Boardwalk Villas, Old Key West, Seaworld, Trattoria al Forno, and Jaleo

[Einstein509]

Just wanted to provide a quick trip report from our recent Spring Break trip to WDW. We were initially slated to go to Hawaii staying in Waikiki and Aulani, but plans changed due to some medical issues. Either way, we had a very good and relaxing weeklong trip to WDW. I'll break up the report into the two resorts we stayed at, Boardwalk Villas and Old Key West. We chose these based on availability when our plans changed a little over a month out from the vacation.

Boardwalk Villas, Blizzard Beach, Sea World, and Trattoria al Forno:

We arrived early (9am) to MCO and had the water park perk so got a rental and headed straight to Blizzard Beach. The parking lot was about halfway full when we arrived around 10:30am so we were hopeful the park wouldn't be busy. It wasn't bad, but got busier as the day progressed. It was also one of the "chillier" days while we were there so getting wet and on water rides wasn't great. When I say "chilly" it was around the high 70s, but that is chilly for central FL. We really had a good time at the park and rode about half the rides. Also ate lunch there and mobile order took forever. The ordering window was also about 30 minutes out. So be warned when wanting something to eat around peak lunch times.

Our room was ready around 4pm, so we headed over to BWV. We had a 1 BDRM villa and we liked the refurbished rooms. We were on the second floor overlooking the quiet pool and close to the lobby. So convenient all around except for the parking situation. Parking at BWV is far from the rooms so that was a bit inconvenient. During our stay, we enjoyed the quiet and main pools, rode the Skyliner, walked the Boardwalk, and visited Seaworld.

Our younger daughter really likes animals and older daughter likes thrill rides. Seaworld had both and we had a really good time there. Got to the park around 11:30am and stayed until about 6pm. Waits for the rides were minimal, even their new penguin coaster which was around a 30-40 minute wait. Everything else was 5-20 minutes. We also caught almost all of the shows (orcas, sea lions, dolphins). I think our favorite is the dolphins show. Food in the park is expensive, more so than WDW. Also, regular parking was $41 which is on the steeper end, I believe. They also had a food festival going on (Seven Seas Food Festival?) which I was initially excited about until I did some homework and research. It turns out the portions are really tiny for the price you pay. Most main dishes were in the $11-15 range and it showed as there weren't a lot of people eating at the booths. Very unlike the Epcot food festivals where there are sometimes lines of people waiting to purchase.

We did not enter any other Disney parks. This is a conscious choice we've made as we were AP holders pre-pandemic for many years, but all of the cuts to amenities, freebies, shows, etc. and the price increases and constant price gouging for things that were complimentary have put us off. We've also learned to appreciate going to WDW, staying at the DVC resorts, relaxing, soaking in the atmosphere and not constantly running from ride to ride, trying to meet FP+ windows, and staring at phones looking for the next FP+ opportunity. We haven't tried all the new skip the line offerings either. Our vacations are now very, very, relaxing and chill.

While staying at the villas, we ate an adults dinner at Trattoria al Forno. We initially had reservations at Flying Fish as we've never eaten there and wanted to splurge since we were celebrating a birthday and anniversary. But as we got closer to the reservation and kept looking at the menu, the price-value point just didn't make sense for us. We read some reviews and they were hit-miss on certain dishes we wanted to try. So we didn't want to blow $300+ on an experience that may be hit or miss. We did try Trattoria so we switched our reservation to there. We were seated immediately and ordered three appetizers (calamari, arancini, charcutiere/cheese) and two mains (Red wine braised short rib and the Pescato del Giorno). Everything was really good and we were stuffed. We also ordered two cocktails. I had the old fashioned and it was also well made. Overall, we had a great dinner for a little over $200+. Only downside was that our server asked if were were celebrating anything and we told her that we were. She seemed to write that down, but never said "Happy birthday" or "Happy anniversary" and did not bring a special desert or other offering. We certainly don't expect free stuff, but it would be nice to actually acknowledge these things, especially if you ask. Didn't seem like she was that busy as the place was not full.

