loss of magic?

[ilovdisney2]

We are torn about where to stay. POR or OKW.
2 adults and 3 children ages 12, 9, and 7. We can do 2 rooms at POR or a 2 bedroom villa at OKW. All the posts on POR sound great. (pools, landscaping, food court) but when I ask about OKW I get mixed reviews. I was told that some of the "magic" is lost at OKW because of the location and they way the resort is laid out. We like the idea of the kitchen and washer and dryer but this is the first time on site and we want to be all up in the "magic" 24/7. Please help me with this decision so I can sleep at night and quit changing my mind everyday!

 

[Neeter]

You may want to check out the Disney Vacation Club Forum. A lot people that post on that board have OKW as their home DVC resort. Friends of mine considering a stay at OKW found the DVC forum really helpful. Hope you find the info you need.

We are ASMO folks. We felt totally surrounded by the magic 24/7 while there last Easter. We had two rooms and it was perfect for our family of five. The atmoshpere is pure Disney, IMHO.

I'm sure you will have a great time no matter where you choose! Just remember you're in the "happiest place on earth"!

 

[SuiteDisney]

POR is right down the road from OKW and they are both "out of the way" to people who like to stay at the Epcot resorts or on the monorail resorts.

I've heard glowing reports of OKW. The advantage of a 2-bedroom over 2 rooms at POR is the living room and kitchen. There's more room for your family to stretch out. Also, the villa will have a clothes washer and dryer right in the villa, as well as a jacuzzi. For the money, I would definitely go with the villa.

 

[Disneydenise]

I have stayed in DW 18 times. We stayed at theOKW and loved it. I think that if you want to be caught in all the magic you won't feel like that at OKW. The resort is beautiful but what we liked about it was that we were able to get away from the hustling crowds. IF that is what you are looking for it is the wrong resort. I felt that the extra space and the other amenities gave the feeling of being on two vacations at the same time. The other side of Disney is that they have lots of wonderfully relaxing things to do. You don't have to go to a park to have fun. Our children who love MK, E, MGM & AK wanted to stay at the OKW and hangout on the pivate patio and watch the wildlife on the golf course. They wanted to do a BBQ at the pool. That was very different for them @ DW. We were there in the summer and it was very warm and quite crowded at the parks and they were happy just hanging out.
When we stay at other resorts we seem to get to the parks more. I think you need to decide exactly what type of vacation you are looking for and that may help make your decision. I just returned from a quick trip to DW and my DD was at the All Star Sport. I would never have stayed there but I went over to see her and her friends and found the entire place charming. I am not a sports fan. The rooms are just standard hotel rooms but the atmosphere was great. The pool which I thought was small was not crowded and the food court was great. I didn't stay in the room so I don't know if it is noisy or not but I think I might consider this place if we were to get two rooms.

 

[SamanthaL]

We just stayed at OKW in Dec. and loved it! I liked that it was quiet at the end of a long day. The landscaping is beautiful and very tropical. The 2 bedroom villa is gorgeous. What could be more magical than waking up to ducks and bunnies outside your patio to say good morning. The most magical thing of all was having NO LAUNDRY to wash when we got home. I will say that if you want constant Disney you may want to try the Epcot hotels (BWI, BC, YC). You are in the middle of the magic 24/7. It is my favorite location. You really can't go wrong with any of the WDW hotels. I love them all!

 

[KCritter]

OKW is a beatiful resort. It is laid back and relaxing and feels like a different world from the theme parks. The landscaping is beautiful. The theming is lovely and the attention to detail is the same as any Disney resort. The two bedroom villas are HUGE and having a washer, dryer and full kitchen are wonderful. I think it still has all of the Disney magic to it.

The only downsides I see: There is no fancy waterslide at the pool, although it is still a very nice pool. There is no food court, but since you have a full kitchen in your villa, you can eat quick meals there (Saves $$$!). There is a snack bar at the Turtle Pond pool for quick bites during the day.

Bottom line, I would pick OKW over POR.

 

[mickey7861]

The 2 bedroom unit at OKW is like an apartment, very spacious. You can't compare the amount of space to 2 rooms at POR. POR is my favorite moderate but I wouldn't think twice between that and OKW. OKW is quiet but still very nicely themed. There is a snack shack at the Turtle Pond Pool area and at the Main pool area as well as a full service restaurant. They have tennis courts, basketball,organized kids activities. The unit will have a VCR and tape rentals are available at the resort (we brought our own). The master bedroom has a king sized bed and ofcourse you get the jaccuzzi tub in your unit also. I have some OKW pics on my web pageJo's Disney Den that might give you a better idea of the units.

 

[MinnieGi]

We are staying at OKW for the first time this Nov. and I think the villa size will be quite magical! There are great pictures of the resort on our laughing place. The resort looks beautiful and very peaceful. While it might not be in the middle of the hustle and bustle neither is POR. In fact they are located in the same area. Both have boats to take you to DTD at night if you do want some more excitement. We have stayed at POR when it was Dixie Landings and although we loved our stay we now have a toddler DD and want the extra space. She did not like the limited amount of space in a WL room. I think OKW will have its own Disney magic. All the resorts seem too!