# DVC worth it over say, Bonnet Creek



## squierjosh (Jun 30, 2014)

BC seems like a very nice resort, but for my (will be) 6 year old next January, I can't help but think being on a Disney resort would make things much easier. What are the benefits of staying at a DVC resort vs a nice one like BC that is also very close to Disney?


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## mgeez (Jun 30, 2014)

It really depends on which DVC resort you are comparing BC with.
We like Bonnet Creek better than Saratoga and Old Key West.
We like the Epcot DVC's the most. We are 55+ yrs old and like Epcot the best.
My brother finds it convient to stay at Bay Lake and WL since he has small children.
Each DVC resort has its own +'s and -'s.


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## squierjosh (Jun 30, 2014)

Thanks. I guess I'm just curious what benefits do the DVC resorts offer? Free shuttles to the parks, right? And, can't you reserve dinner with a cast member or something? I do like the layout and number of activities at BC, just want to make sure I'm not giving up too much Disney benefits.


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## chalee94 (Jun 30, 2014)

squierjosh said:


> Thanks. I guess I'm just curious what benefits do the DVC resorts offer? Free shuttles to the parks, right?



easy access to disney buses.  some DVC resorts are within walking distance to a park ,or with wilderness lodge, you are a boat trip from the magic kingdom.

also, DVC resorts offer free bus service from the airport, extra lead time in booking fast passes, access to the disney dining plan (i'm not a fan of the value there, though) and free delivery of park purchases to your resort (usually to the gift shop).

if you drive a car and park at a DVC resort, you can also get free parking at the parks if you'd rather drive yourself than wait for a bus.



> And, can't you reserve dinner with a cast member or something? I do like the layout and number of activities at BC, just want to make sure I'm not giving up too much Disney benefits.



most of the tours and such can be booked whether you stay onsite or off.  the animal kingdom villas offer a couple of tours that require you to stay there to participate, but that's atypical.


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## bnoble (Jun 30, 2014)

The main benefits of staying at a Disney-owned resort:

* Transportation between airport and resort at no extra cost (though we almost always get a rental car).
* Access to frequent (~ every 20 mins) transportation at no extra cost.
* Theme park parking ($17/day) at no extra cost.
* Access to Extra Magic Hours (some are better avoided, but others are fun)
* Ability to book FP+ at 60 days rather than 30 (only really matters for Anna & Elsa, maybe one or two others.)

There are other "perks", but they aren't as important: ability to buy a dining plan (rarely cost effective), package delivery to your resort (not as convenient as it sounds), ability to charge to your room (no real extra convenience vs. just using the credit card).

The other main difference is location and resort amenities, but as others have written, Bonnet is competitive with (and arguably better than) several DVC alternatives.

I've stayed at OKW (3x), VWL (2x), BWV, BCV, and BLT, and have also been to Bonnet once.  I've got another Bonnet stay booked for the holidays this year.  If an exchange comes through for DVC, great.  But, if it does not, I will be more than happy to stay at Bonnet.


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## mj2vacation (Jun 30, 2014)

To us, and our family has spent a bunch of time in Disney parks, if you are in Orlando with the main purpose going to Disney, stay on property.  There are many reasons listed above, but there is an intangible quality to being in the midst of the magic.   

My mom owns a condo in Celebration that she rarely uses herself, and we still prefer to stay at a Disney hotel on most of our stays.


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## JimMIA (Jun 30, 2014)

I think a LOT depends on how you are planning to book your vacation, and whether you will be driving or depending on buses.

If you don't own DVC, you will book either directly through Disney, or rent a reservation from a DVC owner in some fashion (either directly or through a broker).  If you book directly through Disney, you are going to pay a small fortune. 

If you rent from an owner, you will save a lot over Disney direct, but it's still going to be quite expensive.  Here's a link to a points chart you can use to price out such a rental: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/DVCpoints.shtml  Figure out which resort, what size villa, how many nights, and get the points.  DVC owner rentals usually run $11-$14 per point, so multiply that times the points needed to get your costs.  

There are no additional fees at a DVC resort, no matter how you book.  _(ETA: Some WDW area resorts charge a "resort fee" for amenities you may or may not use, and/or a parking fee.  In some cases, the combination can be $40 per day or more.)_

Bonnet Creek rentals are similar.  If you rent direct from Wyndham, you will pay WAY too much.  You can rent a two-bedroom at WBC, for an entire week, for well under $1,000 renting from an owner or broker.

WBC has no extra fees either, but they do charge for the parks shuttle.  Whether you stay onsite or offsite, driving is vastly superior to riding anybody's buses.  We don't go on vacation to waste half our trip waiting for or sitting on a bus.

