If you’ve ever struggled to choose just one resort for your Disney vacation, a Disney World split stay might be the perfect solution. This approach lets you divide your trip between two (or more) Disney resorts, giving you the chance to experience different themes, dining, and amenities all in one vacation. Maybe you’ll start with a budget-friendly value resort before upgrading to a Deluxe hotel for a little luxury at the end, or perhaps you’ll switch resorts to take advantage of easier transportation to specific parks. Whatever your reason, a split stay opens the door to a more flexible (and often more memorable) Disney trip.

But a Disney World split stay comes with a lot of questions. Luckily, we have the answers! Keep reading for answers to all the most common questions we get when it comes to split stays!

What Is a Disney World Split Stay?

A split stay is when you divide your Disney vacation between two or more different Walt Disney World resorts during a single trip. Instead of staying at one hotel the entire time you’re there, you check out of your first resort and move to a second resort at some point during your vacation. For example, you could spend four nights at one resort and three at another, or three at one and only two at another, or really any other combination – it’s totally up to you!

Common split stay hotel combinations include:

• Value to moderate resort
• Moderate to deluxe resort
• Different resort areas for transportation advantages
• Standard room to club level accommodations

This approach allows you to experience multiple Disney resorts during one trip, potentially saving you some money while still allowing you to experience all the different amenities and theming each Disney Resort has to offer.

Split stays work particularly well for longer vacations lasting a week or more. And, while you certainly can do a split stay between three, four, or even more Disney resorts, most people find that splitting between two resorts provides the right balance without a ton of luggage transfers and moving around. Plus, Disney makes moving from one resort to another easy (we’ll get into that soon)!

How does a split stay work?

A split stay involves dividing your Walt Disney World vacation between two or more different resort hotels. You check out of your first hotel and move to a second (or third) hotel during your trip.

Because you’re not just booking one resort stay, the planning phase of your vacation is a bit more complex, but it’s nothing that you can’t do! When booking your trip, you’ll need to reserve the two (or more) hotels separately, purchase theme park tickets, add on a dining plan (if you want!), and then set alarms for your early dining reservation and lightning lane booking windows.

Once you’re at Disney World, you’ll head to your first resort stay on your first check-in date, and when it comes time to check out and transfer to your next hotel, you can utilize Disney’s luggage transfer service offered through Bell Services. Your Disney resort benefits remain active throughout your entire stay, with Early Theme Park Entry working at both hotels without interruption. However, just note that Extended Evening Hours apply only when staying at eligible deluxe resorts or DVC properties during those specific days.

What are the pros and cons of a split stay?

While staying at multiple Disney World Resorts during your vacation might sound like the dream (and for some, it really is!), there are some downsides that you’ll want to consider before you start planning. Here’s a quick breakdown of the top pros and cons of a Disney World split stay:

PROS:

• A split stay allows you to experience multiple Disney resorts during one trip (it’s that simple!). You can enjoy different theming, amenities, and locations without booking separate vacations.
• You can combine budget-friendly value resorts with luxury deluxe resorts, stretching your Disney planning budget further compared to staying at one expensive property the whole time.
• When your preferred Disney resort shows limited availability, you can secure partial stays at different properties instead of missing your travel dates.
• You get to experience more restaurants, pools, and entertainment offerings.

CONS:

• Packing and unpacking creates additional work during your vacation.
• Check-in timing presents logistical challenges. Most Disney resorts require checkout by 11AM and check-in after 3PM, creating a five-hour gap where you don’t have access to your room.
• You need to learn a new resort layout halfway through your trip.
• Disney Dining Plan credits can’t be combined between multiple stays, which means you can easily lose money.
• It takes more effort to plan and coordinate transportation, dining reservations, and activities across multiple Disney resorts.

How do you book a Disney World split stay?

You can book a Disney World split stay through Disney’s website or by calling Disney directly at (407) 939-5277. Note that booking requires two separate reservations. This means that you’ll need to make individual bookings for each Disney resort and pay two separate deposits upfront.

We recommend that you book a Walt Disney World vacation package for your first reservation that includes both your hotel stay and theme park tickets for the length of your stay (not just the first portion). Then your second reservation should be room-only without additional theme park tickets. Doing this will save you money on your park tickets since Disney has a “the more you stay, the less you pay” approach to pricing. A.K.A., the more park days you buy, the steeper the discount you get.

Now, there are some circumstances where you may want to book two separate Disney Vacation Packages, but that really is only helpful if you plan to purchase different ticket types for each stay (like park hopper tickets for the first half and basic park tickets for the second – we’ll get into that in more detail below).

