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

[sorul82?]

I'm not a coffee drinker but, there is a coffee maker in every unit. Why would you want to drive to another resort to fill your mug? Its not like you can pull up to the curb and run in. At most resorts, you'll need to park and walk a bit to find the food court.

There's just something about a refillable mug....what is that French phrase? Je ne sais quois?

 

[Fastpaks]

Does anyone know how deep the lazy river is? I deepest I saw the pools was about 4ft in the pictures. I would assume they may be a deeper too? Thanks for any help.

Also what is the earliest pick up for the MK? We have an ADR before the park opening... maybe driving there that day is the best option?

 

[Brian Noble]

Seeing that a hotel like Disney's Boardwalk is pretty close, is it unreasonable to get myself a refillable mug from there this time and just travel down the road a bit for a coffee.

I can't seem to find a nice way to say this, so I won't try.

This is totally insane.

 

[Alexander]

Just got home last night from a 7 night stay at BC. We were thrilled to say the least with the resort. We are DVC members but were out of points, so we rented a 2 bedroom for this trip. We were in building 5, 14th floor, room 1493 with a view of the pools and lagoon. We could see the Tower of Terror, Everest, the Earful Water Tower, and the Sorceror Hat from our balcony. We absolutely loved the water view. Not big fans of parking lot views, so we didn't want a fireworks view.

A few updates from the posts I've just caught up on:

• The bar at the new pool (pirate pool--bldg. 6) is open.
• The lazy river outside bldg. 5 is 3ft deep. The one near the main building (check-in building) is 3.5 ft. deep. This is something we watch closely as DS is 44 inches tall!
• We didn't use the shuttle to the parks at all, we opted to drive.
• We had a high pressure lady (Sandy from Jersey) who scheduled us for a tour even though I told her we weren't interested. We just didn't show up. They called about 15 times, but I unplugged the bedroom phone and turned the volume all the way down on the kitchen phone (you couldn't hear it ring, but could still use the internet).
• We got anywhere from 3-5 of those under-the-door pizza flyers every single day. It was getting ridiculous. How do those people get in the resort?

We are going back to BC from 12/24 to 12/31 and I cannot wait! Looking at all of Cdn Girl's pictures makes me miss what we left yesterday!

 

[ears4all]

Quick question- how good would routers be in the room? We have some iPod touchs and laptops- how good is the service? Anything would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Upatnoon]

Quick question- how good would routers be in the room? We have some iPod touchs and laptops- how good is the service? Anything would be appreciated! Thanks!

Bring your own router from home. There is a network cable you plug into your laptop, so unless you have a router, only 1 person can use it. The upside of this, is that the speed is much better than most hotels I have stayed at with wifi.

 

[Upatnoon]

In previous trips to onsite Disney Hotels I have purchased a refillable mug (reasonably big coffee drinker here) Seeing that a hotel like Disney's Boardwalk is pretty close, is it unreasonable to get myself a refillable mug from there this time and just travel down the road a bit for a coffee. Think they'd mind at the Boardwalk. Or is that just not done. Could even be at the Caribbean Beach Resort, but u get the idea.

Unlike the Disney resorts that peddle those mugs, at Bonnet Creek every room has a coffee maker with free coffee.

Also, unlike Disney, Bonnet Creek sells Starbucks coffee, so if the stuff in your room isn't strong enough, you can go there.

 

[Upatnoon]

Probably been asked, but I'm hoping I don't have to go through the billion posts..

Planning a trip in late March next year. Are the pools heated and comfortable? How about at night? How cool is it in Orlando in late March, will my crazy kids want to hit the pool at night (9-16 years old)?

We're excited about staying at a resort (we usually stay at the cheap Disneyland hotels and never hit the pool), so I wanted to make sure we get full use of the pool and lazy river!!

The pools are heated, so that is not a concern. The pools are beautiful, so your kids may not want to leave the resort at all.

As for swimming after dark, you will probably be fine, but if there is a cold snap, it could be uncomfortable out of the water. During that time, the weather is a bit unpredictable.

Have fun!

 

[ClanHarrison]

Also, unlike Disney, Bonnet Creek sells Starbucks coffee, so if the stuff in your room isn't strong enough, you can go there.

Oh THIS is the best thing I've heard all day

 

[erinkpoole]

Just got home last night from a 7 night stay at BC. We were thrilled to say the least with the resort. We are DVC members but were out of points, so we rented a 2 bedroom for this trip. We were in building 5, 14th floor, room 1493 with a view of the pools and lagoon. We could see the Tower of Terror, Everest, the Earful Water Tower, and the Sorceror Hat from our balcony. We absolutely loved the water view. Not big fans of parking lot views, so we didn't want a fireworks view.

A few updates from the posts I've just caught up on:

• The bar at the new pool (pirate pool--bldg. 6) is open.
• The lazy river outside bldg. 5 is 3ft deep. The one near the main building (check-in building) is 3.5 ft. deep. This is something we watch closely as DS is 44 inches tall!
• We didn't use the shuttle to the parks at all, we opted to drive.
• We had a high pressure lady (Sandy from Jersey) who scheduled us for a tour even though I told her we weren't interested. We just didn't show up. They called about 15 times, but I unplugged the bedroom phone and turned the volume all the way down on the kitchen phone (you couldn't hear it ring, but could still use the internet).
• We got anywhere from 3-5 of those under-the-door pizza flyers every single day. It was getting ridiculous. How do those people get in the resort?

