We just got back from our 15 night stay at Bonnet Creek, and I can't say enough good things about the place. We couldn't find the stroller left for us at first, but Mo (supervisor of the bell staff) tracked it down for me, and was super nice! The woman who checked us in was awesome as well, and parking pass was no problem. However, I agree with a number of people on here that the pass is totally NOT needed and if you want, skip that desk and head to your room. Nobody asked for it, nobody checked it, and you only need your room key to access the gate!
Our room was fantastic! Asked for a fireworks view with high floor and we got exactly that! Room 1474 in tower 4 (deluxe 2 bedroom) was awesome! We sat on the balcony many nights and watched the fireworks with our daughter. We had a new sofa in the unit, and as someone else commented, it's not leather and a bit firm, but it worked well for us, and better than an ugly old peeling one.
Here's my take on the resort etc... First off, I hated the toiletries they provide, as they smell of artificial pine, and that smell gives me headaches and it's just not that nice. So, I definitely bought our own hand soap etc... We switched the ice maker on right away so that we'd have ice for the cooler for our pool days without having to go fetch it from the machine. There was also a plastic jug in the fridge that we kept filled with ice, so we could keep making more.
We also turned the fridge down so it would be colder for our drinks, as we didn't do any cooking while there, and we like our beer/pop/water very cold. There is nothing other than very large blue cups and that jug that isn't glass or ceramic, so anybody with kids might want to bring some plastic cups or bowls etc... I was always nervous my 5 year old would smash a glass or something. The blender was used a lot as I would make us smoothies in the morning to get us through until we could get some proper food into us. I put the fruit, yogurt, and juice in the blender at night, and left it in the fridge to thaw a bit so we could blend them easily in the morning. It takes quite a bit of time to blend them frozen, so it worked great that way. The dryer only took a long time if I had a big load in it, and mostly I did small loads, so it wasn't so bad! That was a great thing to have, and I ended up bringing a lot less clothing because of it. The only thing we ran out of was green recycle bags cause we drank so much! LOL But made do with other bags for our empties. We have always recycled our bottles/cans in Canada for as long as I can remember, so it was nice to be able to do the same down there and they provide the recycle bin in the trash chute room. I don't know if they'd charge for extra stuff, but the sign in the room says that if you need more, they will provide it for a cost. In our unit, there were 2 hair dryers, which was nice, but we didn't need both, as there was just the 3 of us. And while the jacuzzi tub was nice and I used it most nights, the water is NOT hot enough and I had to boil water for it... though a bit of a pain, it was worth it for me. That's the only time I used the stove.
Being in building 4 was the best for us. It was super easy to get in and out of the resort from, there is a garage right there, so we parked in it every night cause it was too damn hot not to. We almost always got ground floor parking, except when we came back from
MNSSHP really late. Also, we were able to sit and relax around the pool and watch our daughter swim without her ever being out of view, so that was the only pool we went to.
When you are leaving the resort by car, and you want to turn right onto Lake Buena Vista, please note there is no YIELD sign, but it is definitely a YIELD!!! We noticed a number of people that didn't stop, and luckily for them nothing happened, but I think they need to get a sign up there cause that traffic can be moving fast to get into the lane for the I-4. Downtown Disney was always super, super busy and we mostly avoided it cause it wasn't worth the aggravation of parking and battling the crowds. I do recommend for those that can, to park near Planet Hollywood or further west because there's lots more parking there. We also learned very quickly to avoid Lake Buena Vista Drive altogether near supper time and to take the I-4 instead, as it's super easy and fast to get to the Crossroads area that way. We sat in traffic for a looong time trying to get through the lights, and finally found the alternate route.
My husband and daughter LOVE seafood (I do not) and their favourite place to eat was Joe's Crab Shack! The chicken fingers were pretty good too, but they loved the crab, lobster, and shrimp so much, we had to go back! Steak n Shake was super cheap and quite good for burgers n fries. It's half price drinks between 2-4 btw. The Outback was great on International Drive, but traffic is bad at dinner time! IHOP was good too, but way too busy on the weekends, so we avoided that during peak breakfast hours. Chevy's Fresh Mex was a hit for us, and the people there super nice, and the food so fresh and delicious. Although not traditional Mexican fare, it was a good experience... but don't tell your server you like it hot, cause man oh man, did they ever spice it up... maybe a bit too much! LOL The fresh chips and salsa they start you off with was very good too. And though I didn't have one, the margaritas looked good! Black Angus was just average for us, and I did not like the fact they added 18% gratuity for 3 people eating. I know a lot of places add it on parties of 8 or more, but we were just 3 people who didn't require a lot of service. And of course, who's going to ask to change it, even if the server isn't that great. I also believe that if it's added automatically, the servers feel they don't have to work as hard for their tip. T-Rex was good, but very loud and dark and some smaller children did not like it! Planet Hollywood was great at lunch, the food pretty good, but we did not enjoy our Sunday night meal there... They bring in a DJ and the music was so loud it hurt my ears and we couldn't even hold a conversation because of it. We asked them about it and they said people love it! I don't buy that... at least not families, which was the bulk of the clientele in there.
I would definitely stay at WBC again, and only have good things to say about the resort and the people we encountered. Hope everyone staying there has as much fun as we did.
