Split Stays/Groceries no longer refrigerated

[ldomino]

I had my first negative experience with a Split Stay and dealing with Groceries.

I stayed at AKV Kidani 2 bed Sav for 4 nights then we changed to GFV 2 bed lake view - Dec 2023
I had purchased groceries for our 6 adults who like to have breakfast and snacks whenever.

Upon doing the transfer I was told Disney no longer will keep your groceries refrigerated when you
transfer to the next resort. I asked when that change went into effect - believe me they did NOT want to tell me
and I said I have always done this prior on split stays so I know something changed - they said it changed during
Covid and has not changed back. I asked to be called by the manager.

A few hours later a manager did call - they were already not happy to call me. It was not a pleasant 'disney magic'
conversation.
They said I could provide my own transportation and/or get an Uber to transfer the refrigerated groceries myself.

So moral of the story - if you stay at a resort and switch rooms at the same resort - you are fine. They will keep those refrigerated.
However transferring to a different DVC resort - your groceries will be put somewhere unrefrigerated (they told me they are put
in a main place where luggage is).

One of things I loved about DVC Disney in the past was when it's tricky to make reservations and you do a split stay
I could count on a great experience with the transfer. I guess times change.

Hoping I help save someone grief.

I do believe I ended my call with saying 'Thank you for being less than helpful'.
I did mention how they should INFORM DVC members of this particular change.

 

[DeeBee3]

The lack of refrigeration has not returned so they were telling you the correct information. It stinks, but it's true.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Sorry, but this has been the case for years now. We do split stays all the time and have adjusted. I believe they might have had issues with refrigerated meds not being handled properly between resorts and thought it best to not take on that responsibility any longer. If we have items needing refrigeration on transfer day, we'll take them ourselves and have them store with bell at the new resort - that's not a problem.

 

[ldomino]

Yes it was put into place during Covid so yes years now. However you won't find it written anywhere and it is not on the dvc website or in a question/answer box.

If you have a vehicle - great. However many of us who travel from further distances do not have vehicles. I certainly know people who stay on property for more than 30 days who would like their refrigerated items transferred.

This is just a nice to know as I tend to recommend split stays but in this case for larger families or reunions I would not unless you had transportation.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I guess it depends on how much refrigerated stuff people have. I know you must've used this service in the past, and it worked well for you. But there are options. A $10-$15 Uber between resorts would allow you to move it safely. We've already made a small refrigerated purchase (small butter, small milk) for the first stay, and then made a separate small refrigerated purchase for the second half of the split stay. But with a larger refrigeration need, that probably doesn't work well.

I know it's another perk that seems to be taken away, but I can also understand why they might have had problems with it. When the luggage is transferred between resorts, they don't necessarily go right to your next resort. There are other stops on the way, and I don't think the refrigerated items in the van were in cold storage on the trip. Include the Florida heat, and they might have had some issues. Not looking to make excuses for them, but hoping you can find an alternative way to enjoy your vacation as you want to.......

 

[AstroBlasters]

I’m trying to imagine being a cast member and having someone demand “tell me exactly when this policy changed happened ” for something that hasn’t been a thing for 4 years…..

 

[ldomino]

Who was demanding? It was a legitimate question that the cast member and most did not have an answer to as they were all new. Many people lost their jobs working for the Parks in the area during covid. Not all were hired back.

In 2022 when the Parks opened up and I went down I had no issue with keeping groceries refrigerated within a resort when changing a room but I did not know the policy was modified for between resorts. After all you can and many people do have Garden grocery or Instacart deliveries to the resorts and they will refrigerate items. The key takeway is they would NOT transport them anymore as they said it was due to Covid and perhaps catching something.

It's not like it is on the DVC member website or any website so I did not have to 'ask' anyone. Disney is a very large corporation that can easily write a document to post and keep on a website. It's not hard or difficult. When you don't have that - then you have to ask.

The post was meant to provide information for families that plan and think of split stays.

As someone who rents out points - I now warn families considering split stays of this change in policy especially those having refrigerated medication or special food needs requiring refrigeration etc.

 

[jo-jo]

The post was meant to provide information for families that plan and think of split stays.

As someone who rents out points - I now warn families considering split stays of this change in policy especially those having refrigerated medication or special food needs requiring refrigeration etc.

Yes, for people do only go every 3-4 years, they would have no idea.

If we do a split stay, we just buy small size of items and put in second order for second resort.

Before they stopped, I had read a few people had worried if the groceries had really been kept cold during transfer.

I believe I have read some people have had a cooler packed, that bell services will move, but as a piece of luggage, not food storage.

 

[Mle8308]

This has been the policy for four years now. It's been "talked" about on these boards many times. It was announced by Disney when it went into effect, they did inform guests. Nothing new. I think you may owe a certain Disney manager an apology.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Who was demanding? It was a legitimate question that the cast member and most did not have an answer to as they were all new. Many people lost their jobs working for the Parks in the area during covid. Not all were hired back.

In 2022 when the Parks opened up and I went down I had no issue with keeping groceries refrigerated within a resort when changing a room but I did not know the policy was modified for between resorts. After all you can and many people do have Garden grocery or Instacart deliveries to the resorts and they will refrigerate items. The key takeway is they would NOT transport them anymore as they said it was due to Covid and perhaps catching something.

It's not like it is on the DVC member website or any website so I did not have to 'ask' anyone. Disney is a very large corporation that can easily write a document to post and keep on a website. It's not hard or difficult. When you don't have that - then you have to ask.

The post was meant to provide information for families that plan and think of split stays.

As someone who rents out points - I now warn families considering split stays of this change in policy especially those having refrigerated medication or special food needs requiring refrigeration etc.

What difference does it make when the policy changed? It had changed.

And “believe me they did NOT want to tell me” implies one thing vs “most did not have an answer to as they were new”.

And then you take up a managers time?

And then you end the call with “thank you for being less than helpful”.

Is that really how we should be treating the cast members?

 

[TFine]

This has been the policy for four years now. It's been "talked" about on these boards many times. It was announced by Disney when it went into effect, they did inform guests. Nothing new. I think you may owe a certain Disney manager an apology.

It is in writing on the website somewhere too. We did a split stay in December so I read the bell service instructions about luggage transfers and it mentions no refrigeration.

 

[keishashadow]

I believe they might have had issues with refrigerated meds not being handled properly between resorts and thought it best to not take on that responsibility any longer. If we have items needing refrigeration on transfer day, we'll take them ourselves and have them store with bell at the new resort - that's not a problem.

To be clear,

if physically stopping/checking into a DVC resort; does bell services still officially accept declared medical items (in small, insulated book bag) for refrigeration?

Never an issue for us up to and including multi resort trip a month ago

 

[thanxfornoticin]

To be clear,

if physically stopping/checking into a DVC resort; does bell services still officially accept declared medical items (in small, insulated book bag) for refrigeration?

Never an issue for us up to and including multi resort trip a month ago

Yes. Bell Services at the DVC resorts (and probably at the non-DVC Disney resorts, but I have no recent experiences with those resorts) will store refrigerated items if delivered to them. The items to be kept cold should be separated and marked - and it doesn't have to be medical. It could be milk or butter, too, for example.

We've also had groceries delivered to the resorts through InstaCart, and we have IC package and mark separately what needs to be refrigerated - and Bell Services will store both 'cold' and 'not cold' items from our deliver - which we often pick up later (or have Bell Services deliver to our room). Disney will just not transport items requiring refrigeration.