Back from OKW - My thoughts

[curiouser]

We returned over the weekend from our 5 night stay at OKW and I have to say I'm not a fan (I know all of you OKW fans are rejoicing at one less person booking your rooms! ).

I think it didn't live up to my expectations. After doing some reading I noticed a lot of people said the rooms were big (we were in a studio), but honestly, with the awkward layout and all I didn't feel that rooms were really that much larger than our room at the BC.

Also, OKW was NOT quiet when we were there! There were kids shouting and playing on the stairs/in the courtyard at 7:30-8am, the pools were busy and noisy with people jumping in and out, and the buses were often so loud that we couldn't even hear the bus drivers announcement. I think the later was due to the fact that many large families were at OKW that week and would shout across to one another on the busses.

Busses were hard to come by as well....

That all said, SO and I couldn't put our finger on why we didn't like OKW until a few days into the trip: we realized it was like staying off-site with Disney busses. We couldn't find a single hidden mickey in our room! That's normally such a joy for us!

Anyway, that's just my thoughts. If you're the type of person who wants to be immersed in Disney your whole trip, I don't think OKW is good for those people (like me!). It was still a lovely, beautiful resort and would've been fantastic anywhere else... but it just wasn't "Disney" to us!

(Oh, and stay away from the Turtle Krawl )

 

[Caskbill]

The key to OKW is you must stay in a 1BR villa or larger. The Studios aren't much more than a glorified hotel room. When we stay at OKW it's always a 1-B/R, there's a world of difference.

Unfortunately you missed the best thing about OKW, and that's the room size you get. Try it again sometime with the larger size villa, and then you'll see the 'wow' factor.

 

[LisaS]

I second Caskbill's post. To appreciate OKW, you have to stay in a 1BR or larger. We spent 4 nights in a 1BR last January and loved having all that space. I've lived in apartments (in expensive urban areas) that had less space than that 1BR villa! It truly felt like a vacation "home" to us.

I agree with your other comments that it feels more removed from the rest of WDW than some of the other resorts but that can be a good thing!

 

[MonkeyPants]

I second Caskbill's post. To appreciate OKW, you have to stay in a 1BR or larger. We spent 4 nights in a 1BR last January and loved having all that space. I've lived in apartments (in expensive urban areas) that had less space than that 1BR villa! It truly felt like a vacation "home" to us.

I agree with your other comments that it feels more removed from the rest of WDW than some of the other resorts but that can be a good thing!

couldnt agree more...I really how much room are you expecting from a studio, that being said they do have the best studios for sleeping since they have 2 queen beds instead of the queen and the pull-out.

 

[JimMIA]

I guess timing is everything. We were there May 14-19, and found it both quiet and uncrowded...including the pool both times we were there.

The last morning we were there, some clown came down to "save" pool lounges and everybody just laughed at him. (It was so UNcrowded, we didn't even feel a need to put his towels in the towel return bin! )

I agree with Bill though -- if you didn't stay in a 1 BR or better, you missed one of the best things about OKW. We're in a studio for a short trip in November, but the larger units are truly spacious.

Another thing we love about OKW is the parking at the door. If you don't have a car, of course, that just creates a spread-out place that is more difficult to walk around, so your perspective may change.

I've also seen comments about no interior hallways, but frankly, I don't spend a lot of my life in hallways, so I haven't missed that. I live in Miami, so my rain plan is: if it rains, we get wet. I've lived here a long time and haven't melted yet.

As far as the hidden Mickeys, DD4goingon24 has volunteered to help you next time. They're all over the place!

One of the great things about DVC is the variety of resorts we have to choose from. You tried OKW; you didn't like it. Sorry you were disappointed, but now you know, and you have lots of other great options.

 

[JimMIA]

After doing some reading I noticed a lot of people said the rooms were big (we were in a studio), but honestly, with the awkward layout and all I didn't feel that rooms were really that much larger than our room at the BC.

I think you may be right about the size. I don't recall -- and can't find -- the room sizes, but I seem to remember that the studios are roughly the same size in all of the resorts.

 

[Sammy]

...I agree with your other comments that it feels more removed from the rest of WDW than some of the other resorts but that can be a good thing!

And this is exactly why we LOVE Old Key West! After a hectic day in the parks, we love returning to the quiet of OKW for some "down time"!

I'm glad we all like different resorts.....would be kinda hard to get ressies if we all wanted to say at the same place!

