bonnet creek experts - opinions on deluxe vs presidential 2 bedroom

[disneyholic family]

as some of you know, i've been zigzagging about our 2017 trip..
i was all set to rent us a villa for 3 weeks, but in the end decided we'd be happier at the wyndham bonnet creek...

this is for 2017....
we'll need two 2 bedroom villas - both for 3 weeks..

the only question i have now is whether to go for the deluxe or the presidential..

any opinions on one vs the other?

thanks!

 

[Portugal1000]

I have always rented a two bed deluxe. I once enquired about renting a presidential and the people I rented from said it really wasn't worth paying the extra (even though it would have meant more money for them). I can't say enough good things about BC. Just paid my deposit for my 22 nights in August. Can't wait.

 

[disneyholic family]

I have always rented a two bed deluxe. I once enquired about renting a presidential and the people I rented from said it really wasn't worth paying the extra (even though it would have meant more money for them). I can't say enough good things about BC. Just paid my deposit for my 22 nights in August. Can't wait.

thanks!
so you only just reserved now for august 2016?
i would have thought that was late

 

[Portugal1000]

I book with Ken Price at www.vacationupgrades.com. Been using him since 2008. Never a single issue. I always book after I have my flights. Going for three weeks and there was still availability. No problem. Usually book in Feb/March. The year my brother came with us he booked end of April for late July.

 

[disneyholic family]

the resort looks really nice!!!
can you request a particular building?
are there better/worse buildings?
better locations?

 

[Portugal1000]

The first three times we stayed we requested main building and got it. Then started staying in tower 4 and that's our favourite building. Only once did we not get our first choice and that was when my brothers family stayed and we were in building 6 which was great for the kids. All buildings are nice, rooms the same but we love tower 4 as I swim in the pool early every morning. Never anyone there. Like the bar there too and close to main building. Can also park at main building, always loads of spaces. Good thing about being there three weeks is if they haven't got building you want when you first get there you can always move. We did that once, no issues.

 

[disneyholic family]

The first three times we stayed we requested main building and got it. Then started staying in tower 4 and that's our favourite building. Only once did we not get our first choice and that was when my brothers family stayed and we were in building 6 which was great for the kids. All buildings are nice, rooms the same but we love tower 4 as I swim in the pool early every morning. Never anyone there. Like the bar there too and close to main building. Can also park at main building, always loads of spaces. Good thing about being there three weeks is if they haven't got building you want when you first get there you can always move. We did that once, no issues.

oh, i didn't think of that option....good you mentioned it...
when i look at the map, buildings 4 and 6 look particularly good..

 

[Portugal1000]

I would be happy with any building on that side of the lake.
You can easily walk to any of the five pools and both lazy rivers. Even the sixth pool with the slide is a couple of minutes away. Only issue we ever had was when we were at building six. It was sometimes an issue to park. In the end we just carried on parking at main building and walked round which is a nice stroll especially after dinner. I walk round the lake at least a few times every day just to burn off a few calories! It really is a great resort. A real home from home for us. So happy we stumbled upon it back in 2007.

 

[wayneg]

Last year I booked with Ken at 60 days out, will be trying again this year. Booking any earlier will cost me $865 for 6 nights(1 bed deluxe) at 60 days out it drops to $655. No problem booking at 60 days out in high season last year so not expecting any problems this year.

 

[disneyholic family]

Last year I booked with Ken at 60 days out, will be trying again this year. Booking any earlier will cost me $865 for 6 nights(1 bed deluxe) at 60 days out it drops to $655. No problem booking at 60 days out in high season last year so not expecting any problems this year.

Even $865 is a good deal when you compare it to disney!!

.

 

[wayneg]

Even $865 is a good deal when you compare it to disney!!

.

It is compared to Disney but it works out at £101/nt, that is too high for me, plenty of hotels offsite at half that I would stay at. At the 60 day price (£76, which is what we paid for 2 bed deluxe last year) it is worth that little bit more than staying offsite.
It is just the 2 of us though, a standard offsite hotel room would be more than adequate this year.

 

[disneyholic family]

It is compared to Disney but it works out at £101/nt, that is too high for me, plenty of hotels offsite at half that I would stay at. At the 60 day price (£76, which is what we paid for 2 bed deluxe last year) it is worth that little bit more than staying offsite.
It is just the 2 of us though, a standard offsite hotel room would be more than adequate this year.

the same would be true for just the two of us, but this trip (in 2017) will be the two of us, plus daughter/son in law, and son/daughter-in-law and two grandchildren...... so we need the full kitchen etc....by the way, you met everyone but the two grandkids when we bumped into each other at DHS a few years back....the two grandkids didn't exist yet back then!

i had thought about a private villa, but decided it was worth spending more to be in a resort complex with all the amenities (multiple pools, etc.)...

we're going for two 2 bedrooms, rather than one 4 bedroom, to allow everyone a bit more privacy that way....it's more money to get 2 two-bedrooms, but i think it's worth it.....hopefully, they'll give us apartments near each other....that's something i'll have to check with them about..

i'm still waiting to see the free dining offer from disney UK....i know it's going to be more than bonnet creek, but it's a question of how much more......i'll crunch the numbers and decide...

