OKW Lovers Thread. Part 2

[OKW Lover]

Just had my OKW contract pass ROFR. Rented points for years, can't even put in words how exicted DW and I are. Next trip to the suitcase is gonna be a fun one

If you don't mind saying, what price did you offer?

 

[sticker231]

We are also officially DVC owners at OKW. We were able to book for our Christmas week trip, but there was no available rooms. We got a split stay at Boardwalk and Saratoga. We will have to wait for our first stay as owners.

We got an extended contract for $75 per point.

 

[Joben]

If you don't mind saying, what price did you offer?

175 points @$81 a point April use year

 

[Joben]

We were hoping the contract had just enough points and was just high enough to pass ROFR. We wanted to do this a few years ago, but we had a plan in mind.

We actually sped up the plan because we noticed ROFR being exercised more lately, prices were going up, and DW gave birth to our first in August.

Time to drink the kool-aid!

 

[Disney_Mama]

So excited. Our wait list for a 1 bedroom in January came through.

 

[TinkOhio]

Can I ask the pros for a building/location recommendation? We have a 1 bedroom booked for a week over the Christmas break. We hope to find a room that is quiet and has a pretty view. Hopefully, the room we wind up with will not be directly on the internal bus route. We wound up switching rooms years ago when staying there, as we could clearly hear the bus recordings from inside our bedroom - with the windows closed. Another big consideration is proximity to a pool. My 86 year old father will be with us. He only lasts a few hours at the parks, then winds up reading/napping on a lounge chair by the water. He likes to hang out by the pool to rest.

Thanks so much for any advice offered!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Can I ask the pros for a building/location recommendation? We have a 1 bedroom booked for a week over the Christmas break. We hope to find a room that is quiet and has a pretty view. Hopefully, the room we wind up with will not be directly on the internal bus route. We wound up switching rooms years ago when staying there, as we could clearly hear the bus recordings from inside our bedroom - with the windows closed. Another big consideration is proximity to a pool. My 86 year old father will be with us. He only lasts a few hours at the parks, then winds up reading/napping on a lounge chair by the water. He likes to hang out by the pool to rest.

Thanks so much for any advice offered!

Southpoint, near the Southpoint pool. Short walk to the bus stop, close to the pool, but no buses go right by it. Bldg 53, 54, 55, 56 (but 54 and 55) are further from the buses. Or Turtle Pond, near the Turtle Pond pool (Bldg 41, 42, 43 - but you may hear some of the traffic on Buena Vista Drive). Even 36, 37, 38, 39 would be good (36 and 37 are on the golf course, not on Bonnet Creek Parkway)

 

[TinkOhio]

Thanks for the advice. You bring up a good point about Buena Vista Drive. We definitely want to avoid the roads around the perimeter of the resort. Not sure if the busses to DTD are still routed around OKW, but I recall seeing lots of busses going that way during construction at DTD, (Disney Springs), and feeling sorry for the people staying in rooms that were visible from the road. If we could see them, could they hear the traffic?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thanks for the advice. You bring up a good point about Buena Vista Drive. We definitely want to avoid the roads around the perimeter of the resort. Not sure if the busses to DTD are still routed around OKW, but I recall seeing lots of busses going that way during construction at DTD, (Disney Springs), and feeling sorry for the people staying in rooms that were visible from the road. If we could see them, could they hear the traffic?

We stayed on Miller's Road recently and our studio was right next to the pool in Bldg 20 right where the buses turn around. We didn't hear too much there either from buses turning around or from Bonnet Creek Parkway (but we were only there one night). We thought the building was pretty soundproof.

 

[Joeandthekids]

This is part two of a continuing OKW Lovers Thread.

Click this link if you wish to view part 1 LINK


Basic resort info:

Phase 1 of Old Key West opened in October 1991, at the time the resort was known as the Disney Vacation Club resort. Early purchasers were informed that there may not be any more resorts added to the DVC system, even though more were on the drawing board. Those members that purchased in those early years (prior to mid-1996) of the program received free park admission during their stays at OKW until the year 2000. The original minimum amount of points that could be purchased was 230. About mid-way through construction, there was a minor design change to OKW 1 and 2 bedroom units - a 2nd entrance to the bathroom was added, giving access through the laundry room. This is effective for Buildings 30 and higher. Buildings 11 to 29 have a single entrance to the bathroom, through the master bedroom.

There have been a few changes to OKW over the years. Olivia's expanded to enclose the original outdoor dining patio. The current patio occupies an area that was originally home to an herb garden used by the culinary staff for seasoning the meals. The sand castle slide was added to the main pool, prior to that the resort had no pool slide. The rooms went through a full refurbishment, with fresh paint, carpeting, beds, and the addition of woodgrain vinyl flooring in the one and two bedroom units between 2009 and 2010. Buildings 62, 63 and 64 are the only buildings with elevators at OKW, they were built later than the rest of the resort and have elevators because of changes in the American with Disabilities Act that took place after the rest of the resort was finished. These buildings occupy the area where the original DVC sales center (Commodore House) and adjacent parking lot once stood, Miller's Road was slightly re-routed to accommodate these new buildings.

