Bonnet Creek Resort

[southernbelle5672]

I saw signs for this resort as we were driving around on Disney property, is it considered an "on-property" resort? We are thinking about staying here some time in the future. Is it nice? Any reviews out there? What times are the buses "scheduled" to pick up and drive to Disneyworld? Do you still have to pay Disney parking if you drive?

 

[dawnn12]

its not owned by disney its owned by fairfield(they were bought out by someone i cant think of who right now) its a great resort and some of the units have great views(last time we stayed there we could watch the epcot fireworks) they have a great lazy river and a few other things there are people who sell one ebay and you can get a vaca. kinda cheap thru them. each unit has a kitchen so if you have a car you can get stuff so you dont have to eat out the whole time(we did b-fast and one some lunches there(we went back after the water park ate changed then went to a reg park its a great location about 5 mins from epcot and maybe 10 from magic)hth

 

[ntsammy5]

WYNDHAM - it is a very, very nice place to stay.

 

[southernbelle5672]

I have searched through some of the threads and heard some people talking about renting the condos through people who own them. Is the the only way to do it or just the most frugal?

 

[Lisa P.]

As of October 2009, Bonnet Creek Resort will include the Wyndham timeshare resort condos, the new Hilton convention hotel and the new Waldorf=Astoria luxury hotel, spa and golf resort. Next year, a new Wyndham deluxe hotel and convention center will join the Wyndham timeshare resort as well.

For now, the best way to rent nights at the Wyndham timeshare is through existing Wyndham points owners. Owners may be found through eBay, TUG's Marketplace or RedWeek listings or referrals around here. If you try to rent directly through Wyndham, you'll likely be obligated to take a high-pressure sales tour or pay higher rates so check the fine print or details. Sometimes, wholesalers like Expedia will have limited availability and may be worth a look. Cancellation policies vary widely so check before you pay. Also, this resort exchanges through RCI, so if you have a timeshare week that trades through RCI, you may be able to get an exchange into a 1BR or 2BR that way. HTH.

 

[Upatnoon]

This place is perfect for families who don't want to be crammed into the tiny rooms on disney property.

If you watch your deals on ebay, you can get a giant 2 bedroom with a kitchen for less than $100 a night. Just check the completed listings.

For the space and amenities you get, you would have to spend thousands more to stay on Disney property.

They do have bus service, but it isn't as frequent as staying in a disney resort. However, with all the money you are saving you can afford to pay for parking or a couple of cab rides.

If you are just a couple, or have only one kid, I'd say just stay on property. But if you are 4 or more, you won't be disappointed you stayed there.

 

[kldalrymple]

We absolutely love Bonnet Creek (the Wyndham timeshare property). We stayed there last April for the first time, got a decent deal on a 2 BR unit off ebay. The condo was very roomy with a full kitchen, 2 full baths (one glamour), washer/dryer, etc - all the usual appointments but nicer than most.

We were going back to WDW in September on the free dining offer, staying at CSR. However, we had to change our plans to early June and had to scramble a bit to decide where to stay. We ran across an ebay listing on Bonnet Creek for 7 nights in a 2 BR for just under $800. We needed 9 nights and the owner had enough points to make an extra 2-night reservation for us for an extra $200 (total $1000). We were able to use the ebay/live.com cash back offer to save 8% ($80), so we ended up getting 9 nights in a 2 BR unit at Bonnet Creek for $920 net. We were thrilled with the price. This was even better than what I paid last April and this was for early June!

This place is extremely nice, relatively upscale furnishings, good views, nice pool and lazy river, putt-putt golf on-site, etc. The bus schedules are not particularly plentiful or as convenient as I would like, so we always drive to the parks. I would highly recommend the same for anyone staying there unless you just want to go to one park per day and stay until it closes. I think the location can't be beat for "off property" lodging of this quality. My only real complaint is that the parking lots are a little "tight", meaning that it feels a bit cramped to me. The parking garage that was close to our building was roomy enough, but a farther haul to the entrance.

Other than that, I think the place is fantastic and is a great value if you can rent directly from the owner via ebay or vrbo or something like that. I've never seen 2 BR units for less than $200 per night or so on any of the major travel vendors (Expedia, etc.) or on the Wyndham site, so I would definitely try the direct rental route if you can.

 

[Lisa AF]

We are renting from Ken Price, vacationupgrades.com. He's been wonderful to work with. Many other Disers have used him in the past and I have seen nothing but positive reviews.

 

[Cdn Gal]

Warch out though- be warned!!! You may love it too much like we did and buy into the resort! We absolutley LOVED the whole experience and after alot of research, decided that this was not only a good investment (if you buy resale) but also something that will save us $$ is the long run. Hope you enjoy your stay if you go, but remember- I'm warning you!

 

[DisneyDazed]

We went through Ken as well and he was simply amazing. A fabulous place you will not regret staying there.

 

[Silverscreen]

Another vote for lovin' it!! We stayed last Nov in a 4BR presidential suite!! My parents are Wyndham (formerly Fairfield) owners. It was Ammmmmmazing!! We did use their bus transportation just cause we were a big group and didn't feel like driving. It was great with the exception of the DTD bus as they don't run too often there.

