How is Old Key West? Seems to far [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

JimMIA

02-18-2008, 07:59 PM

I think it depends on how you get around. We drive from anywhere onsite, to anywhere onsite, in ten minutes. We usually stay at OKW, and frankly, the parking next to your villa far outweighs the additional half-mile in driving distance.

OKW busses (which we rarely use) are rated as the best in DVC, primarily because they are not shared with any other resort.

I really think the "getting around" issue is way overblown at ALL resorts. Anywhere onsite makes it pretty easy to get from one place to another -- with the exception of from one resort to another by bus.

becca-becca

02-18-2008, 08:16 PM

How long does it take the bus to go through the entire OKW property? We transferred there from DHS to get to DTD and it seemed like it took forever at OKW (with all the loops and turn-arounds). Maybe I was just imagining it and it really wasn't that long.

simzac

02-18-2008, 08:17 PM

AKV707

02-18-2008, 08:20 PM

All I know is this. I stayed at OKW in November. The bus transportation was very reliable and quick. It did not feel like it took us a long time to get anywhere by bus.

DisDaydreamer

02-18-2008, 08:43 PM

You can easily go from your villa to any of the parks in 30-45 minutes. Is that fast enough?

Yes. I agree... I can't drive and park and get into the parks that fast.

Buckeye Fan

02-18-2008, 08:43 PM

Is Old Key West to far from the action?
It looks like it would take forever to get to the Magic Kingdom or animal Kingdom!
Is it too far!?

I love OKW. It's one of my favorite resorts. We've stayed there many times and it only takes a few minutes to get from the resort to the parks. If this tells you anything, the kids never complain!!! ;)

The resort has a different feel that BWV or BCV. It feels more like a "condo" off Dis Property than a hotel. It provides a totally different experience than being in the middle of the boardwalk.

Carl Aird

02-18-2008, 09:07 PM

Thanks for the response
30-40 min is a big jump from a walk to France Epcot
But from OKW I will be able to take a boat to the main monorail that takes to to Magic or Epcot?

Lynne M

02-18-2008, 09:23 PM

Thanks for the response
30-40 min is a big jump from a walk to France Epcot
But from OKW I will be able to take a boat to the main monorail that takes to to Magic or Epcot?

Yes, you can walk to Epcot and DHS from BCV or BWV, but it'll take you about the same amount of time to get to MK that it would from SSR, OKW or AKV. The difference would be a matter of minutes.

You can't get a boat to any monorail station from OKW, the boat runs to DTD only. Same goes for SSR. There's no main monorail line.....there are three different lines:

1. The resort monorail goes from MK > CR > TTC > Poly > GF and back to TTC again.

2. The express monorail goes from TTC to MK and back to MK again. Its main purpose is to take people from the parking lot at TTC, to MK. Both the express and resort monorail loops basically make a big circle around Seven Seas Lagoon.

3. The Epcot line goes from TTC to Epcot and back again. So, if you want to go from MK, GF, Poly or CR to Epcot, you need to take a resort or express monorail to the TTC and switch to the Epcot monorail.

If you're not staying at GF, CR, or Poly, and you want to get to the monorail, you'd need to catch a bus to MK or Epcot.

La2kw

02-18-2008, 09:31 PM

It's not too far at all. In fact, it's a nice break to return to the resort, which is peaceful and calm compared to the parks.

La2kw

02-18-2008, 09:33 PM

Thanks for the response
30-40 min is a big jump from a walk to France Epcot
But from OKW I will be able to take a boat to the main monorail that takes to to Magic or Epcot?

Sure, you can walk to Epcot from BCV or BWV. But that's about it. It's still going to take you a long bus ride to MK or AK. The boat to the studio is also pretty slow.

dianeschlicht

02-18-2008, 10:19 PM

I don't know why everyone seems to think OKW is on the moon! If you are at the last bus stop before it leaves OKW to the parks, MK and Studios will take about 10 minutes. The interior route of OKW takes about 10 minutes also. Epcot is maybe 5 minutes once you leave the resort, and AK will be the farthest with about 20-30 minutes once you leave the resort.

