Just Back from OKW 9/6 - 9/13, any ?'s

[ryanrop]

The Old Key West was wonderful. The room was fantastic, the people were friendly, the busses ran perfect, the boat ride to Downtown was fabulous. Anybody have any questions??

 

[Tigger Fans!]

Glad to hear you had a great trip!

Where at OKW did you stay and how was the location for noise, walk to HH, etc... ?

Thanks!
TTFN!

 

[ryanrop]

We stayed in room 1312. It is right across from the bus stop at the hospitality area. There was no noise, the walk to the hospitality area was about 1 minute, we couldn't have asked for a better room or location.

 

[Tigger Fans!]

Thanks!

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

ryanrop - we are headed to OKW for the first time in a few weeks. Is there anything we need to know???
Did you eat at Olivia's? How was it?
I heard they have un-birthday parties for the kids, do they still do this?
Did you spend time enjoying the resort? We only have 4 days, and they are pretty packed with park activities, so what things did you do around the resort that were worthwhile?
Our kids love the games rooms - did you try OKW's, and if so how was it?
I was planning on bringing dishwasher detergent, paper towels, dish liquid, extra tide and bounce sheets. Do I need all of this? We are staying in a 2 bdrm. Do you get "Mickey soaps and shampoo" like the other resorts?
And finally, do they have hairdryers? If you were in 2 bdrm were they in both bathrooms?
Thanks for all the information!

 

[ryanrop]

Originally posted by Yzma and Kronk
ryanrop - we are headed to OKW for the first time in a few weeks. Is there anything we need to know???
Did you eat at Olivia's? How was it?
I heard they have un-birthday parties for the kids, do they still do this?
Did you spend time enjoying the resort? We only have 4 days, and they are pretty packed with park activities, so what things did you do around the resort that were worthwhile?
Our kids love the games rooms - did you try OKW's, and if so how was it?
I was planning on bringing dishwasher detergent, paper towels, dish liquid, extra tide and bounce sheets. Do I need all of this? We are staying in a 2 bdrm. Do you get "Mickey soaps and shampoo" like the other resorts?
And finally, do they have hairdryers? If you were in 2 bdrm were they in both bathrooms?
Thanks for all the information!

I'm so jealous that you get to go and I've already been . Ok first off, if you can then request room 1312, that is where we stayed and it's a minute walk to all the resort amenities. The room is a non smoking bottom floor and has a great view of the golf course. Not to mention the bus is right there. They have tons of things to do around the resort (bikes, boats, pool, arcade, etc) The game room was great as well, not sure what kind of games your kids liked but they had a few good ones. They provided everything you were asking for except the bounce sheets . Our room had hairdryers in each bathroom, a box of detergent good enough for one load (there is a charge for extra, however, they didn't charge us ), paper towels. We did get mickey soaps and shampoos. The 2 bedroom is the way to go, both rooms are huge and the full kitchen really comes in handy. We didn't eat at olivia's but the couple we were with did and said it was fabulous. Be sure and take the boat ride at night to downtown disney, the lights on the lake are amazing!!! We really didn't have as much time to spend on the resort as we would have liked. I think the activities could have taken up a whole day. There is also a mini grocery store there as well. If you don't mind paying $5 for half a pound of turkey, then it will be perfect for you

Hope this helps.

Ryan

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

ryanrop.....Glad you enjoyed your stay at OKW.

Yzma and Kronk.......here is a link for you below with pictures from OKW.

http://***********.com/id250.htm

 

[barbara ann]

Please bear with me... I'm new at this! My family and I are heading to OKW on the 25th of Sept and it will be our first time at a home away from home. We were able to buy points off a friend and have a 2 bedroom Thursday thru the following Friday, and a studio Saturday thru Friday (we did this because 4 of us - including a 2 year old - will be there ahead of the rest of the family which will include 4 more adults, another 2 year old and a one year old!). Once all are there, the families with children will get the 2 bedroom and the remaining 3 adults will be in the studio (perhaps for peace and quiet?). This way was also quite a bit cheaper than trying to book the grand villa. When I check in (any ideas on the best time? - we will actually be with relatives the night before so any time is do-able, and we are not planning to do any parks that day - maybe just DTD) are there any specific building I should request, such as near a bus stop? When we reserved we requested that the 2 bedroom and the studio be close to each other (hopefully the same building), but will checking in early give me a better shot at this? I'm thinking I should drive down early (it's only about 45 min), check in, then head down later - maybe after th 2 year old nap.
Any advice?

