The we loooooove Bonnet Creek thread! (pics and reviews)

[MichaelColey]

I've stayed at the Marriott Royal Palms (about 1/2 mile closer to Disney than the Sheraton Vistana), and the traffic was really light. It took maybe 15 minutes to get to pretty much any park (other than Animal Kingdom, which is a little further out). I was there during a non-peak week, though.

Nothing (except some of the Disney timeshares) beats the Wyndham Bonnet Creek when it comes to proximity to the parks, though. You're essentially on site.

Wyndham Bonnet Creek is the cream of the crop (IMHO) when it comes to non-DVC timeshares near Disney, largely due to the proximity. That being said, there are literally dozens of other nice timeshares (including [alphabetically] Barefoot'n in the Keys at Old Town, Cypress Pointe Resort, Grand Beach I, HGVC at SeaWorld, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake East Village, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake North Village, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake River Island, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake West Village, Marriott's Imperial Palms, Marriott's Royal Palms, Marriott's Sabal Palms, Parc Soleil by HGVC, Polynesian Isles, Sheraton Vistana, Silver Lake Resort, Silver Lake Resort Silver Points, The Fountains and Vacation Internationale Cypress Pointe) that have perhaps a 5-10 minute longer drive time. I would be perfectly content to stay at any of those if I couldn't get into a DVC or Wyndham Bonnet Creek unit.

 

[Brian Noble]

I read somewhere that where the Sheraton and Blue Heron resort is that traffic can be a nightmare at times. Someone posted that it took them an hour and a half to get to Disney one day

It might take you an hour and a half...if you walk. Michael's right. 15 minutes is more like it.

I've been to SV years ago and the rooms were sooo outdated.

Over the past year or two, Vistana has been refurbishing all of their units---to the studs. New everything. The Fountains unit I was in last February was wonderful. If they aren't completely done yet, they are very very close. You can call the resort to find out where they are in the process and which sections might not be done yet.

 

[*disgal*]

Hello.. reading this thread has been an education to say the least.

I have a couple of questions, if you could help me out that would be great.

Since it is so far ahead, I can't contact anyone now but how far out should I start this process? I'm thinking I wouldn't have that good of a chance of scoring a last minute deal because of the 4 bedroom, right? (also, I am correct that there are no 4 bedroom deluxes only 4 bedroom Presidential?)

And, being that there is less inventory for a 4 bdrm, where would be the best place to look? Would I be able to find anything on ebay? Redweek? tug?

thank you for your help.

 

[DCTooTall]

Hello.. reading this thread has been an education to say the least.

I have a couple of questions, if you could help me out that would be great.

Since it is so far ahead, I can't contact anyone now but how far out should I start this process? I'm thinking I wouldn't have that good of a chance of scoring a last minute deal because of the 4 bedroom, right? (also, I am correct that there are no 4 bedroom deluxes only 4 bedroom Presidential?)

And, being that there is less inventory for a 4 bdrm, where would be the best place to look? Would I be able to find anything on ebay? Redweek? tug?

thank you for your help.

For a 4Bdrm your best bet would be going directly thru an owner like Ken. i don't think people start posting on Ebay/Redweek until it's closer to the actual time of the rental. You might however be able to find someone who rents via those sites and talk to them directly about your requested time to see if they can/will do something for your specific needs/desires.

I don't know if Ken's points are actually at BC, or if they are spread out throughout the Wyndham system. if they are BC points, he might be able to look and quote you something as early as July this year for BC (based off the 13 month home-resort exclusive period)... Otherwise you are looking at October for the Standard reservation period at 10months.


And yes, 4bdrm units are only available in Presidential.

 

[renxiaomi]

Which building has both firework and lake view? Is that building 1,2,3, facing north? I just called front desk, and they are saying building 6 does not have firework view?

 

[*disgal*]

For a 4Bdrm your best bet would be going directly thru an owner like Ken. i don't think people start posting on Ebay/Redweek until it's closer to the actual time of the rental. You might however be able to find someone who rents via those sites and talk to them directly about your requested time to see if they can/will do something for your specific needs/desires.

I don't know if Ken's points are actually at BC, or if they are spread out throughout the Wyndham system. if they are BC points, he might be able to look and quote you something as early as July this year for BC (based off the 13 month home-resort exclusive period)... Otherwise you are looking at October for the Standard reservation period at 10months.


