Grand Villas at OKW

[BethCGolfer]

Hi - we are considering booking a grand villa at OKW for a family trip next fall. There will be nine of us, six adults and three children. I would love to hear from anyone who has stayed in one. How did you like the rooms, layout, location, decor, views, services, cleanliness, etc.

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

 

[PamOKW]

I'm sure you'll get lots of replies but, bottom-line, there isn't a much more luxurious way to vacation at WDW than an OKW GV.

The resort picture section of www.wdwig.com has some very nice photos of the GV and you'll also find a virtual tour at www.disneyvacationclub.com

 

[Geebs]

in one word....fabulous!!!!!!
We had 12 adults..actually 11 official adults and one teenager! it was totally spacious. the 4 bathrooms is a huge plus with getting that many people ready! the bedrooms were great. one was a little smaller than the other. but still had plenty of closet space and all that. I can't wait to stay again!

 

[Richyams]

Be careful, during our first stay in one back in '93, we realized that we were going to need one every year, so we bought another 200 points.

 

[Pa@okw95]

We stayed at a GV at OKW a few years back. It was great. We had 5 adults and 1 child. There was more than enough room, one adult had a whole bedroom to himself. The hard wood floors with the rug down stairs near the large TV could have been better but that is the only complaint I can think of. The dinning area is beautiful. Two bedrooms are upstairs and the master bedroom is downstairs. The master bedroom is just like the bedrooms in the one and two bedroom, with large bathroom. It was laid out a little different but pretty much the same stuff. Just outstanding!!

 

[POLLY ANN]

I have to agree, I LOVE staying in a GV! We will be staying in one during our next trip.

There is only one drawback and that is the vaulted ceiling in the living room plus the hardwood floors. It can get VERY noisy with alot of people!

Our last trip down we invited friends to come with us. We had a total of 6 adults and 4 children. We were called by the front desk the second night we were there because someone was complaining how loud we were. Well, it was 10pm and we were just coming back from Epcot's Illuminations. We were trying to get the kids settled in bed, and, like all kids that are overtired, they were screaming and crying. It was all of 10 or 15 minutes from getting back from the parks that they were settled in bed, though. The front desk told me that there had also been a call during the middle of the day because they could hear us "running around" on the hardwood floors (front desk wouldn't tell who it was that called, but it's kind of obvious it was the people below us).

The next night, our friends (2 adults, 2 children) went to Illuminations again and I guess they were too noisy coming back. Security actually came to the door! My children were in bed, and my husband and I were in our pajamas watching TV in the living room. I was not only shocked, but ANGRY! I called the front desk and told them I was truly sorry (and I was, I hated ruining someone else's vacation) but there wasn't anything I could do about it. We were coming back from the parks, for crying out loud!! I told the front desk that if the people below us were really bothered by it, tell them you can move them to another unit. Which I think they ended up doing because there were no more complaints. Either that, or we learned how to be quiet at night.

I guess it would be one thing if we were throwing a wild party and playing loud music and hanging out on the balcony, but we weren't. We were really trying to be considerate.

I'm praying we don't have a situation like that our next trip!

 

[PADVCmember@OKW]

Our first DVC stay was in a Grand Villa at OKW. 8 adults 1 child and 1 teen. The photos referenced above really don not do justice to the size of a GV. Our stay was 10 days and we never found ourselves running into each other. I don't recall the exact building number as it has been several years. However, the view from the back balconies was of one on the tee boxes of the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course.

 

[wdwsos]

We just booked (yesterday!) a GV for next August. There will be 12 of us - 7 of us 20 and above (some *way* above, thanks) and the other 5 between 12 and 17 years old. The latter group likes to play Spades until 2am or so when we're on vacation. I guess I better buy 12 pair of those big fluffy Mickey slippers.

Dotti

 

[margaretCT]

Our last GV visit was with eight people and I felt we had plenty of room. Some people would rather spread family out over 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, etc., but don't worry too much about family togetherness. I think I went two whole days without seeing my nephew who was right upstairs!

Livingroom, kitchen, and dining area are spacious. Master bedroom and bath very similar to 1 and 2 bedroom. One bedroom upstairs has two queen beds and a lot of floor space. (Family that needed crib used this room.) Other upstairs bedroom had two double beds and pretty much average size.

We had a party one night with eight other family members joining us for a total of 16, and we had no complaints about noise. This was earlier in the evening, though, about 6:00 to 9:00. Wish we could stay awake late enough at WDW for someone to complain about noise!

An odd thing, though, about GV's, as much as I love them, I don't get that "I'm home" feeling. with the stress just fading away, that I get when I walk into a 1 or 2 bedroom. I guess that's because most of my stays have been in 1 or 2 bedrooms. Maybe I need more stays at GV's!

Margaret in CT

 

[ncligs]

BethCGolfer,

Welcome to the DIS!!
The GV's are very spaciuos.We have stayed in them at OKW and HH. You will have plenty of space for your traveling party(9).
Once you stay in a GV you may get the bug to add on points though. They are the "best accomadations" on WDW property for a large group gathering!!!!!!

 

[Goofy Fan]

Being a BWV and VWL owner, we had our first stay at an OKW GV this past July. It took about 30 - 45 minutes for most of us to stop saying "WOW" once we were inside. Only problem now is that other family members think we're "loaded" or something. The master BDR in itself is an oasis! We're going back to OKW next summer in a 1 BDR since we liked the resort so much, and want to compare staying there in a 1 BDR as oppossed to BWV or VWL.

 

[Janis]

We just booked a week in August in a GV for a party of 8 - 6 adults and 2 children. It'll be our first stay in a GV, but it sounds like from what everyone says it won't be our last. We just got back from "home" (OKW) yesterday, and I don't know how I'll make it until next August. Guess I'll just have to try to wrangle another trip!!!