Have you ever done a split stay? I would love to hear your thoughts on if you liked it and if you'd do it again! And if you've ever thought about it, let me know if this video helps! Happy Disney vacation planning!
Jenn and I are doing a split stay this Halloween. 1st three nights at Art of Animation (just to see what it is like to stay at a basic resort) and then the remaining week at the Grand Floridian where our DVC is. I'll post what we thought.
Good morning! New subscriber. My last trip to Walt Disney World, in 2007, I did a split stay. I traveled alone, so after the 4-night Bahamas cruise December 2-6, 2007, I stayed at All-Star Movies from December 6-11, 2007 and at Animal Kingdom Lodge from December 11-16, 2007. I stayed at a different on-property resort each time I went, for a different perspective on the trips.
Split stays are the BEST!! We got to experience animal kingdom lodge AND the polynesian in one trip! It almost felt like two vacations!! I'm a big fan :)
We did this in February to surprise our 6 year old for his bday with a night at Animal Kingdom Lodge - HUGE animal lover. I have to say the night we had to pack everything up I was kind of regretting it but that next day when we arrived at AKL it felt like the best decision I had made for the entire trip. SO WORTH IT!!! Amazing for all of us!
Hi Jen, That is a great suggestion about doing the dining plan for a split stay. I never thought of that myself. We had to add on an extra night for our November trip and may do the dining plan for just one night because my son isn't a big eater.
Very well done video. And I agree, always move up in resort level (or stay at the same level). We have done a split stay (on purpose). We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge 3 nights, then 4 nights at Grand Floridian. The biggest drawback was the packing in the middle of your vacation and hoping your room is ready (ours was not). I was not aware they would actually move your bags for you, though. That is a very helpful tip.
I'm glad you did this video, because our family has done a split stay our last 2 years on our Disney World trip and I thought I was the only one that did this😁! We did Pop Century to Coronado Springs.
We did a split stay in December, renting points. 2 nights at Poly and 4 nights at BWV and my wife was not looking forward to it (for all the reasons you said up front). It was a little more time transferring the luggage, waiting, etc. I also did not check into the new resort right away, we drove to AK, and that almost caused a huge problem with our DDP. We barely had enough credits for Jiko that night b/c I hadn't yet checked into the 2nd stay. We did "lose" snack credits during the transition, but the BWV cast member added them back on for me b/c someone had told me something different on the phone before we came down. Anyway, it ended up being fun for us to try two different resorts we hadn't stayed at before. As the kids get older (currently 15, 10, 8), it will probably be even less of a hassle and we may try it again just to see more resorts.
I have never done a split stay but I have considered it a few times. I’m glad to hear you are an “unpacker” as well, lol. I like to put my packing cubes in drawers, hang up a few more wrinkle prone items, put my toiletries in the bathroom, and stock the fridge with water and some snacks. Although I’ve always loved the idea of when you start thinking “Oh the trips almost over 😢” you can be excited because it’s time to go check out a new resort for the rest of your stay!! Thanks for all the great tips!!
I LOVE doing a split stay. I only did it because we needed to switch resorts half way through our vacation due to issues with the first resort. I am so happy that we did it because now I know that Disney makes it super easy to relocate. We loved exploring two resorts in one trip!
Yeah, Jen, yours wasn't really on purpose, but you got to find out what a great job they do with it! Love that! AND you found your true Disney "home".😍
Good, balanced info as always, Jen! I had an issue recently where my magic band did not open my hotel room door. I was standing out in the heat, sweating profusely, carrying all my bags, and had to go back and forth to the lobby twice to resolve it. Point being, as much as Disney tries, no system is perfect, and things happen, so I agree about making sure you check in to the second hotel and ensure everything is squared away. Also, I'm an unpacker too. My trips tend to be weekend trips since I'm local-ish, but I can see how if you have a longer trip, a split stay would be less of a hassle. In general, I'd rather dump my stuff, park my car, and not have to move those things again until it's time to go home!
I just watched this for the second time, as I just decided to extend a 3-night trip into 4 nights next summer. Thank you for the well-informed post! I am NOT going to split-stay because 1) it is a short trip and I definitely do not want to invest precious (morning) vacation hours in traveling to and checking into another resort, and 2) I will be traveling with a 7-year old and 5-year old and as you say, the re-packing the whole family is not something I want to deal with during a short and very active vacation. I would consider doing it on a "resort day" for a longer stay though! Also thank you for the tip to call on the phone to get those coveted dining reservations for the second resort reservation!
I have not done a split stay yet but we did plan on doing one. I was super excited to see this video because of our plans do a split stay. Thank you! Now I know what to expect!
So glad you did this video! I’ve never done a split stay for all the reasons you mentioned. I’m an unpacker with packing cubes, but I feel like we have so much other stuff. The packing, unpacking, packing, unpacking always seems daunting. Fast forward, and now we have a split stay planned for October. Long story, but it was the only way I thought I could talk my husband into this trip (haha). I just took my daughters this summer, and we are itching to get back. We are staying the first 4 nights off property with points, but it’s a Disney Springs area hotel with Disney perks (Hilton Lake Buena Vista Palace.) Then my husband leaves, and my daughters and I are heading to Pop Century. I prefer the Deluxe resorts (duh), but my girls really like Pop enough that I thought we’d save the $ for another trip. I’m dying to stay at Beach Club 💕. Hopefully next trip. I am dreading the move... we had planned to pack up the car and head to the parks before checking in, but now you have me thinking.