And yes, 4bdrm units are only available in Presidential.

thank you......when I look at his website and look at prices, it doesn't list a 4 bedroom. It doesn't even list a 3 bedroom but both of these ARE listed on the "available" page.
???

 

[DCTooTall]

thank you......when I look at his website and look at prices, it doesn't list a 4 bedroom. It doesn't even list a 3 bedroom but both of these ARE listed on the "available" page.
???

I'm going to assume it's because with the lower availability of 3 and 4 bdrm units at the resort, there isn't as much volume of his reservations to really make it worth pricing on the site.

There could also be factored into the decision that the 2bdrms are plentiful so they are pretty easy to get throughout the year, while the 3 and 4 bdrm units can be harder to grab if you don't do it early. By not listing the price, it makes it more likely people won't just fall into the "I can get this at my time w/o worries" mindset that some (non-DIS) people can get when putting together their trip plans. (as in.. more likely to contact him for pricing, where he can let them know if it's even still available for the times they are looking)


Of course... these are just my guesses. I obviously don't have access to Ken's reasoning.

 

[*disgal*]

I'm going to assume it's because with the lower availability of 3 and 4 bdrm units at the resort, there isn't as much volume of his reservations to really make it worth pricing on the site.

There could also be factored into the decision that the 2bdrms are plentiful so they are pretty easy to get throughout the year, while the 3 and 4 bdrm units can be harder to grab if you don't do it early. By not listing the price, it makes it more likely people won't just fall into the "I can get this at my time w/o worries" mindset that some (non-DIS) people can get when putting together their trip plans. (as in.. more likely to contact him for pricing, where he can let them know if it's even still available for the times they are looking)


Of course... these are just my guesses. I obviously don't have access to Ken's reasoning.

sure, but that makes sense to me and I was kind of thinking the same. Thank you.

 

[vivianmarie244]

I have reservations for BC for a 3br for 4 adults and 2 small children. I know BC doesn't offer shuttle service from the airport so...what is the best option for getting to the resort? I know we can get a rental car but, since we only plan on going to DW, we would only need it for getting to and from the airport. Is a taxi the only other option?

 

[DCTooTall]

I have reservations for BC for a 3br for 4 adults and 2 small children. I know BC doesn't offer shuttle service from the airport so...what is the best option for getting to the resort? I know we can get a rental car but, since we only plan on going to DW, we would only need it for getting to and from the airport. Is a taxi the only other option?

Taxi or some other "hired car" type of service.... yes.

Honestly though, Don't underestimate the advantage of renting a car. From a Resort experience standpoint, Since there are not a lot of on-site dining options (and with your unit having a kitchen), The freedom to make a store run for food, or going off-site to eat, can be very nice.... Or even being able to go to DTD or the Boardwalk for some evening entertainment w/o needing to worry about a cab.

Plus the BC park shuttle isn't going to be as comprehensive as if you were onsite, so there is something to be said about being able to come and go and have more flexibility in your trips to/from the park.....especially if you are a mid-day break kind of person. (although, you would need to account for parking costs at Disney).



If money is a concern, You could also check on the cost of renting a car at the airport and returning it to the Disney Car Care Center (or Swan/Dolphin) the next day. This would allow you to move all your stuff to the resort, and maybe even make an initial store run, and then returning it to the locations nearby on Disney Property.

 

[act1980]

I've stayed at the Marriott Royal Palms (about 1/2 mile closer to Disney than the Sheraton Vistana), and the traffic was really light. It took maybe 15 minutes to get to pretty much any park (other than Animal Kingdom, which is a little further out). I was there during a non-peak week, though.

Nothing (except some of the Disney timeshares) beats the Wyndham Bonnet Creek when it comes to proximity to the parks, though. You're essentially on site.

Wyndham Bonnet Creek is the cream of the crop (IMHO) when it comes to non-DVC timeshares near Disney, largely due to the proximity. That being said, there are literally dozens of other nice timeshares (including [alphabetically] Barefoot'n in the Keys at Old Town, Cypress Pointe Resort, Grand Beach I, HGVC at SeaWorld, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake East Village, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake North Village, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake River Island, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Orange Lake West Village, Marriott's Imperial Palms, Marriott's Royal Palms, Marriott's Sabal Palms, Parc Soleil by HGVC, Polynesian Isles, Sheraton Vistana, Silver Lake Resort, Silver Lake Resort Silver Points, The Fountains and Vacation Internationale Cypress Pointe) that have perhaps a 5-10 minute longer drive time. I would be perfectly content to stay at any of those if I couldn't get into a DVC or Wyndham Bonnet Creek unit.

