Poll. Bonnet Creek vs. All Star Disney/ Music

[Dacky619]

I don't think this is even close. I think the only people that would choose All Star are those that have to stay on property (and so far, the results of the poll reflect that).

 

[Lewisc]

I didn't first read the poll carefully.

The poll is flawed. Bonnet Creek is offsite. As such it doesn't offer Disney perks such as DME, EMH, charge privileges to your room, theme park purchases delivered to your room....

People staying at BCR seem to be booking through owners such as Vacation Strategies. That means no daily maid service.

The poll implies Bonnet Creek is an on-site resort. I suspect most of the people in this thread understand that.

FWIW BC is the abbreviations typically used for Beach Club and BCR is typically used for Bonnet Creek Resort.

I don't see how this poll helps anyone. People who want more space, who want a full kitchen, who want a washer and dryer prefer a timeshare accommodation People who are looking for a hotel/resort type of experience won't be.

A person who wants Disney "perks" will stay at a WDW resort, even if budget dictates cramped accommodations.

I wouldn't base my decision, either way, on a poll. Some people are happy being cramped in a small room. Others not so much. A poll isn't going to convince me 4 people in a value room makes for an enjoyable vacation nor will a poll convince people who insist on perks such as EMH to stay at a conodo type of accommodation.

I hope no one bases their decision on a poll like this. There are objective reasons why people prefer one experience or the other. You need to decide what's important to YOU not what's important to others.

edited to add:

Guests who want to stay onsite can book resorts in a variety of categories or they can book condo type of accommodations (DVC).

Guests who don't put enough value on Disney perks can generally save money by booking an offiste property. They can either book a resort or a condo style property. Offiste offers a very large range of quality and prices for guests interested in either a resort or a condo style accommodations.

I didn't answer the poll. Just a trip with my wife. I plan on spending a short trip just at Disney. I'd stay at a value.

 

[dsanner106]

I want to explain my reasoning for voting for a value. We are a family of 5 and my kids are getting older. Baby is now 8, oldest 14. We decided to try BC last summer for a 10 day trip because I thought it would be nice to spread out and we were driving so we would have a car. We pulled up to the resort and were IN LOVE with the beauty of the grounds and amenities offered. We got to the room and again we were in love. We thought we would never again stay "onsite". We are a family that has stayed at POR 2x, ASMu with 2 rooms, Pop, and CSR. We unpacked and got ready for a long deserved resort day after a 13 hour drive. Went to eat and they could not feed my daughter on a gluten free diet. We went to 3 different restaurants in the hotel and each manager sent us someplace else. It would have been nice if they checked for us instead of just sending us on our way. Resort is big and we were walking and hungry. Finally got in the car and drove to CBR where she could eat anything she wanted. Second night, decided to have pool time. We got to the pool area and there are no life guards. May not be a big deal but in a busy season it also means no security or babysitters (if you know what I mean). So many adults were at the bars or in their cabanas and not watching their kids. Kids were running and jumping off things that were not meant to be jumped off of. Even my kids were horrified. Bus service does not run until park closing so forget watching the parade or fireworks. If you miss the scheduled bus, there is not one to take you back to the hotel. You are left to cab it. We found bus drivers to be nasty, asking guests to get off the bus. Hotel staff was pushy in selling time share. On our last day, they knocked on our door at 7am to make sure we were up, check out is either 10am or 11am. I stayed up really late the night before to pack and clean before leaving. We had a huge drive home, I was NOT happy. In all my stays at Disney I have never experienced any of these things. So besides a place to lay your head and store your stuff, you are paying for the service that you get at a Disney hotel. Service is not provided at BC.

We absolutely LOVE wyndham bonnet creek, the grounds and pools are fantastic. Two with lazy rivers, 5 or 6 pools, about a dozen hot tubs, zero entry pools etc. There are 3 restaurants in the new building and 3 others among the condo buildings. The rooms are massive compared to AS resorts. a 1 bedroom condo is about 4 times the sq footage of AS. The resort is very near epcot, HS and downtown disney. If you use the busses, they DO run 1 hr after park closing aside from extra magic hour parks etc, or that has been the case when we were there. They also have busses to the outlets and Universal and Islands of Adventure. You trade some convenience with the busses though staying here, but still better than other offsite options. My teens did like the fact that they could ride to IOA for Harry Potter from the resort, which of course you can't do from AS. As for the time share stuff, they will ask you when getting your parking pass if you want the free breakfast and sales pitch. If you say no at that point they cross you off. If you say maybe or I will think about it, they will call to try and sign you up for a time. If you do choose to do it, it takes about an hour (they say 45 mins) but an hour and give you typically a 100.00 visa gift card or sometimes offer park tickets etc.

