Bonnet Creek has me questioning my DVC contract

[photobob]

I was checking out a Bonnet Creek thread and can't believe how inexpensively you can stay there. I am planning for a trip next year during the first week of June. I own 180 points, a 2 BDR at SSR my home resort for 5 nights during that time is 215 points, if I decide to stay for an entire week it is 313 points.

If I can get a two bedroom at the 60 day mark at Bonnet Creek it is $120 per night. Seven nights for $840, my maintenance fees alone are $802 per year. The photos of the 2 bedrooms looks every bit as nice if not nicer than the DVC villas I've stayed at.

I guess the biggest question is whether the benefits of staying at DVC resorts is worth staying with. I obviously thought so when I first bought my contract. I do really my DVC stays and was probably as thrilled as anyone can be when we first joined. We've stayed at BWV, SSR, VWL and VB, enjoyed them all particularly BWV and VB.

The point reallocation really hit us pretty hard since we have a small contract and were planning on getting as much as we could going Sun-Thurs. I don't really feel disillusioned but my DVC contract just doesn't seem to have the same value that it once did. I am truly struggling with this and am trying to decide whether I should sell my contract. Anyone else feeling this way?

 

[dianeschlicht]

I was checking out a Bonnet Creek thread and can't believe how inexpensively you can stay there. I am planning for a trip next year during the first week of June. I own 180 points, a 2 BDR at SSR my home resort for 5 nights during that time is 215 points, if I decide to stay for an entire week it is 313 points.

If I can get a two bedroom at the 60 day mark at Bonnet Creek it is $120 per night. Seven nights for $840, my maintenance fees alone are $802 per year. The photos of the 2 bedrooms looks every bit as nice if not nicer than the DVC villas I've stayed at.

I guess the biggest question is whether the benefits of staying at DVC resorts is worth staying with. I obviously thought so when I first bought my contract. I do really my DVC stays and was probably as thrilled as anyone can be when we first joined. We've stayed at BWV, SSR, VWL and VB, enjoyed them all particularly BWV and VB.

The point reallocation really hit us pretty hard since we have a small contract and were planning on getting as much as we could going Sun-Thurs. I don't really feel disillusioned but my DVC contract just doesn't seem to have the same value that it once did. I am truly struggling with this and am trying to decide whether I should sell my contract. Anyone else feeling this
way?

If you don't mind not having the on-site amenities like bus transportation to and from your resort every 20 minutes, Extra Magic hours or ME, then perhaps having a Bonnet Creek contract might fit your needs well. We prefer having the EMH and buses back to our resort any time we want, so it would be hard for us to give that up now.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I've never stayed at Bonnet Creek. Does it make you feel like you're at Disney?

I've tried staying off site a few times for short vacations and I've never been as happy as I am when I'm on site. We have Marriott points from DH's work and could stay for free at any number of Orlando resorts, still, when I wanted a get away in 2 weeks for a weekend no less, ...I used points and we're staying at SSR.

Bobbi

 

[Nikisha421]

Don't forget to factor in the extra expenses that will come with staying off site....maybe a rental car, gas, traffic, parking for me anyway...but if it turns out to be a cost cutting measure then you have to do what's financially best....

 

[Chuck S]

Bonnet Creek appears to be a lovely resort, and it is certainly a personal choice. But I still prefer to be onsite.

 

[Tara]

I'm with Diane - I can't imagine giving up on-site benefits like EMH or even something simple like room charge and package delivery. And my son would probably file for emancipation if he had to give up Stacey on resort TV.

 

[TisBit]

I agree you have to look at everything. You can easily stay at a number of offsite locations and save money, even with a rental car. We rented a house when there was a large group of us going, four bedrooms (two masters) for about 1200 dollars for 8 days. We had our own pool and it was a lot of fun, worked great for that trip. We had AP's so we got free parking, but it doesn't make me want to give up my DVC, just know I can do something different if I want.

