Split Stay — Value to Deluxe. Will this work?

[have2getaway]

We were originally planning to stay entirely at the Polynesian for a week and stay one night during that time at US resort with FP, but it didn’t sit well with me to pay the Poly rate one night we wouldn’t be there. We aren’t fans of split stays. We hate the idea of packing and unpacking, only to pack again. That said, we don’t want to give up Magical Express. We are now considering staying two nights at a value, but for those nights going to US and actually staying there. We would then check out of our value resort and into the Polynesian after 2 days at Universal for the remainder of our trip, which would amount to 2 days at US and 7 days at Disney. I can swallow paying for a value resort for the dining credits and convenience, but can’t see it making sense to do that while staying at the Polynesian. Would this work? Does anyone see any issues with this strategy that might come up? Has anyone else ever done this?

 

[dminnie]

We were originally planning to stay entirely at the Polynesian for a week and stay one night during that time at US resort with FP, but it didn’t sit well with me to pay the Poly rate one night we wouldn’t be there. We aren’t fans of split stays. We hate the idea of packing and unpacking, only to pack again. That said, we don’t want to give up Magical Express. We are now considering staying two nights at a value, but for those nights going to US and actually staying there. We would then check out of our value resort and into the Polynesian after 2 days at Universal for the remainder of our trip, which would amount to 2 days at US and 7 days at Disney. I can swallow paying for a value resort for the dining credits and convenience, but can’t see it making sense to do that while staying at the Polynesian. Would this work? Does anyone see any issues with this strategy that might come up? Has anyone else ever done this?

I don't understand what you would get for having the value room if you're not staying in it. It seems like you could skip that, just uber or lyft it to your US resort and then check back into poly for the remainder of the trip.

 

[Lynne M]

So, if I'm understanding correctly, you want to make a reservation at a value for two nights so that you can use Magical Express. You'll actually be staying at a Universal resort during that time, and visiting Universal parks.

I can't see the advantage in that, as transfers from MCO to Universal wouldn't cost nearly as much as two nights at a Disney value resort. Anyway, you'd still be paying for transportation from the Disney resort over to Universal.

 

[have2getaway]

I don't understand what you would get for having the value room if you're not staying in it. It seems like you could skip that, just uber or lyft it to your US resort and then check back into poly for the remainder of the trip.

So, if I'm understanding correctly, you want to make a reservation at a value for two nights so that you can use Magical Express. You'll actually be staying at a Universal resort during that time, and visiting Universal parks.

I can't see the advantage in that, as transfers from MCO to Universal wouldn't cost nearly as much as two nights at a Disney value resort. Anyway, you'd still be paying for transportation from the Disney resort over to Universal.

I agree with you both. It’s actually my husband who is reluctant to give up Magical Express. He said the experience made his whole trip last time. I’ve tried to reason with him that we could still use it on the way back. He really just wanted to check into the Polynesian and get the room at US for one night to go to US for 2 days and said we could just pack an overnight bag for the one night. He felt that would be easier than lugging all of our luggage to two destinations. I just don’t like the idea of paying for a night at the Polynesian that we wouldn’t use. We wouldn’t even be getting the room at US except it made sense for early entry and fast pass benefits.

 

[disneyvoice]

Just take an Uber or Lift to Universal and stay there for the first night. You can pack a smaller bag for your night at Universal so you won't have to actually unpack any suitcases. We use that strategy if we drive to WDW. We stay somewhere overnight at about the half way point so we pack only what we need for that night/next morning in a smaller bag and don't even fuss with the larger suitcases. You are spending WAY more money on extra rooms than you are saving by using DME. There are videos on YouTube of people's entire drive on the DME. If your hubby wants to experience that badly, have him watch one of the videos on YouTube as you drive to Universal then use the money you would have spend on the extra room on something fun at Universal or WDW.

