Hi Christina! Welcome to planDisney!
Thanks for stopping by with this great question. I have been on a few split-stay trips myself, so I'll be happy to share all the pros and cons that come along with dividing your time between multiple resorts.
I completely understand your dilemma. When you are used to arriving at your resort and making it home for the coming days, it's tough to disrupt that mid-way through your stay. You've already become comfortable with your resort room location and all the recreation and dining options offered there. While it may be logistically easier to stay in one, being able to experience multiple resorts during your visit is truly magical.
One of the biggest benefits is being immersed in two completely
different themed resorts. It can sometimes feel as if you are starting a brand new vacation when you arrive at the second. For example, you may decide to start your stay taking in the island vibes and colorful landscape at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort and then switch over to the rustic, outdoor-themed resort at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. Not only is the atmosphere differ drastically at each, but you'll also be located in two distinct areas of Walt Disney World. Caribbean Beach Resort puts you in the middle of Disney's Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, which allows direct access via the Disney Skyliner. Wilderness Lodge is close to the Magic Kingdom and a quick boat ride to Cinderella Castle. It may be beneficial to plan your park days around which resort you will be staying close by to.
Disney makes it incredibly easy to switch resorts during your stay. On the morning of your transfer date, simply bring your luggage to
bell services and notify them which resort you will be moving to. Then, once you arrive at your next resort later in the day, you can pick up your luggage from bell services or have them deliver it directly to your resort room. I suggest the night before you transfer resorts to make it an earlier night. This way you'll have time to pack up all of your things and have them ready to go in the morning. Then, plan a park day for the day you'll be moving resorts. You won't be guaranteed to be able to check in to the new resort until later in the day, so it might be best to stay busy and return to the new resort later to get settled in.
One big thing to keep in mind is you will have two different dates to start making
Advanced Dining Reservations. Since a split-stay is basically two different reservations, you'll only be able to book dining reservations at the 60-day mark for the entire length of the first part of your stay. Then, 60 days out from your second reservation, you can start making the rest of your dining choices.
Christina, I hope you have a magical time during your visit next year. Have a blast planning the ultimate
Walt Disney World Resort vacation!
Happy planning!
Greg