The we loooooove Bonnet Creek thread Part 3

[billnang]

I am confusing myself...so I thought I'd ask those who have stayed here.

We are a family of 7, 2 adults and 5 children ages 7-17
As of today I am booked to stay during free dining in 2 rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort. We figured with free dining is a non brainer...
Well the more I see Bonnet Creek the more the 2 bdrm deluxe room interests me, and a great price as well.

My issue is this... my husband does not want to rent a car, he has no interest in driving and parking while on vacation in Disney. We never have, we have always stayed on property. So, I am concerned about transportation. And, after its all said in done.. and pay for meals and tickets and transportation... am I really saving anything?

Thoughts from those who have done this!!! WWYD?

 

[DCTooTall]

I am confusing myself...so I thought I'd ask those who have stayed here.

We are a family of 7, 2 adults and 5 children ages 7-17
As of today I am booked to stay during free dining in 2 rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort. We figured with free dining is a non brainer...
Well the more I see Bonnet Creek the more the 2 bdrm deluxe room interests me, and a great price as well.

My issue is this... my husband does not want to rent a car, he has no interest in driving and parking while on vacation in Disney. We never have, we have always stayed on property. So, I am concerned about transportation. And, after its all said in done.. and pay for meals and tickets and transportation... am I really saving anything?

Thoughts from those who have done this!!! WWYD?

In your situation, it may not be such an easy decision.

In general, You will be able to save a LOT of money on the room costs alone with Bonnet Creek. Most prices people report around here can be in the $100-$120/night range for a 2bdrm [with some prices cheaper, some a little more... depending on time of year, how long you stay, and who you rent from]. I'm willing to bet that's less than you are paying for just a single room at the CBR. You may want to look at a larger room at WBC though since the 2bdrm has the 1 king bed in the master bedroom, 2 full/queen beds in the 2nd bedroom, and a queen pull out in the living room. The 3bdrm will add another bedroom with a king bed and might make it more comfortable and relaxing since the kids won't be on top of each other as much....and it also might make it easier to separate the kids based off sex or age if you wanted (either getting ready in the morning, or maybe allowing younger kids to go to bed earlier than the older ones).

Where things are going to get a little more complicated is you desire to not rent a car and the question about food.

At CBR, Your airport transportation, park transportation, and food [thru the ddp] are all included. At Bonnet Creek, These are going to get split out to seperate line items. Generally we would say just rent a car since the price of a rental will still likely bring you cheaper than what you are paying for onsite at CBR, and that would take care of the airport transportation and park transportation and give you some added freedom. since you don't want to drive however, there are other things that need to be considered.

Airport transportation: Taxi or Towncar. You will want to price out your options here. Some Towncar services will include a grocery stop on the way which can help you with the food concern. The advantage over ME: It's straight from the airport to the resort without stops at other resorts. disadvantage: extra cost and potential complication if you are used to ME.

Park Transportation: The Bonnet Creek shuttle is currently charging $6 per per per day for use. For your family of 7 alone, that would be $42/day. [for comparison, if you drove, parking at the parks is $15/day]. It also runs a set schedule that sometimes doesn't run as much mid-day. There are examples of past schedules posted here and in other threads.... but it's something to consider as the bonnet creek shuttle won't be as convenient as Disney Transportation if you are the type who likes to come and go from the resort during the day.

Food: I'm someone who honestly has a hard time justifying the cost of the DDP since I don't normally eat that much food. With multiple kids however who can eat a LOT, the DDP could make more sense for you. The DDP could also be useful for you if you are the type who will let your kids roam the parks on their own at all, since you will know they can use their hotel room key to get food. Generally however, I'd say look at what the menu's at the restaurants you think you will end up eating at contain. You can find them, with prices, on the DIS. Get an idea on what you might realistically eat. Not everyone is going to eat 3 "entree's with drink and dessert" every day, and you may even find that sometimes you might end up splitting something. Either way, look at the food options, and figure out what you are likely to end up spending "out of pocket" for that food. Then you can see if it makes financial sense to stay off site and pay for your food, on onsite with free dining.

With offsite, There are a couple tips you can use. Examples include ideas such as: Making a grocery stop and getting some breakfast foods... cereal, waffles, bacon, eggs, juice, etc. Then you can eat breakfast in the unit while everyone is getting ready before headed to the parks. It also would give the family something to do while doing the morning bathroom dance. (Some eat breakfast while others shower/get ready.... then the bathroom people eat while those who ate get ready).