All other areas were 10++++++

Have a great time!!

 

[lawgs]

We absolutely love Bonnet Creek (the Wyndham timeshare property). We stayed there last April for the first time, got a decent deal on a 2 BR unit off ebay. The condo was very roomy with a full kitchen, 2 full baths (one glamour), washer/dryer, etc - all the usual appointments but nicer than most.

We were going back to WDW in September on the free dining offer, staying at CSR. However, we had to change our plans to early June and had to scramble a bit to decide where to stay. We ran across an ebay listing on Bonnet Creek for 7 nights in a 2 BR for just under $800. We needed 9 nights and the owner had enough points to make an extra 2-night reservation for us for an extra $200 (total $1000). We were able to use the ebay/live.com cash back offer to save 8% ($80), so we ended up getting 9 nights in a 2 BR unit at Bonnet Creek for $920 net. We were thrilled with the price. This was even better than what I paid last April and this was for early June!

This place is extremely nice, relatively upscale furnishings, good views, nice pool and lazy river, putt-putt golf on-site, etc. The bus schedules are not particularly plentiful or as convenient as I would like, so we always drive to the parks. I would highly recommend the same for anyone staying there unless you just want to go to one park per day and stay until it closes. I think the location can't be beat for "off property" lodging of this quality. My only real complaint is that the parking lots are a little "tight", meaning that it feels a bit cramped to me. The parking garage that was close to our building was roomy enough, but a farther haul to the entrance.

Other than that, I think the place is fantastic and is a great value if you can rent directly from the owner via ebay or vrbo or something like that. I've never seen 2 BR units for less than $200 per night or so on any of the major travel vendors (Expedia, etc.) or on the Wyndham site, so I would definitely try the direct rental route if you can.

we just got a 2 bedroom for next january/february through RCI exchange, our "total" cost works out to be 23.43 a night

 

[Janet Hill]

we just got a 2 bedroom for next january/february through RCI exchange, our "total" cost works out to be 23.43 a night

Was this determined by dividing your RCI exchange fee by 7, or did you include the maintenance fees on the unit you traded as well. Afterall, if this is a trade the only fair way to determine cost per night would be to include the maintenance fees that were paid for the unit that was exchanged.

 

[ntsammy5]

Afterall, if this is a trade the only fair way to determine cost per night would be to include the maintenance fees that were paid for the unit that was exchanged.

Don't forget taxes!

This is why I'm not sold on buying time share - I can get better deals elsewhere. Look at Ebay and see what points are selling for sometime.

 

[Brian Noble]

My typical RCI exchange costs anywhere between $300 and $750 for a week, plus any resort-imposed fees. It depends on the deposit I am using to obtain the week. This includes everything: exchange fees, maintenance fees/taxes on the underlying week/points, and an opportunity cost of 7% on the purchase cost of the week/points.

My 2009 exchanges are:

* A 2BR at Mountain Run at Boyne to ski over MLK weekend (we only used three nights, and threw the other four away): $300.
* A 2BR at OKW for Mardi Gras week (this was through Interval, not RCI): $725 + the $95 DVC fee.
* A 2BR at Wyndham Smoky Mountains coming up in another few weeks: $500.
* A 2BR at Bonnet Creek for mid-July: $365.

It's probably fair to add a few additional annual expenses to all of this: the $15 for TUG, and probably another $100 or so per year in minor nuisance fees here or there.

That said, I don't encourage timeshare as a money-saving strategy. In particular, it's pretty easy to stay cheaply in Orlando, because there are just so many options available---much more supply than demand. It's really a lifestyle purchase. We are taking more vacations now that we own timeshare, so we're not really saving anything compared to what we spent prior to owning. We're spending more.

But, we are having a lot more fun, we've gone to a few places we probably wouldn't have thought about before, and we're doing it pretty affordably.

 

[Janet Hill]

Don't forget taxes!

This is why I'm not sold on buying time share - I can get better deals elsewhere. Look at Ebay and see what points are selling for sometime.

I agree completely if Orlando is your primary destination. However, the great deals are not as easily accessible for other destinations. I can get Southern California, Phuket Thailand, Aruba, Curacao, Canary Islands, and other out of the way locations for a lot cheaper via timeshares than anything I've seen on ebay.

As with Brian Noble, we've not saved money with our timeshares, because we travel more and to destinations, that we never would have gone had it not been for our timeshares.

 

[lawgs]

Was this determined by dividing your RCI exchange fee by 7, or did you include the maintenance fees on the unit you traded as well. Afterall, if this is a trade the only fair way to determine cost per night would be to include the maintenance fees that were paid for the unit that was exchanged.

since we did not pay any MF on the banked unit, the total was/is as described above

 

[barbaraann]

It is good to hear good reviews about Bonnet Creek. I will be staying there in August for 3 nights, after spending 6 nights at Pop Century. This will be a way for me to use the bonus points that I was given when I bought into Glacier Canyon Lodge at the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells.

We are renting a car, so just in case the bus service to the Disney parks is not dependable, we have a backup. Of course, we do need the car also for the trip back to the airport in Orlando.

If I like it well enough, I am hoping I can return there in October and finally get to attend the Halloween party at the Magic Kingdom.