If you have a car, may not be a bad call to dump the bags. If for no other reason than you won't have to worry about the car getting broken into or anything melting! I hope you have an AMAZING time, Caroline! And yes, a split stay isn't ideal but a split stay at Disney is better than NO STAY, right?? I love it!
Love the video! We have 3 toddlers, so a split stay is not in the cards for us right now. But, I love knowing that it is an option if needed. On a side note - not a criticism, but just a thought- your 'theme' music started pretty early at the end in the video, and you were still talking. What you are saying is always helpful and cheerful, so it's nice to be able to hear all of what you are saying before you sign off and the music starts.
I always put it at the end when I'm still talking but I think I didn't turn it down enough! Thank you for the feedback and, as always, for watching! And yes a split stay with 3 toddlers would be a no for me, too. 😍
Jen, I'm so glad that you did a video on split stays! I've done it!! I think it's a great opportunity, as you said, to explore two different resorts! Especially visiting a Deluxe resort at the end of the stay. SUCH a great tip! I'm so glad that you put your big girl pants on and just did this! I completely agree with you, for me the pros definitely outweigh the cons in a split stay at Walt Disney World! My dream split stay would be a Deluxe resort in the Boardwalk area and a Deluxe resort on the monorail! How fun would that be? Any interest?
Do you ever venture over to Universal Orlando? There seems to be a lot animosity towards it from hard-core Disney fans (and I’m sure it goes both ways!) but I really love and enjoy both experiences.
We've only been once and I loved it! Harry Potter was amazing! We stayed at the Hard Rock and I thought it was a great hotel. I just haven't been since I started vlogging but yes, another Universal trip is in the works for sometime soon!
We did it once. We just used the changeover day as a rest day out of the parks, our split came in the middle of the stay, and we moved our own bags. It was ok, We went shopping for groceries and such in the morning and then the nieces enjoyed having the afternoon to swim at the Treehouse's pool, which we had to ourselves. We like to just unpack and pack once, so split stays are not our preferred type of stay, but if necessary they can be OK.
Totally expresses how I feel as well, Chris - if it has to happen, I can make the best of it and turn it into a PLUS, but would PREFER not to. Thanks for watching!
So at this time there are no dining plans. I’ve heard you have to pay double deposits. Basically the $200 for the 1st resort with tickets and at least the first night rate for the second part deposit. I’m not worried about bag transfer as that seems like an easy process. But I never even thought about only being able to make my Monday-Thursday ADRs and then having to wait a day or so to make my Friday-Sunday ADRs.
Yes! Thank you for doing this video! We are probably going to have to do a split stay for the Princess half weekend, so this answered a ton of questions
Why not make your transfer day a resort day? It was also recommended to me that we leave hotel #1 with all our luggage, and check into hotel #2 with everything physically in our posession.
I think i would do the split stay and do the three nights at all star and finish up at Polynesian... This trip around we cannot afford polynesians 750$ a night price tag LOL -- but that hotel is right by Magic and we can do it the night of Very Merry... SO i think you have removed my fears and I will surprise my family with this.. Thanks!
We tried a split stay on our first ever family trip to Disney this past May. (BC for 6 to Polly for 5) We wanted to experience two great areas of the property. However, the " Polynesian Experience " didn't come close to happening. Our room was terrible, service was bad. (I'll just leave it at that) so some of us had had to waist a day of park tickets just to simply pack back up and head back to the Beach Club ! However, It has not deterred us though, we are already planning another split stay, (AOA to BC) we can't wait to explore new things and go back to the BC which in our opinion is Amazing. We love the Videos and thank you!
You are so very welcome! And I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the Poly. On the bright side, you found your favorite place!! Thank you for watching!😍
I think you might have convinced me to try it out. We unpack and get comfortable, and we tent to bring drinks, fruits and snacks with us, i dont know how will that work. Maybe a cooler and a bag with a zipper to contain it all.
We did a split stay this past trip. We drove so it made it easier, we just moved our stuff ourselves, which included a bag of freshly folded laundry I had done that morning at the first hotel. Never thought about the dining plan aspect of this (few days with few without). You could probably pull this off in one hotel by booking 2 separate ressies, but there would be no guarantee of not having to change rooms and be roomless in the hotel for a few hours. Something new to play with in planning yay!!! Thanks 😀
FOR SURE would be easier if you had your own car! And yes, you could pull it off. Might be cool to do 2 or 3 nights with the Deluxe dining plan and then no dining plan at all to recover. LOL!
I watch these videos but I always forget to leave a comment. I’m so bad about it. I like the idea of spilt stays but honestly it makes me nervous because of all the packing and repacking I mean I get it if you really can’t afford a deluxe hotel but want to stay at lest one night. Your metaphors are so funny.
Yeah, it's definitely a thing - the packing and unpacking. It's why I don't do them unless I have to - but it can be fun, too! Thanks for watching, Christy!
Hi Jen.. I am taking my sister Laura and my 8 year old daughter to Disney in April. My sister just turned 50 and has never been. I wanted the Beach Club but its not available. I have narrowed it down to 2 days at Animal Kingdom, 3 nights the Polynesian and maybe 2 nights at the Boardwalk. Would you do a 3 resort stay or would you choose AK and the Polynesian only. Thank you!
