Is it really "just a place to sleep"?

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

We have a TH at Crestwynd Bay booked for our Oct trip. I am very frugal (which is why we'll probably never stay onsite) and booked the lowest rate I could find...$73/night including taxes/fees. We stayed at WH last trip (May 2011) and liked it, but wanted to try something different.

Ok fast forward to last week. I have been reading on here all about WBC and got excited about it, so I decided to check it out. I got a quote for $120/night for 2 bdrm, and $169/night for a 3 bdrm. As "cheap" as I am, I got excited about all the pools, the lazy river, staying in more of a resort like atmosphere and being SO close to the parks! I was talking to my mom about it (she's coming with us, but we're paying for her) and she thinks it's silly to spend the extra $ since it's "just a place to sleep".

Anyone else feel the way she does?

 

[DisLis]

You really have to answer this question yourself. If you know that you are going to be at the parks from opening to closing and have no interest in an afternoon or day off... if you hit the first park that opens in the morning and hop to the one that is open the latest... then your hotel is just a place to sleep. If you like to leave the parks in the afternoon, or have a day off where you relax by the pool, float on the lazy river, head over to do some shopping downtown, etc. then the hotel is more than a place to sleep and BC might be the right choice for you.
We've tried both types of trips and although I prefer the first version, the second version seems to make the family happier.

 

[lovethattink]

That depends on how much you'll be in your room? We stayed offsite last weekend. Got a 1BR villa, paid $67+change a night. We were back to the room most nights for a late supper. It sure was nice to have the extra room and area for ds to play. What was lacking though, was that Disney experience we are use to from staying onsite. This was just like staying in any other suite in any other motel.

The location was why we made the choice. It was 1.5 miles away from WDW. There was a free continental breakfast, but we didn't take advantage of that at all. So our reasoning for the offsite villa was price, cleanliness, and extra space.

 

[dougsmom98]

That is a huge difference in price. You would pay almost double for WBC. I would go with my original plan for Crestwynd Bay for this trip. If I were to stay at WBC, I would plan 2-3 park days and 2-3 resort days. I am VERY frugal though and I could not justify the extra money for WBC and park tickets.

 

[Rosebud123]

For less than $50/night extra, you are getting a lot of really valuable benefits. WBC is absolutely gorgeous, the pools and grounds are amazing, and it's super close to everything. Even if you're staying for 10 nights, that's less than $500 more for a much, much nicer space, IMO.

To me, enjoying the hotel is part of the fun of vacation. I wouldn't want to feel like I was at home just doing day trips.

 

[Branabb]

Your Mom's comment made me laugh. When you look up the word frugal, there should be a picture of my father. That is EXACTLY what he says any time I talk about vacations. He cannot believe that I would choose anything but the absolute lowest price I can find for accommodations. He wonders whose son I am sometimes!

Like others have said already, it depends on you and the family. My two young boys and wife all need a midday break AND nap. I could do the dusk to dawn routine, but much prefer our casual approach of doing Disney with midday breaks. We also take a mid-week half or full day off from the parks. So, in our case, it definitely isn't just a place to sleep.

Another consideration is how you want to dine. For the most part, my family can't stomach most restaurant food; we just feel crummy a half hour later. At home, we rarely eat out. I assume that has a lot to do with it. So, we also dine-in 90% of the trip. Again, not just a place to sleep.

On a side note, that rate seems high to me for October. Unless, you are going to be there the week of Halloween. I was quoted around $100/nt for a 2BR the 3rd week of October. Plans changed to September, but I think you might want to get some more quotes. I will say, WBC is a huge bang for the buck. Even if I was just using it to sleep and swim a few times, I would consider it a great deal just for the free shuttle service, amount of space, and close proximity to parks.

 

[nilseks]

I agree that rate seems high for October (unless it's over the holiday weekend or over Halloween). We are going in early December and we're paying $89/night (tax inclusive) for WBC. I have seen others getting the same rate. Check around to a few places and also look for the reputable sellers on ebay. I have not stayed at WBC yet, December will be our first time, but I think just on location alone it would be worth paying a few extra bucks per night. Not to mention all the amenities!