Overall, we stayed 3 nights in BWV and enjoyed our time there. Next up, Old Key West, more Blizzard Beach, and Jaleo.......

 

[Einstein509]

I forgot to mention we also spent some time at Disney Springs listening to the performers, shopping and we ate at Polite Pig which is always solid.

We also ate at Leaping Libations (pool bar at BWV) which was disappointing. $70+ for the food offerings and supermarket sandwiches/food is better than what we got.

 

[happily single]

Following. I’m curious about Old Key West

 

[Einstein509]

Blizzard Beach (again) and Old Key West....

We checked out of BWV and headed over to Blizzard Beach again since it was another check-in day for us, this time at Old Key West. Coincidentally, the two days we went to Blizzard Beach were the two "coldest" days of our week-long stay. Again, when I say cold, the high for the day was around 78 degrees, but a front had passed both days and there was a cool breeze which is what really got us. The wind made it feel cooler. So we took our time checking out and didn't get to Blizzard Beach until around 11:45am after getting some lunch (Wendys). This time the adults only went on a few rides and then sat in the sun by the wave pool while the kids did their kid thing.

We received notification that our room was ready around 4pm again. I had put in a couple of requests and they were both honored when we got our room. I think that happened at BWV as well since I didn't prioritize getting a room over the requests at both locations. We pulled into OKW and up to our 1BDRM villa. It was soooooo convenient parking the car literally steps away from our room vice, the long trudge we had at BWV. We quickly unloaded the car and got into the room. WOW! We never stayed at OKW despite being DVC members for quite some time. We were very pleasantly surprised by the size, layout, theming, and view.

We were in the area we requested and right next to the Hospitality House with the main pool. Our view from the first floor balcony was over water, other villas and golf green. Over the next four days, we enjoyed sitting on the porch or the dining table and enjoying the views over coffee or meals. The weather helped as it was in the 70s-80s most days with low humidity. We were also close to the boat that takes everyone to Disney Springs, which we used quite a bit for a relaxing mode of transportation there and back. The resort is also the most runner friendly that I've seen at WDW with the Boardwalk area a close second. There is a Saratoga Nature Trail that is open dawn to dusk and takes you over to Disney Springs or Saratoga and is a great walking/running trail.

Several things that stood out, the room and view as mentioned, the proximity to the Hospitality House, and the parking. The pool was never super crowded and there is a sauna in the lighthouse at the main pool. Although this was a disappointment as a the temperature inside was not "sauna temp." Probably a liability for Disney to have this at the right temp. It's also not true, as some have mentioned that this is the only sauna on property as several of the fitness centers have them (like BWV). The hot tub was also big enough for several families/people to enjoy. I also used the quiet pools which were really nice and away from the hustle and bustle, especially in the morning. The one on Miller's Road also had a hot tub, but I didn't use that.

Overall, it was a great stay and everyone kept remarking how we never had stayed here before and would definitely return (soon). Only main downside was the room did need some refurbishing as it still had the old pull-out couch in the main room and the cushions were a bit worn. Other than that it was great!

Next up, Jaleo and more, and final random thoughts.....

 

[Nicnicnic.nic]

Did you book the preferred room for old key west? I have an upcoming stay for the first time too and I'd rather be close to hospitality house but didn't know I could request that since I booked a regular not preferred room

 

[pinkxray]

Thanks for your report. We have two trips planned this year and are only planning 1 day at MK for Thanksgiving. The rest of our July 4th trip and Thanksgiving week will be doing other stuff like Universal, Seaworld and lots of activities at the resorts. I’m having a hard time paying for park tickets knowing 2025 is a year of multiple closures and construction, plus having to buy multi pass too.

We are hoping to take advantage of the free water park day too.

Just booked Thanksgiving week at Old Key West, so I’m glad to see you enjoyed it. We’ve never been there before.

