Wyndham Bonnet Creek vs on-site this fall

[CaryHaven]

Considering we normally stay at Pop or CBR and have only really wanted to try AoA and ASMovies or possibly Wyndham Bonnet, should we just go ahead and book Bonnet because I don’t feel any deals will be coming this way for fall for obvious reasons. We’re not necessarily tied to Art of Animation or Movies, we just have been wanting to stay there for a while because we’ve tried several others already. We drive and are getting another annual pass this year. We are probably headed there late September/early October and have not been in two years.

Edited to add – we have two young kids and theming is somewhat important, but not mandatory.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Considering we normally stay at Pop or CBR and have only really wanted to try AoA and ASMovies or possibly Wyndham Bonnet, should we just go ahead and book Bonnet because I don’t feel any deals will be coming this way for fall for obvious reasons. We’re not necessarily tied to Art of Animation or Movies, we just have been wanting to stay there for a while because we’ve tried several others already. We drive and are getting another annual pass this year. We are probably headed there late September/early October and have not been in two years.

Moved you to the Orlando Hotels Board for better assistance.

 

[ClapYourHands]

I guess the question is how you feel about onsite vs offsite perks. The EEMH from an on-site stay could be a big draw for some, though I know others have no desire to be at the parks for a 6am RD, and would rather show up later and use FP and a good touring strategy. With two young children, you may not need the 60-day window to score the FPs you want, as the kiddie rides are usually available at the 30-day mark. But if you want to ride headliners and can't get FPs for them, RD isn't really an option if you stay offsite (except for Epcot).

WBC is definitely a better bet for spreading out and the pools/amenities are far superior to AoA or ASMu. If you think you'll be retreating to the resorts for an afternoon swim break, WBC might be a better choice. I think the pools there will be a hit, and more exciting than Disney theming for your kids. My 4-year-old can't wait to use the pirate ship pool.

If you have a car and APs, you'll pay nothing for parking at WBC, but would have to pay parking at an on-site hotel.

 

[CaryHaven]

Thanks for pointing out the perks at WBC. I had heard good things but not really checked out the pool situation. And we’ve not been in two years so I had honestly forgotten about the Fastpass window differences for an on-site stay. That would be the only reason for me to want to stay onsite. I believe we’ll do WBC and I’ll just check constantly on FPS as is my usual modus operandi. Thanks!

 

[Magical2017]

It depends on whether you want the EMH for mornings. If you might get up to go to 6-9 am at HS and use EMH for the other parks, stay onsite or at a Disney Springs hotel. Otherwise, I'd stay at WBC.

 

[Ksquared]

If I were driving and had an annual pass, I'd definitely stay at WBC. We've done both onsite and offsite stays and when we are offsite we prefer WBC. It's right next to Caribbean Beach so to me it still feels onsite even though you are not. If you have a good touring plan, you don't necessarily need EMH although the time you are planning to go they added hours because of Galaxy's Edge opening. That is the only reason I'd hesitate to stay there for this trip.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Yeah its really about losing the perks. EMH and 60 day fast pass being the biggest losses.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Yeah its really about losing the perks. EMH and 60 day fast pass being the biggest losses.

Absolutely. OP really needs to decide what kind of vacation she wants, and what kind of rides and schedule will work for the family. Some kids really need to be kept on schedule, so EMH might not be that helpful. And 30 days are enough to get most rides little kids want to go on. Other families have early risers who are best equipped to tackle a park at dawn, and want to ride headliners, so EMH and 60-day FP are gold.

I think with SWGE this fall we just don't know what the parks will be like. On the one hand, the crowds might make EMH and 60 day FP incredibly valuable for getting rides. On the other hand, the crowds might make the parks crowded enough that OP's family really wants to escape to the pool for a good chunk of each day. Some people are more sensitive to the "crowd" aspect of parks - i.e. the number of people in the walkways, etc., regardless of wait times for attractions. Others don't care how crowded it feels, as long as they can get on the rides they want.

The other thing is that OP's family is getting APs, so this trip doesn't have the pressure to do 'everything.' How much downtime OP's family wants is another factor. I think the more downtime there is, the better Bonnet Creek looks. The more park time they want, the better onsite looks.

 

[CaryHaven]

We really just play it by ear. We don’t keep any particular schedule except just to make our fast passes and any reservations we might have. We may do a PPO breakfast reservation, but in the past those have been rather stressful for us so I am sure the EMH in the morning would also be. In the past, we have spent all day at the parks and the adults as well as the kids were too tired for any extra magic hours in the evening. I’m definitely interested in Bonnet Creek but my husband always wants to stay on site. I will miss the 60 day fast pass window and having a magic band, but those are the only things I will miss.

 

[BostonEd]

How old are you magic bands from last time? You can still tap them for Memory Maker purposes, though depending on how old they are, they might not work for the "remote" MemMaker shots (e.g. Mine Train).

Regardless of how old they are, they will still work for ticketing purposes, and FP-tapping usage. Pretty much the only thing you can't still do with them is charge to your onsite room (because, duh, you won't be in one). So you should use them again.

 

[ClapYourHands]

How old are you magic bands from last time? You can still tap them for Memory Maker purposes, though depending on how old they are, they might not work for the "remote" MemMaker shots (e.g. Mine Train).

Regardless of how old they are, they will still work for ticketing purposes, and FP-tapping usage. Pretty much the only thing you can't still do with them is charge to your onsite room (because, duh, you won't be in one). So you should use them again.

Also, if OP's family is getting APs, those come with MBs. So, even if the old ones don't have the remote ability, their new ones will. So, really, you're right that it's only the room charging ability that won't be there.