysmom]

We have done it several times and have always enjoyed doing so. We've been able to try many resorts that we wouldn't have had time for otherwise. We never thought it was much of a pain to pack up and move. I did say a while back that we wouldn't do split stays anymore, just because it can be nice to be able to settle in for the whole week without having to move.

That said, I just got off the phone booking a split stay for July. We are doing 3 nights in a moderate, then 3 nights in a deluxe. We are booked with room only reservations, and aren't doing the dining plan, so it wasn't a big deal. You do have to put down two deposits, so keep that in mind. What we are going to do is take the day off from the parks (something we do several times per trip anyway) on the day we move. We also have our own car that makes it so easy to move. I am going to try to pack us in seperate bags for each of the 3 nights. There are only 3 of us so I can pack us all in one large suitcase for each part of our stay. This way we'll only have to take one bag down at each resort, leaving the other in the car. I have a late breakfast at Chef Mickey's booked that morning. So we can pack up, drive to the Contemporary, have breakfast, spend some time on the monorail and the monorail resorts, then arrive at our second "home" around lunch time. Even if our room isn't ready we'll hang out at the pool for the rest of the day, with no big plans that evening. This way our day isn't wasted, and we don't have to worry about getting in our room for any reason. Like I said, we have days like this on our trips anyway, so for us it's no big deal.

Good luck deciding what to do!!

[Tigerinvestigator]

We don't do packages so we usually do resort hop. The resort is one of our favorite parts of our Disney vacation, and we have now stayed at all but three. If you decide to do it, just make sure you stay at the value or moderate for the first part of the trip and then the deluxe so that it is an "upgrade" rather than a downgrade. The best resort hopping trip we ever did was two nights at the Beach Club, followed by four nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, followed by three nights at the Grand Floridian. We loved it and would do it again.....if we ever win the lottery!

Moving from resort to resort without a package is easy. Simply touch the luggage button on your phone and let them know where you are moving to. Pack your bags and leave them just inside the door. Head to the parks and return to your new resort after 3pm to check in. They will then deliver your luggage to your room!

[Mousemates]

We love resort hopping and used to do it on every trip...the thing that made us stop was the whole bedbug thing...(we've had two encounters in hotels in the last two years)...and so by the time we have thoroughly inspected our room upon arrival we just don't want to have to go through the process of doing it all over again.

[caryrae]

We did a split stay a few years ago and liked it. It's fun to try a couple different Resorts. Being it was just my wife and I it was pretty easy to pack up and move. We were even able to check in at the 2nd Resort pretty early because they had some rooms available. We stayed at Coronado first then packed up went to the Kona Cafe at the Poly for breakfast walked around the resort for a bit, then went to POFQ and checked in. We just made that day a day where we didn't have anything specific to do.

[Tink33333]

We have "hopped" numerous times and loved it!

We enjoy spending time at our resorts (part of our Disney experience) so the "moving" day is always a day of unplanned adventure. We like doing all the cool stuff at our first hotel one last time (usually up until checkout), then DTD, check out some of the other resorts (we always have a car but I am sure you could figure out Disney transportation) and then off to our new destination! We will pack a pool bag (just in case) and it's time to start enjoying our new hotel.

We usually purchase a multi-day ticket so we have can pick and choose when we go to the parks. Usually if we are staying in a new resort, we like to spend more time there so we use the majority of days on our park tickets at our first hotel and then only one or two when we are at our last resort. I too only upgrade when hopping.

[Crow]

ive done it on a lot of trips. that way i can experience diff ones, and its cheaper than staying at a deluxe the whole time.
use bell services they transfer luggage no prob.
my GF and I stayed at CBR and WL last trip.
go for it

[AJ Springfield]

You are all giving me ideas for a future trip!! 2012 is planned, but I like the idea of trying resort hopping on another trip.