How do you help the split stay hesitant stay happy during a split stay? Advice and strategies, please. :)

[Little E]

Hi Disfriends!

We have our first ever "split stay" planned for end of March. It's not really a split stay, as we are flying in to MCO and staying the first night at AKL-Kidani, and then transferring to VGF the next day for the remainder of our trip. I'm not worried about this "diet" split stay, as we'll only be at AKL for one night. We'll definitely not unpack anything, and we won't have our groceries delivered until we get to VGF. But, I would like to experience more split stays in future trips.

We've never done a split stay as DH likes to "move in" to our resort and unpack and get "comfy". I've always wanted to do split stays as I want to try as many WDW resorts as possible and split stays feel like the best way to accomplish this. We are WDW vets but DVC newbies, and I see many more WDW trips in our future. As such, I would like to book split stays in the future and try out all the DVC properties. For folks who do split stays on the regular, what are strategies you use to make the split stay lovers and split stay hesitant folks in your traveling party happy? Are there packing strategies that make it possible to unpack and get comfy and yet pack up and move easily? Are there other tips and tricks to make split stays easier on the folks who are hesitant about embracing split stays?

If it helps, here's a little more about how we do WDW:

1. Our traveling family unit, for the most part, is DH, DS (21), and DS (18), and me. We occasionally bring along a friend of either DS. With kids in college, I anticipate more trips with just DH and me.
2. We are from the midwest so we always fly in to MCO. We never have a car, but we are happy to Uber/Lyft as needed
3. We are a park hopping family, so we wouldn't plan trips based on resorts and their proximity to a park. We criss cross parks every day.
4. We usually stay at WDW for 7-8 days. We've been at spring break time and summertime, mostly, to accommodate our kids' school schedules. However, with kid #2 heading to college in the fall plus the new DVC membership, we are now probably able to visit Disney at a wider variety of times during the year. This is why I'm interested in starting to add split stays to our repertoire.

Any advice as to how to navigate split stays with a hesitant hubby would be awesome! Thank you!

 

[EllieJedi]

Hello from a fellow Midwesterner trying my first split stay this September. What I might recommend for the packing portion would be to use packing cubes, or some other strategy to separate your clothes for each portion of the trip. I decided to do a split stay as I think it will encourage me to try more of the restaurants at the different resorts, plus each resort has it’s own feel so it’s a bit like getting 2 vacations in one. With Disney moving the luggage for you, it takes a lot of the hassle that you would normally have with moving hotels on other trips away.

 

[nw6675]

Our last split was on a 7 day trip. Unfortunately, we basically lost a day because we had things we didn't want bell services to hold on to for us. Our room wasn't ready until after check-in time so we had a big gap during the day.

Many love to split, but since you all criss cross and location isn't that big of a deal I have to say I'm with your hubby. So sorry lol!

If it was longer, it was a huge deal to stay at more than one, or someone could hang out with any items you want with you (and groceries that bell services won't transfer), then I would just focus on how great the variety would be, the pros of each resort, etc.

I'm probably in the minority so just my 2 cents

 

[Sammie]

Honestly I would rather just book a different resort each trip than move. Regardless of how you do it, you loose that day and for us that day always seemed to be the one day we needed the room more than others.

 

[ak517]

Split stays are easy enough with an adult group. You may be without a room for a few hours the day you move resorts, but unless you're a staunch mid-day napper there's so much to keep you busy across the WDW resort that it likely won't impact you anyway. I don't have a specific packing strategy because I keep everything in my suitcase, but everyone loves packing cubes or even one suitcase with your and DH's things for the first hotel and a second for the next.

Since DVC doesn't get full housekeeping until day 8, I also like a split stay to get a refreshed room. In fact, I have a "split stay" coming up at the same resort (really I couldn't get my whole stay in the same room type, but c'est la vie!).

