POP vs Wyndham lake BV

[gobigorange]

going early summer with 4 adults. plan on midday break each day at resort. from calculations, Wyndham is about $300 savings. Is it worth it? i know that we can still get EMH and 60 day FP at Wyndham now, but will the disney transportation be worth the extra $. im concerned about the shuttles offsite. Has anyone stayed at a disney springs and onsite and can shed some light? we stayed at POP 4 years ago and the main negative was the huge layout of POP and standing on the buses half the time. disney springs sounds like a neat area but i dont want to get there and wished we would have stayed onsite.
any particular advice? thanks

 

[writerguyfl]

You'll find more information on the Orlando Hotels and Attractions forum. In particular, read the thread about the Disney Springs Hotels bus service:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-springs-hotels-bus-information.3653605/

I've stayed many nights at various Disney Springs Hotels (although not at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista). There are definite pros and cons to the shuttles. The main pro is that it runs on a schedule. Buses are very punctual and they run on 30 minute increments. It's great knowing that the bus will arrive at 10 minutes and 40 minutes after each hour (as an example). I know that I just need to show up about 5 minutes prior and I'm good to go. That's so much nicer than showing up at the Disney bus stop and sometimes waiting 20-30 minutes for a bus.

There are two main cons to the shuttles. First, the stop for Magic Kingdom is actually the Transportation and Ticket Center. From there, you'll have to take the monorail or ferry. It's a bit annoying but I try to remind myself that Walt wanted it that way, as it helps build anticipation on the arrival.

The second con is that buses stop at two parks. If you're heading to the second park, that adds about 30 minutes to the trip. Same for the return trip. But, you can read more on the thread to which I linked above.
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As to the Wyndham, which one is it? A few years back, they split that hotel into two different ones in the Wyndham system. They both share the same public areas, like the lobby, restaurants, and pool. They also have just one bus stop.

The Wyndham Lake Buena Vista is the main tower, which is above the lobby. Virtually all rooms have a view of something, with higher floors naturally having better views. Rooms are accessed via an interior corridor. Online reviews are generally positive.

The Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista (note the "Garden" in the name) consists of two wing buildings. These are motel-style, with access from outdoor walkways. While in the room, you will need to keep your shades closed or people will look inside. (Basically the same as Disney's Pop Century Resort.) Based on online reviews, the rooms are in desperate need of renovation. They are reportedly small and not well maintained.

The Wyndham complex is in a great location. It's a short walk to the Marketplace section of Disney Springs.

 

[gobigorange]

Thank you so much. I have tried hard to find info in particular about the transportation and you are the first person to give even that much detail.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Not worth it staying off site, in my opinion. If youre taking a midday break, i'd definitely stay on site. Its just so much easier. Disney buses arent perfect, but i've never waited as long as 20 min for a bus. Not saying it doesn't happen. But ive been to disney a zillion times and have never had major issues like that. Buses are normally pretty good. Plus Pop has been recently refurbished so they're all queen beds now. Rooms look really nice (they have coffee makers now too!). I stayed in them recently, so if you have any questions let me know.

 

[Moliphino]

Are you flying in? Then you'd also need to consider airport transportation (free DME at Pop, I don't see free transportation to/from Wyndham).

 

[Lynne M]

I'm going to move this over to the Orlando Hotels and Attractions board, since your question is primarily about the Wyndham and the experience of staying there.