OK, OK some humble OKW pie for me rooms 2626/1723

[jaysue]

OK, first of all to quench the flames, I open with a nod to richyams and all the other OKW boosters out there.

Note - I rented these points before we decided to purchase DVC and it gave me a good chance to check OKW out as it turns out:

OKW Pros:

1) Good relatively central location (I thought) for consistent fast bus returns
2) Boat to DTD
3) Mini promenade area - Bar, Restaurant, Walk up service
4) Neat kids area - DS loved the giant sandpail and castle area and dolphins by the pool
5) Nice check in area with the central "courtyard" concept
6) Nice room sizes (stayed in studio and 1 bedroom - the bathroom in the 1BR is bigger than my bedroom!!!)
7) Great Staff - especially Annamarie who gave DS some awesome balloons that he loved
8) Ceramic tile I thought was really nice in the bathrooms
9) Large corner showers in the 1BR master bathroom
10) Proper Laundry Room
11) Very relaxing

OKW Cons: (yes we need to have some for a balanced view!)

1) Buses a touch slower in the afternoon - not a huge issue since was almost always able to have a discussion with other people staying whilst waiting for the bus
2) Pool not very exciting and themed - no lifeguard either
3) Some odd noises - those turbine vehicles again at around 4:45am - only noticed this first night in 2626
4) Couches I found to be somewhat uncomfortable
5) Not able to walk to a park (like BWV/BCV for example)

We stayed one night in Studio 2626:

Specific Pros:
Close to Bus Stop (important since we had no car)

I love the "angled" design of the room versus "box/rectangle" - makes everything feel larger in my opinion

Half fridge and kitchenette area

Lack of hallway noise

Nice pastel decor

Specific Cons:
As noted above, heard vehicles around 4:45am whizzing by

Some noise through the adjoining door but the old towel trick took care of that

*****
We stayed two nights in 1723 (1 BR)

Specific Pros:

Lack of hallway noise

Nice pastel decor

Huge room as noted above

Nice sized kitchen

Great view towards one of the golf course holes

Reasonably close to the bus stop either on Miller's or at Hospitality House - a couple of times the bus driver just signalled me to wait on the other side of the road and got me as he/she turned around and started coming back

Nice sized TV

Having the shower separate from the tub area - made it feel almost spa like

Specific Cons:

Oh oh (yes richyams and crew) - none NONE whatsoever in this unit at this time

*****
Overall, loved OKW and will if possible be staying there every 3 years or so to get a break from the hustle and bustle of BCV which I bought thinking of DS and D? (coming June 10), SAB and access to Epcot/MGM and boardwalk.

Anyways, OKW is a great property in my mind - not the best but certainly near the top of the list

Any questions let me know

Thanks
jaysue

 

[TIdoublegaER]

Sounds like you heard the now infamous laundry train at 4:45 am. I'm glad you had a great trip. I love the relaxing atmosphere there.

 

[travelbug]

Very comprehensive (and balanced ) report on OKW. It is indeed a beautiful and relaxing place. It sounds like you generally had a wonderful stay there.

Thanks for the excellent report.

 

[KNWVIKING]

That's my choo-choo...right on time.

 

[TIdoublegaER]

Hey, at least the darn thing is consistent. Reminds me of My Cousin Vinny when he had to keep changing motels because of the weird noises!

 

[DebbieB]

I saw the "laundry train" in the evening one night last week on Turtle Pond Road. That thing is noisy!

I own at BWV but love OKW too, we rotate stays (OKW May, BWV December). That's one of the beauties of DVC, you have many choices. I don't think I would want to stay in the same place all the time.

I request water view at OKW, they seem to be away from the road, avoiding bus & "train" noises. We stayed in 3111 last year & 4311 this year (1 bedrooms).

 

[Disney Doll]

Is that laundry train thing relatively new, does anyone know??? We have stayed in OKW quite a few times(it is our home resort), and have never heard it. The last time we stayed there was January 2002.

 

[NancyDVC]

The 'Laundry train' is the golf cart that pulling a long string of carts holding the clean linen in the AM and returning the dirty linenn in the PM.
My biggest noise/light annoyance has been the lawn mowers with the headlights grooming the golf course before dawn. In the winter that is 6:30-7:30 AM as the days get longer the mowing gets earlier!

 

[Simba's Mom]

LOL-goes to show how one person's annoyance (which I understand) can be another person's happiness. DH would LOVE to hear the golf course grass cutters in the early morning. I promised him I'd ask what building you were in to hear them. You see, he was brought up next to a golf course, and when he was a youngster, he was quite often woken up early in the morning like this. OK, I know he's a little crazy, but then if COP brings me back to my childhood at the New York World's Fair, I guess I can understand his "nostalgia" for the early morning golf course noise.

 

[sweetp267]

I think your cons for OKW can be justified somewhat by the lower point amounts than if you stayed at BW or BC or WL, that is not connected to a park or lack of a themed pool like SAB?

Just my observation.

 

[jaysue]

Agreed - location/location/location is a mantra in real estate.

thanks
jaysue

 

[Lesley]

My OKW experiences are similar.....the studio compares nicely with the other DVC resorts but doesn't make me want to stay there more than anywhere else. Actually I prefer a more convenient location when staying in a studio. If I do reserve an OKW studio in the future, it will mainly be to conserve points.

But, the 1br is just amazing at OKW....I wanted to live there! If you want a relaxing visit to WDW this is definitely the place to be. We also fell in love with the Turtle Pond area....I will request it from now on when we stay at OKW. Oh, and if you plan on cooking, the OKW kitchens are much more workable than the other resorts' kitchens....its not wise to share cooking duties with someone else in the other resorts...just not enough room, no counter space, etc.... At OKW...well, the kitchen is nicer than what I have at home (okay, the whole place is nicer than my home....and I live in a very nice apartment place now!)

IMO, all the resorts have their particularly good points!