OKW Lovers Thread. Part 2

[mhnewcomb]

First time staying at OKW. Are there any pool views for the studios? I did read the the studios are usually located on the ends of each building. Would love a 2nd floor pool view if that's even possible. Also I've seen pics of a lake/pond with a fountain in it, is the fountain lit at night? Most of my time spent on the balcony will be after dark and just want to make sure I'll still have a "view" to enjoy. This will be a cash reservation, we are not DVC members. TIA.

We stayed in South Pointe, building 56 this past October...right next door to the pool. We were 5610 ground floor, our traveling companions were 5620 right above us. It was SO convenient to laundry and to bus stop! It's very quiet back there...we loved it! So much so that I'm taking my dad and some of his friends back this fall.

 

[KristinV02]

*** Edit to add, I totally missed Chuck_S's post above mentioning all buildings above 30 have the extra entrance into the bathroom! Please excuse me for not seeing it before posting! ***

I sure hope this question hasn't been asked a whole lot. I tried to read through the majority of the thread before asking. We are considering OKW for our trip next year. We will be a group of 6 adults and 1 child. We are interested in the 2BR Villa; however, we are highly concerned about the entry into the 2nd bathroom from the individuals that will be sleeping in the living room. What buildings have the extra access to the bathroom from the living room/dining room? I have tried searching but am finding a hard time looking for the information. We really want to try OKW for the first time, but if we cannot get the 3rd entrance into the bathroom, we most likely won't be able to make this resort work for us.

Thanks for all the help! This thread has been so great to read on!

 

[OKW Lover]

What buildings have the extra access to the bathroom from the living room/dining room?

Buildings 30 and higher.

 

[kirkaliciasmom]

We had our first stay at OKW in November. We were in building 22 on Millers Road. Thankfully on the first floor. The resort is beautiful and I loved the 2 br villa. We had so much space. There were 8 of us. 4 adults and 4 kids 12, 11, 3, and 1. The only complaint I had was the building we were in had no walkways. It would've been perfect if we drove, but we didn't, so we relied on bus transportation. Walking back to the villa, especially at night on the street wasn't so safe. Cars backing out, busses turning around, etc.... The walk to the hospitality house was a relaxing 5-7 min walk. We did have 1 issue in the room, but it wasn't Disney's fault. At 4am (the first night) I was woken from a sound sleep to a sound of a rodent in the livingroom. I heard scratching feet on the walls. I didn't want to get out of bed, but since I was the Mom there (no dad), I didn't have much of a choice. I saw a squirrel or rat, I thought. It came running toward me then headed back under the couch. To make a long story short, I called the front desk, and waited for pest control to arrive. I was peeking out of the bedroom door waiting for a knock on the door and the thing ran right past my feet! EEK!!!! I got my daughter out of bed and we closed the door and waited for help to arrive. It wasn't a rat, but it was a flying squirrel! The night mgr offered to move us to another room, but everyone was sleeping (except my daughter and I) so that was out. What they did give us was a $400 room credit and a full mousekeeping everyday of our stay! I couldn't believe it!

 

[Deb & Bill]

*** Edit to add, I totally missed Chuck_S's post above mentioning all buildings above 30 have the extra entrance into the bathroom! Please excuse me for not seeing it before posting! ***

I sure hope this question hasn't been asked a whole lot. I tried to read through the majority of the thread before asking. We are considering OKW for our trip next year. We will be a group of 6 adults and 1 child. We are interested in the 2BR Villa; however, we are highly concerned about the entry into the 2nd bathroom from the individuals that will be sleeping in the living room. What buildings have the extra access to the bathroom from the living room/dining room? I have tried searching but am finding a hard time looking for the information. We really want to try OKW for the first time, but if we cannot get the 3rd entrance into the bathroom, we most likely won't be able to make this resort work for us.

Thanks for all the help! This thread has been so great to read on!

Buildings 30 and higher.

The bathroom in the second bedroom is only accessible through the second bedroom. The bathroom in the master bedroom is accessible through the laundry room for buildings in Turtle Pond or South Point (or 62, 63 and 64).

 

[Main Street Matilda]

Just got back from our first trip to OKW and would stay there again, without question. I was hesitant to book OKW since I thought it might feel "dated" given it's an older resort - but I was wrong. We were in Building 24 and liked being so close to the Hospitality House and really enjoyed our dinner at Olivia's.