Great video, we always do a kind of split stay, we always start in a villa, then finish in Disney, always a nice treat at the end of our holiday. We haven’t had any trouble with it. I usually drop my wife, daughter and bags off at the hotel, Bell services then take the bags away, I drop the car off and get Disney transport back, we then spend the afternoon by the pool until our room is ready, ( they send us a text ) then head out to the park that evening
You've got it down to a science, Alan! Thank you for sharing your experience as I think it will really help others to see it can be done and can really make for a great vacation!!😍
Seriously, Shelly, I wouldn't choose to do it if I had a choice BUT I'd choose split stay Disney over no Disney ANY DAY;). Thanks for the kind words! So glad you're here!
This is super helpful. We’ve done this a few years ago I wanted to stay at the Polynesian but we could only afford one night. So we stayed at pop the rest of the week. I’m not a huge fan of them. I’m like you I’m an unpacker and it’s a lot to repack and get resettled. If I can avoid it I will
I almost did a split stay between a super cute Royal Room at Port Orleans Riverside and the remarkably convenient Contemporary Resort. Decided to stay longer and stay put in the moderate resort that may be too cute to leave.
I always thought a split stay would be awful, as well, but I’m starting to think it wouldn’t be so bad. My current trip is allegedly linked with 2 accounts’ points but I still had to do dining reservations on 2 different days. I haven’t bothered to call to get that straightened out yet. You know, diaper baby is my new favorite, btw! 🤣
When you are moving your luggage. They did not give us any tags at all. But, they did find our reservation at the new hotel and delivered our bags to our room. My only question is will they move your bags to the Swan /Dolphin. She's right. No matter how early you give your bags, do NOT expect them to show up at your next destination until at least 4 p.m.
Great video, Jen!!! This video was so informative! We may have to do a split stay at the end of May, beginning of June depending on when Disney reopens. Do you know if we could still use the pool at the first resort on the day of check out Thanks! :-
I was able to make them for the whole trip! I was surprised, I thought that I would have to do then separately. It was a good thing too, because the wait when I did call (for another issue) was over 3 hours! Thank you for the tips, otherwise I would not have been prepared to make them for the whole week!
We are dvc and usually bring q bunch of meals pre cooked and frozen that we heat up in the kitchen. We also buy food on the way and make most breakfasts for scratch in the villa. How does the transferring of the food work? Do you have to load it all up in your coolers with ice and they take it to the next resort? I realize we may be in the minority with this. I don't think most people eat a majority of their meals in the room like we do.
They will put it in the cooler at resort #1 and transfer it to the cooler in resort #2. Granted there will be some time it's not refrigerated (during transit) so in that scenario we would probably buy 2 sets of cold items for each part of the trip. I totally get this as when we are all 5 traveling we buy a lot of groceries, too.
I'm looking forward to your videos Jen since i will be there in 15 days! :-) I have done a split stay, but even if i don't i really enjoy going and visiting different resorts.
Oh, totally agree, Russ. Staying there or not, visiting and dining at all the gorgeous resorts is the best! Thanks for watching - your trip is going to be fantastic!!
I assume that you can take all your bags with you to the 2nd resort, correct? Then just check them with your day bag so you could have them as soon as your room is ready?
Hey Jen! I've enjoyed watching your videos these past couple months as I get myself psyched for my trip in a couple weeks! Quick Q: We're doing a split stay and automatically got sent two sets of Magic Bands. Can I link both hotel rooms to the first set and just ignore the second set? Or might I run into difficulties, since I'm assuming each set is already linked to the hotel reservation? -- I haven't been since I was in high school over ten years ago, when there weren't Magic Bands or Apps or anything but paper Fastpasses so it seems so new! My mom and I are going to have a more "adult" trip this time around - I like that we're not to only grown-up mom-son duo enjoying WDW :D So much to be excited about: first time renting DVC points and first time in the deluxe resorts, so thanks for all the great content and tips!
You should be able to link both bands with no problem. When you check into the second hotel just swing by the front desk and have them double check for you and if not they can fix it very quickly! You are going to have so much fun, Stephen! Thanks for watching and I’m so glad to hear my ramblings have helped.🤣😍
I think for grown ups who can take care of their own stuff and aren't ridiculous in hotel rooms (like my children always were LOL) it really is a fun idea!
never did one, too scary with our kids... we may try it out when we go as a couple! Our younger son who has ASD used to take at least 2 nights to feel settled enough to sleep ok away from home, made it so that splitting the 7-8 nights we usually do in WDW not an option. It's something to think about as we become soon to be empty nesters!
Jenny, it's a fantastic point with younger kids and certainly with kids who have trouble settling in. It's why I avoided them, too! FOR SURE an easier proposition with older kids or, certainly, for any adults only trip! 😍
If no one has mentioned it, Remember to pick up all the gifts you had sent back to the resort from the parks. And remember the delay involved in having your items sent back otherwise your gifts might go to a resort you are no longer staying at. Lastly we do split stays and enjoy the change of scenery. Never seemed a hassle. One thing we do is whatever resort we are staying at the longest is to put that one last..
