The struggle is REAL

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

I'm glad to know to know people on trip advisor agreed with me because I got flamed on these boards for hating pop. I honestly think people get to wrapped up in the Disney bubble thing and lose their sensibilities on what a good hotel is.

I do understand what you mean about people getting too excited when people saying negative things about their favorite resort . I find it amusing reading

But, people like me don't "lose our sensibilities on what a good hotel is"; we just know what we like; and what isn't worth it to you, is to us. We have done off-site twice and on-site many times and staying on-site is what we will continue to do. We just stay at the resort that fits into our budget during the time we will be there.

For those of you that are considering staying on-site or save a little money and continue to stay off-site as you have done in the past, I say stay on-site at least once. You may become one of us people that 'loses our sensibility'. Or you may find that staying off-site is just as good (or better) for your family and continue to do so.

It's your vacation, don't let others tell you your crazy because of the choice you made.

 

[WDWOswald]

OP here. I have to admit I'm quite surprised so many of you would choose POP over bonnet creek. California King bed, two full sinks, and all that space! We much prefer to eat breakfast in the room. The two of us aren't going to be "cooking" but we like having a microwave and full size fridge. I think what we will do is stay at the POP for our first night, just to see how it is. I just remembered there are not hot tubs at value resorts... and that's a bummer.

Now if we could get Coronado Springs or even Port Orleans for the duration for our trip that would be awesome but right now they are booked solid. We are traveling May 3-10th. My dream place to stay would be Bay Lake Tower... we've stayed at the grand floridian, animal kingdom kidani, wilderness lodge, boardwalk inn, bonnet creek, and wyndham star island. So yeah, never experienced a value let alone a moderate.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

1 bedroom at wyndham bonnet creek for 7 nights will cost $699 and will include 900 square feet of top notch accommodations on Disney property. Bonnet Creek features jacuzzi tubs, full kitchen and dining room and living room. Great pools, nice landscaping, and many other nice amenities. We will lose out on magic bands, early access FP+, free parking at the parks, room charging capabilities, extra magic hours, and the Disney theme, dining, and shopping.

Now for $807 we could stay at the POP Century resort in a standard room. Caribbbean Beach would be $1,157 for a standard room.

It's so hard to turn down the bonnet creek option, even though we are the biggest Disney geeks on the planet. It's only my wife and I. What would you do? We will be renting a car no matter what. Once you rent a car, you don't go back IMHO.

We always stay on site and like being in the Disney bubble, but if you are going to be driving anyway I would stay at Bonnet Creek. Comparing a 1 bedroom villa in a full service resort to a 260 sq ft room at a value is like apples and oranges. If we ever do look at staying offsite, Bonnet Creek is probably where we would go , because it's in the middle of Disney property. Plus, while we love the atmosphere at Pop Century, it's not where DH and I would choose for an adults only trip.

 

[Dis703]

Its not enough of a price difference to make me want to stay off property. Of course I'd go one further and ditch the car and upgrade resorts with the money I save on no rental. But that's just me.

 

[bookgirl]

There is a good chance we will be offsite in July (there for a tournament and the team hotel is required). However anticipating at least one more trip this year I went ahead and upgraded to an AP.

With an AP (free parking) I have to admit that offsite is a little more appealing then it was. I love the Disney Bubble and just returned from a Value stay a couple of days ago, but I may be done with Values. If I will have a car anyway then I might consider offsite. I will use the July trip to see just how feasible the logistics are.

I would never say an absolute no to offsite but if I had a car anyway then more room, a full kitchen (we prefer to do breakfast in our rooms over getting to an ADR first thing), and loads of space for a cheaper price would hold some sway over my decision. The Disney Bubble alone probably would not win out.

 

[POOHsie]

OP, after your post I spent time reading many pages of Trip Advisor reviews of Wyndham Bonnet Creek. It's a timeshare, and they will use tricks to hound you into attending their breakfast (OJ and muffin) which they say will be 1.5 hrs, but will be 4 hours or more. It starts at check-in. They tell you to get your parking permit at the other desk. OP -- you don't need a parking permit. The "other desk" is where you get the first relentless timeshare breakfast invite. Say no, no, no, no, no and walk away. If you attend and don't buy, you won't get your supposed free $150 gift certificate. If you try to buy Disney tickets, you will be corraled into the timeshare spiel, so forget that. Be firm. They will also call your room about the breakfast, every day. Some guests unplug their phone. There's no maid service, rooms are dirty and lack maintenance, roaches in the rooms, hot showers have little water pressure, non-existent pool towels, overcrowded pools, bad room views if you're not already a VIP timeshare owner, lousy restaurant food and $6 per day/per person shuttles to WDW parks (you are charged whether you use them or not), which end at 7pm in the evening. If you can manage all that, enjoy your budget-priced trip. BTW, values are OK, but I would take my spouse to POR or POFQ on a trip to Disney.

