Just got home from OKW

[Baileymouse]

I wasn't overly thrilled this time around. It's been a few years since I stayed there, and frankly, I thought they needed some definite improvement. We stayed in a 2 br unit in bldg. 39.

The parking area in front of our building flooded from the rain, and remained flooded all week.

The bed was way too soft and when my husband would come to bed, I felt like I was on an old water bed from the movement.

The bathroom in the "studio" part was dirty - there was liquid foundation makeup running down the wall near the sink.

The refrigerator was dented.

Geez, I know the resort is 15 years old, but the least they could have done was upgraded the mattresses.

Also, I found the bus service to be very unreliable. We waited much longer than 20 minutes at Downtown Disney and the Magic Kingdom. I did rent a car but sometimes other family members would take it.

 

[Poohs Pal]

Dsis and I stayed in 3910(studio) during New Years. We thought this was the perfect building. Easy walk to pool/laundry area. Very easy walk to bus depot. Also Dsis smoke's and the smoking area was just outside our door. We enjoyed our stay while at OKW. We probably won't go back again though unless we had a car. The bus service was terrible. There were time's we could wait 45 minutes for a bus just to get to DTD. The inner resort bus was the worst. We would spend more time on the bus in the resort than it took us to eat at Olivia's and then shop afterward's . We did enjoy Olivia's and had counter service's burger's. No complaint's there. The store was OK. The cast were all exceptional. On check out day we were moving over to SSR and the OKW CM called SSR and asked if our room would be ready because we were on our way over (10:00 am) and was told it would be ready by the time we arrived from OKW. No one has ever done this before and we thought that was a nice touch. Over all nice place but would not stay again unless we new we would get ground floor(no elevators) or had a car. Susan

 

[Sabor]

Sorry you didn't like it - To Each his Own - but in our opinion OKW is still by FAR the best DVC resort and always will be.

We love the Mattresses at OKW and think they are one the best we have ever encountered at any resort.

The Bus system at WDW stinks in general - if you dont like to wait - dont use it and use your rental Car. But in general OKW is a resort designed to have use of your own vehicle.

The Dirty bathroom can happen anywhere and nothing a quick call to housekeepong could not fix , I have had issues at the GF , BCV and BWV upon check in that required housekeeping.

And sorry but I do need my "Dues" to go up everytime a refridgerator has a dent.

 

[Baileymouse]

We bought into OKW because it was our favorite. I still think they need to do some work to the place, though. I know it's off-season but I still felt things were rather lax.

Flooding of the handicapped access ramp? Not cool. We would have to go around the long way with luggage, strollers & such. The building location would have been great for pool access but that particular pool area was closed for refurbishing - something that wasn't told to me by the cast member at check in when she was giving me the list of places that were available.

 

[JudithM]

I certainly hope with all the issues & concerns you had that you let someone - front desk, housekeeping, engineering, etc. - know while you were at OKW. At the DVC annual meeting last month, Jim Lewis made a point to say members should give DVC an opportunity to fix a problem/issue/concern then & there.

 

[Chuck S]

Although the CM should have mentioned it, the member site listed the Turtle Pond pool area rehab:

Refurbishment work underway at flagship resort

A variety of refurbishment projects are underway at Disney's Old Key West Resort, resulting in temporary closures of select areas of the flagship property this winter.

Buildings 41, 42, 43 and 44 are scheduled to be closed for exterior painting Jan. 13 through March 15, 2008.

Refurbishment work also is scheduled to close the Turtle Pond Pool and surrounding area, including the Turtle Shack, Jan. 14 through Feb. 10, 2008.

Ask a Front Desk Cast Member for updates about any closures during your stay.

Should you have questions about closures prior to your arrival, please call Member Services.

 

[hsmamato2]

we just stayed there last week,and while the unit was older,it had some issues that needed repair,but they were minor- but the buses,oh,the buses! they were so GOOD! seems like OKW has the closest stops at the parks,easy to get to,we never waited more than 5 minutes,our whole trip!
We couldn't believe how relaxing it was!

 

[disney54us]

First, I am sorry to hear about the problems you experienced. Second, since our first 2 contracts are at OKW, it is one of our favorites. We have not stayed there in a couple of years and are booked for next T-day through early Dec. I obviously have concerns from reading your posting. We always found the beds to be sooo comfy, maybe they need to be changed? I hope you called Mousekeeping if the room was not cleaned properly as anyone who pays money to go on vacation and stay at a deluxe resort would. You are being very considerate when you mention, that the resort is 15 years old, but so are many deluxe resorts throughout the country. It is not a excuse, all hotels, update redo every few years to keep the resort/hotel up the standards they market themselves to be. It is obvious that you also love OKW, so don't feel the need to explain yourself stating what happened and the condition of your room.
I have never come in w/ a car and do not plan to, the bus service is suppose to be running as stated, so again there is no reason you should go elsewhere if you rely on the bus. I hope you do address your concerns to DVC, so you will be heard.

 

[Baileymouse]

There's a lot to love about OKW, including the peaceful atmosphere, the size of the rooms, the amenities, and a lot of the cast members are great.

I intend to write a letter about the bed and the water out front. I think the water was the biggest hazard. Standing water is not healthy! Had someone in our party been in a wheelchair they would have had to have gone through it. I do believe the mattress in our room needed to be changed. Maybe they have a schedule for when things need to be changed? I don't know.

I didn't read up on a lot as far as what was being refurbished ahead of time because the last few months have been hell. I had surgery in November, and my father in law died in December. Sadly, he was supposed to have come on this trip with us. Usually I'm a Disney commando, reading the boards and checking up on everything before leaving, but this time I never had a chance.