For park food, if you like the idea of having your meals pre-paid, You can put the money on Disney Gift Cards (like what you would spend on the DDP normally). You then don't have to worry about havng the money for food since you've already put it aside in your disney giftcards. Bonus: anything you didn't spend on food at the end of your trip you can use on souvenirs... or purchases at your local Disney Store.



Obviously, The park ticket cost is going to be the same onsite or off. (although you can find discounted tickets at places like Undercover Tourist if you aren't required to get them as part of a package)

Another thing to consider too with a family that large.... No daily housekeeping at Bonnet Creek. While the more space may help keep things less cluttered with bags/clothes..... If your kids are the type who will make a mess, You won't have someone coming thru every day to clean up that mess. For some people, the daily housekeeping can be something easily missed when it's not there. (But bonus: washer/dryer in the room, so you could get away with packing less clothes overall.... or even just washing bathing suits easily between uses).

So is it a good fit for you? I can't tell you. You know your family, budget, and vacation needs better than I do. If you didn't mind driving, I think you could easily save some $$$.... but the ability to not worry about driving and transportation, or even the ability to have someone else clean up after the family during your trip.... could be things you consider priceless and worth the premium you are paying to stay onsite.

I hope this has helped.... and if you have any other questions about the resort I'm sure we'd be happy to answer them for you if it helps you decide if this is something for you.

 

[SMWfamily]

Just got back from a stay at Bonnet Creek. Got a great deal on Redweek.com We will be staying there again next year. It is TRUELY a great resort. Love love love!

 

[aubriee]

In your situation, it may not be such an easy decision.

In general, You will be able to save a LOT of money on the room costs alone with Bonnet Creek. Most prices people report around here can be in the $100-$120/night range for a 2bdrm [with some prices cheaper, some a little more... depending on time of year, how long you stay, and who you rent from]. I'm willing to bet that's less than you are paying for just a single room at the CBR..........
...............
...............
I hope this has helped....

Since it was so long, I did not quote your whole response, but just want to say: Excellent post! To add to the part I did quote: when I was requesting quotes for our Dec trip I asked for quotes for both a one and a two bedroom. Aaron Washburn offered me a one bedroom for $60.00/night and a two bedroom for just $70.00/night. Farrells Vacations offered me a one and a two bedroom for the exact same price of $119.00/night. Vacation Upgrades, Shelby Resorts, and Vacation Strategy were somewhere between the two. However, Shelby Resorts was cheaper for a one bedroom for my Sept trip than the other three (didn't ask about a 2 bedroom for that trip). So prices can really vary between renters from season to season. One may be cheaper for one season, but then higher for a different season.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

I am confusing myself...so I thought I'd ask those who have stayed here.

We are a family of 7, 2 adults and 5 children ages 7-17
As of today I am booked to stay during free dining in 2 rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort. We figured with free dining is a non brainer...
Well the more I see Bonnet Creek the more the 2 bdrm deluxe room interests me, and a great price as well.

My issue is this... my husband does not want to rent a car, he has no interest in driving and parking while on vacation in Disney. We never have, we have always stayed on property. So, I am concerned about transportation. And, after its all said in done.. and pay for meals and tickets and transportation... am I really saving anything?

Thoughts from those who have done this!!! WWYD?

I wanted to post an answer to you. I can't give you any better info than a PP already has but this is what I think about it... If your husband absolutely refuses to rent a car and drive y'all around then you are better off on property. But I would suggest since you are getting the FREE DDp I would call Disney and upgrade your younger kids to show in the system as 10 or older so they can get the DDp for adults and be able to order anything they want off the whole menu and not be stuck with those disgusting crappy little kids meals. The price difference from a child's park ticket to an adult park ticket is just a few dollars so it will only cost you a few dollars per child to upgrade them all to adults.

You aren't breaking any Disney rules. They allow this. You can even tell the CM on the phone when you call that you want to change the dates of birth/ages for some of your children so that they can get the adult DDP.

If you have 2 rooms at CBR with free dining then that means you are paying rack rate for your room. Probably around $200 a night per room. SO let's say $400 a night for lodging and food. And you have no rental car expenses.

