Plan the Best Split Stay at Disney World: A Guide and Itinerary

The best split stay at Disney World puts you near a different park at each resort—or saves you money on park days so you can splurge on a deluxe for your resort days.

A Disney split stay means staying at two or more different Disney World resorts during one trip. This strategy lets you enjoy different resort amenities, locations, theming, and dining options—all in one vacation—maximizing your Disney experience.

In this post, I’ll tell you exactly how to do a split stay at Disney World, answer common questions about split stay dining reservations, booking park tickets, and luggage transfers, plus share my ideal split stay itinerary.

For help deciding which resorts to include in your split stay, check out my post on the 8 Best Disney Resorts to Stay at and Things to Do at Disney Resorts. If you prefer visuals, head to my TikTok or YouTube channel for quick tours of every resort. Or, if you prefer to browse by the best deals, check out David’s Vacation Club Rentals, where you can score a $500 room for as low as $220 during value season.

If you’re stuck choosing because all the resorts are appealing and you want to see them all, do what I did—spend some non-park days resort hopping. Find all the details on how to resort hop in my Comprehensive Guide, my ultimate itinerary, plus 8 more itineraries.

Pros and Cons of a Split Stay at Disney World

Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons—because while a split stay has plenty of perks, it’s not without its challenges.

Pros Of Disney Split Stays

Enjoy unique theming and amenities at different resorts
Easier to decide if you’re torn between two resorts
Experience different tiers (value, moderate, deluxe) without spending full price on all days — stay deluxe on resort days, value/moderate on park days
An extra free day at the waterparks (with the second being mid-trip so easier to take advantage of)
Better transportation options for park days: stay at a monorail resort for Magic Kingdom days and a Skyliner resort for Epcot/Hollywood Studios so you’re closer for early entry or midday breaks
Wider variety of pools, restaurants, and entertainment
Book the less expensive resorts on weekends (when prices are high) and deluxe resorts Sunday–Thursday for better rates

Cons Of Disney Split Stays

Have to pack and unpack twice
You’ll be without a room for a few hours on transfer day, so it won’t be ideal as a rest day
Transfer day is also tough for park days — packing and check-out make rope drop harder to make
You’ll have two 60-day booking windows for dining reservations — which means two days of getting up early to make sure you get the reservations you want.
Risk luggage arriving late or forgetting to take out essentials for the day
Switching hotels at Disney World takes some effort
For young kids, it may be a lot to take in two resorts in one trip.
More chaotic for larger families trying to transfer quickly
Less helpful for short stays, since packing/unpacking takes up time

How to Book a Split Stay at Disney

Booking a split stay at Disney World is easy. Here’s how to do it:

Book two separate Disney Resorts. Make sure the check-out day on the first matches the check-in day on the second.
Add theme park tickets to the first hotel reservation, with enough days to cover your entire stay.
Tip: start your trip at a value resort and upgrade to moderate or deluxe resorts for the second part, so you end on a nicer note.

How Long Should You Plan Your Stay?

What is the minimum amount of days to spend at Disney World?

It depends on your interests, how much you want to do/see, and whether this is your first time.

First timers: plan for 5 park days, with two at Magic Kingdom.
Repeat visitors: one day at Magic Kingdom might be enough
Some people don’t return to every park for a second time.
If you plan to add Universal, SeaWorld, or other attractions, add extra days (and consider doing your split stay with a Universal Resort-see below).
Don’t forget at least a day or two to enjoy your resort amenities
The more park days you plan, the more resort days you’ll want for rest.

Split Stay Disney World Luggage Tips

Disney offers complimentary luggage transfer during your split stay. Here’s what you do:

On the check-out day from your first resort, bring your luggage to Bell Services and tell them you’re transferring to another Disney resort. They tag your bags and transfer them.
This frees you up to enjoy the day — use the transfer day for waterparks, Disney Springs, or other activities that don’t take a full day.
Important: Disney transportation doesn’t run direct resort-to-resort (except for Skyliner/Monorail-connected resorts). You’ll need to take a bus to a park/Disney Springs and transfer or pay for rideshare if going straight to your next resort.
Pack a separate bag with essentials for the day, since luggage delivery can take until late afternoon or evening. If you’re not sure what you’ll need in your Disney day bag for a resort day or resort hopping, check out this post.
When you check in at your second resort, pick up your luggage at Bell Services or have it delivered to your room.
Use packing cubes to separate items for each resort, so you only unpack what you need.

Disney World Split Stay Dining Reservations and Dining Plan

Managing your dining is a bit more complicated for a split stay.

You get two 60-day windows to book dining reservations — one for the length of the first hotel stay, and one starting 60 days before the second check-in day.
Reservations open at 6:00 am — be ready, have multiple tabs open, and start with the most popular restaurants (think character dining).
A Disney dining plan split stay perk is that you can buy it for just part of your stay if you want to focus on table service during resort days and keep park days flexible.