 

[ryanrop]

I'm not sure if you can get a studio and 2 bedroom villa in the same building. I think they keep them seperate for design reasons but I could be wrong. As I stated before, we stayed in room 1312 and it was a hop skip and jump from all the resort amenities. We arrived on a Saturday night at 7pm and it took us about 5 mins to check in. The CM at the front desk also told us taht the resort was only 40% booked for that week and we could have any room we wanted. I would call 3 or 4 days ahead of time and put in your requests, that's what we did and it worked out perfect.

Hope this helps,

Ryan

 

[mousetrom]

How were the crowds in the parks? We're leaving Thursday and are nervous since so many resorts have low availability!

 

[ryanrop]

Crowds are small, just don't do MK on Monday and you should be fine.

 

[JillU-DVC]

DVC has asked people not to call or fax the resorts with room requests - they were just getting too many to deal with, and having to deal with angry people who didn't get the EXACT room they wanted.

Having said that, ANY room at any DVC is like just wonderful (well, maybe not the trash view at WLV). At OKW, you'll be fine anywhere you stay.

Also, all buildings have studios, 1 bedrooms and 2 bedrooms (a 2 bedroom is actually a studio and a 1 bedroom put together) - only some buildings have grand villas. So if the resort isn't too full, it should not be a problem to get a 2 bedroom and a studio in the same building, especially if you're flexible with your location. Keep in mind there are 2 quiet pools in addition to the main pool, if being near a pool is a priority.

Something else to keep in mind if you have people that will be changing rooms is the room keys - if you do charging to the room, you'll be charging to the wrong credit card (unless you just break everything down at the end of your stay). Also, you're supposed to sign your room key, and if you give the studio room key to someone else, they may not be able to charge to it. You may need to go back to the front desk and get new keys for everyone when you move people around into different rooms.

Just my 2 cents - OKW is my home resort, and I LOVE it!

 

[The Maughan's]

Ok, this is my first post ever!!! Please help. We are going to be staying at OKW the end of this week!!! Yeah!! This is our fist Disney Vacation in five years. We can't wait. Do the two bedroom villas have VCR's or DVD players??? We have five kids and we are also bringing our babysitter along with us to help. Will there be lots of things for the kids to do? If you don't stay near Hospitality House, is it hard to get to it? Were there plenty of pots and pans for cooking? How about plates and utensils? Thanks in advance for your help.

:

 

[JillU-DVC]

If you have more questions about OKW, I suggest posting on the Disney Vacation Club message board - you'll get LOTS of responses (not just from me).

Hospitality house is 5-10 minute walk from the farthest villa, or you can jump on any bus going around - they will all stop at Hospitality House before going to their assigned location (park, DD, etc), if you're not staying near the HH.

Don't know about kid activities - you'll be given an activity list when you check in that will list all activities - we don't have kids, so don't pay attention. There are 2 quiet pools around the resort, in addtion to the main pool - any/all activities will be at HH or main pool (I think).

NOTE: all DVC have VCR in Living Room only - tvs in bedrooms are TV only, no VCR. DVD players in living room only at Beach Club Villas (instead of the VCR).

