Seriously Driving Myself Crazy!! Please Help!

[luckylady131]

We are staying Nov 27-Dec 5th. I have it narrowed down to Hilton DTD (have room reserved here - but having second thoughts), Hilton Bonnet Creek, and Wyndam Bonnet Creek. I have enough Hilton points to get 4 of the 8 nights free at DTD, enough for maybe 2 nights at Hilton Bonnet Creek, and got a good price quote from Ken for a 2 bedroom for Wyndam. I also got a price quote on a moderate resort from Dreams Unlimited.

After hours and hours of researching , I am driving my self CRAZY with these choices! Please help me figure out which one is best. We are looking for a RELAXING vacation, and plan to do all the parks, but at a leisurely pace. We plan on taking a break mid-day to give our girls (and us!) a rest. With a DH, myself, a 4 year old, and a 9 month old, here's the prices I have for each of these. We will have to add $1,000 in roundtrip airfare to each option to really get a "total" cost. Which one would you go with?

Hilton DTD: Total $1,850 + Food
- Includes 4 nights on points, 4 nights @ $139/night, a rental car for 9 days, parking at Disney, self parking at Hilton, 9 day park tickets
- Have character breakfasts and EMH that we would use
- Easy access to DTD, which would have restaurants, shops, etc
- Wouldn't have to change hotels in the middle of our stay
- Rental car not absolutely necessary

Hilton DTD + Wyndam Bonnet Creek: Total $1,750 + Food
- Includes 4 nights on points, 4 nights at $120/night, a rental car for 9 days, parking at Disney, self parking both hotels, 9 day park tickets
- Would get character breakfast and EMH while at DTD
- Would have to change hotels in the middle of our stay
- At Wyndam, we would have a 2 bedroom unit, with tons of room, kitchen
- Rental car IS necessary

Wyndam Bonnet Creek: Total $1,800 - $1,960 + Food, depending on if they can get it down to $100/night closer to our stay
- Includes staying all 8 nights here, rental car for 9 days, 9 day park tickets
- no changing hotels, but would have to get groceries
- 2 bedrooms, lots of space, kitchen
- Rental car IS necessary

Disney Package (through Dreams Unlimited) WITH the Free Dining Plan at CORONADO SPRINGS: Total $2,190 (standard room)
- Price includes taxes, 9 day park tickets, room, and food (mostly).
- of course would include things like EMH, etc.
- NO rental car in price, but probably wouldn't need one
- no changing hotels, and most food is included in the price
- Disney themed

I guess the question is, how much should I put aside for food for 9 days? There's a ~$400 difference between staying at a hotel where I need to get food versus staying on site at a resort WITH food. The other thing is that all the other costs include a rental car for the entire stay. If we totally relied on buses and didn't get a car, that would lower the price ~$475 ($275 for car rental, ~$100 in Disney parking, ~$100 for self parking for the entire stay) on all the options EXCEPT the Disney resort.

Is it a big deal that there are no restaurants at Wyndam Bonnet Creek? If we decide here, we will have to rent a car. Therefore, we can get groceries, and I know that will save us $$ in the long run. Just lack of convenience I suppose. Renting a car at the DTD is not necessary (but probably more convenient) as is renting a car at Hilton Bonnet Creek. Both have bus transportation to the parks.

Can you see how I am driving myself crazy?!?!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Good Grief yes I can see how you are driving yourself crazy & after reading this I have a headache

Seriously, going over all the info I kept going back to THIS the age of your children & you want a RELAXING vacation...so my choice...drum roll please would be Coronado Springs...let Disney do it all, no hassles with buying & preparing food, no car rental, immersed in the Magic of it all ! Good Luck and if you make a decision with the DDP get on those ADRs !

 

[dizcrazee]

I wouldn't want to change resorts mid-vaca - too much work - so that eliminates option #2 altogether for me!

