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

[DisKim]

Hey everyone! I'm leaving BC tomorrow morning and have had a great stay. We were able to buy AP's with the savings from staying here and we had plenty of space in a 2 bedroom unit for our family of 6. I have stayed mostly on property with the dining plan in the past. Instead, we bought the Tables in Wonderland card to save 20% off meals. It pays for itself in just a few meals. BC is so close to the resorts that we have come back and eaten lunch here on most days saving ourselves about $60 per day versus eating lunch in the parks. Sadly, my kids are such park diehards that we have barely gotten to use the pools, etc. They seem so nice!

 

[TotoToo]

My Godfather has VIP and has never been able to get early check in at Bonnet Creek.

This is the case with the majority of the best Wyndham resorts and that certainly includes BC. Another reason the "VIP" designation at Wyndham, a VERY expensive and non-guaranteed set of "perks" added (or subtracted - remember they are not guaranteed in any way) to those who are unfortunately convinced to buy directly from Wyndham rather than on the resale market pay far too much for their points and get virtually nothing of value from the unbelievable premium price paid.

Straying a bit off course this is a gentle warning to those who may consider a purchase of Wyndham Points to have permanent access to Bonnet Creek, as well as all the other great Wyndham Points locations that include some unique to them like Washington DC, Atlantic City and many many more. NEVER buy directly from Wyndham as if you do you are literally paying over 90% for absolutely nothing! The base points which are the heart of the system hold the same use rights and ongoing expenses (annual fees/taxes) regardless of how they are purchased (retail from Wyndham or resale from another private owner). The only difference in those base points is the up front cost. On resale you may get them from $.01/point or less (as in FREE in more cases than you might think) while you pay between $.15 to $.20 from Wyndham! And the minute your right to rescind ends those points you just paid $.20 each for are worth $.01 or less - talk about depreciation!

One of the ways they justify the incredible price difference is to attach the VIP Benefits package only to retail buyers. It cannot be resold - it is not a right but a sales add on that can - and often is - changed by Wyndham at their whim. If it was gone tomorrow buyers would have no recourse as it is merely a add on not a guaranteed enhancement. To pay literally thousands and even tens of thousands of extra dollars to get that makes no sense. Any value it has is very very small - it would take decades to maybe break even. But even that isn't guaranteed so save your money & just buy resale. Doing that gets you into a great system, you can use BC and other resorts and pay a very low ongoing ownership cost. Or rent from owners on the more occasional basis.

Many people may take up Wyndham on the offer to "preview" ownership when they visit the beautiful BC as renters or on a timeshare exchange. Be aware of the tremendous cost difference between retail and resale prices for the exact same use rights and DO NOT buy directly from Wyndham or you will be paying far too much.

 

[funkmaster]

Staying at BC 21st Dec to 3rd Jan and would love to have the room decorated in some small way before we arrive there - a tree and some decorations in the main room. Has anyone any experience of this? I have e-mailed Giftsofalifetime.com to enquire about room decoration and will hopefully use Memories by Betsy to have a gift basket waiting in the room.

Has anyone ever tried to arrange something for in the room prior to check-in?

We arrive from the UK at 14.30 so would probably only be arriving at BC around 16.30-17.00

Thanks

 

[grandmadebby]

Has anyone ever purchased Bonnet Creek Points from cherishthetime on Ebay, thinking about it but would like to know if anyone has ever used them before. We are already owners and just need a small amount of points to complete our yearly needs. The family has grown since we purchased and I don't really like going through RCI so want to get more actual Bonnet Creek points. We also own at Branson at the Meadows.

 

[jupers]

Hi All,

Considering BC for our next stay, but I'm torn because I'm an onsite junkie. I'm a teacher and the union discount puts it at about $169 for a 2 bedroom...is that a good price?

Kids will be 8 and 3 at next trip, and wondering if I'm better off waiting till they're older to venture offsite. Not sure if we'll hit Universal or not, all depends on if we stay offsite. kids ages have me nervous. BC looks awesome, but my brain hurts thinking about it...please help!

Our dates would be approx 8/11-8/21, which usually ends up hitting free dining. I don't know what to do!!!!

A 10day package onsite at a mod, which is where we would stay with hoppers and free dining is about $2600, offsite might be cheaper, but rental car, food, parking, is it all worth it?????

 

[Upatnoon]

Hi All,

Considering BC for our next stay, but I'm torn because I'm an onsite junkie. I'm a teacher and the union discount puts it at about $169 for a 2 bedroom...is that a good price?

Kids will be 8 and 3 at next trip, and wondering if I'm better off waiting till they're older to venture offsite. Not sure if we'll hit Universal or not, all depends on if we stay offsite. kids ages have me nervous. BC looks awesome, but my brain hurts thinking about it...please help!

Our dates would be approx 8/11-8/21, which usually ends up hitting free dining. I don't know what to do!!!!

A 10day package onsite at a mod, which is where we would stay with hoppers and free dining is about $2600, offsite might be cheaper, but rental car, food, parking, is it all worth it?????