Here is a list of everything that's in a one/two bedroom villa:

In The Kitchen
GE refrigerator with ice maker
GE 4-burner electric stove/oven
GE microwave
2-sided sink with disposal
1 electric mixer
1 bar mixer blender
1 10-cup coffeemaker
1 toaster
1 coffee starter pack
Coffee filters
Sugar and Equal® packets
Dinnerware, glassware, flatware service for 8 (service for 12 in three-bedroom Vacation Homes)
Serving platter, vegetable bowls, salad serving bowl, sugar bowl, pitcher, cream server
8-piece cookware set (pots, pans, and lids)
Colander, casserole dishes,
cutting board, measuring cups, measuring spoons, cookie sheet
Paring knife, cook's knife, whisk, tongs, vegetable peeler, serving spoon, serving fork, ladle
Tea kettle
Pot holders

In The Bedroom(s)
Master Bedroom:
1 king bed with 4 pillows,
extra blanket
1-2 night stands
2-3 lamps
Hutch
Lounge chair with ottoman
Storage chest
Wastebasket
Appliances
AM/FM clock radio
TV with remote
Telephone
Ceiling fan
Other
Phone book
Bible
Ashtray (smoking rooms only)

Second and third bedrooms
(or studio accommodations):
2 queen beds (or 1 queen bed
and a full-size sofa bed), each with 1 set of sheets and two pillows
1-2 night stands
2-3 lamps
Hutch
Lounge chair with ottoman
Storage chest
Wastebasket
AM/FM clock radio
TV with remote
Telephone
Ceiling fan
Other
Phone book
Bible
Ashtray (smoking rooms only)

In the Living/Dining Area
Sofa with pull-out queen bed
2-3 lamps
End table
Coffee table
Lounge chair with ottoman
Dining room table
4 dining chairs
TV with remote
VCR (DVD players are featured in Disney’s Beach Club Villas ONLY)
Ceiling fan
Telephone

Balcony/Porch
Parsons table
2 chairs

In Each Bathroom
Whirlpool tub (Master Bathroom only)
Shower massager
4 bath towels
2 washcloths
2 hand towels
1 bath mat
Hairdryer
Wastebasket
Facial tissue
Toilet paper
Hand soap
Hand lotion
Shampoo

In The Laundry Room
GE washer and dryer
Vacuum cleaner
Iron and ironing board
Broom and dustpan
Starter box of laundry detergent

Hope this helps!!

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

thanks ryanrop and JillU-DVC - great info!
We are really looking forward to our stay at OKW

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm glad to hear you liked my home resort.
I don't think anyone posted a link to the DIS page about OKW or a link to the OKW map.
As you can see from the map, where ever you stay, you are not far away from a pool or a bus stop. The pool by Hospitality House is the main pool, but the Old Turtle Pond pool is also a large pool with a snack bar.

 

[Wineaux]

One of the reviewers in the new review section mentioned that there was an internet keosk near Olivias. Does anyone have any idea how much it costs?

 

[HyattVacationClub]

Thanks for all the great info. everyone has posted here!

Our second trip to WDW will be March 6-13, 2004 and we have a 2BR at OKW (Our first trip was a short 4-day trip just before T'giving in 2002).

Questions:

1. Where exactly is the OLD Turtle Pond which has the snack bar? (kudos to the person who posted the OKW map -- I've been looking for that ALL OVER the place!)

2. I have two children, 6 and 4 years of age.. Anyone know how deep the pools are? (3 feet....4 feet?).

3. Where is the exact location where one boards the boat to Downtown Disney? We will have a car, but on those evenings we go to Downtown Disney, we don't want to "take forever" (as my kids would put it) once we get off the boat to walk back to the room.

4. Lastly, I've hears pros and cons about requesting a bottom floor vs. top floor (view vs. going up and down the stairs). However, is there any signficant noise from upstairs units if you are on the ground floor at OKW.

Many thanks in advance!!

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Just wanted to wish everyone going to OKW a great trip! You will be pleasantly surprised with how awesome it is.

As for the questions... I don't know anything about Old Turtle Pond, we've only been in buildings (62-64) and (11-13) near the HH.

They have a kiddie pool next to the main pool that is very shallow.

The boat to DTD is right at the boat dock near the main pool, behind the HH. Be aware that it can only hold 13 people at a time and only runs until about 10 pm or so. It's a nice ride. But slow.

I prefer the top floor because I don't like to hear the feet clunking around above me, BUT going up the stairs is not easy with small children and strollers. We were lucky to have an elevator building when we were on the 3rd floor and it was great since we have a big double stroller. The next time we were in a non elevator building and on the second floor. It wasn't bad, but sort of a pain with the kids.