I would like to mention, however, that we were travelling in our RV (since we spent a few days at Fort Wilderness first) and I'd been told there were places to park the RV. In fact, the layout of the parking around the villas didn't really allow for us to park our RV there, mostly because we felt it would be impolite to other guests that we'd be taking up about 5 or 6 spots. When I mentioned this to the manager at Guest Services, she recommended we park the RV over at Port Orleans. That worked out perfectly since they had a big parking lot and it was really only a 2 minute drive. Just something to keep in mind or anyone who's travelling there in an RV.

 

[DisneyGal24]

We will be staying at OKW for the first time in June. We've booked a studio in the HH area. The kids are excited about the sandcastle pool slide and DH and I are excited about Olivia's! What can you tell me about Goods to Go? Turtle shack? We may eat a few QS there. Fountain drink options... Is Powerade available? Just curious, DH likes it. As long as they have Diet Coke I will be fine!

 

[Chuck S]

Good's to Go has some burgers, hotdogs,sandwiches, salads an so forth. Like most Deluxe resorts, counter service is kind of lacking at OKW. No food court or anything, just a walk up counter. I think they do have powerade in the dispenser.

Turtle Shack has pre-made items, I don't think they actually make anything to order at the Turtle Shack. They will refill drink mugs, but they fill them for you at Turtle Shack, at least that is the way ii was last time I was there.

Olivia's is usually VERY good, like all Disney restaurants, they do occasionally have an "off" time, but it is rare. For the last several years, they have been great.

 

[ancestry]

Need reassurance and confirmation that I'm selecting the right place, please.

Considering booking a one bedroom at OKW for my stay in May. We are not DVC members and are hoping to book with whatever discount will be offered (either public or AP).

I think OKW is our best on-site option and would like opinions from those who are familiar with the resort.

Our travel party consists of five people (myself and five adult kids) - me (43), DD (22), DS (18), DS (18), and DD (18). Actually two of the 18 year olds will be 19 by the time we travel. Two of the kids are my unofficially adopted kids just in case anyone thinks we performed a miracle having all of these kids back to back. ;-)

I've stayed at every single Disney moderate and deluxe level resort over the years but I have never stayed at a DVC property. Because of the nature of our group I think OKW will be our best option.

In order to make this trip affordable we will have to eat nearly all of our meals in our room. Since we are staying for 7 nights/8 days we really need a kitchen to pull this off, thus the need to a DVC resort. The boys in our group (athletes) can put away some serious food and I nearly went broke feeding them on-site when I took them two years ago. They actually require two counter service meals each to be full and often would order two entrees at a table service at dinner time. YIKES!

We will not have a car as everyone except for me isn't really old enough to drive most rental cars.

The kids all like to come and go at their own pace (some sleep in - some don't) so reliable frequent transportation is VERY important. Plus with them needing to return to the room for major meals they need to be able to do so quickly and efficiently.

Also swimming/pools are important for everyone. Easy access to a pool without having to walk a huge distance is very important.

After reading through the posts on this thread I guess my biggest fear about OKW is the size and staying there without a car. I can't seem to wrap my mind around the size of the resort.

If we stay in the Turtle Pond area how long on average would it take us to catch a bus up to the HH if the kids wanted to go to the main pool? Would we be able to take the first bus comes along?

I'm see that unless we book by renting points we can't request the HH area, correct?

How is Garden Grocer and WeGoShop handled at OKW? Will the items be delivered to our room or will we have to collect them from the HH house? Obviously this will be a large order and taking everything on the bus isn't really practical.

We really need a 1 bedroom located near a bus stop and pool. Sometimes room locations don't matter, but in this case a room locate could really make or break our trip. Is there anyway to stress the importance of this when we book?

Anything else I should be aware of? Any suggestions, tips, or hints for me?

Is this the best resort for us or would there be something better? Price wise we are limited to around $2,500 for 7 nights (which wit an AP or public discount should put us close).

 

[Chuck S]

Need reassurance and confirmation that I'm selecting the right place, please.

Considering booking a one bedroom at OKW for my stay in May. We are not DVC members and are hoping to book with whatever discount will be offered (either public or AP).

I think OKW is our best on-site option and would like opinions from those who are familiar with the resort.

