Bonnet Creek for the Risk Averse

[freewill]

I'm midway through my research in trying to put together a last minute, late May trip to Orlando for me, DW and twin DDs (both 8). Planning to spend a day at Sea World and several days at Disney -- but a lot of time at the pool on each day. This will be our first off-site trip -- we have stayed on-site several times at the Wilderness Lodge and AKL and really loved them (especially the WL).

Focusing on Hilton Bonnet Creek and Wyndham Bonnet Creek, since both look to have great pool complexes with slides and lazy rivers. Obviously, the Dis loves WBC, but as mentioned in various recent threads--there seems to be a fair amount of disatisfaction (or at least a fairly vocalized strain of that). Whereas the feedback on HBC seems more predictably positiive -- even though HBC for us would be a hotel room without balcony and so obviously way smaller and different than the timeshare suites at WBC.

Question 1: For someone who is risk averse (ahem, perhaps like me), does HBC seem like a better option than WBC? Seems to me that WBC might turn out to be fabulous and better than I might even imagine, but then it might turn out to have shabby furniture, middling service, etc....whereas HBC seems like it would be reliably pretty good.

Question 2: How do you compare the pools at HBC and WBC for 8-year-olds who are still developing their swimming abilities and confidence? (Example--how deep are the lazy rivers?)

Thanks if you've read this far!

 

[mjohnson96]

Are you looking at the Wyndham Grand hotel vs the Hilton or the Timeshare Resort vs the Hilton. The furniture issue more directed at the rooms at the Resort that has not been updated yet. The hotel is pretty new so I wouldn't think they have to much of a furniture issue yet.

The resort you can get 1-4 BR and at the Hilton/Grand you will just have a hotel room. But the Grand and the Resort for the Wyndham share the features so either one will give you access to the pools, mini golf, etc as well.

For the price I would go with the Resort over the hotels...you can always request an updated room so you get the new furnishings We went through vacationupgrades and got a 3BR for our trip in a few weeks for $150 a night and that inludes tax, parking, resort fees. At both the hotels you have to pay additonal parking and resort fees too and that can add up quick .

 

[mtaaja]

Just wanted to let you know that I took my 8 yo twin daughters to WBC in February and was told it was one of the best vacations ever. All that room, as well as, a balconey makes things so much easier. The lazy rivers are not that deep as my girls liked to walk/swim rather than use a tube. They really enjoyed the slides, especially the one by Building #6. I have elite status with Marriott and had no complaints with WBC. This was our second visit.

 

[saysay]

We have been to WBC 4 times and never an issue. I love all the space and amenities for the price....they have 3 zero entry pools! The hilton does look nice, but you sure can't beat the price at WBC! That is why we keep going back.

 

[disney-akj]

The space at WBC is great as well as all the pools. We just returned and our room was great! If you would get a room with a little worn furniture, ask for a different room. If they are unable to help with your request, then ask for an extra blanket to place on the worn furniture if it that bad?? As little time as we spent in our room awake, I can not imagine it mattering that much?? All the staff we encountered were great as well. I figure people are more likely to report the negative than the positive. To me the price and the space are amazing!! If you happen to get a view of the parking lot, just remember- you are at Disney.

ETA: When asked by the CM when checking into our ADR if we were staying on property and I said no. My DD2 (9) said, Mom we are too on property. I then had to explain that even though our resort was just as close and just as nice as Disney resorts, that no we were not staying on Disney property.

 

[skateshome]

Haven't stayed at the Hilton but balconies, full kitchen separate bedrooms, etc make WBC impossible t beat as far as I'm concerned. I'll never stay anywhere else. We took the money we saved and rented a limo to and from the airport and several other perks like that. The pool options are so fantastic. We had a 2, 4, 5, and 6 year old with us on the trip and the zero entry pools were great. But what was even better was going on "pool tour".....is what we called it. A couple of times we would go to a pool stay for about 20 minutes and then go to the next. Took a couple of hours to go all the way around the resort to each pool and the kids had a blast!

BTW....it is on Disney property just not a Disney resort. :cheers

 

[bonoriffic]

Doesn't the Hilton charge for tube rentals? WBC does not.

We had a room with the worn furniture. The couch had pillows in odd places, and when I moved them I saw why. The fake leather was gone in spots. I put the pillows back and didn't give it another thought. I guess that could ruin some people's vacation. The internet was also down one full day. I'm not sure how I survived.

