16 Night Quadruple Split - am I nuts??

[mickey2minnie1]

I would do no more than three resorts. If AKL was the one request I would do it in the middle for a few nights. GF would be my end resort because it is such a beautiful way to end a Disney vacation. Relax by the pool, shop, enjoy a few times around the monorail, and visit CR and Poly.

 

[upbeatred]

If you are staying that long I would consider renting a DVC one bedroom. It would give you much more room and a full bathroom. You could also buy some groceries. And you have a washer and dryer. The one bedrooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Yacht and Beach and Boardwalk would be good choices. Also with that much time, maybe you want to consider some time at Universal. Your daughter is older and might really like Harry Potter and lots of the thrill rides at Universal. There on-site resorts at Universal are really nice.

 

[upbeatred]

If you are staying that long I would consider renting a DVC one bedroom. It would give you much more room and a full bathroom. You could also buy some groceries. And you have a washer and dryer. The one bedrooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Yacht and Beach and Boardwalk would be good choices. Also with that much time, maybe you want to consider some time at Universal. Your daughter is older and might really like Harry Potter and lots of the thrill rides at Universal. There on-site resorts at Universal are really nice.

 

[VandVsmama]

Well, shoot, now I’ve uncovered a whole new world in DVC Villas after reading one of the earlier posts on this thread. I started digging and realized that many 1BR Villas have either 2 bathrooms or some kind of split allowing 2 different people to get ready at the same time. All I can say is, “WOW!” DVC Villas seem like a huge value. I know they don’t have club (or at least most don’t) and we would forego Mousekeeping (or is there a plus-up option?), but those seem small sacrifices for some of the amenities trade-offs. How have I never discovered Bay Lake Tower?? Plus when I started listing out all of restaurant choices, activities, etc., it didn’t seem like we would ever come close to getting value from CL food. So, now I’m looking at even more options...lol. I’d totally give up GF for that BLT 1BR Villa (TP view)! Anyone stayed there? Are the pictures/videos overselling? What are the downsides? Of course, in my new villa/suite discovery, I had to look at UOR’s options as well. I landed on Cabana Bay Beach Resort 2BR Volcano Bay Suite - totally cheap compared to the WDW villas and looks like a super fun way to end our trip. So now, I’m back to a crazy split - but honestly, it doesn’t scare us as one of the other poster’s said, each transition is like a new mini-vacation. We’ve mapped out a sample itinerary to try and avoid feeling “homeless” or inconvenienced by too much packing/unpacking. I’m now looking at:

1st 3 Nights: AKL - Leaning towards Kidani 1BR Villa due to 2 bathrooms, but are there pros to Jambo?
2nd 5 Nights: BCV - 1 BR Villa
3rd 5 Nights: BLT 1 BR Villa TP View
Last 3 Nights: Cabana Bay Beach Resort (VB 2BR Suite)

Total: 16 Nights/4 Stays

Other than the obvious split-stay haters, poke away

I think that 4 stays in 16 days is too much. You're going in June, right? Like others have said, this will mean that you won't have a room to crash in for the afternoon in the hottest part of the day on 3 separate days, not including your final check out day.

I think that you should reduce it to 3 stays and START with the Universal resort. END with BLT. And have AKL in between.

Keep in mind that if you're targeting DVC resorts and you're going to rent points, those are totally non-refundable. So you need to be absolutely and totally sure of your dates and if you're not, get travel insurance. Because once you plunk down the $$, you basically can't change your mind.

 

[sethschroeder]

Animal Kingdom Lodge - 1st 4 nights
Yacht Club - 2nd 4 nights
Wilderness Lodge - 3rd 4 nights
Contemporary or Polynesian - Last 4 nights

Do you realize (if doing morning and evening park time):

• You likely won't have access to a new resort until late afternoon (3PM/4PM/or later)
• You will not have access to your luggage on transfer days from the time you go to the park in the morning until after check-in at the new resort
• You won't have access to any room benefits during your transfer days (shower mid-day, easy place to change, access to luggage, bed to nap)
• You will need to be packed in the evenings before your transfer days

I know 14-16 days seems like a bunch of time but there is a ton to do at Disney and you want to pace yourself as well. I would also say its a great idea to do Universal. With two nights (2-3 days) you should easily be able to hit everything.

If doing split stay be ready to live out of your suitcase. The benefit of the longer trips is being able to unpack and basically move in. I would also say that if you are moving around that you dedicate that time to the parks in the area and should construct your split stay in that format. Meaning when staying at AKL just plan on going to AK.

 

[dchronister]

It’s your vacation, if you want to switch that many times, go for it!!! I personally would never do it, in my mind that is a lot of wasted time! I like to unpack my stuff and leave it there till I wear it or pack it up to go home! Maybe a split stay with one other resort but not more than that!! It just wears me out!!! But you are paying for your vacation, not anyone else, do what makes you happy!!!

 

[andie-j]

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone! There is so much to consider and I know I'm setting us up to fail if we expect perfection, but I really am trying to find the right mix for myself, my SD, and her guest. Today I was reminded at how my SD and her friends literally HATE getting up before 10am. That is going to have to be a serious consideration as I am a morning person and liked the idea of hitting the parks early. Now I'm looking at a lot more After Hours and later afternoon/evening activities which I'm guessing will translate to more heat and higher crowds. Do you think this should influence where we stay? I'm really struggling with location versus size/comfort of the room. I'd love to find someplace that has something going all the time (where we won't feel isolated) but also that feels a little fancy and higher end. I can't believe all of these options...I probably will flip flop at least 20 more times before I book at this rate.

I also agree with swapping Universal to last. I was trying to align the timing of our Disney stay with the tail end of F&G but I think GF is what I'm most looking forward to so it makes sense to have it at the end when we aren't in "go go go" mode. Thanks again for the feedback - keep it coming!

 

[VandVsmama]

Since the other people in your group hate getting up before 10 am, then you shouldn't switch resorts so often because check out time will be 11 am.

 

[maryj11]

I think it's great, but I would knock it down to 3 resorts. My picks: AKL, Poly, then Beach Club. Visit the other resorts.

I was just going to say this! AKL, Beach club and Poly. My favorite 3.

 

[cheryl.UK]

We've done it many times, as you can see from my signature. Last year we stayed at 5, 10 nights in the first, 4 in the second, 3 in the third, 2 in the fourth and 6 in the fifth. (I think) I wouldn't do it again. We only did it this way because we met up with different people . 3 is my preference over a 3 week say. If it were my first stay, I'd certainly want to minimise the amount of time away from the parks.