1st OKW visit - what, where, how and why

[abner1776]

DW and I are planning our first trip to OKW in late Sept for 4 nights... No kids involved for this trip.

As we are both closer to 60 than 55, we are not interested in walking all over the OKW to get to everywhere.

Any suggestions as far as what rooms/bldg to stay in ? Also, what activities are close by. How is the bus trans to the parks ? Is it worth it to take the boat to DTD ?

I read somewhere that there is on line booking available...how does that work ? Can you actually reserve a specific room or just a bldg ?

Thanks

 

[beccasmom]

OKW is a large resort, so become acquainted with its layout with this link - there is a good map that shows the buildings and areas.

http://dvcnews.com/content/view/132/118/

You would probably be best served by requesting a room near the Hospitality House (check-in). All the resort services are in that area - restaurant, general store, main pool, etc. The only buildings that have elevators are 62-64 and my understanding is that those with medical conditions have first choice of those buildings.

The bus system is generally okay. There are stops in each area ("neighborhood"). If you anticipate making many stops at other resorts, you might find it easier to rent a car - certainly quicker. But we have relied on the resort transportation and never had any issues. The boat that travels to DTD is a nice alternative. Up until recently it was shared with SSR, but that has changed. The boat dock has changed recently as well; it is close to the Pleasure Island area. The closest resorts are SSR/THV, POR and POFQ. Also close by are Typhoon Lagoon and DTD.

You can reserve a specific building, although it is not a guarantee. Requesting a certain room is probably not a great idea because if the room is occupied, the front desk would have no idea why you wanted that specific room. It is therefore better to list what is important to you - ground floor, water view, close to front desk, etc.

 

[JimMIA]

I'll second what Penny recommended about the "near Hospitality House" category. That is a guaranteed booking category that puts you in one of the buildings within very easy walking distance of the hub of activities.

 

[dianeschlicht]

So did you BOOK the Hospitality House catagory? If not, you can't make that as a request.

We are in our 60's and DH has bad knees, so we also don't like to do too much walking, but you are never farther from the HH area than the nearest bus stop. There are 5 bus stops at OKW. The last one is Hospitality House, so all buses stop there last. The bus stop at HH is right outside the entrance portico, so just a short walk to the restaurant, bar, and main areas.

Bus service at OKW is always wonderful that time of the year. Buses run to the parks on about a 20 minute schedule throughout the day, but we find the come more frequently than that early in the morning and a bit less frequently in the middle of the afternoon. The order of the bus stops coming into the resort are Peninuslar Road, South Point, Turtle Pond, Miller's Road and last Hospitality House.

Our favorite areas are Miller's Road and South Point. Our favorite buildings are 45 and 46 followed closely by 15, 16, 20, and 55. The views from 45 and 46 are not to be beat, and they are very quiet. If you choose to walk to the HH from there, it is about a 6 minute walk at a normal pace. If you want to be really close to HH without being booked into the HH catagory, request buildings 62, 63, 64, 16, 17, and 18. I'll attach the OKW map so you can see where it all is.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We're exactly half way between 55 and 60, and we much prefer Miller's Road to the HH category. It's far enough away to be quiet, yet close enough for a comfortable walk. Our favorite buildings are 15, 17, and 18. I wish you could reserve specific buildings, but you can't-just the 2 categories HH and non-HH. Everything else is just a request.

 

[abner1776]

Thanks for all of the input...

 

[SusieBea]

You know, I've not heard many people voice this opinion, but I am not enamoured with being near the HH, particularly buildings 11, 12, 13 & 14. I find that area congested and noisy because it is near the Hospitality area. We like the Turtle Pond area, and South Pointe is not bad - buildings 45 and 46 are very nicely located. The buses run frequently if you prefer not to walk to the main pool area and do not have a car.

 

[Chuck S]

You know, I've not heard many people voice this opinion, but I am not enamoured with being near the HH, particularly buildings 11, 12, 13 & 14. I find that area congested and noisy because it is near the Hospitality area. We like the Turtle Pond area, and South Pointe is not bad - buildings 45 and 46 are very nicely located. The buses run frequently if you prefer not to walk to the main pool area and do not have a car.

I agree, Turtle Pond and South Point are our favorite areas, and in addition to Bldgs 45 and 46, (great canal view) add bldg 55 as a nice canal view bldg, right next door to a pool.

We've stayed in the 11 to 14 bldgs (before it was a booking category) and it was nice enough...but the parking was awful.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'll voice the same opinion. We'd rather be further out from the HH area. Not as busy, not as noisy, and like Chuck S said, easier parking.

 

[beccasmom]

You know, I've not heard many people voice this opinion, but I am not enamoured with being near the HH, particularly buildings 11, 12, 13 & 14. I find that area congested and noisy because it is near the Hospitality area. We like the Turtle Pond area, and South Pointe is not bad - buildings 45 and 46 are very nicely located. The buses run frequently if you prefer not to walk to the main pool area and do not have a car.

I agree! We love South Point and are also quite fond of Turtle Pond. But some folks just like the ease of an quick walk to the HH.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have to agree with the others. Buildings 11, 12, 13, & 14 are not my preferred ones. I did book HH for our December trip though, and I requested building 23!

 

[downontheBW]

Our last stay at OKW was in the HH area (bldg 26) and we liked it being in the restaurant/bar/pool area and had a bus stop right out front. It was a bit of a walk to the HH though. You said it's just the two of you with no kids - the main pool can get a bit noisy/busy with the pool slide and playground area.

If you want a convenient, quiet area, I'd recommend the east side of South Point. Our previous stay at OKW was in bldg 56 - right next to a quiet pool and laundry area (good, since we were in a studio) and the bus stop was right next to the building but no busses actually went by our room as the bus stop is on the corner. Very peaceful!!

Oh, yes - about the boat... definitely take at least one boat trip to DTD! My DH and I take it almost every day. It's a nice relaxing trip even if you don't need to go to DTD, just hop on the next boat back.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

We always book a 2br and one of the best perks of OKW are the balconies. In the 1BR and 2BR you can have drinks and dinner out on the balcony and November is the perfect time of the year for this weather wise.

The boat to DTD is nice especially at night. We do the parks but we also love to relax and go to the movies at DTD and for ice cream, or just to walk around.

HH is not my favorite section, I prefer bldngs by the quiet pools #55 & 56 and bbq grills.

Enjoy your stay!