There is NO WAY you can drive to MK and get there any faster than the bus. I feel the same way about Epcot. AK is another story though. The AK bus stops at Blizzard Beach, and that is what makes that route take so long. AK is the only park we will occationally drive to. In 11 years of multiple trips staying at OKW, I can definitely say it's bus service is spectacular most of the time. That doesn't mean that you wont occationally get a slow bus (especially in the middle of the day), but not often.

Carl Aird

02-19-2008, 06:47 AM

Sure, you can walk to Epcot from BCV or BWV. But that's about it. It's still going to take you a long bus ride to MK or AK. The boat to the studio is also pretty slow.

I can walk to the Epcot train from Boardwalk or Beach Club

marvali

02-19-2008, 06:50 AM

Both resorts have a dedicated bus system to the parks, so it doesn't take that long to get a bus headed to the park you are wanting to visit. The only one that took a little time was when we went to Animal Kingdom because it also made a stop at (I think it was) Blizzard Beach on the way. But still, it didn't ever take more than about 30-40 minutes to get anywhere we were wanting to go, even when we just missed the bus to our desired park and had to wait on the next one. When you think about driving in to the park, waiting in the lines to get into the parking lot, finding a spot, and then waiting on the tram, there isn't much difference either way. At the end of the day when we were tired, it was pretty nice to just sit and let someone else do the driving.

JKMJ441724

02-19-2008, 07:19 AM

It's not bad. We stayed there one time and we were at the MK in no time at all.

Lynne M

02-19-2008, 07:19 AM

I can walk to the Epcot train from Boardwalk or Beach Club

Sure, but would you want to? That's a long. long walk, and then you still have to change to another monorail at TTC to get to MK. It'll take you much less time to just take a direct bus from BWV or BCV to MK.

Coach81

02-19-2008, 07:58 AM

We just left OKW two weeks ago. We planned for about 30 mins for each bus and often we got to where we were going much sooner than that. The bus system for OKW was not a big issue for us at all.

*WeLuvDisney*

02-19-2008, 12:30 PM

It's never felt like too long for us!

sanilacjack

02-19-2008, 12:31 PM

We ~LOVE~ OKW!!!
It's like a island in the middle of the WDW hustle and bustle.
Nothing better than, after spending the morning in the parks, to come back, grab a boat to DTD, order take out from Earls and come back and eat at the main pool. P-A-R-A-D-I-S-E!! To us, thats what vacation is all about!!!!
Kim

Chuck S

02-19-2008, 12:50 PM

I can walk to the Epcot train from Boardwalk or Beach Club

How long does that walk take you, its over a mile, isn't it, as you have to walk through World Showcase and Future World. to get to the monorail station.

If you figure walk-monorail-transfer at TTC to boat or second monorail...that definitely is a lot longer than the bus ride from OKW to any park.

La2kw

02-19-2008, 06:39 PM

I can walk to the Epcot train from Boardwalk or Beach Club

Huh? What Epcot train? :confused3
I guess you are referring to the monorail. As already posted, walking to the monorail at the front of Epcot to catch the monorail to the MK is probably going to take you longer than catching your resort bus to the MK. The monorail is outside the front entrance to Epcot and you have to transfer to the MK monorail at the TTC.

It would be good exercise, I guess.

DisDaydreamer

02-19-2008, 07:19 PM

I don't know why everyone seems to think OKW is on the moon!

I think it is a conspiracy by those SSR owners. :stir:

TenThousandVolts

02-19-2008, 07:21 PM

...As already posted, walking to the monorail at the front of Epcot to catch the monorail to the MK is probably going to take you longer than catching your resort bus to the MK...
It would be good exercise, I guess.

Also, don't forget- you will need park admission to get through Epcot to the monorail. Not a big deal if you have an AP or a hopper and you are planning to go into MK anyway. But otherwise, it would be a problem.

I love the location of OKW- it is very central really. I am not one to be concerned about park proximity though- I don't mind the busses at all.

dvcmike

02-19-2008, 08:22 PM

My two cents worth. It's not that much father than some other resorts Saratoga Springs, Animal kingdom Lodge, All Stars for instance. The upside is it's the largest rooms on site.

