Disney World Resorts | 5 Reasons to Try a Split Stay

Staying at a Disney World Resort hotel is the best way be immersed in Disney magic through your entire vacation. But deciding which resort to choose can be challenging. Each one offers unique pros and cons, and they can have wildly different price points.

One solution to this dilemma is to book what is referred to as a spilt stay. This means, you split your time between two or more resorts. Now, you may be thinking, “isn’t that a hassle?” Well, it may not be as big of a deal as you might think because Disney will help you out by transferring your belongings for you at no cost! And you can link your resort reservations in Disney’s system, which will allow you to make your Fastpass+ reservations for both stays at the same time. So, if you don’t mind packing up your things and turning them over to Bell Services before you head out to the parks, it’s not really any more difficult on your part.

While you are out enjoying a day at the them parks, your luggage will automagically make their way to your new hotel and you’ll get a text when your next room is ready. When you arrive at your new resort hotel, you can go straight to your room with your MagicBands and call to have your bags delivered. And just like that, you are all set in your new space!

Here are a few reasons you might want to consider Disney World Resort split stay.

Why Have a Disney World Resort Split Stay?

So Many Pools!

If you only stay at one resort, you’ll only have access to one fantastic pool. Disney World Resort hotels have some really incredible pools! Some of our favorites are:

• Stormalong Bay with its lazy river and sand bottom at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts
• The Big Blue Pool, which is one of the largest on WDW property, at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Fuentes del Morrow Pool with its Spanish fortress, water canons and pirate ship play area at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• The Lava Pool with its 42-foot water slide built into a volcano and tiki-themed water play place at Disney’s Polynesian Village

By splitting your stay, you can enjoy checking out several pools since each hotel typically has at least two!

Make Multiple Family Members’ Dreams Come True

Let’s face it, sometimes couples have different ideas of what makes the perfect vacation spot. And sometimes the kids really love one resort, but mom and dad have their sights on something else.

Perhaps your family can’t decide if they prefer to be closer to a park or Disney Springs. Or maybe you are struggling between Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge for the savanna views and Bay Lake Tower for the fireworks views. Well, you can compromise and do both! This way, everyone gets what they want for at least part of your trip. And you never know, you might end up falling in love with a resort that wasn’t your first choice!

If you need some help picking the best Disney Resorts, check out our list of the Best Themed Disney World Resorts.

Save Money

A full week at a Deluxe level Disney resort might just break the bank – especially after you add on park tickets, meals and souvenirs! So, splitting your Deluxe resort stay with a few nights at a Moderate or Value priced hotel can help save a lot of money.  

We would recommend staying at the more expensive accommodation last and plan on making the most of the resort on the days you are there. For example, you may want to plan a little extra pool time or scheduling a dining reservation at your resort to take in all it has to offer and give you more time on the resort’s grounds.

Experience More Dining Options

Speaking of dining, we often recommend resort dining at Walt Disney World because we find the resort restaurants to be better quality foods, a more peaceful and often a better value. Sometimes getting to another resort to dine takes away from park time, but if you are already moving to a new resort, why not try out its restaurants!

Some of our favorite resort restaurants are Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Village, The Grand Floridian Café at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Sebastian’s Bistro at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Kona Café at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Of course, you can never go wrong with Disney’s Signature Restaurants, which are found at the Deluxe level resorts. They offer incredible menus, but with high prices to match!

Cross Off Disney Bucket List Items

If you are Disney nerds like us, you may have a goal or a dream to stay at every Disney resort for at least a night. If you stay at only one resort per visit, it may take you a very long time to accomplish this! With over 25 Walt Disney World resort hotels and more on their way, it could take you a very long time if you usually visit just once per year. So, why not cross items off your bucket list much faster by staying at two hotels each trip?

We recommend staying at least two nights at each location in order to have a chance to really enjoy the resort. The check-in time is 4:00 PM for Disney Deluxe Villas, 3:00 PM for the other Disney Resort hotels, and check-out time is 11:00 AM. Anything less than two nights feels a bit too short to us.

So, what do you think? Would you give a split stay a try?