The we loooooove Bonnet Creek thread part2

[DCTooTall]

If you are willing to put up with some hassle to avoid paying for parking, you can park at DTD and take a Disney bus to a resort near the park you're trying to get to (Contemporary,Polynesian, or Grand Floridian for MK, Boardwalk, Swan/Dolphin, Yacht/Beach club for Epcot), and walk or monorail over. You also get free parking if you're going to one of those resorts for another reason, like a character meal. So one morning we drove to the contemporary, had a (horrid!) breakfast at Chef Mickey's, and walked to MK for the day.

This is something that will open up a HUGE can of worms around here.

1st... These instructions are pretty much against the rules here at the DIS because it's talking about how to bypass Disney rules.

2nd... DTD buses are somewhat unreliable first thing in the morning and don't get a bit more regular until later in the day. The "go to a nearby resort" method can easily add close to an hour to your start and end of the day to get back to your vehicle. It's much more than a hassle, It's a HUGE time sink.

3rd... If you have an ADR at a restaurant, You often are only allowed to park at that resort for 3hrs. After that, you may be subject to getting towed since the resort parking is only intended to allow you to eat at that resort, not to go to the Park. Contemporary, because of it's limited parking and proximity to the MK often is extremely strict on this rule. The Boardwalk will also become strict on it's non-guest parking during events such as Food&Wine. Is saving $14 really worth the possibility that your car may get towed?

 

[geko29]

This is something that will open up a HUGE can of worms around here.

1st... These instructions are pretty much against the rules here at the DIS because it's talking about how to bypass Disney rules.

2nd... DTD buses are somewhat unreliable first thing in the morning and don't get a bit more regular until later in the day. The "go to a nearby resort" method can easily add close to an hour to your start and end of the day to get back to your vehicle. It's much more than a hassle, It's a HUGE time sink.

3rd... If you have an ADR at a restaurant, You often are only allowed to park at that resort for 3hrs. After that, you may be subject to getting towed since the resort parking is only intended to allow you to eat at that resort, not to go to the Park. Contemporary, because of it's limited parking and proximity to the MK often is extremely strict on this rule. The Boardwalk will also become strict on it's non-guest parking during events such as Food&Wine. Is saving $14 really worth the possibility that your car may get towed?

Sorry about that. I'll take it out.

 

[DCTooTall]

Sorry about that. I'll take it out.

No problem. You are new around here, and this just happens to be one of the subjects that can be touchy around the DIS. Best to let you know about one of those touchy subjects early so that you don't accidently walk into more drama than you were expecting.


Great info BTW that I'm sure some people will find very helpful.

 

[cinderellamom123]

This is something that will open up a HUGE can of worms around here.

1st... These instructions are pretty much against the rules here at the DIS because it's talking about how to bypass Disney rules.

2nd... DTD buses are somewhat unreliable first thing in the morning and don't get a bit more regular until later in the day. The "go to a nearby resort" method can easily add close to an hour to your start and end of the day to get back to your vehicle. It's much more than a hassle, It's a HUGE time sink.

3rd... If you have an ADR at a restaurant, You often are only allowed to park at that resort for 3hrs. After that, you may be subject to getting towed since the resort parking is only intended to allow you to eat at that resort, not to go to the Park. Contemporary, because of it's limited parking and proximity to the MK often is extremely strict on this rule. The Boardwalk will also become strict on it's non-guest parking during events such as Food&Wine. Is saving $14 really worth the possibility that your car may get towed?

All the above points are correct and good points. 3 hour time lime to park for an add.

 

[LynnTH]

I think I got a darn good deal. Going to Disney next June. Had not decided on where to stay yet as we don't know who is all going with extended family. Looking at Bonnet Creek after reading all of this but also have always stayed onsite renting DVC and really want to stay at Beach Club.

Anyway. I get a call from Wyndam Resorts on Saturday. They were calling because we stayed at one of their Timeshares in Wisconsin Dells last year (go through E-bay). She was calling to offer me a deal to stay at any of their Wyndam Resorts (including Bonnet Creek). It would be a 3 night/4 day stay for $199 and we would have to attend a 2 hour time share presentation on the 2nd day. (we have done these before so no biggie). I told her I might be interested but really wanted to stay onsite at Disney too. So, then she offered me 4 Nights/5 Days plus after we do the presentation we will get a $100 American Express Card plus a one night additional hotel stay somewhere. So, I took that deal. Figured $25 a night for a 2 bedroom couldn't be beat - even if we did have to sit through a presentation.

