Wyndham Bonnet Creek vs. Windsor Hills - anyone with experience at both?

KristinU

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 25, 2000
Hi Everyone!

We loooooove Bonnet Creek and have stayed there 4 times now, but I'm also intrigued by the home rentals at Windsor Hills. Has anyone stayed at both that can give me a compare and contrast?

Parking right at your home/townhome seems great, the private pool seems nice too. But I wonder if we would feel isolated, or if the common area is active enough that we'd get enough of a resort feel from that.

We are headed back down for the Wine and Dine half marathon in November for a long weekend, so I'm thinking it might be a nice time to try something different since it is a shorter stay, but I'm not ready to pull the trigger yet on a non-refundable reservation!

Any comparison feedback would be greatly appreciated! TIA!
 
You've hit the nail on the head as far as differences. WH is like staying in your uncle's very nice pool home that just happens to be a stone's throw from WDW. Very private, very relaxing, and the pool out your back door is very convenient. One parent can be mixing drinks while the other watches the kids. But, it's not really a resort experience. Not better or worse, really, just different.

When our kids were younger, we preferred the pool home-style vacation. As they got older, we wanted more of a resort feel. You should give it a try to see how you like it.
 
Thanks for your thoughts, Brian! I mentioned it to DS and DH the other day. DS is 13 and brings along a friend on our longer trips, he loves the idea of our own pool and game room, so it would be a flip from your younger/older approach. We were 100% onsite when our DS was little, we owned DVC for several years and it was a good fit...but I was also not aware of all of the other options out there!
 


Following! We are a family of 6 and trying to decide on an off-site option for next trip, and these are my top two choices! There seems to be a lot more to do at WBC but I have 4 young kids and I like the idea of more of a home away from home. I think that after the craziness and intensity of Disney, it might be nice for us to have something quiet to return to. Especially because of my husband and a couple of my kids get pretty overstimulated by the crowds. But WBC looks pretty fun and I know the kids would love that lazy river!

I agree with comments just to try it out. :)
 
Well, I did some looking... and after taxes and fees, even the cheapest WH condos are more expensive than WBC for our small family. The cleaning fees really push it over the edge for pricing, at least the sites I've been looking at.

Maybe we'll take a drive out that way on our next trip in June just to see. I would entertain a pool house for spring break even with it being a little pricier since we'll have DS's friend with us; but for a long weekend for three of us just to try, I guess I'll stick with WBC.
 


WBC has a similar fee, but it is just hidden in the cost. If you rent from an owner, there is a $100 guest fee. Some owners get several free a year depending on their level. At WH, the cleaning fee is necessary because there is not a resort wide cleaning staff. The units are owned by people. They have to vend out to cleaning companies after someone stays in a unit.
 
No, I get it with the cleaning and management fees, I just said that it pushed it over the edge for cost-effectiveness for a long weekend for us.
 
Hi Everyone!

We loooooove Bonnet Creek and have stayed there 4 times now, but I'm also intrigued by the home rentals at Windsor Hills. Has anyone stayed at both that can give me a compare and contrast?

Parking right at your home/townhome seems great, the private pool seems nice too. But I wonder if we would feel isolated, or if the common area is active enough that we'd get enough of a resort feel from that.

We are headed back down for the Wine and Dine half marathon in November for a long weekend, so I'm thinking it might be a nice time to try something different since it is a shorter stay, but I'm not ready to pull the trigger yet on a non-refundable reservation!

Any comparison feedback would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

We have stayed at Windsor Hills numerous times and I guess the answer is what do you like more in terms of activities at your resort or do you want a private respite from the "Disney Chaos"? Windsor Hills is nice but it is quiet and secluded and definitely feels like a private neighborhood vs. a resort. The main pool is lovely but just a pool (no lazy river and such). I also think the location of Bonnet Creek can not be beat. I am not really sure how "vacationy or resorty" (is that a word??) staying in a private home with your own private pool would feel but if that is what you are looking for then I guess it would be good for you. Windsor Hills is getting a bit dated and tired and the construction is very cheap but it is still a nice place to stay and has very good pricing. Maybe since you are only going for a long weekend it is a good time for you to try something different and then you can make an educated decision towards a future, longer vacation of where you want to be. What I enjoy about staying at Bonnet Creek is that it is a resort with a resort feel and it is still inside Disney. Windsor Hills definitely lacks the Disney feel but is still a good place depending on your mood.
Good luck!
 
Following! We are a family of 6 and trying to decide on an off-site option for next trip, and these are my top two choices! There seems to be a lot more to do at WBC but I have 4 young kids and I like the idea of more of a home away from home. I think that after the craziness and intensity of Disney, it might be nice for us to have something quiet to return to. Especially because of my husband and a couple of my kids get pretty overstimulated by the crowds. But WBC looks pretty fun and I know the kids would love that lazy river!

I agree with comments just to try it out. :)

Pool Homes are great for younger kids because they can take a nap while everything else is close, laundry, pool, game room...etc. It's great for once kiddos go to bed too, we love having the space. If your kids need to wind down, a pool home is a good way for them to wind down and not have to all be in the same room together. I'm sure WBC can be similar if you get a 3 or 4 BR room, and I haven't tried it. If you forgot something in your car...step outside the door to grab it, you won't have to go down the hall to the elevator, go down X floors, walk through the lobby, through the parking lot, then reverse the process.
 
I, too, am interested in the comparison of these two properties. This will be our first Disney Trip for a family of 4 and for a number of reasons we have decided to stay off-site. My initial research led me to Bonnet Creek and I got a quote for a 2BRM for March 2018 for $1400( which Im ok with but not thrilled with). This morning I was looking on VRBO and was finding 2 BRM at Windsor Hills for 1/2 the price.

We desire close proximity to the parks (10 minute drive), a nice pool, and kitchen. Thoughts?
 
I obviously don't have the experience with Windsor Hills, but since it is your first visit I wonder if you'll be spending a bigger chunk of time at the parks, in which case I think Bonnet Creek is more convenient than Windsor Hills. One of the things we love about Bonnet Creek is the location. For example, my teen and his friend wanted to chill in the room and play some Xbox at WBC when DH and I went to Disney Springs. We came back and told them about the Coke store so they wished they had gone over with us. No big deal to hop in the car and go back over with them since it is right down the road. I'm thinking that if we had been at Windsor Hills, even though it isn't super far away, we wouldn't have been as game to pop back over.
 
Very private, very relaxing, and the pool out your back door is very convenient. One parent can be mixing drinks while the other watches the kids. But, it's not really a resort experience. Not better or worse, really, just different.

I actually like this about Windsor Hills and it's why we are looking at returning for our next trip. The parks can get so hectic, I loved the peace and quiet of a rental home. The only thing I missed was having a food court.
 

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