Maybe do Bonnet Creek every other year and DVC the other year. While the point reallocation was big and affected a lot of people, I really think they purposely over allocated in order to break peoples vacation habits and in the next few years (3-5 years IMO) you will see them slowly adjust back a bit making weekends more expensive, just not as expensive as they were.

 

[Brian Noble]

I've never stayed at Bonnet Creek. Does it make you feel like you're at Disney?

Yes and no. In addition to the obvious lack of Disney perks, there are none of the little things---the hidden mickeys, the KTTW, etc. etc. etc. However, Stacy's Must-Dos loops on one of the resort TV channels, you never have to pass a "See You Real Soon" sign to get back home, and depending on what room you get, you can have some stunning views of Epcot with the castle off in the distance.

But, it's "not Disney." For some people, that *really* matters. For others, it's less important. Ultimately, that's what this question comes down to. DVC makes sense primarily if you can't imagine enjoying an offsite stay. If that's you, then it almost doesn't matter how much more expensive it is to buy DVC than buying Wyndham (or Marriott, or Sheraton, or Hilton) resale. You just can't replicate the "Disney experience" offsite, and if you won't be happy without that experience, then saving money isn't really the question.

But, if you can imagine yourself staying off-property but nearby and still being happy, then it is very hard to make the case for DVC's price premium.

Don't forget to factor in the extra expenses that will come with staying off site.

About half my stays are offsite, and half are on. Figure a rental car plus gas for a week at about $300 (usually I can do better). Theme park parking for seven days is another $100 or so. You can easily get a 2BR condo at one of the nicer timeshare resorts---or a privately-owned 3BR townhome with its own private plunge pool---for around $1000 give or take for a week. The $1400 total is the same or less than what a DVC owner would pay in just Dues for a 2BR Magic Season week depending on resort---and you don't have to lay out the big chunk of capital for a purchase. Orlando is *full* of luxurious condos, townhomes and pool homes available for rent, and even in stronger economic times, competition is fierce; it's a renter's market. And, if you're like me and usually rent a car even onsite, the comparison tips even farther.

The ownership question is similar. If you wanted to own at Bonnet Creek, you could buy enough points (perpetually deeded, not RTU) for a 2BR week any time of year on the resale market for less than $2500---probably a lot less, as you don't really need home resort priority for a 2BR at Bonnet except maybe the week between Christmas and New Years (and probably not even then). Annual fees on those points would be about $1,175. That's actually a little more expensive than renting in many cases, but if you need to go e.g. Easter, Christmas, or President's Week then owning gives you a little more certainty that you can get it at a known price.

 

[Granny]

I guess the biggest question is whether the benefits of staying at DVC resorts is worth staying with.

One of the benefits of DVC that Bonnet Creek doesn't offer (in addition to those noted above) is that you are not locked in to a single location.

With all the trips to WDW that we make, the variety of resorts is an important part of our DVC membership. It keeps the trips fresh and we have found something to like about every resort we've stayed at.

Not a big consideration compared to the financial part, but for us it is important.

If you are strictly looking at financial aspects, it will always be less expensive to stay off-site. I guess the question is whether BC feels like it is on-site.

 

[jade1]

an entire week it is 313 points.

Maybe just rent your points for $3000 and try it out for $840?

 

[Brian Noble]

One of the benefits ... that Bonnet Creek doesn't offer ... is that you are not locked in to a single location.

Not at all true. Bonnet Creek is part of the "Club Wyndham Plus" timeshare program, a points-based program that in some ways has a setup similar to DVC. You have points deeded at a particular resort, with a home resort priority period, and also a period where you can use your points at *any* resort with availability. Wyndham has *more* options than DVC---with Club resorts in more than 40 different locations in the US.

