CBR or OKW resort?

[missnic07]

I'm stuck with choosing between these 2 resorts.
If I did CBR we'd have the QSDP, with OKW it's the DDP...how much would a typical TS meal cost in tips? (there'd be 2 adults and 2 children). I just don't want to spend a fortune on tips on this "free" plan. However it would be nice to be able to use the TS as a bit of relaxing time in the evening.
Aside from the dining plan..which resort do you prefer and why?

 

[chmurf]

depending on the kids age and gender, I might choose CBR pirate room.

CBR is a good choice for 2014 free dining, since it is combined (for a limited time) with a 8% accomodation discount, which makes CBR cheaper than POR when it's usually the other way around.

On the other hand, OKW has a 35% accomodation discount which makes it just slightly more expensive than a Mod. So that's a good deal, especially combined with free DDP.

A typical TS meal will hit you for somewhere between $80 and $120 (wether is a breakfast buffet, or a more upscale dinner) and this means between $14 and $24 in tips for a meal for the 4 of you (very rough estimate) depending if you tip 18 or 20%

OKW is more relaxing, CBR is more kid friendly (IMO)
but for a relatively small difference in price, I might prefer to go Deluxe, especially if i've never stayed at a Deluxe

 

[missnic07]

depending on the kids age and gender, I might choose CBR pirate room.

CBR is a good choice for 2014 free dining, since it is combined (for a limited time) with a 8% accomodation discount, which makes CBR cheaper than POR when it's usually the other way around.

On the other hand, OKW has a 35% accomodation discount which makes it just slightly more expensive than a Mod. So that's a good deal, especially combined with free DDP.

A typical TS meal will hit you for somewhere between $80 and $120 (wether is a breakfast buffet, or a more upscale dinner) and this means between $14 and $24 in tips for a meal for the 4 of you (very rough estimate) depending if you tip 18 or 20%

OKW is more relaxing, CBR is more kid friendly (IMO)
but for a relatively small difference in price, I might prefer to go Deluxe, especially if i've never stayed at a Deluxe

Thanks for your reply. The kids will be 9 (girl) and 6 (boy). If we stayed at CBR I wouldn't upgrade to a pirate room as I've heard they're the furthest away. I'm looking at SSR also, aghh decisions decisions lol.
I don't think I could swing a Deluxe, they look amazing though

 

[scoobydooby]

Thanks for your reply. The kids will be 9 (girl) and 6 (boy). If we stayed at CBR I wouldn't upgrade to a pirate room as I've heard they're the furthest away. I'm looking at SSR also, aghh decisions decisions lol.
I don't think I could swing a Deluxe, they look amazing though

OKW and SS are deluxe resorts. DVC yes, but also deluxe level. SSR places you in walking distance of all the DTD food options. I expect to spend up to £500 on tips on a two week trip on the regular plan, but our TS meals will include some wine which bumps the tips up.

 

[chmurf]

I don't think I could swing a Deluxe, they look amazing though

OKW IS a Deluxe, and that's why you get standard DDP with it and not a QSDP like for the mod (CBR)

 

[missnic07]

OKW IS a Deluxe, and that's why you get standard DDP with it and not a QSDP like for the mod (CBR)

Ooh I thought it was a mod. The deluxe I'd love to stay at is the Poly, but there's no way that's going to happen anytime soon lol.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

We stayed at OKW last year and are staying at CBR next year! We really liked OKW and my DH was swaying more that way from the point of view of having the kitchenette.
There are a couple of reasons why I got my way, I mean why we chose CBR
The first is the kiddie pool area at CBR - it looks great and very young children orientated. The pool slide at OKW is (in my opinion) to big and fast for younger children.
The CS option at OKW is not very good! We paid for the DDP last year (we had rented points) and had lots of CS credits leftover. I think if OKW had some better breakfast choices we could have used the credits for breakfast. The food court at CBR looks great with lots of choice for everyone!
We have upgraded to the DDP at CBR so if we find we still have spare credits near the end of the holiday we'll be able to use some for breakfast.

HTH

Claire

 

[missnic07]

We stayed at OKW last year and are staying at CBR next year! We really liked OKW and my DH was swaying more that way from the point of view of having the kitchenette.
There are a couple of reasons why I got my way, I mean why we chose CBR
The first is the kiddie pool area at CBR - it looks great and very young children orientated. The pool slide at OKW is (in my opinion) to big and fast for younger children.
The CS option at OKW is not very good! We paid for the DDP last year (we had rented points) and had lots of CS credits leftover. I think if OKW had some better breakfast choices we could have used the credits for breakfast. The food court at CBR looks great with lots of choice for everyone!
We have upgraded to the DDP at CBR so if we find we still have spare credits near the end of the holiday we'll be able to use some for breakfast.

HTH

Claire

It did help thank you. I was thinking of upgrading to the DDP at CBR also. I've just watched a video on YouTube of a resort tour for OKW and it looks lovely, but CBR just appeals to me more for some reason

 

[chmurf]

The first is the kiddie pool area at CBR - it looks great and very young children orientated. The pool slide at OKW is (in my opinion) to big and fast for younger children.

kiddie pool is nice.
there are 2 slides at CBR. The one closest to the food court is very mild, short and kid friendly.
The one farthest, you need to climb lots of steps, and it's a fast, long, and in the dark slide. DS who was 1 month shy of 5yrs old rode it once and was so scared he didn't dare ride it again.
I went first, DW was at the top and helped him sit on the "launchpad" (lol), I don't know how he managed to do that, but he went feet first, on his back, and exited the slide head first, on his belly ... I laughed, he didn't
Just try it yourself before you let the younger ones try that one.