Mike
DVC Member since 1993

beautifultomorrow

02-19-2008, 09:13 PM

After having only stayed onsite at Pop Century (and used the bus system extensively there). We did a split stay at Coronado Springs and Old Key West in December 2007.

We were so amazed with the bus service at CSR. We never had to wait on a bus to come more than 5 minutes and doing the loop around CSR seemed very fast and efficient. I didn't time how long it took to get to the parks but it was very fast.

When we moved to OKW, the service *seemed* considerably slower. It seemed like we had to wait on buses to and from the parks for a lot longer than we did at CSR. At a couple of the parks we noticed 2 CSR buses coming and going in the time it took one OKW bus to come. Once we rode the bus all the way through OKW and it seems a confusing route of doubling back over the same route. I will say once you actually get ON the bus (if you get on at hospitality house) it doesn't take long to get to the parks. I also thought the boat ride to DTD was scenic and relaxing but not at all quick. Maybe that's a good thing?

Maybe it was just the time of year that we went, but I didn't think the bus service at OKW was considerably faster than Pop Century, but there were a lot fewer people to share the ride with if you know what I mean! :)

La2kw

02-19-2008, 09:32 PM

Maybe it was just the time of year that we went, but I didn't think the bus service at OKW was considerably faster than Pop Century, but there were a lot fewer people to share the ride with if you know what I mean! :)

There's a huge difference between the value buses and the OKW buses. We have often been on the OKW buses with one or two others, and even just ourselves. The values pack people on like sardines, quite often expecting people to stand.

Having stayed at OKW many times over the past 13 years or so, as well as staying at most of the other resorts, we have found the service at OKW to be amongst the best. Rarely have we ever had to crowd on a bus, let alone stand on one.

schoen

02-20-2008, 11:57 AM

I think the bus system from OKW or any other resort is fine, not great, but fine. You always feel like some other resorts buses come so much faster than yours. You get annoyed with all the stops it makes, etc. The reality is though, it is not that big a deal as long as you plan plenty of time for transport. Being at OKW and dealing with the buses there is no different than being at SSR, or AKV. I like BC and BWV because I can walk to both DHS and Epcot easily. I hate the buses there though because you are always sharing with four other resorts. It is a pain to always go to the swan or dolphin first.

dcamdad

02-20-2008, 01:16 PM

I don't know why everyone seems to think OKW is on the moon!

Let them keep thinking that. We'll never be put on a waitlist:cool1:

AKV707

02-20-2008, 02:17 PM

I don't know why everyone seems to think OKW is on the moon!

Let them keep thinking that. We'll never be put on a waitlist:cool1:

Good point!

DisneyBride'03

02-20-2008, 05:00 PM

I really dont care about bus times at OKW....I am sitting, not driving, and usually DD19mths will end up taking a quick little nap:)

dianeschlicht

02-21-2008, 06:53 AM

I really dont care about bus times at OKW....I am sitting, not driving, and usually DD19mths will end up taking a quick little nap:)

Yep, and even us old timers like to do that on the bus! We find the bus ride back to the resort for a break almost enough of a break in itself. We usually don't actually stay at the resort long. It just is restful to break up a park visit.

sajetto

02-21-2008, 05:51 PM

OP, we've never thought OKW was too far from the "action." Its a really quick bus ride to any of the parks and we personally like the tranquility and seclusion of the resort, but again that is our individual taste. Yours could be completely different. Have a great trip!

Cee

02-22-2008, 05:46 AM

OKW is so relaxing, you won't CARE how long it takes to get anywhere. But in
my experience, it's never taken very long. Enjoy your stay, this place is the best. :goodvibes

DisneyBride'03

02-22-2008, 08:41 AM

Yep, and even us old timers like to do that on the bus! We find the bus ride back to the resort for a break almost enough of a break in itself. We usually don't actually stay at the resort long. It just is restful to break up a park visit.

old timers?! :)
I am 41 and Dh will be 48 on 3/28:) I have been wanting to stay at OKW since 2003! So I cant wait!