The we loooooove Bonnet Creek thread part2

[dissy_dee]

In December my husband dropped me off at EPCOT for a tour and they did not charge us parking. He left and came back later and picked me up. Both times they let him through the gates without paying for parking. We told them what we were doing and they did not even blink an eye. So I think these cab companies may be ripping people off.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Is there a way to get a week long parking pass so that we don't have to pay daily? I am thinking of getting one AP to park free and get other discounts, but I'm not sure yet.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

In December my husband dropped me off at EPCOT for a tour and they did not charge us parking. He left and came back later and picked me up. Both times they let him through the gates without paying for parking. We told them what we were doing and they did not even blink an eye. So I think these cab companies may be ripping people off.

I think you're right about the cab companies....

 

[2CMickey]

Just booked with Vacation Strategy. Humaira was very nice and patient with all my questions. Going 4/21 for 7 days. Not anticipating any problems.

We are going 4/19 for 7 days, so we will be there the same time. It will be our first WDW vacation.

 

[KDsmommy]

I just booked with Vacation Strategy for a 4/20 arrival, we can't wait!!!

 

[Bonniec]

We took cabs back from the parks several times and didn't have to pay a parking fee. So if they can get in the park to wait for leaving visitors, there is no reason you should have to pay a parking fee to get in.

 

[jaysmom4285]

Just a quick update on our stay at WBC so far. We checked in Sunday morning. From the horror stories I had read, I was ready for a hassle over the parking permit and refusing the timeshare presentation, but there was absolutely no problem. Sandy from WBC had called me a few days before we arrived to see if I had any questions. She was working the parking pass desk and gave us our parking pass with only some encouragement to attend the timeshare talk. We were never asked to fill out a form that asked for income, and we haven't heard any more about it since. So we dodged that bullet. We're in Tower 5, pool view. We can't see any parks or fireworks from here, but that wasn't a priority for me anyway. Parking in the parking lots near the tower is a little tight, but the entrance to the parking garage is just outside the main entrance to Tower 5, so parking hasn't been an issue. The two-bedroom unit is wondeful. One tip, and this was mentioned way back in this thread, but would be good to keep in mind. The a/c unit is motion activated, so it doesn't run when you're out for the day. But also won't run when everyone is in bed, making for some warm and stuffy bedrooms. To override this feature, push and hold in the f/c button on the left side of the thermostat until you see 6P. Then release. It will cycle on and off normally after that. Makes for much more comfortable sleeping. We haven't explored the resort much - we spend most of our time at the parks. But I expect we will and that we'll put in some pool time later. If anyone has any questions I can answer from my somewhat limited experience so far, I'd be happy to give it a shot, or try to find the answers.

 

[danabalana]

Thanks jaysmom4285, for reminding us about the AC. I can't sleep if it's too hot.
I've never been in April before and I've read it can get warm.
Yay I can't wait!!!!!

 

[kellyw8863]

Hi Kelly! I completely understand wanting this trip to be special. We're in a similar boat that DD's last trip was during her wish trip. We didn't stay at GKTW as part of her wish was to stay with the princesses so our wish chapter arranged for us to stay at the Grand Floridian where Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty have their breakfast and Disney upgraded us to MK view so she could see the castle every evening. It was truly the most magical experience ever. I think the idea going in is not to try and match this trip to your last. There's no way the magic that excited in that last trip will ever be recreated.

As for BC, we're staying here this trip as well. We need to because my parents are coming and there's no way we could afford two disney rooms. The difference with us is that DD is in remission with no immediate medical necessities. I'm hoping someone else could answer you on how fast the Wyndham would be in such circumstances but honestly, I would think that Disney would respond much more effectively. I could be wrong tho.

As for buses, I've heard that the bus doesn't run mid day. That could really make it difficult to get back. That said, the taxis do run from all parks and TTC so you could do that route. BC is close to all parks except MK so the expense shouldn't be that high. Another option though would be to rent. We always rent when we go even on disney property because it gives us the flexibility of leaving whenever the children want or need to leave. We wait for no one, just leave when its time and return if we wish. There are some really great rental car rates out there (many can be found from mousesavers.com) and if you do stay at BC and save the expense of AKL, the extra cost of a rental may be worth it for the extra space. I expect you'd still be in money staying at BC and renting.