How do I add theme park tickets to my split stay?

You have two main approaches for adding theme park tickets to your Disney World split stay.

OPTION 1: SINGLE TICKET PURCHASE

In this approach, you will book a Disney World Vacation Package at the resort you plan to start your trip at. As part of the vacation package, you’ll purchase all of your theme park tickets with your first hotel reservation. Disney allows you to add up to 10 days’ worth of park tickets to your hotel stay, regardless of how long your stay is. So, you’ll need to be sure that you add enough ticket days to cover the entire length of your vacation. Then, you’ll make your second hotel reservation as room-only without tickets.

This is the approach we recommend for most people interested in a Disney World split stay, as it gives you the best value since Disney tickets become cheaper per day as you add more days. A 7-day ticket costs less per day than two separate 3-day and 4-day tickets.

OPTION 2: SEPARATE VACATION PACKAGES

In this approach, you’ll book two completely separate Disney vacation packages with both your hotel stay and tickets. While you won’t get big savings on your tickets, this gives you more flexibility with your ticket options and allows you to add the park hopper add-on to only one set of tickets and use single-park tickets for the other reservation. Traditionally, Disney doesn’t allow you to have different ticket types on one reservation, so you’ll kind of be hacking the system!

Just note that you’ll need to do some serious math to compare total costs between a single purchase versus separate packages and see which approach will save you the most money.

How do I move my luggage when I’m doing a split stay?

Disney provides complimentary luggage transfer service between all Disney World resort hotels. This service handles the transportation of your bags from your first resort to your second (or third, or fourth) resort during a split stay.

To take advantage of this, go to Bell Services at your current resort the night before your first checkout to confirm the luggage drop-off deadline. Each resort has specific cutoff times that you must meet for same-day transfer, and you don’t want to miss them!

Then, on the morning of your checkout, bring your luggage to Bell Services or call from your room for pickup assistance. Cast members will tag your bags with your new resort destination and handle the transfer process.

Keep in mind that you should pack any essentials in a backpack or bag to take with you since transferred luggage typically arrives at your new resort during the afternoon or evening hours. Include medications, park tickets, phone chargers, and any items you’ll need throughout the day.

When you arrive at your new resort, check in normally and then visit Bell Services to collect your transferred luggage when it’s ready. You can request room delivery or pick up the bags yourself.

How does the Lightning Lane pre-booking window work with a Disney World split stay?

When you have consecutive reservations at multiple Disney Resort hotels during the same trip, Disney’s Lightning Lane booking system treats this as one continuous stay. So, you can book Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass selections for your entire vacation starting seven days before your first hotel check-in!

Keep in mind that your booking window opens at 7AM EST exactly seven days before checking into your first Disney Resort hotel, so set your alarm. At this time, you can select Lightning Lane passes for every day of both hotel stays.

Do split stays affect the ability to book advance dining reservations?

Yes, split stays significantly impact your dining reservation booking process. Unlike Lightning Lanes, you cannot book dining reservations for your entire trip 60 days before you check in to your first hotel. Instead, each resort reservation has its own dining reservation booking window.

This means that your first booking window opens 60 days before your first resort check-in at 6AM EST. During this window, you can only make reservations for dates during your first hotel stay. Then, the second booking window opens separately 60 days before your second resort check-in date. That’s when you’ll be able to book dining for the remainder of your trip.

If you’re planning on trying to dine at some of the most popular Disney World restaurants later in your trip, this can be a significant disadvantage compared to a single resort stay. The gap between booking windows varies depending on your split stay timing. If you switch resorts mid-week, you might have several days where popular dining spots can potentially book up and become unavailable.

To get around this, consider booking the restaurants you want to eat at during the first half of your stay, and you can use that second dining reservation booking window as a backup.

Do split stays affect the ability to book enchanting extras like behind-the-scenes tours and Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique?

Yes. Just like dining reservations, Disney World split stays create two separate booking windows for enchanting extras and behind-the-scenes experiences. This means that you cannot book experiences for your entire trip during a single window.

Your first booking window opens at 12AM EST, exactly 60 days before checking into your initial resort. During this window, you can only reserve experiences that fall within the dates of your first hotel reservation.

The second booking window becomes available 60 days prior to your second resort’s check-in date. This is when you can book enchanting extras for the remainder of your vacation.

This can be a big disadvantage, as Disney resort guests typically can book for their entire length of stay up to 10 days when staying at one resort. Split stays eliminate this perk since each reservation is treated separately.