Others have given good info on the advantages to DVC.  To us, the big advantage is walk-to-parks convenience at some resorts.  We drive everywhere we can't walk, and for driving WBC is as convenient as any DVC onsite and more convenient than most.

The downsides of DVC to me are a) cost and b) you can be locked into eating Disney food at Disney prices...which is to say mediocre food at exorbitant prices.  And...for most DVC resorts, you'll be staying in a bit smaller villa than you would have at WBC. 

WBC has a LOT more amenities than DVC resorts.  It offers SIX pools, two of which have waterslides and two with lazy rivers.  There is an activities center with a lot of cool stuff.  There are huge, FREE BBQ grills if you want to grill dinner.  There is a free minigolf onsite.  WBC timeshare guests also have access to the Wyndham Grand Hotel restaurants and spa.   I can be parked at any Disney theme park in 15 minutes from WBC, and it is a beautiful setting.

The downsides of WBC are they have one of the most aggressive, obnoxious timeshare sales staffs on the planet, it is pretty high-density so the pools are sometimes crowded (although we've never had a problem), their shuttle doesn't compare with onsite Disney transportation.


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## stanleyu (Jun 30, 2014)

Every person has his/her own perspective on what is - or is not - important, beneficial, etc. And I have mine. I've stayed both on and off site many times, though never at Bonnet Creek. The reasons I like staying at a DVC resort:

- ambiance. Face it - nothing else is Disney. And on site you're right in the middle of it. Even when not in a park I enjoy walking around the grounds of a DVC resort.

- EMH. Now granted, you have to be able to get up early or stay up late to take advantage of it, but that "extra" time is IMHO, terrific. Ride line a MUCH shorter or non-existent. And when you are in line you don't have to wait for those with Fastpasses, because they aren't used in EMH.

- Transportation. Do you really like driving? If so, you'll see no advantage in taking Disney transportation. But if you are like me, and really don't get that much of a thrill out of motoring around the "World", not having to drive is a real plus. And those with cars are paying that additional $17/day (for off-site) and not standing in line waiting for a bus, I'm not standing in line waiting for a tram. The buses drop us off right at the entrance to the park. And while they are driving around in their over-heated cars at the end of the day, I'm riding in a bus or boat with AC already cranked up. And for those of us who like to park hop, not having to go back to the lot at park one to get the car sure is a lot easier - especially at closing time.

- Discounts. Not a huge deal, but DVC members do get discounts around the parks.

I really don't care what you do. But my personal preference is staying on-site, at a DVC resort.


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## bnoble (Jun 30, 2014)

> There are many reasons listed above, but there is an intangible quality to being in the midst of the magic.





> nothing else is Disney. And on site you're right in the middle of it.



Note that, unless I'm mistaken, neither of these posters have stayed at Bonnet Creek.  That's important because Bonnet's location---landlocked by Disney-owned property---provides for many of the same intangible qualities that a Disney resort will have.  Indeed, we thought that Bonnet was in some ways "more Disney than Disney."  Our upper-floor room in Building 5 had a lovely birds-eye view of Epcot, with Spaceship Earth right outside my sliding glass doors from the kitchen.


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## vacationhopeful (Jun 30, 2014)

I own both - as do many other TUG members.

WHY? I own a small points contract -via bank, borrow and use gets me a decent stay onsite PRIME season every 3rd year in a 1bdr at my HOME RESORT. Renting the points thru a broker is a better deal - I just go stay via  other means or stay at Bonnet Creek.

Staying onsite is VERY NICE - but some ways are too expensive for my blood and bank balance.

Figure out HOW much you can spend in $$$ for DVC.

Staying on site every other year might be acceptable. Or do a first arrive 3 days at WDW before moving to DVC. I would most likely do BC first and then just LOVE the Disney magic before going home.


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## PearlCity (Jun 30, 2014)

I think it has to do with how badly you really want to stay at a Disney resort or not.  I would say the best thing is rent in both, and see what you like better.


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## squierjosh (Jun 30, 2014)

Thanks for all the input. We will mostly likely only be going to theme parks 3-4 days, so the parking isn't a complete money dump. So that means the other 3-4 days we'll be in the resort, which means we need things to do, and the DVC resorts just don't seem to have much. 

And for more info, I'm planning on going through RCI with my points - bad idea? I don't see the point in paying cash for something when I have all these points I'm already paying for.


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## JimMIA (Jun 30, 2014)

squierjosh said:


> And for more info, I'm planning on going through RCI with my points - bad idea?


No, not necessarily. It might be a great deal, depending on your exchange.  

