Hi Graham, and welcome back to planDisney! I’m totally Team Split Stay and love that Disney makes it so easy to experience two different resort hotels in one trip. So I’d be happy to answer your question about using the complimentary luggage transfer.
When you’re switching resort hotels,
Bell Services can transfer your bags and hold them on your check-in and check-out days, even if you’re leaving the first resort early in the morning and checking into your second resort late that night. But if you’re staying at an off-site hotel for a night in between your two
Disney Resort hotel reservations, you’ll need to take your luggage with you. When I’ve been in a similar situation, I’ve either rented a car or used a luggage storage service. There are many third-party companies in the Orlando area that can hold your bags, and some even have pick-up and delivery services. I haven’t used one of these companies at Disney World, but it might be worth exploring in case it works for your situation.
Now, let’s chat about your stay in the magic! As a Disney Resort hotel guest, you get so many perks, and I wanted to highlight a couple of my favorites. Before you even get to Disney World, you can book
dining and
Enchanting Extras 60 days ahead of check-in for your whole stay (up to 10 days). This is really helpful for booking character meals, like my favorite--eating breakfast with Mickey and friends at
Topolino’s Terrace, and the new lounges like
GEO-82 and
The Beak and Barrel.
And then, when you're at Disney World, you can take advantage of
Early Theme Park Entry and get into the theme parks 30 minutes before regular park opening. My family loves to ride a few attractions with lower wait times in the morning, especially when we're not planning to purchase
Lighting Lane Passes that day. And if you’re staying at a Deluxe Resort hotel or Deluxe villa, you’ll also get access to
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours at night.
I hope you have the most magical time at Disney World! And if you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to visit us again at planDisney.
JoAnna