Basic info on Wyndham Bonnet Creek

[1234lucky]

I know there is a long thread but I'm hoping I can get some quick info on this resort. I'm pricing out WBC and our on property options.

We'd need a 2 bd. Where is the best place to look for pricing? How far out do they book?

I am assuming a car is necessary right? Did anyone rely just on the shuttle?

Are there other resort fees to consider?

And generally tell me about it. Pros/cons over Disney's onsite options for 6.

 

[SYDCOLEMOM]

We usually book about 6 months in advance. There are several reputable companies to book thru. Contact several and get different quotes. I have always used Vacation Strategy. Others here on the boards have used Vacation Upgrades as well.
We rent a car because is just easier than to try to make the shuttle schedule work for us. Rentals are so inexpensive in Orlando that it just makes sense to our family.
There are no extra resort or parking fees at Bonnet Creek.
Im not sure if you would need a 2 or 3 bedroom but the price difference is usually minimal.
This will be our 3rd stay at Bonnet Creek and I cant imagine ever going back to staying onsite.
Having a full size kitchen saved us tons ! we ate breakfast in the room and sometimes brought take out back in the evenings. We were able to keep beer and cocktails in the frig and trust me that saved on the bar tab plus it was nice to have a frig full of bottle water / cokes etc. Having a washer and a dryer was a life saver ! we were able to pack less and didn't come home with dirty icky clothes. The biggest reason we loved Bonnet Creek was the space ! We only have one child but is so nice to put her to sleep in her own room and then be able to stay up without disturbing her. Plus even on vacation we get on each others nerves and its nice to be able to spread out. We found the units at Bonnet Creek to be nicer than anything we had stayed at onsite. Staff was super friendly and the pools are FANTASTIC !
Im sure its not the right choice for every family but its the perfect choice for us !

I guess another big advantage for you would be the cost. Onsite you would have to have 2 room with 6 people. Bonnet Creek you could probably use a 2 bedroom (or 3 If needed). My rate for 10 nights in a 2 bedroom from May 21st to May 31st is $1300 (all fees included) I booked thru vacation Strategy. My dates are over Memorial day so you may even be able to get cheaper depending on your dates.

 

[floridacrazy]

For quite a few years when we took a Florida vacation I wouldn't go anywhere else accept on Disney property. One year I booked a hotel on International Drive called the Rodeway, I swore I would never go back. It was okay. The room was clean enough, but to get to swim in the pool was a struggle. It was way too overcrowded in July. From then on it was a Disney Value hotel for us. At that time it was me, my niece and my great nephew who was about 4 or 5 at the time. A Disney value hotel was terrific compared to the Rodeway Inn. Getting around Disney with their buses was a lifesaver. We could take a break in the afternoon and go back to the parks in the evening.

When my nephew was about 10 years old and my niece just had her second son, we went with my niece's friend on a Florida vacation and we spent a week at Star Island. We were hooked. The amount of space that you get can't be beat. My little nephew (he's 4 now) could never survive in a little hotel room. He needs more space. He would climb the walls in a Disney value hotel. After that we went on 2 cruises, but last year I wanted to go on our first ever family vacation with my mother and my Aunt, my niece and her 2 sons so we definitely needed a 2-bedroom.

I joined Tug2.net and Redweek and started my research on renting a timeshare. By joining Tug2.net, you get to make a wish list of timeshares that you are interested in and owners send you emails, with prices. By doing that I ended up renting a 2-bedroom from someone who is great to deal with.

We had an awesome two week vacation in a 2-bedroom at Bonnet Creek. Bonnet Creek was great. The pools are terrific. The lazy river and the slides - there is so much to do that you could skip the parks and keep the kids entertained.

Bonnet Creek might not be for everyone, but I don't want to go anywhere else. This year I settled on taking a 1-bedroom than not going there. We will be there for 3 weeks.

The only con for me is that I don't drive and my niece doesn't drive so it is hard to get around. Relying on shuttles and cabs can be costly, but the money I save staying offsite makes up for it.

