Reunion Resort--Does it feel "desolate"?

[3suns]

We've been going to Disney for the last 6 years. There are four of us (me, DH, DS 8, DS 10). We've stayed at Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, and Poly.

Last year, we stayed offsite for the first time. We rented a very nice townhouse (Mickey's Magical Escape) at Windsor Hills. We had a great time, but part of me missed the resort feel. That's mostly our fault because we only managed to make it to the WH pool one day.

I considered Bonnet Creek for this June, but after reading a good number so-so reviews on TripAdvisor, I was a bit turned off. Apathetic staff, time share hard sells, crowded pools, noise, bugs, maintenance issues were all mentioned multiple times.

I am now looking at renting a Reunion condos from a private owner. I love the luxurious finishes, and I am enticed by the idea of being in a resort environment (even though we don't golf!). I have searched the boards here, reading all the Reunion threads I could find. I found nothing objectionable, though I did gather that I need to be careful about asking what amenities are included in my rental. So far, most owners are able to either escort us to the water park or offer one day at the park for an additional fee.

Each time I get a response on VRBO, I'm checking the tax records for the unit, and I'm also googling the address to see what else might pop up. All the units I'm considering are checking out okay. Invariably though, I am finding multiple foreclosures surrounding each property I am considering.

I'm now wondering if, with all the foreclosures and everything being so spread out, the "resort" is going to feel like a ghost town. I started reading the Reunion reviews on TripAdvisor and found myself getting depressed.

Now I am thoroughly confused. Any advice or thoughts on the suitability of Reunion, or its feel, as compared to, say Bonnet Creek?

 

[JimMIA]

I think Bonnet Creek and Reunion are both very nice resorts. I don't put much stock in TripAdvisor reviews -- they seem to draw only negative reviews.

I suspect they're similar to the DIS -- people who have great times don't write resort reviews for the most part. For example, we had a great stay at Bonnet Creek in May -- no noise, no crowds, great service from the staff, etc -- but we didn't write a review anywhere.

A couple of tips. At Reunion, you NEED to know what amenities are included and what are not, because there has apparently been some contention about that.

With Bonnet Creek, there's an easy fix to the timeshare hard-sell. Don't go to the presentation.

And that's easier to do than you think. Just either skip the parking pass altogether (the pass is not required, and not even looked at by the gate security folks...you have to show your room key), or go back down to the front desk in the evening when the bodysnatchers have gone home and get one.

Then, when you get to your room, unplug the phone. Anyone YOU want to talk to has your cell, so you won't miss the phone in the room.

 

[3suns]

Thanks. Good point about the reviews. It's really easy to get bogged down in all the negativity.

I knew we could avoid the calls at WBC by putting down a low income or turning off the phone, but didn't realize it was possible to skip the parking pass pick up. Definitely something to consider.

 

[Beemitchcowski]

May I ask why you are staying offsite again?...I actually think its very encouraging to see that someone who has stayed at the upscale Disney resorts is now looking into staying offsite again (coming from a person who stayed offsite for our only/first trip to Disney as a family) especially when there is so much talk about the immersion and "magic" to staying onsite!....BTW..I'm not trying to start a debate!

We are thinking of trying Bonnet Creek as well! We did Windsor Hills in Sept because I was afraid of some reviews that I read and the whole Timeshare thing...but I think we can say "no"! I too want to feel more on "vacation" with a resort feel!

I've contacted Ken Price and another individual and got similar quotes! $120 a night..that doesn't even get close to a Deluxe accomodation at Disney...yet Bonnet Creek is within the "gates".....

 

[3suns]

I love Disney, but I don't get swept away by the Magic.

We stay offsite for the elbow room. Paying $200+ a night (even with a 30%-40% discount) seemed ridiculous for what we got. Yes the theming at each deluxe resort was impressive, but once we got into the room, there were 4 of us crammed into a smaller-than-standard hotel room that just looked tired and worn.

To ensure that we have more space, we have toyed with the idea of renting DVC points (we even considered, for a hot second, buying into DVC), but the cost of a one bedroom (studio doesn't buy us much room IMHO) is still high when compared with being offsite. This year, we're particularly price sensitive because we're paying 3 tuitions (2 private school, and 1 college). Maybe when it's just the two of us, we'll consider renting DVC points again.