 

[rigsby25]

I've stayed at an SSR studio and 1 BR and an OKW studio and 1 BR. Actually I like the SSR studio layout better because when we get a studio, its just me and my husband. So the bed and couch is nice. But man oh man! I was absolutely speechless and flabergasted at how small the SSR 1 BR was!!!! It can't be half the size of the OKW 1 BR. I just returned Saturday from an SSR visit, and I missed waiting for the bus at OKW HH and listening to the island music. I like the gurgling suitcase much better than the pool par at SSR. I don't know about any of the other resorts, but I really like OKW. There was an availability issue, otherwise, I would have stayed at OKW. We'll be staying at VWL in October in a 1 BR, but I'm guessing its about the size of the 1 BR at SSR. And I like the big patio's in the OKW 1 BR too.

 

[Fitswimmer]

I'm staying at a 2 BDR in OKW next week. I couldn't remember where OKW was located, and I'm told it's pretty far out from the parks. Since parentals live in FL, we will have a car. Would it make more sense to drive to the parks or to take the buses? (they have free parking with their passes)

 

[MonkeyPants]

I'm staying at a 2 BDR in OKW next week. I couldn't remember where OKW was located, and I'm told it's pretty far out from the parks. Since parentals live in FL, we will have a car. Would it make more sense to drive to the parks or to take the buses? (they have free parking with their passes)

Drive, even when the buses are running on schedule it will take you less time. Not to mention should you decide you want to go from one resort to the next to another (ie want to have beakfast or dinner at a resort other than where you are staying) its makes it so much more convient then having to leave insanely early to pull off some crazy bus transfer thing at one of the parks or DTD.

 

[fkj2]

I'm staying at a 2 BDR in OKW next week. I couldn't remember where OKW was located, and I'm told it's pretty far out from the parks. Since parentals live in FL, we will have a car. Would it make more sense to drive to the parks or to take the buses? (they have free parking with their passes)

If you have a car, I'd probably drive regardless of which resort I was staying at. I'd disagree with OKW being THAT far from the parks. It's convenient to both DTD, MGM and Epcot by bus, maybe less so to MK and Animal Kingdom.

The thing is, if people who stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge want to come to MGM or Epcot, it's a bus ride. If they stay at BCV or BWV and want to go to Animal Kingdom, it's a bus ride. The only way I think you can avoid a longer bus ride is to avoid those theme parks that are not immediately adjacent to your resort.

 

[Granny]

That all said, SO and I couldn't put our finger on why we didn't like OKW until a few days into the trip: we realized it was like staying off-site with Disney busses. We couldn't find a single hidden mickey in our room! That's normally such a joy for us!

If you strolled out on the balcony, I think you might have found some hidden Mickeys there. Okay, not so hidden.

 

[Caskbill]

Fitswimmer:

Even if you have a car, it's probably still better to take the bus when going to the MK. With a car you drive, park, then tram to the TTC, and from there take a boat or monorail to the park. If you bus, you go directly to the park. If going to one of the other parks, especially AK, we find that driving ourselves is much quicker.

Don't forget that while your parents have AP's and get free parking, you don't need theirs. As a WDW resort guest, you get free parking yourself. They'll give you a parking pass that you put on your dashboard. When you go to one of the theme parks, the parking attendant will see the pass and will wave you right on through.

 

[dianeschlicht]

The key to OKW is you must stay in a 1BR villa or larger. The Studios aren't much more than a glorified hotel room. When we stay at OKW it's always a 1-B/R, there's a world of difference.

Unfortunately you missed the best thing about OKW, and that's the room size you get. Try it again sometime with the larger size villa, and then you'll see the 'wow' factor.

Here here! Absolutely right! We NEVER stay in studios for more than a night. Noise on the buses is not something that is OKW fault. Studios at OKW are all on the outside corners of the buildings, so are also more prone to external noise.

 

[MonkeyPants]

Here here! Absolutely right! We NEVER stay in studios for more than a night. Noise on the buses is not something that is OKW fault. Studios at OKW are all on the outside corners of the buildings, so are also more prone to external noise.

