Practically Perfect at the Poly? **UPDATE 7/28 -- And We're Back!!

[KatMark]

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT--as you'll see in my latest update on my PTR

It is beautiful, serene and very laid back. The Gurgling Suitcase has awesome drinks and is near the pool; you have Olivia's which has very good food for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The rooms are fresh and inviting.

Ask Karin and MaryEllen...they both love it too.

 

[tinacaplan]

Well, I haven't stayed at OKW yet so I can't really help you out. Although, it does sound like a very good option for y'all. We'll be staying there a bit during our trip. But, since our trip is just a little bit before yours, I won't really be able to help you out then either. So, I guess I'm just basically saying that I'm useless on this topic right now.

No worries! Clearly its got something going for it because you picked it for your upcoming trip!

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT--as you'll see in my latest update on my PTR

It is beautiful, serene and very laid back. The Gurgling Suitcase has awesome drinks and is near the pool; you have Olivia's which has very good food for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The rooms are fresh and inviting.

Ask Karin and MaryEllen...they both love it too.

I saw, I saw! I know how much Karin and Tom love it and Mary Ellen enjoyed it, too.


I'm just curious about the transportation issue, although SSR worked out fine and I was worried about that place with no car, too. I sometimes think that people exaggerate when it comes to distances at the resorts (see: CSR ) and the maps make things look huge, too, which doesn't help.

 

[amandaw]

No worries! Clearly its got something going for it because you picked it for your upcoming trip!

Well, I won't lie - I picked it because it was available for us to trade into with our Hilton timeshare. But, it does look like a very pretty resort. I am getting excited to try it out. I just get overwhelmed when I look at the map of it. And it probably doesn't help that I really don't know much about the resort.

 

[KatMark]

No worries! Clearly its got something going for it because you picked it for your upcoming trip!



I saw, I saw! I know how much Karin and Tom love it and Mary Ellen enjoyed it, too.


I'm just curious about the transportation issue, although SSR worked out fine and I was worried about that place with no car, too. I sometimes think that people exaggerate when it comes to distances at the resorts (see: CSR ) and the maps make things look huge, too, which doesn't help.

We used the buses several times in September and exclusively (well, except when we used the boat to DTD) and we only had one really long wait which, as you know, can happen at any resort. There are bus stops in each village and it does not take long at all to make the circle.

 

[monica23535]

We stayed at OKW last October for 15 days and never experienced any problems with the buses.

The resort is beautiful and I would happily stay in a two bedroomed villa there again if BC wasn't my favorite resort

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

I can't help too much, I've never stayed at OKW...but I have heard good things about it! I'm sorry that BC probably will not work out, I know that'd be your first choice, but OKW does sound like a good option for you guys!

 

[eandesmom]

Well, from a sleeping perspective it's probably a much better fit unless you all want to share a bed and fight over who gets the daybed or get 2 rooms at the BC which gets pricey quick I imagine. Not to mention probably being sold out for the dates? Not sure mind you but space..hang out space...and sleeping flexibility make a 2B villa much nicer option if you ask me if you are going to have any room time at all. And since it's a mixed group who may not be commando tourers...seems like a great idea!

As to OKW all I can say is....I seriously considered buying there and....will report back on my 1 night experience in August. Granted, I likely won't have much to report on buses but you never know, if we pool hop, I will!

 

[Missyrose]

Ahhhhhh, fell behind again! I don't know how I manage to do it again and again, but I'm all caught up.

First of all, I loved your "perfect evening." We also loved our first brush with Citricos, beautiful setting, amazing food and wonderful service. It's not often Disney hits the nail on the head with all three.

I sat there nodding my head as you described the disagreement you and Mark had before dinner. Franklin and I had a similar argument just today. I'd sent him the links to a bunch of Epcot restaurants that I wanted him to look at as I start to put together the makings of an ADR plan for January and he grumbled about having to do it. I said he had two choices, he either A)Looks at the menus and gets a say, or B) I do allllllllllllll the planning and he doesn't get to complain about a single choice I make. He wants to be involved, so he swears he'll read the menus by the weekend.

I'm so, so glad you decided to add the night at AoA to your July trip. I've been so blown away by all the pictures and details in the resort that I've even said to Franklin that I'd like to spend a night there before one of our DVC trips.

That's so exciting that Max fit 40 inches! Is there any particular ride he can't wait to try?

I wish I could be more help on OKW, all I know is it is a BEAUTIFUL resort. And many of the DVC members on the DVC boards say once they stayed there, they totally fell in love with the resort. It's on my to-do list some day.

When are your dates in October? And when are you coming to D.C.?

 

[MEK]

I did forget to laugh at the clipboard O fun! So

I did not discover any drawbacks to OKW. Plus the 2BR will be huge. You will feel like you are in a palace. Enjoy!

 

[Shazzasmd]

We stayed in a 2 bedroom at OKW - 5 adults, 2 kids. It was great, very spacious. We were a few bldgs over from the HH.