D

 

[kiki02]

Can you provide a link? My Google skills must be seriously impaired today because I can't find any online source to support your claim.

In my opinion, which is the only one that counts for me, the resorts in Bonnet Creek cannot be compared to any of the Disney Value Resorts when it comes to amenities and the level of service. It's like asking if someone prefers hot dogs or sirloin steak. You can't Google that, because it's my opinion.

You could definitely just try to look that up. Not really that difficult. Just TRYYYY.

 

[Marionnette]

You could definitely just try to look that up. Not really that difficult. Just TRYYYY.

Just what I figured. I tried and found nothing. I asked you for a link and you came back with this. You have nothing to support your claim that the BCR hotels are full of former AllStar guests.

Listen, if you want to stay at a BCR, it's no skin off of my nose. But don't make allegations that lack support and then expect people to accept it as gospel truth.

 

[kiki02]

Just what I figured. I tried and found nothing. I asked you for a link and you came back with this. You have nothing to support your claim that the BCR hotels are full of former AllStar guests.

Listen, if you want to stay at a BCR, it's no skin off of my nose. But don't make allegations that lack support and then expect people to accept it as gospel truth.

Just what I figured.

 

[chimilady]

Just what I figured. I tried and found nothing. I asked you for a link and you came back with this. You have nothing to support your claim that the BCR hotels are full of former AllStar guests.

Listen, if you want to stay at a BCR, it's no skin off of my nose. But don't make allegations that lack support and then expect people to accept it as gospel truth.

If you go over to the WBC thread (and they all use WBC, not BCR) you will see a lot of them are former value guests. We haven't stayed at WBC yet, but we're mainly a value family and will be making the transition.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

OP, I am going to assume you are referring to the Wyndham Bonnet Creek timeshare property, as that is the most popular one with Bonnet Creek in the name.

I have never stayed at a value or mod Disney property...just a short stay at the Wilderness Lodge on my honeymoon.

I stayed at WBC last September with my husband, mom, sister and mother in law in a 3bedroom deluxe suite.

I don't think I will ever stay on Disney property again after staying at WBC. We had a great stay. We loved the room, we loved the pools, we even loved the free bus service to the resorts.

We always rent a car no matter where we stay because we like to dine at non-Disney restaurants sometimes and also go to Universal during our stays, so the Disney transportation is not a big draw for us (other than free parking you get at the parks if you stay on-site).

We paid $120/night for our week long stay and we had tons of room. I just can't see myself going back to a tiny hotel room again unless it's just a trip with me and my husband.

I have a baby on the way and I always thought I'd want to buck up the dough to stay at the Contemporary on my first trip as a family of three. After comparing costs (Yes, I am already planning and I'm only 12 weeks pregnant!), I just couldn't justify the costs of staying at the Contemporary over the WBC...and I certainly would not stay in a tiny Motel-6 with Disney theming hotel which is what you get with the value resorts.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Just what I figured. I tried and found nothing. I asked you for a link and you came back with this. You have nothing to support your claim that the BCR hotels are full of former AllStar guests.

Listen, if you want to stay at a BCR, it's no skin off of my nose. But don't make allegations that lack support and then expect people to accept it as gospel truth.

I spent like 2 seconds searching and didn't find it either. Why on earth would either Wyndham or Disney sponsor such a study and publish the results? Or someone other than them? Doesn't make a lick of sense.

 

[kiki02]

If you go over to the WBC thread (and they all use WBC, not BCR) you will see a lot of them are former value guests. We haven't stayed at WBC yet, but we're mainly a value family and will be making the transition.

Yep. I guess it's because both are nice, both are close and sometimes (?) the rate is about the same... I guess you can book value properties for around $100 a night and possibly that or a bit more at Bonnet creek, so makes sense.