 

[At World's End]

I've stayed at Crestwynd Bay, but have not stayed at WBC. We loved it. The location is great. I looked into WBC for our next trip, mainly based on all the reviews here, but DH likes the convenience of parking right outside the door and not having to walk across the grounds, deal with e elevators, etc. We were very happy with the place we stayed. It may not be as luxurious as WBC, but it was very comfy, clean and suited all our needs. I wouldn't spend that much more on WBC unless I planned a few non-park days lounging at the resort. For us, we don't really do rest days, so our "rest" day will be at a water park (weather permitting) which is nicer than the WBC pools anyway.

 

[CyndiLooWho]

I would go condo all the way at those prices, and that's what my dh and I always try to do.

Consider this: we were at WBC 6/4-10/12. That was 5 nights, 4 full and 2 partial days. I had 6 days of park tickets. It rained that week. It POURED several days. We had ok to good weather while at the parks (9:30 arrival to 3-5pm leaving), with only a few poncho interludes. But it absolutely poured a good deal of the time we were not at parks.

Being in the 2 BR condo was a lifesaver. When it wasn't lightening, the kids were in the lazy river and pool, but other than that, we were all stuck indoors. It was great to have the boys watching tv in "their" room leaving 2 other rooms for me and Mom to read, watch different tv, etc. Space made a ton of difference that particular week.

The last time we stayed, it was sunny and super hot. The parks became unbearable by mid-afternoon. We were able to come back, spend a few hours in the rooms or lazy river, and be refreshed for the very short drive back to WDW parking and lower crowd levels for the evening.

Also, we bought groceries and had breakfast in the condo every morning (v. $20 per day to do McD's) and we had dinner in the room 3 nights (pbj the night it rained cats and dogs, pasta one night, chicken patties one night). $8 worth of pasta fixings is a lot less than $26 for 4 at Wendy's. This is a real savings that you can't see at the lower priced motel room.

So that is my 2 cents. For us, we try to avoid cramming the 4 of us into a single room for vacation as much as possible. YMMV.

 

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

On a side note, that rate seems high to me for October. Unless, you are going to be there the week of Halloween. I was quoted around $100/nt for a 2BR the 3rd week of October. Plans changed to September, but I think you might want to get some more quotes. I will say, WBC is a huge bang for the buck. Even if I was just using it to sleep and swim a few times, I would consider it a great deal just for the free shuttle service, amount of space, and close proximity to parks.

I got 2 quotes...1 from VS and the other from farrellsvacations on eBay. The $120/night was from VS (ebay was higher). Another seller on ebay said he doesn't have availibilty for Oct. We're going the 2nd/3rd week of Oct (10-19).
Where did you get quotes from??

 

[Brian Noble]

Is it really "just a place to sleep"?

Certainly not for me. We spend non-trivial time in and around our unit, and enjoy the resort amenities. That said, both Crestwynd and Bonnet would be good choices. Yes, the pools at Bonnet are quite a bit nicer, but you have a 3BR townhouse and I think you are comparing to a 2BR at Bonnet---with a multi-generational family trip (i.e. grandma and the kids both coming) the third bedroom probably matters.

 

[Branabb]

I got 2 quotes...1 from VS and the other from farrellsvacations on eBay. The $120/night was from VS (ebay was higher). Another seller on ebay said he doesn't have availibilty for Oct. We're going the 2nd/3rd week of Oct (10-19).
Where did you get quotes from??

I believe the lowest quote was from 5starresorts. If you search the term just as spelled you will find a link to contact them. I ended renting from another renter because he had the best rate for Presidential suite, not Deluxe.

Bear in mind, I was simply referring to the price on 2BR. If you need 3BR, I would be shocked if you get a quote close to the Crestwynd price. Never hurts to call though.