The resort address and phone are:

Disney's Old Key West resort
1510 North Cove Road
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830

407-827-7700
407-827-7710 Fax

There are 5 Disney bus stops throughout OKW. The busses usually make the stops in this order:

1. Peninsular Road
2. South Point Road
3. Old Turtle Pond Road
4. Miller's Road
5. North Cove Road (Hospitality House)

There are complimentary laundry rooms for those staying in studios located near each of the 4 pools at OKW.

Here is a map of the resort:

Great Information!

 

[OKW Lover]

Can I ask the pros for a building/location recommendation? We have a 1 bedroom booked for a week over the Christmas break. We hope to find a room that is quiet and has a pretty view. Hopefully, the room we wind up with will not be directly on the internal bus route. We wound up switching rooms years ago when staying there, as we could clearly hear the bus recordings from inside our bedroom - with the windows closed. Another big consideration is proximity to a pool. My 86 year old father will be with us. He only lasts a few hours at the parks, then winds up reading/napping on a lounge chair by the water. He likes to hang out by the pool to rest.

Thanks so much for any advice offered!

Our preferred location is the Turtle Pond area; especially building 35. This map may help.

 

[nono]

Favorite/least GV building? Love some opinions.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Favorite/least GV building? Love some opinions.

We've only been in 15 and it was nice. I could sit on the porch and watch the golfers tee off. It was close to the Millers Road bus stop and pool and not that far from the HH.

 

[Dawn68PA]

I haven't been on here for a while but I had to find time to post. We bought at OKW last December. We are currently on our first trip here at OKW. We don't ever want to stay anywhere else! This place is so beautiful! Huge rooms! We really love the condo feel and not the "hotel" feel you get with other resorts. We couldn't be happier about our purchase!

My only complaints are that the mattress needs replaced. It's got "body grooves". Also one of the chairs at the dinette had something spilled on it that housekeeping missed.

Neither of these will deter us from a return. We are loving it! Our daughter and her husband are coming with us in September and we will definately book at OKW!

 

[2nd Time Bride]

OKW lovers, I need a bit of guidance. Taking my teen niece on a trip in June, AKV is my home resort but I would really like a Studio with 2 beds. I have never stayed at OKW but I am thinking we would prefer being close to the Hospitality House for the pool and QS. However, that category is available for all but 1 day of my trip.

So my question - is it worth it to split the stay across the categories and wait list the one day or is the walk manageable from the other studio locations to the Hospitality House? And by manageable I mean, significantly less than the walk to the lobby from the second to last unit in Kidani (where we stayed in December). Thanks!

 

[Chuck S]

OKW lovers, I need a bit of guidance. Taking my teen niece on a trip in June, AKV is my home resort but I would really like a Studio with 2 beds. I have never stayed at OKW but I am thinking we would prefer being close to the Hospitality House for the pool and QS. However, that category is available for all but 1 day of my trip.

So my question - is it worth it to split the stay across the categories and wait list the one day or is the walk manageable from the other studio locations to the Hospitality House? And by manageable I mean, significantly less than the walk to the lobby from the second to last unit in Kidani (where we stayed in December). Thanks!

I don't think it is worth the hassle of the move. If you are far away from the hospitality area, you can hop on any bus and it will take you there. To return to your unit, simply walk across the bridge to the Peninsular Road bus stop and catch any bus. The only catch would be if you have an early morning flight and need to check your luggage at the Hospitality House area before the buses start running.

 

[Disney_Mama]

Leaving tomorrow for our third home, OKW. Requested a lagoon view. I have requested a lagoon view each time we go and have yet to have it happen. So fingers crossed we get it this time. I spend hours on the deck while the rest of the family still sleeps. I am happy with almost any room as long as there is a nice quiet view.

 

[OKW Lover]

Leaving tomorrow for our third home, OKW. Requested a lagoon view. I have requested a lagoon view each time we go and have yet to have it happen.

Not sure what a "lagoon view" is at OKW. I don't recall any "lagoon" there. A couple of ponds/waterways yes, but not a lagoon.

 

[Disney_Mama]

Not sure what a "lagoon view" is at OKW. I don't recall any "lagoon" there. A couple of ponds/waterways yes, but not a lagoon.

Maybe I'm calling it the wrong thing. The river that the boat take to DS.

 

[OKW Lover]

Maybe I'm calling it the wrong thing. The river that the boat take to DS.

OK, that makes sense. I'd suggest you look at the map in the first post of this thread and decide which of the buildings will give you the view you want. Then call MS and have that noted on your reservation as "vicinity of building xx" or "view of river"