First Time At Old Key West! What are the pros, cons and any other useful information!

[BarbieTourGuide]

Hi everyone!

This year I will be staying at OKW for the first time! I have to say I am extremely excited considering this is the first time at a Deluxe resort.
What are some useful tips that can help make this a magical stay?
Also, do many CMs at OKW participate in pin trading?


Thanks in advance,
BarbieTourGuide

 

[nolanboys]

We've stayed there 3 times and love it there. It is so lacing. The grounds are lush and beautiful. If you can't stay near the HH, try staying near Turtle pond. That bus stop is second in the OKW rotation and the quiet pool there is large, and includes a playground, shuffleboard, and a limited bar and sandwiches. Although the resort is large, even from the farthest buildings, the walk is only abut 10 minutes. Gurgling Suitcase, the bar, is small but quaint. The CM's pin trade. You'll have a great time.

 

[jwfla422]

Post the same thread over on the DVC board, I'm sure the OKW DVC experts can give you some great tips. I always check here before our stays at SSR.

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=30&f=187

 

[chalee94]

the OKW lovers thread !!!

 

[BarbieTourGuide]

We've stayed there 3 times and love it there. It is so lacing. The grounds are lush and beautiful. If you can't stay near the HH, try staying near Turtle pond. That bus stop is second in the OKW rotation and the quiet pool there is large, and includes a playground, shuffleboard, and a limited bar and sandwiches. Although the resort is large, even from the farthest buildings, the walk is only abut 10 minutes. Gurgling Suitcase, the bar, is small but quaint. The CM's pin trade. You'll have a great time.

Thank You so much for the help!

 

[davedmaine]

Hi everyone!

This year I will be staying at OKW for the first time! I have to say I am extremely excited considering this is the first time at a Deluxe resort.
What are some useful tips that can help make this a magical stay?
Also, do many CMs at OKW participate in pin trading?


Thanks in advance,
BarbieTourGuide

We stayed there once and said 'never again.' The place was just way too spread out for us. I didn't appreciate having to take a bus to get to the pool. All in all, the internal bus stops can be frustrating. Also, their CS is pretty lacking. Yes, there is one but the menu is very, very limited and all seating is outside. Also, it closes early so an evening coffee is likely out of the question. If we had rented a car, it might have been bearable, but all-in-all, we find that we much prefer having the resort under one roof..

 

[amym2]

We stayed at OKW last October for the first time and LOVED it! Yes, there were CMs doing pin trading. Yes, the resort is spread out, but we enjoyed walking around it. We ended up in the Turtle Pond area, which we loved because it was a short walk to the HH but nice and quiet. We had a very relaxing couple of nights at OKW (weren't doing parks anyway) and will definitely go back.

 

[babyflo1]

Our party of five stayed in a 2 bedroom villa in the turtle pond area and we loved the huge space inside the villa, more than any other deluxe I have heard. We had no car and transportation was never an issue except for one long bus ride when we went to Boardwalk villas via Downtown Disney for a dinner reservation. We had groceries delivered there and breakfast in the villa on the porch (table with four chairs) each morning. I am currently talking myself out of a Animal Kingdom Kidani reservation to stay there again.

 

[sharadoc]

OKW is the first DVC, so it was created as a high quality timeshare resort. You have the largest villas on property, wonderful big kitchen, a 2 person jacuzzi tub and a huge patio/balcony. The amenities are more in the room, with a great restaurant, store and marina as the main features outdoors. There is no CS per se, it is a place to get a snack or meal while at the pool area. The Gurgling Suitcase has personality, and is a wonderful place for a quick drink in the afternoon.

Most of the other DVC resorts, other than SSR, are an attachment or extension of a deluxe hotel, so you get restaurants, lounges, etc. that come with a hotel. There's usually room service available too!

So, staying at OKW is not staying "deluxe" it is staying high-end timeshare. As long as you understand that, you will NOT be disappointed in OKW. It is wonderful, relaxing and SO comfortable. It's not THAT big, I think it's just as much walking as POR, CBR, or Pop Century. Instead of walking along pools and paths, there is a road for the bus that you walk along on a sidewalk.

Our family loves OKW for a relaxed style vacation. We like to stay there in the summer when we spend pool time every day back at the resort. The quiet pools are nice, they all have a hot tub, and the main pool is wonderful. The activities around the pool every day are great, and the Community Hall has daily indoor activities for the kids and families and rent out video games and board games that you can take back to the room.

Bus service is the best of any resort we've stayed at, the buses are frequent and move quickly. Our favorite location is South Pointe, bldgs. 56, 55, 54. It's the first bus stop in the morning, so you always get a seat! It's a cul-de-sac too so very nice.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[amym2]

OKW is the first DVC, so it was created as a high quality timeshare resort. You have the largest villas on property, wonderful big kitchen, a 2 person jacuzzi tub and a huge patio/balcony. The amenities are more in the room, with a great restaurant, store and marina as the main features outdoors. There is no CS per se, it is a place to get a snack or meal while at the pool area. The Gurgling Suitcase has personality, and is a wonderful place for a quick drink in the afternoon.

Most of the other DVC resorts, other than SSR, are an attachment or extension of a deluxe hotel, so you get restaurants, lounges, etc. that come with a hotel. There's usually room service available too!

