Split Stay Advice

[TuneDisney]

Hi everyone! Sorry for the long post, looking for some suggestions/advice.

We are planning a semi-last minute trip in July. Weren’t planning on going this summer, but life circumstances unfortunately changed and we need a trip to our happy place to recharge and get away. We are going for 8 nights. 4 park days, 4 resort days. We are attempting our first split stay and trying new to us resorts. We currently have 2 days BWV, 2 days BLT, 1 day CCV, and 3 days POLY. We haven’t stayed at any of these resorts (we are relatively new members).

Here are the questions! It will be my husband, myself, and our 4 year old. We want to keep BWV for our Epcot day, and BLT for our Magic day, there are not 4 consecutive days at poly to end the trip. Should we keep the layout we have and hope for that one CCV night to come open at POLY? Or should we switch to 2 CCV days, so it’s more of a 2, 2, 2, 2 split? Again, these are all new to us resorts, our first split stay, and our first trip staying in studios. How are these resorts/rooms/pools from the eyes of a 4 year old? How are the rooms going to be for the three of us? Any advice for split stays?

If you’re still with me, thanks for reading all the way through, and thanks in advance for any advice you can provide!

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I'm fairly new to DVC as well - not to WDW overall - so I can only help with one of your questions. We just did our first split stay with my young DD (3 nights Swan/2 nights AK) and it was A LOT...so much so that I'm already rethinking another planned split stay in Dec (3 nights/3 nights). So I can't even imagine 2, 2, 2, 2. Even if you are an expert packer, and every move goes smoothly, inevitably it's going to take up a solid portion of your day and be taxing for little ones. I love the idea of split stays - but at least for us it will be reserved for longer trips when we're at a single resort for at least 4 nights.

So if at all possible, I would probably limit to one change - two at most - even if it meant staying someplace that wasn't my top choice. If you could add on at BLT and lose CCV altogether, that would probably be my first attempt. Or maybe keep BCV in the front/POLY at the end and look into availability at SSR or OKW in between?

 

[DVCjj]

I only can answer one of the questions and it's strictly my opinion. We don't have little ones anymore but DH & I do split stays all the time. We love them as they make you feel like you are at a different 'vacation'.

But in all honesty, after doing it, we feel 2 nights and split, 2 nights and split,, 2 nights and split etc. will drive you nuts. ESPECIALLY with a little one in tow.

The very most I would do for 8 days is a three way split. Honest. Splits do waste a lot of time and cause impatience sometimes but we will always do them though not 2,2,2,2. Through experience, 9 night 3 way split is very nice.

We recently did a 10 day 2 way split and it was sheer bliss. One resort walking to Epcot (BCV) and skyliner to HS and one resort walking to MK (BLT). Perfection.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I only can answer one of the questions and it's strictly my opinion. We don't have little ones anymore but DH & I do split stays all the time. We love them as they make you feel like you are at a different 'vacation'.

But in all honesty, after doing it, we feel 2 nights and split, 2 nights and split,, 2 nights and split etc. will drive you nuts. ESPECIALLY with a little one in tow.

The very most I would do for 8 days is a three way split. Honest. Splits do waste a lot of time and cause impatience sometimes but we will always do them though not 2,2,2,2. Through experience, 9 night 3 way split is very nice.

We recently did a 10 day 2 way split and it was sheer bliss. One resort walking to Epcot (BCV) and skyliner to HS and one resort walking to MK (BLT). Perfection.

This is my thought too - 10 days with a 2 way split sounds ideal!

 

[lowlight]

I love splits, but only between two resorts. I usually do half the trip at a MK resort and half at an Epcot resort. It’s nice not having to use buses with small kids and a stroller (except for AK, which is unavoidable unless you Minnie van). A 4 way split with a 4 year old would be a disaster, trust me on this. You will be homeless for half the time you are there, and BWV and Poly are probably the worst two resorts on property for room ready times. I think I’ve only gotten into my room before 4:30 once at BWV, so that’s a long time to be room less.

