Comparisons of Bonnet Creek vs. Onsite

[Hannahsmom]

We are in the middle of a stay at Bonnet Creek this week. I have to say, the resort is beautiful, clean and well taken care of. Our 2 bd/ 2 bath condo is very clean, well stocked and all the furnishings are all in great shape.

Now that being said, I miss staying on site. Staying in a condo is too much like being in my house, in a bad way. For example, I woke up this morning and made coffee, unloaded the dishwasher, started a load of laundry and made breakfast. This is exactly how I start my day at home. It is nice to have a kitchen so we don't have to wait an hour to eat, but it really isn't vacationy feeling, KWIM?

The other issue is the transportation. Although bus service is offered, it is scheduled and not continuous. Which really cuts into our flexibility.

I will write more after we get home.

 

[Brian Noble]

I would never, ever stay at Bonnet Creek without my own car.

I *love* the condo experience---I never stay onsite in anything less than a 1BR DVC unit (which also has a full kitchen and in-unit laundry), so our onsite and offsite stays tend to look really similar. For me, the convenice of the kitchen is a huge win, and the in-unit laundry means that I can pack light.

That said, some people really prefer the hotel style of vacation, and some of the DVC resorts "married to" hotels can provide many of those conveniences with the full condo as well. Our past onsite stays have all been at OKW. Our next one will be BCV, so it will be interesting to compare the two experiences.

 

[sympatico]

I agree that I would never stay off site without a car.
But you don't have to get up and make coffee, load dishwashers and do laundry in your room. You can maybe make coffee but then go out to eat and when it comes time to do laundry you can take it to a room somewhere in the resort and wait for it there instead of in the comfort of your own condo or better still don't do any laundry and take it home dirty. What do you do with your laundry when you stay onsite?
We stay in vacation homes but I don't cook meals. We usually go out to eat. But when I do just want to grab a sandwich for lunch or toast in the morning it's there and easy to do.
You can do exactly the same as you do onsite but with more room to spread out. And probably save enough money to eat out all of your stay.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

No one is forcing you to do all of that, that was your choice Enjoy yourself and not do it if it bothers you that much.
It is a plus to have those things there. If someone doesn't want to do them, they don't have to. On the same same token, if they do, then by all means, it's a God send to have all that at your finger-tips..

As far as a bus, the on site bus is not the greatest either. Have you ever gotten stuck at the MK closing time I have waited 45 minutes for a bus back to the resorts.. on site resorts.. Port Orleans to be exact as well as the Beach Club. When staying at the Values I have waited over that. I like my own car with me on site & off site, so for me the car deal is the same.. my own.

 

[floydfamily4]

You know I have been thinking about similar things in my planning. We are staying at WH in a 3bdr which I am sure will be beautiful, etc. but still a townhouse. I have decided that even though at home I never use paper good I will be buying plates, cups, etc. because I am not going to be washing a bunch of dishes. I also decided that since we are saving money we will only do breakfast at the resort with the exception of our princess breakfast and then we will do another meal. I want to "feel" like I am on vacation too! So, yes, I know what you mean but I am going to "gently" encourage you to make your coffee (I heard the coffee at WDW is terrible) and sit by a window or balcony and rest yourself Mama! We mama's are like the energizer bunnies but sometimes we have to pull our own plug!! Have fun and looking forward to the rest of your thoughts

 

[Hannahsmom]

Okay, now we are home I can finish my short review. I will keep it to bullet points so I don't ramble. I will say these are my opinions only. And I have learned that I am an onsite hotel person and not an offsite condo person.

Pros of Bonnet Creek

* It is a very pretty, well taken care of resort.
* The condo we had was in excellent condition, the furnishings and decor was also in the same condition.
* The kitchen was surprisingly well stocked with almost everything you would ever need. Coffee maker, blender, toaster, hand mixer, can opener and bottle opener, etc.. The only thing we couldn't find that we needed was a cookie sheet.
* The pools are beautiful and themed nicely. There are multiple large hot tubs around the pool areas.
* It is a true resort, with activities and entertainment poolside.
* Most of the staff we encountered were friendly.
* It was nice having a washer/dryer in our unit.
* The location of the resort was so close to everything, it didn't really feel offsite (in that respect, anyways).