We have done a few split stays before. I did enjoy doing so and it worked great for those trips. I do agree there are pros and cons. Not something I'd want to do every trip but certainly not opposed to them. Now having said that...that was before we had our daughter. We haven't taken a WDW trip since having her (she is a little over 1). I know the way we vacation will be a lot different. Not sure I would necessarily want to do a split stay until she is a little older. With all of the baby gear and most likely needing to go back to the resort mid-day for naptime I could see it being a pain...kinda on the fence. I definitely don't think I would like a split stay for our 1st family trip as we would be figuring out what works for us now that there are 3 of us 🙂
we weren't quite clear what you and the podcast person you referenced were trying to say about checking in before you go to the park. Aren't your park tickets on your Magicband regardless of your resort stay?
So yes, they are . . HOWEVER sometimes when you switch hotels, if tickets were tied to the first reservation, Disney technology can get, um, CONFUSED. What you're trying to avoid is getting all the way to, say, AK and having your Magic Band NOT work to get you into the park. It SHOULDN'T happen, truly, but sometimes does. Obviously you could easily just head to guest services, but in our case, we were staying at Bay Lake Tower and going to the Magic Kingdom anyway, so stopping in first (and dropping off my day bag) was really no big deal.
I do split stays all the time (DVC). I agree with going to the front desk of the new hotel. It's not usually a problem with the park tickets, but I have found that my room is often ready in 15 minutes after stopping at the front desk.
Nice vid, Jen. Sorry, I only do one resort. I would go bazonkers. I am more with the idea of visiting the other resorts, enjoying their facilities, restaurants, shopping, etc. If I was by my lonesome, then all bets are off, yes, I would reserve two resorts, with pleasure, oh yes ! 😂. I guess what I am saying is that it depends more how the rest of your party is ok with, I have complainers in my group, 🤦♂️. I see your pluses and minuses. I see more my sanity.
So for a split stay when they move your luggage. At the second/new hotel do they bring the luggage to bell services and you have to call to get it to your room or do they take to your room at the second resort automatically?
Honestly, I'm the person who avoids it and will stay off property to avoid it. LoL terrified to do with 4 kids and two being toddlers. Maybe when toddlers are older.
Jen Lefforge, Yes, alway take the compliment! I am sure the updates to the office is helping, did you get a lighting system? I don’t see the glare from the windows in the pictures like before. Ken
Have you ever done a split stay? I would love to hear your thoughts on if you liked it and if you'd do it again! And if you've ever thought about it, let me know if this video helps! Happy Disney vacation planning!
Jenn and I are doing a split stay this Halloween. 1st three nights at Art of Animation (just to see what it is like to stay at a basic resort) and then the remaining week at the Grand Floridian where our DVC is. I'll post what we thought.
Thank you, Darrell! That would be awesome!
Yeah, I don't think I would attempt it with my mom, either, Bridget.
Good morning! New subscriber. My last trip to Walt Disney World, in 2007, I did a split stay. I traveled alone, so after the 4-night Bahamas cruise December 2-6, 2007, I stayed at All-Star Movies from December 6-11, 2007 and at Animal Kingdom Lodge from December 11-16, 2007. I stayed at a different on-property resort each time I went, for a different perspective on the trips.
Split stays are the BEST!! We got to experience animal kingdom lodge AND the polynesian in one trip! It almost felt like two vacations!! I'm a big fan :)
You guys REALLY took the best advantage of it there, Bekah - two great resorts for sure! I'm so glad it worked out so well for you!!
We did this in February to surprise our 6 year old for his bday with a night at Animal Kingdom Lodge - HUGE animal lover. I have to say the night we had to pack everything up I was kind of regretting it but that next day when we arrived at AKL it felt like the best decision I had made for the entire trip. SO WORTH IT!!! Amazing for all of us!
Exactly the scenario where I think it can be totally worth it, Robin! What an amazing thing to do for you 6 year old! I LOVE it!!
Jen I just had to applaud you on this video. 100 thumbs up and ZERO thumbs down!! I've never seen that in my life!!
Don't jinx me Darrell! LOL! It's OK, thumbs down will come. They always do.😫😜
Your hair color is SO FLATTERING! It's beautiful and compliments your skin perfectly!
Thank you, Sir!! I give all the credit to God . . and also, too, Meadow at Van Michael Salon;).
Awesome info, Jen! I've always been a "big, whiney, diaper baby" thinking about split stays, myself! 😂😂😂
SAme.... But I have to try it!
Hi Jen, That is a great suggestion about doing the dining plan for a split stay. I never thought of that myself. We had to add on an extra night for our November trip and may do the dining plan for just one night because my son isn't a big eater.
Love that idea!! Yeah, it's also a great way to try something like the Deluxe Dining Plan! Have fun planning!
Very well done video. And I agree, always move up in resort level (or stay at the same level). We have done a split stay (on purpose). We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge 3 nights, then 4 nights at Grand Floridian. The biggest drawback was the packing in the middle of your vacation and hoping your room is ready (ours was not). I was not aware they would actually move your bags for you, though. That is a very helpful tip.
I'm glad you did this video, because our family has done a split stay our last 2 years on our Disney World trip and I thought I was the only one that did this😁! We did Pop Century to Coronado Springs.
That sounds like a great split stay! I'm staying at Coronado Springs for the first time in January and can't wait!
