Hi there, Harmony, and welcome to planDisney!
If Hallie Parker and Annie James taught us anything in one of my childhood Disney favorites,
The Parent Trap, it's that two is always better than one, so I think that doubling the magic by staying in two
Disney Resorts Collection hotels during your upcoming vacation is a brilliant beyond brilliant idea. As you've noticed, Walt Disney World Resort vacations have many moving parts making the details of booking a split stay a bit overwhelming, so I'm happy to walk you through your options!
Because date-based theme park tickets booked as part of a vacation package are only valid through the hotel check-out date, there are a couple of ways to secure your split stay. You could either book two separate vacation packages (one at each Disney Resort hotel with theme park tickets valid through the length of each individual stay) or you could book two room-only reservations and then make a separate
date-based theme park ticket purchase for the entire length of your vacation. Because the price per day of date-based theme park tickets decreases as the length of the ticket increases, it will most likely make the most financial sense to book this way. Of course, be sure to pop over to the
Special Offers and
Florida Residents pages to see if any of the available discounts influence your decision.
While you can't go wrong with any combination of Disney Resort hotels, my husband and I love to start our vacations at a lower-priced resort and work our way up to deluxe-level luxury. Because we typically spend our earlier vacation days in the theme parks from open to close, we don't feel that we can justify the premium price point, but once we've tired ourselves out and are ready to sleep in, recharge by a swimming pool, and take advantage of
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, a Deluxe-level resort hotel is the obvious choice. I'm especially fond of
Disney's Riveria Resort. Although she's Walt Disney World's newest Deluxe Resort Hotel, being young and beautiful isn't a crime you know? The European inspiration gives her old-world charm, and the classics-inspired Disney art will have you wanting to bring some home.
I highly recommend capturing as many magical memories as possible during your vacation (because you never know when an old tattered photo can reveal you have a long-lost twin), so I'm thrilled you intend to purchase
Memory Maker! The multi-day Memory Maker is valid for 30 days from first use, so the split-stay shouldn't impact your ability to access your Disney PhotoPass photos. I do suggest making the purchase in advance so that you can take advantage of the discounted price. I'm all about saving money on the front end of a vacation so that I can spend it once I'm in the middle of the magic.
Don't forget that as a Guest of Disney Resorts Collection hotels, you'll have access to a
myriad of exclusive benefits including Early Theme Park Entry! I hope this was helpful, Harmony, and that you are able to make the magical vacation of your dreams a reality. If you need any additional assistance as you are planning, don't hesitate to stop back by. Hakuna matata.
I'm always happy to help!
Thinking happy thoughts,
Lizzie