So, now my thinking is that we will stay here for 4 nights and then rent points and stay at the Beach Club for an additional 5-6 nights. Just trying to figure out where I should stay first. Would love to end up at the Beach Club at the end of vacation but would also be nice to be at Bonnet Creek and be able to do our laundry here at the end of our vacation too...

So, do you think that is a pretty good deal. Anyone else get calls and did something like this. I only did it as I knew for sure we were going to Disney anyway and wanted to try this resort out and now I can for really cheap!!!

 

[carlbarry]

In the RCI magazine I received last week, Orange Lake has a deal for a 2 bedroom, 3 nights for $199 plus they give you 2 1 day tickets to WDW, Universal, or Sea World.
As someone who has been stuck being beaten over the head by Wyndham salesweasels at Bonnet Creek, I would just suggest you realize that the day you go to the "presentation" will be almost all lost when they keep you for 3 hours.
You will then lose another half day when you transfer to the hotel.

I think I got a darn good deal. Going to Disney next June. Had not decided on where to stay yet as we don't know who is all going with extended family. Looking at Bonnet Creek after reading all of this but also have always stayed onsite renting DVC and really want to stay at Beach Club.

Anyway. I get a call from Wyndam Resorts on Saturday. They were calling because we stayed at one of their Timeshares in Wisconsin Dells last year (go through E-bay). She was calling to offer me a deal to stay at any of their Wyndam Resorts (including Bonnet Creek). It would be a 3 night/4 day stay for $199 and we would have to attend a 2 hour time share presentation on the 2nd day. (we have done these before so no biggie). I told her I might be interested but really wanted to stay onsite at Disney too. So, then she offered me 4 Nights/5 Days plus after we do the presentation we will get a $100 American Express Card plus a one night additional hotel stay somewhere. So, I took that deal. Figured $25 a night for a 2 bedroom couldn't be beat - even if we did have to sit through a presentation.

 

[LynnTH]

She said the presentation would be 120 minutes. We have done these many times and when I start telling them the prices I can buy into online vs them direct they know I have done my homework and we can usually get out of there within the 2 hours. Also, we always spend a couple days just at the resort so these will be resort days anyway. Because of the savings here I can now not question whether we should stay at Beach Club or not.

In the RCI magazine I received last week, Orange Lake has a deal for a 2 bedroom, 3 nights for $199 plus they give you 2 1 day tickets to WDW, Universal, or Sea World.
As someone who has been stuck being beaten over the head by Wyndham salesweasels at Bonnet Creek, I would just suggest you realize that the day you go to the "presentation" will be almost all lost when they keep you for 3 hours.
You will then lose another half day when you transfer to the hotel.

I think I got a darn good deal. Going to Disney next June. Had not decided on where to stay yet as we don't know who is all going with extended family. Looking at Bonnet Creek after reading all of this but also have always stayed onsite renting DVC and really want to stay at Beach Club.

Anyway. I get a call from Wyndam Resorts on Saturday. They were calling because we stayed at one of their Timeshares in Wisconsin Dells last year (go through E-bay). She was calling to offer me a deal to stay at any of their Wyndam Resorts (including Bonnet Creek). It would be a 3 night/4 day stay for $199 and we would have to attend a 2 hour time share presentation on the 2nd day. (we have done these before so no biggie). I told her I might be interested but really wanted to stay onsite at Disney too. So, then she offered me 4 Nights/5 Days plus after we do the presentation we will get a $100 American Express Card plus a one night additional hotel stay somewhere. So, I took that deal. Figured $25 a night for a 2 bedroom couldn't be beat - even if we did have to sit through a presentation.

 

[DCTooTall]

I think I got a darn good deal. Going to Disney next June. Had not decided on where to stay yet as we don't know who is all going with extended family. Looking at Bonnet Creek after reading all of this but also have always stayed onsite renting DVC and really want to stay at Beach Club.

Anyway. I get a call from Wyndam Resorts on Saturday. They were calling because we stayed at one of their Timeshares in Wisconsin Dells last year (go through E-bay). She was calling to offer me a deal to stay at any of their Wyndam Resorts (including Bonnet Creek). It would be a 3 night/4 day stay for $199 and we would have to attend a 2 hour time share presentation on the 2nd day. (we have done these before so no biggie). I told her I might be interested but really wanted to stay onsite at Disney too. So, then she offered me 4 Nights/5 Days plus after we do the presentation we will get a $100 American Express Card plus a one night additional hotel stay somewhere. So, I took that deal. Figured $25 a night for a 2 bedroom couldn't be beat - even if we did have to sit through a presentation.