Although, I never get the low rate at Bonnet! NOt to mention, as nice as it is, the Value resorts are actual Disney. BOTH GREAT i'm sure, but haven't stayed at Bonnet yet. Toss up for me.

 

[maxiesmom]

I spent like 2 seconds searching and didn't find it either. Why on earth would either Wyndham or Disney sponsor such a study and publish the results? Or someone other than them? Doesn't make a lick of sense.

Doesn't make sense to me either.

I'm actually very disappointed by this whole thread. It is not very helpful. I'm the family travel planner, and my sis asked me to research WBC. From what I have seen it looks huge! Nice, but huge. To me it looks like it lacks any kind of Disney Magic too. I know that is not really quantifiable, but that is the impression I get from the pictures.

We are not rental car people usually, so the bus service is very important. Unless they come at least every 20 minutes, that is a big plus in the Disney resort column. And I doubt they do. More pluses are EMH and Magical Express. And the ability to charge back to your room, and the ability to get the dining plan.

I have to agree with Lewisc. It totally depends on what you want from your vacation, and on site and off site at a condo deliver very different experiences.

 

[Ms. Belle]

I've stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and really loved it. I've always had a rental car though which makes a big difference. The pool is great, it has a lazy river in it and the kids loved it. One drawback is that they don't have a laundry area. I usually only do carry-on and have to wash clothes mid-week and wasn't able to do this at the hotel. The rooms are clean and spacious and I've always received good, friendly service. I was so happy after my first stay that I cancelled the Swan for my next visit and changed my plans to the HBC.

I paid $99 per night (last summer). I've stayed at values for alot more than that and not enjoyed my stay; there's too much noise and the rooms aren't as clean as I'd like them to be.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Doesn't make sense to me either.

I'm actually very disappointed by this whole thread. It is not very helpful. I'm the family travel planner, and my sis asked me to research WBC. From what I have seen it looks huge! Nice, but huge. To me it looks like it lacks any kind of Disney Magic too. I know that is not really quantifiable, but that is the impression I get from the pictures.

We are not rental car people usually, so the bus service is very important. Unless they come at least every 20 minutes, that is a big plus in the Disney resort column. And I doubt they do. More pluses are EMH and Magical Express. And the ability to charge back to your room, and the ability to get the dining plan.

I have to agree with Lewisc. It totally depends on what you want from your vacation, and on site and off site at a condo deliver very different experiences.

If you are looking for better threads, check out the Orlando board. There is the "We Love the Bonnet Creek" thread with pretty much every thing you want to know about the resort, plus usually a few others for specific questions.

If EMH, Magical Express and Dining Plan are all top priorities for you, the WBC (or any off-site resort) does not sound like the match for you. I want to say that the WBC busses come about every 30 minutes during the key times, and less frequently during other times of the day.

 

[mafibisha]

There's a word that I can't think of right now that describes my point (long, bad Monday ) but here's my .02

Like many things in life, when all things considered the Bonnet Creek might be *better* but because of this unknown variable (whats the word?) the All Stars are REALLY better for that family.

But when all is said and done, the choice might likely be the All Stars because it's ____________ (the word that escapes me LOL )

IOW there are things in life that can't be described or can't be given a value but are clearly better than the choice that most would assume is better.

(Sorry if thats as clear as mud. Did I mention it was a BAD day?!)

Edited to add:

Still can't think of the word but sorta like the cliche *When in Rome*,
When in Rome you won't go to Mickey D's. Or Olive Garden for Italian.
Like you can stay at lovely resorts anywhere else but you can only stay at WDW resorts at WDW.
Many believe that doing the *full immersion* at Disney by staying on site is the best way to get the complete Disney experience of being there.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

We stayed at All Star Music in a family suite for our last WDW trip and had a good experience; but we are considering some offsite options for our next trip and Wyndham Bonnet Creek is at the top of our list. I think what you decide to be the better choice really depends on what kind of vacation experience you want, what your preferences are, and the length of your trip. We thought AS Music was a vibrantly themed, clean, family friendly, and nicely sized Disney hotel resort; and the family suite was a nice option for my family of six to have to be able to stay onsite at a price that wouldn't break the bank. Bonnet Creek is at the top of our list of offsite options primarily because of the location and all the positive reviews I've read about it here on the Disboards. On our last trip we passed by Bonnet Creek while on a bus going to Downtown Disney. We were pleasantly surprised to see that it actually does "border" Disney property and is in the middle of the action so to speak. Many of the reviews I've read included photos that showed clear views of the "Epcot ball" (Spaceship Earth) and Epcot's fireworks (Illuminations) from some of the units. I am pleased with the quote we got for a week in a deluxe two bedroom unit and I would recommend checking out some of the Bonnet Creek threads over on the Orlando hotels and attractions forum to get more detailed information about the resort.