We did a split stay in December, renting points. 2 nights at Poly and 4 nights at BWV and my wife was not looking forward to it (for all the reasons you said up front). It was a little more time transferring the luggage, waiting, etc. I also did not check into the new resort right away, we drove to AK, and that almost caused a huge problem with our DDP. We barely had enough credits for Jiko that night b/c I hadn't yet checked into the 2nd stay. We did "lose" snack credits during the transition, but the BWV cast member added them back on for me b/c someone had told me something different on the phone before we came down. Anyway, it ended up being fun for us to try two different resorts we hadn't stayed at before. As the kids get older (currently 15, 10, 8), it will probably be even less of a hassle and we may try it again just to see more resorts.
I have never done a split stay but I have considered it a few times. I’m glad to hear you are an “unpacker” as well, lol. I like to put my packing cubes in drawers, hang up a few more wrinkle prone items, put my toiletries in the bathroom, and stock the fridge with water and some snacks. Although I’ve always loved the idea of when you start thinking “Oh the trips almost over 😢” you can be excited because it’s time to go check out a new resort for the rest of your stay!! Thanks for all the great tips!!
Yes, that part of it was very fun. Thanks for watching, Melissa!
I LOVE doing a split stay. I only did it because we needed to switch resorts half way through our vacation due to issues with the first resort. I am so happy that we did it because now I know that Disney makes it super easy to relocate. We loved exploring two resorts in one trip!
Yeah, Jen, yours wasn't really on purpose, but you got to find out what a great job they do with it! Love that! AND you found your true Disney "home".😍
Good, balanced info as always, Jen! I had an issue recently where my magic band did not open my hotel room door. I was standing out in the heat, sweating profusely, carrying all my bags, and had to go back and forth to the lobby twice to resolve it. Point being, as much as Disney tries, no system is perfect, and things happen, so I agree about making sure you check in to the second hotel and ensure everything is squared away. Also, I'm an unpacker too. My trips tend to be weekend trips since I'm local-ish, but I can see how if you have a longer trip, a split stay would be less of a hassle. In general, I'd rather dump my stuff, park my car, and not have to move those things again until it's time to go home!
Yeah, if I'm honest, this would NOT be my first choice but hey, if I have to? I can turn it into a plus!😍
And a split stay at Disney is always better than no Disney at all.😜
I just watched this for the second time, as I just decided to extend a 3-night trip into 4 nights next summer. Thank you for the well-informed post! I am NOT going to split-stay because 1) it is a short trip and I definitely do not want to invest precious (morning) vacation hours in traveling to and checking into another resort, and 2) I will be traveling with a 7-year old and 5-year old and as you say, the re-packing the whole family is not something I want to deal with during a short and very active vacation. I would consider doing it on a "resort day" for a longer stay though! Also thank you for the tip to call on the phone to get those coveted dining reservations for the second resort reservation!
I have not done a split stay yet but we did plan on doing one. I was super excited to see this video because of our plans do a split stay. Thank you! Now I know what to expect!
I'm so glad! That was my hope!
So glad you did this video! I’ve never done a split stay for all the reasons you mentioned. I’m an unpacker with packing cubes, but I feel like we have so much other stuff. The packing, unpacking, packing, unpacking always seems daunting. Fast forward, and now we have a split stay planned for October. Long story, but it was the only way I thought I could talk my husband into this trip (haha). I just took my daughters this summer, and we are itching to get back. We are staying the first 4 nights off property with points, but it’s a Disney Springs area hotel with Disney perks (Hilton Lake Buena Vista Palace.) Then my husband leaves, and my daughters and I are heading to Pop Century. I prefer the Deluxe resorts (duh), but my girls really like Pop enough that I thought we’d save the $ for another trip. I’m dying to stay at Beach Club 💕. Hopefully next trip. I am dreading the move... we had planned to pack up the car and head to the parks before checking in, but now you have me thinking.
If you have a car, may not be a bad call to dump the bags. If for no other reason than you won't have to worry about the car getting broken into or anything melting! I hope you have an AMAZING time, Caroline! And yes, a split stay isn't ideal but a split stay at Disney is better than NO STAY, right?? I love it!
Love the video! We have 3 toddlers, so a split stay is not in the cards for us right now. But, I love knowing that it is an option if needed. On a side note - not a criticism, but just a thought- your 'theme' music started pretty early at the end in the video, and you were still talking. What you are saying is always helpful and cheerful, so it's nice to be able to hear all of what you are saying before you sign off and the music starts.
I always put it at the end when I'm still talking but I think I didn't turn it down enough! Thank you for the feedback and, as always, for watching! And yes a split stay with 3 toddlers would be a no for me, too. 😍
Jen, I'm so glad that you did a video on split stays! I've done it!! I think it's a great opportunity, as you said, to explore two different resorts! Especially visiting a Deluxe resort at the end of the stay. SUCH a great tip! I'm so glad that you put your big girl pants on and just did this! I completely agree with you, for me the pros definitely outweigh the cons in a split stay at Walt Disney World! My dream split stay would be a Deluxe resort in the Boardwalk area and a Deluxe resort on the monorail! How fun would that be? Any interest?
I'll have my people call your people.😍
Jen Lefforge done.
Do you ever venture over to Universal Orlando? There seems to be a lot animosity towards it from hard-core Disney fans (and I’m sure it goes both ways!) but I really love and enjoy both experiences.
