Resort hopping in Orlando?

Question

I will be going to Orlando, but I am wondering if it would be easy to stay at a Disney Resort the 1st 2 days I'm there(i'm going to disney 1st 2 days) and then going to a universal resort (partner hotel) the rest of the time being. We are putting every theme park in the vacation.

I just don't know if it would be stupid to do that or just stay at a Best Western or something. The main reason I'm considering it is because I want to take advantage of the special offers you get when staying at one of the theme parks resorts. Mainly the getting what you buy in the park delivered to your room. I want that for both Universal & Disney....

PLEASE HELP!!

Answer 1

Doing this will add a little complexity and cost on your moving day, and will be more expensive than staying off site the entire time.  If you can afford it, though, it's a great plan for just the reasons you outlined!

See also this page on where to stay at Disney World: http://yourfirstvisit.net/planning-your-...

Have a great trip!  Dave

Answer 2

I agree with the firs answer. The benefits are nice but the cost and hassle of moving from room to room are not worth it. I would look for a centrally located room to stay in. One idea would be renting a timeshare and enjoying resort type accommodations  while saving a large sum of monies. Check out this site for Savings ideas and a link to the Westgate Resort that is located right in the middle of Disney / Universal / Sea World

Answer 3

The above answerers all make good points.

Please keep in mind these check in/out times.

@ all Disney Resorts: On the first day they will check you in no earlier than 3 pm.  You must be checked out by 11am on your last day.

@ Universal Resorts: Check in is at 4pm and Check out is at 11am.

There's NEVER any guarantee that your room will be ready at the earliest time of check in.  And in some cases at Disney especially they tend to force you out of the room before 11am.

It sucks I know.  I like Jessica's idea to stay at the hotels nearby the parks you want to visit that day.

I strongly suggest taking a car or renting a car the day that you plan to switch Resorts.  When you check out of your first hotel that morning you have a place to store your things while you go enjoy the parks and then when it's time to check into your new hotel you can take the stuff out of the car and be done with it.

Answer 4

My family loves to resort hop.  You are completely right to consider the benefits of staying on each park's property.  It really is the best way to enjoy the best of both.  

Answer 5

I think it's a great idea to stay at a Disney Resort while you're going to the Disney Parks and a Universal resort while going to the Universal Parks.

At Disney, you'll have access to the Extra Magic Hours which means you can get into certain parks an hour early or stay in the parks up to three hours after they officially close!  But just to let you know about having your purchases delivered to your room, the items are usually delivered the day AFTER you purchase them.  So if you buy something the first day you're there, it won't be delivered until the second day, and if you buy something the second day (and you're only staying two days) then you won't be able to have anything delivered.  I wasn't sure if you knew this.

I've never stayed at a Universal resort (3 resorts owned by universal), but I hear that if you show your room key then you can skip the lines!  That would be worth the hassle of changing resorts from Disney to Universal.

Don't worry, you'll have a blast no matter what you decide!