Thanks for all of that information. I would like to stay in the same vicinity as the Sheraton Vistana, and Bonnet Creek etc... What resorts out of the ones you liste are in this general area?

Also I have been looking at prices for the sheraton and the Wyndham and Sheraton is much cheaper. Is there a reason for this if they are of the same standard or is it just about location?

 

[TotoToo]

Thanks for all of that information. I would like to stay in the same vicinity as the Sheraton Vistana, and Bonnet Creek etc... What resorts out of the ones you liste are in this general area?

Also I have been looking at prices for the sheraton and the Wyndham and Sheraton is much cheaper. Is there a reason for this if they are of the same standard or is it just about location?

Cypress Pointe is the only one that is less than a mile walk - all pedestrian friendly - from DTD. On the opposite side of I-4 is Vistana but a walk from there is over 2 miles. You can walk from BC to DTD but it is not pedestrian friendly and is far more than a mile. CP has the best location in all of Orlando for access to all of the parks - not just Disney.

 

[vivianmarie244]

Taxi or some other "hired car" type of service.... yes.

Honestly though, Don't underestimate the advantage of renting a car. From a Resort experience standpoint, Since there are not a lot of on-site dining options (and with your unit having a kitchen), The freedom to make a store run for food, or going off-site to eat, can be very nice.... Or even being able to go to DTD or the Boardwalk for some evening entertainment w/o needing to worry about a cab.

Plus the BC park shuttle isn't going to be as comprehensive as if you were onsite, so there is something to be said about being able to come and go and have more flexibility in your trips to/from the park.....especially if you are a mid-day break kind of person. (although, you would need to account for parking costs at Disney).




If money is a concern, You could also check on the cost of renting a car at the airport and returning it to the Disney Car Care Center (or Swan/Dolphin) the next day. This would allow you to move all your stuff to the resort, and maybe even make an initial store run, and then returning it to the locations nearby on Disney Property.

I stayed on the POR once before and you could use the disney buses to travel between all of the parks including DTD, Boardwalk and other resorts. Can you use BC shuttle to get one of the parks and then use Disney buses to go between?

I've also never dealt with renting cars before. We'll have 4 adults and 2 small kids (with at least one who should be in a car seat). How do you work that??

 

[Monorail Bob's dd]

I stayed on the POR once before and you could use the disney buses to travel between all of the parks including DTD, Boardwalk and other resorts. Can you use BC shuttle to get one of the parks and then use Disney buses to go between?

I've also never dealt with renting cars before. We'll have 4 adults and 2 small kids (with at least one who should be in a car seat). How do you work that??

With that many people, you would need a minivan. Shop around for codes and deals. We are getting a minivan for the week and we are paying $545. Initial quotes were between $700-$1300. If anyone coming with you gets a corporate discount, have them look into it, it helps a lot. A friend recomended www.priceline.com for getting a deal on a rental car but I have never used them.

 

[DCTooTall]

I stayed on the POR once before and you could use the disney buses to travel between all of the parks including DTD, Boardwalk and other resorts. Can you use BC shuttle to get one of the parks and then use Disney buses to go between?

I've also never dealt with renting cars before. We'll have 4 adults and 2 small kids (with at least one who should be in a car seat). How do you work that??

Technically you could use the BC shuttle to a park and then the Disney buses around the Disney properties, However remember that there are no buses from a Park to Downtown Disney, so you would have go to a Disney resort to then transfer to a Downtown Disney bus.

also I don't believe the BC shuttle would run much past park closing, so if you are doing a Late night at DTD or the Boardwalk, you could be out after the BC shuttle quits running.

With that many people, you would need a minivan. Shop around for codes and deals. We are getting a minivan for the week and we are paying $545. Initial quotes were between $700-$1300. If anyone coming with you gets a corporate discount, have them look into it, it helps a lot. A friend recomended www.priceline.com for getting a deal on a rental car but I have never used them.