 

[WDWOswald]

Magical Express sucks. Waiting for your luggage once you get to your hotel sucks. Waiting in line to get your luggage checked in before you go to the magical express sucks. Getting on a crowded bus after being on a crowded plane and airport sucks. Oh yeah, and waiting for Disney buses all week REALLY sucks.

You know what doesn't suck? Taking uber or renting a car for $100 and actually enjoying yourself.

 

[Hopefully]

Magical Express sucks. Waiting for your luggage once you get to your hotel sucks. Waiting in line to get your luggage checked in before you go to the magical express sucks. Getting on a crowded bus after being on a crowded plane and airport sucks. Oh yeah, and waiting for Disney buses all week REALLY sucks.

You know what doesn't suck? Taking uber or renting a car for $100 and actually enjoying yourself.

Have a problem with buses?
Renting a car for a week for $100 is a misleading fantasy.
To each their own. We don’t agree

 

[WDWOswald]

Have a problem with buses?
Renting a car for a week for $100 is a misleading fantasy.
To each their own. We don’t agree

I EASILY rent cars for a week at Disney every single year. Have you ever checked prices?

 

[Badgerfan]

We have done US in the middle of a Contemporary stay. We just made 2 separate res. The day of US we checked out of the Contemp. but had bell services hold onto our luggage so we didn't have that hassle. We just each took a backpack filled with what we would need for one night, drove over to US checked in there, had fun, slept, and checked right back in to the Contemp. the next day. Just took the luggage slip over to bell services after checking back in, and they delivered all our stuff to our room within 10-15 minutes. Worked great for us. This way you get to keep your ME, and don't have to waste any money on an empty hotel room. You will have to put your stuff back in your luggage, but they will come and get it from your room, and deliver it back to your new room when you come back from US.

 

[WDWOswald]

I just checked hotwire for a rental car. 4/9-4/16. A full size car, from a company located in the terminal, is $119 for the entire week.

 

[have2getaway]

We have done US in the middle of a Contemporary stay. We just made 2 separate res. The day of US we checked out of the Contemp. but had bell services hold onto our luggage so we didn't have that hassle. We just each took a backpack filled with what we would need for one night, drove over to US checked in there, had fun, slept, and checked right back in to the Contemp. the next day. Just took the luggage slip over to bell services after checking back in, and they delivered all our stuff to our room within 10-15 minutes. Worked great for us. This way you get to keep your ME, and don't have to waste any money on an empty hotel room. You will have to put your stuff back in your luggage, but they will come and get it from your room, and deliver it back to your new room when you come back from US.

For some reason, I didn’t think this was permitted with Magical Express? I thought you had to maintain one continuous reservation or else lose the option to use Magical Express on the return to the airport? Am I wrong in this? You way does make more sense! I don’t want to have to pack up our stuff, but to save the cost of the Poly room it would be worth it.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We have done US in the middle of a Contemporary stay. We just made 2 separate res. The day of US we checked out of the Contemp. but had bell services hold onto our luggage so we didn't have that hassle. We just each took a backpack filled with what we would need for one night, drove over to US checked in there, had fun, slept, and checked right back in to the Contemp. the next day. Just took the luggage slip over to bell services after checking back in, and they delivered all our stuff to our room within 10-15 minutes. Worked great for us. This way you get to keep your ME, and don't have to waste any money on an empty hotel room. You will have to put your stuff back in your luggage, but they will come and get it from your room, and deliver it back to your new room when you come back from US.

This!! OR, just stay at Poly for all nights and go to US from there. Buy the tickets and express pass (we never needed nor used early entry and we still saw everything at US in two days). But, if it's cheaper to get a room at US than buying the express pass, of course, go that route. I would vote for the original idea (having two rooms at once), staying all nights at Poly and just ubering over to US or doing the split as BadgerFan suggested above. There is no way I would book the two nights at a value on the front end, take DME to the value and turn right around and go to Uni. That's a ton of hassle for no real reward other than taking a bus to a resort you won't be staying in, which doesn't sound like a lot of fun!

 

[have2getaway]

I just checked hotwire for a rental car. 4/9-4/16. A full size car, from a company located in the terminal, is $119 for the entire week.

