Resort hopping during your vacation
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theatredirector · 08-25-2007, 11:36 PM

Does anyone ever stay at two different resorts during the same trip? What do you do on the day you are going to switch resorts? We're thinking of staying a couple nights at a moderate resort prior to our five night stay at the Polynesian. Can I book this as one reservation or will it take two different reservations?

disney777 · 08-26-2007, 02:02 AM

I do this often. (And will be doing it a couple days from now when I head to WDW!) The day I switch, I usually make it a relaxing day. I sleep in, then finish packing and take my luggage to the Bell Desk. I tell them I need to transfer my luggage to "***** Resort", they fill out a ticket and tag the bags, and that's it. I then go to the resort I'm transferring to and check in. The luggage arrives in the afternoon. I call or stop by the bell desk and they will deliver it to my room. I'll go to DTD or to a park between checkout time and next resort check in time. If I'm lucky, I can check right into the next resort and collect my luggage later. I don't have to try for an early check-in, I'm just anal that way. Many people just go to a park and check-in later. Packing/unpacking can be a bit of a drag, but it's worth it to me to experience a different resort. Sometimes, I just want to camp out in the same place for 12 days. Other times, if I can get a good rate, or if I want to try a new resort, I'll split my stay. Until I test a resort out, I don't want to spend my whole trip there. (Just in case!)
You will need 2 different reservations.

**chezp** · 08-26-2007, 03:07 AM

We're staying at three different DVC resorts in December, so that we can try two new ones out. It's a great way to experience the different Disney theming at the various resorts and in the past, when we've stayed at more than one resort, it's always been very easy changing from one to the other.

**Disneybine** · 08-26-2007, 05:14 AM

We're splitting our WDW stay between POR (4 nights) and WL (10 nights) next April. Since we'll have a rental car, we'll take our luggage over to the WL ourselves. I just prefer not to wait for Disney to deliver it in the afternoon. Also, we'll check out in the morning and drive right over to the WL. We'll check in right away (even though our room probably won't be ready) and then most likely take the boat to MK. We'll return in the afternoon when our room is ready, get unpacked and spend the evening either at the resort or at DTD.

**Colexis Mom** · 08-26-2007, 08:46 AM

We usually split our stays. Usually AKL/BC but last trip we did AKL/BC/Poly

We usually have a car, so we transfer our own luggage, but Disney will do it for you if you don't have a car. It's a great way to see other resorts, and it's like having two vacations in one

Lorelei528 · 08-26-2007, 12:50 PM

I also split my last stay between ASM/AKL and couldnt' believe how easy and seamless a transition it was!!

Am planning on doing it again for next trip..POP/AKL.....

snoozin · 08-26-2007, 01:17 PM

We always hop; one trip (12 nites) we ended up at 4 (don't even ask). But we love every resort, and like to mix it up a bit. Even when we have our own car, we have Disney transfer the bags... it's so much easier!

darlus · 08-26-2007, 01:25 PM

I was considering it for my next trip in March 08. We will be there for 10 nights. You all make it sound so easy.

Joy J · 08-26-2007, 01:39 PM

I guess I'm definitely in the minority here as I tried resort hopping once (7 days at AKL and 7 days at WL) and personally I didn't enjoy having to switch resorts. Although Disney made the whole luggage transfer thing as seamless as possible, there was still the whole unpacking, then repacking, then unpacking again scenario to deal with. For me, it only served to disrupt the lovely, relaxed flow of my vacation. Mind you, I am a natural born nester who likes to unpack everything and put it away. If you're more the "live out of your suitcase" type, then it probably isn't an issue at all.

Joy

RobDVC · 08-26-2007, 02:06 PM

Yep we do. We usually transfer our own luggage, but when we have had Bell Services transfer it for us, we haven't had any trouble. If you want to take advantage of it, all you have to do is get your luggage to the bell service desk and they'll tag your bags and mark them for delivery to the other resort, and give you the claim tickets.

Clotho · 08-26-2007, 02:29 PM

One question I didn't see answered (sorry if I just missed it and am repeating info) is that as I understand it, it will be TWO separate reservations. Meaning you buy a package with one resort, then have a second package for the second resort. That means resetting your ticket pricing to Day 1. That is to say that a 10-day ticket is much cheaper than two 5-day tickets, but that is how they will do the packages.

Perhaps I am mistaken and this is only the issue with DDP? But that is what I learned when researching this. And to add on, if you are doing the DDP, it means that all your credits for the first part of your trip have to be used by midnight of the last day at the first resort, then the credits will re-set to your new set of DDP credits for the latter half of your trip., since it's considered a separate reservation SO make sure you use up all your credits from your first half of your trip before the first full day of your next half!

Sounds like a pill to me. Can anyone who has done this offer some firsthand knowledge? I don't want to be spreading misinformation if I got this wrong from my research!

jhoshowski · 08-26-2007, 04:07 PM

It is only an issue if you are doing the DDP. In a ten day stay scenario, with two five night stays (without the DDP), you could get a 10 day ticket even though you are only staying 5 nights at the first resort. The tickets are good for 14 days from the first use, so they would be good for your second, room only reservation. If you wanted the DDP for the whole time, you would have to buy a second, one day ticket (cheaper to do a 10 day and a one day than two 5 days) for the second package.

Hope that makes sense.

ETA: You don't have to use that one day ticket on the current trip, either. You can save it towards the purchase of a ticket in the future.

Clotho · 08-27-2007, 12:31 AM

Of course you are right! Thanks for clarifying!

Tinkerboo · 08-27-2007, 09:43 AM

Apologies if I'm asking a daft question, (just the thought of staying at a variety of hotels has filled me with glee and I'm giggling madly

and wondering why I never thought of that before

).

I always book everything via the Internet - if I were to want to stay at two hotels during the same trip, would I complete one online transaction for the first hotel and then do another completely separate one for the second? I'm just wondering how the Magical Express would work, as it has always asked me for both arrival and departure times for that particular booking.

Or am I thinking in too much detail? Would they spot that I have two reservations next to each other and realise that the DME needs to be spread over them both?

Ridiculously excited and there's not even the prospect of booking anything for at least a year!!

**Caldercup** · 08-27-2007, 10:10 AM

With the DME booking and doing it online, I'd include the arrival and departure on the first reservation. Then, when you check in to the second hotel, tell them to update the info. (They'll give you a card with a number to call the DME folks and you can make sure they know which hotel to pick you up from.

I've done this and it works seamlessly, but I did have to make the call to DME to get them sorted out.

I love changing resorts on longer stays -- this December, I'm doing THREE!!
Eileen