 

[lynzi2004]

We do split stays all the time and our kids are currently 11, 9, and 5. We've been doing them for the last 2-3 years. The key to split stays is honestly to pack minimally. Since our kids are young, I'm in charge of basically all the packing so I just pack for each hotel so that we are only unloading one suitcase at a time and use packing cubes if necessary. (typically 2x but we have moved 3x once and that was a little much) Its the same amount of suitcases either way, but basically Sat-Tuesday stuff is in one suitcase and Wed-Friday is in the other. In a lot of ways it helps with a family bc you aren't mixing dirty/clean clothes or digging through multiple suitcases. The kids use one swimsuit/pair of pajamas for the first half of the trip and then a second swimsuit/pajamas for the second half. My biggest suggestion is do a park day on your move day. Have your stuff packed the night before, drop it at bell services and pick it up at your next hotel, we typically go to that hotel once we get our room ready text and then hop to a different park that night. Make your rest day a day when you know you will have a room all day bc nothing is worse than being "homeless" without a park ticket or somewhere to go.

If you like to order a lot of food, drinks, etc that would definitely complicate the situation. We typically take a "food suitcase" as well with a small 8 can cooler inside. Most of the time its pop tarts, granola bars, etc. But we've also had lunch meat in there with ice packs and its been fine. So all together we might move 3 suitcases and a toiletry bag of some sort.

Is a split stay a little more trouble...yeah probably?! But for us the clean room, new pools, and different resort atmosphere is worth a bit of the inconvenience!

 

[Genie+]

After doing quite a few split stays I’ve come to the conclusion a minimum of 3 nights is best. Anything less is not enough time to truly experience the resort. We’d still add 1 night somewhere different for better flight options.

 

[beccasmom]

We’ve done split stays often, although not on every trip. In our early DVC membership days in the early 90’s, we would book a studio for the first night (usually a Saturday) to save points and then move to a larger unit the next day (but always within the same resort; there weren’t a lot of DVC properties back then). And pre-DVC we’d often mix a deluxe resort stay with one of the moderates to save some money.

My recommendation would be to try to spend at least 2 (maybe 3, depending on length of stay) nights at each resort. It will not seem as hectic although you’ll probably have to unpack. It is difficult to get a feel for a resort that’s new to you in a one-night stay IMO.

We stay at a DVC resort 95% of the time, but sometimes will check out a new non-DVC resort, sometimes those with a concierge floor, for a few nights. One of the downsides to moving is that you most probably will have to wait until check-in time to access your room. But we’ve been lucky on that score and if you are busy park-hopping, it probably won’t matter to you anyway. We will often use the time to visit Disney Springs to shop and eat a nice lunch. Time goes by quicker when you’re on vacation anyway!

 

[Goofy4]

We did a split stay this last time.

Since you have mastered the park-hop I would guess that the split stay would be manageable.

Things can happen... With marathon weekend traffic it took a little extra time to drop off our bags at Kidani (of course we could have let Disney do it, but not as convenient from the Treehouses), and then they failed to deliver some of our bags to us after a late night at the parks. By the time everyone had their bags it was after 10 (closer to 11) and our rope-drop plans fell apart... Just too tired for the group to agree on rope-drop.

We've done a split stay twice now, mostly to avoid weekend DVC prices. While I think it added something to our memories to have experienced 2 resorts, I can't say we will do it again.

 

[tetera]

As with so many things I feel like Tom Bricker has some good advice here:

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/resort-split-stay-disney-world/

 

[Her Dotness]

I don't see anything wrong with the 1-bulk split.

We're like your DH in wanting to unpack and settle in, "camping" with essentials only on our 1or 2 night stay.

We prefer a short tryout, no more than 2 nights, in case we dislike the resort. Were very glad we adopted that strategy at Poly last trip because we really did not care for Poly DVC.

That's why we added 50 BWV points last year--to have enough for 1-2 nights in any WDW DVC resort for every time of year we're likely to go.

This is one of the very few instances where you may not be Mrs. Always Right.

 

[Little E]

Disfolks, I can always count on you to give me the straight scoop. Thanks for your honest takes on the "to split or not to split" dilemma. Depending on how our mini split stay goes this trip, I may book another mini split for our next trip, just to get a "taste" of a new DVC resort.