 

[Einstein509]

Did you book the preferred room for old key west? I have an upcoming stay for the first time too and I'd rather be close to hospitality house but didn't know I could request that since I booked a regular not preferred room

I don't believe that OKW has separate booking categories like some other resorts. It's just one booking category for all the rooms. When I did the online check-in, I think I selected "Miller Road" for one option and "Near Pool" as the other. It worked out well for us.

 

[Einstein509]

Thanks for your report. We have two trips planned this year and are only planning 1 day at MK for Thanksgiving. The rest of our July 4th trip and Thanksgiving week will be doing other stuff like Universal, Seaworld and lots of activities at the resorts. I’m having a hard time paying for park tickets knowing 2025 is a year of multiple closures and construction, plus having to buy multi pass too.

We are hoping to take advantage of the free water park day too.

Just booked Thanksgiving week at Old Key West, so I’m glad to see you enjoyed it. We’ve never been there before.

As I mentioned in the trip report, this is us as well. Can't justify the cost now with all the add-ons and other things that were stripped away. We've done the same, Universal, Seaworld, and resort activities.

I hope you like it, we were very pleasantly surprised. It was a very laid-back atmosphere.

 

[Einstein509]

Jaleo and some random thoughts:

Since our anniversary and a birthday coincided with this trip, we decided to try and splurge a bit on a dinner. We had already done that somewhat with Trattoria al Forno, but we had never dined at Jaleo and wanted to do their tasting menus with wine pairing. Now this would have run us over $300 with tax and tip but it was still half as much as Victoria & Albert's where we read that people left still feeling hungry. I was perusing the menu the day of our reservation and noticed that they had happy hour, or what they call, Sangria Hour. Different website and reviews said different things about which part of the restaurant you could take advantage of this offering. Some said the bar, some said the bar and patio. The Sangria Hour was great in that it had some of the things on the tasting menu but for a lot cheaper.

Initially we asked our older one to babysit our younger one so it would be another adults dinner. I tried to get a hold of Jaleo to ask if kids could sit on the patio so we can take advantage of the Sangria Hour as a family. No one answered and their voicemail was full which tells me they don't answer their phone. We decided to risk it and head down as a family to see if we could sit in the patio and I cancelled our reservation for two. If it didn't work out, we would just ask for a table and figure it out or go to another nice place and waitlist

When we arrived, I asked the hostess about Sangria Hour and she told me that kids were welcome and talk to the hostess inside the restaurant. We asked inside and that's when I was shocked because the hostess said the Sangria Hour is only available at the bar. She saw we had our kids with us and she said it's not a problem for them to sit there as well. I know, I know (insert facepalm here), sitting with kids at the bar is a delicate subject. We debated our dilemma for a bit and decided to give it a shot.

A couple of tidbits here, first, it was before 5pm on a Tuesday and the bar was empty. All chairs were available. Second, the hostess said it was cool. Third, when we got to the bar, the really nice bartender also said no problem with the kids being there and promptly started waiting on us. I still felt uneasy, but we went ahead and ordered off the Sangria Hour menu. We got one of each tapa on the menu, except for one. We also ordered a red sangria and two glasses of wine. The food started coming out pretty fast and everything was very tasty. We ended up stuffed and pleasantly surprised at the quality and taste of the food as we visited Spain many years ago and were disappointed with the tapas. We also ended up getting a cocktail each off the regular menu to finish off the meal.

During our meal, two other people showed up and the rest of the bar was still empty so I felt good that the kids were not taking up seats for patrons that would be ordering cocktails. All in all, we did our our tasting menu at more than half the price off with a total of 2 1/2 drinks each for the adults. I gave the bartender a very generous tip and thanked him for putting up with us. He shrugged it off and told us it was no problem. I'm glad we got to try Jaleo in this manner as the kids tried some of the food as well.

I know this will likely stir debate on the etiquette of this whole experience and I'm still not sure how I feel about it to be honest. We did have a great meal. No one gave us the stinkeye either. I think it would be completely different had we tried to do something similar on a Friday or Saturday night with the place a lot busier.

