becoming a staying off-site believer!

[apicozzi]

Bonnet Creek was $1,400 for 14 nights in August. Minimum for any deluxe last year (using an AP discount since I never received a 40% pin code) would have been $3,500 to $4,500 (we love the Poly, BW or YC, and the WL/AKL rooms are too small).

In the end, we saved over $2,000 by staying at Bonnet Creek solely because of price of the room.

Is Bonnet Creek really comparable to a Deluxe resort on property? It sounds like you're comparing two different leagues. How about comparing BC to a value or moderate?

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

Is Bonnet Creek really comparable to a Deluxe resort on property? It sounds like you're comparing two different leagues. How about comparing BC to a value or moderate?

Bonnet Creek is comparable to a Disney Deluxe. I would compare it to a DVC Villa except it is going to cost a lot less! I own DVC so I stay onsite in a villa and usually a day or two at the beginning of my trip at a Disney Resort. But I also stay offsite. My Oct/Nov trip is 1 night at POP, 8 nights at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas, 6 nights at Wilderness Lodge Villas and 3 nights at Hilton Bonnet Creek. My Jan trip is 1 week at Sheraton Vistana Resort, 1 week at Mystic Dunes (this maybe a mistake but oh well live and learn), 1 week at Saratoga Springs Villa and 1 week at Wyndham Bonnet Creek. My night at POP is $98 plus tax, my Hilton Bonnet Creek nights are costing me $106 plus tax each night, my Sheraton and Mystic Dunes are Interval exchanges and are costing me $140 per week each and my Wyndham Bonnet Creek is thru Government Employees Vacations and is $350 plus tax per week. My villa stays are all on DVC points. As you can tell I like long trips and a mixture of staying onsite and offsite. If I had to pay Disney prices even with a good discount I would be forced to take much shorter trips .... this is just what works for me .... what works for others will be up to them ... to each his own.

 

[limdougl]

We have stayed at both BC and 5 Disney Deluxes in the past 7 years. BC is certainly comparable to a Disney Deluxe. As a matter of fact, BC is even larger and more spacious. It is no where near a value or moderate. That being said - we stayed at BC once and won't do it again. The "feel" is not there for us - plain and simple. The children were really the ones that commented the most at ages 4 and 7. To each their own... we can't wait for our trip in 93 days at OKW with a point transfer with Deluxe DDP - along with YES tickets! To everyone - enjoy their trips!

Edit: As I was taking my time and tending to children while writing my post - someone else is saying the same thing in the post above. To each their own seems to be the trend...

 

[DaniB]

$690 for 9 nights at Bonnet Creek is unreal. Can you please post the site that quoted you that? I just can't believe that are charging $77 a night for a 2 BR suite. The lowest I can find is $138 for a 1BR. We're going in December and for $77 a night I'd stay offsite!

It was 5starresorts.com. Other people on DIS have recommended them so I gave them a shout (e-mail). Mind you, that quote was based on our current Sept dates.

Is that 14 TS meals per person? If so, that is WAY TOO low. You're budgeting $50/day per person? Not happening...unless you eat like little birdies.

If not, you need to compare apples to apples because you are getting 36 TOTAL TS meals with the DDP

I may be missing something.. but I don't understand how you're "pricing" 14 table service, 5 quick service and 24 snacks for staying off site.. are you just estimating??

Ohh yes, that IS per person. Sorry. I guess I should have listed that as 56 TS meals. I meant 14 TS restaurants x 4 people. And the 5 QS is times 4 people (so 20 QS). However, the snacks are just plain 24 all together. Plus the $200 at Epcot's World Showcase.

Though I'm not sure why you think I'm budgeting too low. The prices are estimated (included taxes) from allears. I used them last year and found their prices very close. Here's the breakdown (the first $ amount includes taxes (6.5%). The last $ amount is pre-tax for 2 adults, 1 disney adult, 1 child):

$122.43 - Ohana dinner ($32.99a / $15.99k) = $114.96
$ 87.29 - Crystal Palace breakfast ($22.99a / $12.99k) = $81.96
$134.15 - 1900 Park Fare dinner ($35.99a / $17.99k) = $125.96
$ 92.99 - Boma breakfast ($24.49a / $13.84k) = $87.31
$ 93.64 - Yak & Yeti dinner = $87.92
$ 79.83 - Ohana breakfast ($20.99a / $11.99k) = $74.96
$146.71 - Boma dinner ($39.40a / $19.16k) = $137.76
$ 95.16 - Chefs France lunch $89.35
$ 89.79 - Sci-Fi Dine-in lunch $84.31
$ 59.56 - Kona Café breakfast $55.92
$102.25 - Kona Café dinner $96.01
$100.07 - Cape May Café bfast ($26.99a / $12.99k) $93.96
$129.89 - Garden Grill dinner ($34.99a / $16.99k) $121.96
$ 63.62 - Earl’s Sandwich & Ghirardelli sundaes $59.74
$ 67.31 - Tony’s dinner $63.20
$ 95.76 - 24 snacks ($3.99 seems to be the set standard I read on DIS)
$200.00 - this is completely rough estimate of my own for World Showcase
$1,760.45

The other $30 is for 4 quick grab & go breakfasts & 1 dinner that I have left open. For simplicity sake, I should round that up to $40 instead to make it an even $1,800. Remember, I estimated $200 for WS. I doubt we'll spend that much there so the extra would go towards these 5 meals if the grab & go turns out higher than I thought.

We prefer 2 TS a day (breakfast & dinner) with a couple of snacks each, if needed, in between). All in all, that seems a reasonable estimate for food.

 

[DaniB]

I am definately comparing the YES Waterpark tickets versus Regular Waterpark & more tickets. Our kids love the Waterparks and wouldn't consider a trip without visiting them.

 

[ccgirl]

Is Bonnet Creek really comparable to a Deluxe resort on property? It sounds like you're comparing two different leagues. How about comparing BC to a value or moderate?

Actually, I think it is better. I though it should be compared to a DVC.

 

[ccgirl]

I may be missing something.. but I don't understand how you're "pricing" 14 table service, 5 quick service and 24 snacks for staying off site.. are you just estimating??

Allears.net has the menus. You can refer to those and pick what you think your family would eat to get the total price. Everyone can eat at the restaurants, they are just not for on site guests.

We usually rent a van for a week and end up paying between $500-$600.00. It's quite expensive!

Ouch! I guess I have gotten lucky. I have never had to pay more than $325 for a minivan. I usually use carrentalsavers.com

 

[BAST]

Is Bonnet Creek really comparable to a Deluxe resort on property? It sounds like you're comparing two different leagues. How about comparing BC to a value or moderate?

Given that our 1,100 square foot Bonnet Creek condo had two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a whirlpool, three beds (in two separate bedrooms), a living room and full kitchen table, washer/dryer and a large balcony from which I could see EPCOT fireworks, I think it can only be compared to certain suites at the deluxe resorts. The master bedroom/bathroom alone in the condo was larger than an entire room at a value resort (and probably a moderate).

A room at the Poly (which I do truly love because of the location and atmosphere) is all of 440 square feet. It is a great place to stay (and I would stay there again with the right deal), but - simply looking at the room itself - it cannot compare to a 2br condo at Bonnet Creek.