We stay offsite so that we are in control. We got tired of the Disney buses. We were initially drawn into the idea of a car free vacation. We fly, so not having to rent a car seemed like a huge bonus. We loved the boats, and we liked the convenience of monorail, but the buses were challenging. Especially at the Beach Club. We were there, let's see, probably the first week in June, and the bus to MK was shared by Beach Club/Yacht Club, Dolphin/Swan, and GF, I'm thinking. Unless it was first thing in the morning, the buses were packed. Cramming people in the aisles packed. It was not pleasant. We were totally at the mercy of those buses. They were usually prompt, but there were enough times they were late/full that it made me feel like we were not in control.

I remember when I was planning that Beach Club trip. People raved about SAB and how impressive it was. I remember I was totally focused on staying at either YC/BC because of SAB. When we got there, we just weren't that impressed. Yes, it goes on forever and it's really cool, but when it came down to it, it was just another pool. It was extremely crowded, there were a proportionally high number of obnoxious people and the kids ended up having much more fun in the regular pool closer to our room.

We did the Garden Grocer food delivery, so we usually ate breakfast in room (sprawled out around the small table and beds) while everyone was taking turns in our one bathroom. Two years out of four, we had trouble with the resort fridge not working. You go through the ordeal of ordering the food, having it delivered, and then not knowing if it's going to spoil or not. It was frustrating. Since we didn't have a car to go offsite, we always did the dining plan. Talk about being at the mercy of someone else! I followed the Dis'er advice (as well as Tour Guide Mike, back in the day) about eating at times that weren't crazy busy. Even so, we never knew if we were going to get seated on time, if our server would wait on us, if they would bring our check promptly at the end of a meal, if the check would be right, if they would remember our desert, etc. It seemed like there was a break down somewhere in the process at each and every table service meal. The control associated with being able to escape the mediocre service (and food) was refreshing..

The absolute deciding factor for us going offsite was when we decided that our vacation would include trips beyond the Disney gates. The kids wanted to go to Kennedy Space Center, the Beach, and to Universal. After looking at our transportation options, renting a car seemed most cost effective. Once we knew that we were going to have a car, we felt we were ready to explore offsite.

We tried it, we liked it, and we saved money. That's why we're doing it again!

 

[Beemitchcowski]

Thank you! Makes perfect sense! I think alot of people stay offsite for the same reasons!

 

[Brian Noble]

I considered Bonnet Creek for this June, but after reading a good number so-so reviews on TripAdvisor, I was a bit turned off. Apathetic staff, time share hard sells, crowded pools, noise, bugs, maintenance issues were all mentioned multiple times.

You might want to peruse some of the Bonent Creek threads here to get a broader sense of the resort. Any resort anywhere can have problems from time to time (just read the Disney Resorts board for a day or two!) but for the most part, people seem to be happy here.

That said, I know exactly what you mean about "resort feel" in comparing Windsor Hills to other properties. It's like staying at your uncle's very nice home, with some very nice neighborhood amenities, that happens to be a stone's throw from World Drive. It's very private, and a wonderful escape, but doesn't quite have the same vibe. Bonnet (or, really, any of the better large timeshare resorts in Orlando) will have more of that vibe, in exchange for losing a little bit of the privacy. I suspect Reunion is somewhere in the middle of the two, but I'm not sure where on the spectrum I'd put it.

 

[Janet Hill]

I don't feel the Reunion is desolate; however, the reort is huge and very spread out. They have busses that run through the resort to take you to any of the amenities.

We stayed there on Wyndham points and were in a 3BR condo (only option on points). The unit was very large and looked out over the golf course. We had unlimited access to the waterpark and all onsite pools (including the one on the hotel rooftop).

Many food options available onsite, but we didn't try so don't know the quality. +

This is our favorite resort in Orlando (when not staying onsite). The biggest drawback is that you cannot take your own food and beverage to the pools. You must purchase and they do have attendants walking around taking orders. We just opted for the free ice water and waited to consume our drinks back in our condo.

 

[pandamom]

I don't feel the Reunion is desolate; however, the reort is huge and very spread out. They have busses that run through the resort to take you to any of the amenities.

We stayed there on Wyndham points and were in a 3BR condo (only option on points). The unit was very large and looked out over the golf course. We had unlimited access to the waterpark and all onsite pools (including the one on the hotel rooftop).

Many food options available onsite, but we didn't try so don't know the quality. +

This is our favorite resort in Orlando (when not staying onsite). The biggest drawback is that you cannot take your own food and beverage to the pools. You must purchase and they do have attendants walking around taking orders. We just opted for the free ice water and waited to consume our drinks back in our condo.