So, now my thinking is that we will stay here for 4 nights and then rent points and stay at the Beach Club for an additional 5-6 nights. Just trying to figure out where I should stay first. Would love to end up at the Beach Club at the end of vacation but would also be nice to be at Bonnet Creek and be able to do our laundry here at the end of our vacation too...

So, do you think that is a pretty good deal. Anyone else get calls and did something like this. I only did it as I knew for sure we were going to Disney anyway and wanted to try this resort out and now I can for really cheap!!!

We did one of those $199 deals a few years ago with the required Timeshare sales pitch. They didn't put us up in the Bonnet Creek Resort however. We had to check-in at a sales center that was located off 192. There they scheduled the time for our sales presentation at Bonnett Creek, and then we were told that they were sending us to the Crown Plaza by Universal for our stay.

Honestly, I still felt I was getting a good deal since the Crown Plaza was REALLY nice, and since it was just 2 of us we weren't really counting on/expecting the space of the Condo. I would DEFINITELY recommend doublechecking to see exactly what kinda of accommodations they are promising as part of the deal, and to see if there is any fine print such as "We reserve the right to substitute like accommodations". Even if they promise you a timeshare condo to stay in, If they mention they may substitute they could send you to the Wyndham Orlando on I-Drive @Sand Lake, or the Reunion or Cypress Palms nearby. They are all really nice places, but if you are expecting one thing for your vacation and then end up with something else, it could put a damper on your trip.

 

[carlbarry]

I'm just thinking about OP's original posting. It seems like it will definitely be at Bonnet Creek (they sent me once to Crowne Plaza, too). But are you SURE it will be a 2 bedroom? Make sure you get that in writing!
The "Welcome Center" is in the same building as a TGI Friday's, by the entrance to Wyndham Star Island.

We did one of those $199 deals a few years ago with the required Timeshare sales pitch. They didn't put us up in the Bonnet Creek Resort however. We had to check-in at a sales center that was located off 192. There they scheduled the time for our sales presentation at Bonnett Creek, and then we were told that they were sending us to the Crown Plaza by Universal for our stay.

Honestly, I still felt I was getting a good deal since the Crown Plaza was REALLY nice, and since it was just 2 of us we weren't really counting on/expecting the space of the Condo. I would DEFINITELY recommend doublechecking to see exactly what kinda of accommodations they are promising as part of the deal, and to see if there is any fine print such as "We reserve the right to substitute like accommodations". Even if they promise you a timeshare condo to stay in, If they mention they may substitute they could send you to the Wyndham Orlando on I-Drive @Sand Lake, or the Reunion or Cypress Palms nearby. They are all really nice places, but if you are expecting one thing for your vacation and then end up with something else, it could put a damper on your trip.

 

[LynnTH]

I did make sure of this when I spoke to the representative. I specifically asked if we would be staying in the Timeshare Portion of Wyndam Bonnet Creek in at least a 2 bedroom. She said that we would be and noted it in the package deal. I will be getting info in the mail in a few days and can book anytime and it is good for a year. So, as soon as I figure out our for sure dates then I can call and book this.

We did one of those $199 deals a few years ago with the required Timeshare sales pitch. They didn't put us up in the Bonnet Creek Resort however. We had to check-in at a sales center that was located off 192. There they scheduled the time for our sales presentation at Bonnett Creek, and then we were told that they were sending us to the Crown Plaza by Universal for our stay.

Honestly, I still felt I was getting a good deal since the Crown Plaza was REALLY nice, and since it was just 2 of us we weren't really counting on/expecting the space of the Condo. I would DEFINITELY recommend doublechecking to see exactly what kinda of accommodations they are promising as part of the deal, and to see if there is any fine print such as "We reserve the right to substitute like accommodations". Even if they promise you a timeshare condo to stay in, If they mention they may substitute they could send you to the Wyndham Orlando on I-Drive @Sand Lake, or the Reunion or Cypress Palms nearby. They are all really nice places, but if you are expecting one thing for your vacation and then end up with something else, it could put a damper on your trip.

 

[carlbarry]

She said the presentation would be 120 minutes. We have done these many times and when I start telling them the prices I can buy into online vs them direct they know I have done my homework and we can usually get out of there within the 2 hours. Also, we always spend a couple days just at the resort so these will be resort days anyway. Because of the savings here I can now not question whether we should stay at Beach Club or not.




.