If you stay at Bonnet Creek and let's say you can get a 3 bedroom for your week for $120 a night. Then you add about $60 a day for renting a mini van. Then add parking at the parks $15 a day. That is $195 a day so far. That leaves $205 a day for feeding the family. Can you feed your family for that much?

You absolutely can in a big condo with a full size kitchen. You make a grocery stop on the way to the resort and buy groceries for the week. breakfast and dinner and snacks and drinks. Only eat OUT for lunch in the parks.

Using the Bonnet Creek shuttle would be a few dollars cheaper than renting a car only if you plan on making ONE round trip to the parks. If you like to take a mid day break and go back in the evenings then the shuttle would be way more than renting a van.

So money wise you may end up spending about the same. But the difference is you can stay in a huge 3 bedroom condo with laundry and kitchen. The resort has 5 pools, 2 lazy rivers, playground if I am not mistaken, putt putt golf for free, kids activities every day.

I think if you can talk your husband into driving you all back and forth from the parks you will be glad you gave Bonnet Creek a try.

I have not stayed at Bonnet Creek yet but have stayed in many vacation condos and can tell you once you get use to the big space and being able to spread out and have room, you won't ever want to go back to a tiny little cramped hotel room again.

Having a washer and dryer in the room enables you to pack HALF AS MUCH stuff because you can wash clothes half way through the trip.

I don't miss the daily housekeeping because I don't like someone in my room while I am on vacation anyway. If we make a mess we clean up our own mess. I wash the towels myself or ask for a towel exchange.

Driving to the parks is wonderful. Once you do it you will never want to be at the mercy of those buses ever again. Being able to walk out of the park and immediately get in your own vehicles and GO is awesome. You will be back in your room most of the time before the ppl waiting on a bus even got to board a bus.

From what I have read, Bonnet Creek is a very short drive to all the parks and DTD.

In the end you have to decide what you think is best for your family but I think I would try something different and see how it works out.

 

[zilp]

Just booked a 3BR Presidential for next spring, so excited for our trip !

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, there is so much useful and helpful information

 

[snowangel72]

I am confusing myself...so I thought I'd ask those who have stayed here.

We are a family of 7, 2 adults and 5 children ages 7-17
As of today I am booked to stay during free dining in 2 rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort. We figured with free dining is a non brainer...
Well the more I see Bonnet Creek the more the 2 bdrm deluxe room interests me, and a great price as well.

My issue is this... my husband does not want to rent a car, he has no interest in driving and parking while on vacation in Disney. We never have, we have always stayed on property. So, I am concerned about transportation. And, after its all said in done.. and pay for meals and tickets and transportation... am I really saving anything?

Thoughts from those who have done this!!! WWYD?

Yes you will save money but your hubby will be unhappy. BC is like a condo. You cook, you clean, you pick up things, your linens won't be changed, no Disney CS, no WDW vibe at all, and yeah he will have to drive at some point. It isn't hotel living. If he wants hotel living he won't be happy.

 

[cruisinpan567]

Yes you will save money but your hubby will be unhappy. BC is like a condo. You cook, you clean, you pick up things, your linens won't be changed, no Disney CS, no WDW vibe at all, and yeah he will have to drive at some point. It isn't hotel living. If he wants hotel living he won't be happy.

We have always stayed in Disney resorts. We are staying at Bonnet Creek for the first time. We decided that having the extra room with the kitchen and laundry at our disposal would suit us better as the kids get older. We are renting a car to drive back and forth to the parks. We are really looking forward to a new experience at Disney World. Good luck with your decision.

 

[dancin Disney style]

We have always stayed in Disney resorts. We are staying at Bonnet Creek for the first time. We decided that having the extra room with the kitchen and laundry at our disposal would suit us better as the kids get older. We are renting a car to drive back and forth to the parks. We are really looking forward to a new experience at Disney World. Good luck with your decision.

We also are Disney resort lovers but have stayed at WBC to change things up. We are doing it again next month but trying the Marriott Grand Vista. We want to vacation in Orlando and WDW but have a new experience at the same time.

 

[ironpig70]

Thanks to the OP for continuing the thread. And thank you to all who have posted.

We were looking to go in May but budget has us looking at August now. Downside is the dinning plan but with the kids all being "adults" its not saving us any money.