 

[freewill]

Thanks all!! Love the idea of a pool tour!

 

[Brian Noble]

Pick any hotel, anywhere, and I guarantee you I can find negative reviews of it. The more popular a hotel, the more people stay there, and the easier it is to find some people who had less-than-perfect experiences, all things being equal.

If you expect perfection, almost anything will disappoint you. (Well, maybe not---I had a perfect stay at the Ritz Carlton in San Juan, PR once...) If you expect a really nice stay, any of the "usual suspects"---the Disney resorts, Windsor Hills, any of the Bonnet Creek complexes, etc.---will fit the bill. At that point, you're just balancing cost, space, amenities, and features. Pick one that sounds good, and enjoy it.

 

[rellinge]

To prove your point, I had a horrible stay at the Ritz in San Juan.

 

[Rosebud123]

Haven't stayed at the Hilton but balconies, full kitchen separate bedrooms, etc make WBC impossible t beat as far as I'm concerned. I'll never stay anywhere else. We took the money we saved and rented a limo to and from the airport and several other perks like that. The pool options are so fantastic. We had a 2, 4, 5, and 6 year old with us on the trip and the zero entry pools were great. But what was even better was going on "pool tour".....is what we called it. A couple of times we would go to a pool stay for about 20 minutes and then go to the next. Took a couple of hours to go all the way around the resort to each pool and the kids had a blast!

BTW....it is on Disney property just not a Disney resort. :cheers

We did the pool tour last month! All my photos of the pools are in this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2920898

 

[skateshome]

We did the pool tour last month! All my photos of the pools are in this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2920898

Fantastic picture thread!
I know folks that haven't been There really appreciate it.
I just don't see us ever staying anywhere else.

 

[Rosebud123]

Fantastic picture thread!
I know folks that haven't been There really appreciate it.
I just don't see us ever staying anywhere else.

ITA! I can't imagine ever staying anywhere else. It's affordable, gorgeous, ON PROPERTY, roomy, etc., etc.

 

[Beccabunny]

We just left there after a one-week stay and are now at the Poly for the weekend. Let's just say we'd much rather be back at WBC. We had a family reunion and rented four units, all in Building 2, all newly renovated, clean, and beautiful. The entire family loved the resort and want to come back.

 

[DCTooTall]

Honestly, I'm thinking a lot of the recent negative reviews are in part due to the increasing popularity of the resort (which also leads to people deciding to give it a try as their first offsite experience).... and the fact that a lot of people who end up staying there the first time (and post about it) are people who aren't entirely used to the Timeshare Condo experience. Even if they aren't complaining directly about the lack of hotel-like service, it could still be on their mind enough that they are complaining about things which in a hotel they might overlook. (The Timeshare nature also severely limits the resort's ability to "make it right" like a hotel might with tricks like a credit or discount at an onsite restaurant which provide that extra bit of feel-good to a customer.)

I'm also thinking that it's popularity for people renting (instead of owners of timeshares) could be leading to some of the issues with furniture and other wear and tear issues. Timeshare owners (even if not their home resort) tend to understand and respect that repair and replacement costs are covered by the owners at the resort, While people more familiar with hotels tend to think such things are covered by their room rental fees or by the name on the hotel, instead of connecting it to the retired couple or family which own there having to pay fees to cover the budget to cover such repairs. [Not sure if the big commercial rental outfits tend to own at the resort, or just in the system. they also aren't going to be impacted as much by rising maintenance fees as an individual].

BTW....it is on Disney property just not a Disney resort. :cheers

Actually, It's not even on Disney Property, although this is a common misconception (that's even used by the Wyndham Sales Weasels).

If you ever looked at one of the old "This is Walt Disney World" maps which showed the resort boundaries, There was always a little small patch of land that was caught between I-4 and the WDW resort property. That small patch of non-Disney Property is the plot which the Bonnet Creek Resort area sits. (Wyndham, the hilton/Waldorf and their Golf Course... and the plot down at the end of the street).

Because this plot is surrounded on 3 sides by WDW, and the 4th by I-4 and an interchange, The only possibly way to access this land is thru the Disney Property. This is why it's effectively the only Non-Disney property that is within the Arches. (Including the benefit of being on the Reedy Creek utilities.)

 

[Brian Noble]

Actually, It's not even on Disney Property, although this is a common misconception

Yesterland has a great piece on the history of this particular little parcel:
http://www.yesterland.com/bonnet.html