Good advice. with 4 Adults, and a child seat your best bet (including luggage needs) would be a Minivan or larger. (Maybe a larger SUV or Van). As for pricing, you could do your shopping thru various online sites, or I'd even recommend checking out the Transportation forum as the people there may be able to point you in the right direction for some good rental deals.

Since you've never rented before, It's actually not that difficult. As long as you have a clean driving record and are over the age of 25, You won't have any problems finding somewhere to rent a car from. Even if you don't meet those criteria, you can still find places willing to rent you a car.

Something to keep in mind when pricing your rental, if you have full coverage on your personal vehicle you can often skip the extra insurance the rental agency will try to sell you. Most personal car insurance policies will also cover your rental. Also, often it's not a good idea to do their "pre-paid fuel" option since you'd often end up behind on the deal.

If you aren't super familiar with the roads in the area, You can easily print out a Google-Map directions from the airport to BC to get you to the resort, and also from the Resort to walmart (or follow the directions posted on one of the early posts in this thread) to get some of the kitchen stocking done. If you have a smart phone w/ GPS, you can also use it to help keep you from getting lost.


If you have any specific questions about renting, feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to answer as best I can w/o cluttering up this thread with Car rental stuff.

 

[MichaelColey]

Thanks for all of that information. I would like to stay in the same vicinity as the Sheraton Vistana, and Bonnet Creek etc... What resorts out of the ones you liste are in this general area?

They're not really in the same area. Disney World is a huge area, about 50 square miles (roughly 5x10). Bonnet Creek is right at the east edge of the Epcot area, west of Downtown Disney and I-4. Most of the timeshares are across I-4, further east. Some are southeast. Some are northeast. Some are south or west of Animal Kingdom off of 192.

 

[act1980]

They're not really in the same area. Disney World is a huge area, about 50 square miles (roughly 5x10). Bonnet Creek is right at the east edge of the Epcot area, west of Downtown Disney and I-4. Most of the timeshares are across I-4, further east. Some are southeast. Some are northeast. Some are south or west of Animal Kingdom off of 192.

Ok thanks

Cypress Pointe doesn't have free internet does it?

 

[TotoToo]

Ok thanks

Cypress Pointe doesn't have free internet does it?

CPR / CPGV offers in room WiFi for $4.99/day OR $19.95/week. Not free but reasonable price IMO.

 

[Royal Duke of Epcot]

Hello fellow Bonnet Creekers,

Maybe one of the timeshare experts can give me some guidance on this...

I have a 3BR deluxe reservation as a guest of owner booked for next thursday. One of our party members canceled and I wont need 3 br's.

Do you think they would entertain the notion of giving us a 2BR PRESIDENTIAL instead, thereby freeing up a 3BR for them?

not a big deal either way, but thought it maight work out for all involved if that were the case.

 

[2ofUs]

Hello fellow Bonnet Creekers,

Maybe one of the timeshare experts can give me some guidance on this...

I have a 3BR deluxe reservation as a guest of owner booked for next thursday. One of our party members canceled and I wont need 3 br's.

Do you think they would entertain the notion of giving us a 2BR PRESIDENTIAL instead, thereby freeing up a 3BR for them?

not a big deal either way, but thought it maight work out for all involved if that were the case.

That pretty much depends on what you are expecting in the 2 bdrm Presidential. They are all in one building and are indeed HUGE (reg 2 bdrms are also very nice) and if you get one with a nice view, yes it would be a good exchange. However, when we were there, several people on the 'woods view' side complaint LOUDLY about lack of view in a Presidential suite.

You can call WBC and talk to the room assigner (or manager on duty) and ask if they know where your current 3 bdrm will be (bldg/floor/view), they cannot guarantee a particular room until check-in, but they might have an idea since you are this close to arrival.

Otherwise, I'd wait until actual check-in and arrive as EARLY in the day as you can. This will allow the day clerk to see where you are currently assigned and what else might be available. We got a great 15th floor with an Epcot view that way a couple of years back doing this.

If you plan to arrive LATE in the day, you might call the EVENING before your arrival and see what they can tell you.

This being a 'slower' time of year, there may be empty rooms and some flexibility. But w/the popularity of WBC, this may no longer be the case and I'd rather see you keep the 3 bdrm since there are less of them and you have better odds of getting a good view - if that is your primary interest?

Whatever you decide or wherever you are assigned - ENJOY your stay!