Wyndham Bonnet Creek & Loss of Early Entrance Time

[Abatts]

We are looking to take a trip mid-May and possibly taking my parents. With 7 of us, staying on-site isn't really an option as 2 rooms is way above what we want to pay and there isn't anything available for 7 occupancy - AoA is 6. I thought of calling and asking if the 7th is OK since it's a 4 year old, but I feel like I already know the answer.

Anyways - we are looking to stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek... I'm not sure about loosing the early entrance though. Is this a game changer? We've always been rope dropping people (well, I am and drag the rest of the family with me).... so I feel like the advantage of rope drop is lost if you're not able to take advantage of the early entrance via staying on-site. How are they handling those who show up early and aren't resort guests?

FWIW, the crowds on our days range from 3-6 from Touring Plans, and I'm planning to be in the parks with 4-5 ratings for each specific day.

 

[Brian Noble]

I feel like the advantage of rope drop is lost if you're not able to take advantage of the early entrance via staying on-site. How are they handling those who show up early and aren't resort guests?

The specifics change often, but they are definitely holding non-resort guests until the park officially opens. The beginning of this thread tracks this.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/everything-early-theme-park-entry-etpe-please-read-post-1.3855945/
For MK, only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open for early entrance, so you can still rope drop the other areas of the park. For the other three parks, I'd just plan to avoid the top one or two attractions likely to build significant standby waits and start somewhere else.

For AK, most people are going to start in Pandora so I'd start with Safari or Everest. In Studios I suspect Galaxy's Edge and Slinky are the big draws, so I'd probably start with Sunset Blvd, or maybe even MMRR. In Epcot it's less obvious, but I'd probably start in Future World West with Soarin'. If you aren't buying G+/ILL, you can try to get the "big guns" nearer to Park Close, though in some cases you might have to pick and choose.

 

[sdoll]

Years ago I shared your same concerns. Then I stayed off site for the first time and have never gone back. I am a rope drop kind of gal, but the rest of my family isn't. I found once we tried Bonnet Creek we were all so much happier and relaxed. Staying onsite I felt pressure to not miss anything. Once I tried off site, I feel like we all relaxed, while still being able to do everything we wanted within the bubble. You will love Bonnet Creek

 

[luvthatmouseinohio]

My kids waaayy prefer Bonnet Creek to any of the Disney resorts. There’s just so much space! And the cost … you get so much more bang for your buck. My one caveat about Bonnet Creek is parking if you have a car. It can be tough to find a space towards evening.

 

[chekhovgirl]

We’ve always been rope drop people, but we are also Bonnet Creek people. My family loves the resort and we wouldn’t stay anywhere else, so I miss true rope drop, but it doesn’t change our lodging plans.

 

[Biggen]

I'd never consider leaving WBC for rope drop priority. The only way I'd stay on-site at Disney is if they paid me. And even then I may not. I don't like randoms coming into the room and doing a "safety check" when my family is inside like they do at the Disney hotels.

 

[redboat45]

with only 30 minute advantage for early entry I'm not sure you'd be missing much. Just head straight for the rides that weren't open for early entry when you rope drop.

 

[BostonEd]

I'd never consider leaving WBC for rope drop priority. The only way I'd stay on-site at Disney is if they paid me. And even then I may not. I don't like randoms coming into the room and doing a "safety check" when my family is inside like they do at the Disney hotels.

Any hotel can do this. The only difference is that Disney actually tells people they might do it.

WBC *might* be different as those are technically "homes". But I doubt it. I'm sure there's a clause somewhere that says something like "for the safety of everyone on the property..." etc. etc.

 

[reddog21]

I'd never consider leaving WBC for rope drop priority. The only way I'd stay on-site at Disney is if they paid me. And even then I may not. I don't like randoms coming into the room and doing a "safety check" when my family is inside like they do at the Disney hotels.

I don't get the big deal, they knock come in for literally 3 seconds and leave.

One huge advantage for onsite is if you plan on an individual LL, most is not all the good times are taken by 9am when the offsite guests can book.