We've only been once and I loved it! Harry Potter was amazing! We stayed at the Hard Rock and I thought it was a great hotel. I just haven't been since I started vlogging but yes, another Universal trip is in the works for sometime soon!
Fun as usual, Jen! Your adorable expression on the static graphic drew me in :)
Yeah, the best part is that wasn't even posed I actually made this face while filming LOL!! Thanks for watching, Shontell!
We did it once. We just used the changeover day as a rest day out of the parks, our split came in the middle of the stay, and we moved our own bags. It was ok, We went shopping for groceries and such in the morning and then the nieces enjoyed having the afternoon to swim at the Treehouse's pool, which we had to ourselves. We like to just unpack and pack once, so split stays are not our preferred type of stay, but if necessary they can be OK.
Totally expresses how I feel as well, Chris - if it has to happen, I can make the best of it and turn it into a PLUS, but would PREFER not to. Thanks for watching!
So at this time there are no dining plans. I’ve heard you have to pay double deposits. Basically the $200 for the 1st resort with tickets and at least the first night rate for the second part deposit. I’m not worried about bag transfer as that seems like an easy process. But I never even thought about only being able to make my Monday-Thursday ADRs and then having to wait a day or so to make my Friday-Sunday ADRs.
Jen, very nice video, well done, I like the pros and cons and how you listed them. Keep up the great work! Ken
Thanks so much, Ken!!
Yes! Thank you for doing this video! We are probably going to have to do a split stay for the Princess half weekend, so this answered a ton of questions
+For Love of the Mouse I’m so glad!! Have fun at Princess! It’s such a great weekend!
Why not make your transfer day a resort day? It was also recommended to me that we leave hotel #1 with all our luggage, and check into hotel #2 with everything physically in our posession.
I think i would do the split stay and do the three nights at all star and finish up at Polynesian... This trip around we cannot afford polynesians 750$ a night price tag LOL -- but that hotel is right by Magic and we can do it the night of Very Merry... SO i think you have removed my fears and I will surprise my family with this.. Thanks!
We tried a split stay on our first ever family trip to Disney this past May. (BC for 6 to Polly for 5) We wanted to experience two great areas of the property. However, the " Polynesian Experience " didn't come close to happening. Our room was terrible, service was bad. (I'll just leave it at that) so some of us had had to waist a day of park tickets just to simply pack back up and head back to the Beach Club ! However, It has not deterred us though, we are already planning another split stay, (AOA to BC) we can't wait to explore new things and go back to the BC which in our opinion is Amazing. We love the Videos and thank you!
You are so very welcome! And I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the Poly. On the bright side, you found your favorite place!! Thank you for watching!😍
I think you might have convinced me to try it out. We unpack and get comfortable, and we tent to bring drinks, fruits and snacks with us, i dont know how will that work. Maybe a cooler and a bag with a zipper to contain it all.
Bell services also has a refrigerated area where they can keep the food for you! Glad it helped, Ines!
We did a split stay this past trip. We drove so it made it easier, we just moved our stuff ourselves, which included a bag of freshly folded laundry I had done that morning at the first hotel.
Never thought about the dining plan aspect of this (few days with few without). You could probably pull this off in one hotel by booking 2 separate ressies, but there would be no guarantee of not having to change rooms and be roomless in the hotel for a few hours. Something new to play with in planning yay!!! Thanks 😀
FOR SURE would be easier if you had your own car! And yes, you could pull it off. Might be cool to do 2 or 3 nights with the Deluxe dining plan and then no dining plan at all to recover. LOL!
@@JenLefforge definitely!!
I watch these videos but I always forget to leave a comment. I’m so bad about it.
I like the idea of spilt stays but honestly it makes me nervous because of all the packing and repacking
I mean I get it if you really can’t afford a deluxe hotel but want to stay at lest one night.
Your metaphors are so funny.
Yeah, it's definitely a thing - the packing and unpacking. It's why I don't do them unless I have to - but it can be fun, too! Thanks for watching, Christy!
Hi Jen.. I am taking my sister Laura and my 8 year old daughter to Disney in April. My sister just turned 50 and has never been. I wanted the Beach Club but its not available. I have narrowed it down to 2 days at Animal Kingdom, 3 nights the Polynesian and maybe 2 nights at the Boardwalk. Would you do a 3 resort stay or would you choose AK and the Polynesian only. Thank you!
I love all of your videos they are super informational in the best ways!!!
Wow, thank you, Alicia! That's very kind and I appreciate it very much. Glad you're here!
Great video, we always do a kind of split stay, we always start in a villa, then finish in Disney, always a nice treat at the end of our holiday. We haven’t had any trouble with it. I usually drop my wife, daughter and bags off at the hotel, Bell services then take the bags away, I drop the car off and get Disney transport back, we then spend the afternoon by the pool until our room is ready, ( they send us a text ) then head out to the park that evening
You've got it down to a science, Alan! Thank you for sharing your experience as I think it will really help others to see it can be done and can really make for a great vacation!!😍
We are going to do Yacht for 10days then Polynesian resort 10 days in May of 2020.. I'm kinda excited!
As you should be!!!!
Hey Jen! Thanks for sharing this. We are a no split stay family. One and done for us, took too much time away from our vacation. Loving the videos!!