Cons of our trip (from my personal perspective)

* It lacked the "magical" feeling.
* Not having the flexibility of continuous transportation options. Let me explain further, we were traveling with my parents on this trip who are not AP holders. So they would have to pay $12 to park, so instead we traveled together in our car to avoid the charge. But that also meant we had to travel as a group. And to some extent it was nice not to have to deal with waiting for a bus but traveling to MK was a hassle. My husband likes not having to use our car while there, so for him this was a minus.
* As nice as it was to have a kitchen, we missed the freeing feeling the DP gives us. We call it brainless vacationing. Since all the meals are planned far in advance, we don't have to think about what is for dinner each night. And certainly don't have to cook it and clean up after it. We did eat out 2 nights at Chef Mickey's and Boma's, paying OP for these meals. And we certainly miss not having to think about how much the meals cost. Can you say sticker shock?
* I'm not sure why, but we encountered a lot of really rude guests at Bonnet Creek. There were a few very large groups traveling together that thought they were the only people staying at the resort that left their manners at home. Thankfully, we only really were irritated was at the pool. The two pools we used did not have life guards, so no one to keep the peace. Although, I came close to losing it one afternoon, when one of the large groups saved every chair under the pergola at the main pool. Only for them to go unsused all day. We left around dinner time, so I can't say what happened after that. The other rub was when my father went down at 5:45 Sun. morning to get a cart to take our stuff out, they were all gone. He asked one of custodians about more carts and was told that people hold them in their rooms overnight to use in the morning. Nice. But my favorite rude guest moment was Sat. night we witnessed some one pull parking cones out of the back of their truck to hold there spot in the parking lot.
* The pool we used had a pool bar, which would have been nice if it hadn't closed so early. I can't remember exactly the time, but I think around 7?

I think that is it, overall it was not one of our best vacations. The weather was just okay and the crowds were more than we like, but we expected this traveling over July 4th. I do appreciate not having to wait with the masses for a table every night to eat, which is why decided to go the condo route this trip. But the next time we go we'll go back to onsite.

 

[shortbusmom]

we have stayed both onsite and offsite at condo (DVC and Bonnet Creek)

our major issue with Bonnet's Creek was the transportation or lack of transportation--the bus is scheduled and not very often-- and the week we were there they didn't have a handicap bus -- so husband and daughter friend had to help lift wheelchairs up and out of bus because the busdriver wasn't going to that not part of the job-- if they didn't help with the wheelchair that family would have to get a taxi to take them over to the parks --I would rather wait 20 minutes for Disney transportation then have to worry about missing the bus and waiting several hours for the next bus.

I do like having a washer and dryer so that is a plus at both locations-- less to pack and don't have to worry about laundry when I get home

I did find the people to be rude at Bonnet Creek they seem to not really care about others and only themselves

I know that i will only be staying on property at a Disney resort from now on.


this is my feelings about the matter.

 

[Hannahsmom]

I did find the people to be rude at Bonnet Creek they seem to not really care about others and only themselves

I'm glad you noticed the same thing. I normally am not bothered by people around me, but it was really hard to look past the behavior of the other guest.

 

[Brian Noble]

I can say the same thing about OKW---we've stayed there for the past three trips, and every single time, "guests" hold pool chairs literally all day with towels, despite the signs asking them not to. Extremely annoying.

Sadly, no one property has a corner on rude "guests."

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Thanks for the info on Bonnett Creek.

 

[Melissa07090]

We are staying at Bonnet Creek in September for our honeymoon. One thing we definitely planned to do was to have a car. That way if we want to go to Downtown Disney or to eat at resort we can without a problem. Also we thought the advantage to the kitchen would be so we didn't have to worry about getting up and out for breakfast. It would save us a few bucks as well. Also who knows if we will end up doing laundry but it is a nice option.

I had two questions though:
Do they have an on site store where you can buy things like cereal, coffee or tea?
Do they provide the laundry detergent.

 

[Chuck S]

we have stayed both onsite and offsite at condo (DVC and Bonnet Creek)

our major issue with Bonnet's Creek was the transportation or lack of transportation--the bus is scheduled and not very often-- and the week we were there they didn't have a handicap bus -- so husband and daughter friend had to help lift wheelchairs up and out of bus because the busdriver wasn't going to that not part of the job-- if they didn't help with the wheelchair that family would have to get a taxi to take them over to the parks --I would rather wait 20 minutes for Disney transportation then have to worry about missing the bus and waiting several hours for the next bus.