Edited: here's a link to the resort directory. The Affiliate and Associate resorts have very little inventory in the system, and can be safely ignored, but that still leaves a large set of resorts to choose from.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/wyndham/memberdirectory0910/

 

[JimMIA]

One of the benefits of DVC that Bonnet Creek doesn't offer (in addition to those noted above) is that you are not locked in to a single location.

You're really not locked in to one location with Wyndham either. Bonnet Creek is the only Wyndham resort immediately adjacent to WDW, but it's not the only choice. There are two very nice Wyndham resorts in Kissimee, and one on I-Drive (which doesn't look like it ought to be compared to DVC). But, in addition, there are multiple easy exchanges through RCI in the immediately-adjacent WDW area.

You're not locked in, but you are locked out of being onsite. That's the real difference. I've never heard anyone say there is a better alternative for a Disney vacation than DVC, but there are a LOT of other options.

If you are strictly looking at financial aspects, it will always be less expensive to stay off-site. I guess the question is whether BC feels like it is on-site.

We have not stayed there yet, but our next Disney trip will probably be to BC because we just bought a Wyndham resale to augment our DVC. The resort looks beautiful and the reviews are very good. I don't think it "feels" like on-site, but it's a beautiful lakeside property with two very large pool complexes (both with lazy rivers) and a third smaller pool.

The accommodations are somewhat larger than most DVC resorts (1 BR 902 Sq ft, 2 BR 1257 sq ft), slightly smaller than OKW. They also offer three- and 4-bedroom options for larger groups.

There seem to be a reasonable number of activities offered -- lazy river races, fitness facilities, dive-in movies, etc - but there is not much dining on the property, just a bar/pizza place and a grill for sandwiches and snacks. On the bright side, there are numerous dining opportunities from super-casual to fine dining within a 15-20 minute drive.

 

[Brian Noble]

there is not much dining on the property, just a bar/pizza place and a grill for sandwiches and snacks.

Now that the Hilton and Waldorf are open, there are many more choices---and they are within a reasonable walk in decent weather for those without mobility issues. When the Wyndham hotel property is finished, there will be options even more conveniently located.

 

[JimMIA]

Not at all true. Bonnet Creek is part of the "Club Wyndham Plus" timeshare program, a points-based program that in some ways has a setup similar to DVC. You have points deeded at a particular resort, with a home resort priority period, and also a period where you can use your points at *any* resort with availability. Wyndham has *more* options than DVC---with Club resorts in more than 40 different locations in the US.

Edited: here's a link to the resort directory. The Affiliate and Associate resorts have very little inventory in the system, and can be safely ignored, but that still leaves a large set of resorts to choose from.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/wyndham/memberdirectory0910/

I haven't counted them, but I believe there are more than 60 Wyndham Club Plus resorts - that's not counting the "affilaite/associates." In the directory, you will see many cities listed that have multiple Wyndham resorts (4 in Orlando, several in Myrtle Beach, several in Pompano Beach, etc).

In addition, with Wyndham you get full RCI membership (free), which opens up more than 4,000 additional resorts worldwide.

My personal opinion is that Wyndham is NOT the timeshare of choice for a WDW vacations -- DVC is. But it is certainly a very good program that you can pick up for very little money on eBay if you do your research well and understand the program a little before you leap in. It's much better for places other than WDW than DVC...including Hawaii and Disneyland.

[ETA: The above is not directed to Brian -- HE's one of my main sources for all things Wyndham! It's just info for the general readers of this thread.]

 

[tjkraz]

We have enough DVC points for our needs now but before I consider another add-on purchase, I will definitely look into Bonnet Creek. I agree many of the sentiments here about how BC is quite a bit cheaper than DVC. I researched it a couple years back and you can buy into Wyndham for a song via resale. One drawback is that the system appears far more complicated than DVC with many except/but rules and different tiers of membership.

I wouldn't want to give up my DVC because I do enjoy the on-site experience and many of the member perks. But I could certainly stomach a few days "off-site" (barely) in return for the long-term savings compared to DVC. The BC resort looks like a fine destination, and I could see us using point for other destinations in that system.

