Hiya Joanne,
Welcome to planDisney! Out of all the tasks and titles that roll into being a mom, being a magic maker is one of my favorites. Just seeing my two Mouseketeers light up when they get to hug their favorite character or see
Fantasmic! makes all the extra work that goes into planning a vacation worth it!
I love where your head is at, Joanne, by the way.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is such a special resort! My daughter’s fairy godmother,
Ana Paula, gifted her with binoculars when we stayed there for the first time, and seeing my three-year-old excitedly point out the animals from our Savannah view room is still one of my favorite Disney memories. I reached out to a Cast Member to ask more about your question, and unfortunately, they told me that the system does not allow for Guests to have two reservations with overlapping dates such as this. This is to prevent Guests from double-booking reservations. So that means you wouldn’t be able to keep your room at
Port Orleans Riverside while staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. You would need to do a true split stay, where you check out of one resort hotel and then check in and transfer to another (and then back again in your scenario).
I hope this was helpful, Joanne. Being able to experience both of those resorts will definitely be super memorable for your daughters. If you want to keep the element of surprise, I do have a way for you to do so. While the rest of your family heads off to breakfast or the theme park, you can check out of Port Orleans Riverside! Gather all your items, then drop off your luggage at Bell Services. They will then transfer your luggage over to Animal Kingdom Lodge for you and your daughters won’t know. Then meet up with your family and enjoy your day. Once you get the notification that your room at Animal Kingdom Lodge is ready, you can head over there (or maybe you are already over there enjoying a late lunch at
Sanaa) and surprise them that you are staying there for the night! It might not quite be what you were envisioning, but it would be pretty magical if you pulled it off! I hope you all have the very best trip, making core memories together! If you need anything else, please come back and see us.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.