May take one of my daughters friends so we may end up being a party of 6 which means onsite we would need two rooms. If we do BC we need a bigger car ie mini van. Which makes BC and 2 values the same price. So I have a couple questions.

1) What kind of time frame are we looking at going from BC to the parks? Not the parking lot but to the front gate.

2) Money wise and time wise and vacation wise do people actually use the kitchen? I am on vacation which is limited and is expensive and I don't see making a full dinner and saving $50 over park food to take up 4 hours of park time.

3) How many folks come back mid day for a break? I don't think my kids will handle all day in the parks and think its well needed time off. How does this work for others as it seems time consuming to go to the car, drive, to hotel then reverse it hours later/

 

[::danielle::]

2) Money wise and time wise and vacation wise do people actually use the kitchen?

3) How many folks come back mid day for a break?

I can't answer your first question, but I can answer these.

We used our kitchen more than I thought we would. We often cooked a hearty breakfast in our condo (Eggs, frozen waffles, instant oatmeal, etc). We cooked quick and easy dinners (spaghetti, frozen pizza, etc). We did not do that every night, just once or twice. My biggest surprise was how hungry we were at the end of the night. We often had a pre-bed snack of cereal or pb&j sandwiches. This is not normal for us but after the long, busy days we were much more hungry than usual!

As for mid-day naps, I expected my kids to take them but I was surprised that DH and I also needed them. We were up early (rope drop) and out late each day. We would return at 3ish and sleep/rest for 2 or so hours. My biggest regret was that I didn't have more dinner stuff on hand so we could eat before we went back to the parks.

It's a different way of vacationing but it worked well for us!

 

[dancin Disney style]

Thanks to the OP for continuing the thread. And thank you to all who have posted.

We were looking to go in May but budget has us looking at August now. Downside is the dinning plan but with the kids all being "adults" its not saving us any money.

May take one of my daughters friends so we may end up being a party of 6 which means onsite we would need two rooms. If we do BC we need a bigger car ie mini van. Which makes BC and 2 values the same price. So I have a couple questions.

1) What kind of time frame are we looking at going from BC to the parks? Not the parking lot but to the front gate.

2) Money wise and time wise and vacation wise do people actually use the kitchen? I am on vacation which is limited and is expensive and I don't see making a full dinner and saving $50 over park food to take up 4 hours of park time.

3) How many folks come back mid day for a break? I don't think my kids will handle all day in the parks and think its well needed time off. How does this work for others as it seems time consuming to go to the car, drive, to hotel then reverse it hours later/

1) Ep and DHS...5-10min. AK...10min. MK...15-20min.

2) Like the PP we used it a whole lot more than I thought. I was certain we would make breakfast daily, which we did, and several lunches for days that we were in the pool. Dinners were planned to go out but we made about half of those as well. We stayed last year for 2 weeks. BTW, you will save a heck of a lot more than $50 with a party of 6. A CS meal will run you approx $15/person and a TS $25+/ person.

3) We always take a mid day break. We like to do RD and stay until lunch then relax at the pool for a few hours and go back to the parks in the evening.

 

[aubriee]

Which makes BC and 2 values the same price. So I have a couple questions.

1) What kind of time frame are we looking at going from BC to the parks? Not the parking lot but to the front gate.

2) Money wise and time wise and vacation wise do people actually use the kitchen? I am on vacation which is limited and is expensive and I don't see making a full dinner and saving $50 over park food to take up 4 hours of park time.

3) How many folks come back mid day for a break? I don't think my kids will handle all day in the parks and think its well needed time off. How does this work for others as it seems time consuming to go to the car, drive, to hotel then reverse it hours later/