 

[missnic07]

kiddie pool is nice.
there are 2 slides at CBR. The one closest to the food court is very mild, short and kid friendly.
The one farthest, you need to climb lots of steps, and it's a fast, long, and in the dark slide. DS who was 1 month shy of 5yrs old rode it once and was so scared he didn't dare ride it again.
I went first, DW was at the top and helped him sit on the "launchpad" (lol), I don't know how he managed to do that, but he went feet first, on his back, and exited the slide head first, on his belly ... I laughed, he didn't
Just try it yourself before you let the younger ones try that one.

Aww bless him lol

 

[Disneymadhouse]

Thanks Chmuf, I think we'll stick to the little slides!

After DD had been on the slide at OKW ( DH went down first and was just coming up from the bottom when she landed on his head - it was lucky he was right there) she was very hesitant at BB. We really had to convince her that the slides at tikes peak would be ok. Once she tried them and realised they were just her size she was fine!

Claire

 

[Madfish]

I'm in exactly the same position regarding choice between CBR and OkW. We have to go in July. I can get CBR via virgin including flights but they cannot book OKW until about August. If I try disney direct then I can book the hotel including 35% discount but they cannot do flights at the moment.

Looking at probably doing virgin with option of changing hotel later if it comes available at the right price.

Trying to work out options including food.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

I'm in exactly the same position regarding choice between CBR and OkW. We have to go in July. I can get CBR via virgin including flights but they cannot book OKW until about August. If I try disney direct then I can book the hotel including 35% discount but they cannot do flights at the moment.

Looking at probably doing virgin with option of changing hotel later if it comes available at the right price.

Trying to work out options including food.

You can get prices from Complete Orlando and Charter travel for all the Disney resorts, including OKW. I got prices from both of them for Oct / Nov so they would be able to quote you for August. Might be worth giving them a call

Claire

 

[WiganTony]

We (2A and one teenager) stayed at OKW last August with free DDP in a studio. Having previously stayed at CBR, we thought the space alone at OKW was far better than CBR, the latter being basically a room plus bathroom. The OKW studio bedroom was around the same size as our full room at CBR, then there is the additional area for the kitchenette/wardrobes, then the bathroom added onto that.

We stayed near the Turtle Shack Pool, and this was fine for us - we were only a minute's walk from the pool area, plus it had the snack bar and had the laundry facilities there. It wasn't like home sitting in high temperatures whilst the laundry was being done!!!! However, there wasn't much else for kids to do - maybe the main pool would have been better.

Back to the original question about tips - for the three of us, we spent in the region of $200 over 14 nights. That included 2 meals at Narcoossee's (larger tips) and one at Hoop de Doo (tip included). We certainly found it to be a nice way to wind down some days by having a TS Meal booked at one of the resorts, then we could just have a stroll around the resort or in the case of the Polynesian and Grand Floridian, watch Wishes from a distance.

The only downside to OKW was the poor food selection. We have only tried Goods to Go (the CS location) once, and never again, and haven't tried Olivias at all. That said, there are so many other restaurants a short bus or boat ride away at DTD that this limitation didn't bother us at all.

 

[darthtatty]

I'm in exactly the same position regarding choice between CBR and OkW. We have to go in July. I can get CBR via virgin including flights but they cannot book OKW until about August. If I try disney direct then I can book the hotel including 35% discount but they cannot do flights at the moment.

Looking at probably doing virgin with option of changing hotel later if it comes available at the right price.

Trying to work out options including food.

I wouldnt worry too much about the flights at the moment, im sure youll get some great deals when theyre released

you can book with Disney and add the flights later.
You could also book with Disney now and then do a fly drive with Virgin. Thats if you want everything in place now and want direct flights-they will be expensive though.
Currently for us ,if we book the hotel with Disney & Virgin's fly drive-the price is over £1,000 cheaper than the full booking with Virgin Holidays.
If you dont want the car, you just dont pick it up-you can book DME as youre staying at a Disney hotel.
We've booked the hotel with Disney and think we're going to wait until the flights are out.

 

[DisneyBB]

Disney are giving out prices for flights when poked with hotel stay. They gave me a price but couldn't tell who I would be flying with, but it would be direct.

 

[Annabell]

OKW is a nice resort but the drawback is the lack of a good place for a quick service meal. We did the Goods to Go once and never again. So even the Studio rooms are slightly bigger than rooms in other resorts, we will not choose OKW again. For a Disney holiday, we are hardly in our room anyway so we don't care much about the room size.

As for tips, we paid $250 for 10 TS meals (actually 9 meals as we used 2TS for Narcosees), this is for a party of 3 adults and 1 child. So roughly $25 per TS meal. At one night we paid $50 on tips for the Narcosees meal. We could have eaten a nice simple meal offsite with that tip.