CSR or OKW, for the same price?

[Keith]

I currently have CSR for $107.00. If I can get OKW for the same price, should I take it? It sounds like a no brainer to me, but I thought I'd ask the experts here on DIS. I haven't done any research on OKW.

What about the pools, transportation, rooms, restaurants, "Disney" feel, etc.? Besides the lack of free housekeeping services every day, are there any negatives to OKW? When was it built? Is it showing its age at all? Has it been refurbished recently?

We're going Dec. 10-17. It's me, DW, DS (10), and DD (8). Will the kids be disappointed with the pools, etc.? Is there an arcade?

I plan on doing a little more research, but anything you can help me with would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Your room will be bigger at OKW, but that's about it. I have stayed both places and if I had to choose, I would definitely stay at CSR. Better food selection, more "Disney-ish" and also not as spread out as OKW. I felt kind of isolated at my room in OKW.

 

[Scoootch]

IMHO it is a no brainer Of course, it's my home resort as a DVC member and I'm a little biased Seriously though, a studio at OKW still beats a regular hotel room at the deluxes IMO. You'll get 2 queen beds,a kitchenette w/microwave, coffee pot,toaster,fridge & sink,a nice size bathroom and a balcony with table & chairs. Very comfy. The main pool at OKW just had a new pool slide added, there's a hot tub and playground at every quiet pool as well as another snack bar at the turtle shack pool. Olivia's resturant is wonderful and you can park in front of your villa if you'll have a car. Bus transportation isn't bad at all and you're no further away from the parks then if you stay at any of the moderates. OKW is also kept up very well...they recently replaced alot of furniture and the pull out sofa's in alot of the 1bdrm and larger units (though I assume you'll be staying in a studio...still kept up nicely...no worries). The grounds are just beautiful and I can honestly say that I've never had a bad location throughout the entire resort.

HTH's some...any more questions just ask away

 

[dcgrumpy]

We stayed in a studio at OKW last month. It copst us less than a value, so it was definitely a no brainer. We liked it a lot, the pool was nice. They do have an arcade but we never went in it. It is very spread out, we found that we used our car to go to the main building and pool instead of walking like we usually do. The room and bathroom were larger, Qn beds instead of doubles. We liked having a little kitchenette with a microwave.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

How did you get OKW for such a good price????

 

[milmore104]

This used to be our home resort. We have stayed there 8 times. We do love the resort it is so beautiful. We have only stayed in a studio once and we had my best friend and her boyfriend stay w/ us for 2 nights. Let's just say it was a little tight. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the OKW but not sure your kids will. They night have more fun at CSR. Two of my main problems w/ OKW was the food selection and the bus service. Now we haven't stayed there in about 4 years but every trip my DH would get upset at the bus service. We were always waiting for a bus while other resorts had 2 or 3 buses go through. It usually took us about 45 min. to get back to the resort. Have a great trip! Oh and how did you get that rate?

 

[Scoootch]

Besides the lack of free housekeeping services every day

Being that he's speaking of lack of housekeeping he must be renting the points from a DVC member. Points rental is generally $10 - $12 per point and often ends up being a GREAT deal vs. paying directly through CRO. Anyone interested should check out the DVC Rent/Trade board here on the Dis

 

[Suzanne74]

Don't get me wrong I LOVE the OKW but not sure your kids will.

I agree with this statement. I LOVED OKW and it was the perfect place to take our toddler since it was nice and quiet - perfect for naps in the afternoon. It is a big difference though from a lot of the other resorts and that can be good or bad - depending on what your like. It is much more peaceful and not so action packed. It is very big so a car is highly recommended. The one HUGE plus is that you can park it right outside your door so there is minimal walking and it is much quicker to go to all parks but MK with your car. If you do take the buses, they are hardly full since lots of people drive. Olivia's is a great relaxed family restaurant with very good food but there is no food court since everyone has a kitchenette. At OKW you will also have a fridge, sink, toaster and microwave - whereas CSR, you will only have a fridge. The bathrooms at OKW are much bigger with lots more counter space too. Also - gueen beds instead of CSR's double.

