OKW - opinions please on good locations

[disneyholic family]

OKW a retirement village? We'd love to retire there! Would anyone else be interested if they actually did market OKW as a place to retire? I think they just added a slide to the existing main pool. I'm hoping that makes the "quiet" pools even more "quiet".

count me in...i'm more than ready to retire there.....

 

[MiaSRN62]

CharlesTD says : Actually DHF our family finds OKW a little to quiet my thoughts on it are retirement village the kids call it old age home LOL

I always find these comments to be so off. Alot of timeshares are set up like OKW. Vistana is a 135 acre timeshare resort about 10 min from WDW. It's set up the same way as OKW. The "neighborhoods" are fairly peaceful and quiet. There's plenty of things for families to do there, as well as at OKW. Does that make Vistana a retirement village as well ? Or any other offsite timeshares that are modeled the same way ? Just because you can't walk to Epcot doesn't make it a retirement village ? We stayed at VWL one time and it is pretty darn quiet as well You'd be suprised at how many families welcome some peace and quiet after a long day in the parks with the kids.
And the real funny thing is there are TONS of kids and young families at OKW. In fact, it's rare we even see a retired couple there ? Perhaps they mostly come down in Jan-March when the weather is so cold in alot of the country (which I can understand) ? Got me ? My kids never have any problems making friends their own age there. Simba's Mom.....I'm with you ! If OKW is a retirement village, then sign me up !

 

[CharlesTD]

Yes it was just an add on to the main pool with the slide and very well done I may add. As for the question by MiaSRN62 yes my view would be the same of those off site properties you mention if that is how it is laid out. We like the pace of BWV we also felt the VWL were way to slow and quiet for our family. We do stay at OKW but usually just for the points when we bring people with us otherwise it is BWV nothing beats the always on the go tempo of that place. Our family is very active and always have to be doing something so we prefer teh BWV for the atmosphere and the nightlife etc over any of the other resorts mind you SSR is very nice as it is close to DTD which is also a favourite place of ours for all the excitement and fast paced adventure that we like. This is also why we love the All Stars and all the activity and crowds etc at those resorts.

 

[MiaSRN62]

We like the pace of BWV we also felt the VWL were way to slow and quiet for our family. We do stay at OKW but usually just for the points when we bring people with us otherwise it is BWV nothing beats the always on the go tempo of that place. Our family is very active and always have to be doing something so we prefer teh BWV for the atmosphere and the nightlife etc over any of the other resorts

I don't find one single thing wrong with anything you stated. For you , BWV is the best option for your specific family. So true OKW, VWL (other offsite timeshares) may be more peaceful, low key and serene. My young family (kids 12, 14 & 18) is very active as well and they love OKW.

I don't debate the more quiet nature of OKW/VWL at all Charles (it's what actually attracts us TO these resorts). It's when the remarks/comments start comparing OKW to a retirement village is where you lose me 110 % !
Someone on another thread mentioned that they make all the meals at OKW into smoothies because of the old folk (the OP was about smoothies offered at OKW). I've never even seen that many elderly people there (surely not anymore than I've seen at other WDW resorts)---most of the time it's swarming with kids ? Gotta show me a retirement home like OKW and I'm so there I just find this all, while pretty funny, way not anything close to what OKW is really like
Of course I respect your opinion Charles, just don't agree with the "rest home" part

 

[CharlesTD]

That is what is great we can have differing opinions but when it comes down to it I would ratehr hang my hat at teh retirement home of OKW than at Poly or GF or any of the other deluxe hotels. Isn't DVC great and no 2 people are going to be the same just as no 2 families will be and that is also great and what makes DVC and all the resorts in DVC so great it has something for all of us.