Enjoyed the boat to DD, and took busses to the parks - never had an issue. We did use our car once, for an ADR at Artists Point.

Enjoy your planning and the trip.

 

[ILuvWishes!]

I am a DVC member and own at OKW. You will get a large room with a full kitchen and laundry. A 2 bedroom will also get you 2 full baths. OKW has 4 pools, but only 2 have food shacks near them (main pool & Old Turtle Pond), so request a room near one of them.

OKW is my family's favorite resort. We rarely have bus issues. OKW is centrally located and close to most parks & DTD (it might take about 15-20 to get to AK).

I highly recommend it and hope you have fun there!!

 

[pinkxray]

I haven't stayed at OKW yet but I would definitely pick in for your Oct trip. The extra space will be great and it will be nice to have the separate sleeping areas and living space so that you can hang out together without having to sit on beds.

I have never really read about bus issues, everyone who stays there seems to LOVE it.

 

[tinkgurl]

Hello! I'm new to your TR, but saw in your title that you needed some advice about OKW!

We have stayed there several trips now and love it. The rooms are very spacious. Also, it doesn't matter if you're near the main building. There are several bus stops along the way. You can even hop on a bus to get to the main building if you need to. And we actually like the other pools that are close to our room versus the main pool.

If you're driving, you can park your car right outside of your building. It's great for unloading. But, we love using Disney transportation the whole trip, so we never use our car until it's time to go home!

You can order your groceries ahead of time before you leave your house. They will be delivered to your room on your arrival day! And if you forget to add something to the list or think of something else you want, there's groceries in the main building.

If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer!

 

[tinacaplan]

Well, I won't lie - I picked it because it was available for us to trade into with our Hilton timeshare. But, it does look like a very pretty resort. I am getting excited to try it out. I just get overwhelmed when I look at the map of it. And it probably doesn't help that I really don't know much about the resort.

OKW looks lovely. But the map looks huge...then again, so did the SSR map and that turned out OK.

We used the buses several times in September and exclusively (well, except when we used the boat to DTD) and we only had one really long wait which, as you know, can happen at any resort. There are bus stops in each village and it does not take long at all to make the circle.

Sounds good!

We stayed at OKW last October for 15 days and never experienced any problems with the buses.

The resort is beautiful and I would happily stay in a two bedroomed villa there again if BC wasn't my favorite resort

Ah...yes...the BC! Its my favorite, too!

I can't help too much, I've never stayed at OKW...but I have heard good things about it! I'm sorry that BC probably will not work out, I know that'd be your first choice, but OKW does sound like a good option for you guys!

I think it will!

Well, from a sleeping perspective it's probably a much better fit unless you all want to share a bed and fight over who gets the daybed or get 2 rooms at the BC which gets pricey quick I imagine. Not to mention probably being sold out for the dates? Not sure mind you but space..hang out space...and sleeping flexibility make a 2B villa much nicer option if you ask me if you are going to have any room time at all. And since it's a mixed group who may not be commando tourers...seems like a great idea!

As to OKW all I can say is....I seriously considered buying there and....will report back on my 1 night experience in August. Granted, I likely won't have much to report on buses but you never know, if we pool hop, I will!

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head. The biggest thing is that with a 2 bd villa (which I hadn't considered until I realized how relatively inexpensive OKW is) we'll have space to hang out in and you're right...not park commandoes, so I'm sure there will be a fair amount of down time. And it will let us maximize our time with eachother, too, which is another bonus.

Ahhhhhh, fell behind again! I don't know how I manage to do it again and again, but I'm all caught up.

First of all, I loved your "perfect evening." We also loved our first brush with Citricos, beautiful setting, amazing food and wonderful service. It's not often Disney hits the nail on the head with all three.

I sat there nodding my head as you described the disagreement you and Mark had before dinner. Franklin and I had a similar argument just today. I'd sent him the links to a bunch of Epcot restaurants that I wanted him to look at as I start to put together the makings of an ADR plan for January and he grumbled about having to do it. I said he had two choices, he either A)Looks at the menus and gets a say, or B) I do allllllllllllll the planning and he doesn't get to complain about a single choice I make. He wants to be involved, so he swears he'll read the menus by the weekend.

I'm so, so glad you decided to add the night at AoA to your July trip. I've been so blown away by all the pictures and details in the resort that I've even said to Franklin that I'd like to spend a night there before one of our DVC trips.

That's so exciting that Max fit 40 inches! Is there any particular ride he can't wait to try?

I wish I could be more help on OKW, all I know is it is a BEAUTIFUL resort. And many of the DVC members on the DVC boards say once they stayed there, they totally fell in love with the resort. It's on my to-do list some day.

When are your dates in October? And when are you coming to D.C.?

I just really hope Max makes it! I'm sure he would've said Test Track, but I haven't said much to him about because its closed for refurb. If I can convince him that BTMRR is really JUST a train....