No, you can rent Bonnet Creek reservations on ebay and elsewhere for $100 a night or less.
Whether or not this saves you money depends on how much you plan to eat at the parks, what kind of passes you want to buy, etc. If you visit Disney every year, you may be able to save by buying annual passes. By staying on property, you are locked into spending $2,600 for a small hotel room. By staying at Bonnet Creek you get a 2 bedroom with a kitchen, 2 bathrooms and living room. By staying at Bonnet Creek you can spend less on food by eating some meals in your room or off-site.
It is very easy to pick up the phone, call Disney and have all your vacation plans made with one call. To stay offsite takes more work and planning -- but you can save money and have better accommodations.

 

[mamafrei]

Just wondering if anyone has stayed there within the last month or so and has a couple pics to post? Would love to see some very recent pics of Bonnet Creek!

Also, we are going there in August for the first time and we are staying in tower #5 and that building has the parking garage (if I'm correct about that). I was wondering if anyone knew whether or not you HAD to park in the garage if staying in that tower......or do they also have designated spots for tower #5 outside. I'm asking because we have a very large vehicle and I don't know if it would fit going in the garage!!!

Thanks in advance!!! I'm a MAJOR planner and try to think of all the silly little things that might come up

 

[JPOJPO]

Hi, Booked a 2BR at BC for the week of July 19th. Does anyone know if there is a difference in the size of the balconies in the different buildings? The newer buildings appear to be different from the older two buildings and thought there might be a difference. (You can tell, I've already over-planned everything if I even had this thought!!)

 

[VickiVM]

It is very easy to pick up the phone, call Disney and have all your vacation plans made with one call. To stay offsite takes more work and planning -- but you can save money and have better accommodations.

Totally agree - although FD would really be a value for our family of 5 staying @ POR in Value season (that's where we were originally booked), truthfully, we could not eat all that food and not feel miserable in the summer heat. For us there is more value in all the space we would get and my 16, 14 and 12 year old having their own bed. We have already planned out our grocery list for preparing the meals we want in our room...all simple and tasty - and have planned out which meals to eat @ parks or offsite. Only two TS meals, one off-site and the rest prepared @ BC. We probably will not spend more than $200 to $250 over the cost of FD for the same WDW experience. That's well worth the space and extra amenities and beats DVC hands down any day of the year!

 

[saucymb]

Also, we are going there in August for the first time and we are staying in tower #5 and that building has the parking garage (if I'm correct about that). I was wondering if anyone knew whether or not you HAD to park in the garage if staying in that tower......or do they also have designated spots for tower #5 outside. I'm asking because we have a very large vehicle and I don't know if it would fit going in the garage!!!

We stayed in Building 5 in January. We never parked in the deck, as there was a parking lot adjacent to our building. And we had 2 cars, though one of them was parked most of the time. So, no, you don't have to park in the deck. Though in August it might be a little more crowded than in January, and you may not find a space in the lot. Even in January, there weren't a lot of spaces left in the lot at night, but we always managed to find one.

It worked out nicely; while we were getting the last of our items ready to go, my husband would go retrieve the van, and the rest of us would get the gear and the 2 kids downstairs; by the time we got there, he was ready to load us up at the door. And at the end of a long day, he'd drop us off again at the door, and then go park while we carried sleeping preschoolers upstairs.

 

[scubamouse]

We're booked there for August

Does anyone have pictures of the pool with the slide? My kids are 8 and 9.5 and little fish about swimming. Does anyone have an opinion on the better pool for them? How long does it take to walk from one pool to another?

Also, we're thinking of getting a room with a lake/resort view instead of a fireworks view with the thinking that we'll be at dinner or sleeping by fireworks time and we'd rather not overlook the parking garages the rest of the time if that's the case. Is there any flaw in that logic?

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

We're booked there for August

Does anyone have pictures of the pool with the slide? My kids are 8 and 9.5 and little fish about swimming. Does anyone have an opinion on the better pool for them? How long does it take to walk from one pool to another?

Also, we're thinking of getting a room with a lake/resort view instead of a fireworks view with the thinking that we'll be at dinner or sleeping by fireworks time and we'd rather not overlook the parking garages the rest of the time if that's the case. Is there any flaw in that logic?

I think I'd choose the pirate ship/lazy river pool area because it's bigger than the slide pool. It's not even a 5 minute walk from one pool to the other if they really want to use the slide.

We always choose the lake view, so that would be my vote!

 

[my3kids143]

We stayed at Bonnet Creek 2 weeks ago today for our 1st visit to the World based solely on this thread - thanks OP! I requested for a fireworks view room and we were in room 1284 in Tower 5. The unit was beautiful! DH, DD8, DD3 & DS2 all loved it! There was sooo much space. We had a great view of Epcot fireworks every night and could even see the MK ones from a distance, too. We never had a problem finding parking, whether it was in the parking garage or out front. We would definitely go back to Bonnet Creek again although I would like to try other resorts.