I do like having a washer and dryer so that is a plus at both locations-- less to pack and don't have to worry about laundry when I get home

I did find the people to be rude at Bonnet Creek they seem to not really care about others and only themselves

I know that i will only be staying on property at a Disney resort from now on.


this is my feelings about the matter.

Isn't providing a wheelchair/ECV compatible bus an ADA requirement? I'm surprised they didn't call you some sort of special transportation.

 

[TerBear4]

I had two questions though:
Do they have an on site store where you can buy things like cereal, coffee or tea?
Do they provide the laundry detergent.

They have a small gift shop with a few food items, however, I would recommend if you have your own car to drive over to Publix or Walmart. We cound the Publix and Walgreens very convienent when we needed a few things.

If I remember correctly they do provide a small bit of laundry detergent. I would bring those new Purex sheets. Easy to pack and use. They do provide coffee and filters, as well as dishwashing detergent.

 

[kreed]

We have stayed on site and off site at Bonnet Creek and felt I should offer some insight from our perspective. We are a family of 2 adults and 3 teens (17,16,13). We must stay in a 2 bedroom condo when we travel for it to be a "vacation" for all of us. That is why we really love Bonnet Creek. We have stayed on site when they were younger and even though we rented a little larger unit on the DVC board from an owner, it was very cramped for all of us. I have priced staying on site in a 2 br villa and it runs about 400.00 or 450.00 per night renting from an owner on the DVC board. This seems to be the cheapest way as it is much more renting through Disney. Renting a 2 BR at Bonnet Creek for 150.00 a night works much better for us. This saves us 1750.00 just in lodging alone. This will buy us dinners on all nights at a Disney restaurant for about 150.00 per night and our air fare there. I am so sorry that you experienced rude people at Bonnet Creek and not at the disney resorts, but I have found the majority of people on and off site to be decent people with basically decent manners. Once again, I really do believe it depends on your situation, especially if the kids are young and small and small hotel rooms don't bother you, then the magic you experience on site has more of a value and it is worth more to stay on site. We do rent a car and drive to the parks and I do agree with everyone that you should have a car when you stay off site. When we stayed on site we preferred to rent a car also and do some things outside of the park area. My teens still love returning to Disney and they do talk about the years they stayed at the Boardwalk resort on site. They also have made special memories of staying at Bonnet Creek, like being able to sit on the balcony and see the fireworks.

 

[TotoToo]

I can say the same thing about OKW---we've stayed there for the past three trips, and every single time, "guests" hold pool chairs literally all day with towels, despite the signs asking them not to. Extremely annoying.

Sadly, no one property has a corner on rude "guests."

Agreed times 3. I've never seen the level of rudeness and entitlement I saw at DVC resorts at any other location. I can understand that paying the inflated prices makes one think you deserve far more than you get, but taking it out on other guests just makes it worse for everyone. There may not be a corner on the "rude guests" but I would nominate DVC resorts as the most likely to offer them.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

While I cannot speak for rude guests at Bonnet Creek since I have not stayed there yet, I can tell you, that I have encountered rude guests at every level hotel I have stayed at (not every hotel, but level). I have stayed at Poly Concierge & Royal Pacific Concierge all the way down to Comfort Inn & Suites.. and yes, rude guests have been at all levels.. it doesn't matter where you are (be it Bonnet Creek or DVC, Disney or off property, if someone thinks they are better than you, they are going to flaunt it. and that is what makes me laugh, that is when you know you are better than them So I move on to what I am doing and ignore their rudness.. heck the rude ones go into all the theme parks everyday. Seems that they must leave their mannors at home.. so if you don't encounter them at the resort you are staying in, you will get them in the park.. it is a part of life. Life is too short to worry about someone elses faults.. move on and enjoy your vacation.. just because they want to be misrable, don't let them get you that way..

 

[Planogirl]

I have seen rude guests everywhere too. It's a shame but people seem to be getting worse and worse.

Anyway, we try to always have a car, I love having a kitchen and washer/dryer and we don't bother much with swimming pools. This one has potential for us....

How were the noise levels? I dislike hotels with paper-thin walls.