 

[kiki02]

Doesn't make sense to me either.

I'm actually very disappointed by this whole thread. It is not very helpful. I'm the family travel planner, and my sis asked me to research WBC. From what I have seen it looks huge! Nice, but huge. To me it looks like it lacks any kind of Disney Magic too. I know that is not really quantifiable, but that is the impression I get from the pictures.

We are not rental car people usually, so the bus service is very important. Unless they come at least every 20 minutes, that is a big plus in the Disney resort column. And I doubt they do. More pluses are EMH and Magical Express. And the ability to charge back to your room, and the ability to get the dining plan.

I have to agree with Lewisc. It totally depends on what you want from your vacation, and on site and off site at a condo deliver very different experiences.

itda. i found it so helpful. making my decision to stay at one with 2 people and the other with 4 people. VERY GREAT THREAD.

 

[blessedby3]

Bonnet Creek is not located on land Disney ever owned. It's offsite and off property.

Its not located on land Disney owns, but you have to drive on their property to access the entrance gates to WBC. Thats why so many refer to it as being on property, but not Disney owned. The WBC property is bordered on 3 sides by WDW property. Its the only "off property" that I will even consider, since it is on their roadways...and is just as close as WDW hotels. It is right beside the CBR.

OP, we were more than willing to give up EMH (never use it), the busses (we typically drive to parks even when staying in a WDW hotel), and the dining plan (we dont pay for it, but have had it free) to be able to have the spacious accomadations that WBC offers. As a family of 6 (now 7 with the new SIL) we prefer lots of room to spread out. We have always been die-hard WDW resort hotel guests...until our last trip where we stayed at WBC. Such a savings as far as costs only confirms our decision!

 

[DisneyEater]

I don't want to drive around property, so I choose All-Star.

 

[Lewisc]

Its not located on land Disney owns, but you have to drive on their property to access the entrance gates to WBC. Thats why so many refer to it as being on property, but not Disney owned. The WBC property is bordered on 3 sides by WDW property. Its the only "off property" that I will even consider, since it is on their roadways...and is just as close as WDW hotels. It is right beside the CBR.

Bonnet Creek isn't on property Disney ever owned. People who refer to WBC as being "on property" are either mistaken or are intentionally posting incorrect information (lies). The fact that you have to drive on Disney roads to get to the resort is irrelevant.

There are non-Disney operated hotels on land Disney owned, or used to own. SoG is on Disney land. Guests can walk to POLY and use Disney transportation. Guests can participate with EMH. Swan/Dolphin are on Disney land. They use Disney transportation and can participate in EMH. Guests staying at the Hilton in DTD can take advantage of EMH. Guests of all the DTD resorts can walk to DTD and use Disney transportation.

WBC is located closer to Disney property then most other offsite resorts. That means the driving distance to parks is less then the distance from other offsite properties. Orange Lake is a shorter drive to the Animal Kingdom then WBC. There are other offsite properties which offer easy access to Disney parks.

Sorry but saying WBC is on Disney property is not only factually incorrect but it implies some connection to Disney which doesn't exist. You can't even walk to Disney.

edited to add: I still don't understand the purpose of this thread. The timeshare condos at WBC compare to the DVC resorts not a value resort. Waldorf at Bonnet Creek can be compared to a Disney deluxe.

 

[pandamom]

I would pick WBC over All Stars any day -- DH refuses to ever stay at All Stars again. Last June we did a split stay between Animal Kindgdom Lodge (Club Level) and WBC. I loved both, dh and dd14 preferred WBC and dd12 preferred Animal Kingdom (I believe she based her decision on access to the club lounge though.) We were 12th floor in tower 4 at WBC and had a great view of the Disney fireworks, the Epcot Ball and DTD. The 2 lazy rivers and multiple pools / hot tubs were also fantastic.