RE: The "Transportation Fee @ Wyndham Bonnet Creek

[Ginger's Mom]

I thought long and hard about the question posed in your post...Specifically what are the core services that must or should be included if a hotel wants to call itself a resort. This begs the question; What is a resort? and whats the difference between a resort and a hotel?

Here are three definitions I found on line:

In North American English, the term "resort" is now also used for a self-contained commercial establishment which attempts to provide for most of a vacationer's wants while remaining on the premises, such as food, drink, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping.

A place that is a popular destination for vacations or recreation

A hotel is a facility that provides accommodations (bed & bath basically) for transients like travelers and tourists. A resort is a recreational complex that normally has a center of attraction, like a beach, a garden park, a swimming pool and a restaurant.


So in my own words, a hotel provides a bed and bath, a resort provides that plus other recreational ammenities on site. (lets call them "resort ammenities") Enough so that the property is a destination in itself, and there is no need to leave the premises. In fact the Wyndham directory is careful to call out several of their properties where that is not the case, (they dont have much in the way of "resort amenities") and give them a special name (Avenue Collection) just so we know that they are different from the rest and that we shouldnt expect a "resort experience" at these properties.

So back to "The Bonnet Creek Resort" It is my feeling that Bonnet Creek lives up to the definition of a resort. That there is on site enough in the way of recreational activities, that a guest has no need to venture off site. There are swimming pools, water slides, a lazy river, mini golf, pool tables, etc, and now that the hotel is open, shopping , restaurants and a spa. Some of these things are included with the cost of your stay and for some they charge extra, but the common thread is that they are all on site

To provide transportation off site seems counter to the whole idea of a resort. That some people use Bonnet Creek for just for the bed and bath and spend some or all their time at the nearby amusement parks seems to violate the whole idea of a "resort destination" to me. I understand that there are things to do and see outside the gates of Bonnet Creek, but I think its perfectly reasonable to tell a guest, that if they want to leave, they are on their own. Transportation off site is not a "core service" provided by the owners for their guests.

Hello Again, Ron,

It is obvious to me that that particular piece of property was purchased for its proximity to Disney. While Bonnet Creek is a wonderful place to "get away" to, the lure of Disney is hard to ignore. Expecting that MOST people would come to BC and NOT want to visit a Disney park, is, IMHO, not realistic. (That is why a MINIMAL user fee for the shuttle might be tolerable.) There are many hotels and TS in the area that offer FREE shuttles to their guests. I guess it is all relative. And BC needs to look around and see what works for others.

Anne

 

[timeos2]

Hey Brian,

I know it isn't free but the Disney transportation system is SUPERIOR to the Wyn Shuttle, you must admit. I don't mind paying for something THAT convenient. And when you trade-in to a Disney TS, thru RCI, I think you pay a mandatory $79 for a full week--a bargain compared to BC!!!!!!!

As a parent, when my kids (and their friends) got to be teenagers, it sure was wonderful to have the Disney trans. to rely on. We could all go our separate ways and get back to Ft. Wilderness successfully. I imagine the same can be said for the DVC.

Anne

There are few things about Disney that are MORE annoying than the transportation system(s). And perhaps the worst is the bus system. I gladly PAY to avoid having to use it and dread the few areas where I can't (the monorail / boat to Magic Kingdom or any shuttle ride from the massive and inefficient parking areas).

One of the great improvements of Universal over Disney in Orlando was the more confined space Universal had to deal with. The ramp garages being literally outside the park gates are far more convenient than the huge Disney flatlands of wasted space. I'm sure that today Disney would not use that energy wasting and more importantly inefficient / wasteful land use for parking. It is a bad design decision made when land and energy were cheap that hurts the overall experience today. The other parts of the system seem designed to delay the guests from using expensive park attractions by having them tied up & waiting for needlessly slow & drawn out transport. No thanks. I'll walk or drive before setting foot on a Disney transport. Plus to say it has a value is crazy. They give it away to anyone that has even an expired ticket. Making anyone pay for it when they actually stay onsite or have a long term timeshare lease is gross double dipping. The theme park budgets already cover that cost. Disney long ago turned attention to making money first and guests a distant second.