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

Okay, now we are home I can finish my short review. I will keep it to bullet points so I don't ramble. I will say these are my opinions only. And I have learned that I am an onsite hotel person and not an offsite condo person.

Pros of Bonnet Creek

* It is a very pretty, well taken care of resort.
* The condo we had was in excellent condition, the furnishings and decor was also in the same condition.
* The kitchen was surprisingly well stocked with almost everything you would ever need. Coffee maker, blender, toaster, hand mixer, can opener and bottle opener, etc.. The only thing we couldn't find that we needed was a cookie sheet.
* The pools are beautiful and themed nicely. There are multiple large hot tubs around the pool areas.
* It is a true resort, with activities and entertainment poolside.
* Most of the staff we encountered were friendly.
* It was nice having a washer/dryer in our unit.
* The location of the resort was so close to everything, it didn't really feel offsite (in that respect, anyways).

Cons of our trip (from my personal perspective)

* It lacked the "magical" feeling.
* Not having the flexibility of continuous transportation options. Let me explain further, we were traveling with my parents on this trip who are not AP holders. So they would have to pay $12 to park, so instead we traveled together in our car to avoid the charge. But that also meant we had to travel as a group. And to some extent it was nice not to have to deal with waiting for a bus but traveling to MK was a hassle. My husband likes not having to use our car while there, so for him this was a minus.
* As nice as it was to have a kitchen, we missed the freeing feeling the DP gives us. We call it brainless vacationing. Since all the meals are planned far in advance, we don't have to think about what is for dinner each night. And certainly don't have to cook it and clean up after it. We did eat out 2 nights at Chef Mickey's and Boma's, paying OP for these meals. And we certainly miss not having to think about how much the meals cost. Can you say sticker shock?
* I'm not sure why, but we encountered a lot of really rude guests at Bonnet Creek. There were a few very large groups traveling together that thought they were the only people staying at the resort that left their manners at home. Thankfully, we only really were irritated was at the pool. The two pools we used did not have life guards, so no one to keep the peace. Although, I came close to losing it one afternoon, when one of the large groups saved every chair under the pergola at the main pool. Only for them to go unsused all day. We left around dinner time, so I can't say what happened after that. The other rub was when my father went down at 5:45 Sun. morning to get a cart to take our stuff out, they were all gone. He asked one of custodians about more carts and was told that people hold them in their rooms overnight to use in the morning. Nice. But my favorite rude guest moment was Sat. night we witnessed some one pull parking cones out of the back of their truck to hold there spot in the parking lot.
* The pool we used had a pool bar, which would have been nice if it hadn't closed so early. I can't remember exactly the time, but I think around 7?

I think that is it, overall it was not one of our best vacations. The weather was just okay and the crowds were more than we like, but we expected this traveling over July 4th. I do appreciate not having to wait with the masses for a table every night to eat, which is why decided to go the condo route this trip. But the next time we go we'll go back to onsite.

What? They allow guests to keep the carts in their rooms? Rude!! The parking cones to save the parking space takes the cake!!! Some people, I swear!!! I would not have a nice time there! But, my idea of vacation is not washing clothes or dishes. Going out to eat is my favorite part of getting away from home.

 

[TotoToo]

What? They allow guests to keep the carts in their rooms? Rude!! The parking cones to save the parking space takes the cake!!! Some people, I swear!!! I would not have a nice time there! But, my idea of vacation is not washing clothes or dishes. Going out to eat is my favorite part of getting away from home.

I wasn't aware that Disney runs checks every few hours of every room to see if someone has snagged a cart. Or that they check each vehicle to see if they have a smuggled traffic cone to "reserve" a parking spot.

Come on. These things have nothing to do with Bonnet Creek or any other timeshare/resort/hotel. They are the all too prevalent "I'm the most important" attitude that many now seem to go through life with. Picking your accommodations based on those factors as a "con" is ridiculous.

 

[mousey]

Our most recent stay at the Boardwalk encountered rude guests. These people are everywhere you stay. I love Bonnet Creek because the rooms are spacious and the price is very affordable. Our Boardwalk room was very tired looking--needed some serious updates. I don't have to stay at a Disney resort to get that magical feeling. I feel it everytime I'm in Orlando. I would rent a car no matter where I stayed. Disney transportation is not the best by far and I like the freedom of eating and shopping offsite.