Like the others, I was really surprised at how much we used the kitchen. My thought was I'm on vacation, I'm not cooking. But having a full kitchen makes fixing simple meals, so easy. I had brought some of those huge muffins Costco sells and we could just stick a couple in the microwave for a minute or so in the mornings. When we got down there we did a quick grocery run and had precooked bacon and sausages that we just heated up to go with the muffins. My mom likes oatmeal, so we bought a small box of that for her to fix in the mornings and also some Jimmy Dean egg, cheese, sausage croissants and some polish sausage kaloches. Publix sells decent pizzas, sushi, and you can pick up a couple of really good rotisserie chickens, debone them, heat the meat in the microwave and add to a bag of prewashed romaine lettuce for chicken ceasar salads. Stick a couple of potatoes (or sweet potatoes) in the oven, then go downstairs and use Bonnet Creek grills to grill some steaks, chicken leg quarters, or port chops. Take them back upstairs and have grilled meat with baked potatoes and a quick salad mix=quick, easy dinner. Chili/cheese dogs are also quick and easy with a can of baked beans, a bag of cole slaw, and chips. Let the kids enjoy the pool, while you make a quick, easy, cheap dinner/lunch. We also loved having the full size fridge since we also bought plums, grapes, oranges, hummus, baby carrots, 2L sodas, beer, and wine coolers. I also joined the Bonnet Creek bin swap over on the 'Pass It Along' thread here on the Dis. When we picked it up it had an unopened bottle of Ranch Dressing, unopened peanut butter, Kraft mac & Cheese boxes, Ramen noodles, coffee, tea bags, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, cooking spray, a few spices, etc in it.

I work nightshift, so am used to sleeping in the afternoons. I need those afternoon naps even on vacation. We are early risers, so make every rope drop, but then when it starts to get hot and the parks start to get crowded, we go back to the room to swim, shower, nap, etc. Then we are well rested and ready to do something else. Bonnet Creek is close enough to all the parks, that it takes just a few minutes to drive back there (much quicker than taking a Disney bus back to a WDW resort. As far as how long it takes to get to the park gate, when driving, my mom is usually with us, so we have her handicap tag and park in the handicap lots close to the gates. With her ECV we can't use the trams anyway.

 

[DCTooTall]

Thanks to the OP for continuing the thread. And thank you to all who have posted.

We were looking to go in May but budget has us looking at August now. Downside is the dinning plan but with the kids all being "adults" its not saving us any money.

May take one of my daughters friends so we may end up being a party of 6 which means onsite we would need two rooms. If we do BC we need a bigger car ie mini van. Which makes BC and 2 values the same price. So I have a couple questions.

1) What kind of time frame are we looking at going from BC to the parks? Not the parking lot but to the front gate.

2) Money wise and time wise and vacation wise do people actually use the kitchen? I am on vacation which is limited and is expensive and I don't see making a full dinner and saving $50 over park food to take up 4 hours of park time.

3) How many folks come back mid day for a break? I don't think my kids will handle all day in the parks and think its well needed time off. How does this work for others as it seems time consuming to go to the car, drive, to hotel then reverse it hours later/

First, You might be surprised how inexpensive a mini van or SUV that could fit everyone would be. If you haven't already, check out the Transportation board here on the DIS where you can find some great deals or tricks for inexpensive rentals.


now to the questions.

1. It depends a little on which routes you take, but generally I'd say [being conservative and assuming you aren't rushing, have bad luck with lights, and may have a slight wait for a parking tram] AK- 10-15min. MGM 5-10min. EPCOT 5-10min. MK, 15-30min.

The Magic Kingdom is the longest because you'll need to take the Ferry or Monorail from the TTC to the MK Gates that can add anywhere from 5min -15min to you travel time. I'm personally a fan of the Ferry trip instead of the Monorail.

2. As others mention, you'd be surprised. First off.... Don't underestimate the advantage of the full kitchen with your breakfast. Especially with larger groups [and teenage girls doubley-so], you can easily end up with a lot of "wasted" time in the mornings while everybody does the morning bathroom/get ready dance. Having the Kitchen means that you can easily prepare a breakfast that people waiting for their bathroom turn or for others to get ready can eat a decent meal in the morning before heading to the parks.

Not only does this mean that you won't be 'wasting' as much time in the morning since it means people could easily be eating or getting ready, instead of just sitting and waiting.... But you may find that it saves you even more money in the parks because you may not snack as much or be as hungry when lunchtime comes around.

Beyond that, having that kitchen means that it's really easy to store some small and quick sandwich or munchy items for those end of the park day munchies. Or even quick and easy meals if they decide to take an off-day and eat at the unit for dinner.

Personally, I just love the fact that the kitchen makes it much easier for me to reheat and enjoy any leftovers I may get at a tableservice meal... or even food I've ordered out. (like a pizza).

I've also heard of people who will get a crockpot (either bring one, or get a cheap one from Walmart they don't mind leaving behind or giving t another vacationer) and will set it up so they can have a nice stew or something when they get back from the parks. [letting it cook during the day while they are at the parks].