Our travel party consists of five people (myself and five adult kids) - me (43), DD (22), DS (18), DS (18), and DD (18). Actually two of the 18 year olds will be 19 by the time we travel. Two of the kids are my unofficially adopted kids just in case anyone thinks we performed a miracle having all of these kids back to back. ;-)

I've stayed at every single Disney moderate and deluxe level resort over the years but I have never stayed at a DVC property. Because of the nature of our group I think OKW will be our best option.

In order to make this trip affordable we will have to eat nearly all of our meals in our room. Since we are staying for 7 nights/8 days we really need a kitchen to pull this off, thus the need to a DVC resort. The boys in our group (athletes) can put away some serious food and I nearly went broke feeding them on-site when I took them two years ago. They actually require two counter service meals each to be full and often would order two entrees at a table service at dinner time. YIKES!

We will not have a car as everyone except for me isn't really old enough to drive most rental cars.

The kids all like to come and go at their own pace (some sleep in - some don't) so reliable frequent transportation is VERY important. Plus with them needing to return to the room for major meals they need to be able to do so quickly and efficiently.

Also swimming/pools are important for everyone. Easy access to a pool without having to walk a huge distance is very important.

After reading through the posts on this thread I guess my biggest fear about OKW is the size and staying there without a car. I can't seem to wrap my mind around the size of the resort.

If we stay in the Turtle Pond area how long on average would it take us to catch a bus up to the HH if the kids wanted to go to the main pool? Would we be able to take the first bus comes along?

I'm see that unless we book by renting points we can't request the HH area, correct?

How is Garden Grocer and WeGoShop handled at OKW? Will the items be delivered to our room or will we have to collect them from the HH house? Obviously this will be a large order and taking everything on the bus isn't really practical.

We really need a 1 bedroom located near a bus stop and pool. Sometimes room locations don't matter, but in this case a room locate could really make or break our trip. Is there anyway to stress the importance of this when we book?

Anything else I should be aware of? Any suggestions, tips, or hints for me?

Is this the best resort for us or would there be something better? Price wise we are limited to around $2,500 for 7 nights (which wit an AP or public discount should put us close).

Well, I can't answer your question about Garden Grocer or We Go Shop, I never used them. Personally, I'd do a one day rental on a car and stock up on groceries.

You can take any bus to get to the Hospitality pool/restaurant/check-in area. To return, walk across the bridge to the Peninsular Road bus stop and hop on any bus, or wait at Hospitality for the internal/DtD loop bus. However, from Turtle Pond it really is only about a 10 leisurely walk to Hospitality. The furthest rooms (Bldg 50) to Hospitality is about 2/3 of a mile, or about 1/2 the distance around World Showcase.

Really, unless there is a specific reason to book cash through Disney with a discount or AP, you may save quite a bit by renting from a DVC owner, either through our rent/trade board or through a broker like our board advertiser, David's Rentals If you'd be a first time renter, I'd probably recommend going through the broker.

Unless you really need the daily housekeeping, or have to be able to cancel for a refund. For refunds, you'd have to book for cash through Disney. Point rentals are generally final transactions.

Rack rate for a one bedroom in May would be about $4000 for a week, so you'd need to find a really, really good AP or other discount to bring it down to your budget. It would require about a 37% discount. Renting points from the broker (who I think is about $14 per point, but not sure) would put you at $2786. If you can rent directly from an owner, you may get points for less. If you could get it at $12 per point, that would be $2388.

With a party of 5 I'd definitely recommend Old Turtle Pond or South Point area. Though located away from Hospitality, you have 2 entrances to the bathroom, rather than everyone having to go through the master bedroom.

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Need reassurance and confirmation that I'm selecting the right place, please.


We will not have a car as everyone except for me isn't really old enough to drive most rental cars.


After reading through the posts on this thread I guess my biggest fear about OKW is the size and staying there without a car. I can't seem to wrap my mind around the size of the resort.

If we stay in the Turtle Pond area how long on average would it take us to catch a bus up to the HH if the kids wanted to go to the main pool? Would we be able to take the first bus comes along?

I'm see that unless we book by renting points we can't request the HH area, correct?

How is Garden Grocer and WeGoShop handled at OKW? Will the items be delivered to our room or will we have to collect them from the HH house? Obviously this will be a large order and taking everything on the bus isn't really practical.