Seriously, Shelly, I wouldn't choose to do it if I had a choice BUT I'd choose split stay Disney over no Disney ANY DAY;). Thanks for the kind words! So glad you're here!
WE have split stay now that my girls are older. I love it!!!
Reading the comments has been fun as people either seem to love them or hate them! Thanks for watching Nicole!
This is super helpful. We’ve done this a few years ago I wanted to stay at the Polynesian but we could only afford one night. So we stayed at pop the rest of the week. I’m not a huge fan of them. I’m like you I’m an unpacker and it’s a lot to repack and get resettled. If I can avoid it I will
Same. But with DVC lately it's tough so I'll take a split stay at WDW over NO stay (but would still love to not to;)
haha yep totally agree with that one
I almost did a split stay between a super cute Royal Room at Port Orleans Riverside and the remarkably convenient Contemporary Resort. Decided to stay longer and stay put in the moderate resort that may be too cute to leave.
Oh, one benefit is about the Dining Plans. You could change the level for one of the hotel stays or only have a dining plan for one hotel.
YES, changing the level of dining plan is genius!
Great information! We have never done a split stay, but I may try it!
Thanks for sharing, I may really consider a split stay to experience a deluxe resort, but not for the 7 night price tag!
That's a great way to do that, Shelley! Glad I could help and thank you for watching!
Thank for this doing a split stay, next December staying at pop for 2 nights and then poly for 4 nights renting from dvc.
Im so glad it helped, Kyari! Happy planning and I hope you have a great time!
Whiner diaper baby lol I love your videos! Keep posting them.
Thank you so much, Maria! I hope to!😍😍😍
I always thought a split stay would be awful, as well, but I’m starting to think it wouldn’t be so bad. My current trip is allegedly linked with 2 accounts’ points but I still had to do dining reservations on 2 different days. I haven’t bothered to call to get that straightened out yet. You know, diaper baby is my new favorite, btw! 🤣
LOL! Honestly, Dawn, it was actually very nice. And bonus, if you're DVC, you get a clean room (since no housekeeping;).
When you are moving your luggage. They did not give us any tags at all. But, they did find our reservation at the new hotel and delivered our bags to our room. My only question is will they move your bags to the Swan /Dolphin. She's right. No matter how early you give your bags, do NOT expect them to show up at your next destination until at least 4 p.m.
Right and that’s what I don’t know.
Great video, Jen!!! This video was so informative! We may have to do a split stay at the end of May, beginning of June depending on when Disney reopens. Do you know if we could still use the pool at the first resort on the day of check out Thanks! :-
Thank you for this video! I am making fastpasses for our first split stay tomorrow morning and am so nervous. I appreciate the tips!
Amy, let me know how it goes! Curious to see if you're able to make them for the entire trip or if a phone call is necessary.
I was able to make them for the whole trip! I was surprised, I thought that I would have to do then separately. It was a good thing too, because the wait when I did call (for another issue) was over 3 hours! Thank you for the tips, otherwise I would not have been prepared to make them for the whole week!
Oh my goodness, Amy, I'm SO GLAD! Woohoo! And holy cow, THREE HOURS?? That's crazy! Hope you got everything resolved!
We are dvc and usually bring q bunch of meals pre cooked and frozen that we heat up in the kitchen. We also buy food on the way and make most breakfasts for scratch in the villa. How does the transferring of the food work? Do you have to load it all up in your coolers with ice and they take it to the next resort? I realize we may be in the minority with this. I don't think most people eat a majority of their meals in the room like we do.
They will put it in the cooler at resort #1 and transfer it to the cooler in resort #2. Granted there will be some time it's not refrigerated (during transit) so in that scenario we would probably buy 2 sets of cold items for each part of the trip. I totally get this as when we are all 5 traveling we buy a lot of groceries, too.
I'm looking forward to your videos Jen since i will be there in 15 days! :-) I have done a split stay, but even if i don't i really enjoy going and visiting different resorts.
Oh, totally agree, Russ. Staying there or not, visiting and dining at all the gorgeous resorts is the best! Thanks for watching - your trip is going to be fantastic!!
I have been REALLY wanting to do a split stay, ahhhhhh!!! I need to hop on that. Maybe 2019! Yay, loved these tips.
Thanks, Mariah!! They can be really fun! Once I accepted it and made the best of it I was good;).
I haven’t watched the video yet.. but holy moly I love your ears!
Thanks you! Can you believe I won them from Ears to Mickey?? You can buy them at Animal Kingdom.
I assume that you can take all your bags with you to the 2nd resort, correct? Then just check them with your day bag so you could have them as soon as your room is ready?
No, I have bell services take all of my bags so I don't have to mess with them and just take the one small bag to the resort. Great question!
Hey Jen! I've enjoyed watching your videos these past couple months as I get myself psyched for my trip in a couple weeks! Quick Q: We're doing a split stay and automatically got sent two sets of Magic Bands. Can I link both hotel rooms to the first set and just ignore the second set? Or might I run into difficulties, since I'm assuming each set is already linked to the hotel reservation? -- I haven't been since I was in high school over ten years ago, when there weren't Magic Bands or Apps or anything but paper Fastpasses so it seems so new! My mom and I are going to have a more "adult" trip this time around - I like that we're not to only grown-up mom-son duo enjoying WDW :D So much to be excited about: first time renting DVC points and first time in the deluxe resorts, so thanks for all the great content and tips!
