Bonnet Creek

[JM_97]

I was looking at prices for Disney resorts and noticed they were sky high. Even for the Moderates. So I started looking around elsewhere and found availability at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek on Airbnb. Not even $100/night!

I know it’s technically not on Disney property but on the map it looks like it might as well be. My question is if anyone has stayed here, what you thought of it and did you miss being in the “bubble”?

 

[rockpiece]

I am here right now on an extended stay and we are definitely still on Disney property.It is right next to the Riviera and depending on what side you are on you can see Epcot ,the Epcot resorts and Disney Springs from your balcony. We don't really use the Disney busses and prefer to Uber so it is really not that much of a difference to be honest besides not having anything really Disney in the resort.

 

[HopperFan]

While it is NOT on Disney property - because it is locked in by Disney and highways the only way into Bonnet Creek is through Disney property. If I could I would stay there every single trip. It has all the perks of offsite space (huge plus of kitchen and laundry) with resort feel, yet a Disney location. If you plan resort days you have multiple pools, slides and hot tubs, mini lazy rivers and the daily activities all around. One trip my son got to hold a gator from Gatorland and was excited. We have grilled out and enjoyed live music at the bars. We played miniature golf (no charge).

We drive so we can be in the parks in less time than Disney transportation. Disney Springs parking spot to parking spot is about 6 minutes.

 

[Brett Wyman]

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[kokomos]

The We love Bonnet Creek threads is on part 4 with 6000 replies the 1st three were closed due to maximum replies. Pretty sure it's safe to say we really love it. I'm not sure of your dates but also check eBay for prices.

 

[chekhovgirl]

While it is NOT on Disney property - because it is locked in by Disney and highways the only way into Bonnet Creek is through Disney property. If I could I would stay there every single trip. It has all the perks of offsite space (huge plus of kitchen and laundry) with resort feel, yet a Disney location. If you plan resort days you have multiple pools, slides and hot tubs, mini lazy rivers and the daily activities all around. One trip my son got to hold a gator from Gatorland and was excited. We have grilled out and enjoyed live music at the bars. We played miniature golf (no charge).

We drive so we can be in the parks in less time than Disney transportation. Disney Springs parking spot to parking spot is about 6 minutes.

It's not on Disney property but it IS within the Disney "gates", so I think that's what people usually mean when they say this.

We've stayed at BC around six times, and we had two trips planned for 2020 that were canceled. We certainly plan on staying again. We looooove the value, the location, the abundance of pools, hot tubs, activities. I always tell the story of how we started staying here to go to the Disney parks and now we go for the resort and go to the parks less, seriously. My family enjoys it that much.

 

[sdoll]

I think my signature says enough about how I feel about Bonnet Creek. Book it!! You will love it. Honestly, the added space, the beautiful grounds, the amazing pools. You will never want to stay anyplace else. Like the poster above we don't go to the parks that often anymore. We go because we know we will relax and enjoy or stay. Infact we just cancelled our spring break plans to Aruba and the first thing we decided to do was book a park free trip to Bonnet Creek.

 

[dioxide45]

There are so many great resort properties in Orlando, don't necessarily lock yourself into Wyndham Bonnet Creek. Sure it is perhaps the closest, but if you are renting a car anyway, what is an extra 10 minutes each way? I would also consider some of the Marriott or Sheraton timeshare properties such as Marriott Harbour Lake, Marriott Grande Vista or even Sheraton Vistana Resort.

 

[TheBacklot]

what is an extra 10 minutes each way?

20 minutes.

 

[hollydolls]

We just got back and did a split stay, 4 nights of it at Bonnet Creek based on recommendations from this group. We loved the space we had in the unit and the grounds were beautiful. Several pools, splash pads, water slides, mini golf, rec room... I mean, it was way beyond what I expected. You could see the Skyliner, the Hollywood Tower Hotel, the tops of the 1950s bowling pins at Pop Century, and the Swan & Dolphin. Seriously, go! Don't let the price deceive you. It's great.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We just got back and did a split stay, 4 nights of it at Bonnet Creek based on recommendations from this group. We loved the space we had in the unit and the grounds were beautiful. Several pools, splash pads, water slides, mini golf, rec room... I mean, it was way beyond what I expected. You could see the Skyliner, the Hollywood Tower Hotel, the tops of the 1950s bowling pins at Pop Century, and the Swan & Dolphin. Seriously, go! Don't let the price deceive you. It's great.

Who did you rent through? I've only stayed there once and it was on a friend's timeshare points.

 

[hollydolls]

Who did you rent through? I've only stayed there once and it was on a friend's timeshare points.

