Split Stays at Disney World: Tips, Tricks and Saving Money

We love split stays at Walt Disney World as a way to save money and have more fun. With over 25 resorts, it’s easy to stay at more than one Disney Resort during your next trip. Besides, with so much to see and do why would you just limit yourself to one resort? Of course we love Disney Resort Hopping, but sometimes you want to really dig into a resort experience, and that’s where Split Stays come in. Here we’re sharing all the things to know about how to book a split stay at Disney World. From how luggage transfers work on check in and check out days, to stacking resort types to save money, and our best tips and tricks, to make it all easier than you think.

So, what exactly is a split stay at Disney World? It’s basically just what it sounds like! You stay at one resort for part of your trip, and then another resort for the rest. Or if you have a longer trip, or are just very daring, you can stay at as many resorts as you’d like in one trip. A Disney Split Stay offers you the option to stay at resorts to take advantage of Disney Resort Prices at different levels. And take advantage of a wider array of amenities on your trip. 

Say you want to stay at a deluxe resort for one night, and then head to the value resorts for the remaining 4 days of your vacation. This saves money, and gets you different experiences too! We’ve done a Split Stay at Disney World quite a few times and absolutely love it! It was the strategy we used to stay at the Grand Floridian Resort, which was a bucket list resort for us.

When Does a Split Stay at Walt Disney World Make Sense?

While we think resort hopping is a great way to experience other resorts and their amenities when you’re staying at more than one Disney resort it only really works for a vacation that is 6 Days or More. Preferably you would choose 2 resorts, over 10 days.

The biggest part of planning a split stay at Disney is making sure everything is linked up in the My Disney Experience or Disney website. From your Disney park tickets to your dining plan to know your arrival and departure resorts. Why is this such a big deal? Because if you do this right, the rest of your vacation, you just show up! No more heavy lifting is required. 

How to Plan for a Split Stay at Walt Disney World

Planning for a split stay at Walt Disney World is not as complicated as it might seem. It’s actually pretty easy! Take a look at what you’re prioritizing each day and go from there. For example, what are you doing on your arrival and departure days? If you don’t have tickets for those days, planning for some pool time or a trip to Disney Springs is a great idea. Do you have a few days in a row that you want to go to Epcot and/or Hollywood Studios? Booking part of your trip at a Boardwalk resort or a Skyliner Resort will make transportation back and forth to those Parks much easier. 

Save the Best Disney Resort For Last

Another rule I like to follow is saving the best for last. Now, obviously, this isn’t always practical. But much like how we prefer to do a Disney Cruise after a Disney Parks trip, we like to end the trip on a more relaxing note. And even though we love our Value Resorts like Pop Century, there’s no doubt that Moderate and Deluxe Resorts just give you more of that vacation feeling. So, starting a trip at Pop Century is great for budget and convenience. And then ending it at somewhere like Animal Kingdom Lodge can help you relax a bit more before you have to return to reality.  

Book the Most Expensive Disney Resorts in the Middle of the Week

Like with everything you spend money on at Disney World, it’s always cheaper in the middle of the week, Tuesday- Thursday. Whether you’re talking about Party Tickets, Park Tickets or Resort Nights, the cheapest hotel rates are always going to be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That said, write out your week. If you’re tackling 2 resorts, plan your cheapest Disney Resort for the weekend, and the more expensive ones in the middle of the week. You’ll notice a significant difference in price.

Benefits of a Split Stay at Walt Disney World

A split stay at Walt Disney World allows you to experience more than one resort in a trip! For people who may not have the budget, or the time, to stay at all of the Disney resorts they want to, a split stay is a great choice.  Choosing to stay at a deluxe for the duration of a weeklong trip can get pretty pricey. But staying for 2 or 3 days might be more doable for you if you can balance it out with a Value Resort. Or maybe you want to have access to the Skyliner for the first half of the trip. And then easy access to Magic Kingdom for the other portion. Booking Caribbean Beach to start and then moving over to a monorail resort or Wilderness Lodge can help you make the most of your time. 

Another benefit is that it can help you prioritize Park Days vs Resort days. If you know you want to be able to experience the pool at Beach and Yacht Club but don’t want to blow your budget for the week, you can easily book a couple of days that you know you’ll be likely staying at Beach Club Resort for Stormalong Bay, and then move over to a more affordable option like Pop Century for the days you know you’ll mostly be in the Parks.

We also love split stays for being able to experience things like Club Level Experiences that might not make sense budget or timewise on a longer trip, but are perfect for a day or two. 

Cons of a Split Stay at Walt Disney World

The biggest cons of a split stay are mostly the inconvenience. It can be slightly inconvenient to book them. And it can also be inconvenient to move your luggage around and not stay in one place.  Another con of a split stay is that sometimes shorter stays will limit which resorts you can book.  Disney prioritizes longer stays, so when you’re searching for resorts for a one- or two-night stay, some resorts may not show up even if they have availability.  Disney generally releases these rooms for shorter stays later on if not booked, but if you’re hoping to have a reservation secured in time for making dining reservations at the 60-day mark, you might have to reconsider. 

