OKW villas?

[jeast]

I just booked 5 nts at OKW. It was available and the price was right. I was considering the Swan because I LOVE the location and can get a FL resident rate, but the cost for OKW was $600 instead of $1000(plus parking), and you just can't beat that!

However, I've never stayed there or even done any research and am looking for some info and tips from my fellow dissers. What can I expect? What is fun, convenient, etc.? I have two kids, DS7 and DD4.

Also, what is the bus service like? Do they share w/Saratoga? Are there any parks we should drive to?

Do we park in a main lot and walk to room, or do we park outside the units?

Thanks for any info you can share!
Jennifer

 

[lady_hlh]

I just booked 5 nts at OKW. It was available and the price was right. I was considering the Swan because I LOVE the location and can get a FL resident rate, but the cost for OKW was $600 instead of $1000(plus parking), and you just can't beat that!

However, I've never stayed there or even done any research and am looking for some info and tips from my fellow dissers. What can I expect? What is fun, convenient, etc.? I have two kids, DS7 and DD4.

Also, what is the bus service like? Do they share w/Saratoga? Are there any parks we should drive to?

Do we park in a main lot and walk to room, or do we park outside the units?

Thanks for any info you can share!
Jennifer

If you want to take the buses to the parks you should try to get a room near the hospitality house in the front of the resort so that you won't have to ride the bus as long when you return from the parks. The resort has its own bus service which was never crowded during the last week of August when we were there. We stayed right near the front gate, it was great for the buses and very convenient for walking over to the main pool, restaurant, etc. The resort is a big spread out condo type complex where you park right in front of your unit. We didn't have a car so I can't give any tips on driving to the parks.

We loved the resort, it has a very laid back Florida type atmosphere and the one bedroom unit was so much bigger than the rooms at the POP. My DD who is 6 liked the kids activities and loved the sand castle slide at the main pool. We spent much more time hanging out relaxing at this resort than we did when we stayed at the POP.

 

[jeast]

Great info, thanks!

How far of a walk was it to Downtown Disney?

 

[CowboyCO]

I just booked 5 nts at OKW. It was available and the price was right. I was considering the Swan because I LOVE the location and can get a FL resident rate, but the cost for OKW was $600 instead of $1000(plus parking), and you just can't beat that!

However, I've never stayed there or even done any research and am looking for some info and tips from my fellow dissers. What can I expect? What is fun, convenient, etc.? I have two kids, DS7 and DD4.

Also, what is the bus service like? Do they share w/Saratoga? Are there any parks we should drive to?

Do we park in a main lot and walk to room, or do we park outside the units?

Thanks for any info you can share!
Jennifer

Wow! Only $600 for 5 nights? Where did you get that rate? OKW show $250+ on disney

 

[Deb & Bill]

From the edge of OKW, it's about 0.8 miles to DTD.

You didn't say what size villa you got. If you got a studio, you will love it. Two queen beds, very large bathroom and a nice little kitchenette. If you got a one bedroom, you'll think you have died and gone to heaven.

Parking is next to your villa. Each building has it's own parking lot. The bus service is pretty good to each park. We always take the bus to MK, but we occasionally will drive to the other parks.

If you want to head to the main themed pool and the Hospitality House, you can catch any bus to that area. If you want to go back to your villa, you can catch the Internal Bus (also named the DTD bus) which stops first and last at the Hospitality House.

They have the surrey bikes for rent and you can ride all over the complex. And there are no hills to have to ride up. Beats riding up the hills at the BW Complex.

There are all sorts of activities for the kids at the Community Hall, foosball, darts, games, crafts, etc.

My husband and his running buddy check into OKW tomorrow, but I have to wait until June when the entire family gets to go.

 

[jeast]

Renting points can be much cheaper than rack rates depending on when you go, what day of the week, etc. Sun-Thurs nights are relatively cheap.

However, it is less flexible because you might not be able to cancel it. I had that happen once when DH had to travel during a pre-arranged trip. I ended up taking MIL with me instead. It was okay, but if it had been booked through disney, I would have been able to reschedule.

 

[jeast]

We got a studio. I'm glad there are no hills. We put our entire extended family on a surrey bike at BWV and had to ask passers by for a push over the hill. It was funny, but exhausting!

Thanks for the great info. I heard that you should not try to catch the bus at the hospitality house? is this true?

How's the restaurants?

 

[lady_hlh]

We got a studio. I'm glad there are no hills. We put our entire extended family on a surrey bike at BWV and had to ask passers by for a push over the hill. It was funny, but exhausting!

Thanks for the great info. I heard that you should not try to catch the bus at the hospitality house? is this true?

How's the restaurants?

We always walked over and got the bus at the hospitality house which was the last stop before it left the resort. I suppose if the buses were really crowded it would be bad to get on there but I never saw a bus with more than a few families on it, which I thought was because most people took their own cars to the parks.

We had dinner at Olivia's one night and it was pretty good. I wouldn't make a special trip to the resort to eat there but we enjoyed it. The take out CS near the pool was small and didn't have a lot of choices for lunch but it was nice to get some chicken fingers and salads to eat over by the pool.

 

[byoung]

We love BWV, and OKW is next on the list.

 

[jeast]

I read in the UG that travel times to most parks from OKW are shorter when you drive. Anyone have this experience?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Never drive to MK. Just having to park, ride the tram to the TTC, getting a boat or monorail over to the MK is much longer than just getting on the bus. We sometimes do drive to the other parks because we'll plan another thing right after that park visit - like go play miniature golf or head to a water park. The car is convenient to leave the stuff in. I don't think driving is any faster.

 

[jeast]

Thanks, that's kind of what we thought about MK. Just weren't sure about the others.