Welcome Mouse Bound Adventurers!


It has been suggested that I should either become a travel agent or write a blog about WDW because we visit so often. And it's because of our experience that we are frequently asked for advice by our friends planning their own trips. So the purpose of this blog is share our experience from visiting WDW parks and resorts. We hope you enjoy what you read, find it useful, and that it helps you plan your own successful Disney vacation. Best of luck, and have a magical day!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Our Favorite Place to Stay


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Wyndham Bonnet Creek (BC) is on a piece of land inside the Disney Property but it does not belong to Disney. In addition to the BC resort on this plot there is a Hilton, a Waldorf Astoria, and 18 hold GC opening fall 09. The BC resort has 8 buildings around it's lake. Most of the construction is completed and we've witnessed no construction noise when staying there. BC offers 1, 2, and 3 bedroom condos, all with full kitchens and laundry machines. The resort has 4 pools, 2 lazy rivers, 1 pool slide, free miniature golf, volleyball, a kids activity center, and bars and snack bars at each pool. And the best part is, it's very cheap. For what you get, it is significantly cheaper than Disney Deluxe resorts and DVC Villas. Granted it's not on a Monorail or a 10 minute walk to Epcot, but it's pretty close. It's also pretty new and in great shape.

There are two completed buildings in the empty lot you see in this image. One of which is a Wyndham hotel. But this aerial shot gives you an idea how close you are to Epcot and DHS. From the certain BC buildings, you can request a room with a fireworks view of the Epcot World Showcase Lagoon.

Although BC is a timeshare development, they have 1000 units and 52 timeshare weeks per unit to sell. So until they are all sold out, they will continue to have days or weeks to rent to you and me like it's a hotel. And rates are low. When we went directly through the Wyndham reservations, we paid $289/night for July 4th (peak) week, and $170/night late August for a large 2 bedroom condo that slept 8. Again, full kitchen & laundry.

Ebay! If you go through an Ebay travel agent, you can get down to $120/night. But you must plan far enough ahead and do a "buy it now" auction for the dates they are selling. Which may not necessarily be the dates you initially wanted. So bid once you're certain you want those dates.

BC does offer it's own shuttle to Disney theme parks. It is not part of the Disney transportation system. We rented a car the times we have stayed there and drove to the parks ourselves. From BC, it's a 5 minute drive to DHS & Epcot. Another 10 minutes to MK.

The one thing you will notice at BC, is that your phone will ring often. A very friendly staff member is calling to invite you to a free breakfast, or an ice cream social, or free hot dogs and hamburgers and a moon bounce for the kids. If you show up to any of these events, you will be greated by sales people there who will try to sell you a timeshare or at least take a tour. They will offer you cash, or park tickets, or a free cruise, or free nights at BC. Don't buy into it. Either never answer it or just unplug your phone when you arrive in your unit. Thank me later.

Each unit has wired internet with a very short ethernet cable from the phone on the bar in the kitchen. Bring your own wifi or a longer cord if that is a problem.

We called ahead a few days to block off a specific room that we preferred. A recommended practice for any hotel stay. We mapped the place out and requested ground floor, lake view, building two. So we were right in front of the put put course, right next to the pool with the slide, and we never had to wait for the elevator. If you opt for a north tower, high floor, Epcot view, then you'll be able to see Epcot fireworks up close at 9pm every night. And possibly Wishes fireworks at MK in the distance. Check YouTube for videos of this fireworks view.

Again, blocking off your room prior to arrival is a great way to ensure a better experience. All too often I've read negative reviews by people because of where their room was positioned around the resort. This can be anticipated and avoided.

If you are serious into put put golf like our kids. You might consider packing your own putters for BC. Clubs and balls are lent out for free from the main building activity center, but you must return them when you're done playing or get charged. It's a big resort and a very long walk to pick up and drop off those clubs. So by packing his own gear, one ball and one putter, Joe shot 72 holes a day and I watched him from our patio. We learned this trick after our first trip to BC. It worked out very well.

Finally, do your own research by reading this resort's 200 plus reviews on Trip Advisor. Especially read the negative ones, the insight being offered is invaluable as well as amusing.




Rehabs & Closures

Check before your trip to see which rides may be closed for rehabilitation.

It can be a long walk across the park only to find out... Oh no! It's closed?!?

It could also be a justification to skip a park or rearrange your ride schedule. Be prepared, plan ahead.

Park & Resort Maps

Dynamic Disney Map
Resort Maps
Park Maps
More Maps from Google Images
MCO Map
Satellite View

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Google Maps is obviously a great way to explore, but Google Earth has some special features specifically related to Disney content. If you have time, get Google Earth.