Last year, I received an offer as a Wyndham owner to stay at Wyndham Grand at Bonnet Creek for 3 nights for I forget the figure, plus a "rebate" of a debit card. And of course, a "presentation." I believe my cost was about $35 a night.
Anyway, my point is: I told them I bought my membership on ebay for $100. At first the salesweasel said, "Wow. I guess I won't be selling you anything." But later on, she tried to sell me more points, on the basis that I could use my current 49,000 points to pay my maintenance fee!
The conclusion is: they STILL kept me for 2 hours and fifty minutes.

 

[cinderellamom123]

SO, we have been throwing back and forth the idea of buying. I understand that it is much cheaper and more worthwhile to buy resale. However, we are debating on doing the time share presentation. I have called several times and they have told me it is only 90 minutes. (we would go in the afternoon so no breakfast add on etc) Has anyone done one recently? We would not commit to a date but just pick a rainy afternoon. We just have a lot of questions in general. Also, if you have done one, was there an incentive?

 

[geko29]

There will be an incentive (usually somewhere between $75-150), and you're definitely better off buying resale--we've done both, buying a medium-sized (300k annually) package on eBay for $1500 including fees, as well as a tiny (168k EOY, so 84k equivalent) developer package for $12k. If you do the math, this means the developer points cost 3200% more than the resale, and we actually overpaid a bit for our resale. We did the developer after the resale, but went into the process with our eyes open. We did it to expand our long-term options (PlusPartners/Rewards) with our existing and future points and to try out the VIP benefits to see if they're valuable (they haven't been so far, for us), as they gave us 216k one-time bonus points to get us to the minimum level.

It's exceedingly likely we will not buy another developer package, and we'll probably pick up another resale at some point. I absolutely recommend going resale first. If you find some reason to pay full price later on, that's fine. But you'll understand how incredibly overpriced the developer points are, and can make a logical determination at that point.

Pam Parker was the rep we bought from at Bonnet Creek, and we're going to talk to her again (but not buy!) when we go back in 10 days. She's a resale and Presidential Reserve owner, so she doesn't talk down at resale owners like most of the reps we've talked to do. But then again, maybe that makes her more convincing and you're better off if you talk to one of the rude ones.

 

[carlbarry]

SO, we have been throwing back and forth the idea of buying. I understand that it is much cheaper and more worthwhile to buy resale. However, we are debating on doing the time share presentation. I have called several times and they have told me it is only 90 minutes. (we would go in the afternoon so no breakfast add on etc) Has anyone done one recently? We would not commit to a date but just pick a rainy afternoon. We just have a lot of questions in general. Also, if you have done one, was there an incentive?

Just go in with three points in mind: 1. It will NOT be only 90 minutes, 2. do NOT believe what the sales weasel will tell you. For example, they NEVER mention "housekeeping points," and 3. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, and I repeat again, DO NOT buy from Wyndham! Look on ebay! There is a 224,000 point contract coming up in 2 days, 1 bid, ONE DOLLAR. There is a 203,000 point contract coming up in 6 days, seller pays closing fees, 1 bid, ONE DOLLAR.
Not convinced? How about completed auctions? Last week a 1,011,000 point contract sold for $4,973. Two weeks ago a 168K sold on the high side for $1,333.
There is NO WAY that what Wyndham offers you with "gold" or whatever status can make up the difference in cost.

 

[ez]

I have a friend who did the tour a couple weeks ago, she has stayed at BC many times and was doing the tour for the perks they didnt have an intent to buy. She is a prek teacher of special needs kids, and one of the loveliest even keeled people I know. She said the sales thing was horrible, took forever, and while the first guy was ok the vultures they brought in after were horrible beyond words, she was so shocked and finally had to tell them off. Apparently what she was compelled to say to them will go on in history as a story to be passed down in her family, as she was with her husband and sister in law. Even though she got a free stay in a one bedroom and 100 dinner voucher to the fancy restaurant, it WAS NOT worth it. It definitely ruined her vacation zen to be riled up like that. When we go I check in by myself, leave the family in the car and tell them I dont have my husband with me. They always seem annoyed but then I am never bothered the rest of my trip, not one phone call!

 

[DCTooTall]

SO, we have been throwing back and forth the idea of buying. I understand that it is much cheaper and more worthwhile to buy resale. However, we are debating on doing the time share presentation. I have called several times and they have told me it is only 90 minutes. (we would go in the afternoon so no breakfast add on etc) Has anyone done one recently? We would not commit to a date but just pick a rainy afternoon. We just have a lot of questions in general. Also, if you have done one, was there an incentive?

Others have mentioned it, but it's such an important fact that it's worth repeating... DON'T BUY RETAIL!