Oddly enough, we booked through hotels.com. I liked having the backing of a larger company in case we needed to cancel, plus they have the 10th night free thing.

 

[BiteOfFrost]

We just got back home from a week at Bonnet Creek. Got a deal by using points from a time share meeting on a different trip. If you’re used to getting pressured with the time share sales pitches, then no biggie. The property is great and the location is great.

 

[bearzabout]

Be careful of Airbnb‘s extra fees. you will pay them 13% and possibly also pay sales tax, cleaning fees, etc.

It may be cheaper to book another way, like renting a unit off EBay or timeshare boards like Tugg and Redweek. A lot of people own Wyndham points and can’t travel now so there should be availability directly with an owner. These transactions are a bit risky and it may not be possible to cancel, so be careful and make sure you can live with the cancellation policy.

 

[dioxide45]

Yeah, any legitimate online outfit will collect the 12.5% Florida Sales/Orange County Occupancy Taxes. If you can travel inside of 60 days, that is where the real bargains are because VIP owners can book with their points at a significant discount.

 

[Jackie H.]

Here is a question from someone who has always stayed onsite and used Disney transportation. At MK we have always been dropped off at the MK gate.

What about dealing with the TTC and MK entrance? We really have no experience with that. I just want to know what it is really like so I can make an informed decision if it worth it for my family to deal with.

Is it a mass of crowds? Does it add a lot of time? Is it difficult with strollers?

Thank you

 

[dioxide45]

Here is a question from someone who has always stayed onsite and used Disney transportation. At MK we have always been dropped off at the MK gate.

What about dealing with the TTC and MK entrance? We really have no experience with that. I just want to know what it is really like so I can make an informed decision if it worth it for my family to deal with.

Is it a mass of crowds? Does it add a lot of time? Is it difficult with strollers?

Thank you

The TTC may add about 20-30 minutes to each side of your trip. Getting from your car to MK can take a while by either ferry or monorail, but you will get some time back because you won't be waiting on Disney busses at your resort.

 

[disneyfan150]

Here is a question from someone who has always stayed onsite and used Disney transportation. At MK we have always been dropped off at the MK gate.

What about dealing with the TTC and MK entrance? We really have no experience with that. I just want to know what it is really like so I can make an informed decision if it worth it for my family to deal with.

Is it a mass of crowds? Does it add a lot of time? Is it difficult with strollers?

Thank you

Just my two cents. . .
First, just a little about me so you understand my perspective. We have stayed on and off property. I love Bonnet Creek. I love CR and YC. I don't mind driving. I am not crazy about buses. I love walking to MK, EP, and HS to rope drop. I haven't been in the stroller stage for many years.

On occasion, I don't even mind the TTC. From what I understand, the concept of arriving at MK via ferry or monorail is a transition where you leave reality behind. I think about this when I arrive by monorail. Depending on when you arrive or leave the TTC, crowds can be an issue. Especially when leaving at the end of the day. Arriving is less of a problem for me. Leaving via monorail or ferry at park close is what I do not like. But I can deal with it.

 

[Ksquared]

we have stayed on property and off property and this is by far my favorite off property resort. I love all the extra space the rooms provide so you can spread out and relax and when we are traveling with family it's perfect. We tend to drive down to Disney so we have a car and don't mind driving to the parks when we stay here.

 

[dioxide45]

We have stayed mostly offsite over the more than 20 years we have been going to Orlando and WDW. For the first few years we did do onsite moderates and value. One trip we tried to take the Disney transportation and instead used our rental car. After that trip, and after we bought our timeshares we have always done off site with the exception of a night or two here and there onsite and a recent DVC five resorts in five days stint. That said, we recently completed a four night stay at Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek. Nothing really compares to the theming of a Disney resort hotel or vacation club property, but the Club Wyndham resort is pretty great. You also can't beat the price when comparing it to an onsite stay. We had a three bedroom deluxe for a little over $100 a night. What you lose in convenience of onsite Disney, you gain in the value of what you get. A much larger unit that can sleep more, full kitchen, laundry for far less cost. It is almost laughable when you think about it.

The resort was great. Four pools, two lazy rivers, two waterslides and so much to do around the resort. The resort does seem to always be pretty busy when walking around. We also noticed the gas grills to be busy all day long. Something we don't see at other offsite timeshare resorts. That said, you simply can't beat the value of Wyndham Bonnet Creek or any other offsite timeshare resorts. We live in Florida and always drive our own car, so transportation for us isn't a factor. Considering rental car rates these days, that may be more important if you are flying in. Or you need to consider alternatives like Lyft or Uber.

As I mentioned previously, the best deals with Wyndham Bonnet Creek can be found booking last minute because VIP owners get significant point discounts when booking inside of 60 days.