Split Stay Advice

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:
View attachment 849144 (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.
Wouldn’t cruise without one or magnets with hooks :)

On land, I just zip bag like items (hair, makeup, toothpaste/brushes etc) together & stuff in two, large soft side train cases. they look nice & neat on the sink, avoiding clutter.
How would this work since you aren’t allowed the same name on both reservations?
MS has cautioned us to put a different lead name on that sort of reservations i.e. the mr as 1st guest on one & me on the other.

We’ve done split trips with one change. Often split between onsite @ Universal or a cruise. Next week will be interesting to see how it will go for us (no small kids along) with a 1:1:4:2 trip coming up.
 
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.

We have been members for 12 years and our membership has truly changed how we vacation at Walt Disney World. We do unpack, using the closet and dressers, because our trips are usually 8- to 10-days in duration. While we do go to the parks, we spend much more time in the room than we did before becoming members. At the start of our trip, we grocery shop, so that we can have breakfast in our room and wash clothes before returning home. During our December trip, while listening to Christmas music, we decorate a small Christmas tree in our room the first night. Though they are sometimes necessary because of availability and airline bookings, we try to avoid split stays because we have reached a point where we actually go to Walt Disney World to relax, rather than to power through the parks.
 
I do split stays every trip and rather enjoy doing so. I usually stay 3 or 4 nights at each resort, so when moving to the next resort you get a fully cleaned and refreshed room which is a bonus. I pack up my chilled and/or frozen food items the morning of the switch and take them over to the new resort. This does require some planning as I do not have a car most of the time. You either go to one of the parks or DS to get a bus to the other resort. If you are lucky enough to have two resorts on the Skyliner or Monorail you can do things that way, but I usually don't have that option. I have an insulated backpack that I use for my chilled foods that makes things much easier. Here is an example from my next trip: Riviera 3 nights in a standard studio, followed by 4 nights at BRV in a 1bdrm and then 3 nights at AKL Kidani in a 1bdrm.
 
Keep BWV for Epcot, BLT for Magic Kingdom. Trying to get that extra night at CCV for Poly might be tough, but worth a shot. Pools at these resorts are great for kids. Studios should be comfy. Just pack light and plan some downtime for smoother transitions.
 


We've almost always done splits in order to try out new resorts, too, and I agree with PP that moving 2x the most we like to do, but if 3x is what you get, it's not the end of the world by any stretch.

We are COO, and each of us has color-coded packing cubes per person. I prefer the small, narrow packing cubes, and put one outfit per day in there, per person, with a bathing suit. For the girls, we prefer sundresses with bike shorts underneath (or your bathing suit under the dress for moving day.)

For the boys, tank tops and (bathing) shorts. We all do sandals or crocs with ankle straps for support and in case of downpours. No flip-flops to slide around in at MK! Keep an extra pair of dry socks safe in ziploc bags in your day backpack. We also use Camelback backpacks for everyone and fill the bladder up every day with fresh ice water. Saves money and hands in the parks, and even the kids can sip all day in the heat from the straw.

Our kids only care about the pools and arts and crafts. I'd maximize each check-out day to have a great brunch reservation somewhere and then head to the next resort and hit their pool on a full belly. Let the kids shake it out while one parent hits the front desk know you're there. Bell services will move your luggage from resort to resort, but groceries you're responsible for.

While you're waiting at the pool, throw a load of laundry in while killing time. Have a drink/snack/coffee midday and check out the community room/activities calendar and all dining offered.

We really enjoy the resorts as much as the parks, and with all the moving you'll be doing, I'd view daytime as exploring resorts/pools/restaurants time, and we hit the parks after 5 p.m. most days. When the strollers move out, we move in!

We bring the kids' stuffies and favorite throw blanket in their backpacks, even years later at age 10 and 11. This is the first thing they unpack for their beds at each resort, and it gets chilly in the rooms with AC! This way they can crash when you're let into the new room and maybe take a little power nap or just get their bearings in a new place while you guys unpack/get settled.

Also, slipper socks for everyone. Again, it gets cold, and we don't like dirty feet in the bed. I also pack sleep masks for everyone. That Florida sun is tough to block out for napping, especially in a new environment. You want the kids to feel relaxed, if possible, so they actually can sleep. We also have sound machines for each room. They're like $20 on Amazon and the size of a square hockey puck.

If you're doing studios, mac and cheese cups and/or oatmeal cups are great in a pinch for microwaving as a snack at night and don't require refrigeration. We always get groceries delivered, and I'd do bottled water and shelf-stable milk.

Don't overpack clothes. We now only bring three outfits every trip. I do laundry every day, and it's honestly no big deal (to me.) We DO bring/bought bathrobes for everyone. We love the hot tubs at night, and I feel funny walking through the resorts in a bathing suit and towel. Sometimes it's cold, too, and you want that layer of warmth. We use the compression bags for those in the suitcase.

Investigate Owners Lockers. They don't save us money, but they are a life-saver for all the toiletries and sunblock and chargers and seasonal-specific stuff we use at the parks. We leave our Camelbacks in there, too, because we don't use them anywhere else but the parks. I don't bother with the kids' stuff because every trip is a different season/size as they grow, but my husband and I have a decent wardrobe of staples in there; socks, underwear, bathing suit, strapless bra for sundresses, water park shoes, etc.
 
OMG....my advice would be don't do it.

For us, part of the attraction of DVC is settling in and making it home. We fully unpack, get groceries, etc. Otherwise it's just a hotel room.

The one time we did a split stay due to needing 2 BR for part of trip and 1 BR for remainder, I felt like we lost a whole day.
 
I wanted to try a split stay because I wanted to extend our trip from 7 days to 9. I figured 9 days in the 1 bedroom might not be great and we had enough points to do 4 days in the 2 bedroom.

If we get enough points we might do a 2 bedroom for 9 days most trips and occasionally a split stay with the 1 bedroom for a portion based on points
 


I wanted to try a split stay because I wanted to extend our trip from 7 days to 9. I figured 9 days in the 1 bedroom might not be great and we had enough points to do 4 days in the 2 bedroom.

If we get enough points we might do a 2 bedroom for 9 days most trips and occasionally a split stay with the 1 bedroom for a portion based on points

Thanks for the advice, Tom.
 
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.
This is exactly what we did in June and it worked great. With the exception of toiletries, we had one carry on/personal item for each hotel and left the others packed and away. It was great.
 
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!
We love doing split stays also, but find moving once feels much easier than two or three times.

Would you be able to look at some of the special offers now (I think there are some that are 30%off room in July) and book a cash stay for that middle night at Poly? You could keep the waitlist for Poly if a room on points opened up, and you don’t have to cancel the cash room until 5 days prior to its date. MS can put a request to not change rooms and I would think at Poly, because there are so many studios, it would be likely you wouldn’t need to switch rooms.

We have done this a number of times, sometimes the waitlist comes through and sometimes not. But it can be worth it to pay cash for one night during a week stay to minimize multiple moves.
 
We often do split stays, but we normally go for 10-14 days at a time and only switch once. We're doing our first triple in 3 weeks with 2 nights at Royal Pacific, followed by 5 at Riv and then closing it out with 5 at VGF. We've not stayed at any of these resorts so really looking forward to this trip. We always drive and stay in a 2 bdrm villa. We do laundry every 2-3 days (whenever the washer is full). So, way different than what you're trying to do. For your sake, I really hope that waitlist comes through. A 1 day split with a 4-year-old is gonna be tough. Do you drive? Does your child still need/take naps? Logistics can make all the difference. At least I think so.
 

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