I dont know about you, but after a day at the parks I sleep like the dead, so a bus could drive right next to me and I might not hear it

 

[LisaS]

I'm probably in the minority, but I don't mind taking the buses. It can be fun if you have a good group. When DH and I stayed at OKW back in January, there was a very vocal group of 5 or 6 people on our bus one evening. They were singing and trying to get everyone else on the bus to join in. Once the bus had emptied out a bit, they started joking around with the bus driver (who was in fine form as well). These people were hysterical! They had DH and me in stitches the entire trip. The best part of it all is that these folks looked to be in their mid 60s. They were singing songs from the original Mickey Mouse Club TV show. It was a hoot! It is one of my fondest memories from that trip. I'm so glad we opted to take the bus that day instead of driving our rental car.

 

[mrsR123]

We only drive to AK. I've only had our van down for summer trips, and I'd rather wait for an air-conditioned bus than sit in a giant Ford oven.

I will say that we drove more when we were dragging strollers; they're a royal pain on the bus.

 

[Figment&Piglet]

Just wanted to add our $.02. We know how many people just love OKW, and we decided to try it for the first time ourselves in early May because of the rave reviews by loyalists, because the pictures looked beautiful, and because the points were low and we just want to try all of the resorts. We're staying there in October, too, but only because nothing else was available. That's because, all and all, we felt like the minuses outweighed the plusses, but here are our accounts of both:

PLUSSES: Well the size of the Studio as compared to the other DVC Studios (and we only stay in Studios, so we noticed) did NOT disappoint. We thought it was huge -- especially the bathroom. And having one of us sleep in a second real bed instead of that disgraceful pullout was heaven. We also thought the room was one of the best kept/cleanest we'd been in (on par with VWL, and much nicer than BCV and BWV). Liked having the car within feet of our door! And, as I said, lower points was nice!

MINUSES: We thought it was very noisy, too. Doors slamming, people talking loudly outside. (Human nature, maybe, if you're not in an enclosed hallway but are still outside you just don't think to keep quiet?) Heard people through the connecting door (at 4:00 a.m. no less) and I never did at any of the other DVC rooms (luck of the draw?). "Bugged" us, too (pun intended), that the exterior doors with lights next to them meant mosquitoes and other bugs came in every time you came back to your room at night. Even though are car was close, we didn't like having to drive to the pool, restaurant(s), general store, etc., instead of just walking to them like at the other DVC resorts. But the biggest disappointment, is sort of intangible and tough to describe: We just felt there was no "WOW-factor." It did feel, as someone else said, that we were staying either off-site or, at best, at a moderate like Port Orleans (minus the plusses of the room size, etc., noted above). No WOW in the lobby like in the other resorts (VWL especially, but BCV and BWV too), where you walk in and really feel like you're in a 5-star hotel. Even before you get to the lobby, the drive-up/check-in area at the Hospitality House is small and unimpressive. Goods to Go was just a window, without the food selection, seating, or charm of a Roaring Forks at VWL or the new market at BCV. The whole "pier-like" (where Goods, the Fitness Center, etc., are) area seemed small and cramped, compared to having the Boardwalk right outside your room, or even VWL expansive lobby/eating areas.

Just our $.02. We felt a little underwhelmed and a little disappointed. Definitely not our first choice, but not anything we feel like we'd need to "avoid like the plague." We'll stay there in October, if our waitlist for one of the other resorts doesn't come through.

I guess that's why there are choices for everyone!

 

[PADVCmember@OKW]

Square Footage of DVC Resorts

OKW
Studio 390 1 BR 1005 2 BR 1410 GV 2375

HH
Studio 455 1 BR 856 2 BR 1311 GV 2362

BW
Studio 359 1 BR 712 2 BR 1071 GV 2142

VB
Studio 375 1 BR 880 2 BR 1265 GV 2125

VWL
Studio 356 1 BR 727 2 BR 1083

BCV
Studio 356 1 BR 727 2 BR 1083

SSR
Studio 355 1BR 714 2BR 1075 GV 2113

 

[smjj]

Personel preferences is what its all about. We took our family to OKW early May. Several times we had the quiet pool in Southpoint to ourselfs for quite a while or just a couple of others there when we arrived. The buses, we did have a few where we were the only ones on them. Vary rarley were they close to being full. I suppose this time of year with school out ALL Disney resorts will be as the OP noted, crowded and noisy.
My wife and I prefer the studio because it saves us enough to take a third trip each year or bank the points. That is what we did this May. We saved enough to book a 2 bedroom for our family trip. My wife and I were very impressed with the size. We might start opting for the 1 bedrooom due to the size. OKW is in our opinion, the most relaying resort they have and that is why we love it soooo much...smjj