Is this the best resort for us or would there be something better? Price wise we are limited to around $2,500 for 7 nights (which wit an AP or public discount should put us close).

These questions are of interest to me also - I assume like at the moderate resorts the bell services team will deliver your shopping from gardengrocer when they deliver your bags - although I may be wrong. This is what they have always done for us at mods as well as deluxe. We have never had a car yet and people always post horror stories of the long walks (esp. for CSR and AKL) but we have never found it to be a problem. Having said which wouldn't fancy a car free trip to Fort Wilderness campground. Once walked from the stable bus stop to HDDR and it took a long time LOL

 

[gray52]

Need reassurance and confirmation that I'm selecting the right place, please. Considering booking a one bedroom at OKW for my stay in May. We are not DVC members and are hoping to book with whatever discount will be offered (either public or AP). I think OKW is our best on-site option and would like opinions from those who are familiar with the resort. Our travel party consists of five people (myself and five adult kids) - me (43), DD (22), DS (18), DS (18), and DD (18). Actually two of the 18 year olds will be 19 by the time we travel. Two of the kids are my unofficially adopted kids just in case anyone thinks we performed a miracle having all of these kids back to back. ;-) I've stayed at every single Disney moderate and deluxe level resort over the years but I have never stayed at a DVC property. Because of the nature of our group I think OKW will be our best option. In order to make this trip affordable we will have to eat nearly all of our meals in our room. Since we are staying for 7 nights/8 days we really need a kitchen to pull this off, thus the need to a DVC resort. The boys in our group (athletes) can put away some serious food and I nearly went broke feeding them on-site when I took them two years ago. They actually require two counter service meals each to be full and often would order two entrees at a table service at dinner time. YIKES! We will not have a car as everyone except for me isn't really old enough to drive most rental cars. The kids all like to come and go at their own pace (some sleep in - some don't) so reliable frequent transportation is VERY important. Plus with them needing to return to the room for major meals they need to be able to do so quickly and efficiently. Also swimming/pools are important for everyone. Easy access to a pool without having to walk a huge distance is very important. After reading through the posts on this thread I guess my biggest fear about OKW is the size and staying there without a car. I can't seem to wrap my mind around the size of the resort. If we stay in the Turtle Pond area how long on average would it take us to catch a bus up to the HH if the kids wanted to go to the main pool? Would we be able to take the first bus comes along? I'm see that unless we book by renting points we can't request the HH area, correct? How is Garden Grocer and WeGoShop handled at OKW? Will the items be delivered to our room or will we have to collect them from the HH house? Obviously this will be a large order and taking everything on the bus isn't really practical. We really need a 1 bedroom located near a bus stop and pool. Sometimes room locations don't matter, but in this case a room locate could really make or break our trip. Is there anyway to stress the importance of this when we book? Anything else I should be aware of? Any suggestions, tips, or hints for me? Is this the best resort for us or would there be something better? Price wise we are limited to around $2,500 for 7 nights (which wit an AP or public discount should put us close).

First... the size of the grounds seems intimidating until you get there... it's actually not as overwhelming as it seems. Most areas are just a few minutes walk to the pool/HH. And if you're a little further away, hop on any park bus coming through, as they all stop at the HH/main pool last before heading to a park. It's actually kinda easy. What you lose in the size of the resort you gain in the size of the rooms. The first time we walked into a 2-BR, our whole family just kinda giggled... it was huge... more than big enough for 8 people. The kitchen area is large with lots of storage.
We haven't used GardenGrocier, but we have used WeGoShop. We really like them. WeGoShop is a flat fee (or 13% on orders over $300). WeGoShop shops where YOU want them to go I think Garden Grocer you buy from them and they have their fee included in the price. Last year with WeGoShop, we coordinated our flights with them... i called when we landed in Orlando and they were at OKW waiting for us when our ME bus arrived. Can't beat that. At our approval, they even switched brands of a couple of our items to take advantage of BOGO offers at Publix. WeGoShop delivers your food to the bell hop... they will happily take your groceries from there to your room when you're ready.
I would second Chucks advice and maybe rent through David's if you're looking for a better price.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Need reassurance and confirmation that I'm selecting the right place, please.

Considering booking a one bedroom at OKW for my stay in May. We are not DVC members and are hoping to book with whatever discount will be offered (either public or AP).

I think OKW is our best on-site option and would like opinions from those who are familiar with the resort.