Just no pressing reason to do it now.

 

[Brian Noble]

One drawback is that the system appears far more complicated than DVC with many except/but rules and different tiers of membership.

The tiers are generally nothing more than a smokescreen that the sales staff uses to try to explain away the difference between resale and developer pricing. If you actually look at the perks, they're not worth anything near what they cost, so you can safely ignore them. And, that's not surprising, as Sales has to pay for the perks, so they *have* to be worth less than they cost.

The system isn't quite as flexible as DVC. For example, the minimum stay is generally two nights, and there are a few other restrictions for peak-season reservations made more than 90 days in advance. It's also not as simple as DVC, and the system has some fees that are either pure nuisances or ways to get people who impose costs on the system to pay for them, depending on which side of the line you fall on.

My personal opinion is that Wyndham is NOT the timeshare of choice for a WDW vacations -- DVC is

I could certainly stomach a few days "off-site" (barely)

These are both examples of my bottom-line assessment: for some, there's Disney, and there's "not Disney." If that describes you, then it really doesn't matter that Wyndham is less expensive because, well, it's "not Disney."

To the OP: renting your points out one year and giving it a try isn't a bad idea. You'll get a sense if you're a "Disney only" person, or not. You might find that you are, in which case you can put this to bed. If you find that you are not, well, then use it to augment your DVC stays. I confess that, while I give the edge to my DVC stays over those offsite, I don't prefer it enough to justify the premium. That's why Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors.

 

[zalansky]

I am glad to see this post. I too, stumbled upon the BC adoration thread a few weeks ago which also had me questioning whether I should be purchasing a resale on Ebay to offset my DVC membership. For now, I can't do it. I can try and rent points on Ebay, should I choose, which I think (?) would cost me less than dues each year.

I never considered for a moment to give up my DVC. For me, I can't give up my Disney theming. It can't be beat, no price difference iw worth it to me.

But I agree with others, that BC definitely has me questioning future possible stays there. To the OP - What I would do is rent one of those stays at BC for the cheap on Ebay FIRST, go and see if you like it. Then consider if it might be something you're interested in doing. And if you do, report back!

 

[JimMIA]

One drawback is that the system appears far more complicated than DVC with many except/but rules and different tiers of membership.

You know, Tim, it really isn't if you buy resale.

The different tiers are not worth having (in the opinion of most folks who seem to know what they are talking about) and you only get most of those if you buy direct from Wyndham...which would be nuts, IMHO.

There are many similarities to DVC that make the learning curve easier (you find yourself saying, "Okay credit pooling is just banking by another name with one major difference -- you have to do it BEFORE your UY starts."). Like any system, there are nuances to learn, but not that many if you are comparing the Wyndham internal system with the DVC internal usage.

When you get into exchanging through RCI, it's a lot more complicated than DVC, but that's because you have thousands of more options and many ways to get great bargains instead of one points value for every one of the very limited options DVC/RCI offers.

 

[Anal Annie]

Personally, I can't IMAGINE not staying onsite now after all these years! We use DME to save on rental car expenses and are fine with the Disney buses & water taxis being our chauffeur to / from everything. Then there's being able to walk to some parks from some resorts. And we LOVE having EMH's!! OH MY! Can't imagine trying to get in our mandatory 4 rides on EE without that perk!! It just wouldn't be Disney without staying onsite (especially for what I would call minimal savings that you're talking about here)!!

 

[spiceycat]

does wyndham charge for every reservations (except to your home resort)?

stayed at BC because of all the hype. the villa itself was not as nice as Hilton or Marriott - both are much better. It has the same thing going for it as DVC - location. but DVC villas are much more up to date and make sense.

if it was not that close to WDW - it would be just another Wyndham. Wyndham are fairly easy to get on RCI (except BC - because of location)