 

[Ginger's Mom]

There are few things about Disney that are MORE annoying than the transportation system(s). And perhaps the worst is the bus system. I gladly PAY to avoid having to use it and dread the few areas where I can (the monorail / boat to Magic Kingdom or any shuttle ride from the massive and inefficient parking areas).

One of the great improvements of Universal over Disney in Orlando was the more confined space Universal had to deal with. The ramp garages being literally outside the park gates are far more convenient than the huge Disney flatlands of wasted space. I'm sure that today Disney would not use that energy wasting and more importantly inefficient / wasteful land use for parking. It is a bad design decision made when land and energy were cheap that hurts the overall experience today. The other parts of the system seem designed to delay the guests from using expensive park attractions by having them tied up & waiting for needlessly slow & drawn out transport. No thanks. I'll walk or drive before setting foot on a Disney transport. Plus to say it has a value is crazy. They give it away to anyone that has even an expired ticket. Making anyone pay for it when they actually stay onsite or have a long term timeshare lease is gross double dipping. The theme park budgets already cover that cost. Disney long ago turned attention to making money first and guests a distant second.

John,

WOW--I LOVE your idea of Disney building parking garages and letting us walk into the parks. Parking garages give me the heeby-jeebies though--security is an issue, but I am sure Disney would have cameras.

I don't mind the Disney trans. system. Having gone there since Ft. Wilderness had a TRAIN, everything has been an improvement (except the huge-mongous parking lots, as you pointed out.) When I go to Disney, it is usually to relax and only a 2 hr. drive; we are not in a hurry, so the Disney buses are fine with us. Everything is relative, I guess.

Anne

 

[tschwa2]

Hello Again, Ron,

It is obvious to me that that particular piece of property was purchased for its proximity to Disney. While Bonnet Creek is a wonderful place to "get away" to, the lure of Disney is hard to ignore. Expecting that MOST people would come to BC and NOT want to visit a Disney park, is, IMHO, not realistic. (That is why a MINIMAL user fee for the shuttle might be tolerable.) There are many hotels and TS in the area that offer FREE shuttles to their guests. I guess it is all relative. And BC needs to look around and see what works for others.

Anne

Which other timeshares besides Disney offers free shuttles to the park?

 

[JimMIA]

And when you trade-in to a Disney TS, thru RCI, I think you pay a mandatory $79 for a full week--a bargain compared to BC!!!!!!!

You pay the regular RCI exchange fee + $95 to DVC at checkin. DVC tries to make that sound like it's for transportation, but in reality it's just a "because we can" fee.

The truth is ALL onsite guests at WDW get the free transportation from the airport to their resort, and also free shuttle buses within WDW and to DTD.

In fact, anyone who walks up to any Disney bus can ride it whereever it goes. MANY offsite visitors park at DTD and take the Disney buses from there. On the return trip, they grab a Disney bus to SSR and walk to their cars at DTD. Free parking, free buses, no $14 parking fee at the parks -- what's not to like!

 

[bnoble]

And when you trade-in to a Disney TS, thru RCI, I think you pay a mandatory $79 for a full week--a bargain compared to BC!!!!!!!

Wasn't such a bargain for the poor DVC owner who paid for it though, was it?

 

[Ginger's Mom]

Which other timeshares besides Disney offers free shuttles to the park?

Very quickly, within about 2 mins., I found another post that says Summer Bay TS. Also, I saw 6-8 motels that do--including Gaylord Palms. If other motels and resorts can afford good customer service, why can't BC (and Wyndham, for all that matters)?

 

[ronparise]

Very quickly, within about 2 mins., I found another post that says Summer Bay TS. Also, I saw 6-8 motels that do--including Gaylord Palms. If other motels and resorts can afford good customer service, why can't BC (and Wyndham, for all that matters)?

The reason these places offer a free shuttle is to attract business. Orlando has a glut of hotel rooms and these places will do what they have to do to attract business. Summer Bay is not only a timeshare there is a hotel there to, and I suspect like the other hotels they offer the shuttle to keep the rooms filled

Remember Bonnet Creek is a timeshare not a hotel. The place could sit vacant and the bills would get still paid by the owners through their maintenance fees. There is no reason to add extra services to attract business. The only reason to add services is to improve sales...but I bet they do ok without the shuttle.