We exchanged Wyndham/RCI/DVC in December 2013 and got a 2 BR at OKW for about *half* what it would have cost using OKW points.  

Our actual cost, for an OKW 2BR for a full week, was just under $860 -- _including_ the RCI exchange fee and DVC's $95 "because-we-can" fee.  Exchanging _*INTO*_ DVC, for us, was a really good value.


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## Myxdvz (Jun 30, 2014)

I own both DVC and Wyndham and have stayed at various DVC properties (BLT, OKW, BCV, BWV, AKV) and WBC as well.

Personally, if we're going to Disney, we'd try and stay on property.  We're from Chicago, so we normally fly.  My kids are young, so we're a pool and parks family.  The convenience of the transportation system can't be beat. From BCV, we walk to Epcot, do the rides, then hop on the monorail to the MK and then stay the rest of the day there.  Disney also has lots of resort activities for kids.  We love the pool activities like the trivia, hoola-hoop contests, etc.  While there are multiple pools at WBC, we haven't really been inclined to go to a nearby tower's pool and just stay at the pool in our tower.  Luckily we have the lazy river one.

To stay at WBC, you'd need a car since they started charging for the park shuttles.  And you'd either need to have an AP, or pay for parking.  We had APs so it wasn't an issue for us.

My strategy now is to book using my DVC points, book BC, and then put an OGS for a DVC resort.  If I'm lucky with OGS, cancel BC, then rent my points 

I'm out DVC points thru 2015 UY... so I'm relying on Wyndham or RCI for the next 2 years


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## chriskre (Jun 30, 2014)

IMO if you are going with a 6 year old then I'd try to get on site for all the conveniences and extra magic for kids.  I personally love BC but I don't go to Disney with young children.  When the kids were little though, we always stayed onsite at the hotels or campground before I purchased DVC. 

That being said,  BC is full of kids.  The pools and lazy river are full of kids.  No lazying down that river with a cool fruity drink without getting it full of water from the water canyons by the kids just waiting til you pass by.   

If you are only doing Disney then try to stay on site.  If you are doing the other parks then you'll appreciate the quick exit of BC if you drive.  

Either way, I doubt you will be disappointed in whichever one you decide.


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## squierjosh (Jul 1, 2014)

We're aiming for mid-January, so I'm hoping the wild child factor will be at a minimum for the resort and the parks.   We will probably only do the main Disney World park 1 or 2 days. Then Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Otherwise, just hanging at the resort.



chriskre said:


> IMO if you are going with a 6 year old then I'd try to get on site for all the conveniences and extra magic for kids.  I personally love BC but I don't go to Disney with young children.  When the kids were little though, we always stayed onsite at the hotels or campground before I purchased DVC.
> 
> That being said,  BC is full of kids.  The pools and lazy river are full of kids.  No lazying down that river with a cool fruity drink without getting it full of water from the water canyons by the kids just waiting til you pass by.
> 
> ...


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## lprstn (Jul 1, 2014)

Yes! Convenience and services right on site. I love Bonnet Creek. My husband does too, but staying onsite at Disney makes a world of difference and if I get to pick it's always Disney property. However, my husband doesn't like Disney that much and insist on several days away from the Disney mantra so we stay at Bonnet Creek.


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## vacationhopeful (Jul 1, 2014)

squierjosh said:


> We're aiming for mid-January, so I'm hoping the wild child factor will be at a minimum for the resort and the parks.   We will probably only do the main Disney World park 1 or 2 days. Then Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Otherwise, just hanging at the resort.



Did a week mid-January 2 years ago. Was a very nice trip - great weather. Just my 12 yo nephew and I.  As we stayed onsite DVC, we used EMH and their bus transportation only. We had APs, too ... so didn't care to RUSH everything. Yes, there were LINES - the longest was "Soaring" for 2.5 hours. 

We came in on Saturday-Saturday stay over MLK weekend. Even volunteered for a SWA morning flight bump ($400 each flight voucher each to wait for the next flight 2.5 hours later).


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## uscav8r (Jul 1, 2014)

squierjosh said:


> Thanks for all the input. We will mostly likely only be going to theme parks 3-4 days, so the parking isn't a complete money dump. So that means the other 3-4 days we'll be in the resort, which means we need things to do, and the DVC resorts just don't seem to have much.
> 
> And for more info, I'm planning on going through RCI with my points - bad idea? I don't see the point in paying cash for something when I have all these points I'm already paying for.


If you are using RCI, you will have an excellent chance of availability at  WBC. I'm not sure about DVC in January, but at least for the high demand times, you need to set up an On-Going Search well in advance to get in. January may be easier. YMMV.


