We’re big followers of break up stays at Walt Disney World. We’re fairly passionate and suggest repeatedly it to trip planners. Break up stays are proper up there with the excellence of the family-style meal at Sebastian’s Bistro, wondrousness of Wilderness Lodge at Christmas, and Dino-Rama’s suckiness by way of issues about which we received’t shut up.
Our break up stays at Walt Disney World had been borne of necessity. We purchased a small Disney Trip Membership contract on the resale market with the intention of seldom utilizing it at our dwelling resort, Saratoga Springs. As a result of we didn’t have many factors or the 11-month reserving window, we needed to be strategic in our reservations. That was our inadvertent introduction to separate stays.
We beloved it. From that, we started increasing our break up keep situations–not utilizing factors in any respect for weekends, doing single-night stays if we may rating an elusive Kilimanjaro Membership factors reservation, reserving an affordable arrival keep and hitting ‘reset’ on day two. And far of this was pre-blog. Our method acquired extra elaborate as soon as we began “needing” to check totally different room varieties…and simply eager to expertise extra resorts. We’ve realized what works (and doesn’t) for us within the course of.
Quite a lot of readers have requested us about break up stays, whether or not they’re definitely worth the effort, and easy methods to leverage them strategically. We reply all of these questions and share far more than you most likely wish to know in The right way to Do a Break up Keep at Walt Disney World Resort Resorts. Amongst different issues, that covers what we predict works and doesn’t, just a few break up keep situations, and extra.
I don’t wish to rehash all of that since (hopefully!) you’ve already learn that put up in your planning course of. In case not, I’ll make a condensed model of our “pitch” for break up stays. First, resorts assist set the tone of the journey and altering accommodations can thus change the vibe. You possibly can journey to each the tropics and the Pacific Northwest throughout your Walt Disney World trip with stays at Caribbean Seaside or the Poly and Wilderness Lodge.
Second, break up stays can allow you to stretch your trip funds and splurge on a resort you won’t have the ability to afford (or justify) for the total journey. You can begin at Pop Century for 4 nights, ending with 2 on the Polynesian–checking it off your bucket listing within the course of.
Our third and fourth factors are strategic extensions of this–timing that keep proper on the Poly opens the door to Prolonged Night Hours not simply as soon as however doubtlessly twice. Likewise, the Poly is handy to Magic Kingdom and Pop Century is good for attending to EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Nice for Early Entry or noon breaks.
Lastly, there are the extra advanced-level break up keep situations. These contain reserving Membership Degree stays, utilizing the Disney Eating Plan, renting Disney Trip Membership factors, and extra. These intersect (to some extent) with why it’s best to do a break up keep throughout your 2025, so we’ll circle again to them.
Let’s begin with the break up keep state of affairs for 2025 that breaks the Disney bubble–a break up between Common Orlando and Walt Disney World. With Epic Universe debuting subsequent yr, Common goes to be competing for vacationers’ time–and being the homebase for Central Florida holidays.
For anybody doing multi-day visits to the Common parks, our suggestion is staying on-site there. That is nothing new–it’s what we’ve all the time suggested. Common Orlando and Walt Disney World aren’t as shut as you may assume, every supply invaluable perks, and transportation (or strolling!) from Common’s on-site accommodations to its perks is way simpler than driving and parking. All of that is triply true in 2025 when Epic Universe opens.
Anybody who has complained about digital queues, upcharges, or convoluted entry in terms of Walt Disney World is likely to be in for a impolite awakening with Epic Universe. We’ve carried out the 2 current variations of Tremendous Nintendo World (only one land within the new park) in California and Japan. It’s unbelievable. It additionally attracts nightmarish crowds, and it’s essential to do every part in your energy to beat them.
On condition that Epic Universe is a brand-new theme park that can attract free-spending vacationers, my expectation is that Common pushes the upcharges so far as potential. Paid Early Entry and Specific Cross are apparent candidates, together with who is aware of what else. Each of the at present current variations of Tremendous Nintendo World additionally use digital queues when attendance is excessive simply to enter the land.
A few of you may assume staying in Onerous Rock Resort, Royal Pacific, or Portofino Bay for just a few hundred bucks per evening is the simple answer, as that’ll supply Limitless Specific Cross to Epic Universe, simply because it does with the present gates. That is likely to be wishful pondering. I’d be stunned if the legacy Loews Premier Resorts will get Specific Cross at Epic Universe. Perhaps I’m fallacious; perhaps it should.
However when you solely have someday for Epic Universe, I’d most likely plan on staying at Common Helios Grand Resort, the flagship in-park resort at Epic Universe. No matter the very best entry is for the brand new park and its hottest lands, it’ll most likely be provided to friends of Helios Grand.