Split Stay: Disney World and Universal Studios

Doing a Disney Universal split stay?

Here’s what to know:

You’ll need Uber or Lyft to transfer between resorts (about 15–30 minutes apart).
There’s no luggage transfer; you’re responsible for your bags.
The second resort can hold your luggage at Bell Services until your room is ready, so you can still enjoy your day.
I recommend doing Disney second to take advantage of a full free waterpark day.
This setup lets you enjoy perks you get for the parks at both resorts — free transportation, early park entry, extended hours at Disney (select resorts), and Universal Express Unlimited passes at Universal (select resorts).

The Best Disney World Split Stay Itinerary

My ideal split stay: start at Pop Century, then move to the Contemporary.

Pop Century is a great price (around $200/night) for your park-heavy days. It’s a Skyliner resort, so it’s easy to rope drop Hollywood Studios and EPCOT or head back for mid-day breaks. You can also use one of your days at this more affordable resort to bus over to Animal Kingdom.

Then switch to the Contemporary for most of your resort days and Magic Kingdom. It’s just a 10-minute walk to the park, and you’ll get to enjoy some deluxe-level downtime. Since Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary is a DVC resort, you can rent points through David’s Vacation Club Rentals and stay deluxe without paying full deluxe prices—think $300/night instead of $600 during value season.

Day 1 – Resort Day/Shopping

Check-in and explore the resort
Quick dip in the pool
Dinner at Disney Springs and shopping for Mickey ears
End the night with marshmallows by the campfire and watch a Disney movie under the stars

Day 2 – Hollywood Studios

Rope drop Slinky Dog Dash or Rise of the Resistance
Skyliner back to the resort for a mid-day break/nap if needed
Return when rested and stay for and stay for Fantasmic!

Day 3 – Resort Day

Start with Mickey waffles at Everything POP
Walk to Art of Animation for a quick tour
Head back to Pop for some pool time
Take the Skyliner to Caribbean Beach for the playground and some beach time
Walk to Riviera for kids’ crafts in the Eventi room and dinner at Topolino’s
End the night at the BoardWalk with ice cream and EPCOT fireworks

Day 4 – EPCOT

Rope drop Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, or Guardians: Cosmic Rewind.
Skyliner back to the resort for a mid-day break/nap if needed
Return when rested and stay for Luminous: The Symphony of Us fireworks.

Day 5 – Animal Kingdom

Rope drop Flight of Passage or Na’vi River Journey
Head out by dinner and take the bus to Animal Kingdom Lodge
Have dinner at Sanaa and take a quick tour of the resort
Bus to Hollywood Studios, then take the Skyliner back to Pop Century

Day 6 – Waterpark /Transfer Day

Pack and drop your luggage off at Bell Services for transfer to the Contemporary
Use your free waterpark admission to spend some time there
Check-in at the Contemporary
Take the boat to Wilderness Lodge for dinner at Geyser Point or Whispering Canyon Café, then go check out the Carolwood Pacific Room
Return to the Contemporary to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the observation deck

Day 7 – Resort Day

Breakfast at Steakhouse 71
Relax on the beach
Take the kids to the Community Hall for playtime or DIY souvenirs
Quick lunch at Contempo Café or Cove Bar
Swim or hang out at one of the pools
Monorail to Grand Floridian or Polynesian for dinner (both have great options)
Head to Polynesian beach for the campfire, Aloha After Dark party, fireworks, or Electrical Water Pageant
Grab a Dole Whip from Pineapple Lanai before heading back

Day 8 – Magic Kingdom

Rope drop Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, or get in line early for TRON
Walk back to the resort for a mid-day break/nap if needed
Return when rested and stay for Happily Ever After fireworks

Day 9 – Resort Day/Fort Wilderness

Character breakfast at Chef Mickey’s (on-site) or ‘Ohana (monorail to Polynesian)
Take the boat to Fort Wilderness
Spend the afternoon enjoying the on-site activities (full list here)
Stay for evening campfire games, Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long, and a horse-drawn wagon ride

Day 10 – Magic Kingdom (or Check Out)

If it’s your first trip, you’ll want to head back to Magic Kingdom for a second day. Otherwise, spend your last hours relaxing by the pool or beach before packing up.

Is a Split Stay Worth It at Disney World?

Yes, a split stay at Disney World is worth the effort.

It gives you perks, flexibility, and lets you enjoy more of what Disney has to offer—from different resorts’ pools and dining to better transportation and park access. If you want the best split stay at Disney World, plan it right, pack smart, and get ready to experience Disney from multiple angles in one trip.

Looking for tips on where to stay? Check out my recommendations:

The 8 Best Disney Resorts to Stay At

Need ideas for a day at the resorts? Don’t miss these:

Planning to do some resort hopping? Check these out:

For more travel tips and inspiration, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok!