OKW'rs Are You Happy With Your Purchase?? UPDATED 10/4

[thesupersmartguy]

Hi all,

We bought into OKW 2 days ago, and were wondering what the hotel was like? What kind of shampoo is there? Can you request extra towels if you take more then one shower a day and not have to go out into the halls and find a washer/dryer if we stay in a studio? Any pic's, info, or signature pictures would be appreciated.


10/4/08

Hi again all, if it goes through do we have to call and accept or deny the 15 year extension? And if we do, do we still get the lithograph?

[Sammie]

Here are photos, http://allears.net/acc/okwss.htm

and more info about the resort. http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/Resorts/okw.htm

It is not a hotel, it is a condo complex, very large with outside entrances and stairs, 2 and 3 levels. Laundry is located at the pools.

You can pay for extra towels, if you wish.

We love OKW, but you are braver than I would ever be buying something and never seen it.

Enjoy your first trip. :thumbsup2

[CraftyMouse]

Hi all,

We bought into OKW 2 days ago, and were wondering what the hotel was like? What kind of shampoo is there? Can you request extra towels if you take more then one shower a day and not have to go out into the halls and find a washer/dryer if we stay in a studio? Any pic's, info, or signature pictures would be appreciated.

As Sammie said, it isn't a hotel. It's more of a resort with a vacation home feel. The units are in several buildings and have a condo-type feel to them...but resort condos.

If you stay in a studio there are free washers/dryers by the pool. They are not located in the villa buildings. You can get more towels, but you will have to pay for them. I believe it is $6 per towel pack (4 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 4 washcloths). We tend to use our towels a few times before they need replacing. We just exchange them on Trash & Towel day and that works for us. You'll get some form of housekeeping (a T&T or full cleaning) every 4th day and will get new towels at that time.

We purchased our points at OKW in 1997 and have been thrilled with our membership. We only regret that we didn't buy in sooner. OKW is so relaxing and the grounds are absolutely beautiful. The villas are the largest of any DVC units and the laid-back, Key West theming is great.

Enjoy your membership!

[simzac]

We are very happy with our OKW purchase.:thumbsup2 And we also purchased having never seen the resort in person. We loved CBR and felt OKW would be the closest DVC match, and we were right.:goodvibes

[Deb & Bill]

Since DVC is a timeshare, you get limited towels, limited housekeeping, limited bedding. Studios and one bedrooms get four bath towels, two hand towels and four face cloths. Double that for a two bedroom. Triple that for a Grand Villa. If you want more, you have to pay for it. Same thing with shampoo, soap, etc. - if you want more you pay for it. If you want your beds made every day, you either do it yourself or pay extra for the full cleaning.

OKW doesn't really have halls. All the entrances are to the outside with multiple stairways for each building.

[castleri]

The laundry rooms are next to the pools ( there are 3 quiet pools and the main one). They look like they take coins but they are actually free - just push the slider thing in.
There are small bottles of shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner provided.
It is the brand they have at the spas.
We bought in 1997 at OKW and also have a contract at SSR and BCV and OKW is our favorite. Hope you enjoy your OKW stays as much as we have ours.
Here are a couple of pictures of views from buildings at OKW
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u60/castleri/IM000157.jpg http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u60/castleri/100_1224.jpg
This is buidling 55 at OKW from the ferry
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u60/castleri/041.jpg

[La2kw]

We love our OKW purchase, and have been happy with it since our first stay in 1994.

[Pootle]

I just love those OKW pictures :cloud9: - especially building 55, my favorite.

I've owned for 10 years and have never tried the other resorts apart from BWV where I also have points and spend a few days every other year in a BW view room. Very often though, I end up using BWV points at OKW because I love it so much.

I knew what I was getting when I bought so no surprises.

[Longhairbear]

We love OKW, and they have the best grocery of all the DVC Resorts.

[bookwormde]

Yes very happy, OKW is the best value of the DVCs in my opinion.

Heading down for a 5 weekdays at a OKW grand villa next June (the best value in all of DVC)

bookwormde

[Disney_Villain]

We bought OKW in 2006, sight-unseen, and have loved it even more than we thought we would.

Here are our OKW photos (room pics are of a studio):

http://photoshare.shaw.ca/messages/viewthumb/7059327107-1212464091-89273/parm/page/1/15/

You will love your new home resort!

[The Disney Bunch]

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!! Best thing we ever purchased. Love OKW - it feels like home!

[OneMoreTry]

If you rent a 1BR or 2BR then you will have a large laundry room with washer ad dryer. We do our towels ourselves if necessary until the day 4 towel and trash service. You can pay extra to have towels delivered before that if you don't want to wash them yourself. You can also pay extra to have the condo cleaned if you would like.

OKW's strengths are large condos, beautiful landscaping, peaceful atmosphere. They are best, IMHO, for people who like WDW, but also need a break from crowds and constant stimulation. All resorts have the same shampoo and soap as far as I know. [It didn't used to be that way in the good old days.]

OKW is not a hotel, though. All condos open to the outdoors with no hallways to walk down -- not even outdoor motel-style hallways. If you get a studio you will have to carry laundry to the laundromat at the pool area.

We own at OKW and love it. I don't have any intention of selling our points although I must say I'm tenpted to own at the contemporary. I probably wouldn't switch unless my wife really likes the BLT. Although if the US financial situation improves I might consider owning at both.

[MMCD]

The shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and soap of Disney is from Spa H2O which is a wonderful product.

I love OKW because you get to park your car right outside your resort room. You don't have to pay any tips to move your luggage around. I love the spaciousness of the rooms compared to the other DVC resorts.

In order for us to keep coming back to WDW twice a year, we have to minimize eating out. Therefore we cook and eat in our rooms. The kitchen has more counter space and the dining table actually allows for elbow space.

It is a more quiet, slower pace at OKW. When we stay at BCV or BWV, I feel that I must hurry, hurry, and hit the parks everyday. We still hit the parks everyday at OKW but it's not like in a New York minute. I haven't tried SSR yet. I never want to stay at WLV. It seems too remote for me. We will be staying at AKL in a couple months.

We bought OKW sight unseen as well. It has been wonderful. I can't say this is the best financial investment ever because we seem to keep giving Disney money every year by always returning:teacher: . (I don't get money back in return just value in savings.) But the memories of our trips to Disney is priceless.

[thesupersmartguy]

Bump, see post 1

[5forDiz]

10/4/08

Hi again all, if it goes through do we have to call and accept or deny the 15 year extension? And if we do, do we still get the lithograph?


Once you are in the system & are assigned your guide you should call your guide to discuss accepting or denying the 15 year extension (to 2057 expiration). We bought an unextended OKW contract in Dec. 2007 and this is what we did. I believe at present time the price to extend is up to $20 per point.

I do not know if you would still be eligible for lithograph. I'm not 100% sure but I think that was based on a particular time frame when the extension offer was initially made to OKW owners, but, your guide should be able to answer that for you.

We too own at OKW :thumbsup2 !!

Congratulations & have fun making magical DVC memories in years to come pixiedust:

[thesupersmartguy]

Once you are in the system & are assigned your guide you should call your guide to discuss accepting on denying the 15 year extension (to 2057 expiration). We bought an unextended OKW contract in Dec. 2007 and this is what we did. I believe at present time the price to extend is up to $20 per point.

I do not know if you would still be eligible for lithograph. I'm not 100% sure but I think that was based on a particular time frame when the extension offer was initially made to OKW owners, but, your guide should be able to answer that for you.

We too own at OKW :thumbsup2 !!

Congratulations & have fun making magical DVC memories in years to come pixiedust:

Thanks 5forDiz, I was not aware I was assigned a guide, can you enlighten me on the duties of the guide??

[Goofy DVC]

OKW members since 1993 and still LOVE it! :goodvibes :goodvibes

[5forDiz]

Thanks 5forDiz, I was not aware I was assigned a guide, can you enlighten me on the duties of the guide??

Well, primarily your guide will assist you in getting separated from more of your $ purchasing add-on contract(s) :lmao: !!

Once you are "in the system" ( your resale contract that you purchased/new membership info is put into DVC database ) then as a new DVC member usually what happens is a guide will be assigned to you and will call you to introduce themself and answer any questions you may have. Most members are very happy with the guide they have ( we are ! ).

I think there is a thread hear on mousecellaneous board ( started by hunclemarco ) where many members list their guide & some comments as well if you want to read more about it.

[musical2]

We love our OKW. We bought in resale in 2000. We have also stayed in BCV and have toured most of the others. We still like OKW the best. It just feels right for us. It is a slow, laid-back feeling we get from that resort. Others like the quick pace of the Boardwalk Villas, the pool area of the Beach Club, the woodsy feel of the Wilderness Lodge, the exotic feel of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, or the location, location, location of the Bay Lake Towers. It just depends on what you want from a resort.

[KandiB47]

Hi all,

We bought into OKW 2 days ago, and were wondering what the hotel was like? What kind of shampoo is there? Can you request extra towels if you take more then one shower a day and not have to go out into the halls and find a washer/dryer if we stay in a studio? Any pic's, info, or signature pictures would be appreciated.



I'm curious as to how you ended up purchasing OKW without seeing it or knowing very little about it. You don't have to answer. Just wondering:confused3

[thesupersmartguy]

I'm curious as to how you ended up purchasing OKW without seeing it or knowing very little about it. You don't have to answer. Just wondering:confused3

We have been looking at contracts off and on for the past 3 years, and 28 OKW points suited us the best. We intend on staying BWV or AKV anyway.

[simzac]

We have been looking at contracts off and on for the past 3 years, and 28 OKW points suited us the best. We intend on staying BWV or AKV anyway.

You only bought 28 points at OKW? And if you intend on staying at BWV or AKV primarily, why didn't you buy there?

[thesupersmartguy]

You only bought 28 points at OKW? And if you intend on staying at BWV or AKV primarily, why didn't you buy there?

OKW's MF and initial purchase price was the best we had seen in all our reserch, so we decided to go for it. And if we ever decide to stay OKW (Which I'm Sure We Will) we have our 11 month booking window.

[DisneydaveCT]

I have been a member at OKW since the beginning of 1996, and consider it one of the best real estate moves I have ever made. I like it so much that I took the extension, and increased my total number of points at the same time.

I hope you will be as happy at OKW as I have been for the past 12 years.

[OlderMan]

We've been OKW owners for over 11 years.

The only time we ever stayed anywhere else was 3 - 4 years ago at SSR.

While we loved the resort and facilities, we were VERY disappointed by the size (or lack of size) of the Villas.

We have only stayed at OKW since--and probably will only stay there in the future!

[Disney2XS]

We bought OKW in 1994 and LOVE IT. The only regret is that we didn't buy sooner and that we didn't buy more points.

The only other resort we've stayed at has been SSR. It was nice, but the only reason we stayed there is because we couldn't get in to OKW.

Like other posters have said, OKW is more of a "condo" style. Some people like more of a "hotel" style that you get with some of the other DCVs. We like the "condo" style, so we LOVE our Home at OKW.

[gonecrusin]

We have been OKW members since 1994 and love it. Recently we purchased points at AKL but will probably just use them at OKW. Many happy memories and more to come. Enjoy, we have!

[JimC]

I would not think of OKW as a hotel. It is a condo type resort with a "traditional Keys" style. A laid back Caribbean influenced, Key West style Victorian resort may be even more descriptive. We love it!