Some split-stay logistical questions

So, in case you all didn’t know, I’m going to WDW soon. :slight_smile:

Arrival day, we aren’t hitting any parks. Just checking into Bay Lake Tower and looking around the Contemporary and probably going over to GF just to see the Christmas decor.

Anyhow, next morning, we have an ADR for Kona, we’re heading into MK, and we have to move from Bay Lake to Boardwalk…and once we get there, order our groceries (from Instacart).

So, that morning, the thought is we’ll pack up and check out before heading to Kona. This is where the first question is. When we check out, how do we handle our luggage? Take it down to Bell Services and then…what? How do we indicate that we need our luggage transferred to Boardwalk? (And as a side, do we tip Bell Services at that point? Or do we tip Bell services when we pick up at Boardwalk? Both?)

Once that is squared away, we head off for breakfast and then MK for the day. Later, we’ll head over to Boardwalk to check in there. I presume, at this point, our luggage won’t be there. How will we know when our luggage arrives? Will they text or or something? Or do they bring it directly to our room?

And finally, we’ll place our grocery order which has a 2 hour arrival window. How do we handle that at Boardwalk these days? Will Instacart (which we’ve never used before) let us know when they are about to arrive so we can meet them in front of the lobby? Curious as to the best way to handle that.

I think that’s it (for now).

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I cannot answer most of those questions but in regards to tipping hubby recently looked it up and said you tip on both sides of bell services $1-$2 a piece of luggage/bag. We ordered groceries last January but my sister-in-law handled it and it was pre-covid. I am pretty sure they informed her when the groceries were in the lobby and she had to down there and get them. I can ask her. FYI she lives in NZ so someone else will probably respond before she wakes up…it’s the middle of the night there ha ha ha

Luggage: you can either take it all down to Bell Services and tell them you want it transferred to BWV or call Bell Services from your room. They will ask on the call how many bags, any chilled and any frozen items. You need to wait for them to come. Allow 30 minutes or so, so make sure you call in plenty of time.

Either way you get a receipt for the luggage and you should tip them.

When you arrive at BWV you can ask Bell Services if the luggage has arrived. They can either bring it up for you or you can take it. If it hasn’t arrived you can call Bell Services from your room to ask. Certainly if they bring it up you should tip them; if you collect it yourself maybe a nominal tip is in order.

I would double check with the front desk (in person, not by phone) that Bell Services are still collecting from your room.

I haven’t met a grocery delivery in person before. Bell Services will hold it, including chilled or frozen items, if you aren’t there to meet them. But from what I can gather, most delivery companies will text when they are arriving.

Incidentally Bell Services can also transfer groceries. We have had both chilled and frozen items transferred without problems, we were just asked to bag it up separately and tell them which needed chilled and which needed to be kept frozen.

And there are companies that you can order from in advance, although I don’t know if you can specify a time of day for delivery. But again, Bell Services would take the delivery if you aren’t there. Different companies have different rules on alcohol deliveries - some ask you to fax your ID over at the time of order, others require to see it in person.

Just telling you that in case you would find it easier ordering in advance. And you could get it delivered to Bay Lake or Boardwalk.

Thanks!

I think to keep things simple, we’ll just take our luggage to Bell Services ourselves since we’ll be on our way out anyhow for an ADR.

I do plan to pre-order the groceries, but set for a time when we’ll be at the resort. I actually have the items already sitting in my Instacart cart. (Which, by the way, annoys Instacart that I placed an order but I’m not FILLING the order, so they keep sending me offers so I’ll pull the trigger!)

I have some pretty strong feeling about this. I almost always do split stays and I have learned a couple of things from CMs after my luggage was lost twice. If you call from your room the central tracking system creates a ticket . If you bring it down to bell services, that tracking is dependent on the staff scanning your ticket in. Always call!

Some resorts will not let you pick up your luggage at the second resort . You have to call from your room. I always tip on pick up , and drop off.

Always get the receipt when they take your luggage! It has helped me find my luggage when they delivered my luggage to FW instead of WL. I needed to get a CM friend involved when AKL took my luggage and stored it in a corner and never scanned it in to be moved- call from the room!

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So, what you’re saying is I should call? Just to be clear? :wink:

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Sorry to hijack your thread @ryan1 but I wanted to ask @PrincipalTinker for her advice on our split stay. We are staying at Jambo for two nights then moving to GF. We have a rental car and will be driving the morning of our transfer to 7:30 am A&C ADR. Would you advise taking luggage with us or calling to have it moved by BS? My concern with calling is, given the ghost town that is Jambo, I am concerned it may take longer to get BS to the room when we have that early ADR. What are your thoughts?

If we had a vehicle, we would most definitely handle the transfer ourselves. The only concern might be if you have temperature sensitive items where sitting in a hot car might not be a good idea. (I have insulin, which is ruined in heat, so I would have to handle that myself by carrying it with me to the parks in some kind of cooling pack we have.)

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I would take my luggage with me. I honestly don’t know if I have ever transferred luggage from Jambo without complications.

Always call- it is an additional safety net when moving your luggage .

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I just dropped off at Bell Services; my luggage made it to Bell Services at CBR. We had groceries left at Bell too - the gave us a ride and took all the stuff to our room! He got a nice tip :grin: (we had 24 pack of water + 2 gallons + 12 pack soda)…and we’re on the second floor.

How did you all know when it arrived? Do you have to keep checking yourself, or will they message you somehow? I envision us sitting in our room with nothing, just waiting.

I am curious why you are moving so soon after checking in. Is the first hotel really special and expensive compared to the second? I haven’t stayed at those hotels before. Moving the luggage sounds stressful. It is easier / cheaper to call a Minnie Van or similar ride share and move it yourself? I don’t know the volume of luggage you have. My only split stay so far was from UO to WDW so we did it ourselves, but we had our car.

I bet he’s doing it for the walk (guess it’s the monorail since the Kona res) to MK or because he couldn’t get the DVC for specific dates for the full time…as I think his flights got changed…

A bit of a story there.

See, it has always been a dream of mine to stay at the Contemporary. And when my wife and I originally planned this trip, we had a final night booked with a Theme Park View room in the Contemporary. (Which, BTW, is very expensive.) The rest of the trip was booked in the Boardwalk 1-bedroom villa.

But with COVID and fireworks no longer a thing, the price we were paying for the Theme Park view room in the Contemporary didn’t seem worth it. But then, there was a 40% off discount for AP holders, so I was able to rebook the room cheaper. Still, we wondered why, and finally decided to drop the Contemporary entirely and just do the Boardwalk villas.

But lo and behold, @PrincipalTinker spread a little pixie dust and had points she offered us to use if we could use them BEFORE Dec. 1 when they would expire. (We were checking in Dec. 1.) So, we used some of her points to book Bay Lake Tower the day before our arrival night! (Changed our flight) Not quite the Contemporary, but as close as you can get!

So, we have one night there before we move to Boardwalk. It was incredibly gracious of @PrincipalTinker! :slight_smile:

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That’s a great story! I hope you have a wonderful time. :slight_smile:

This.

The other way won’t not work, but this way is guaranteed to work to keep your stuff from getting misplaced

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Yeah I’d just take it with me in that case too.

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I have always been told luggage will not arrive at 2nd resort until after 3. It can be after 5. I always call down to bell services. Since it is scanned in they know where it is.

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Is there a start time for Bell Services?
In other words, on days when transferring hotels, can you still make RD?