okw owners, help I'm looking for advice

[crazyaboutdisney]

We are planning a trip to okw in feb. 2002. Looking for advice as to best location of studio home. Also looking for any ideas of relaxing things to do, besides parks. We love vb and hh because it's so easy to relax. We own at the bw and love it, but we looking for a more layed back atmosphere. We will have ds age 6 and dd age 15 months. please help us out.

 

[jcdisneyfan]

We stayed in a studio last dec. I think it was building 16, it was close to the hospitality house so we could walk not have to take the bus. We had my 4 yr old nephew with us and was more convienient for us. We are going in 5 days and are staying in a one bedroom and again we requested a building close to the hospitality house. Have fun

 

[maureenmac]

You will find the atmosphere at OKW relaxing . You can take the boat to DTD, that is always a nice way to spend part of the day. We enjoy sitting on the balcony in the AM with the paper and coffee and in the evening with a glass of wine and some snacks. Rent a bike, play shuffleboard, there are plenty of relaxing things to do there. If you have a car you might enjoy a trip to Celebration for dinner or lunch. We went to the new outlets last visit and play mini golf each visit. And of course if the weather is warm enough, the pools are relaxing. Don't forget the sauna. They have some scheduled things for children, but I am not sure how much or when since our children are in there 20's . Last visit I did notice families stop in the HH with their little ones and sit in the tv area. Disney movies are on TV and the parents kind of sit back and relax while the children are occupied.

 

[J.P.]

E find that most relaxing place to stay at okw is in the turtle pond area. JP members since 92

 

[crazyaboutdisney]

Is the turtle pond area where the main pool and hospitality house is located? I notice that there are some new vacation homes near the hospitality house(#'s 62,63,64). Has anyone stayed in those homes, wondering if it's a good location. Thanks for the help!!

 

[mzzbuzzlightyear]

Hi, crazyaboutdisney,

We have stayed in Building 62 twice in a 2 bedroom and once in Building 64 in a 2 bedroom. These buildings are very convenient to the bus stops and to the HH.

We were last in WDW in March with 10, 8, 6, year old boys and a 5 month old baby. The boys love to go to the store and the pools and the game room. Being so close sure helps with their many activities!

June

 

[crazyaboutdisney]

mzzbuzzlightyear, Please describe the main pool area, is it near the hh. Is the pool as nice as hh,vero and the bw.

 

[thepoohbear]

Hi! I agree with the idea about the boat ride to DD. Even if you don't want to shop, the ride is so relaxing and fun you could even just go over for ice cream and then head on back. And we stayed at the Turtle Pond area the last time too. It isn't right by the HH but we found the bus stop there to be very convenient. We also loved the pool area there. It has it's own little play area with white sand and swings, etc plus a covered BBQ area with grills and picnic tables. Also, there's a snack bar right there. That's really good for a whole day at least. One more thing, and you will all probably laugh about this but we had never gone to Typhoon Lagoon until this past visit. I really needed a rest this trip so we only did the parks one day and we decided to do TL and give it a try. Well if you have never been there this can be a really relaxing day with small kids. We never even saw the slide section of the park. If you haven't been there I'd be happy to tell you about it.

 

[akdisneyfan]

Hi!
Turtle Pond is a good area, there is the pool, snack bar, and a nice playground/sandbox area that kids love also the laundry and vending machines are there. It is not as crowded as the main pool but also does not have a kiddie pool. Bldgs. 40-44 are closest with 36-39 a short walk.
Another nice area is off South point Road in bldgs. 53-56 there is a pool and small playground and laundry room there but no snack bar.
My children enjoyed just spending the afternoon swimming and playing on the playground, often complaining when it was time to quit.
OKW is great for a more relaxed, laid back vacation; I'm sure you'll have a great time.
Kim
member OKW since '93

 

[robinb]

The main problem with studios is that they always seem to get the yucky views. Many times there are trees and other vegetation in the way or an air conditioner droning mere feet from your little porch. Our best 2 studios were in building 53 (my fave) and building 64. Both were on the first floor and had great views of the golf course and no extra ferns in the way. A higher floor might help with some of the view problems.

Of course, studios are not the only units with bad views. The worst I had was a 1 bedroom in building 56 ... the road view. Thank goodness it was cold because I would have been vary unhappy with that view when it would be warm enough to enjoy the porch! I go to OKW to relax, not watch the busses go by.

 

[crazyaboutdisney]

robinb, Is building 64 a close walk to the main pool. I beleive that may be the building that we request. Isn't it a new building. Is it the same size rooms as the other buildings. I am an avid golfer but never golf on vacation, I can do that at home anytime. I hope that I don't get the shakes being that close and not playing. Maybe I could sneak out and play a few holes in the middle of the night. Do you think anyone would notice?