I'm sure they will listen, they always do! Oh, and one non-OKW complaint - I have a couple of old park hoppers from a previous visit (pre-fingerprint days) and I specifically asked if we would be able to use them since they had no expiration. I was assured that we could, even without a hand stamp. The next day my son used it at Hollywood Studios, and when he left and went to EPCOT, they wouldn't let him in, he had to use a day from the newer pass.

I must say that Malita at the Concierge desk was extremely helpful. She was great and helped us with quite a few things, including the DDP.

 

[Paticake]

We just got back from OKW (2 bdrm) Building 45,2nd floor on Friday night. Our unit was clean and in good repair. We really enjoyed the peace and quiet of the resort and oh the space in the 2 bdrm. Our only problem was an outlet in the kitchen that didn't work. The other small problem was our upstairs neighbors whose children had loud jumping and racing games early in the morning! I am usually very tolerant but they were really loud! We were pretty satisfied with the busses. We had a car and used it for our dining at other resorts which was really very handy. We may rent a car all the time now!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have had so many stays at OKW now, that I have lost count. I know it is more than 20 though. While we have had an occational minor issue here and there, we have never had anything that couldn't be or wasn't corrected when we mentioned it.

Bus service is usually the best at OKW, but there have been one or two instances where we have waited a bit longer in the afternoon. That seems to be the time there might be some delays. I also have noted that buses tend to run on a 20 minute schedule at OKW until about 1, and then it switches to about every 30 minutes for each park. Actually in the morning, buses to the parks often run every 10 minutes around park opening times. The DTD buses are spotty at best, so we tend to always either take the ferry or walk to DTD.

 

[Brian Noble]

I also have noted that buses tend to run on a 20 minute schedule at OKW until about 1, and then it switches to about every 30 minutes for each park.

We normally have a car, and would normally drive everywhere except MK. However, at MK, we also normally take an afternoon break. Would you suggest driving to MK in this situation as well when staying at OKW?

 

[dianeschlicht]

We normally have a car, and would normally drive everywhere except MK. However, at MK, we also normally take an afternoon break. Would you suggest driving to MK in this situation as well when staying at OKW?

No, I always think that the bus beats the car at OKW. The only park that can make sense for me to drive to is Animal Kingdom.

 

[LisaS]

DH and I arrrived yesterday. Our 1BR villa is very clean and in good repair. The mattress is firm and very comfortable. I usually have trouble sleeping the first night (getting used to a different mattress and pillow) but I slept very soundly until we were awakened early in the morning by a lot of loud quacking just below our room! So no complaints about the mattress but I would like to schedule our wake-up duck for a later time tomorrow!

 

[dianeschlicht]

DH and I arrrived yesterday. Our 1BR villa is very clean and in good repair. The mattress is firm and very comfortable. I usually have trouble sleeping the first night (getting used to a different mattress and pillow) but I slept very soundly until we were awakened early in the morning by a lot of loud quacking just below our room! So no complaints about the mattress but I would like to schedule our wake-up duck for a later time tomorrow!

LOL, and that is one of the disadvantages of staying in that wonderful building 46! Hey, just take into account the good view, and go get a little uncooked oatmeal to feed the ducks! When we were in 46 in November, we had fun watching the squirels!

 

[Saratoga Souris]

Stayed at OKW in the middle of December. At the time, our home resort was only SSR and we have stayed at all of the DVC properties except BCV. We had such a great stay that we have added-on at OKW.
We were in Turtle Pond Area and loved it. The beds were VERY comfortable and the buses were great.
I am a track coach and love to time things.... our longest wait for a bus was 21 minutes and that was from EPCOT to OKW near park closing. The 21 minutes was a result of having to wait for a second bus as the first filled and we were still in line.
The bus system is excellent in WDW it's just that everyone is so used to "on demand service". I found people in the bus lines complaining constantly even when they had waits of less than 15 minutes (come on people!!).
As for beds.......everyone likes a different feel and that is why they make so many types of matresses (soft, firm, etc). You can't please everyone! Personally, I loved the OKW matresses but I can see that they wouldn't suit everyone.
As for fridge dents.... really... what do you want them to do? Buy new fridges when they get dented?? Even my fridge has a dent or two....

 

[simzac]

To the OP, sorry to hear about your problems. Did you speak with a manager about any of your concerns while you were there?

 

[colleen costello]

Our last room at OKW was a little shabby. Nothing was broken or actually WRONG and the unit was clean enough; it just looked worn down. My husband was disappointed and when we discussed it, we figured we just lucked into a unit that probably was next up for rehab. It's kind of "luck of the draw" that way at Disney, DVC and regular resorts too... Sometimes you get a room that is all shiny new because it has been redone and you think "WOW" about the whole resort, and other times you get the older room and it makes you fear the whole place may be run down. I guess a little of both is usually true!

While our rooms at OKW have ranged a bit in cleanliness, furnishings and "shabbiness," we have never had a bad stay. The grounds are beautiful, the pools are great, the restaurant and shop are great. The buses have always been wonderful and the staff are lovely -- we really love the place.

 

[Laurabearz]

Sorrry to hear you had issues. As someone said, it's is always best to address these things while your still at the resort. I am happy you are letting them know, though

I would like to schedule our wake-up duck for a later time tomorrow!

Oh tag Fairy!

 

[SuziQZee]

OP...I'm sorry to hear about your issues, it does put a little damper on things. Hopefully, you can voice your concerns and next trip will be better.

We've stayed at OKW a couple of times and have had a great time! The rooms were great, the resort was clean, the resort activities were fun, etc. Our buses were all good except for AK. We've really had bad luck with the buses when we go there so I think we're just gonna drive there from now on.