In my personal experience, It's not always the major meal replacement where having the kitchen comes in super handy or can save you money... but in those small things that add up quickly. Having a decent breakfast in the room won't just save you the $8-10 breakfast onsite... but could save you a couple $4-5 'snack' items in the park... or maybe leave you full enough that instead of getting a full $10 counter service lunch, You decide to split something int he park with someone else in your party... or just get a snack at lunchtime and then eat an earlier dinner in the park.

3. It really depends. Some people are full day commandoes. Some people prefer to sleep in and then do a full day from mid-morning/early afternoon until park close... Some are rope drop to an early evening... and some like doing the rope drop to early afternoon.. back to the resort for a nap or pool.. and then back to the park in the evening until close. There is no right or wrong way to do the parks, and so therefor it becomes a matter of preference. The Mid-day break is much more popular in the hot summer months though due to needing a break from the heat and longer park hours.

That being said, I'd personally feel that thanks to Bonnet Creek's location, it can often be easier and with less travel time to go back to this resort than it would relying on onsite transportation to a disney resort.

Just look at the travel times above from gate to resort. Then figure Disney "recommends" 1hr to get anyplace onsite on Disney Transportation. More realistically, You can easily be looking at 30-40min one way if you take a Disney bus. During the afternoons the buses will often run about every 20min, so let's say you JUST missed your onsite bus. In the time it takes for the next bus to arrive you could already be back at your car and at the resort.

(To be fair.... this just applies to the drive vs. Disney Bus comparison. If you stayed onsite and drove you would have the same advantage.)

 

[TxRabbit]

Hey Everyone! We just snagged what I think is a really sweet deal for a 2 nights stay over Labor Day Weekend in a 2-bedroom deluxe. Very very excited...going to go back to read the thread now!

 

[ironpig70]

First, You might be surprised how inexpensive a mini van or SUV that could fit everyone would be. If you haven't already, check out the Transportation board here on the DIS where you can find some great deals or tricks for inexpensive rentals.

I priced them out at about $500 for 8 days. And if I add that to the $140 a night for BC I get $1,620.

A room at Allstars was about $100 a night and we would need 2. so $200 for 8 days is $1,600.

Pretty close price. I didn't think about the morning routine and when I looked at food I was looking big picture. Thinking making breakfast would be much easier and having snacks on hand to take or eat is a big money saver.



One other thing my wife came up with was taking 1/2 the luggage as there is a washer and dryer. And at $50 a checked bag each way that is a huge savings if we only check a couple.


Thanks again for all the info. At this point in time I think we will try BC.

 

[ironpig70]

Hey Everyone! We just snagged what I think is a really sweet deal for a 2 nights stay over Labor Day Weekend in a 2-bedroom deluxe. Very very excited...going to go back to read the thread now!

I would be really interested in a trip report.

 

[CTdaizy]

In response to the kitchen aspect of WBC, we pack plastic sandwich holders- like from Tupperware, so carry peanut butter sandwiches with us to the parks. During the breakfast/bathroom dance, the person in the kitchen makes the sandwiches and packs them along with some snacks in a backpack to bring with. This cuts down on the price of lunch in the parks, as my kids are just as happy with a pb&j. We have also fave found that Pringles cans are great for packing snacks into, they keep the snacks from being crushed. My kids like to snack on dry cereal, so the Pringles can works well!

An added bonus to the full-sized fridge is the freezer to freeze water bottles each evening so they stay cold most of the day. And by having the kitchen sink, you can wash the water bottles and not have to buy a full case.

 

[TxRabbit]

I would be really interested in a trip report.

I plan on writing one!

 

[WendyZQ]

I priced them out at about $500 for 8 days. And if I add that to the $140 a night for BC I get $1,620.

A room at Allstars was about $100 a night and we would need 2. so $200 for 8 days is $1,600.

Pretty close price. I didn't think about the morning routine and when I looked at food I was looking big picture. Thinking making breakfast would be much easier and having snacks on hand to take or eat is a big money saver.

One other thing my wife came up with was taking 1/2 the luggage as there is a washer and dryer. And at $50 a checked bag each way that is a huge savings if we only check a couple.

Thanks again for all the info. At this point in time I think we will try BC.

So if you try BC, will you stick with August or try May?