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## JimMIA (Jul 1, 2014)

uscav8r said:


> If you are using RCI, you will have an excellent chance of availability at  WBC. I'm not sure about DVC in January, but at least for the high demand times, you need to set up an On-Going Search well in advance to get in. January may be easier. YMMV.


DVC has made some deposits for mid-January already.  I think a one-bedroom should be pretty doable, but get your OGS started right away.


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## paluamalia (Jul 5, 2014)

*Disney vs DVC*

I've stayed at both I am not a fan of Bonnet Creek....even though it is close to disney you have to drive there..if I were traveling with a child I would stay at French Quarter if money were tight, or at Fort Wilderness cabins if you want more room have more $$$$
The dvc properties that are nearest to the magic kingdom are also the priciest
It is so much easier to take disney buses, water taxis and monorail then it is to park and shlep your way in.

Disney offers some good deals in January...
Bonnet creek is very large and there are limited food options unless you use the Wyndham restaurant.  True you can get some good views especially from bldg 6
But you also get lots of fireworks noise and don't see any fireworks
Well, everyone is different and you might love it


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## stanleyu (Jul 6, 2014)

Not to nit-pick, but i did say in my post that I had not stayed at Bonnet - just other off-sites. And though it might very well have its own ambiance, it does not have the transportation, EMH, or discounts that a DVC membership affords. 

That being said, if you do not like Disney transportation or prefer driving yourself, or if you are not in a position to take advantage of the early or late EMH, then Bonnet Creek might be your best bet.

However if that is the case you might also want to check out some of the timeshares at the end of Hotel Plaza Blvd on the other side of Vineland


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## kevreh (Jul 7, 2014)

squierjosh said:


> BC seems like a very nice resort, but for my (will be) 6 year old next January, I can't help but think being on a Disney resort would make things much easier. What are the benefits of staying at a DVC resort vs a nice one like BC that is also very close to Disney?




We've stayed both onsite and offsite. As others have mentioned, onsite immerses you in the full Disney experience. Disney characters and themes are part of the resort aesthetic. The buses/ferries and monorail make it easy to get around, but know that there can be a 15-30 minute wait and the buses may make multiple stops. 

There are shuttles offsite too. Not speaking to BC, but we found they tend to run less often and aren't as reliable. Its frustrating to spend time and money getting to the Disney area only to have your time eaten up waiting for transportation.

We've stayed onsite a number of times. When we stayed at Port Orleans last February, we were offered a free meal plan for our family of four. Great deal! But its a bit of a mystery who gets these offers. Eating Disney food for a week wasn't too bad since a lot of the restaurants in Downtown Disney accept the meal points. Probably ate better (fish, meats) that week then without a meal plan.

As with any timeshare, the chance to get a 1 or 2 room suite may be more appealing (eg. you have kids) then staying a week at Disney in a standard room, where you can't really stay up because jr. needs lights out to sleep. You can get suites at Disney, but their $$$.

Hope this helps.


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## squierjosh (Jul 7, 2014)

Thanks everyone for the ongoing feedback and advice. Since our other kid is going to barely be 2, we will require at least a 1BR, a studio won't do. I know that really lessens the chances of getting in at Disney.



kevreh said:


> We've stayed both onsite and offsite. As others have mentioned, onsite immerses you in the full Disney experience. Disney characters and themes are part of the resort aesthetic. The buses/ferries and monorail make it easy to get around, but know that there can be a 15-30 minute wait and the buses may make multiple stops.
> 
> There are shuttles offsite too. Not speaking to BC, but we found they tend to run less often and aren't as reliable. Its frustrating to spend time and money getting to the Disney area only to have your time eaten up waiting for transportation.
> 
> ...


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## JimMIA (Jul 7, 2014)

squierjosh said:


> Thanks everyone for the ongoing feedback and advice. Since our other kid is going to barely be 2, we will require at least a 1BR, a studio won't do. I know that really lessens the chances of getting in at Disney.


*NO it doesn't!*

Requesting a DVC one-bedroom via RCI *greatly improves* your chances.  

Studios almost never show up as exchange inventory; one bedrooms are the most commonly-available size unit.


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## JenMuse (Jul 7, 2014)

I just threw back several studio units thru my OGS this week and last.

Settled on a 1 bedroom at OKW for mid-Jan 2015. Wanted Beach Club, but kept getting only studios there. 

Frustratingly, 3 days after I confirmed OKW, a 1 bedroom at BLT popped up. It was for the week after my search date, but it was very tempting to try to change. I let it go though.

Thinking of buying APs for me and the kid(s) and going a week earlier in Jan 2016. Much will depend on $$ and if I end up with 1 or two kids thru this crazy adoption process. And if they even like all things Disney...