I highly recommend the daily breaks. We either do mid day break or just go until 3pm and then spend the rest of the day at the resort. The children can't handle all day every day. Are you planning on visiting GKTW? We've already looked into it and their view is once a wish child, always a wish child. We attended some of the events during DD's wish trip (our trip was arranged by GKTW even though we didn't stay on site there) and she really wants to go back so I called them and we're more than welcome to visit any time we're in Orlando. Our plan is to visit for half day and then head to DTD.

I haven't stayed at BC yet so I probably can't answer specific questions but we've been to WDW often so if you have any other questions, ask away.

Hi Joann! That's fantastic about the Contemporary! We did stay at GKTW and plan on going back for a day so we can see Ali's star and just visit. In terms of medical response, I suppose at the end of the day, we'd just end up calling 911 anyhow. I think this is just all my pent up anxiety over traveling that far with her without any "safety nets". We have talked about renting a car just so we have one in case we need it. Mid-day breaks will be a must, as Ali is heat intolerant. We never made it through an entire day at the parks when we were there in 2010, and the distance to GKTW made it too difficult to travel back and forth. Do you know anything about the GAC for returning Wish Kids?

Wishing you & your families magical trips, Kelly and Joanne.

Does anyone have an idea what the cost of a taxi would be to the parks/resorts?

This might be a help to someone trying to make this decision....

Thank you!

Found this website that estimates cost of taxi fares in the Orlando Area.. May be of some help.

http://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Orlando

That's fantastic! Thank you!

Our thoughts exactly! I called and complained to the cab company and was told that it's common practice. I've seen it here and there mentioned in posts that it is done, but I want to be sure. If it is true, I think the taxi estimators should at least mention it.

That is so bizarre, and it does sound like the cab companies are ripping people off. I agree it should be mentioned up front at the very least!

We were charged the parking fee when we took a cab to the park. The driver said that Disney charges them so they add the fee to the fare.

One way to get around the parking fee - get dropped off at a resort. Get a cab to the Contemporary and walk to MK, etc.

This is a good idea, one that I would never have thought of!

Is there a way to get a week long parking pass so that we don't have to pay daily? I am thinking of getting one AP to park free and get other discounts, but I'm not sure yet.

I don't know the answer to this, but we have also considered buying one AP and then using it for parking and discounts. We haven't crunched the numbers yet, so I'm not sure it would be worth it. I'm interested to hear what others have to say!

Just a quick update on our stay at WBC so far. We checked in Sunday morning. From the horror stories I had read, I was ready for a hassle over the parking permit and refusing the timeshare presentation, but there was absolutely no problem. Sandy from WBC had called me a few days before we arrived to see if I had any questions. She was working the parking pass desk and gave us our parking pass with only some encouragement to attend the timeshare talk. We were never asked to fill out a form that asked for income, and we haven't heard any more about it since. So we dodged that bullet. We're in Tower 5, pool view. We can't see any parks or fireworks from here, but that wasn't a priority for me anyway. Parking in the parking lots near the tower is a little tight, but the entrance to the parking garage is just outside the main entrance to Tower 5, so parking hasn't been an issue. The two-bedroom unit is wondeful. One tip, and this was mentioned way back in this thread, but would be good to keep in mind. The a/c unit is motion activated, so it doesn't run when you're out for the day. But also won't run when everyone is in bed, making for some warm and stuffy bedrooms. To override this feature, push and hold in the f/c button on the left side of the thermostat until you see 6P. Then release. It will cycle on and off normally after that. Makes for much more comfortable sleeping. We haven't explored the resort much - we spend most of our time at the parks. But I expect we will and that we'll put in some pool time later. If anyone has any questions I can answer from my somewhat limited experience so far, I'd be happy to give it a shot, or try to find the answers.

I love reading the "live" updates! I hope you're having a blast, and I can't wait to read more!

Thanks everyone for the quick feedback! I look forward to reading along!