For our mini split, we will fly in around dinner time and take the SF to AKL, grab QS dinner and explore the resort. We've never been, so we're excited to check everything out. We don't plan to unpack...we'll just open suitcases enough to get toothbrushes and pj's out, and to get dressed in the morning. We plan to get up and Uber to the VGF, check in and leave luggage with bell services, and go to breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe. We'll have our groceries and our owners locker delivered to our villa, and then hit MK later in the day. If that goes well, I know I can probably convince DH to try another mini split for our next trip, whenever that is.

Thanks for the ideas about packing cubes, and strategically packing suitcases for resort A and resort B...excellent advice!! I think Tom Bricker is the GOAT when it comes to all things Disney, so I'll definitely read the article later today, @tetera.

Thank you, everyone!!

 

[T.G.I.Friday]

We were never interested in a split stay, but had do one once because of what was available, and now we plan to do them because we enjoyed it so much. We like to do 2 nights at an Epcot resort and 2 nights at a MK property. We spend two days hitting HS and WS of Epcot and then 2 days doing the MK and Future World of EP.

We also don’t check luggage, so we just have our carryons.

My best Disney Packing tip - don’t judge! - are the 2.5 gallon ziplock bags. I pack the undergarments, socks and outfit for the day in each bag. I even label them so it’s clear what outfit bag is for each day. Haha. But then at the end of the day, the dirty clothes go in that bag and they don’t touch anything else. Next day, new bag.

It keeps me super organized and makes it easy to pack and transfer resorts.

 

[LaurEm378]

I can see why it sounds like a hassle to some people like your hubby, but I love split stays — like you said, it’s a way to experience more resorts. It’s also a way to not get stuck at a new resort you end up not loving for the whole length of your stay.

I travel every time with my group of six (me, my spouse, my dad, and 3 teens, since they were little), and sometimes my sister’s family of 4 is with us too. A split with just me and my husband or all adults sounds easy.

As for packing, I just bag things up in the luggage based on where they’ll go in the room — packing cubes for each person’s clothes, a hanging toiletry organizer for the vanity, a big Ziploc for in-shower toiletries, one duffel for everyone’s shoes that just stays on the closet floor. Not quite living out of a suitcase, but nothing really gets fully unpacked. When it’s time to move hotels I zip up the packing cubes and Ziplocs, throw them back in the suitcase and go. Packing a few extra tote bags doesn’t hurt, for moving groceries and whatnot.

We always have a car, so I don’t have to deal with Disney moving our luggage. We just load the car, check out of resort #1 and go on about our day. The only reason I don’t let them move my stuff is we’re not park open to close people, and I tend to want my luggage as soon as resort #2 has a room ready for me. But if I had all day plans I’d just let them move it. If you don’t have park plans on moving day, Uber over to resort #2 with your stuff so you’re not waiting until 5 or for your luggage.

The logistics are easy, really — it’s just a matter of convincing your husband that he’s not losing that “settled in” feeling. I view it as two trips in one, because you have a whole new resort to look forward to halfway through. Good luck!

 

[Her Dotness]

Not quite living out of a suitcase, but nothing really gets fully unpacked. When it’s time to move hotels I zip up the packing cubes and Ziplocs, throw them back in the suitcase and go. Packing a few extra tote bags doesn’t hurt, for moving groceries and whatnot....

The logistics are easy, really — it’s just a matter of convincing your husband that he’s not losing that “settled in” feeling.

What you do is a slight variation on living out of suitcases to me. If her DH regards settling in as I do, this wouldn't satisfy him.

I need to pull clothes out of bags and put them on hangers and into drawers. Totes containing books, charger cables and other gadgets get emptied and contents arranged on tables and nightstands. Any foods and cooking equipment we bring are stashed in fridge and cupboards.

Thankfully, my DH agrees and prefers feeling that our villa is our Disney home, luggage emptied and stored until we pack to leave. That's settling in as we define it.

 

[Shelleyfs]

I did a couple of split stays and I would prefer to move my trip before I did one again. For some people they are great and that really good, but I stress the whole entire first part of the trip. What if they room isn't ready on time? What about our medications? I worry the whole time and drive my family crazy. So for us, never again.