On another note, the whole water park perk at first seemed like Disney may trying to return back to the days where they genuinely had "free" offerings to elevate guests' experiences (FP, FP+, Magic Express, longer Magic Hours, etc.). However, the more I thought about it, the more I think it's just another cash grab by Disney. Yes, they are giving people free admission to a water park, but lets face it, the water parks weren't packed before. Now they can lock in guests in their park and guests will spend money on food and other things inside the park, whereas they may have elected for a later arrival straight to the resort or done other things that didn't involve spending money at Disney. So I see it as a veiled attempt at guest satisfaction, but in reality, it's rooted in getting people to spend money. Others may disagree.

Last thought that I didn't mention about OKW, is that they have a full washer and dryer. YES, the big ones, not the stackable kind. That made doing laundry before we headed home much easier.

So that was our short, one week trip. We came back relaxed and happy. Thanks for reading and following.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Blizzard Beach (again) and Old Key West....



We received notification that our room was ready around 4pm again. I had put in a couple of requests and they were both honored when we got our room. I think that happened at BWV as well since I didn't prioritize getting a room over the requests at both locations. We pulled into OKW and up to our 1BDRM villa. It was soooooo convenient parking the car literally steps away from our room vice, the long trudge we had at BWV. We quickly unloaded the car and got into the room. WOW! We never stayed at OKW despite being DVC members for quite some time. We were very pleasantly surprised by the size, layout, theming, and view.

We were in the area we requested and right next to the Hospitality House with the main pool. Our view from the first floor balcony was over water, other villas and golf green. Over the next four days, we enjoyed sitting on the porch or the dining table and enjoying the views over coffee or meals. The weather helped as it was in the 70s-80s most days with low humidity. We were also close to the boat that takes everyone to Disney Springs, which we used quite a bit for a relaxing mode of transportation there and back. The resort is also the most runner friendly that I've seen at WDW with the Boardwalk area a close second. There is a Saratoga Nature Trail that is open dawn to dusk and takes you over to Disney Springs or Saratoga and is a great walking/running trail.

Several things that stood out, the room and view as mentioned, the proximity to the Hospitality House, and the parking. The pool was never super crowded and there is a sauna in the lighthouse at the main pool. Although this was a disappointment as a the temperature inside was not "sauna temp." Probably a liability for Disney to have this at the right temp. It's also not true, as some have mentioned that this is the only sauna on property as several of the fitness centers have them (like BWV). The hot tub was also big enough for several families/people to enjoy. I also used the quiet pools which were really nice and away from the hustle and bustle, especially in the morning. The one on Miller's Road also had a hot tub, but I didn't use that.

Overall, it was a great stay and everyone kept remarking how we never had stayed here before and would definitely return (soon). Only main downside was the room did need some refurbishing as it still had the old pull-out couch in the main room and the cushions were a bit worn. Other than that it was great!

Thanks for the review of OKW and your villa near the HH. You make me so excited for our next trip-maybe we'll be lucky enough to get the same 1 BR that you had. Although we've had many stays at OKW, we've never reserved the "near HH" category until this next time. We also love sitting on the balcony enjoying the golf course-mainly so that DH can critique the other golfer's play!

 

[Einstein509]

Thanks for the review of OKW and your villa near the HH. You make me so excited for our next trip-maybe we'll be lucky enough to get the same 1 BR that you had. Although we've had many stays at OKW, we've never reserved the "near HH" category until this next time. We also love sitting on the balcony enjoying the golf course-mainly so that DH can critique the other golfer's play!

Yes, it was a really good room and location. BTW, the golfers we did see were pretty good. Everyone hitting the green, unlike me!

 

[Wings3496]

Great review! I’d definitely consider trying Flying Fish and V&A in the future, don’t let people online discourage you - both are excellent and fun and I don’t know anyone who has left V&A hungry!