Boardwalk or Old Key West?

[kittycruize]

We are a family of 10, so 3 rooms, going in November. We have stayed at BWI, but are considering Old Key West for a change. We are very attached to the Boardwalk, but would like a change. For those that have stayed at both, or even OKW, what are your opinions? Is OKW too spread out? We would be going with 5 kids under 13. Any opinions would be appreciated. Our main concern with OKW is just that we have heard it is hard to get anywhere due to the size. TIA!

 

[nkereina]

My friend and her family, travel party of 12 with 4 kids under 6, recently stayed in two 2-bedroom villas at OKW. They LOVED it. OKW has the largest DVC rooms, so the space was great for them. There is an internal bus system that helps get you where you need to go at the resort, as well as a boat to Disney Springs which is a nice perk. Have you checked availability yet? Going early November may be tough to book for Boardwalk, if you haven't already.

 

[holden]

OKW is huge. That’s probably my only complaint about it. The rooms are a great size. We have stayed there several times. It’s not our first choice, but it is a nice place to stay.

We usually rely on Minnie Vans instead of the buses when staying at OKW.

 

[TXMemaw]

We have stayed at both many times. We had a group of 26 at OKW a few years ago during Thanksgiving week and LOVED it! BWI is my husband's favorite resort but for group trips we both agree that OKW is really nice because of the size of the rooms. Also having the two beds in the one bedrooms vs the bed and pullout couch is much nicer to sleep on.

 

[cedricandsophie]

OKW is our favorite resort. The rooms are very large and the atmosphere is very homey and comfortable. It is spread out but we always request a room near hospitality house which makes it much easier. Also there are no elevators, except in a couple buildings, so you need to be able to climb one or two flights of stairs. We don’t do the parks much any more but we love the pool and outdoor activities at OKW, like tennis, shuffleboard etc which are all very close together, also you can easily take the boat to Disney springs. One downside, If you need three rooms you may find it hard to get rooms all in the same building, so you could be far from each other.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you are looking at studios, no studio connects to another studio, only to a one bedroom to make a two bedroom lockoff. So one adult would need to be with any children in the studios. OKW two bedrooms only sleep nine. Unless you have a child under the age of three, you wouldn't fit in a two bedroom villa. Most of the buildings do not have elevators, so if you have younger kids, you might be hauling strollers and stuff up the stairs.

OKW really isn't that spread out with the roadway running through the middle of it. You can hop any theme park bus and go to the Hospitality House and the themed pool. Then walk over to Peninsular Road to catch a bus back to the further areas. Or just walk. It's maybe only ten minutes to anywhere. There is also an Internal bus that starts at the HH, then Miller Road, Peninsular Road, South Point, Turtle Pond and back to HH. It is also the Disney Springs bus so you have to be careful and not get on the bus as it is leaving the resort instead of going back through the resort. Just ask the driver.

 

[cvjw]

No way would my family ever pick OKW over BWV. The boardwalk is so convenient - walk to two theme parks and so many food choices within walking distance.

We purchased some OKW points without ever staying there. We stayed there 3 separate times and tried to like it. We just never did. It was always loud with the buses turning around in the parking lots, the walls are paper thin, the amenities can be such a long way away - depending on the villa you get. And you have to ride a bus to all the parks. The internal bus ride to all the stops can be as long as the ride to a park.

It just isn’t for us, We like convenience and being close to more food and entertainment options.

We sold our OKW points and bought BWV points.

 

[gharter]

if you have never stayed at OKW, its worth doing once.
Personally, I love BWV, thats why we own there. I love walking back from EPCOT or HS and walking around the Boardwalk at night. The performers are amazing and the lake is beautiful.

 

[rg35]

OKW is a great resort.

Good sized main pool with water slide, smaller quieter pools throughout the resort, a community hall with tons of activities for the kids.
The size of the resort has never been an issue for us. I have stayed on both Old Turtle Pond Road and Peninsular Road. We walked to the main pool from Old Turtle Pond road with our triplets when they were 6-8 years old. It was not a long walk. Peninsular Road rooms are closer to the Hospitality House.

Olivia's is one of the most under the radar TS restaurants in WDW.
The boat ride to Disney Springs is very nice and relaxing.
The rooms are huge with plenty of space for large parties. Additionally, all the rooms recently underwent a full refurb, so everything will feel brand new.

I can't comment on bus service because we always have a car. Obviously being able to walk to two resorts is Boardwalk's biggest advantage, but it's not something we really care about -- especially as we do less park time as we visit WDW more and more regularly.