Our travel party consists of five people (myself and five adult kids) - me (43), DD (22), DS (18), DS (18), and DD (18). ...

The OKW one bedroom villa will have one king sized bed in the master bedroom. The living room will have one queen sized sleeper sofa, plus one twin sized sleeper chair. So with five, you will want to figure out how you plan to sleep before you book. Will the two daughters sleep in the king bed or the queen sleeper sofa? Yourself on the twin sleeper chair? The two sons on the sleeper sofa or king bed?

The shower and the tub are in two different sections of the bathroom, each section has a sink, but only the shower section has a toilet. There is a door between them. The tub section is open to the master bedroom. If you need more privacy than this, you may need to reconsider OKW.

 

[ancestry]

The OKW one bedroom villa will have one king sized bed in the master bedroom. The living room will have one queen sized sleeper sofa, plus one twin sized sleeper chair. So with five, you will want to figure out how you plan to sleep before you book. Will the two daughters sleep in the king bed or the queen sleeper sofa? Yourself on the twin sleeper chair? The two sons on the sleeper sofa or king bed?

The shower and the tub are in two different sections of the bathroom, each section has a sink, but only the shower section has a toilet. There is a door between them. The tub section is open to the master bedroom. If you need more privacy than this, you may need to reconsider OKW.

Good questions. Oldest daughter and I would sleep in the master bedroom as we are funding the cost of this trip. DS would sleep in the pull out chair and the other two DS and DD are a couple who already live together. Just to clarify before someone thinks WHAT!!!! .....

The second DS is my biological son's best friend who I helped raise and who lived with me for several years -- not officially adopted but as far as I am concerned he is one of mine. The other DD is my best friends daughter who I view as an adopted daughter. They two of them are a couple.

I think we are okay on the privacy level as we all have lived together for several years off and on anyways.

 

[DisneyGal24]

Good's to Go has some burgers, hotdogs,sandwiches, salads an so forth. Like most Deluxe resorts, counter service is kind of lacking at OKW. No food court or anything, just a walk up counter. I think they do have powerade in the dispenser. Turtle Shack has pre-made items, I don't think they actually make anything to order at the Turtle Shack. They will refill drink mugs, but they fill them for you at Turtle Shack, at least that is the way ii was last time I was there. Olivia's is usually VERY good, like all Disney restaurants, they do occasionally have an "off" time, but it is rare. For the last several years, they have been great.

Thanks! I always get so anxious when trying new resorts. I stress about the little stuff to much. I did the same thing with AKL Jambo and BLT last summer and loved them both. Good to hear about Olivia's. We plan to eat there twice

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

We're 5 days from checking in at OKW!

I would like to know if most DVC owners leave a housekeeping gratuity on their trash & towel day and check-out day, and if so, how much? I know from being on the Resorts Board for years that some people don't tip housekeeping, nor think they "should" or whatever. We do typically leave $5 for our family per day when we stay in a Disney resort, but have never stayed on points in a DVC resort and don't know what is commonly done.

We're looking forward to our first stay at a DVC resort!

 

[gray52]

We're 5 days from checking in at OKW! I would like to know if most DVC owners leave a housekeeping gratuity on their trash & towel day and check-out day, and if so, how much? I know from being on the Resorts Board for years that some people don't tip housekeeping, nor think they "should" or whatever. We do typically leave $5 for our family per day when we stay in a Disney resort, but have never stayed on points in a DVC resort and don't know what is commonly done. We're looking forward to our first stay at a DVC resort!

I'm almost certain I've read on here (so it must be true...lol) that DVC Mousekeeping is a non-tipped position and there is no need to tip them. Owners are paying for cleaning in our dues already. If you offer a tip, they are supposed to decline... Not sure if they do, however. I believe that positions like the bell hop, wait-staff and valet parking personnel are tipped positions.

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[RCharnay]

We always tip mouse keeping. Whatever they're making, it isn't enough. The least I can do is treat them as well as the other service providers and maids at other hotels. They've always done a good job for us.

 

[caralyn817]

I've never heard of that. We always tip. We leave an envelope for them each time they clean.

 

[gray52]

I've never heard of that. We always tip. We leave an envelope for them each time they clean.

Which should be once... At the end of your week, right? Unless you stay 8 or more days? Or you're staying on cash and not on points?

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