We are going back to BC from 12/24 to 12/31 and I cannot wait! Looking at all of Cdn Girl's pictures makes me miss what we left yesterday!

I am trying to figure out this fireworks view! We are arriving on Sept 18th and staying in building 6. If I want a fireworks view of Hollywood Studios and Epcot, wouldn't that also be facing the lake? Those two parks seem to be to the west of Bonnet Creek. Thanks for the help!

 

[scubamouse]

We're just back from a 10 day stay. We were in building 6 on the 2nd floor. We opted not to wait for a room on a higher floor and we were fine with our view of the pool and lake. My parents stayed on 9 and they did have a better view overlooking the lake/pool and you could see MGM, Everest and the Swan and Dolphin.

Room was spotless but we had the same issue with the sheets. Kitchen was well stocked with cusinart small appliances. Bathrooms were huge. My kids loved the full sized beds in their room.

The pool at 6 is awesome and very popular. Labor Day weekend was packed but otherwise it was quieter. We tried all the pools during our stay and my kids (8 and 10 y/o) like 6 and the one by 3 the best. The resort really is as beautiful as it looks online. We booked through Ken Price and things went without a hitch.

People working there were super friendly and very helpful.

I have to confess that I did miss being onsite. Not enough to go back to paying disney rates but I missed the 'welcome home' greeetings and pin trading. We had dinner at a number of resorts so that helped. You can't beat the location. It was so close to everything - much closer than AKL for example.

We drove everywhere but always saw people waiting for a bus and invariably the bus was pulling up so it seemed pretty reliable. We had a little pressure to do the timeshare tour but not too too bad.

We picked up groceries on the way in and BC was able to keep things cold in a fridge. We also shipped supplies down which was nice in terms on not having to carry on coffee, sunscreen etc.

Next time we go back, we'll stay at BC for sure!

 

[charlielinda]

Hi! What's the difference between a Presidential 2 bedroom and regular 2 bedroom. Thanks for your help!

 

[kellyballoon]

We're just back from a 10 day stay. We were in building 6 on the 2nd floor. We opted not to wait for a room on a higher floor and we were fine with our view of the pool and lake. My parents stayed on 9 and they did have a better view overlooking the lake/pool and you could see MGM, Everest and the Swan and Dolphin.

Room was spotless but we had the same issue with the sheets. Kitchen was well stocked with cusinart small appliances. Bathrooms were huge. My kids loved the full sized beds in their room.

The pool at 6 is awesome and very popular. Labor Day weekend was packed but otherwise it was quieter. We tried all the pools during our stay and my kids (8 and 10 y/o) like 6 and the one by 3 the best. The resort really is as beautiful as it looks online. We booked through Ken Price and things went without a hitch.

People working there were super friendly and very helpful.

I have to confess that I did miss being onsite. Not enough to go back to paying disney rates but I missed the 'welcome home' greeetings and pin trading. We had dinner at a number of resorts so that helped. You can't beat the location. It was so close to everything - much closer than AKL for example.

We drove everywhere but always saw people waiting for a bus and invariably the bus was pulling up so it seemed pretty reliable. We had a little pressure to do the timeshare tour but not too too bad.

We picked up groceries on the way in and BC was able to keep things cold in a fridge. We also shipped supplies down which was nice in terms on not having to carry on coffee, sunscreen etc.

Next time we go back, we'll stay at BC for sure!

Hi Scuba, I was wondering how the whole shipping stuff ahead thing went. Where did you pick everything up? Did it arrive the same day that you did or before/after you did? How did you work the timing?
Thanks!

 

[webprinter]

Hi! What's the difference between a Presidential 2 bedroom and regular 2 bedroom. Thanks for your help!

It has fancier furnishings, a full size washer and dryer, nicer carpeting, better appliances, more kitchen cuboards and better views if you get a pool view in bldg 6. That's all I can think of off the top of my head but I will ask DH when he gets home from work.

 

[Tina]

Does the regular 2 bedroom not have a full size washer & dryer? I thought it did.

 

[Upatnoon]

Does the regular 2 bedroom not have a full size washer & dryer? I thought it did.

They have stacking units. Dryer on top of washer. Common in many smaller apartments and homes.

 

[webprinter]

DH said he thinks the kitchen and dining room are larger in the presidential unit. It does have a different layout (kitchen not at the usual angle layout) (both of us agreed on that).

 

[Sbux77]

We just got back from a weeks stay on Saturday and we were more than pleased with the resort. We were in building 4 on the 7th floor overlooking the pool in front of Escudos. Our favorite pool was the Pirate pool. It was quiet, we had a free cabana for a few hours (currently the unfinished ones are first come, first serve). And I tried the water slide which was very recently waxed. It was fast! Once was enough for me.