 

[WDWOswald]

Its not enough of a price difference to make me want to stay off property. Of course I'd go one further and ditch the car and upgrade resorts with the money I save on no rental. But that's just me.

A week renting a car costs about $120. You can't upgrade much of anything at Disney for that price. Plus we'd lose out on saving an incredible about of time vs waiting for the bus all week. We also love to visit the resorts, and having a car makes it incredibly easy to get to them.

 

[WDWOswald]

OP, after your post I spent time reading many pages of Trip Advisor reviews of Wyndham Bonnet Creek. It's a timeshare, and they will use tricks to hound you into attending their breakfast (OJ and muffin) which they say will be 1.5 hrs, but will be 4 hours or more. It starts at check-in. They tell you to get your parking permit at the other desk. OP -- you don't need a parking permit. The "other desk" is where you get the first relentless timeshare breakfast invite. Say no, no, no, no, no and walk away. If you attend and don't buy, you won't get your supposed free $150 gift certificate. If you try to buy Disney tickets, you will be corraled into the timeshare spiel, so forget that. Be firm. They will also call your room about the breakfast, every day. Some guests unplug their phone. There's no maid service, rooms are dirty and lack maintenance, roaches in the rooms, hot showers have little water pressure, non-existent pool towels, overcrowded pools, bad room views if you're not already a VIP timeshare owner, lousy restaurant food and $6 per day/per person shuttles to WDW parks (you are charged whether you use them or not), which end at 7pm in the evening. If you can manage all that, enjoy your budget-priced trip. BTW, values are OK, but I would take my spouse to POR or POFQ on a trip to Disney.

We have stayed a bonnet creek three times previously. I have never attended a timeshare presentation there and never will. I simply decline, and make sure to put down the lowest income bracket when asked to fill something out. End of story, end of sales pressure, and on to our room.

Now here's the real story about bonnet creek. Similar accommodations at Disney in a 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom suite at say old key west or saratoga springs would cost $2,800- $3,200 when renting DVC points. Bonnet cost $699. Rooms at bonnet creek the past three times we have stayed there are immaculate.. like "you can eat off the floor" clean. Room views have been anywhere from acceptable to spectacular. We always eat at Disney restaurants, and wouldn't eat at any off-site restaurant anyways. We don't take a Disney bus. Ever. You have no idea how awesome it is to avoid the crowds and and wait and simply drive wherever you want to go. Aside from making the bed and taking out the trash at the end of the week, house keeping is a non-issue for us. There are several pools, all of which are spacious and always have room for the two of us. The walk around the lake is sublime as well.

All that to say, I like being in the Disney bubble as much as anyone else. It's just hard to say no to a resort that's closer to all of the parks than Saratoga Springs and is that affordable. Our favorite all time trip was last April when stayed for two nights at the grand floridian and 5 nights at the boardwalk inn with a boardwalk view room. Now let me tell you, we were not missing bonnet creek then. When we stayed at Kidani village in a studio room that featured a virtually endless walk to the lobby and no quick service restaurant, we were missing the advantages of bonnet creek.

 

[mickeynut1]

1 bedroom at wyndham bonnet creek for 7 nights will cost $699 and will include 900 square feet of top notch accommodations on Disney property. Bonnet Creek features jacuzzi tubs, full kitchen and dining room and living room. Great pools, nice landscaping, and many other nice amenities. We will lose out on magic bands, early access FP+, free parking at the parks, room charging capabilities, extra magic hours, and the Disney theme, dining, and shopping.

Now for $807 we could stay at the POP Century resort in a standard room. Caribbbean Beach would be $1,157 for a standard room.

It's so hard to turn down the bonnet creek option, even though we are the biggest Disney geeks on the planet. It's only my wife and I. What would you do? We will be renting a car no matter what. Once you rent a car, you don't go back IMHO.

I would stay onsite and out of the three options, I would choose CBR. We had a great stay at CBR and loved everything about it. We've never stayed at a value and never will as they have absolutely no appeal to us, especially when you could stay at a moderate for just a little more. Good luck.