What helped convince me on BC were some of the family videos on Youtube. When you see all the pools it's amazing.

Enjoy your vacation.

 

[aubriee]

As an AP holder for both WDW and Universal, I go to WDW 4-6 times a year. Up until about a year and half ago, I was one who swore I would never stay offsite and could not understand why anyone would. About a month before our Oct 2012 trip, a coworker who knows I go to WDW alot called me at work one night to ask if I was planning a WDW anytime soon. I told her as a matter of fact we were going in about a month. She said she had several time shares, had banked all the points she could, and was going to lose them if she didn't use them. She offered me a week in Las Vegas for a ridiculously low price or a week at Westgate Towne Center (just one mile outside the Disney gates) for just $400.00. It was too good a price to pass up, so we canceled our CBR reservation and stayed offsite for the first time. We didn't really think we'd like it, but we not only loved it, we were hooked. We came straight home, canceled our May WDW trip and started looking for other offsite options. That's when we discovered Wyndham Bonnet Creek. We've stayed offsite at Bonnet Creek our last three trips and love it there. In fact, this past Sept was a solo trip and I thought I'd make it a budget trip just to save money. I got a quote for a value resort, using my annual pass discount. However, out of curiosity, I also got quotes for a one bedroom at Bonnet Creek. I was shocked that I could stay in a one bedroom at Bonnet Creek cheaper than I could stay at Pop Century, using my annual pass discount. I didn't need that much space, but why should I pay more to stay at a value resort, when I can pay less and stay in a one bedroom condo at a deluxe resort and have a fully equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, jacuzzi, walk in shower, king size bed, two TVs, balcony, two lazy rivers, multiple pools, pool slides, hot tubs, etc. I don't care for the Disney transportation, so would have rented a car anyway. With my annual pass, parking at the parks is free, so parking fees didn't figure into my thoughts. Of course, I went with Bonnet Creek. I love that Bonnet Creek is just a few minutes to Epcot and DS (closer than alot of the Disney owned resorts). You're at DS in like five minutes from when you leave the parking lot. I can't see us ever staying onsite again.

We are going to be back down there in about three weeks and really wanted to stay at Bonnet Creek (would be the fourth time in the last ten months), but couldn't get a ressie for our dates, so went with Blue Heron Resort instead. It's just offsite (like nine blocks from the DTD gates) and looks great, but I know we are going to miss Bonnet Creek. We have annual passes, so could get a discount on a room at WDW, but have no desire to ever stay onsite again in one of those tiny rooms. We love being able to spread out.

 

[aubriee]

oops, I didn't really answer your specific questions did I. Sorry!

I would get quotes from multiple third parties. Last May we rented from Vacation Strategy, in Sept we rented from Shelby Resorts, and in Dec we rented from Aaron Washburn. Shelby Resorts and Aaron Washburn both list on myresortnetwork.com. I also got quotes from Vacation Upgrades and Farrell's Resorts, as well as a person on ebay. Not sure how far out you can book, but I booked my Sept and Dec trips on the same day, just a few days after coming back from our early May trip.

I can't help you with the shuttles, except to say I saw them, they never looked crowded, and I believe they cost like $6.00/person/day. I believe they drop off pretty frequently in the mornings, but then slow down during the day, so if you like to come back during the afternoons, it may be a problem.

No resort fees. They have a mini golf course. Even it is free. You just have to check out the balls and clubs from I believe the main building.

Pros:
more space to spread out, washer and dryers in units means you can pack lighter and go home with clean clothes, more TVs, two bathrooms, a jacuzzi tub, a large walk in shower, a fully equipped kitchen (that comes in very handy, even if you don't want to cook meals), more pools to choose from, pool slides, two lazy rivers, mini golf course, planned kids activities, game room, free computers to use in the main building and tower 6, pretty walk way around the lake with swings and grills available, closer to the parks than alot of the Disney owned resorts

Cons:
if you don't have an annual pass you'll have to pay to park at the parks, no EMH, can't use DME, no package delivery from the parks, can't prebook fast passes