 

[wayneg]

Yes you need to crunch the numbers. For us the free DDP hasn't been worth it for a few years now. When I take into account the crazy tips and beer at $7-8 (compared to about $3 offsite) plus paying over the odds for a room.
We also don't want Disney holidays like we did a few years back. We get more enjoyment from exploring more and doing less parks. Next week we set off to do another tour around the Deep South, looking forward to that far more than our Disney/Orlando trip later in the year.
I guess if we wanted Disney then the free DDP would be more appealing.

 

[Portugal1000]

I would love to wait until 6 weeks out to get a lower price but my nerves wouldn't take it. My husband wouldn't want to go unless he stayed at BC and it would be a pain if we couldn't get the full three weeks so I don't mind paying the extra. I think its still a great deal. We have friends who are going for the first time in August, obviously recommended BC but they were just too worried about booking something that wasn't through a normal hotel chain or something like booking.com. So they are paying nearly £3000 to stay in a 2 bedroom place somewhere else while Bonnet Creek would have cost them £1600.
We did love the free dining when we had it but its just not free anymore really. Its just so expensive to stay at SSR that no way I can justify it. To be honest though, I couldn't go back to SSR now after staying at BC. Just love it.

 

[wayneg]

Just love it.

I can totally see why you love it, and see why you will pay a premium to stay there when you use the facilities like you do.
For us it makes no difference if we are staying at BC or a Garden Inn at LBV. its a room to sleep and leave, we just don't use the resort, to me it's worth £10-20/night more than a standard room. If I used the facilities like you so I would gladly pay more.

 

[Portugal1000]

I can totally see why you love it, and see why you will pay a premium to stay there when you use the facilities like you do.
For us it makes no difference if we are staying at BC or a Garden Inn at LBV. its a room to sleep and leave, we just don't use the resort, to me it's worth £10-20/night more than a standard room. If I used the facilities like you so I would gladly pay more.

We seem to use the facilities at the resort more and more each year. Swim atleast twice a day and take part in lots of activities. Love the quizzes. Love just sitting listening to the guys who sing. Never see any drunk people at the pool despite there being alcohol on sale all day. Very relaxing and civilised. Best of both worlds. Close to the parks and like being close to all the off site restaurants we love.

 

[disneyholic family]

Yes you need to crunch the numbers. For us the free DDP hasn't been worth it for a few years now. When I take into account the crazy tips and beer at $7-8 (compared to about $3 offsite) plus paying over the odds for a room.
We also don't want Disney holidays like we did a few years back. We get more enjoyment from exploring more and doing less parks. Next week we set off to do another tour around the Deep South, looking forward to that far more than our Disney/Orlando trip later in the year.
I guess if we wanted Disney then the free DDP would be more appealing.

this is a disney only holiday (plus probably one day at universal for HP)...
DS and family haven't been there for over 5 years...
we've been planning this trip for a few years.....
taking the entire family is going to cost a pretty penny....i'm estimating 20,000 what with the airline tickets, WDW tickets, hotel rooms, food and of course at least a few souvenirs....
we just can't afford to do it more than every several years, if that often...

 

[disneyholic family]

We seem to use the facilities at the resort more and more each year. Swim atleast twice a day and take part in lots of activities. Love the quizzes. Love just sitting listening to the guys who sing. Never see any drunk people at the pool despite there being alcohol on sale all day. Very relaxing and civilised. Best of both worlds. Close to the parks and like being close to all the off site restaurants we love.

with the kidlets, i know we'll use the facilities a lot....the pools/playground/etc
and DD has already checked out the activities schedule and is planning on trivia at the very least!!

by the way, do you know how much the shuttle costs?

we'll have a rental van, but for the times DD and DSIL want to go off on their own, they'll want to use the shuttle (though i told them they might consider uber this time)..

 

[Portugal1000]

I think the shuttles are $8 to Disney. We used them a couple of times when they were free. My husband uses the Universal one every year as he comes back to BC when we stay at the Universal hotel then meets us there the next day. I think that is $20. Never used Uber. My brother drives a black taxi in London so I had to promise I never would. They will call you a normal yellow cab too.
We love the trivia quizzes. Especially Name that Groove and Decades Quiz. The kids will love all the pools. There's also a big arts and crafts room where they make lots of things. Good for when it gets too hot.