Just back...some thoughts on OKW

[Dee77]

We just returned today from an 8 night stay at OKW. We had a dedicated 2 bedroom and were located in building 28. Having never stayed at OKW before and only having one trip to SSR to compare to, we were ready to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about OKW. To sum it up for my us, we LOVED, LOVED, LOVED OKW.

My in-laws own at SSR as well as some friends of the family and we had them all over for cake and coffee one afternoon and everyone said how nice and spacious the rooms are. They were also able to check out the main areas of the resort and felt that all of it was very nice and attractive. All three families have talked about trying for that resort for next year's trip, my DH and I will definitely follow through with going for OKW because we loved it so much.

 

[bringmethathorizon]

our first trip to okw is this june.taking freinds of ours and staying in a 2 br at the hh.glad to here good news about it.

 

[beccasmom]

I am so pleased you enjoyed OKW. We especially enjoy the 2-bedroom units for their spaciousness. Lots of room to spread out!

 

[vandy]

Glad you enjoyed your stay at OKW. We miss the spacious rooms there when we are at other resorts. We have stayed in bldg. 28 before and enjoyed, but prefer the buildings above #30 with the second entrance into the master bath for those sleeping in the living room. OKW is one of the best resorts in my opinion.

 

[lundve]

I guess I am the minority when I say that I preferred the location and decor of our SSR room(s) over the one time we stayed at OKW.

 

[vandy]

I guess I am the minority when I say that I preferred the location and decor of our SSR room(s) over the one time we stayed at OKW.

I should clarify that when I say OKW is one of the best resorts, I mean for the room. As my signature indicates, we are a family of nearly all adults so the size and space of the room matters a lot to us. As far as the decor and condition of the rooms, I agree SSR is much better. As far as the resort amenities, for us they are close to the same (we are not big pool users though). I do prefer SSR and OKW over the other resorts simply because we drive and can park right by the building and not in a big lot away from the room.

 

[thelionqueen]

Our first stay was at OKW and it remains one of our favorites!!

 

[Donna M]

No other resort comes close to OKW in size!

 

[dianeschlicht]

If you loved OKW from building 28, and then you would be blown away by building 46!!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

If you loved OKW from building 28, and then you would be blown away by building 46!!

Can't put it any better!

I like all of the Disney resorts, as far as decor OKW is still my favorite, light & tropical and it truly has that Key West vibe and feel. SSR, though a lovely resort has more of a severe/sterile decor for my vacationing taste, though I'm happily staying there in Feb because OKW was all booked up at the 4 1/2 month mark (yes, I'm still a tad bitter).

The unspoken, OKW is old, the rooms are worn out, needs updating, but people "put up with it" for the "extra room and the point structure". then, they beat it up in their reviews, leaving those of us who own there and truly love it, out in the cold not able to book a stay, sorry rant.

AKV, love the savana, only for a couple of days though, decor is too dark. BWV, decor is nice but the 2br's are really too crowded, living area is way too small for 8 people. BCV comes in as 2nd favorite in light decor but it's living areas are small as well. Thank goodness Disney didn't make them all the same.

OKW still reigns supreme in my book, I'm glad you enjoyed your stay and discovered what so many of us have enjoyed for years!

 

[Dee77]

As I said in the original post, we will definitely go back to OKW and I too was surprised that building 28 worked for us. We loved the laid back feel and the friendliness of all the CM's there. The lack of an elevator or the more worn out features was not even a factor for us. We bought into BLT and while I am sure it will be great when we stay there (eventually) in the meantime while we take family with us it will be (hopefully) Old Key West all the way.

My family certainly appreciates this resort for all that it has to offer. I kind of wish we owned there just so we could know for sure that we can stay there again!

 

[Coach81]

OKW was our first experience (one bedroom) with our DVC.. and to some degree it spoiled us, we LOVED all the room! We had a great time, we will gladly stay at OKW for our future trips.

 

[Goofy DVC]

Glad you enjoyed OKW. I remember when we were thinking of an addon when BWV was being built in the mid 90s. When we passed because of the size of the rooms, I remember a DVC manager saying that when Disney built OKW they made two mistakes:
1. They made the rooms too big.
2. They made the points too cheap for the size.
He predicted as DVC went forward that we would never see accomadations that big for so few points. I guess he was somewhat spot on.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

saying that when Disney built OKW they made two mistakes:
1. They made the rooms too big.
2. They made the points too cheap for the size.

It wasn't a mistake, OKW mirrors in size many of 2 br Orlando timeshares, it was the original, the model by which the rest of the resorts were designed. Disney figured out real quick that they could build them smaller, maximize every square inch, pack people in like sardines and make a mint. Disney did it better but for themselves only ($) Ka Ching! In the 1 and 2BR's the master is pretty much the same size at all of the resorts, but the living area is beyond small and cramped. I personally can't imagine having 8 full grown people in the living room of a 2BR at BCT/BWV, it's not a problem at OKW. The mantra is that people don't spend much time in the villas but at the end of the day, the 8 people capacity of the unit still can't sit on a 4 person couch and a chair. Even if you pool in the dining room chairs, you've got wall to wall bodies, not my idea of relaxation.