I agree with the pp - in your situation, I would stay onsite. You won't have to mess with getting a rental car, going to the grocery store, parking, driving, cooking, yadda yadda yadda! Have you thought about staying at one of the value resorts? The rooms are small, but the theming will be very appealing to a four year old, and the cost will be less. Also, what about one of the family suites at All Stars Music? You will have a lot more room and they are very close to the restaurant and bus stop. You might wind up in the back 40 at Coronado Springs, so I'd definitely request one of the buildings close to the restaurant if you stay there.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great vacation!

 

[Luvchefmic]

Actually that's an even better idea Dizcrazee a value if they could get it would save so much $$$ my favorite is POP

 

[Upatnoon]

For a long stay like that, with kids your age, I would (and I have) stay at Bonnet Creek in a 2 bedroom.

Spend less time at the parks and more time at the great pools at Bonnet Creek. Do free stuff like Downtown Disney, the Boardwalk and Fort Wilderness.

Four days at the parks would be plenty. We take our 4-year-old to Magic Kingdom and what does he say -- "I want to go back to our vacation at Bonnet Creek"

You will be far more rested and relaxed at Bonnet Creek. When your kids are older, I would go for Disney resort -- not now -- the timing isn't right.

 

[ge0rgette2]

Hmm -- ever think of renting a home for that time frame ...

I did that last February --- huge house with pool and it was less than $1,000.

I can't remember the place off the top of my head right now - but it'll come to me and i'll post it

Good luck!

 

[#1hoosierfan]

On-site sounds tempting, but I would DEFINITELY go for the extra space. What time does your 9 month old go to bed? If you are in 1 room will everybody else have to tiptoe around to not wake the baby?

We are staying at Bonnet Creek when we go in March. That way the boys can go to bed, and we can still enjoy watching tv and talking.

Like someone else said, we will stay on-site in a few years when the boys get a bit older.

 

[Brian Noble]

Of that set, I think there are only two viable choices: the entire stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, or the entire stay at Coronado Springs. I don't see a reason to change rooms, and I don't see a reason to stay in a hotel room offsite for more money total than a hotel room onsite.

Bonnet will cost a little more when you add in food costs, and it will require you to do your own driving. (You don't really have to do much of your own shopping though---a service like Garden Grocer can deliver breakfast foods, and you can take your other meals in the parks.) On the other hand, in Coronado, you have to share a single hotel room with your girls for eight nights. Either would be a good vacation, but they are really different.

Me, personally? The driving is no big deal, but sharing a single hotel room with my kids is not a vacation. I can do one night, maybe two before child protective services would be getting involved. Other people get all shaky when they think about not staying in a Disney resort. We do about half our stays onsite, and half off---depends on whether we can snag a DVC exchange with one of our timeshares. We might be pixie-dust-deficient, but we didn't find being onsite so compelling that we'd cram into a single room to do it again.

 

[luckylady131]

Thanks for the replies. I've thought about this a LOT! Even though the extra room would be nice, I've decided to go with Coronado Springs. If we can handle a cruise ship room with a (then) 2 year old for 7 days, and a normal hotel room at a Mexican resort for 7 days with (then) 3 year old, I think a Disney resort for a 8 nights should be fine, even if there are 2 of them now. The 4 year old tires pretty easily and will take naps during the day, as will my husband. The baby is truly a very easy going baby, and goes with the flow already at 4 months old!!

My girls go to bed at the same time ~8:30ish. We follow shortly after. We usually read before bedtime, so noise isn't that big a deal. If we are out and about, I have a good stroller they can sleep in!

I know this won't be our last trip. I would rather stay on property and not have to think about stuff - like getting to the parks. Just get me on a bus and I'm good. I personally think doing Wyndam when my girls are older will be better. Right now the 4 year old is scared of shadows/the dark/etc, and being a new room, at night, on her own (even if her sister is in a PNP with her) she would be scared and want in our bed. If we are all in the same room, she's good. And we can still have our bed and she can have hers!

 

[dizcrazee]

It sounds like you've thought it out carefully and have made a good decision for your family. Have a wonderful trip!