How To Transfer Luggage During A Split Stay at Disney

One of the questions that comes up again and again when talking about split stays is in regards to luggage. People tend to be curious about how to move luggage from one Walt Disney World Resort hotel to the next. Today, we’re going to talk about how to do this and what you should expect if a split stay is something you’re considering for your next Walt Disney World vacation.

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If you’re not already familiar, the term split stay refers to staying at more than one Walt Disney World Resort hotel during the course of your Disney vacation. To put it in another way, you’ll check into one hotel at the start of your vacation and change to another hotel at some point. In most cases, people tend to change hotels once or twice. However, there are cases when you might find someone changing hotels any other number of times.

Naturally, because you’re moving from one hotel to the next, you’ll need to move your luggage. This isn’t something you’ll need to think too much about if you’re driving to Walt Disney World or have a rental car. But what do you do if you’re relying on Walt Disney World Transportation to get around? Well, that’s a simple one thanks to a process Disney has in place; call Bell Services. They will move your bags, hassle free, from one Walt Disney World Resort hotel to the next while you’re out enjoying your Disney day!

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Having your bags moved by Bell Services is a fairly simple and straightforward process. It’s also at no extra charge to you, although you should absolutely be tipping the Bell Services Cast Member. [Recommended tip is $1 to $2 per bag.] It’s also preferable to moving your own luggage, such as by taking a rides share or taxi, because it takes very little time out of your vacation. Rather than having to waste time moving luggage from one place to another, or the money that would come with it, you can simply send it on its way and collect it when you arrive at your next hotel.

. . . . . but I’m getting ahead of myself.

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Let’s talk a little bit about the process, what you need to know and how you should prepare if you’ll be transferring your luggage during from one hotel to the next in the future.

First thing’s first, you’re going to need to pack your bags. Now, this might seem so obvious that it’s not worth mentioning, but there are a few things you should take into consideration. Transferring bags from one Walt Disney World Resort hotel to the next doesn’t happen immediately after you pass them off to Bell Services. There’s usually a stretch of time there when you won’t have access to your bags. Generally speaking, you should expect to have access to your bags again around 4 to 5 PM. With this being the case, you’ll want to make sure that you pack any necessities and/or items you may need in your day pack rather than your luggage. This could be medication, a change of clothes, bathing suits, extra snacks or any other items that you might want or need during the course of the day. You may also want to consider whether or not putting valuables, electronics, important documents or fragile items is a good idea. In most cases, I recommend keeping those items on your person rather than packing them in luggage that will be passed off to guest services. [NOTE: There are ways to store your valuables and important items so that you don’t have to carry them around the parks with you. We’ll go into this in detail during a future discussion.]

Once you’ve packed your bags and are confident that you have everything you need for the day, it’s time to contact Bell Services. You can do this by pressing the “Bell Services” button on your in-room phone. Simply let the Cast Member on the line know that you’ll be moving to another hotel and would like your bags transferred. They will often inquire about the number of bags you’ll be moving, where you’re moving to and let you know how long it will be before a Cast Member arrives to collect your bags. In most cases, it takes somewhere around 10 to 20 minute from the time you call to the time a Cast Member arrives. It’s important to stay in your room during this time as Cast Members will not enter your room to collect your bags unless you are present. [This is the current policy for 2021.]

When the Cast Member arrives at your room, they’ll likely prop open the door and then take your bags. Once your bags have been collected, they’ll note the number of bags and where they’re being transferred to on a slip and give you a receipt. At this time, it’s appropriate to tip the Cast Member that $1 to $2 per bag we mentioned earlier. [NOTE: Tips for Bell Service Cast Members should be given in cash as they have no way to receive electronic payments of any kind.] With your bags collected and the Cast Member on their way, you are now free to head out and start enjoying your day.

Later in the day, when check-in time has rolled around and you’ve made your way to your next hotel, getting your bags delivered to your room is just about as simple as getting them collected. When you’ve arrived in your room, simply call Bell Services again by pushing the button on your in-room phone. Provide the Cast Member with information about where your bags came from and they’ll let you know if your bags have arrived and are ready for delivery. In most cases, your bags should be available around 4 to 5 PM, however sometimes they do arrive earlier in the day. The Cast Member will let you know that your luggage is on the way and remind you to stay in your room [This is the current policy for 2021.] until the Cast Member has arrived. Again, this usually takes between 10 to 20 minutes. Your bags will then be delivered to your room at which time you can tip the Cast Member again.

That’s it! You’re done!

As you can see, the process is fairly straightforward and doesn’t take a whole lot of effort or money on your part. This makes it, at least in our opinion, a great for guests who are doing a split stay.

Of course, we’d love to know what you have to say. Share your thoughts, tips, tricks and experiences with other fellow mortals by leaving a comment below. Also, let us know if you have any additional questions about handling split stays and we’ll be sure to answer them in a future video.