Wyndham Bonnet Creek

[MamaMouse0920]

Has anyone staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek left the parks, taken an afternoon "rest" back at the hotel, and then returned to the park? What was timing like? Was it a huge time waster- leaving MK, taking monorail/ferry back to TTC, walking to car, driving back to WBC, dealing with parking there, etc? I read all the time that it is HIGHLY recommended to take a mid-day rest back at the hotel (both to avoid the heat and the crowds/waits), and our kids will be 3.5 & 2 years old so definitely still in the napping age!

I just don't want to eat up 5 hours of our day doing this and am trying to get a feel from someone who has actually done it. Thanks in advance!

 

[CarolynFH]

Having stayed there once (but without small children) I would allow about an hour to travel from a park to WBC and an hour back. It might take less if all systems align i.e. you don't have to wait long for a monorail/ferry/parking tram or walk a long distance to your car. Then add nap time to that.

I would not call it a "time waster" if it means that everyone - kids and adults - enjoys their actual park time!

 

[HopperFan]

I have and it is zero issue for DHS, Epcot and AK. An easy drive, park and head into the park. But like you say the MK is a different animal and you'd like lose a large chunk of time. For that park go when it opens, take your break and then return for the cooler evening hours OR get hopper tickets and do MK in the morning and one of the other parks easier to return to after your break. You then repeat on other days, MK then another.

 

[Biggen]

As others have said, figure about an hour travel from/to MK since you have to park at the transportation hub. Could be less if crowds are light and you aren’t waiting for several cycles of the monorail.

We have done this before. Not a big deal. The transportation hub is only a 15 minute drive from WBC.

 

[Nabas]

We’ve stayed at WBC at least 8 times, most recently less than 2 weeks ago. (Got a 1-bedroom for $107 per night, tax included.)

Midday, it’s usually pretty easy to get on the Monorail.

With children ages 3.5 and 2, I would not be surprised if your children fall asleep in the car on the drive back to WBC.

If you have a stroller and don’t want to drive back to WBC, consider taking the Monorail to the Grand Floridian and finding a quiet spot to let them nap, and to give both of you a rest.

Still, taking a 2-4 hour midday break is critical for children that age, especially if you plan to get at the parks for opening and staying till close.

 

[Brian Noble]

We take mid-day breaks pretty much no matter where we stay. There isn't a huge difference between doing that via car or via Disney transportation on average, because there's usually some sort of wait for the bus in both directions. If the bus shows up right when you do, the bus is faster. If you have to wait 15 minutes, then the car can be faster.

 

[Penmac]

Mom of 5 here- I have stayed here once a few years ago. My kids were small at the time. Youngest was 1 and I think oldest almost 9. We definitely took mid-day breaks. We never look at it like a time-waster, but that's because we do like to be in the parks for rope drop and also in the evenings for the nighttime vibe & when it's cooler (we are usually there in the summer).

We usually leave park around 1pm and then head back for 4:30-5pm and spend the night there until closing (often sticking around for the kiss goodnight at MK and taking our time exiting to avoid crowds). We only do this successfully if we plan buffer/pool days in between our park visits. It would be impossible to be at MK for a 9am rope drop, be up until 12 am, and then do it all again the next day with small children. They need a recovery day in between.

But, to answer your question-- it's not a time waster, especially in the summer. That break in the afternoon can really salvage the rest of your day and make it so much more enjoyable. Having a dip in the pool, a change of clothes, and an hour resting on the couch in the A/C, (or napping for the little ones) elevates everyone's mood, patience and energy level for an evening back at the parks. It also saves a little money since you can eat a big meal back at the condo.

My only complaint about WBC was the parking late at night. My husband would drop us off at the door and since it was late at night all the kids would be asleep in the car. I had two double strollers since we have so many kids lol and my oldest would have to wake up and push the other stroller into the elevator and down the long hallway to our unit while my husband drove around in circles looking for parking late night. We were in building 5 and I think the garage was over at a different building so he would ultimately end up there and it was a production late night. We have not had to deal with this at any of the other condo places we have stayed (Royal Palms, Vistana, Windsor Hills). It's the one big drawback of this place!

Have fun!

 

[BostonEd]

As mentioned, the non-MK parks are not an issue.

For MK, here are some more thoughts: I would do this only if I were rope-dropping MK, and so had a parking spot fairly close (walkable) to the ferry and monorail. Having to wait for a tram adds yet another leg to the trip you don't want.

Also, for the break, consider leaving your car where it is, and using Uber/Lyft from the TTC (or have lunch at one of the monorail resorts, and take Uber from there). That way your car stays nice and close for the end of the day.