You own DVC and you have time to see all the different resorts. Unless your family is into the whole being homeless for a day, I would do a resort per trip.

 

[Her Dotness]

1. Pack smart: One of the biggest hassles of a split stay is packing and unpacking. To make things easier, consider packing in smaller bags or packing cubes. This way, you can easily transfer your belongings from one resort to another without having to completely repack everything.

This doesn't seem to be an issue for the OP who appears to me to have a good packing strategy already.

What I suspect is the more significant concern is how adamant the OP's DH is about "settling in" and what exactly that entails for him. If that means he wants to check into a resort and stay there for the entire trip, then his hesitancy isn't related to packing concerns. He's the "settle in and stay put" type--like us.

And if like DH and me, he wants to get into the villa, spread his stuff around and feel at home until time to leave WDW--he's going to be hard to win over to picking up and moving after a night or two or more no matter how efficiently the OP packs.

1. Use bell services: Take advantage of bell services at the resorts. They can transfer your luggage from one resort to another, which can save you a lot of hassle. Just be sure to pack any essentials (like medication or valuables) in your carry-on bag.

Yes, they can, but the catch is that your luggage may not arrive at the new resort until after you do.

We often get to the new resort after a day at a park wanting desperately to change clothes. Needing to carry with you a change of clothes for a small child is one thing. A change for adults or older kids is quite another to lug around all day.

And, Disney won't transport any items needing refrigeration.

I do agree that the OP could benefit from finding out precisely what her DH will tolerate and how much he's willing to compromise and then endeavoring to win him over to her desire to do splits.

 

[RoseGold]

We were very heavy travelers before Covid, so I never saw a split stay as such a big deal. Disney luggage transfer is fine. I almost always split stay, I love it.

But if your husband doesn't want to do it, then it might not work for your family.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

In short, it isn't for everyone. We enjoy them, but I can see why they are not for everyone. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

In short, we do not unpack. We only unpack things that are essential for that first night or nights. When packing toiletries, there are things we use every day (toothpaste) and things we only sometimes need, like most OTC meds. So the daily items go together in one ziplock that gets unpacked, and the OTC meds go in another one that stays packed unless we need it.

It also helps to stick to one pair of shoes each person.

I have tried packing a 'one-day bag', and that can sometimes work, but only if you know what the weather will be. though it can be hard, because usually I stick to keeping everything in the same place every time we pack.

Be extra careful with charging cables and the like. They are easy to forget, esp black ones. One idea is to buy bright colored cables or otherwise decorate them so they are brightly colored.

I hate to say this, but one compromise - of sorts - is if you are the one that does more than 50% of the mid-trip packing/unpacking, since you are the one that doesn't mind the moving. Unfortunately, that ends up being very unbalanced in a classically sexist way, especially if you normally do more than 50% of the domestic labor at home.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Yes, they can, but the catch is that your luggage may not arrive at the new resort until after you do.

For us, split stay generally = having our own car, so that is one possible solution. Another is to use paid transportation to go directly to the 2nd hotel with the luggage, and it doesn't have to be everyone that goes. If the hotels are close to each other, then the $ + time cost is minimal.

Alas though, this was also a big reason of why we didn't like using the DME's luggage service. The last time we used it, not only did our luggage arrive well after we did, but it arrived very late at night.

**************************************************************************

One big reason to DO a split stay, especially the one-night split is to save $$$. If we have to arrive late, then we happily stay somewhere inexpensive that first night, often offsite.

We have also done the reverse: one night splurge on a deluxe hotel for the extra amenities, like the Universal hotels with Express Pass. Some visits we go as far as Tampa/Daytona for a beach day. Better hotel, better food, and still costs less.

The one catch for us always seems to be CHOCOLATE! For some reason, every WDW/Universal split trip = chocolate, and having to keep it from melting. We have a small soft-sided cooler that is very compact when empty. Chilled water bottles/soda cans make okay cold-packs in a pinch.

Oh, I forgot to mention that we put our dirty laundry in a bag. In the past, we found the WDW shopping bags useful for this purpose. Drawstring bags, or mesh laundry bags also work.