Speaking of the 60-day mark, booking a split stay can also make getting dining reservations a little more complicated. Instead of one standard booking window, you’ll have two. And for those really difficult-to-get reservations, that could make things a little tricker too. 

How To Book a Split Stay at Walt Disney World

To book a split stay at Disney World you simply add your resort choices to your cart on Disney’s website. It’s actually really easy to book a split stay at Walt Disney World. The initial down payment will likely be more expensive than if you booked just one resort. But overall, this tactic can actually save you money.

To book a split stay, simply decide which resorts you want to stay at, and during which dates. If you need tickets, you can add tickets to the first package you book. Keep in mind that Disney tickets are no longer good for extended periods of time like many people remember. So if your trip is very long, just make sure you know how long those tickets are good for. It may be a better choice to book each room individually, and then purchase tickets separately. 

Do I need to pay a deposit on Each Disney Resort I add to my Split Stay?

When booking a split stay, be aware that there is no way to only pay one deposit at this time. Even if you are creating a package. So, you must pay a deposit on each reservation. If you need tickets, you can create a package with tickets for the length of your trip, put $200 down on it, and then move on to the next reservation. You’ll likely want to book this as a room-only reservation, in which case you’ll need to put down one night’s stay as a deposit. And if you’re planning to stay at more than two resorts, you’ll just repeat this process each time.

If you don’t need tickets and therefore don’t need a package, you’ll just put the room deposit down on each reservation. And if you don’t feel like doing all of that, reach out to a Disney Travel Planner who will do it for you for free!

Checking in and Out at Each Resort

Once your plans and reservations are set up, it’s really just a matter of checking in and out at your resorts when you’re supposed to. On days when you’re going from one resort to another, you just “check out” like usual, and drop off your luggage with your current resort’s concierge or at the luggage kiosk. 

Does Disney Transfer your Luggage on a Split Stay Between Two Resorts?

Yes, when you book a split stay Disney transfers your luggage between resorts. Just go to Bell Services at your resort, and let them know your next resort, and they will have it sent over for you. Just note that they will not deliver your luggage until after 1 PM. Your luggage may not be delivered to your room until you have checked in to your new resort. Typically your bags are transferred over to your new resort between 3 and 6 p.m. if you drop them off around check-out time.

So even if you have plans of staying at the Parks until the clock strikes midnight on the day that you will be checking into your new resort, be aware that your luggage may not be magically waiting for you in your room if you have not officially checked in.  

So be sure to check in online or in the My Disney Experience app as soon as you are able to keep everything running smoothly.  Note that while Disney does provide luggage transfers between Walt Disney World hotels and the Swan and Dolphin Resorts, including the Swan Reserve. if you’re staying at a Good Neighbor hotel you’ll likely need to transfer your luggage yourself. 

Do My Park Tickets Still Work when I book Multiple Disney Resorts?

The advantage of split stays is that all you have to do is drop your luggage off and head to the parks, right? Nope! If your tickets for the entire trip aren’t linked to the first resort you checked into, you will have to check into your second (or third) resort before the remaining tickets are activated.

Will My Dining Plan Still Work if I stay at Multiple Disney Resorts?

The same holds true for your Disney dining plan which can cause problems with using your meal credits or entering the park on days between resorts. And once everything is linked on your end, give Disney a call to confirm that everything will go as planned.

Disney World Split Stay Packing Tips

Since you’ll be without your luggage for a short time, we recommend packing your Park Bag with things you’ll need for the immediate future. Money, medication, portable phone chargers, sunscreen, water bottles, and cameras are all things you’ll want to keep aside.  If you’re hoping to take advantage of either of your resort’s pools while you wait for your room, pack swimsuits in your Park Bag so you have it when you want to swim, rather than having to wait for your luggage to be ready.  If you’re traveling with kids and feel like there may be a lot you need to carry around while waiting for your new room, don’t forget Walt Disney World has lockers that can be rented. Pack everything you need while your luggage is away and store it in a locker while you’re in the Parks. 

If you’re someone who likes to unpack during your vacation, I highly recommend packing cubes. Not only do they keep things nice and tidy, but they’re also super helpful for moving from place to place. Just put the packing cubes in your drawers, and when it’s time to pack up, you won’t have to worry about messing with all of your luggage each time you move. This helps keep things organized no matter how often you change rooms.  Also, be sure to have everything you need in your Disney Day bag in case you come to your resort only to find your new luggage hasn’t yet been delivered.

Should You Book a Split Stay at Disney World?

Should you book a split stay? That depends! If you’re hoping to experience multiple resorts in a shorter amount of time, want to stay somewhere fancier but don’t have a big budget, or want to use certain resorts’ locations to your advantage, then yes! If you’d rather just unpack at one resort and stay there, though, then a split stay may not be for you. And that’s OK!

A Split Stay at Walt Disney World is a great way to use the resort’s location to your advantage, save money, and experience multiple resorts in one trip. We love this option for experiencing more, often for less. And think it’s a great tactic for longer trips! If you don’t want to commit to a Disney Split Stay, you can give it a test run by Resort Hopping at Walt Disney World first. This will give you a better idea of which resorts you might want to lodge at in the future. Have you ever done a Split Stay at Walt Disney World?