These perks–whether or not they be Early Entry or Specific Cross or one thing else–will most likely be essential to expertise every part at Epic Universe in a single day. After all, that’s all only a guess, but when I had been planning a 2025 Florida trip now and had the funds for one fancy lodge and one common one, I’d allocate the cash to Common’s Helios Grand Resort over Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.
Clearly there are nonetheless loads of unknowns with Common on-site perks and Epic Universe, however our preliminary plan is to do Common first. The explanation for it is because it offers flexibility on the checkout day, which may develop into one other park day at Epic Universe if essential to knock out every part–or it may very well be the beginning of a go to to Walt Disney World.
This opens the door to utilizing the new-for-2025 on-site perk at Walt Disney World, which is arrival day admission to one of many water parks, Storm Lagoon or Blizzard Seaside. That is included in all room-only reservations, trip packages and Disney Trip Membership stays on factors for check-in day.
The one “little” drawback with this perk is that the water parks usually shut at 5 or 6 p.m. relying upon the season, that means that the typical visitor would have 2-3 hours to get pleasure from them on their precise arrival day. And that’s most likely the very best case state of affairs assuming you land at MCO round midday, aren’t cursed with the final cease on the Mears route, and so on.
A break up keep sidesteps all of these issues. It doesn’t must be a break up keep between Common Orlando and Walt Disney World–it may very well be a Disney-only one. We’re simply utilizing the instance right here as a result of it really works out that approach for this versatile state of affairs between the 2.
Even on as a part of a break up keep, we most likely would make the most of that free day within the water parks by arriving late. Assuming you have got a pleasant lodge for the primary half of your journey or have simply had whirlwind days within the parks, you may wish to loosen up within the morning. And that’s completely wonderful! The wonderful thing about this water park day being free is that you just shouldn’t really feel the strain to be there from opening till shut (a feat only a few individuals handle, anyway).
As a substitute, goal to reach round 3 hours or so earlier than the water parks shut. That is when the early-arrivers begin getting their fill of enjoyable within the solar and head for the exits. The water parks have a really comparable dynamic to Animal Kingdom (too unhealthy they’re not providing free arrival day tickets there!), which has a mass exodus in mid-afternoon. That leaves the tip of the day as a good time to go to, as crowds are decrease and solar hopefully isn’t fairly as brilliant.
The water parks have altering areas, so you may arrive in road garments and alter into swimwear. You can too change again into regular apparel previous to leaving. From Blizzard Seaside, think about a go to to close by Animal Kingdom Lodge or Coronado Springs Resort for dinner. Sanaa, Jiko, Boma, Three Bridges, and Toledo are all glorious eating places which can be regularly neglected. If you happen to’re doing Storm Lagoon, head to Disney Springs for dinner and dessert.
This water park day provides a chance for a brand new riff on considered one of our favourite break up keep choices, which is a Membership Degree keep paired with pool days. That’s nonetheless fully potential right here, even when the lodge pool is way extra handy to the lounge than a water park. It really works as a result of you may nonetheless check-in early, do a giant breakfast on the lounge, head to the water park, after which return and proceed utilizing the lounge.
You’re eligible to make use of the concierge lounge and the entire perks that include staying Membership Degree on each your check-in and take a look at days, that means that one evening primarily allows you to entry that lounge over the course of two days. Doing Membership Degree for an evening or two, arriving early and leaving late offers you essentially the most bang to your buck, and is an effective method to get a style of the Membership Degree life with out breaking the financial institution.
This may seem to be quite a bit of transfers (and presumably is relying upon the way you pack/unpack), however we like placing a Membership Degree ‘break’ for leisure and rejuvenation between parks days. So you might simply begin at Common (park days), transfer to a Membership Degree room at Walt Disney World (no-park days), and switch once more to a daily room at Walt Disney World (park days). For our favourite concierge lounges and proposals, see our Information to Membership Degree at Walt Disney World.
One choice that we notably love for that is Chronos Membership at Gran Destino Tower, which provides far and away the very best bang for buck out of all of the Membership Ranges at Walt Disney World. And, when you’re actually reticent about one other switch, you might merely go from Gran Destino over to the common rooms at Coronado Springs. As a double bonus, the lodge is a stone’s throw away from Blizzard Seaside!
The one draw back is that transportation from Coronado Springs to the entire parks is by bus, which is lower than excellent from a strategic perspective. So this isn’t the place I’d wish to keep for my park days at Walt Disney World (although I do it usually–it’s a kind of ‘do as I say, not as I do’ kinda offers).
(As soon as advance-booking of Lightning Lanes debuts later in 2024, it’s additionally potential that Membership Degree friends may have entry to extra or higher journey reservation choices. See When Will Pre-Arrival Lightning Lane Bookings Begin at Walt Disney World?)
