WDW Hotel vs. WBC

[shenaniganzz]

MY DH just gave me the all clear to plan another WDW vacation and I am doing my best to be somewhat economical this time! We'll be a group of 6: 3 adults and 3 children.

We have stayed at a WDW hotel w/ free dining (upgraded to DxDP) the last two trips. The DxDP seems to be a bit of a luxury as we didn't need all that food. We do, however, like to enjoy a few signatures, buffets and a few adult beverages with our meals.

It seems to me that if we book a room at WBC, purchase one annual passholders and TIW, that we could still conceiveably save close to $1000 (more to do with the cost of WBC versus CSR) without sacrificing too much in our restaurant choices. Am I missing anything?

For those who have stayed at WBC and on site, do you regret the choice? Is WBC very busy compared to the WDW hotels? We like quiet pools, but I loathe trekking to the pool and struggling to find loungers, etc. and we've never had the problem in a WDW hotel.

TIA!

 

[DCTooTall]

For a group that large, The cost savings can be immense. Wyndham Bonnet Creek can be had for MUCH MUCH less than the rooms you'd need onsite in order to accomodate that many people. You may also find the extra space and kitchen within the room very nice as well. (Even if you don't plan to really cook, the kitchen can be nice for the ability to put away and reheat leftovers from when you eat out or order in... and it's also nice to be able to have a quick breakfast (cereal? other quick/easy breakfast foods) in your room before leaving in the morning, which can even be had by some people in the group while waiting on others are getting ready. (The ole' bathroom juggling during morning routines to get out the door).

The AP will include the cost of parking onsite, so you won't need to worry about the daily parking fee at the parks (WBC has a pretty decent shuttle for an offsite resort, but a car will give you a lot more flexibility). And the TiW card you may find can save you a ton of money. For starters, TiW also covers Adult Beverages, so if you enjoy a tasty adult beverage during your dinner, you can already be coming out ahead. You also have a lot more freedom than with the dining plan since you can eat what you want, instead of feeling like you need to order a full App and Entree in order to get your money's worth. (In the mood to skip the appetizer and maybe get dessert instead? Go for it. Not hungry enough for a full entree? why not just order an appetizer and eat that as your meal?)

There are some trade-offs you get by staying at WBC and not onsite at a Disney resort....Such as no magic express (rent a car, You'll enjoy the freedom and the flexibility of not relying on Disney transportation... as well as the ability to head offsite can be nice. You'll probably still be cheaper than staying onsite.), No EMH (Honestly, Can sometimes be a plus since you'll can much easier plan on avoiding the EMH parks and the extra crowds from the onsite guests visiting the days EMH park to take advantage of the EMH), and no package deliver to your resort from the park shops. (You can have packages delivered to the front of the park though to grab on your way out).


Honestly, I personally have a VERY hard time justifying the costs of staying onsite now knowing that I can get such nice and large accomodations still 'within the gates' for so much less.


As for the pools, no matter which building you are in at WBC, you don't have far to go for a pool. Pool hopping is also really easy since the entire resort is pretty compact and has a nice pathway around the lake in the center of the resort. I have seen some issues with trying to get a lounge at the more popular pools during busier times of the year during popular pool times, but I'm more of a after-dark/after-the-parks swimmer type, and I've not really experienced any issues at the pools myself. the big I Loooove threads might also be a good resource for people's opinions on this resort in particular.

 

[MK2010]

We stayed at WBC this past Sept. as a family of 8. (We're a family of 6, but my parents joined us for the first week of our vacation) Last time we went, we stayed at ASMu. I LOVED being at WBC. I still felt "in the bubble" Loved driving vs. using Disney transportation. With the exception of MK, I felt driving myself was faster. The pools were okay. They're smaller than Disney pools. The one by the lazy river seemed more crowded and loud than the pirate pool or the other pool. There is a thread on the Dis talking about how there is now an add'l $12/night fee so make sure you factor that in. I am going back in Oct. with friends and we will stay on-site. So while, I loved WBC for my family and would definitely stay there again if I was A) driving from Tx. vs. flying and B) taking a group that large, I don't think that it is always a savings. For your group, I think I would definitely try a stay at WBC.

 

[shenaniganzz]

One more question..

Has anyone done a split stay? I am thinking 4 nights "on site" and 4 nights at WBC. Do they rent units at WBC for that many days?

Also, if my 4 days "on site" are during Free Dining, will I be able to use the TIW card for any meal items and beverages not covered by the dining plan (ie. apps, adult beverages)?

Okay.. so more than one question!

 

[DCTooTall]

One more question..

Has anyone done a split stay? I am thinking 4 nights "on site" and 4 nights at WBC. Do they rent units at WBC for that many days?

Also, if my 4 days "on site" are during Free Dining, will I be able to use the TIW card for any meal items and beverages not covered by the dining plan (ie. apps, adult beverages)?

Okay.. so more than one question!

The one I can answer is that you can "Usually" find a reservation for however many nights you want at WBC. Since it's a timeshare resort, the weeks generally run from weekend day to weekend day, but you can make a reservation for any number of nights. Because of the way their system handles reservations though based off the traditional timeshare week, as well as guest certificate charges that owners will pass along in your night rate, The cost-per-night can sometimes work out very different depending upon the days you choose to stay and the length of your stay.

As for mixing he TiW and DDP, I don't know. I've personally never found the DDP to be worth the $$ (Either the upcharge or the room cost increase from the AP discounts I can get vs. the rack-rate need for "Free Dining"). I'm thinking someone in the onsite resort forums or restaurant forums could tell you for certain if you can mix the 2 programs.

 

[disneyfireman]

One more question..

Has anyone done a split stay? I am thinking 4 nights "on site" and 4 nights at WBC. Do they rent units at WBC for that many days?

Also, if my 4 days "on site" are during Free Dining, will I be able to use the TIW card for any meal items and beverages not covered by the dining plan (ie. apps, adult beverages)?

Okay.. so more than one question!

I just booked a room using the Dreams Res link at the top of this page. But i think its connected to booking.com. I reserved a sun thru fri ressie.

 

[Portugal1000]

Have stayed here 4 times, 5th visit in July (22 nights) we absolutely love the place. Have stayed at SSR 3 times and I consider WBC to be far superior. I think the pools are alot less busy that SSR and thankfully have lots of shade. Also think pools at SSR are way to warm. The rooms are much bigger than any Disney property. I honestly cant understand why people pay Disney prices when you can stay at WBC. We got some great deals at SSR as we are in UK, i.e 40% off and free dining but those deals not so good now so a no brainer to stay here.
Book, you will not regret it.

 

[DSLRuser]

we have a good mix of onsite (60%) and off site (40%) including WBC.

Off site is generally cheaper because of the full kitchen. we make a large break fast every morning before we leave, then take some snacks to hold us over during the day.

Take a late afternoon break and cook dinner at the off site resort before heading to the parks for the night, again with more snacks.

when staying on site, we still bring the snacks, but breakfast is limited to cereals or muffins in the room we bring, and sandwiches.

Staying off site we do 2-3 sit down meals at disney, while staying on site we will do 4-5.

Finally, when staying on site when we drive, my car gets parked for all 7 days. Disney transportation for everything.

Staying off site, we have to drive. We drive our car to a free parking spot i know of, then use disney transportation from there. Its only a 3min car ride, but i still have to deal with not losig car keys when in the parks.

So there are little trade offs here and there, but we generally feal both give us the vacation we are looking for, it boils down to off site for our family is usually $1,500 cheaper in total over 7 days than on site.