 

[jessieellschwartz]

I was wondering the same thing. This info has been helpful. Thanks

 

[DVCjj]

I love splits, but only between two resorts. I usually do half the trip at a MK resort and half at an Epcot resort. It’s nice not having to use buses with small kids and a stroller (except for AK, which is unavoidable unless you Minnie van). A 4 way split with a 4 year old would be a disaster, trust me on this. You will be homeless for half the time you are there, and BWV and Poly are probably the worst two resorts on property for room ready times. I think I’ve only gotten into my room before 4:30 once at BWV, so that’s a long time to be room less.

You are so right. We stay at BWV a lot. Rarely is room ready before 4:00. Thrilled when it is but definitely not counted on. Own at Poly. Yep, late checkin also. Shockingly, our BCV split last year was ready at 1:00. What a treat.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Any advice for split stays?

The last time we did a split stay (3 locations) the best advice we got was to buy a cheap over-the-door shoe holder, like this:
(I actually cut ours a little shorter than it came) to unpack all the "bathroom clutter" into at the first location. That way, we didn't have to keep packing and unpacking toiletries. Just hang it in each room, and pop the whole thing in a bag when you move.

 

[TuneDisney]

Thank you all for the great advice! We have BWV for Epcot and the Extended Evening Hours then BLT for MK and Extended evening hours there. Finally we really wanted to try Poly, so the last three nights are at Poly. As it stands, it’s a 2, 3,3. We were able to drop CCV for another BLT night.

We are hesitant in dropping BLT due to proximity to MK for the walk back from Extended Evening Hours.

 

[Sandisw]

Thank you all for the great advice! We have BWV for Epcot and the Extended Evening Hours then BLT for MK and Extended evening hours there. Finally we really wanted to try Poly, so the last three nights are at Poly. As it stands, it’s a 2, 3,3. We were able to drop CCV for another BLT night.

We are hesitant in dropping BLT due to proximity to MK for the walk back from Extended Evening Hours.

If you have any spare points, what we do sometimes, when there is room is double book ourselves for the switch over night so we are not homeless.

For example, if you can get an extra night in any of the rooms to overlap it might be helpful so you go from one to the other later on?

For exampl, I might try to get another BLT night the the same as when you start Poly and then you have that room and can head to Poly later in the day.

 

[TuneDisney]

If you have any spare points, what we do sometimes, when there is room is double book ourselves for the switch over night so we are not homeless.

For example, if you can get an extra night in any of the rooms to overlap it might be helpful so you go from one to the other later on?

For exampl, I might try to get another BLT night the the same as when you start Poly and then you have that room and can head to Poly later in the day.

How would this work since you aren’t allowed the same name on both reservations?

 

[AstroBlasters]

If you have any spare points, what we do sometimes, when there is room is double book ourselves for the switch over night so we are not homeless.

For example, if you can get an extra night in any of the rooms to overlap it might be helpful so you go from one to the other later on?

For exampl, I might try to get another BLT night the the same as when you start Poly and then you have that room and can head to Poly later in the day.

Is this doable? My family doesn’t like to feel “homeless” on vacation.

Sat to Tuesday in a BW 2BD lock-off.

Tuesday to Wednesday BW 1Bd side of the lock-off linked to prior reservation so we can keep the room during the day.

Tuesday to Friday in a VGF GV.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Did a three way (non-DVC) split stay with our 5 yo last summer and it worked out fine but:

- We don't unpack our suitcases fully
- Made sure to reserve the park nearest to our transfer hotel and check in early
- Get suitcases to bell hop for the free transfer as early as possible.

It's not ideal but it's very doable

 

[Sandisw]

Is this doable? My family doesn’t like to feel “homeless” on vacation.

Sat to Tuesday in a BW 2BD lock-off.

