OKW...information please

[Stacyabc]

We are still trying to decide where to buy. DH is suddenly interested in OKW. However, we do not know much about OKW. So, please share your thoughts. What are the positives and are there any negatives?

 

[staceyj2]

We bought DVC last year. We purchased an OKW resale. For us, the lower price was enough for us to choose them. We don't really mind where we stay, so being owners at a certain resort didn't really matter to us. We have since stayed at OKW and really loved it. So if we are staying during a busy time and have to book 11 mos. out, OKW would be fine with us. I know some people want the extra years on the newer contracts, but you now you can purchase those at OKW as well. Everyone will have different reasons for choosing their home resort, so I'm not sure if I have done a very good job of answering your question or not! Good luck with your decision.

 

[chalee94]

OKW lover's thread!

positives:

low resale costs per point
low annual dues
beautiful landscaping that has had 15 or so years to mature
2 queen beds in a studio
1BRs are enormous, around 1000 sq ft with large balconies
you can park right in front of your bldg
quiet

negatives:
spread out
quiet (depending on your personality)
can't walk to epcot
can't take a boat to the MK
no exotic animals outside your balcony
no impressive hotel lobby (like WL or AKL)
no 20 ft statues of mickey (nor goofy)

 

[LSchrow]

we don't own at OKW, but have stayed there. our take:
the great:
~ beautiful, relaxing resort (it's not unusual to encounter bunnies, ducks, & other small wildlife roaming the grounds)
~ huge rooms (largest of all DVC ~ the one bdrm draws a WOW from anyone entering; i imagine a GV would cause serious heart issues )
~ have heard Olivia's is a great place to eat, with excellent food
~ we found the quiet pool(s) very uncrowded (shared it with no more than one or 2 families during 10 days)
~ parking near your unit

not-so-good:
~ not all the buildings have elevators
~ we found bus service wait longer than any other resort (this is a variable, tho. apparently, not all have experienced the same). OKW has been the only resort we felt the need to use our rental car daily.
~ we felt very much removed from the "action". this is definately a personal preference: we enjoy a somewhat quiet resort, with the option of activities (parks, DTD) easily & quickly accessible.

again tho, the rooms are amazing!! where other DVC units have a stackable washer/dryer in a closet, OKW has a nicely sized laundry room . the studios have 2 queens (instead of a queen & a sofabed).

i'm sure OKW owners can give you better details & more facts, but just wanted to give you a "feel" of the resort from a non-owner's perspective.

hth
laurie

 

[BEASLYBOO]

OKW FAN!

I've loved OKW from the get go, it's my kind of place. A little more relaxed, less crowded, less noise, fantastic grounds if you like to walk, run or golf. The point structure is way more affordable, just look at the points for a GV and a studio with 2 beds, none of the other DVC resorts can beat it. Yes, if you don't like to walk then you must stay close to Hosp. House or else have car. If you have kids there's plenty to do, the pools are great.

I've stayed at and enjoyed every DVC except SSR but to put it into simple terms, after a long day out fighting the crowds and the theme parks, I don't want to go home to that atmosphere at night.

Order preference-OKW-AKV-BWV (BCV & SSR -NO AMBIANCE) AND (VWL-not my cup of tea)
Absolutely Love HH & VB if not a DISney Vacation

 

[LSchrow]

negatives:
no 20 ft statues of mickey (nor goofy)

umm, i think you meant to put that one in the very positive catagory
(imho, waaaaay too much "larger than life" canines & yo-yos are a helluva lot creepier than a scary clown)

 

[chalee94]

umm, i think you meant to put that one in the very positive catagory
(imho, waaaaay too much "larger than life" canines & yo-yos are a helluva lot creepier than a scary clown)

hee.

yep - i forgot to add the winkie to show i was joking.

 

[sajetto]

OP, OKW is amazing. It is our favorite resort and we just added on there. The rooms are HUGE and the theming fits our personality. However, for someone who likes to be right near the action, OKW might not be for them since it is pretty secluded there. I like to get away from the parks after a long day and OKW fits the bill

 

[DeeCee735]

We stayed in OKW for a one week vacation a couple of years ago. We own at BWV. OKW is WONDERFUL! My children loved it (teens). The main area is very nice, Olivia's Restaurant, snacks/bar, basketball, big pool, store, bike rentals (a great property for riding bikes), etc. The separate buildings are lovely, very nice landscaping, golf course running through, parking right in front. Bus stops everywhere and a quiet pool every few buildings. My daughter really loved the quiet pool, very private, and she liked the having it all to herself feeling when hanging out with her twin brother and their friend. We had a car so I can't comment on the buses or the service, although I saw them going through the area often.

The rooms are huge. We had a one bedroom, I love the laundry "room", and the balcony - a table and four chairs, with a ceiling fan/light. We had a golf course view and it was peaceful. We'd stay there again for sure. BW is our fav place, but if it wasn't available for any reason when I try to book, I'd definitely go with OKW as a second choice and the points per night are the lowest.

Good luck with your decision and have fun planning.​

 

[DisneyBride'03]

I love reading everyones opinions and how they differ!

 

[Telcogirl]

I am so torn. I am going to be booking a 2 bdrm this week for a long weekend in July. Primarily, it will be a golf weekend for the guys and a pool weekend for the girls. We may do a park or two at night, but the parks are not the focus this time.

We own at SSR and absolutely love it there. We love the layout of the entire resort, the rooms, the proximity to DTD, etc.

We have been wanting to try OKW. We pool hopped there on one of our last trips and thought the resort was pretty neat.