 

[bankr63]

Since you are a Touring Plans person, if you read the Unofficial Guide take on Early Entry, those are generally the parks to avoid. So if MK has early entry, go to Animal Kingdom that day and you will have the same access as the onsite guests, and possibly better crowd levels as fewer people went that day. To be honest, rope drop without EMH has been hard enough for our family to make, I can't fathom getting up even earlier!

 

[bankr63]

I don't get the big deal, they knock come in for literally 3 seconds and leave

Just as you are stepping naked from the shower because you thought you might have heard a noise out at the door...

One thing I really like about Timeshare resorts is that many have dropped even the mid-week tidy due to COVID. No one will enter your room unless invited (call them for towels etc) or an emergency. I only change my sheets and clean once a week at home, don't see why I need strangers doing it for me every day while I'm on vacation. That to me is not a part of the vacation experience, and has always kind of bugged me that I had to 'clean-up' before they came to clean-up.

People entering your space is not magical, it's creepy.

 

[reddog21]

Since you are a Touring Plans person, if you read the Unofficial Guide take on Early Entry, those are generally the parks to avoid. So if MK has early entry, go to Animal Kingdom that day and you will have the same access as the onsite guests, and possibly better crowd levels as fewer people went that day. To be honest, rope drop without EMH has been hard enough for our family to make, I can't fathom getting up even earlier!

Every park is early entry everyday, they no longer do certain parks on certain days.

 

[kathy884]

We are looking to take a trip mid-May and possibly taking my parents. With 7 of us, staying on-site isn't really an option as 2 rooms is way above what we want to pay and there isn't anything available for 7 occupancy - AoA is 6. I thought of calling and asking if the 7th is OK since it's a 4 year old, but I feel like I already know the answer.

Anyways - we are looking to stay at Wyndham Bonnet Creek... I'm not sure about loosing the early entrance though. Is this a game changer? We've always been rope dropping people (well, I am and drag the rest of the family with me).... so I feel like the advantage of rope drop is lost if you're not able to take advantage of the early entrance via staying on-site. How are they handling those who show up early and aren't resort guests?

FWIW, the crowds on our days range from 3-6 from Touring Plans, and I'm planning to be in the parks with 4-5 ratings for each specific day.

We stayed at an offsite timeshare resort this past March over a busy spring break week. The amenities you get at these resorts are a great deal for the price. I am the first to admit though with the new system that I hated it that I no longer had that rope drop advantage. That takes away the one big ride with no long line I have enjoyed for decades. We just did Epcot and the Magic Kingdom and were at the front of the offsite rope drop crowd. Due to onsite guests, the line for Space Mountain was already 40 minutes long at our rope dope and the line for Test Track was already 35 minutes long at Epcot. It was sad waiting behind a barrier and seeing lines get longer and longer. Now the Genie + fastpass worked great for getting a first pass reserved at 7, the next two hours after park opening and additional every two hours. The paid LL option for us during our busy week was a bust though. 7DMT and Remmy the pay rides at Magic Kingdom and Epcot for fastpasses, were sold out by park opening, the first opportunity offsiters can try for these, while onsite can grab them starting at 7 and they all sold out.

We still really loved the Disney days. We though skipped 7DMT (didn't want to do the long line). Many of us skipped Remmy at Epcot. Those that wanted to try the new ride with no fast pass availability waited an hour and 20 minutes and thought it was worth it.

I'm one who would enjoy those onsite perks, but don't like to pay the onsite prices.

Our crowd levels were 8s, so I think you would be in better shape than we were as offsite visitors. I would think you will still notice though not having the rope drop advantage. Maybe you'd have better luck than we did for some of the paid LLs. I don't know.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

I don't get the big deal, they knock come in for literally 3 seconds and leave.

One huge advantage for onsite is if you plan on getting Genie+, most is not all the good times are taken by 9am when the offsite guests can book.

There is no onsite advantage for Genie+, you are thinking of ILL$, which are currently limited to one ride in each park.

 

[reddog21]

There is no onsite advantage for Genie+, you are thinking of ILL$, which are currently limited to one ride in each park.

Your correct I missed adding it on my original comment