That said, there is not much for little ones to really do at OKW - the pool does now have a slide but since it is driving distance people tend to just stay near their own quiet pool and they are just basic pools. The arcade is very small and I have never seen anyone in it. There are bikes, surrays, boats etc... for rent.

So if you plan on spending ALL day at the parks and want convenience of a bigger room, kitchenette, parking outside your door - then OKW is a no brainer. If you and your kids are looking for a more resort type atmosphere with 2 big arcades, pools, playgrounds, Pepper Market food court and spending time there to enjoy it, then do CSR.

HTH

 

[MELSMICE]

I've never stayed at CSR, but I'll give you the pluses of why I prefer OKW to other resorts:

--kitchenette in your, includes small fridge, toaster, microwave & sink

--new slide at OKW (also have sand area for young kids)

--resort is beautiful & so, so, so quiet

--I disagree that you can't walk to the main pool. I find the walk relaxing - more relaxing than having to try & find a parking space if you drive - you could also take a bus up there if you are far from the main building.

--If you're not near the main building you'll still have a pool near your unit. There are many "quiet" pools located throughout OKW.

If it's the same price I would definitely do OKW, if for nothing else but the kitchenette & the tranquility of the resort.

 

[RedRuby]

So if you plan on spending ALL day at the parks and want convenience of a bigger room, kitchenette, parking outside your door - then OKW is a no brainer. If you and your kids are looking for a more resort type atmosphere with 2 big arcades, pools, playgrounds, Pepper Market food court and spending time there to enjoy it, then do CSR.

HTH

It seems to me that the meal plan woudl be another consideration. ISTR that you can't get the $35/$10 day meal plan on DVC point properties (not without paying rack rate through CRO which is v expensive). So, thinking through your meals and touring plans might impact your decision.e.g. counter service and food in the room favours OKW, whereas more sit down restaurants and generally more eating in the parks favours CSR with the meal plan (It's still a good deal if you have to pay; it'd be an excellent deal if they extend the free dining offer.)

FWIW I looked into this for our trip - We were considering renting points and doing cash meals (or an AP with AP rates and cash meals) until the free meal offer. Then, the 'free' food made sense. It's not entirely free as we're paying rack rate for the room and tickets over AAA and ticketmania discounts for both, but the difference is about $20 per night (well under what we'd pay for meals obviously!)

Good luck with your decisions,
-Barbara

 

[beccasmom]

It would be easy for me to decide - OKW all the way! But I am biased - it is my home resort! We've had lots of kids with us on trips - our own and younger extended family members and they all love it! Mostly, they love the pools. Transportation is relatively easy. Relaxing at OKW is a snap! Very quiet and peaceful and so far removed from the hustle and bustle. But the hustle and bustle is only a bus ride away if you're craving it!

It is really nice to have kitchen facilities available, even if you just use them to heat up a quick lunch or make some iced tea. The rooms are spacious and beautifully decorated. Olivia's has great meals and cater particularly well to the younger set, but there is a snack bar for quicker noshes. We've stayed at most of the WDW hotels, but will always call OKW home in more ways than one!

 

[epcotfan]

Your room will be bigger at OKW, but that's about it. I have stayed both places and if I had to choose, I would definitely stay at CSR. Better food selection, more "Disney-ish" and also not as spread out as OKW. I felt kind of isolated at my room in OKW.

I agree. I too felt a bit isolated. Like I'd stepped into a gated neighborhood. I've stayed at both and unless you plan on making a ton of in room meals, then I would go with CSR. It really all depends on your priorities.

 

[Buzz2001]

THE PROS
No sharing bus service with other resorts
Centrally located with short rides to the parks
Largest hot tub on WDW property
Awesome main pool area with bar, snack bar, playground and kiddie pool
3 quiet pools
New shuttle service eliminates long walks to any of the villages
High speed internet service
WiFi available too
Free use of the gym
Spa
Fridge in the room
Coffeemaker in the room
Iron and ironing board
full room service menu
2 arcades
beautifully landscaped
central air, not a noisey wall unit

THE CONS
Full size beds (kings size beds are available)
one sink

IN THE MIDDLE
The Pepper Market is either a love it or hate it place. We love it but some folks just don't care for it.