You should be able to link both bands with no problem. When you check into the second hotel just swing by the front desk and have them double check for you and if not they can fix it very quickly! You are going to have so much fun, Stephen! Thanks for watching and I’m so glad to hear my ramblings have helped.🤣😍
I would definitely do this if it is just me and my husband even if we didn’t have to so we could experience 2 resorts while there. 😍
I think for grown ups who can take care of their own stuff and aren't ridiculous in hotel rooms (like my children always were LOL) it really is a fun idea!
never did one, too scary with our kids... we may try it out when we go as a couple! Our younger son who has ASD used to take at least 2 nights to feel settled enough to sleep ok away from home, made it so that splitting the 7-8 nights we usually do in WDW not an option. It's something to think about as we become soon to be empty nesters!
Jenny, it's a fantastic point with younger kids and certainly with kids who have trouble settling in. It's why I avoided them, too! FOR SURE an easier proposition with older kids or, certainly, for any adults only trip! 😍
If no one has mentioned it, Remember to pick up all the gifts you had sent back to the resort from the parks. And remember the delay involved in having your items sent back otherwise your gifts might go to a resort you are no longer staying at. Lastly we do split stays and enjoy the change of scenery. Never seemed a hassle. One thing we do is whatever resort we are staying at the longest is to put that one last..
+Burton Cutler thank you for mentioning that and great tip on putting loner stay last!
Great video!
Great information.
We have done a few split stays before. I did enjoy doing so and it worked great for those trips. I do agree there are pros and cons. Not something I'd want to do every trip but certainly not opposed to them.
Now having said that...that was before we had our daughter. We haven't taken a WDW trip since having her (she is a little over 1). I know the way we vacation will be a lot different. Not sure I would necessarily want to do a split stay until she is a little older. With all of the baby gear and most likely needing to go back to the resort mid-day for naptime I could see it being a pain...kinda on the fence. I definitely don't think I would like a split stay for our 1st family trip as we would be figuring out what works for us now that there are 3 of us 🙂
I completely agree this isn't a great call with a young child and definitely not for your first trip with her! Thank you so much for watching!
we weren't quite clear what you and the podcast person you referenced were trying to say about checking in before you go to the park. Aren't your park tickets on your Magicband regardless of your resort stay?
So yes, they are . . HOWEVER sometimes when you switch hotels, if tickets were tied to the first reservation, Disney technology can get, um, CONFUSED. What you're trying to avoid is getting all the way to, say, AK and having your Magic Band NOT work to get you into the park. It SHOULDN'T happen, truly, but sometimes does. Obviously you could easily just head to guest services, but in our case, we were staying at Bay Lake Tower and going to the Magic Kingdom anyway, so stopping in first (and dropping off my day bag) was really no big deal.
I do split stays all the time (DVC). I agree with going to the front desk of the new hotel. It's not usually a problem with the park tickets, but I have found that my room is often ready in 15 minutes after stopping at the front desk.
I wonder if it would matter so much for Annual Passholders?
Have never done a split stay yet. I’m sure at some point during one of our trips we will have to do so due to availability.
Well, if that happens I hope this helps you not make it a magic reducer;). Thanks for watching, John!
Nice vid, Jen. Sorry, I only do one resort. I would go bazonkers. I am more with the idea of visiting the other resorts, enjoying their facilities, restaurants, shopping, etc. If I was by my lonesome, then all bets are off, yes, I would reserve two resorts, with pleasure, oh yes ! 😂. I guess what I am saying is that it depends more how the rest of your party is ok with, I have complainers in my group, 🤦♂️. I see your pluses and minuses. I see more my sanity.
LOL! Yup, TOTALLY get that! No need to be sorry - you get to do you vacation however you want! (and yes, if I have a choice, would rather avoid;)
So for a split stay when they move your luggage. At the second/new hotel do they bring the luggage to bell services and you have to call to get it to your room or do they take to your room at the second resort automatically?
Great question, Kim! You have to call down and then they bring it up.🥰
Split stays do seem like a really nice way to experience a couple of resorts in one trip x
Totally agree! Thanks for watching!
Honestly, I'm the person who avoids it and will stay off property to avoid it. LoL terrified to do with 4 kids and two being toddlers. Maybe when toddlers are older.
I get this SO MUCH. Totally agree it's best to wait until kids are older! Thanks for watching, Cassandra!😍
Have you done a split stay since the “Great Unpleasantness” ? Curious as to how the pandemic 😷 changed things. Thanks so much!
Sarah I just did one and nothing had changed! Same process as before.
I see that you are creeping up on the 4K subscriber mark!
Crazy, right? I think when you first subscribed I had MAYBE 100?? Fun ride! Glad you're here for it!
Jen Lefforge not sure I was one of the first 100, but I know it was well before you reached 1000. It is amazing how fast it has been growing! Ken
Jen, one question on this video, did you just get your hair done? The color looks a lot more vibrant in this one! Ken
Well yes, I did, but also I think the new office set up is making the set a lot brighter? I'll take the compliment either way!
Jen Lefforge, Yes, alway take the compliment! I am sure the updates to the office is helping, did you get a lighting system? I don’t see the glare from the windows in the pictures like before. Ken