Old Key West?

[aring75]

Can anyone give me some info about the OKW resort? Or do I need to go to the DVC boards?

I'm looking for info about transportation - good or bad?

On-site restaurants and/or food court - what are they like?

Does the resort still seem well kept and attractive? Does it look run down?

Even though it's not really close to one particular park, is it easy to get around?

What is the main pool like? Are there any quiet pools?



Thanks for your help. I'm trying to make a final decision as to whether or not to stay here. There are no other resorts involved in the final decision, it's just do I stay here or not (I got a really good rate). LOL

 

[Kim&Chris]

We stayed at OKW last year and absolutely loved it. The buildings do not look run down in the least.....in fact, they are freshly painted in bright, pastel colors.

We stayed in building 55 and had a quiet pool right next to the building. There are several quiet pools at this resort, but they are not really close to each other. The main pool is large and alot of fun!

The resort has a great restaurant called Olivia's. We enjoyed every meal we had there. There's also a great little bar called the Gurgling Suitcase.

The resort runs party boat rides to DTD frequently. Take advantage of this perk....it's great.

OKW is probably closest to Disney/MGM studios, but I can't say for sure.

 

[DeeP]

OKW buildings are in excellent condition, they are painted very pretty colors and the furnishings and decor is very light and airy. The porch railings in the front of the buildings is adorable! A 1 BR and larger unit is huge and laid out very nicely.
As for transportation...are you going to have a car? OKW is do able without a car but it is much easier with a car. OKW is no farther from parks than POFQ etc but it is not close to parks like the Magic Kingdom and Epcot resorts are. The resort itself is huge so unless you are close to the Hospitality House where the main pool, store, restaurant etc is you will have to take an internal bus or a long walk to get to these things--if you are not going to have a car at OKW, you might want to think about requesting a building close to the main hub of the resort. The boat to DTD is very nice and very convenient and runs to about 10:00 PM.
The resort restaurant is Olivia's that has good food at reasonable prices, there is no food court but there are 2 pool bars that serve good pool bar type food.
There are quite a few pools at OKW. The quiet pools are usually very quiet and convenient if you are in a building far from the HH. The main pool is in the main hub of the resort, it tends to be more crowded then the quiet pools, it has a hot tub but no pool slide.
There is also a community hall that offers activities for children and adults, free video rentals, etc.
Have a great trip!!!

 

[Beka'sMom]

Hi- we just swithced our ressie to OKW for part of our stay because of the great rate we were offered too!

Check out my thread which had alot of replies:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=244302

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Old Key West usually recieves great bus transportation... Even during park exits, I don't usually have a crowded bus (But it's not impossible). Old Key West is in a central location, that is near Epcot, Downtown Disney, as well as close to Disney/MGM Studios, and Magic Kingdom. The furthest would be Animal Kingdom, but even that's not that far.

Travel time to Downtown Disney: 5mins for Marketplace, 10 mins for Pleasure Island
Travel time to Epcot: 7 minutes
Travel time to Magic Kingdom: 9-12 minutes
Travel time to Disney/MGM Studios: 9-12 minutes
Travel time to Animal Kingdom: 15 minutes

Note that these times are from the front entrance. Time may vary depending on what stop you might have, traffic, etc. Busses will typically make stops in the following order:
Peninsular, South Pointe, Old Turtle Pond, Millers Road, and finally the Hospitality House. Downtown busses will start at Hospitality, then Millers Road, Peninsular, South Pointe, and then Turtle Pond.

 

[DaveH]

A perk you may or may not realize is free use of washers and dryers. In 1 BR and above washer and dyers are in the rooms. The studios use the washer and dryers at the quiet pools. There are plenty of opinions on the transportation from OKW on the DVC boards. You will find those who love it and those who hate it. Have a great nd magical trip.
Dave

 

[DaveH]

Here are links to threads I posted on pics of OKW stuio and 1BR.

Pics of OKW Studio

Pics of OKW 1BR

 

[Samsma]

We stayed at OKW July 2001 for a week. We enjoyed ourselves, buy hey, we were at Disney!!! The ONLY thing I didn't like was the walk to quiet pool, and main pool. In fact, we didn't use them at all due to our location. We were limited on location due to the need for a smoking room. But other than that we loved the 1 bedroom villa. Having your own washer/dryer and kitchen was wonderful, and our girl was 3 at the time, and needed the quiet of a separate bedroom for her naps. Huge jacuzzi tub too! Just get close to a bus stop and a pool, and you'll love it too.

 

[nuthut]

Old key West is a great resort. And for an even better rate, check out the rent/trade board.

 

[ncligs]

Here is a little bit of everything about OKW.

http://www.wdwig.com/g_okw.htm

 

[aring75]

Thanks so much for all these great replies!!

Now I'm really getting excited. We'll be there for five days in November for my birthday. I can't think of a better place to be than Disney!!!


Hmmmm . . . now I have to add another counter.

 

[RAD]

Don't forget that in a 1BR you have a nice whirlpool in the master bathroom to unwind after a long day.