Thoughts on a split stay

[Timber Wolf]

So my daughter will be 7 in August and we will be taking her to Disney for the first time in December arriving early Sunday and checking out Friday not planning to hit any parks on Friday but will arrive early Sunday to head to a park.she knows we are going she has been asking for awhile especially after her cousins just got back.this year we are going to bite the bullet and take her she is only young once and at 7 everyone tells me she is at the perfect age to go which I have to agree with thus comes my dilemma where to stay?

When I first started looking it was pretty easy and I kind of had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to stay the luxury suites at AOA were pretty much out our budget but she loves the little mermaid as well as toy story so it came down to staying at either all star movies requesting toy story section or AOA LM.The more I researched and read there is a reason these two rooms are regarded as value.

They both have their pro's & cons

1) size they are not very big it's just 3 of us but not sure if it may be too small (con)

2) Transportation they both have their drawbacks movies is closer to transportation but they do share buses with two other resorts this may or may not be an issue.I don't think I will have this problem with AOA but the biggest drawback is the long walk from what I have heard to transportation in the morning won't be so bad but in the evening when returning from the parks this could be a bit rough that walk may feel like a mile after being at the parks all day.

These are the two cons that I see as everything else is really unimportant other than the long walk to get coffee at AOA we don't really plan on being at the resort a whole lot spending about 90% of our time in the parks leaving early & coming back late which brings me to my next point both areas have plenty of kids appeal so if we were to spend a bit of extra time at the resort I think either would definitely appeal to a 7 year old.it may be too cool in December to use the pool so that may be a non factor this brings me to my question and thought upon searching I came across the port orleans royal rooms.

The royal rooms would definitely be an upgrade but is it worth almost 1k more for a room that we probably won't be spending a whole lot of time in?that money could be used for other things but yet this room does interest me with the hint of princess theme,my daughter really wants to stay in the LM room so that's almost a given but that got me to thinking what about doing a split resort trip switching half way through so she could experience both rooms the little mermaid room which she has her heart set on and then switching to the royal room 1/2 way through it's going to still keep us within budget and not break the bank.

Some look down upon switching resorts during a trip but when my wife & I got married we stayed at Disney port orleans riverside as well but wanting to experience staying at animal kingdom the last night we did so and it was smooth and easy with no hassle we checked out of PO in the morning spent the day in the park then checked into Animal Kingdom later that night without a hitch they moved all our luggage without a hiccup.

Like mentioned my daughter is going to be this age only once so I want her to experience both rooms the one she knows she is going to love & the one I know she is going to love we will be in the parks all day anyway so although it's really only a place to sleep I still want her to experience that magic of staying in not just one room that she thinks she will love but two that I know she will love.

Just wanted to get some thoughts from others who have done split resorts for me I did it only once and it was on the last day it was easy peezy this time it would be mid trip,my wife is kind of so so about changing resorts wanting to stay in just one but I would really like to stay a couple of nights in a royal room I know my daughter would love it.

just trying to field some thoughts thank-you

 

[indoshakespeare]

I think the LM room is perfect if she loves the Little Mermaid. That section has its own Little Mermaid themed pool and I heard it has music under water. It's easy to change resort, with 5 nights, I would do definitely do it if it's still in your budget. That Royal Room is very very tempting indeed

 

[Nancyg56]

Okay, I get the idea a child is only young once, and I agree. My DH moves heaven and earth for our girls, however I see you mention in your post several times that you will only be using the room to sleep. If you really are not going to use the room or resort I would reconsider the amount you are spending for the space, and the time you will use moving resorts. It also sounds like you are stretching your budget in order to do so.

My family uses the resorts. We use all of the amenities, from the pools to the restaurants and garden areas so for us, the money we put towards lodging is actually towards or vacation. If we were rope drop to park close there is no way we would allocate more money than needed to sleep comfortably.

If your budget is comfortable with the Royal room or Little Mermaid Suites, then by all means go for it. POR Royal Room the the choice I will make if I can take my two Princesses (The little girls on my street) because they would love it. But we will not be in the parks all day. The girls like to swim so we will be in and out of the room a lot.

If your budget is stretched, then pass on the special theme, your DD will love whereever she sleeps in DIsney. Kids like the pools and parks.

 

[Hopefully]

I would stay put. From what you have said I think your daughter will love the LM rooms. I would stay there for her. You are the one who wants to move. Just my thought

 

[Timber Wolf]

You guys have all made very good points and its good to see someone elses perspective and thoughts.Though I think she would love the royal rooms it may not be worth the extra money spent as we will not be spending a whole lot of time in the room.I am sure there will be a time where she wants to use the pool(s).having never been to Florida in December is it warm enough to use the pools?I know they are heated & kids don't really care so at some point I think she will want to go swimming.

this is a very hard decision switching rooms is within budget towards the upper end of my budget but still within budget thats what makes this such a hard decision I don't want to regret not staying at least A couple of nights in A royal room its more for what I think she would like versus what I want comfort wise if it was all about comfort I would stay at a standard room at port orleans its the special theme of the room that has me on the fence if there were no special themed room then it would be the LM room hands down for the whole trip the royal room puts a bit of a wrinkle into things.

