Opinions

Splitting Your Stay........The Practically Painless Way!
By Lori Wagner - August 30, 2001

Have you ever wanted to sample more than one Disney resort, but you thought it would take too much of your precious time? Do you feel that it would be too much trouble to drag your luggage around?

Guess what? You don't have to! Disney will be more than happy to do the hard work for you. All you need to do is plan ahead, and resort hopping won't be a potential nightmare. Some people are "smorgasbord" guests, who love to try various resorts. Others want to save money by cutting the expense of a longer stay at a "high end" resort by splitting their time among value, moderate, or deluxe resorts. Some may want to "splurge" a day or two at deluxe resort if they discover a great discounted rate.

No matter what your reason for splitting your stay, changing resorts won't disrupt your schedule if you plan wisely. I will guide you step-by-step, giving suggestions to make things progress smoothly. The plan can be adapted to personal preferences, so hopefully, many of you will enjoy staying in multiple Disney resorts like I do!

First resort: Checking In:

Many of you might wonder why I'm starting at the check in procedure. What you do at check in will lay a good foundation on your resort switch later. The front desk cast member will give you an opportunity for Express Checkout. When you change resorts, Express Checkout will save you the time you'd waste standing in line to check out.

What is Express Checkout? The cast member imprints your credit card, and you will automatically be charged for your room at the end of your stay. You'll find an itemized bill for all the room charges on your doorknob the next morning. If you find errors, you will need to visit the front desk, unfortunately. Otherwise, you're free to begin your day as usual. If you don't want everything on your credit card, you can partially pay your bill on your last day.

If you have decided to use Express Checkout, the rest of the procedure is easy.

The Night Before:

I believe that what you do on your last night will make a difference on your last morning. If you want to choose a particular location at the second resort, you can call ahead with your request. In order to bypass that 75 cent charge dialing to the next resort, use the speed dial button on your room phone to have the hotel operator connect you. (A happy, enthusiastic voice and a "I don't know if you can do this, but I'd appreciate it if you can check" approach works best. It doesn't guarantee you anything, but it might get you a better room than where they put you.)

The room requests are optional. I usually call if I want a certain building or location. I suggest you have a second choice as a backup option, in case they don't have my first choice available.

Call Bell Services to alert them to have your luggage picked up the following morning. Let them know that you're changing to the second resort, and you need the luggage transferred. Once you've done that, start packing!

If you haven't thrown all the contents of your suitcases all over the room, repacking shouldn't take long. Leave out only the change of clothes you need the next morning, and all the toiletries that can be packed at the last minute. Also, be sure to pre-pack the waist pack or backpack you normally take with you to the parks. You don't want to pack away the sun block!

Of course, don't forget to set the wake up call! By the time you're ready to go to bed, you'll be organized enough to switch resorts without wasting a lot of time.

The Checkout: First Resort:

I don't like leaving anything to chance. As soon as I wake up, I call Bell Services to confirm that someone will be at my room to pick up my luggage as promised. I call at least an hour before I want to leave. I recommend confirming, just for reassurance. The Express Checkout envelope should be hanging on the doorknob. If it isn't, call the front desk immediately. Again, explain that you're changing resorts, and you need your receipt. (This hasn't happened to me, knock on wood! Be prepared!)

As you're getting ready to leave, pack away all the items you aren't going to need in the parks (or wherever you'll be that day). Then, do a "room sweep". Start in the bathroom, and make sure you didn't leave anything in the shower or behind the bathroom door! Check every drawer, and don't forget the safe. Check under the bed ruffles. You don't want to leave anything, because once you leave, you're gone. Once you're satisfied that you have your belongings, wait for Bell Services.

When Bell Services arrives, let him/her know that you're switching to the "X" resort, and you need the luggage transferred there. He/She will give you a claim ticket for every piece (or grouping) of luggage. Do not lose the tickets. You'll need them when you check into the second resort.

At this point, you're free to start your day wherever you want. You do not have to register at the second resort right away. I suggest you take the Disney transportation (or walk, depending on location) to the park or your choice. Depending on the resort, you can get your room after 3 or 4pm.

Leave the park around 3pm and take Disney transportation to the second resort. After you check in at the second resort, your room may already be ready. If it is, give your claim tickets to Bell Services, and they will deliver your luggage. If you normally take afternoon breaks, switching resorts doesn't interrupt your schedule.

If you like to pre-register, you can do it early. If you only have bus transportation available, go on the first theme park bus that arrives. When you get to the park, find the bus/boat/monorail stop that services your second resort, and you can check in early. The front desk may have a card with a phone number on it. If you call after 3pm (4pm at certain resorts), you can get your room number. This saves time if you think the front desk will be mobbed at 3pm.

If you have a car at your disposal, the switch could be even quicker. Instead of using Bell Services to transfer luggage in the morning, you can put it in your car. Drive to the second resort to check in, and have Bell Services at the second resort store your luggage for you until your room is ready.

Still confused? Here's a scenario I used:

I switched from All Star Music to Port Orleans - Riverside. I had requested Express Checkout from All Star Music. On the day before checkout, I had the All Star Music operator connect me to the Port Orleans - Riverside front desk. I had a water view room booked, and I requested Building 18 in the Alligator Bayou section. The request was granted. I called Bell Services to request luggage transfer to Port Orleans - Riverside for 8am the next morning.

I had my bags packed the night before. The next morning, I called Bell Services to confirm the luggage transfer. After I was finished getting ready, I checked everything to make sure I didn't forget to pack anything. Bell Services took the luggage and gave claim tickets. We took the bus to Epcot, where we were planning to spend our day. Around 3pm, we took the Port Orleans - Riverside bus from Epcot to check in. Our room was ready, and we gave our claim tickets to Bell Services. The room request did not disappoint. It was a wonderful location! It took about 15-20 minutes for our luggage to arrive, and I had a nice chance to relax.

That was my "practically painless" experience. I hope many people will take the plunge and split their stay between resorts. In my experience, my level of excitement increased if I stayed at the lesser priced resorts at the beginning of the trip. You might get spoiled to go from a Deluxe to a Value.

Can you split your stay more than once? Sure. If it's a long trip, you can do it comfortably. My scenario above was part of a 9-night trip. I stayed 2 nights at All Star Music, 5 nights at Port Orleans - Riverside (then called Dixie Landings), and 2 nights at the Beach Club. I don't recommend splitting one night at a time. That would be too exhausting, and I don't think it would be enjoyable to live out of a suitcase.

I hope this will encourage people to take the plunge!