 

[casper_jj11]

Hi Joann! That's fantastic about the Contemporary! We did stay at GKTW and plan on going back for a day so we can see Ali's star and just visit. In terms of medical response, I suppose at the end of the day, we'd just end up calling 911 anyhow. I think this is just all my pent up anxiety over traveling that far with her without any "safety nets". We have talked about renting a car just so we have one in case we need it. Mid-day breaks will be a must, as Ali is heat intolerant. We never made it through an entire day at the parks when we were there in 2010, and the distance to GKTW made it too difficult to travel back and forth. Do you know anything about the GAC for returning Wish Kids?

I don't believe they have anything specifically for former wish kids. We extended Sydney's wish trip by a week and I asked at Guest Services. They didn't have a wish pass or the ability to extend the wish pass as they only come from GKTW but gave us the best they could so that she had essentially the same benefits as her wish pass. Right now, Sydney is in remission and doesn't need a GAC. The best thing I would think is to visit Guest Services, tell them what your DD needs and they'll know the best kind of GAC to give her.



I don't know the answer to this, but we have also considered buying one AP and then using it for parking and discounts. We haven't crunched the numbers yet, so I'm not sure it would be worth it. I'm interested to hear what others have to say!

We're getting an AP for me this trip just for the benefits. Our trip is 10d and since we're off site, we'll get the AP so that there are no parking fees. We'll also get the World of Disney discount (10% I believe) and we'll get the Tables in Wonderland to save money on food and drinks. It works out cheaper in the end to have the AP.

!

 

[RvingDude]

We just booked 4 nights over Easter

This is our first stay... can anyone tell me what special Easter events we shouldn't miss?

We'll be visiting Kennedy one day, DTD another, and taking it easy around the resort.

Thanks!

Pam1969...I received your message about Bin #2, but my post count hasn't reached 10 yet to reply to it. I better get on the ball and tally up a few posts! No worries, I will leave your information on the bin.

 

[nancy155]

Jaysmom thanks for the onsite posting! I love hearing how it is now while someone is actually there with updates!
We have decided to take one day to head to Sarasota and see friends as well as spend a day at the beach! My best friend lives in Sarasota so looking forward to seeing her and spending at least a little time catching up. That is until next year when I hope to head to Tampa and participate in Gasparellia!

 

[wdwmom0f3]

One tip, and this was mentioned way back in this thread, but would be good to keep in mind. The a/c unit is motion activated, so it doesn't run when you're out for the day. But also won't run when everyone is in bed, making for some warm and stuffy bedrooms. To override this feature, push and hold in the f/c button on the left side of the thermostat until you see 6P. Then release. It will cycle on and off normally after that. Makes for much more comfortable sleeping. .

Thank you so much for posting this! I am putting this with my notes.

 

[southbound]

Just a quick update on our stay at WBC so far. We checked in Sunday morning. From the horror stories I had read, I was ready for a hassle over the parking permit and refusing the timeshare presentation, but there was absolutely no problem. Sandy from WBC had called me a few days before we arrived to see if I had any questions. She was working the parking pass desk and gave us our parking pass with only some encouragement to attend the timeshare talk. We were never asked to fill out a form that asked for income, and we haven't heard any more about it since. So we dodged that bullet. We're in Tower 5, pool view. We can't see any parks or fireworks from here, but that wasn't a priority for me anyway. Parking in the parking lots near the tower is a little tight, but the entrance to the parking garage is just outside the main entrance to Tower 5, so parking hasn't been an issue. The two-bedroom unit is wondeful. One tip, and this was mentioned way back in this thread, but would be good to keep in mind. The a/c unit is motion activated, so it doesn't run when you're out for the day. But also won't run when everyone is in bed, making for some warm and stuffy bedrooms. To override this feature, push and hold in the f/c button on the left side of the thermostat until you see 6P. Then release. It will cycle on and off normally after that. Makes for much more comfortable sleeping. We haven't explored the resort much - we spend most of our time at the parks. But I expect we will and that we'll put in some pool time later. If anyone has any questions I can answer from my somewhat limited experience so far, I'd be happy to give it a shot, or try to find the answers.

Thanks for all the information jaysmom! I actually forgot about the a/c, so thanks for bringing it up again... I made a note of it this time.

I think it fair saying, most of us are very envious of you right now. Hope you have a great time down there and thanks for letting us share a little bit of your vacation. Nice to hear you didn't get a big hassle on the time share tour, I'm hoping for the same.