My husband did complain about the timeshare phone calls at 8:30 am every day. It was very annoying, especially as they continued to call after we gave them a firm NO. And I caught one of the pizza flyer guys on my floor as I was waiting for the elevator. Every time I peered around the wall, he pretended to be doing something else. Ha!

Everyone was very friendly and helpful, offering all sorts of tips. There always seemed to be a ton of fun activities for the kids. We parked a lot in the parking garage which helped during the extremely hot temps. The day before our departure we noticed it got very crowded at the pools. We were told 500 check-ins were scheduled for the weekend. SO glad we left the next day!

Overall, I want to go back next week never come back!

ETA: We did use the bus service to the parks, which was very prompt. It did get crowded, but the ride was short enough. I would definitely use it again. We did drive one day and are glad we only paid one day of parking. Also, I was a little confused by the comforter and duvet covers on our beds. Ours were all open at the top. WHY wouldn't they zipper these or enclose them somehow? They were very comfy, but the comforter kept coming out. It was confusing. And I didn't really know what to do with that strip of material at the end of our beds, so I used the king one as a table runner for the dining area. We always used the stools, so it worked great!

 

[scubamouse]

Hi Scuba, I was wondering how the whole shipping stuff ahead thing went. Where did you pick everything up? Did it arrive the same day that you did or before/after you did? How did you work the timing?
Thanks!

Our box arrived before us and was there when we got there. We did it the same as at WDW. We mailed it with saying to hold it in our name and arrival date and there was no issue. We had called to confirm the process.

We just got back from a weeks stay on Saturday and we were more than pleased with the resort. We were in building 4 on the 7th floor overlooking the pool in front of Escudos. Our favorite pool was the Pirate pool. It was quiet, we had a free cabana for a few hours (currently the unfinished ones are first come, first serve). And I tried the water slide which was very recently waxed. It was fast! Once was enough for me.

My husband did complain about the timeshare phone calls at 8:30 am every day. It was very annoying, especially as they continued to call after we gave them a firm NO. And I caught one of the pizza flyer guys on my floor as I was waiting for the elevator. Every time I peered around the wall, he pretended to be doing something else. Ha!

Everyone was very friendly and helpful, offering all sorts of tips. There always seemed to be a ton of fun activities for the kids. We parked a lot in the parking garage which helped during the extremely hot temps. The day before our departure we noticed it got very crowded at the pools. We were told 500 check-ins were scheduled for the weekend. SO glad we left the next day!

Overall, I want to go back next week never come back!

ETA: We did use the bus service to the parks, which was very prompt. It did get crowded, but the ride was short enough. I would definitely use it again. We did drive one day and are glad we only paid one day of parking. Also, I was a little confused by the comforter and duvet covers on our beds. Ours were all open at the top. WHY wouldn't they zipper these or enclose them somehow? They were very comfy, but the comforter kept coming out. It was confusing. And I didn't really know what to do with that strip of material at the end of our beds, so I used the king one as a table runner for the dining area. We always used the stools, so it worked great!

I wonder if our kids were racing eachother to the top of the slide! I was wondering how you scored a cabana; I thought it might be presidential suites only.

We never picked up the phone unless we recognized that my parents were calling from their room. We were out of the rooms by 8:30 every day so it wasn't ever an issue for us.

I hid the runner in the closet after reading the bed bug thread.

 

[ehrn]

We were in Bldg 3, 5th floor lake view. Had a great stay. We got many calls about the tour despite giving a firm "No thanks" to Katerina when we picked up our parking permit but turned the phone ringer down and ignored the calls. All in all the place was very clean, no less clean than recent stays in Disney resorts. I wish they had vacuums in the units--there were crumbs in the dining chairs and in the sofabed mattress--yuck.
I actually liked not having to worry about when housekeeping would be coming, I washed my own towels and that's all we need from them. The elevators were very fast, the parking was convenient. The pool by our bldg was ok but the slide was too much for my 5yo, the pirate pool slide was perfect for him though. We did play mini golf--it was fun. Our son painted a little bank in the craft room for $4, staff was nice and it was just a fun thing for him to do on our slow morning. The face painter was pretty good. There were some kids kind of left to do their own thing in the activity area--they were fairly well behaved and the staffing wasn't bad but I just don't like that in general.
We ordered from Flippers one night--my husband went to pick it up since that was a 25min wait vs 60+ for delivery--not a problem, we knew where it was...delicious, seriously like that place.
The location is fantastic! Always drove, never took the bus but did see that it was a full sized bus...
I was very skeptical about staying off Disney property, I love the full immersion but I have to say, the space more than made up for it! I never want to be confined to one room again!!! Loved throwing a load of wash in at night, really cut down on what I had to pack. Loved being able to make use of leftovers--not many but I brought a dole whip back from the Poly and was able to enjoy it a couple days later!!
We did have a fireworks view but it would have been better from a higher floor--still pretty cool though. My son LOVED the tub, I loved the shower! And you still get the Disney Must Do's on TV, so that made it even better. I did miss the Disney resort quick service dining options--BC just doesn't compare--no fresh morning baked goods, food court, etc., but as I said, the space really made up for it. We WILL stay here again, would definitely use Ken Price again...the question is--how long do I have to wait??