So, staying at OKW is not staying "deluxe" it is staying high-end timeshare. As long as you understand that, you will NOT be disappointed in OKW. It is wonderful, relaxing and SO comfortable. It's not THAT big, I think it's just as much walking as POR, CBR, or Pop Century. Instead of walking along pools and paths, there is a road for the bus that you walk along on a sidewalk.

Our family loves OKW for a relaxed style vacation. We like to stay there in the summer when we spend pool time every day back at the resort. The quiet pools are nice, they all have a hot tub, and the main pool is wonderful. The activities around the pool every day are great, and the Community Hall has daily indoor activities for the kids and families and rent out video games and board games that you can take back to the room.

Bus service is the best of any resort we've stayed at, the buses are frequent and move quickly. Our favorite location is South Pointe, bldgs. 56, 55, 54. It's the first bus stop in the morning, so you always get a seat! It's a cul-de-sac too so very nice.

Enjoy your trip!

The pool activities were one thing we really enjoyed, and that's not something we'd usually take time for. My DD and I did the "ice cream drop" and both kids and DH and I did the treasure hunt... and we won both and won all sorts of goodies!

OKW had a "charm" that I had read about but didn't truly understand until we stayed there. Someone recently wrote that they were "enchanted" by OKW and I thought that was a very accurate description!

 

[mom2my3kids]

We rented points years back and enjoyed it..very laid back and relaxing..This year we are also renting points off same DVC member and staying this december there..

 

[Deb & Bill]

The resort is very easy to get around. There are sidewalks all over the place, so you never need to walk in the road with the buses and cars like some posters have noted on other threads about OKW. The furthest walk is about 10 minutes to the Hospitality House. You can walk to DTD during the daytime hours and that is just under a mile and you wind up near Cirque Du Soleil.

There is a boat that goes from the Hospitality House area to DTD and docks near the old Pleasure Island section (near Characters in Flight).

The best thing about OKW is the relaxed feel you get when you stay there.

 

[darkwing818]

OKW is the first DVC, so it was created as a high quality timeshare resort. You have the largest villas on property, wonderful big kitchen, a 2 person jacuzzi tub and a huge patio/balcony. The amenities are more in the room, with a great restaurant, store and marina as the main features outdoors. There is no CS per se, it is a place to get a snack or meal while at the pool area. The Gurgling Suitcase has personality, and is a wonderful place for a quick drink in the afternoon.

Most of the other DVC resorts, other than SSR, are an attachment or extension of a deluxe hotel, so you get restaurants, lounges, etc. that come with a hotel. There's usually room service available too!

So, staying at OKW is not staying "deluxe" it is staying high-end timeshare. As long as you understand that, you will NOT be disappointed in OKW. It is wonderful, relaxing and SO comfortable. It's not THAT big, I think it's just as much walking as POR, CBR, or Pop Century. Instead of walking along pools and paths, there is a road for the bus that you walk along on a sidewalk.

Our family loves OKW for a relaxed style vacation. We like to stay there in the summer when we spend pool time every day back at the resort. The quiet pools are nice, they all have a hot tub, and the main pool is wonderful. The activities around the pool every day are great, and the Community Hall has daily indoor activities for the kids and families and rent out video games and board games that you can take back to the room.

Bus service is the best of any resort we've stayed at, the buses are frequent and move quickly. .

Enjoy your trip!

Could not have said it any better myself. We love OKW & think Olivia's is one of the best kept secrets for dining.

 

[lbv7]

OKW is the farthest thing from being a deluxe resort.
As another poster said, it is no different than any of the other timeshare complexes in the Orlando area, except you are paying Disney prices but with no Disney theming.
Having to possibly walk up two flights of stairs to get to your room is not a feature in any deluxe hotel.

 

[Weluvdizney2]

Never stayed at OKW. We check in Sunday though. While I haven't had to walk up 2 flights of stairs at a deluxe, it did SEEM like I had to walk two miles to get to my room at both AKL and YC. It was inside and air conditioned though...

 

[Deb & Bill]

OKW is the farthest thing from being a deluxe resort.
As another poster said, it is no different than any of the other timeshare complexes in the Orlando area, except you are paying Disney prices but with no Disney theming.
Having to possibly walk up two flights of stairs to get to your room is not a feature in any deluxe hotel.

I'll agree that OKW doesn't have in your face Mickey and Minnie like the value resorts or maybe the moderates. But you seldom see that in the deluxe resorts. The theming is Key West, Florida in the early 1900's. Pastels and gingerbread trim on the buildings. You will find hidden Mickey's all over the place.

Stairs can be a problem for some, haven't been for us and I have had two knee replacements since we bought into DVC at OKW. We'll be back there in October. But the large rooms really make up for any shortcomings. They are the largest on the Disney property.

 

[lsyorke]

My favorite resort, by far. I don't look for the "immersion" in Disney anymore. I love the space(especially when traveling with DS25 and his girlfriend22). I didn't have any problem with the buses, never waited more than 10 minutes.

It's quiet, pools all over the place and makes for a peaceful, relaxing vacation. I've stayed in all the deluxes...OKW is my "home" now.

 

[mom2my3kids]

My kids would rather stay at POP but we love OKW and it is cheaper when renting points..I have a lovely lady that I rent points from, I have in the past and trust her so it works for us..

 

[hornfish]

We LOVE OKW because we think it has the largest trooms of all the DVC villas. We always have a car so we do not mind being spread out. If no car, request close to the HH.