Disney Transportation Tips & Tricks

Disney transportation provides free buses, boats, and monorails.

The buses can be slow sometimes, and bus stops are usually a good walk from your hotel room, but the are free, and they will get you anywhere on Disney property.

There are 2 monorails loops. One that goes around The Seven Seas Lagoon with stops at MK, Grand Floridian, Contemporary, Polynesian, and the Ticket and Transportation Center. And the other that goes between Epcot and the Ticket and Transportation Center. So by staying at a Monorail Resort, you can get to MK via one monorail ride, or Epcot via 2 monorail rides.

The Monorail does breakdown occasionally, and this has happened to us a few times. If you are exiting MK after the fireworks are over and the monorail breaks down, everyone in line will make a mad dash for either the boats or the buses. You can take a boat to Grand Floridian, or Polynesian, or Wilderness lodge and then cab it from there, I prefer the GF boat, it's a shorter ride. Or you could walk to the Contemporary from MK, about 5-10 minutes, and cab it from there. To escape MK at night, we've done everything but swim across the Seven Seas Lagoon.

We've also frequently used cabs for getting around the parks. When running late for a rope drop, a cab ride to DHS or Epcot from a nearby hotel is only $5 and 5 minutes. Whereas the boat is 30 minutes and free. A cab to MK on the other hand, could run $20. Cabs are always available at the hotels, and theme park cab stands. They are also great for when you just left the kids with a Kids Nite Out babysitter and need to get to your dinner reservation in a hurry.

If you are staying in the Epcot resorts area group of hotels, then you have a boat launch that will take you to BOTH Epcot AND Disney Hollywood Studios (DHS), stopping around the Dolphin/Swan and Boardwalk areas in between. The Epcot entrance in the rear of the park is known as the International Gateway, it's in between France and England on The World Showcase Lagoon.

Ride Height Restrictions

Ride Height Restrictions play a role depending on the makeup of your group.

Just because your kid is tall enough to get on a ride, does not mean they are allowed to ride it alone or go in the single rider line. Some rides still have age requirements or may require an adult.

Just because your kid is tall enough to get on a ride does not mean the the ride will not make them cry. Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom (AK) is very scary.

Baby Swap allows one parent to stand in line and ride the ride while the other parent keeps the baby and waits in the ride's gift shop. Then when the parent gets off the ride, the other parent gets to get on and ride immediately without waiting in line again. You must coordinate this with the cast member at the front of the Standby line before doing a baby swap.

Here are videos of our kids on some rides. Ours tend to want to ride everything before they are either tall enough or old enough.


Disney Dining Plan

The Disney Dining Plan is an upsale to add cost and confusion to an already complicated vacation.

The idea is that you prepay for your meals and get a discount for doing so. But this also means you must anticipate how much you'll eat each day and that you'll be eating at participating Dining plan locations.

The plan consists of a certain number of counter service and table service, drinks, entrees, side dishes, and deserts. And by combining side dishes you can upgrade to entrees, or by combining lesser walk up counter service items you can upgrade to a table service item. Easy right?

However I've often felt that the success of the the Dining Plan depends heavily on both your knowledge of the plan, which is itself intentionally obfuscated, AND the expertise of the intentionally under-trained cashier ringing up your food and applying your credits correctly. I've often stood in line listening to people in front of me either struggling to understand the plan or complaining to cashiers for ringing them up incorrectly.

Bottom line, it's a shell game. And the discount you get upfront is not realized. Their profit is based on food credits going unused. But it's obviously profitable for them given the frequent upsell you will get pitched every time you call Disney.

Give yourself your own discount and bring as much of your own food into the parks, especially water and treats. You'll save money, and time and energy from not standing in line.

Although it's not for us, we do know people who enjoy success with it. So from another point of view, it is possible, if you follow the plan, and eat all your credits, that you will save money with the Disney Dining Plan.

Here's an article from another blog with a detailed analysis.

Disney Restaraunts

Generally, eating inside the park is not that great. And it we only do it when we have to. We usually bring in our own drinks and as many snacks to hold us over until we can leave the park in search of better food.

While just about every Disney hotel does a pretty good job at breakfast, for dinner around the Disney resorts I can only recommend two places with any degree of confidence. Todd English's Blue Zoo at the Dolphin Hotel, and The California Grill at The Contemporary Hotel. Both are consistently great.

We've tried other high end places like Narcoosees and Citricos and Shulas all with mixed results. Your mileage may vary.

Every imaginable restaurant chain is within driving distance from Disney. Just Google Map it to find it. If you can make it 15 minutes north up to the Dr. Philips area on West Sand Lake Rd, you'll find a Ruth's Chris, Timpano, Morton's, and... wait for it..... Ponderosa!!!

Bon Appetit.