 

[mousehockey37]

1 bedroom at wyndham bonnet creek for 7 nights will cost $699 and will include 900 square feet of top notch accommodations on Disney property. Bonnet Creek features jacuzzi tubs, full kitchen and dining room and living room. Great pools, nice landscaping, and many other nice amenities. We will lose out on magic bands, early access FP+, free parking at the parks, room charging capabilities, extra magic hours, and the Disney theme, dining, and shopping.

Now for $807 we could stay at the POP Century resort in a standard room. Caribbbean Beach would be $1,157 for a standard room.

It's so hard to turn down the bonnet creek option, even though we are the biggest Disney geeks on the planet. It's only my wife and I. What would you do? We will be renting a car no matter what. Once you rent a car, you don't go back IMHO.

What are your plans for the rest of your trip? Are you going to be gun-ho in the parks? Are you planning on just staying in the room and relaxing? There's a myriad of things that you haven't specified that would aid us in helping you answer your open-ended question.

 

[Missyrose]

OP here. I have to admit I'm quite surprised so many of you would choose POP over bonnet creek. California King bed, two full sinks, and all that space! We much prefer to eat breakfast in the room. The two of us aren't going to be "cooking" but we like having a microwave and full size fridge. I think what we will do is stay at the POP for our first night, just to see how it is. I just remembered there are not hot tubs at value resorts... and that's a bummer. Now if we could get Coronado Springs or even Port Orleans for the duration for our trip that would be awesome but right now they are booked solid. We are traveling May 3-10th. My dream place to stay would be Bay Lake Tower... we've stayed at the grand floridian, animal kingdom kidani, wilderness lodge, boardwalk inn, bonnet creek, and wyndham star island. So yeah, never experienced a value let alone a moderate.

No contest, stay at Bonnet Creek. You've stayed at the nicer Disney resorts, you know you like to do breakfast in the room and you like your space. You'll get none of that at Pop.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

OP, after your post I spent time reading many pages of Trip Advisor reviews of Wyndham Bonnet Creek. It's a timeshare, and they will use tricks to hound you into attending their breakfast (OJ and muffin) which they say will be 1.5 hrs, but will be 4 hours or more. It starts at check-in. They tell you to get your parking permit at the other desk. OP -- you don't need a parking permit. The "other desk" is where you get the first relentless timeshare breakfast invite. Say no, no, no, no, no and walk away. If you attend and don't buy, you won't get your supposed free $150 gift certificate. If you try to buy Disney tickets, you will be corraled into the timeshare spiel, so forget that. Be firm. They will also call your room about the breakfast, every day. Some guests unplug their phone. There's no maid service, rooms are dirty and lack maintenance, roaches in the rooms, hot showers have little water pressure, non-existent pool towels, overcrowded pools, bad room views if you're not already a VIP timeshare owner, lousy restaurant food and $6 per day/per person shuttles to WDW parks (you are charged whether you use them or not), which end at 7pm in the evening. If you can manage all that, enjoy your budget-priced trip. BTW, values are OK, but I would take my spouse to POR or POFQ on a trip to Disney.

I've stayed at Bonnet Creek several times, and never experienced the aggressive time share pitch. (Said no once, and then said no again when they called once halfway through my stay). I have always found the rooms to be clean and well maintained, and both my wife and I are fairly tidy people, who don't need daily maid service.

 

[kellymarch]

I think what we will do is stay at the POP for our first night, just to see how it is. I just remembered there are not hot tubs at value resorts... and that's a bummer.

Now if we could get Coronado Springs or even Port Orleans for the duration for our trip that would be awesome but right now they are booked solid.

We've stayed at POP and Coronado & honestly the Queen beds (bigger, not more comfortable) and the hottub were what I appreciated at the moderate. We liked the food court better at POP.

Although Coronado is known as a conference-heavy resort, we didn‘t find it or POP too loud or too crowded when we‘ve gone for March Break when crowd levels are pretty high.

I would go to either again without hesitation. I would rather have all the perks of staying onsite unless the price difference was really substantial (Disney has us hooked, lol).

 

[disneycrazi]

I'm glad to know to know people on trip advisor agreed with me because I got flamed on these boards for hating pop. I honestly think people get to wrapped up in the Disney bubble thing and lose their sensibilities on what a good hotel is.

I'm in the fire with you, cannot express how much I did not like POP. On the other side though we LOVE AOA. It's our favorite value now.