How does the Disney Dining Plan work with a split stay?

When you book a split stay, the Disney Dining Plan must be purchased separately for each reservation. If you have a vacation package and resort-only reservation booked, you’ll need to add your preferred dining plan to your vacation package and then contact Disney to add it to the second reservation. However, if you have two separate vacation packages, you can add the dining plans to each reservation online.

The great thing about this is that it gives you flexibility with which dining plan you choose. You can add the plan to just one reservation if you prefer, or even choose different plans for each stay. However, the downside is that your credits expire at midnight on your checkout day for each reservation and cannot be transferred to your second stay. So, if you haven’t used all of your dining credits by midnight on the day you change hotels, you’ll lose those for the remainder of your trip.

Do I get free Disney World water park admission on my second check-in date as well?

Yes, you can take advantage of free water park admission on every check-in date during your split stay! This means each time you check into a new Disney resort, you get another complimentary water park day.

The benefit applies to each resort check-in day separately. So, if you stay at two different Disney resorts during your vacation, you’ll get two free water park admission days total!

What if I’m doing a split stay between three resorts?

Whether you’re staying at two, three, four, or even more resorts during your split stay, all of the logistics remain the same as a two-resort split stay, with a few exceptions if you’re staying longer than 10-14 days.

While Lightning Lane reservations can be pre-booked for the length of your stay, seven days before you check into your first resort, you can only purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Passes for up to 14 days total at a time. If your three-resort stay exceeds 14 days, you’ll book the remaining days three days before each park visit.

Additionally, dining reservations open 60 days before check-in for stays up to 10 days total. Longer trips require booking additional restaurant reservations when the 60-day window opens for those specific dates.

We really only recommend split stays at three or more resorts for trips lasting 9+ nights. Any shorter than this and your vacation will likely feel rushed with frequent packing, unpacking, and transfer logistics.

Does Disney allow early check-ins for split stays?

Disney does allow early check-ins for split stays with the same policies that apply to regular reservations. You can arrive at your second resort before the standard 3PM check-in time and visit the front desk to let them know that you’re early. If a room is available, they’ll get you into it early without any additional fees!

Just keep in mind that early check-in is never guaranteed, and your luggage may not arrive until later if you’re using Bell Services to transfer your luggage from one resort to another.

What are the best Disney Resorts for a split stay?

The best Disney Resorts for a split stay really depend on what your goals are! For example, some people want to experience a deluxe resort without having to pay to stay there for a full vacation and opt to split the stay with a value or moderate resort. Others may focus on transportation offerings and opt to stay at a Disney Skyliner or monorail resort only on the nights that they plan to be at the theme parks these transportation methods conveniently connect. And, even others may want to base their choices around Extended Evening Hours benefits, after-hours events, or overall park plans.

So, while each split stay resort preference will be different for every family, here are some of our favorite combinations:

• Disney’s POP Century Resort to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside to Disney’s Yacht Club
• Disney’s Coronado Springs to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

As you might have noticed, we love putting a Deluxe Resort in the second half of our stay since the start of your trip tends to be more fast-paced, and the second half gives you more time to relax.

Is a Disney World split stay worth it?

A Disney World split stay can be worth it for many families, but it depends on your priorities and travel style. The value comes down to balancing cost savings with the extra logistics involved.

Split stays offer significant cost savings when you mix resort tiers. You can experience a deluxe resort for 1-2 nights while keeping overall costs lower than booking a deluxe resort for your entire stay. For example, spending 3 nights at a value resort plus 2 nights at a deluxe resort costs much less than 5 nights at the deluxe property alone.

Beyond just the money, you get to enjoy different resort themes, amenities, and dining options in one trip. This variety can make your vacation feel more diverse and memorable.

And, if you plan your split stay around Disney’s transportation offerings, then you can save a lot of time getting between the parks and your resort. You might stay at a monorail resort for Magic Kingdom days, then switch to a resort on the Disney Skyliner on the days you plan to visit EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

However, split stays aren’t ideal if you pack a lot or prefer staying fully unpacked and making your hotel room feel a little more “homey” while you’re there. The mid-trip packing and moving process can be stressful for some families. Additionally, families with toddlers who need consistent nap schedules may find the checkout/check-in timing challenging.

All in all, split stays usually work best for flexible travelers who value experiencing multiple resorts and don’t mind some extra planning. They’re particularly valuable for longer trips where the pros outweigh the cons.

Comments

Have you ever done a Disney World split stay? Let us know what resorts you stayed at and if you’d recommend them in the comments!