I'm looking forward to our night at AofA. I've been curious about the values for one thing. Many people (on the boards and off) had scared me about the values and there's a lot about them that's not all that appealing, but...AofA seems like its got so many cool things going on and Max is a Cars FREAK. I'm also glad that we're just going to hang out that day and chill and explore.

I did forget to laugh at the clipboard O fun! So

I did not discover any drawbacks to OKW. Plus the 2BR will be huge. You will feel like you are in a palace. Enjoy!

Hmm...I like palaces!

 

[tinacaplan]

I'll finish replies tomorrow, but just wanted to pop in and say thanks! Seems like OKW has a lot of loyal fans out there, which is great to hear. I also think I was able to convince all parties involved that OKW is really our best option at this point. I went on-line to check things out today and the only rooms left at the BC for that weekend are club level which is capital C crazy money, IMO. OKW fairly reasonable, especially when split five ways. Plus, it really shocked me how close SSR was to both MK and EPCOT when I was there in April. See, if it hadn't been for my SSR stay, I'd never have known about how pretty and centrally located OKW is, so maybe I stayed there for a reason.

I leave Monday to chaperone my eighth grader's D.C. trip. It will be exhausting and wonderful and amazing. For a lot of our kids, its one of the few times they get out of New Haven, not to mention one of the first times they're away from their families. I get to really shift into Mom-mode, which I actually enjoy. I have to say that if most any of my kids at school needed a home right now, I'd take them in in a heartbeat. We're doing all the regular tourist stuff, plus we were able to book a White House tour, something I've never done. I have family in the D.C. area (my godmother and her family, who are coming in October), so I've been going down there my whole life, so it will be cool to see it all through the kid's eyes. The last time I was in D.C. was in the spring of 2009, close to the election, and well....it was pretty amazing to walk part of the inauguration route and just gaze over at the White House and be at the Lincoln Memorial.

Then I get back and there's a week left and then I'm off for five! And our July trip is getting so close! I swear, I will absolutely have this TR wrapped up before we leave and maybe even sneak in some of the highlights from April. As much as I'd love to be able to pull off a full-fledged TR for April, there's just no way it's going to happen.

 

[KatMark]

I'm glad OKW seems to be the way you are going.

Have fun chaperoning.

 

[amandaw]

Have fun on the DC trip! I really want to go one day. Ed & I both love history so I think we'd have a great time. I'll probably wait until Reid is older. But, we'll do that one year.

And y'alls next trip will be here before you know it!

 

[annmarieda]

I'll finish replies tomorrow, but just wanted to pop in and say thanks! Seems like OKW has a lot of loyal fans out there, which is great to hear. I also think I was able to convince all parties involved that OKW is really our best option at this point. I went on-line to check things out today and the only rooms left at the BC for that weekend are club level which is capital C crazy money, IMO. OKW fairly reasonable, especially when split five ways. Plus, it really shocked me how close SSR was to both MK and EPCOT when I was there in April. See, if it hadn't been for my SSR stay, I'd never have known about how pretty and centrally located OKW is, so maybe I stayed there for a reason.

I leave Monday to chaperone my eighth grader's D.C. trip. It will be exhausting and wonderful and amazing. For a lot of our kids, its one of the few times they get out of New Haven, not to mention one of the first times they're away from their families. I get to really shift into Mom-mode, which I actually enjoy. I have to say that if most any of my kids at school needed a home right now, I'd take them in in a heartbeat. We're doing all the regular tourist stuff, plus we were able to book a White House tour, something I've never done. I have family in the D.C. area (my godmother and her family, who are coming in October), so I've been going down there my whole life, so it will be cool to see it all through the kid's eyes. The last time I was in D.C. was in the spring of 2009, close to the election, and well....it was pretty amazing to walk part of the inauguration route and just gaze over at the White House and be at the Lincoln Memorial.

Then I get back and there's a week left and then I'm off for five! And our July trip is getting so close! I swear, I will absolutely have this TR wrapped up before we leave and maybe even sneak in some of the highlights from April. As much as I'd love to be able to pull off a full-fledged TR for April, there's just no way it's going to happen.

Have fun!!!

 

[dizneeat]

Hi Tina!
Sorry I am late (again) - those last few weeks leading up to the end of the school year and my race to finish my trip/dining reports seem to take up most of my time.

I think you are kind of set for OKW. It is a VERY beautiful resort, and yes, it is spread out, but I think the internal buses run on a very regular basis. Can't comment on them, since we always drive.
Just a little food for thought .... did you consider a two bedroom at BCV or BWV? I just checked and for mid October there are some available at both resorts and they are just 800$ more than OKW (did 4 nights, as I could not remember how long you are going to stay). I was amazed to see that a 2 bedroom at either resort was way cheaper than two regular rooms.

If you have any more questions about OKW, just PM me!

 

[MEK]

5 weeks is NOT a long enough summer break. But it's better than my summer break, which is non existent.

Good decision on OKW!