One thing I was wondering about was whether or not the resort has drink machines and ice as most hotels do??? This being a time share resort, I don't know if they do anything like this? I don't care about the drink machines so much as we'll pick some up at the store, but it would be nice to have ice for my cooler.

 

[jaysmom4285]

There are vending and ice machines, at least in our tower and I would assume in all. A sign near the elevator said that they are on floors one, five and ten. I haven't actually needed to use them, so I take it on faith that they actually exist!

 

[SigEpMike13]

We are checking out of Wyndham Bonnet Creek this morning. We've been here for 5 days and are moving on-site for the remainder of our trip. This is our 5th or 6th WBC stay and is one kind of falls in the middle of the pack. We've stayed in a Presidential Reserve unit (which was fabulous) and we've also been on the top floor of Tower 4 with a wonderful fireworks view. It will be hard to top those two stays.

However, one thing to point out...the first night here, we stayed in Tower 3 with a great lake view. But, the couch was "peeling". The outer layer of the couch was just simply coming off. I sat down and was covered in the stuff. It is actually pretty gross. When I said something to the front desk, they said that it was a "manufacturer defect" and they couldn't do anything about it. I held back from replying, "yes, there is...replace it.". So, if you are staying in one of the older towers, make sure to watch out and not get covered with "couch peel".

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

Can anyone tell me if all of the 4 Bedroom Presidential "Reserve" Units are in Tower 6 or are they spread all over the resort?

I just rented from an owner and the receipt shows "Reserve" and I rented from him last year and we were in a Reserve unit in Tower 6.

I love Tower 6 for many reasons-free wifi, free valet, close to bus stop, close to pirate pool, etc. so I'd love to be sure that I am in that Tower!

However, if I'm not it will still be a great room and a great trip I am sure!

 

[DCTooTall]

Been awhile since I've had the time to keep up on the DIS... but I'm working on catching back up and trying to return to my active status.

A Note on the Taxi discussions. From the way I understand it, Disney charges Taxi's the $14 parking fee. It's actually one of the items posted at the parking booths when you park there. (cars/Taxis : $14). The exception to this is with Mears transportation. Disney has an arrangement with them that allows their Taxi companies to come and go without paying the $14 parking fee. This is also why all the Taxi's which you see at the Taxi Stands at the parks are operated by Mears.

Can anyone tell me if all of the 4 Bedroom Presidential "Reserve" Units are in Tower 6 or are they spread all over the resort?

I just rented from an owner and the receipt shows "Reserve" and I rented from him last year and we were in a Reserve unit in Tower 6.

I love Tower 6 for many reasons-free wifi, free valet, close to bus stop, close to pirate pool, etc. so I'd love to be sure that I am in that Tower!

However, if I'm not it will still be a great room and a great trip I am sure!

All the "Reserve" units are in Tower 6. "Reserve" units are treated differently from "regular" presidential units as they are only able to be rented by Wyndham Members with "Presidential Reserve" status. It's only after certain criteria have been met (Either a large % of the reserve units are booked, or XXX number of days until travel) that they are added into the general inventory which the entire Wyndham ownership can select from.

 

[Destructsean]

Can anyone tell me if all of the 4 Bedroom Presidential "Reserve" Units are in Tower 6 or are they spread all over the resort?

I just rented from an owner and the receipt shows "Reserve" and I rented from him last year and we were in a Reserve unit in Tower 6.

I love Tower 6 for many reasons-free wifi, free valet, close to bus stop, close to pirate pool, etc. so I'd love to be sure that I am in that Tower!

However, if I'm not it will still be a great room and a great trip I am sure!

Well, I'm REALLY glad we'll be staying in Tower 6 now!

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

All the "Reserve" units are in Tower 6. "Reserve" units are treated differently from "regular" presidential units as they are only able to be rented by Wyndham Members with "Presidential Reserve" status. It's only after certain criteria have been met (Either a large % of the reserve units are booked, or XXX number of days until travel) that they are added into the general inventory which the entire Wyndham ownership can select from.

I was confused because of this post:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43812641&postcount=8

which claims they stayed in a Pres Reserve unit in Tower 3. Is that just a mistake?