 

[dianeschlicht]

yes, building 64 would be close to the main pool, but might hear buses more. We like the southpoint area because of the quiet pool/playarea and the fact that it seems to be nice and quiet there. It is also an easy access to the walkway to DD. I an not sure the main pool at HH would be the best. Your children are young, so the quiet pools might be better.

 

[crazyaboutdisney]

Where is the southpoint area. This place must be huge. Is the quit pool large and does it have a step area to sit on. We like a lot of action, our ds6 finds a lot of friends to play with, then I get a chance to relax.

 

[PKK/MJK]

Let's see if I can be of any help here. The three buildings in the 60's are the newest. They were built where the Commodore House used to be. That was the original DVC sales office. When the sales office moved to Boardwalk, they tore down Commodore House and added those buildings. They are very close to the Hospitality House, the Main Pool, Olivias, General Store etc. As far as I know, the units are the same size as in all the other buildings. There is also a quiet pool in this area--which is called the Miller's Road area and is on your right as you enter OKW. When you drive into OKW, if you go straight ahead you will cross over a bridge. The road then bears to the left--you are now on Peninsular Road. Procede along this a bit and you come to a stop sign. Turn right here and you are on Turtle Pond Road. Down Turtle Pond--way at the end--is the second quiet pool--the one with the snack bar. The buildings on Turtle Pond start with #30 and go to #44. It is a lovely area but it can be a bit of a hike to the main area. If you go straight through the stop sign (after stopping, of course. LOL!!) rather than making the right onto Turtle Pond, you are in the South Point area. The first buildings on your left are #45 and #46--these are our favorites as we can watch all the boats on the Trumbo Canal from our balcony. We find this relaxing. Further down in the South Point area is the third quiet pool and the walkway to DD. Again, this area can be a hike to the HH. If being near the main pool is important to you, you'll want the lowest numbered buildings or the three in the 60's. This is just MHO, but while the main pool at OKW is very nice--it does not have extra special things in it like Stormalong Bay or Boardway. The quiet pools can be just as nice in OKW. Good luck with your choice. We love OKW--you will definitely find it is a relaxing place for a vacation!!

 

[wdwoldtimer]

Definitely try for the newer buildings where the Commodore House used to be. It's quiet there and you can walk to the HH area. If not there then Turtle Pond is the next best area to stay because of the pool. I don't like Miller's Road area because it seems to be too close to the highway and outside road, nor Peninsular because there is no quiet pool.

Hey! We haven't stayed at OKW for a while, I didn't know there was a walkway to DD from the South Point area??!? That's good to know.

The studios I would avoid are the ones on or near any of the rotaries or bus turnarounds! You DON'T want to hear them roaring by all the time, trust me. And the handicap rooms stink too, the showers have all that hardware in them and the extra fridge humming near the bed is unbearable.

 

[mzzbuzzlightyear]

Hi, crazyaboutdisney,

Just saw your question about the pool. I haven't been to Vero, or HHI, but the boys loved the OKW main pool, which is behind the HH. We all prefer that they use the pool for swimming rather than using a sliding board, so the fact that OKW has no slide does not bother us. They also liked the beachsand area.

(To tell you the truth, their very favorite pool is at Marriott Grande Vista! LOL!) Bye the way, I did not notice a slide there, either.

June

 

[crazyaboutdisney]

thanks for all the great info. It looks to me our 1st choice would be the new buildings (62,63,64). I just feel being close to the hh is important. How long of a walk is it to dd?

 

[crazyaboutdisney]

does anyone know where there is a picture of the main pool and the hopitality house at okw?

 

[wdwoldtimer]

The walk from the HH area to DD is probably too far. You're better off taking the boat or bus. There's another thread on here where a guy plotted the exact course with his GPS. He posted links to pictures and everything! From the South Point section, which is the farthest from the HH and quite a hike, it's 1 mile. From HH it's probably close to 2 miles.

If you're going to DD you'll probably have bags/packages coming back...and if you go to PI for some dancing etc., well, that 2 miles can be a looooong walk home.


wdwoldtimer

 

[SueM in MN]

I don't think anyone posted a link to OKW map. Building 62 is where the Commodore House used to be. 63 and 64 are also new buildings. We stayed in Building 63 in a first floor one bedroom in March. They are the same size and configuration as the other units (they are the second phase design with 2 doors to the Master Bath -one from the laundry room and one from the bedroom).