OKW Lovers Thread. Part 2

[OKW Lover]

We are trying to decide between a stay at OKW and AKL. Has anyone stayed at both and have thoughts on Disney bus service to/from the parks from each resort?

We've stayed at both (as well as pretty much every DVC resort) and wouldn't rate the bus service any better for one or the other.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

At OKW, if you get on at the first stop, Peninsula Road, it can take close to an hour to get on the road (or at least it can seem like that long).

What? We have stayed twice at OKW (most recently last month), and it takes about ten minutes to circle the resort and stop at all the stops. I can see it taking a few more minutes with wheelchairs and/or scooters, but we rode the buses for a week from the South Point stop and didn't think the time in the resort was bad at all.

We have also stayed at AKL and agree that fewer stops mean less time traveling around the resort, but the buses were fine at OKW.

 

[gr8tdame]

We stayed in a refurbished 1 Bdrm near HH (bldg 25) in January. It was our first stay at OKW and I was surprised there was no makeup mirror (magnified) in the bathroom. All of the other DVC resorts have them so I did not pack mine. Was this just an anomaly in the villa we stayed in?

 

[Deb & Bill]

We stayed in a refurbished 1 Bdrm near HH (bldg 25) in January. It was our first stay at OKW and I was surprised there was no makeup mirror (magnified) in the bathroom. All of the other DVC resorts have them so I did not pack mine. Was this just an anomaly in the villa we stayed in?

Nope, they don't have them. Someone told you wrong. There are none at OKW. BRV and BCV also don't have them.

 

[AlwaysEeyore]

How difficult is it to book a Grand Villas at the 7 month window for a stay in October or November (early planning for 2021)? Are the grandvillas all on upper floors? My Mom has issues with her legs and will have a scooter, don't want to limit us to the elevator building and lose out on a room. She will be in the master bedroom downstairs.

 

[Deb & Bill]

How difficult is it to book a Grand Villas at the 7 month window for a stay in October or November (early planning for 2021)? Are the grandvillas all on upper floors? My Mom has issues with her legs and will have a scooter, don't want to limit us to the elevator building and lose out on a room. She will be in the master bedroom downstairs.

It could be difficult for October or November with Fall Frenzy. I booked a GV in early June a few years back and got all but one night at 11 months out using my OKW points. The last night I got using other points at seven months out. June isn't nearly as busy as Oct/Nov and I didn't have a problem getting that one night, but an entire week would have been impossible. Most of them do start on the second floor, but I thought there were two or three HA grand villas that were on the first floor or were in the elevator buildings.

 

[BillPA]

Note all OKW GVs are on 2 floors. The master in on the 1st floor the #2 and 3 BR are up one more floor. As Deb posted, only 1 or 2 HA are on ground floor, in bulding 48 or 49. There is also at least 1 in the #64 building with elevator service to the 1 st floor. Still need to do steps to get the #2 and #3 BR.

 

[OKWFan88]

Can OKW hold your bags while waiting for room to become available? I'm flying in pretty early and will be at resort around 7AM to check in... I know the room won't be ready so was wondering will they hold our bags until room is available? We have the Ultimate Thrills VIP tour at 830AM that day and won't be back to resort till the evening.

 

[OKW Lover]

Can OKW hold your bags while waiting for room to become available?

Yes. They do this all the time

 

[OKWFan88]

Thank you

 

[BillPA]

If you flight lands at 7:00 you wont be at the resort until after 8:00 How do you plan to make the tour???

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

If you flight lands at 7:00 you wont be at the resort until after 8:00 How do you plan to make the tour???

I think he said he is checking into the resort at 7

 

[BillPA]

My mistake, I thought the flight was arriving at 7. With a bit of luck the room could be ready. But they WILL hold your luggage.

 

[OKWFan88]

We are staying off site before checking into OKW. We wanted to eat at Olivia's for breakfast one of the days we are staying off site. We planned on Ubering over to OKW, but I know there is a security guard at the entrance. Do we need to have a reservation in order to be let in since we aren't staying there when we go for breakfast? Also, after breakfast are we allowed to hop onto a bus to get to a park even though we aren't staying there yet?

 

[Bmlors]

When we've ubered in/out they've never checked to see if we had a reservation (although we always did). And there is nobody that checks the bus to see if you're a resort guest...just get on!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We are staying off site before checking into OKW. We wanted to eat at Olivia's for breakfast one of the days we are staying off site. We planned on Ubering over to OKW, but I know there is a security guard at the entrance. Do we need to have a reservation in order to be let in since we aren't staying there when we go for breakfast? Also, after breakfast are we allowed to hop onto a bus to get to a park even though we aren't staying there yet?

Just tell the guard you are dining at Olivia's and not checking in.

 

[OKW Lover]

We planned on Ubering over to OKW, but I know there is a security guard at the entrance. Do we need to have a reservation in order to be let in since we aren't staying there when we go for breakfast?

No problem. The security guard will let the uber driver drop you off even if you weren't eating or staying at OKW.

 

[OKWFan88]

Thank you for that info. Another question... I heard from a friend of mine who stayed in a studio a few weeks ago at OKW that they were charged an additional person fee because there were three adults in the studio. She was confused as per the disney website up to four people can fit in the studio. She spoke with the front desk and they stated it's a new fee that's added to reservations when more than two people are in a studio. She reserved her room thru the disney website and didn't rent or us points. Has anyone else experienced this? If four people can fit in a studio why would they charge for additional person fee when all three people were on the reservation and a studio can accommodate?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thank you for that info. Another question... I heard from a friend of mine who stayed in a studio a few weeks ago at OKW that they were charged an additional person fee because there were three adults in the studio. She was confused as per the disney website up to four people can fit in the studio. She spoke with the front desk and they stated it's a new fee that's added to reservations when more than two people are in a studio. She reserved her room thru the disney website and didn't rent or us points. Has anyone else experienced this? If four people can fit in a studio why would they charge for additional person fee when all three people were on the reservation and a studio can accommodate?

I had heard that about cash reservations through Disney Reservation Center, but not with points stays with DVC.

 

[Chuck S]

Thank you for that info. Another question... I heard from a friend of mine who stayed in a studio a few weeks ago at OKW that they were charged an additional person fee because there were three adults in the studio. She was confused as per the disney website up to four people can fit in the studio. She spoke with the front desk and they stated it's a new fee that's added to reservations when more than two people are in a studio. She reserved her room thru the disney website and didn't rent or us points. Has anyone else experienced this? If four people can fit in a studio why would they charge for additional person fee when all three people were on the reservation and a studio can accommodate?

I doubt whichever Florida state entity deals with timeshare laws would allow an extra charge if you stay on points. It would be a substantial change to what we purchased. Cash reservations are another matter.