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## squierjosh (Jul 13, 2014)

Well, I was able to book a 1BR at Saratoga Springs for the week we wanted in January. Looks nice, and the reviews on RCI are all pretty amazing. Time to start planning activities!



JimMIA said:


> *NO it doesn't!*
> 
> Requesting a DVC one-bedroom via RCI *greatly improves* your chances.
> 
> Studios almost never show up as exchange inventory; one bedrooms are the most commonly-available size unit.


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## amyhwang (Aug 12, 2014)

squierjosh said:


> Thanks for all the input. We will mostly likely only be going to theme parks 3-4 days, so the parking isn't a complete money dump. So that means the other 3-4 days we'll be in the resort, which means we need things to do, and the DVC resorts just don't seem to have much.
> 
> And for more info, I'm planning on going through RCI with my points - bad idea? I don't see the point in paying cash for something when I have all these points I'm already paying for.



I've stayed many (many) times at Disney resorts (and several close by, not BC but several Marriotts) but have to say that in our opinion, there was always something fun to do when we've stayed at the Boardwalk Villas (we've rented from owners a few times and booked through Disney at a huge discount a few times too).  

Our family's first trip when the kids were 2 and 4 was at the Boardwalk Villas (we had been as a couple and had taken our oldest a year before at GF but this was our first trip as a whole family).  To us, the convenience of walking to Epcot was the nicest thing!  We always seem to end up there.  

I don't mind staying off Disney for long trips (our last one off site was 15 nights) but for a week we find staying at Disney was really great (last one was spring break 2014).  Also, we found the new magic bands to be pretty great!  New fast pass system sucks though.  Hope it improves!  We were always on our iPhone app changing things around!


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## vacationhopeful (Aug 12, 2014)

Just booked on Saturday 13 days (2 RCI exchanges) into Boardwalk Villas for the last 2 weeks in January. My sister - who has done the 2 of my DVC trips with me - called to chat last night and she brought up WDW.

I surprised her with the news - her "desired" resort as for location had been booked. She was thrilled and immediately started "mentally rearranging" her month of January, 2015. Then, I reminded her she needed to get her AP (I had renewed mine, but she had NOT.) And then, I mentioned the Nov 1 7 nights booked at Bonnet Creek (2/2) ... We had done "Jersey Week" last November - we grew up in Jersey and said it was like being "home" with all the attitudes and tee shirts. We stayed at AKV and 6 months before, we had stayed at VWL. But she wanted to do the 1/2 Marathon but tried to booked late for the run.

It is interesting, the sister who had lived in Florida for 17 years - did 3 days trips to WDW total in all those years - now retired (retired at 55) - has become a Disney regular. Maybe, I should get her to pay half for the condos.


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## chriskre (Aug 12, 2014)

JenMuse said:


> I just threw back several studio units thru my OGS this week and last.



Interesting that you got several studios.
They used to be rare.  For what dates did you catch those studios?


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## chriskre (Aug 12, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> It is interesting, the sister who had lived in Florida for 17 years - did 3 days trips to WDW total in all those years - now retired (retired at 55) - has become a Disney regular. Maybe, I should get her to pay half for the condos.



Nah, that's what siblings are for, to come along and say "so where are we going to next?"  
My brother hasn't once paid a dime, of course I haven't asked him either.  

He does usually do all the grilling though, so it all works out.  
The price I pay for being the big sister and wanting to spend time with him and his family.


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## JenMuse (Sep 30, 2014)

Jan 17-24th...ended up taking a 1BR Jan 18-25th.


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## am1 (Oct 2, 2014)

I have an RCI request in at some disney resorts for winter 2015/16.  Just waiting for something to come up in the ogs.

We will stay a week in a 4 bedroom Presidential at Bonnet Creek and then a week at a Disney resort as a smaller group.  Our sons will be right around 3 years so they should enjoy it more there.


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## Magic1962 (Oct 2, 2014)

am1 said:


> I have an RCI request in at some disney resorts for winter 2015/16.  Just waiting for something to come up in the ogs.
> 
> We will stay a week in a 4 bedroom Presidential at Bonnet Creek and then a week at a Disney resort as a smaller group.  Our sons will be right around 3 years so they should enjoy it more there.



Do you own at Bonnet Creek or how did you get a four bedroom? I would love to get a 3 bedroom through RCI.... But I never see any open up I have an ongoing search going for in June.... Dave


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## am1 (Oct 3, 2014)

I own Wyndham points and do rentals a few rentals Bonnet Creek.  As long as I can rent my back up week at BC that should cover my Disney stay.


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