Convention resort - some guests don't like seeing other guests at work. Doesn't bother us and helps keep the buses empty. GF, Cont, BW, Y & B Club are also convention resorts.

Check out my website below

 

[JamieW]

I stayed at OKW last Nov. and loved it!! It's quiet and beautiful. If you're looking for the "Disney-all-the-time" feeling, it's not the place for you, though. My mom and I didn't have a car, but we didn't need one. The bus service was great! It was never crowded and we never had to wait more than 10 minutes for one, including the time we saw the bus pulling out of our bus stop right as we were about to cross the street. Like CSR, you don't have to share with other resorts, so that's a wash.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

okw

 

[JillU-DVC]

THE CONS
Full size beds (kings size beds are available)


Sorry, Buzz2001, but I have to correct you - if the original poster is talking about an OKW studio, they have 2 queen sized beds in them - not full sized. And King beds are not available in a studio.

If you move up to a 1 bedroom - you get 1 king sized bed, and 1 sleeper sofa, full sized I believe. Along with a full kitchen with full sized dishwasher, stove, microwave and fridge, plus a full sized washer and dryer.

FYI!!

 

[LittleBoPeep]

We haven't stayed at CSR, but we REALLY liked OKW on our trip last month. And surprisingly, my DS10 said he liked it better than CBR and the Poly! Occassionally we had to wait for a bus to go to the parks (usually the ones that had EMH for the day), but rarely were they full (NEVER were they packed like sardines), and at the end of the night, we didn't have to wait long if at all to get back to the resort (which was direct service, not combined with another resort). Once on the bus, the longest it ever took for us to get to a park was 20 minutes...going to the Animal Kingdom. We only went back mid-day once for a nap and a swim during the trip, but it was great because the main pool area with the new slide wasn't crowded at all. I could not get my DS, DD3 or DH off the slide after almost 2 hours!!! We found the resort to be calmingly quiet, and enjoyed taking relaxing walks throughout the resort. We truly felt like we were on a vacation here, like we could have been in Key West.
HTH!

 

[jpeltier]

We just returned from CSR last week. My DH and I took DD 11 and her friend also 11. They loved CSR! The dig site pool is fantastic. If we had never left the resort to go to the parks, they would have been happy. The Pepper Market food is delicious. All of the staff at CSR are polite and very willing to help.
We've never been to OKW, but we have stayed at Home away from Home resorts for the past 20 years and if bringing kids I would choose CSR hands down! Julie

 

[jpeltier]

Dear Jill,
Buzz was taking about CSR having double beds. He was stating the pros and cons of staying at CSR. Julie

 

[Eeyore2003]

I have never stayed at CSR, but we rented points from a DVC owner last July for OKW. It was DH, myself, and my brother and family, kids were 11 boy, 7 girl. We had two studios. We all really loved it. It's very relaxing and we feel that Disney really takes care of the OKW people. We rarely had to wait for a bus, the pool was great, and they didn't even have the slide done yet!!! You can take the boat to Downtown Disney if you want.

I'm not sure about the "Disney feel". I've stayed at CR, OKW, BWI, BWV, and AKL and they are all so different and yet they were all so nice, that you certainly knew you were at Disney and it was special!!!

They have a little snack stand outside the main pool and Olivia's restaurant is one of my favorite "hidden gems"!!! Delicious!!! Plus the Downtown Disney restaurants and shops are a boat ride away.

My advice would be to request a building near the main building. The DVC owner requested Building 62 for us with a water view and it was wonderful. Here's a map, it looks like Buildings 11,12,13 and 14 are also close to the main building. That way you're only a couple minutes from bus stop, pool, Olivia's, laundromat, snack shop and the store.

http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/okwmap.jpg

Good luck, for me it would be a no brainer!!! I'd love to go back to OKW!!!