I've got some decision making to do thanks for your thoughts and opinions its very much appreciated like mentioned its always good to get someone elses opinions and viewpoints!

 

[Lynne M]

If it's in your budget and you really want to do it, there's nothing wrong with a split stay. The only downside I've personally found with split stays is being without a room for most of a day in the middle of that trip, but if you're using the room mostly for sleeping, that won't be an issue.

I get that you're trying to make the trip extra-special for her. But her first trip to WDW at 7 is going to blow her mind. EVERYTHING she sees will be not just extra-special, but magical. The buses will be exciting. The Mickey patterns in the carpet will be thrilling. She'll remember the Mickey-shaped pancakes for the rest of her life.

What I'm getting at is, when you're up to your eyeballs in magic 24/7, does that one extra little handful of magic (the Royal Room, that you'll just be sleeping in) really make a difference? You could save that for another trip, and put that extra money towards other things like souvenirs or character meals, or towards the next trip.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I get that you're trying to make the trip extra-special for her. But her first trip to WDW at 7 is going to blow her mind. EVERYTHING she sees will be not just extra-special, but magical. The buses will be exciting. The Mickey patterns in the carpet will be thrilling. She'll remember the Mickey-shaped pancakes for the rest of her lif

I really did not look at it this way I am glad I posted the question it lets me look at things from another angle,I may still do a split stay but looking at it from another side like you are looking at it Lynne it may make more sense to just stay in the LM section

thank-you

 

[bphilb]

I personally am not a huge fan of split stays. Not only do you go part of a day without a room, but it's kind of hard to get settled in any room as you have to pack again midway through. The Art of Animation is awesome. You have valid points on the the room and location, but overall just being at the resort is fantastic as a Disney fan. The music and the energy at the resort is fun. The food court is very nice and has a ton of options. The pools are great. Like you said, if you are going to spend a majority of time at the parks I wouldn't splurge too much on room costs. There are a million other things you can do with your money while you are there. It sounds like you are going to have a great trip.

 

[SG131]

If she wants to stay in a little mermaid room and you don't mind the extra walk I'd say just go with that. The buses at All-Stars don't always share, in fact I was there in early December and didn't share at all. I love all star movies, however, while you can request a toy story room there is no guarantee you will get it. With the little mermaid room, you will definitely get the theme you want. Also, rather than spend extra money for the princess rooms that you wouldn't spend much time in, I would skip it and put that money toward character meals. Then you can get a chance to meet more of the characters with less standing in line. I did a split stay once, and it didn't work out well for me. I happened to end up sick and all I wanted to do was lay down in the afternoon for awhile, but I was homeless and my new room wasn't ready until almost 5 o'clock. And December weather can vary dramatically. I did have a day or two that were warm enough for the pool and some days I was in a hat, coat and gloves. So what if the ONE really warm day during your trip that would be perfect for the pool happens to be the day you're switching rooms. Swimming would still be doable but much more of a hassle. I say go with the little mermaid rooms and find other fun things to spend the extra money on.

 

[saskdw]

Split stays are great for longer trips like a week at each resort, but seems like to much hassle for a short stay like yours. The time spent switching rooms would be better spent enjoying the parks when you only have 4-5 days.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I'm usually not a fan of split stays of less than 3 to 4 nights per resort, but, in your case, I would go with the split. As you mentioned, the LM rooms are a far walk from the main areas of AoA, they are small and have double beds. We stayed at AoA the first year it opened and, though my DS enjoyed the theming, he tired of it quickly and then we were stuck in a very uncomfortable, noisy resort. Keep in mind, there is theming everywhere in the parks. If I were you and it's in the budget, I would do 2 nights in an LM room and 3 at POR. Especially if you are arriving early on your first day. You could take that day to walk around AoA, swim (if it's warm enough) and soak in the atmosphere of the resort. The best thing about AoA, IMHO, is the initial entrance into the resort (the theming is pretty cool) and the outdoor areas. I, personally, would rather sleep in a POR room - much quieter and much more comfortable. Plus, POR is a really lovely resort. If it's in your budget, I would book the two rooms you think she will love and give yourself some much, needed, comfortable sleep. Plus, if discounts come out, it's very possibly the POR RR rooms will be included, so it may fit even better within your budget.

 

[Hi Pluto]

Also, might I suggest POP. It's right next to AOA and you have a better chance of a shorter walk to transportation. Plus the food court is great!

And I really need to add... your 7 year old will crash and burn REAL quick if you try to stay in the parks from early morning until late at night. Plan a mid-day break, for her sake and yours.

~Cari~

 

[TikiBabe]

DF and I look forward to split stays. No more than one switch though if possible.

If you want to do the split then do it.

Have fun!