Of course Bonnet Creek does not sit empty...it fills up.... all 1500+ suites. And I think less than a third of the folks staying there used the shuttle. As has been noted by others the parking lots and even the garage near building four are always near capacity I wonder how many folks show up at Bonnet Creek without a car. I bet not many. It seems to me that most of the people that go to the parks drive, and a lot of people (like me) dont go to the parks at all...

The poa looking for a way to save a few bucks saw the shuttle as a prime target... Not needed to attract business and not used by the majority of owners. I think they did the right thing imposing a modest user charge. I would be surprised if they didnt look at parking and wifi next

 

[tschwa2]

I used to own at Summer Bay but used it primarily as a RCI points week. I looked at an old budget from 2010. At that time for each unit (regardless of size) owners paid $4.99 for guest transportation. They made guest pay for internet which didn't work well in at least 20% of the units and charged a $10 fee to allow access to the lake area (not sure if that is per person or per unit). So although the transportation may be included other amenities are not. I guess the HOA's prioritize what they are willing to pay for and what they are not.

 

[Ginger's Mom]

Ron, good point--but how many of the "filled" rooms are actually rented out by the mega-renters? Wouldn't a shuttle fee discourage people from staying there?

And yeah, you are right, the POA really doesn't HAVE to care--the MF are getting paid by the owners whether the POA runs off the renters or not. Quite the conundrum.

Anne

 

[ronparise]

Ron, good point--but how many of the "filled" rooms are actually rented out by the mega-renters? Wouldn't a shuttle fee discourage people from staying there?

And yeah, you are right, the POA really doesn't HAVE to care--the MF are getting paid by the owners whether the POA runs off the renters or not. Quite the conundrum.

Anne

Speaking as only a mini renter (Im fast approaching the mega renter mark though) I cant make any money at Bonnet Creek.with or without a shuttle. Even with my Silver discount, its too many points for too little money. (I wont tell you all my secrets but I rent 66000 point weekend reservations (50000 points with a discount) for as much as $1500. Folks have to twist my arm to rent them space at Bonnet Creek when there are opportunities like that in the system. In fact I dont go to Bonnet Creek anymore myself, since I discovered Vacation Village at Parkway will let me bring my dogs...Now there's a perk that means something (to me anyway)

And No! I dont think the shuttle means anything to folks that rent Wyndham reservations

 

[JimMIA]

RCI is apparently sending out an email saying the new fee is $5 every time a guest boards a bus -- in fact the email is actually worded exactly that way.

That, of course, would be $10 per round trip! Anyone been there, done that, and know for sure????

 

[luckyrose]

It can get expensive for a family.

 

[DeniseM]

RCI is apparently sending out an email saying the new fee is $5 every time a guest boards a bus -- in fact the email is actually worded exactly that way.

That, of course, would be $10 per round trip! Anyone been there, done that, and know for sure????

I got that email today:

Dear RCI Member:

We are writing to you concerning your upcoming RCI vacation to Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The staff at Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort notified us that effective immediately, they have implemented a USD $5 per person shuttle fee. Each guest is required to pay USD $5 each time they board the shuttle. This takes the place of the mandatory USD$12 per day, per unit fee.

We realize this may have an impact on your vacation and wanted to inform you of this situation in advance. Since space availability is limited in the area you confirmed, we encourage you to retain your vacation. Should you decide to cancel your stay, our standard cancellation guidelines will apply.

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

Actually, I think the $5 to ride the shuttle is FAR better than $12 mandatory fee. I mean, what if the person just goes to the resort to "get away" and NOT go to the parks? Why pay for what you won't use? So, do the math:

- for a couple (2), it would be $20 round-trip. Or, they could park their car at the park for $14. No car, they have the option.
- I'll bet the Sales Staff will come up with a way where the visitor gets a bus discount for sitting on their 2-hour tour.

FYI, to correct RonParise, Wyndham Bonnet Creek is BOTH hotel and timeshare. A year or so ago, the hotel was completed on-site. If you are entering the resort, the hotel is on the far right.

