Bonnet Creek

headinsouth

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 16, 2010
We stayed at Bonnet Creek Vilas through Vacation Strategy about 8 yrs ago for Disney and my family still raves about it and really wants to go there again. .. But we are going to Universal, not Disney this trip. Is Bonnet Creek too far to drive for Universal and is there anything comparable closer that we should be looking at? It will be DH, myself and (2) DD's 14 and 12. We really want the suite with 2 separate bedrooms, living room, kitchen, etc.
 
We stayed at Bonnet Creek for our last Disney trip (2017) and loved it but decided to stay on site for our Universal trip last November. We stayed in a family suite at Cabana Bay and loved it. We didn't really miss the full sized kitchen at BC since I didn't plan on cooking and the kitchenette had a larger sized mini-fridge that was more than big enough to hold food for sandwiches, etc. There were two tvs although the kids mostly spent time on their electronics when we were in the room. The room dividing pocket door was nice when DS wanted to go to bed earlier than the rest of us (he slept on the sofa bed). We were there for a week and there was a ton of storage so we were able to fit all our clothes in the drawers and closet and have our suitcases out of the way. The only thing I missed from BC was having a balcony and two showers. The room at CB had a divided bathroom with a tub/shower and sink and the toilet "closet" with an area with a big vanity with sink and storage in between so we were able to all get ready at the same time, though, so someone showering didn't bring everyone else to a full stop getting ready. We debated staying at BC for our next trip but CB was SO convenient, and the transportation was so reliable and fast, that we decided we were happier having easier and faster transportation vs. bigger living space. There are hotels at Universal that have 2 bedroom suites but pricing can be higher than BC and none of them have full kitchens. I think there may be some Residence Inn-type hotels (and I'm sure there are condos) nearby but I didn't look into them.
 
We've always stayed onsite. We love parking the car after our 7-8 hour drive (from Atlanta), and not using it until it is time to leave. We love the ferry to/from the parks, the Early Entry you get from onsite hotels, and and the Express Pass from the deluxe hotels.

The cost of a 2-bedroom suite is extremely expensive (usually >$1000 per night), So we have just lived with a single smallish hotel room (335 sq ft at RPR or 450-490 sq ft at PBH). The new Endless Summer Nights onsite hotel has an inexpensive 2 bedroom suite and would have EE (but not EP). Might be worth investigating...
 
I stayed near Disney in October and drove to Universal several days. (I booked a time share through Orbitz). However, I was near 535 and took Palm Parkway and Turkey Lake Road instead of I-4. That doesn't look practical for Bonnet Creek. I don't know of anything similar near Universal. Sea World is halfway between the 2, maybe look for something in that area? I drove by the huge Westgate Lakes complex but have no idea how renting there works, looks like airbnb has some 2 BR there for $100-ish per night.
 


Bonnet creek was our first Disney stay .. We loved it but spent so much time st the park we regretted never enjoying the resort. We went bsckcto Disney a few years later for a cruise and stayed at Pop Century since it was a 2 night stay before the cruise .... Of both "Disney" i think my kids still talk more about how much they loved BC and what a let down Pop Century was. When we told them we are going to Universal the question was "how far Osxit from Disney .. Can we stay at Bonnet Creek please?!?!?" .... We really want to add in some down time and enjoy the facilities. .. So in order to change .. I have to find something very comparable or my family will have me in their sites!!
 
We love Bonnet Creek. Have stayed there for multiple trips to Disney. When we go to Universal, we like to stay onsite. Having said that, if you want the extra space and are planning spending more time at the resort, then I don't think the drive from Bonnet Creek to Universal is all that bad. You could always add EP to your tickets for one or two days or stay one night onsite to take advantage of EE and then spend the rest of your time at Bonnet Creek. If my kids were asking to stay there, and staying onsite at Disney didn't "wow" them, then I would just book BC . The only caveat is time of year you plan to go. If it's during a holiday, then I might want to be onsite the entire time at Universal but if it's not, then I think you will be okay staying at Bonnet Creek
 
Thanks Ksquared. That's basically how I'm leaning. I was just trying to see if there was anything in the caliber of BC that i wasn't finding on the Universal end. It seems not!!
 



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