Other than that, it will be longer than 90 minutes. the "Breakfast" add-on you think will make it shorter, is basically some juice/coffee and pre-packaged pastries that are available for you to munch on while the sales rep goes off on one of their little "run your credit" or "let's see what we can do" jaunts.

 

[cinderellamom123]

so for people who bought resale the first time from ebay etc. what was your best source of information detailing how wyndham works? I have no intention buying from the builder, however, I am not really sure where else to get information. For example, we usually stay 10-12 days in a 2 bedroom. We used to stay in January but now the kids are older we are trying the summer so not to pull them out of school so long. Not sure how many points that would be, how much the maintenance is etc. Nobody seems to have those point charts available to view. That is the info I am looking for.

FOr those that did the presentation, how did you conclude the appointment/meeting? I will probably have my twin 10 year olds so knowing them they will set their touch for a 90 minute timer and let me know.

 

[DCTooTall]

so for people who bought resale the first time from ebay etc. what was your best source of information detailing how wyndham works? I have no intention buying from the builder, however, I am not really sure where else to get information. For example, we usually stay 10-12 days in a 2 bedroom. We used to stay in January but now the kids are older we are trying the summer so not to pull them out of school so long. Not sure how many points that would be, how much the maintenance is etc. Nobody seems to have those point charts available to view. That is the info I am looking for.

FOr those that did the presentation, how did you conclude the appointment/meeting? I will probably have my twin 10 year olds so knowing them they will set their touch for a 90 minute timer and let me know.

The 2 best resources you can find for information on Timeshares and the Wyndham System are going to be the Timeshare User's Group (http://tugbbs.com/forums/ and http://tug2.net/ ), and the Wyndham Owner's Group ( http://forums.atozed.com/ )

You should be able to find a points chart on one of those sites, and I believe i've even seen some "Cost per Point" spreadsheets to help you figure out where you might want to purchase your contract.

Remember, the only real advantage to owning at one Wyndham Resort vs. another is the 3 month "priority" you get in making reservations at your home resort. For Bonnet Creek, due to it's size, this isn't really an issue as there is still usually plenty of availability at the 10month open reservations point....with the possible exception of certain low-quantity unit types (such as presidentials) during the high usage periods (Think holidays). Other than that one perk of a home resort, the main thing you usually want to look for when buying resale is what the maintenance fees are, as well as the potential for the fees to increase or a special assessment to hit (most common in older resorts, or those who may be subject to extreme weather damage such as hurricanes, floods, etc).

 

[geko29]

so for people who bought resale the first time from ebay etc. what was your best source of information detailing how wyndham works? I have no intention buying from the builder, however, I am not really sure where else to get information. For example, we usually stay 10-12 days in a 2 bedroom. We used to stay in January but now the kids are older we are trying the summer so not to pull them out of school so long. Not sure how many points that would be, how much the maintenance is etc. Nobody seems to have those point charts available to view. That is the info I am looking for.

Best resources I'm aware of are the wyndham owner's forum, at wyndhamowners dot org (sorry can't post links yet) and Timeshare Users group at tugbbs dot com. In the short term, if you'd like information about particular resorts, I'd be happy to look it up for you. Maintenance fees vary by resort, with Grand Desert (Las Vegas) and Smoky Mountains (Sieverville, TN) being the cheapest on a per-point basis, and EOY and small (under 154k) contracts being more expensive.

FOr those that did the presentation, how did you conclude the appointment/meeting? I will probably have my twin 10 year olds so knowing them they will set their touch for a 90 minute timer and let me know.

Even better--give them sugar before the meeting, so they're hyper at the beginning and cranky as the end of the allotted time approaches.

 

[geko29]

cinderellamom123, since we're talking about WBC, the rates for a two bedroom deluxe there range from 112k in "value" season up to 224k in "Prime". For summer, "Prime" is roughly the second week of June through the end of August. That said, additional Sun-Thurs nights in a 2BR deluxe in Prime are 27k, and Fri-Sat are 44.5k. So if you check in on a Sunday, the total cost for 12 days would be 359k. It'd be 376.5k to check in on Monday or Saturday (1 extra weekend day), or 394k to check in on Tuesday-Friday (2 extra weekend days).

To put that into maintenance fee terms, the fees for the 305k points you would need for 10 days with no extra weekend days would run you about $1250/year at the Grand Desert, or just under $1600 at Cypress Palms, which is nearby and should cost similarly to Bonnet Creek. 394k for 12 days with 2 extra weekend days, you're looking at more like $1600 or $2k/year, respectively.