I just used Wyndham points to book a 3BR at Reunion for Thanksgiving (Bonnet Creek already booked up). Can you tell me about the building the units are in at Reunion-- close to waterpark, any amenities, etc. Anything for dd12 and dd14 to do? Thanks!

 

[Echo queen]

I don't feel the Reunion is desolate; however, the reort is huge and very spread out. They have busses that run through the resort to take you to any of the amenities.

We stayed there on Wyndham points and were in a 3BR condo (only option on points). The unit was very large and looked out over the golf course. We had unlimited access to the waterpark and all onsite pools (including the one on the hotel rooftop).

Many food options available onsite, but we didn't try so don't know the quality. +

This is our favorite resort in Orlando (when not staying onsite). The biggest drawback is that you cannot take your own food and beverage to the pools. You must purchase and they do have attendants walking around taking orders. We just opted for the free ice water and waited to consume our drinks back in our condo.

Thanks for your review Janet we have 4 nights booked at reunion 1st visit my dh is a golfer and 5 nights at bonnet creek 3rd visit. Last year we did 7 nights Bonnet creek and 4 nights disney Beach Club. We really enjoyed our fire works view at Bonnet creek we had disney magic on nondisney days.

 

[ajpslp]

We rented a 5 bedroom house at Reunion and LOVED it. We did this in 2008 and just reserved the same house for Aug 2012. I think in the area it IS the nicest homes and layout of homes inside give you the elbow room and warmth of a beautiful house. We use the house to commute back and forth to disney and being that it has a pool and hot tub and grill think it definatley worth it at $100 a night per couple, 3 couples going.. For $2100 for 3 couples to stay at a gorgeous house you can't beat the price .. We do NOT use the water park amenities but can pay a bit extra if we wanted to , if u need more info let me know. Disney Aug 21-28 , 2012 !!

 

[roxannex]

We stayed there several years ago in a house. We liked it, but not enough to return. We preferred Windsor Hills. Reunion does have an awesome pool/water park area, but it was quite far from the house we rented. We had to drive over. I think a lot of the reason we weren't smitten is the house. The pool had no screen and there were a lot of bugs and ants all over the patio. It also felt a lot further away from the parks, although I don't really think it is. I don't exactly know why it seemed like it was. We didn't stay in the main building, so that might be different. Overall, it was nice. There was nothing wrong and the main waterpark area was lovely.

At WH we stayed in a townhome with a splash pool. We will be going again in 2 days in a condo this time. So I'll see how that compares. I was tempted to go onsite this time with free dining, but my mom is coming and we are doing the YES program, so it just worked out to be cheaper and more convenient to go offsite.

 

[3suns]

Thanks everyone for your input.

Per the advice here, I've spent the last couple of days reading the entire Bonnet Creek thread (part two), and even requested a quote. The price I am being quoted for a 2BR is still a little steep for June. I realize that I'll probably be able to get something cheaper at the 60 day mark, but I don't know how likely it is that they'll be sold out (we're going in early June).

I'm also realizing that the variety of lodging at Reunion can result in a vastly different feel. We're considering a privately owned condo in Centre Court, which surely won't feel the same as staying in the timeshares. The floor plans and configurations of the privately owned properties vary greatly also.

For this vacation, our accommodations will be home base for not only Disney, but Universal, Kennedy Space Center and possibly, SeaWorld. Does the Reunion location, and the accessibility to the free make it any easier to travel to the non-Disney locations?

 

[kidd_freeper]

I actually think its very encouraging to see that someone who has stayed at the upscale Disney resorts is now looking into staying offsite again (coming from a person who stayed offsite for our only/first trip to Disney as a family) especially when there is so much talk about the immersion and "magic" to staying onsite.

We've stayed at the Poly, AKL and we've stayed at Windsor Hills (twice).

If you're made out of money AND are staying for less than a week, the Poly is hard to beat. At the Poly, the immersion thing is significant. Easy access to the monorail is great. The sights and sounds of the Magic Kingdom from your balconey, 24/7, is amazing. Watching fireworks from the comfort of your room is awesome.

But its $450/night! And despite being the biggest rooms, it is still just a single room! AKL: giraffes outside your balconey. Not really Disney immersion, but very cool. But $275/night for a single room?

We are sold on Windsor Hills. Luxury at $100/night. Three bedrooms, two baths and a full kitchen. If someone has a cough in the middle of the night, it doesn't wake the whole family up. For a long stay (more than 6 days), I can't imagine having to endure the cramped quarters of a Disney room. And the money you saved can be spent on other Disney experiences (Hoop De Doo, watercraft rentals, waterparks, etc)