Just back - BWV, OKW and Charley too!

[bub]

Just back from a trip Aug. 8th through 16th. We spent 5 nights in a one bedroom at BWV (standard view with fireworks) and 3 nights in a studio at OKW. The room at BWV was perfect - everything clean and in good order. Enjoyed walking to MGM and Epcot. The parks were crowded, esp. MK on Thursday (before the big storm on Fri.).

We were concerned about changing resorts on Friday due to the hurricane. We called OKW Friday morning and they said to come over, they would have a room ready. We had a choice of several rooms at 10 a.m. - we really appreciated the staff's willingness to get us in early. After unloading and buying some milk (being from the northeast we can't face any type of storm without bread and milk) and snacks, we went to MGM until they closed at 1 p.m. The crowds were down, but the park was still quite busy. At 12:45 they started making announcements about closing early due to the storm - it was an odd feeling, especially since the weather had been fine all morning, with just a bit of drizzle. Back at OKW we decided to try lunch at Olivia's, along with most of the OKW population. I've never seen it so crowded, but we didn't mind the half hour wait. They had a limited menu, but service and food quality were excellent. The staff were really hustling to get people through.

We waited for lunch in the community hall, which was also full of people. The weather channel was on with the bad news of the storm's direction. Talking to a DVC member who had come up from near Sanibel with her children to get away from the storm really put the situation into perspective for me. It wasn't so bad to lose a half day of vacation, when other people weren't sure they would have a home to return to.

The storm itself was not bad at OKW - I was surprised by the debris and trees down the next morning, since we felt safe in the room. Those buildings are solidly built.

We made it to the parks on Sat. and Sun. after the storm, and again really appreciated the hard work of the CMs who did everything possible to make it seem like a regular day, even though many of the staff did not make it into work due to problems at their homes.

Overall it was a great vacation that left us with an increased respect for the Disney organization and its employees.

 

[JudithM]

Originally posted by bub
... After unloading and buying some milk (being from the northeast we can't face any type of storm without bread and milk) ... Talking to a DVC member who had come up from near Sanibel with her children to get away from the storm really put the situation into perspective for me. It wasn't so bad to lose a half day of vacation, when other people weren't sure they would have a home to return to ...

Thank you for sharing your vacation report. Around here at the mere mention of snow, people go to the store for milk, bread & toilet paper. At least you knew you would have TP!

Thank you, too, for your perspective on the hurricane. From all I have read & from folks I talked to who live in the central FL area, CMs did a fantastic job keeping the magic alive for guests.

 

[bub]

JudithM - In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit to taking an extra roll with me when we left the Boardwalk. I was afraid that if our new room at OKW was low, we wouldn't be able to call housekeeping for more due to the storm. My husband found this still in our luggage when he was unpacking!

 

[WithDisneySpirit]

That is so funny bub!! "In the interest of full disclosure..."
I can sure relate; tp is a necessity of life

Thanks for a wonderful trip report Glad you had fun and were safe! I especially liked the compliments toward Disney and the CM's during Hurricane Charley...

Thanks, Lisa

 

[PamOKW]

Originally posted by bub
I must admit to taking an extra roll with me when we left the Boardwalk.

LOL!! Too funny. But, of course I'd be laughing while you would be enjoying your TP!!

The OKW buildings really give a sense of comfort in a storm. The laundry room of the bigger units seems like it would be the best place to ride out a storm.

I was curious about how they handled food at OKW. I know at BWV they were talking about having bag lunches distributed. At OKW I'm sure they wanted everyone to stay in their units. Did they advise people to plan on not coming out for supper? I'm sure not everyone thought to bring in storm rations like you did.

 

[bub]

PAMOKW - As I mentioned, we ate lunch at Olivia's, mainly to put off the inevitable time we'd be spending in our room with DD10 and DS 12 (lots of quality time on this vacation). (Yes, the studio seemed small after being in a one bedroom earlier in the week - too bad we had to move that day.) Due to the wait at Olivia's, many people were opting for sandwiches from Goods to Go, which also had a long line. The store at OKW was still pretty well stocked - we bought milk, snacks, frozen burritos and chicken nuggets there Friday morning. (And yes, you can make food in a studio unit.) We were lucky not to have to go back to the Publix, which I understand was running out of many things.

As for what I've read here about the free sandwich bags (at BWV and BCV) and the midnight buffet for $10 (VWL) or the characters around to entertain the kids, we had none of that at OKW. I'm not sure what the non-cooking DVC members did to ride out the storm. I did hear CMs mentioning people picking up take out orders. I'm not sure when Olivia's closed, but certainly by 5 or 6 p.m. I'm sure they told people to go to their rooms. You definitely are more isolated at this resort. We did not receive a letter about the storm as many others have reported from other hotels. We discovered the ongoing "Finding Nemo" (my son's favorite movie) on our own. When we got back to the room after lunch, we did have a flashlight, and someone had brought in the small table from the porch (we had already brought in the chairs so we could seat 4 at the table). One other note, there were campers everywhere near the Hospitality House for a while, as Ft. Wilderness refugees were given rooms for the night.

 

[colleen costello]

Thanks for the interesting info. How long did it take for the storm to pass? Sounds like you survived bravely. The studios are a good size but after being locked up with my kids (who are 10 and 6 and fight 24/7) I'd be glad to get out!

 

[bub]

Colleen - The worst part of the storm passed quickly, lasting from about 8:45 to 9:45 or so. By 10 p.m. there was just lots of rain. Really the only scary part for us was watching the weather radar image, and seeing how close the center of the storm was to Disney. We missed it by about 10 miles, I think.