 

[Viva Las Disney]

I vote stay onsite but mainly because I love not having to drive while on vacation. If you're planning on driving anyway it's a tough call.

I drive to Disneyland every month and I pay extra to stay at one of the hotels within walking distance just so I can park my car and forget about it until I leave again.

 

[gaudioli]

I'm glad to know to know people on trip advisor agreed with me because I got flamed on these boards for hating pop. I honestly think people get to wrapped up in the Disney bubble thing and lose their sensibilities on what a good hotel is.

I got flamed too once on this board b/c I had the audacity to say that I was annoyed with Disney....(meanwhile 70% of the responses agreed with me) lol.

I've stayed at Bonnett Creek...it's lovely and would stay again without a doubt.

 

[Wendy5055]

I have stayed offsite and prefer a WDW hotel over it. I figure what you save offsite, you end up paying for a rental car, fuel and parking. To my mind it is also more hassle than it's worth. While I completely understand the reasoning For choosing an offsite hotel. I also know it's not an option for me. I just prefer the perks and especially the dining plan (another huge debate) which you can't get staying offsite. So I continue to save and look for specials and plan our magical getaway accordingly.

I do believe that everyone must simply choose what suits them and their family best.

 

[AliceandAriel]

1 bedroom at wyndham bonnet creek for 7 nights will cost $699 and will include 900 square feet of top notch accommodations on Disney property. Bonnet Creek features jacuzzi tubs, full kitchen and dining room and living room. Great pools, nice landscaping, and many other nice amenities. We will lose out on magic bands, early access FP+, free parking at the parks, room charging capabilities, extra magic hours, and the Disney theme, dining, and shopping.

Now for $807 we could stay at the POP Century resort in a standard room. Caribbbean Beach would be $1,157 for a standard room.

It's so hard to turn down the bonnet creek option, even though we are the biggest Disney geeks on the planet. It's only my wife and I. What would you do? We will be renting a car no matter what. Once you rent a car, you don't go back IMHO.

It is hard, but do what fits you best!

For me, I'd stay at ASports. POP doesn't appeal to me in the least by any means. I've done two stays at AoA and that was perfect but the suites are too pricey on their own compared to renting points from a DVC member for the same amenities, less cost. A night at BWV will run me. $137 compared to $292 for the same stuff at AoA. Crazy.

I like the 'Disney bubble' and it's immersion, so offsite makes me unhappy. The Disney buses, while crowded, make me smile with the music and the reminder that "You'll be home soon." Always gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. Plus, by using the buses, I don't pay parking. Yay, saving $15 a day!

Plus staying off-site means you lose EMH. Most don't care about that, but I do and almost always use all EMH hours.

Not to mention DME from the airport...

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

1 bedroom at wyndham bonnet creek for 7 nights will cost $699 and will include 900 square feet of top notch accommodations on Disney property. Bonnet Creek features jacuzzi tubs, full kitchen and dining room and living room. Great pools, nice landscaping, and many other nice amenities. We will lose out on magic bands, early access FP+, free parking at the parks, room charging capabilities, extra magic hours, and the Disney theme, dining, and shopping.

Now for $807 we could stay at the POP Century resort in a standard room. Caribbbean Beach would be $1,157 for a standard room.

It's so hard to turn down the bonnet creek option, even though we are the biggest Disney geeks on the planet. It's only my wife and I. What would you do? We will be renting a car no matter what. Once you rent a car, you don't go back IMHO.

I would stay on property, and also ditch the car. We find that renting a car is the equivalent of throwing money in the toilet, because Disney transportation is just fine, and we like interacting with other families.

 

[Redarrow5150]

If it's non-peak go with Bonnet. If it's peak season I would have to go with something on property.

1 bedroom at wyndham bonnet creek for 7 nights will cost $699 and will include 900 square feet of top notch accommodations on Disney property. Bonnet Creek features jacuzzi tubs, full kitchen and dining room and living room. Great pools, nice landscaping, and many other nice amenities. We will lose out on magic bands, early access FP+, free parking at the parks, room charging capabilities, extra magic hours, and the Disney theme, dining, and shopping.

Now for $807 we could stay at the POP Century resort in a standard room. Caribbbean Beach would be $1,157 for a standard room.

It's so hard to turn down the bonnet creek option, even though we are the biggest Disney geeks on the planet. It's only my wife and I. What would you do? We will be renting a car no matter what. Once you rent a car, you don't go back IMHO.