TS

 

[ansmiley]

We are currently at Bonnet Creek. They are charging $5 per person per ROUND trip on the shuttles. Don't know why RCI would be saying per trip. Not sure how many people are using them but the buses we have seen seem to be pretty empty.

 

[ronparise]

Actually, I think the $5 to ride the shuttle is FAR better than $12 mandatory fee. I mean, what if the person just goes to the resort to "get away" and NOT go to the parks? Why pay for what you won't use? So, do the math:

- for a couple (2), it would be $20 round-trip. Or, they could park their car at the park for $14. No car, they have the option.
- I'll bet the Sales Staff will come up with a way where the visitor gets a bus discount for sitting on their 2-hour tour.

FYI, to correct RonParise, Wyndham Bonnet Creek is BOTH hotel and timeshare. A year or so ago, the hotel was completed on-site. If you are entering the resort, the hotel is on the far right.

TS

I know that there is a hotel and a timeshare at Bonnet creek, I didnt mean to imply otherwise.

But you cant check into the hotel at the timeshare desk(s) and you cant check into the timeshare at the hotel. Heck, they even have seperate entrances from Chelonia Parkway. Their budgets are completely separate. and I suspect so is the way they handle the shuttle

 

[luckyrose]

I usually get a rental car anyway. I like to to to other parks. I like Sea World way better.

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

Actually, $5 for round-trip is even better. $15 for a family of 3 round-trip is only $1 more than parking at WDW. A couple would actually save money ($10). Like I said, the Sales Weasels... I mean staff... will probably use that as an incentive.

Wyndham Bonnet Creek (WVO) says, "Daily round-trip shuttle from the lobby to the Walt Disney World® Resort for a fee." (they no longer mentioned the $12/day fee).

TS

 

[Pietin]

I guess I'll see was the fees will be in December when we go. I am not worrying till then.

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

And EXTREMELY "long in the tooth"

TS

 

[MauiLea]

We are currently at Bonnet Creek. They are charging $5 per person per ROUND trip on the shuttles. Don't know why RCI would be saying per trip. Not sure how many people are using them but the buses we have seen seem to be pretty empty.

I didn't realize that Bonnet Creek changed the shuttle fee from $12 per day to $ 5 pp. Are you sure this is ROUND TRIP?

My RCI confirmation is ambiguous. It says " Resort Fees:Transportation fee is $5 U.S. dollars. Fee is per person, per use, for each trip off the reosrt grounds, even if on the same day."

Does the $ 5 fee (one way or round trip) apply for a child 3 years old or younger?

We are trying to decide is our family of 4 should rent a car OR pay the shuttle fee. We are only planning to stay at the resort OR go to the Disney Parks and Downtown Disney.

 

[Rent_Share]

John,

WOW--I LOVE your idea of Disney building parking garages and letting us walk into the parks.

http://www.nordenson.com/project.php?id=21

You ride escalators/elevators to a boarding station for the tram

The needed the existing parking lots for California Adventure and Downtown Disney

 

[lilpooh108]

http://www.nordenson.com/project.php?id=21

You ride escalators/elevators to a boarding station for the tram

The needed the existing parking lots for California Adventure and Downtown Disney

Random tidbit, Disney didn't own the property that the parking structure was eventually built on. They had to convince a local family who'd owned it for a number of years to sell it to them. I bet the $$$$$ offered was very convincing. However, I wonder how much more they'd have offered today (after Carsland was built) if that family had held out for 10 more years.

 

[paxsarah]

I didn't realize that Bonnet Creek changed the shuttle fee from $12 per day to $ 5 pp. Are you sure this is ROUND TRIP?

My RCI confirmation is ambiguous. It says " Resort Fees:Transportation fee is $5 U.S. dollars. Fee is per person, per use, for each trip off the reosrt grounds, even if on the same day."

Does the $ 5 fee (one way or round trip) apply for a child 3 years old or younger?

We are trying to decide is our family of 4 should rent a car OR pay the shuttle fee. We are only planning to stay at the resort OR go to the Disney Parks and Downtown Disney.

It is definitely $5 per round trip. Tickets must be purchased at the front desk or I think a few other locations at the resort. I didn't save the info sheet they gave us on our March trip - kids under 3 are free, but I can't remember if the wording was "under 3" or "3 and under."