 

[KristinU]

The nice thing about your own car vs. a Disney bus is that as soon as you're in the car (and have the A/C cranking) you're in wind-down mode rather than on a busy and noisy bus. Your kiddos may cash out during the car ride on your mid-day break. A car ride always did the trick when my DS was small, and now that I think about it, I've had my teenage DS and his buddy cash out on us as we drove back to WBC mid-day.

Not a waste of time at all, we almost always do a mid day "regroup" at the resort no matter where we're staying. We even stopped back at WBC on a four parks day several years ago. It started pouring after park #2 so we went back and dried off and I even ran to Walmart for better ponchos while my boys had lunch.

 

[gatormom2tots]

My only complaint about WBC was the parking late at night. My husband would drop us off at the door and since it was late at night all the kids would be asleep in the car. I had two double strollers since we have so many kids lol and my oldest would have to wake up and push the other stroller into the elevator and down the long hallway to our unit while my husband drove around in circles looking for parking late night. We were in building 5 and I think the garage was over at a different building so he would ultimately end up there and it was a production late night. We have not had to deal with this at any of the other condo places we have stayed (Royal Palms, Vistana, Windsor Hills). It's the one big drawback of this place!

Have fun!

OMG...yes!!!!! We learned after our first trip to actually request a room "close to the parking garage." They were usually pretty good about getting us pretty close. Hubs did the "trek" many times that first trip!

 

[Biggen]

Parking garage is right between building 4 and 5. We always ask for either of those buildings as we normally expect to have to park in the garage when returning at night.

We have been staying at WBC for 9 years now. We have learned and always request a ground floor unit on building 4 or 5. It makes getting into/out of the room so much easier.

 

[MamaMouse0920]

If you have a stroller and don’t want to drive back to WBC, consider taking the Monorail to the Grand Floridian and finding a quiet spot to let them nap, and to give both of you a rest.

This is a GREAT idea. Thank you!

 

[MamaMouse0920]

Thanks everyone! Great tips. We are traveling with my in-laws (80yo) who have handicapped parking permits so I hope that will alleviate some of the parking woes many of you have described. We are definitely rope-dropping (we are morning people as our kids wake up at 6:00am no matter what) but we will not be staying til close. My kids become absolute BEARS any time they are up later than 8:30pm so we are anticipating leaving the parks around 8pm each night, then hopefully the adults will be able to have a relaxing viewing of the fireworks from the balcony (assuming we are given a room with fireworks view).

Thanks again everyone for the replies, I greatly appreciate each and every one of them!!!

 

[BostonEd]

We are definitely rope-dropping (we are morning people as our kids wake up at 6:00am no matter what) but we will not be staying til close. My kids become absolute BEARS any time they are up later than 8:30pm so we are anticipating leaving the parks around 8pm each night,

You know, with 3.5 and 2 yos, you might not head back. You might consider having a TS lunch and trying to keep the kids in the park until 2 or 3, then be done for the day. Depends on the kids of course.

 

[MamaMouse0920]

You know, with 3.5 and 2 yos, you might not head back. You might consider having a TS lunch and trying to keep the kids in the park until 2 or 3, then be done for the day. Depends on the kids of course.

Yes, I am trying to keep my expectations LOW so that anything above a total disaster will be a pleasant surprise

 

[TJsMomSarahJane]

On MK days when my little guy was in a stroller, we'd take the monorail over to the Poly, and hit up Tambu Lounge for some drinks. It was quiet enough mid-day that he napped for a good hour+, and we enjoyed a few bevvies.

 

[MamaMouse0920]

On MK days when my little guy was in a stroller, we'd take the monorail over to the Poly, and hit up Tambu Lounge for some drinks. It was quiet enough mid-day that he napped for a good hour+, and we enjoyed a few bevvies.

I love this idea!!!

 

[luvdisney14]

Parking garage is right between building 4 and 5. We always ask for either of those buildings as we normally expect to have to park in the garage when returning at night.

We have been staying at WBC for 9 years now. We have learned and always request a ground floor unit on building 4 or 5. It makes getting into/out of the room so much easier.

Is building 4 close to the the big pool near the check in?
Also, do you know what building is near the kids pool area?

 

[Upatnoon]

When our kids were young we would usually rope-drop the parks, then leave after lunch around to 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

We would then go back to the parks in the late afternoon or evening if up to it, or just enjoy the resort. This also helps avoid the worst heat of the day.

You should also know that young kids will often PREFER the resort to the parks. There is that fun swing and minigolf at Bonnet Creek, but none to be found at MK.

We had annual passes, so this wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime experience where we had to spend every minute in the parks to get our money's worth. Half a day in the parks is still a lot of time with young kids.

Some people follow the strategy of letting their kids sleep in the stroller and staying in the parks, but I think that is an overall exhausting strategy that would make me miserable.

You want to head back to the resort a little before "it's too late" and everyone goes cranky.

Have fun!