 

[disneyholic family]

We like the pace of BWV we also felt the VWL were way to slow and quiet for our family. ........... Our family is very active and always have to be doing something so we prefer teh BWV for the atmosphere and the nightlife etc over any of the other resorts ......

we've never stayed at the BWV, but we did stay in the regular hotel part of BWI, and it was the only resort at WDW that we didn't like all that much....granted we would stay there in a flash over staying offsite, but what you describe is exactly why we didn't like it....funny how different people are...

but the truth is, we're so happy to spend time together (the 4 of us - my husband and I and our two kids - 20 year old girl and 18 year old boy) we'd really be happy just watching grass grow.....it doesn't matter what we're doing as long as it's together....at the OKW i remember that we took the boat a few times to DTD....there was this nice college professor driving it as his summer job...
and we rented water bicycles that were totally impossible to use...and we rented a boat there.......and i think we might have rented bikes there but i'm not sure....and i remember playing some games of some sort in the clubhouse that's near the pool.....i guess that's not exactly life in the fast lane, but we had a lot of fun....

 

[SueM in MN]

If you request a building/room by number, the CMs have no idea why you wanted it; was it because of the location, the view, the fact that there are elevators in the building, the smoking (or non) status of that building? And, even if they guess your reasons, they don't know which of those are most important to you.
Since each building is fairly small, and there are at least 3 types of rooms in each building, chances of getting the particular building you want are not that high. So, you have a better chance of getting what is important to you if you request the things like view, non-smoking, etc. Be sure to list the most important first, because the room assigners assume that you listed it first because it was most important.

Some of the buildings mentioned (like 64) are very highly requested because not only do people specifically request it by number, but it also fits into the highest requested categories (close to Hospitality House, close to main pool, close to bus stop, elevator buildings). So, there is a lot of demand for some of the buildings and only so much space.

 

[SueM in MN]

Almost forgot....
the renovated pool is very nice. The pool itself appears pretty much the same; they just added the slide onto the side that was closest to the wading pool. They put in a new wading pool (at least I think they did, it's all so well done that it looks like it was always there). Some seating had to be moved to make space for the slide, but they added seating in other places to more than make up for what was lost.

 

[disneyholic family]

Almost forgot....
the renovated pool is very nice. The pool itself appears pretty much the same; they just added the slide onto the side that was closest to the wading pool. They put in a new wading pool (at least I think they did, it's all so well done that it looks like it was always there). Some seating had to be moved to make space for the slide, but they added seating in other places to more than make up for what was lost.

the pool isn't the most critical for us anyway. Last time we swam at one of the quiet pools that was near us and had a nice time.....for 'fun' swimming we go to BB and TL (but only for about the first 2 hours in the morning - i HATE crowds)....

regular pools aren't all that critical since we live in a warm climate that has year round swimming....

 

[disneyholic family]

Be sure to list the most important first, because the room assigners assume that you listed it first because it was most important.

I have no-smoking on as the number one most important thing, because it is. I'd much rather sacrifice location than that. We simply wouldn't be able to stomach a room for an hour let alone two weeks, if it smelled of smoke...

 

[CharlesTD]

Disneyholic you are correct about how different families are and wouldn't it be a boring life if everyone liked the same things. Our 3 kids love the go go go atmosphere and we always have to be on the go always have and I can't see that change. No matter where you stay at Disney IMHO is far better than being at home.

 

[Beth]

Someone on another thread mentioned that they make all the meals at OKW into smoothies because of the old folk (the OP was about smoothies offered at OKW).

It's those times that I really miss Rich ... he would have had so much fun with that one...

 

[MiaSRN62]

It's those times that I really miss Rich ... he would have had so much fun with that one...

You're so right Beth

 

[disneyholic family]

Disneyholic you are correct about how different families are and wouldn't it be a boring life if everyone liked the same things. Our 3 kids love the go go go atmosphere and we always have to be on the go always have and I can't see that change. No matter where you stay at Disney IMHO is far better than being at home.

actually, my daugther's like that...she always has to be doing 'something', except when she's with us....then she's just happy to hang out.....
and both of them like doing that....just hanging out with mom and dad, so i certainly can't complain.....

And yes, anywhere at disney is much much better than anywhere else....although almost no one who lives around us can understand how we go back every single summer......i don't even bother trying to explain anymore.....they'll never get it...