Tuesday to Wednesday BW 1Bd side of the lock-off linked to prior reservation so we can keep the room during the day.

Tuesday to Friday in a VGF GV.

They can’t guarantee to keep you in the same 1 bedroom part.

You can’t link two different room types together. Because of the way check in and check out work, they may need both sides of your two bedroom for someone checking in and need to move you to a 1 bedroom that is only available for that one night because the studio side was booked longer.

It works well when you have the same room size. And we have done it with 1 bedrooms a few times, even though its extra points.

 

[Sandisw]

How would this work since you aren’t allowed the same name on both reservations?

You can have your name on both…you just have to check out officially from one before checking in to the next so you do not have MB issues.

We do it a lot..once we leave resort one later in the day and get to resort two…we let them know at the front desk.

They do whatever is needed so our MBs are fine for resort stay number two.

 

[mamatohaleybug]

I really love split stays but agree that 2-3 locations would be the max I would attempt in 8 days at WDW, especially with the little one in tow. A one night stay is obnoxious to me. I've done it many times but I don't recommend it. I like your new reservations. It will be easier to only have the three locations. I like to go to a park on moving day. Helps to not feel homeless. We also sometimes pack suitcases per resort (everything for that stay in that suitcase) with one that holds everything we need at all of the resorts (like toiletries, fans, CPAP, etc).

 

[tom1944]

I really love split stays but agree that 2-3 locations would be the max I would attempt in 8 days at WDW, especially with the little one in tow. A one night stay is obnoxious to me. I've done it many times but I don't recommend it. I like your new reservations. It will be easier to only have the three locations. I like to go to a park on moving day. Helps to not feel homeless. We also sometimes pack suitcases per resort (everything for that stay in that suitcase) with one that holds everything we need at all of the resorts (like toiletries, fans, CPAP, etc).

I am thinking with enough points we would do 5/5 moving from a 1 bedroom at BLT, Kidani or POLY (if eligible) to a 2 bedroom at any one of SSR, OKW, Jambo, BRV, CCV, BWV or BCV.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

If we need to do a split stay, usually because of differences with our airline booking, we first aim for a same resort split. If available, we find it easier to move room categories within the same resort (e.g., Studio Standard to Studio Preferred) than to move to a different resort. We prefer to unpack, rather than live out of our suitcases, so the packing, driving over to a new resort, waiting for our new room to come available, and unpacking often feels like a lost day. The most splits we have done within the same stay has been 3, from Beach Club to Old Key West back to Beach Club. It is a lot, especially for an 8 day, 7 night stay.

I kindly suggest continuing to monitor the DVC website for changes in availability, so that you can consolidate to a split stay between two resorts.

 

[tom1944]

If we need to do a split stay, usually because of differences with our airline booking, we first aim for a same resort split. If available, we find it easier to move room categories within the same resort (e.g., Studio Standard to Studio Preferred) than to move to a different resort. We prefer to unpack, rather than live out of our suitcases, so the packing, driving over to a new resort, waiting for our new room to come available, and unpacking often feels like a lost day. The most splits we have done within the same stay has been 3, from Beach Club to Old Key West back to Beach Club. It is a lot, especially for an 8 day, 7 night stay.

I kindly suggest continuing to monitor the DVC website for changes in availability, so that you can consolidate to a split stay between two resorts.

I think the unpacking will be an issue for my wife. I am going to see if we can pack for each stay in different suitcases.

We each do a carry on and under seat personal bag. My goal is to unpack one bag for the first stay while leaving the second bag unpacked.

Do the laundry for the initial bag and repack the luggage with the clean laundry.

We shall see if that works.

 

[TuneDisney]

Official Update! We have managed to have 2 days at BWV (epcot then resort day) followed by 2 poly days, 1 BLT day, and 3 Poly days. We are hoping to get to get BLT to poly, we have it waitlisted so there is just two resorts for this trip! Come on Poly day!