Thank you, but honestly I’m already convinced. It’s my husband who doesn’t like the hassle of driving. I’m trying to convince him that we could do Uber or take a cab.

 

[Hopefully]

I EASILY rent cars for a week at Disney every single year. Have you ever checked prices?

Yes

I just checked hotwire for a rental car. 4/9-4/16. A full size car, from a company located in the terminal, is $119 for the entire week.

I don’t use Priceline etc. Risk is involved. I am in Florida now with a relative that did and it has been a nightmare.
$119 is not $100.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

For some reason, I didn’t think this was permitted with Magical Express? I thought you had to maintain one continuous reservation or else lose the option to use Magical Express on the return to the airport? Am I wrong in this? You way does make more sense! I don’t want to have to pack up our stuff, but to save the cost of the Poly room it would be worth it.

Yes, you can definitely do that! With each WDW resort reservation, you are entitled to one DME trip from MCO and one trip back (per listed guest) and you can use those trips any way you'd like! If you did the split that BadgerFan suggested, you would simple give WDW your arrival flight info for your first Poly reservation and your departure info for your second Poly reservation. It's easy peasy!

 

[Badgerfan]

To be sure, I would call and ask. But we have done this on two separate trips, and never had a problem taking Magical Express back to MCO. Coming in we just give them our arrival flight info., and not our departing info so they don't get confused. Then when making the second res. you give them your return flight info. and you should be good to go.

 

[have2getaway]

This!! OR, just stay at Poly for all nights and go to US from there. Buy the tickets and express pass (we never needed nor used early entry and we still saw everything at US in two days). But, if it's cheaper to get a room at US than buying the express pass, of course, go that route. I would vote for the original idea (having two rooms at once), staying all nights at Poly and just ubering over to US or doing the split as BadgerFan suggested above. There is no way I would book the two nights at a value on the front end, take DME to the value and turn right around and go to Uni. That's a ton of hassle for no real reward other than taking a bus to a resort you won't be staying in, which doesn't sound like a lot of fun!

Thank you! As a family of 5, it is cheaper for us to pay for the hotel room at US to get the Fast pass benefit. We originally were planning to NOT even use the hotel room, and still may do that. You said what my exact concern was...that it would be more hassle than it’s worth. I think we are hoping we can get what we need out of the US parks in 2 days, especially with the fast pass benefit.

 

[bumbershoot]

Renting a car for a week for $100 is a misleading fantasy.

He didn’t say a week.

“You know what doesn't suck? Taking uber or renting a car for $100...”

For some reason, I didn’t think this was permitted with Magical Express? I thought you had to maintain one continuous reservation or else lose the option to use Magical Express on the return to the airport? Am I wrong in this? You way does make more sense! I don’t want to have to pack up our stuff, but to save the cost of the Poly room it would be worth it.

As the other poster said, each reservation allows a trip from and to the airport (or to and from), at any point between checkin and checkout days.

I would consider poly at the start and take dme in. Then just be fine with Disney and head up to Uni. Then just got back to the airport from there. The trip back to the airport on dme is the “sad bus” anyway.

$119 is not $100.

And *renting* is different than renting for a week.

 

[have2getaway]

As the other poster said, each reservation allows a trip from and to the airport (or to and from), at any point between checkin and checkout days.

I would consider poly at the start and take dme in. Then just be fine with Disney and head up to Uni. Then just got back to the airport from there. The trip back to the airport on dme is the “sad bus” anyway.

Very true! On the other hand, we did like ending our trip at Disney. I have been to Universal a few times before, but it was close to 10 years ago. My husband and kids have never been. I’m sure they’ll enjoy it, but I don’t think it will have the same magical effect that Disney has, so thinking ending at Disney might be better.

 

[bumbershoot]

I’m mainly saying that the ride TO Wdw is better than the ride from.

And for people who don’t list split stays, going from Disney to Uni to Disney isn’t optimal.