 

[my3kids143]

We stayed at Bonnet Creek 2 weeks ago today for our 1st visit to the World based solely on this thread - thanks OP! I requested for a fireworks view room and we were in room 1284 in Tower 5. The unit was beautiful! DH, DD8, DD3 & DS2 all loved it! There was sooo much space. We had a great view of Epcot fireworks every night and could even see the MK ones from a distance, too. We never had a problem finding parking, whether it was in the parking garage or out front. We would definitely go back to Bonnet Creek again although I would like to try other resorts.

 

[ehrn]

We'll be staying at BC for the first time in August--1Br, booked through Ken Price. Have to admit, I'm nervous about staying outside of the bubble--but it just makes sense--more room, great price, LAUNDRY(I know, weird, but I am going to pack so much lighter this trip). We might have been able to rent points for a studio at AKL for less(slightly) but a studio and a fully equipped 1br don't compare.
I will be 28 wks pregnant this trip so we know we want to take things slower and spend more time at the resort--glad there are so many activities for our 5yo right on site! My husband will need to do grad school homework so free internet almost evens out having to pay for parking.
For the past 3 years we have done free dining. They keep making it less of a value every year so we have no regrets about missing it this time. I don't really plan on cooking--but we will do breakfast in the room most days and we'll probably get things like cheese and crackers and fruit for snacks. My husband is excited to be close to Earl of Sandwich, lol. We have several ADR's lined up and plans to visit some of our favorite off site places(Mimi's Cafe, Flippers, Sweet Tomatoes).
A few weeks ago we stayed at a hotel near Hershey, PA. I was so claustrophobic with just the 3 of us in 1 room for 1 night, I think BC is really going to spoil me w/the extra space and amenities! I keep flashing back to our trip in May 09 at Pop when it rained every day(all day) and we had wet clothing and ponchos hanging everywhere in that tiny room...that was no fun. I could care less about daily housekeeping too--as long as I have access to clean towels--and I don't mind throwing them in the wash myself.
I can hardly wait!!!!

Vettechick--hope you are feeling well, have a great birth!

 

[kleldridge]

We stayed at Bonnet Creek 2 weeks ago today for our 1st visit to the World based solely on this thread - thanks OP!

We checked in exactly 2 weeks ago today. We were in room 284! (10 floors down from you, I guess!) How weird is that? We also decided to stay here because of this thread.

I may go back to staying on Disney property at some point but I didn't feel like we gave up anything by staying here. We absolutely loved it!

 

[wed100105]

Hi All,

Considering BC for our next stay, but I'm torn because I'm an onsite junkie. I'm a teacher and the union discount puts it at about $169 for a 2 bedroom...is that a good price?

Kids will be 8 and 3 at next trip, and wondering if I'm better off waiting till they're older to venture offsite. Not sure if we'll hit Universal or not, all depends on if we stay offsite. kids ages have me nervous. BC looks awesome, but my brain hurts thinking about it...please help!

Our dates would be approx 8/11-8/21, which usually ends up hitting free dining. I don't know what to do!!!!

A 10day package onsite at a mod, which is where we would stay with hoppers and free dining is about $2600, offsite might be cheaper, but rental car, food, parking, is it all worth it?????

I personally don't feel that's a good price for that time period, but that's because I'm an owner and know what the unit would cost an owner. Check out redweek.com for a better idea.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Hi All,

Considering BC for our next stay, but I'm torn because I'm an onsite junkie. I'm a teacher and the union discount puts it at about $169 for a 2 bedroom...is that a good price?

Kids will be 8 and 3 at next trip, and wondering if I'm better off waiting till they're older to venture offsite. Not sure if we'll hit Universal or not, all depends on if we stay offsite. kids ages have me nervous. BC looks awesome, but my brain hurts thinking about it...please help!

Our dates would be approx 8/11-8/21, which usually ends up hitting free dining. I don't know what to do!!!!

A 10day package onsite at a mod, which is where we would stay with hoppers and free dining is about $2600, offsite might be cheaper, but rental car, food, parking, is it all worth it?????

Did you get a quote from Ken Price as pp's did/suggested? His rental prices are so reasonable esp if 1 week or longer. He's a great guy to talk to, though I've never stayed there, I did get a quote from him but unfortunately since I was looking for a long weekend, 2-3 nts incl Fri/Sat, it wasn't cost effective. We did drive in and walk around and agreed would def stay here for a weekly visit.
We love having all the space of a condo/house. I don't see why so many on-siters fear trying an off site place. Unless it's a something nasty like a Motel 6 but BC really is beautiful. Driving to parks is so easy, WDW road signs are well done and easy to navigate getting anywhere. Well worth having so much space. Extra bathrooms & TVs are nice too.
The only other time we can stand all 4 of us in 1 room is when cruising. No way could we afford a suite there.

 

[jupers]

How do you find Ken????

 

[scubamouse]

How do you find Ken????

I found him thru this thread. I think his website is vacationsupgrade.com

Anyone have slide pictures?