As an various to the Membership Degree keep, an alternative choice is doing the Disney Eating Plan (DDP) for one a part of a break up keep at Walt Disney World. (Don’t do each Membership Degree and the DDP on the similar time–full overkill and a waste of cash.) As lined in our Information to the Disney Eating Plan, we predict the DDP offers an excessive amount of meals and might take an excessive amount of time.
Solely doing the Disney Eating Plan for one portion of the journey permits us to do an attractions-oriented half of the journey, and a food-oriented half. This works particularly effectively for the laid-back lodge day(s), as you may give attention to good dinners, snack crawls, or no matter. It additionally helps that lots of the greatest makes use of of DDP credit are resort eating places. So with this selection, you have got the chance to discover different resorts–one other nice method to have enjoyable with out park admission.
Actually, the DDP isn’t actually needed to do that, and it’s usually not even advantageous. However when you’re going throughout Free Eating dates and even when the eating reward card is being provided (two particular provides it’s secure to imagine are returning in 2025), this generally is a higher choice than reserving Membership Degree. Even when it’s “free,” the Eating Plan remains to be overkill when paired with Membership Degree–so don’t do each concurrently.
Lastly, use break up stays to assist not bust your funds. If you’d like each Membership Degree and Free Eating, for instance, do a break up keep and take the room-only low cost for the Membership Degree portion of your journey after which Free Eating for the rest. (As famous above, each on the similar time is overkill–but additionally, room-only reductions are nearly all the time higher for Membership Degree.)
A extra widespread instance of utilizing break up stays to save cash is by being aware of resort charges on totally different days of the week. Within the Least expensive Instances to Go to Walt Disney World, we cowl seasons in addition to days of the week. Reducing to the chase, Sunday by Thursday nights which have the decrease costs than Friday and Saturday nights, with Mondays by Wednesdays having absolutely the most cost-effective charges.
Throughout sure occasions of the yr, the variations are fairly pronounced. For instance, the Polynesian has a normal rack price of $738 per evening on October 1, 2025 and the weeknights earlier than and after that date. Now, you may assume that’s insanely costly; no argument from me there. Nevertheless, it’s truly the cheaper of the charges on this state of affairs. Weekend costs on the Poly for October 3-5 are $917 per evening.
This isn’t a cherry picked instance to magnify the purpose. Weekends are normally significantly dearer than weeknights, that means it can save you significantly by doing a less expensive resort on the weekends and fancier one on weeknights. This doesn’t keep away from the difficulty completely–the All Stars are additionally dearer on weekends, however the unfold isn’t as massive.
Along with that, there are some dates when reductions are solely provided for Sunday by Thursday nights. Even when that isn’t the case (and it usually isn’t), availability below particular provides usually improves when you’re prepared to do a break up keep and have flexibility in your resort/room preferences.
I do know it is a firehorse of data and potentialities, however my mind instantly started gaming out potential break up keep situations and easy methods to greatest leverage them for 2025 when the brand new water park perk was introduced and room/package deal pricing was launched. I’ll lower this off right here, as I do know break up stays are sometimes complicated, and that is already quite a bit.
Finally, I hope that this helps you perceive the strategic facet of break up stays and how one can leverage them to your benefit when visiting Walt Disney World and/or Common Orlando in 2025. In case you may’t inform, we love break up stays. There’s one thing actually particular about sleeping within the rustic seclusion of Wilderness Lodge for an evening, after which flipping a change to the isles of the Poly the subsequent. Or going easy with All Star Sports activities to avoid wasting up for a splurge at Coronado Springs’ Chronos Membership.
There are infinite permutations for break up stays, and we’ve carried out lots of them over our years as Walt Disney World followers and resort lovers. With Common opening Epic Universe and Helios Grand presumably being fairly expensive (however providing glorious entry), we assume the door goes to be opened to much more strategic situations for break up stays between Common and Disney.
With that stated, we all know all of this may be complicated and never tailor-made to your social gathering’s wants, preferences, and so forth. If you’d like extra thorough steerage or help navigating the ‘break up keep’ planning waters, we’d extremely suggest contacting an Licensed Disney Trip Planner. These journey brokers are free-to-use as long as they deal with your reserving, they usually can supply personalised planning that takes into consideration your priorities and preferences. No Disney planning recommendation is one-size-fits-all, and that features our methods for break up stays!
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Study accommodations on our Walt Disney World Resorts Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To save cash on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for every part it’s essential to know!
Your Ideas
Have you ever carried out a break up keep at Walt Disney World? What about one between Common Orlando and Walt Disney World? Planning on doing one (or a number of) in 2025 to make the most of the free water park day at WDW or on-site benefits for Epic Universe? If you happen to’ve carried out break up stays up to now, are there any lodge combos you notably like? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