OKW has it all over SSR for the size of the villas and since we are having 5 adults and a child, I am leaning towards OKW. I am just concerned about some of the posts I have seen about the quality of the pull out sofa bed as well as the villas showing their age.

Has anybody stayed at both SSR & OKW? Can you help me decide????

 

[dianeschlicht]

OKW is like a spread out neighborhood of vacation townhomes. Each building is 2-3 stories and will include 1 bedroom/studio lock offs, 2 bedroom or 3 bedroom villas that are walk ups or walk ins from the parking are right outside your door. This gives a nice secluded vacation home feel IMO. The villas are the largest in the DVC system, and have huge master baths and very large great rooms and fully appointed kitchens with full sized appliances. There is also a complete laundry room with full size washer and dryer (not stackables). There is a large covered balcony that includes a dining table, 4 chairs and a ceiling fan. The balcony is accessed from both the living room and the master bedroom. The studios are lock offs from the second bedroom in some units, and will have 2 queen beds, a large closet, a huge full bath and a kitchenette/sink area that will include a microwave, fridge, coffe maker and toaster as well as some plastic and paper table ware. There is a small table with two chairs and a large balcony for the studio rooms as well.

There are 3 neighborhood pools on site, and a larger main pool that has a new sand castle slide. Each pool area includes a childs play area and a laundry for those who are staying in the studios (full size villas have their laundry room in the villa).

Bus service is excellent to all the parks, and there are 5 bus stops located throughout the resort.

Actually, most of the pull out sofas are the same type as at SSR. With a large resort, there is always the chance you could get a unit that is nearing it's rehab time, but there is a better chance you will get one that has just been rehabed too, since they have been doing a LOT of that at OKW lately.

 

[Telcogirl]

I didn't realize that OKW has been getting a rehab. That is great information. Do you know the areas that have already been done?

We are taking my Dad for his birthday, and this is his first time staying at a DVC property. So, naturally, we want to impress him.

We just came back from Beach Club Villas, and although it was very nice, we decided we prefer the feel of SSR. The individual buildings and the peacefulness of the resort are a huge benefit after a day of madness in the parks!!!!

We are hoping that OKW will have the same effect on us.........thanks for all of the great information.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Diane could have wrote that for DVC that was so good

I have a question..are there Bar B Q areas at OKW? THere was one right my bldg at SSR..love this idea! Thanks!

 

[mickey&minniealways]

Yes there are several BBQs throught the resort. Both my inlaws came with us last time. They could never have afforded something like this on there own. We were very impressed with how pretty everything was. My father in law has a heart condition so we rented him an ECV from an outside company. There are sidewalks everywhere so it was easy for him to get around. We loved the fact that after all the hustle and busle of the parks we got to go home to such a peacful environment. My teens loved the place as well and don't want to stay anywhere else. We do not own, we rented a 2 bedroom from my sister at a majorly reduced price. There were actually 8 of us at the time and did not feel crowded at all. Because of my father in law we had a ground floor, couldn't get one of the elevator buildings, with less than a three minute walk to the bus stop wich had a portable difibulator. The quiet pool was right around the corner from our building. We never had to wait more than 10/15 minutes for the bus as they are running all the time. The buses were also great where the EVC was concerned. They lowered down to street level so he could drive right on, and our rooms were also big enough that he was able to keep it in our unit while not in the parks. We are staying there again this spring and considering buying into the DVC because of our experience there. Good luck with your decision. Mine is already made up. If we decide to do this it will be OKW all the way. DH, DW, DS, : DS, DD

 

[OlderMan]

...at OKW are by the quiet pools.

We always cook out once or twice every time we go and have never had a problem getting one.

 

[NH Disney Mom]

I stayed at OKW last Nov. I also thought it was a very beautiful relaxing resort. My family owns at BCV & AKV and we love it there too.
The only negative that I had about OKW which totally freaked me out and I probably won't stay there again was I saw 2 snakes in 1 day while staying there, 1 by the quite pool and 1 by our room and I know its FL there are snakes but I don't like them and I definitely do NOT want to see them. There is alot of lush vegetation around the grounds there that I'm sure they love. Other than that though it is a very nice place.

 

[OlderMan]

FWIW, I've lived in Florida for the last seven years.

I've seen more snakes in the last 7 years than I had seen in my entire life before moving here.

Most of the ones I've seen have been in streets, driveways and parking lots, so look for them at ALL resorts, not just OKW.

 

[sajetto]

I stayed at OKW last Nov. I also thought it was a very beautiful relaxing resort. My family owns at BCV & AKV and we love it there too.
The only negative that I had about OKW which totally freaked me out and I probably won't stay there again was I saw 2 snakes in 1 day while staying there, 1 by the quite pool and 1 by our room and I know its FL there are snakes but I don't like them and I definitely do NOT want to see them. There is alot of lush vegetation around the grounds there that I'm sure they love. Other than that though it is a very nice place.

Not to freak you out even more, but I've seen plenty of them at BCV too. They love the warm Florida weather so OKW isn't the only resort that gets to enjoy their presence.

 

[Shadeaux]

The only negative that I had about OKW which totally freaked me out and I probably won't stay there again was I saw 2 snakes in 1 day while staying there, 1 by the quite pool and 1 by our room and I know its FL there are snakes but I don't like them and I definitely do NOT want to see them. There is alot of lush vegetation around the grounds there that I'm sure they love.

We didn't see any snakes at OKW last May, however, I did almost step on a snake when we were walking around BCV. It wasn't in any vegetation...it was right on the sidewalk. It stopped & posed for a couple pictures.
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