OKW

[dmancuso]

We're staying at Old Key West in January for the first time. We usually stay at Boardwalk. What do we need to know about OKW? Any thoughts for ideas would be very helpful. Thanks.

 

[jekjones1558]

If you have a car, you will love being able to park right near your room. I don't know what size room you will be in, but we LOVE the size of the one, two, and three bedroom units--huge compared to BWV and they also have full size washers and driers plus large balconies with ceiling fans. If you are staying in a studio, the 2 beds rather than a bed and a sofa may appeal to you (we prefer a bed and a sofa). There is a laid back feel to the resort that is just lovely.
One thing to note: there are only a few buildings with elevators so you could be hauling suitcases, etc up steps to your room on an upper floor.
The boat to Disney Springs is a great option, or there is a walking path.

 

[hardcorestitch]

We're staying at Old Key West in January for the first time. We usually stay at Boardwalk. What do we need to know about OKW? Any thoughts for ideas would be very helpful. Thanks.

If you’re utilizing Disney Transport for your park visits, please remember that there are multiple bus stops instead of just one. Hospitality House is the last stop before the buses go to the parks, so hopefully you booked a room near that area to cut down on wait times. If you didn’t, that’s fine. You’ll just need to give an extra 1 1/2 to 2 hours to accommodate both waiting and travel time when you consider your Lightning Lane and ADRs.

 

[Simba's Mom]

If you’re utilizing Disney Transport for your park visits, please remember that there are multiple bus stops instead of just one. Hospitality House is the last stop before the buses go to the parks, so hopefully you booked a room near that area to cut down on wait times. If you didn’t, that’s fine. You’ll just need to give an extra 1 1/2 to 2 hours to accommodate both waiting and travel time when you consider your Lightning Lane and ADRs.

On the other hand, if anyone in your party has a scooter, the first bus stop is the Peninsular Road stop. I've seen the bus run out of room for scooters by the third stop, and I've seen them run out of room for any passengers after the next to the last stop and, therefore, not even stop at the Hospitality House. There's just one quick serve, and since the resort is fairly isolated, you may want to order some groceries, depending on how long you'll be staying. But that balcony, where you can sit and eat breakfast at a full-size table, is such an advantage!

 

[HollyP]

OKW is an older resort so there are not many electrical outlets in the studios. Bring a power strip. There is a 2 plug outlet between the beds and another by the table (I dont remember what's in the kitchenette). With just me a hubby we had.... 1 CPAP, 2 magic band+, 2 cellphones, 1 ipad, and a phone battery. So we had to rotate charging times for the cellphones and magicbands.

 

[CarolynFH]

error, sorry

 

[KCMA]

We own at OKW and absolutely love it.. i truly feel like we are at a resort instead of hotel and it has that south Florida relaxed vibe to it.. Olivia’s is a great restaurant… never had a bad drink at the Gurgling Suitcase… Disney springs is a 15-20 boat ride away.. we have only stayed in studios and they are massive..

People often complain about the busses but I personally have never had an issue with them taking long or being full.. I am on vacation and am never in a rush to get anywhere

If you stay close to the hospitality house you can get on the bus at the first stop Penisular and do the loop or walk over and get on at hospitality house

Multiple pools depending on what your looking for..

It’s not the newest and shiniest place but it’s a great resort in my opinion and very underrated

 

[Wedgeout]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/okw-lovers-thread-part-2.3113113/

Here you go. By January you will know a lot of resort info. The main difference from your Boardwalk trips is using transportation to everything. (Unless choose the nature walk to Disney Springs!). The buses in my opinion here cycle good.

Warning: you are about to find out why the original DVC spot is still the best.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I watched a couple videos of Old Key West yesterday. It actually made me sad that I didn't know about it when my kids were little. It would have been an amazing place to take regular vacations. Talk about a legit vacation home - it definitely looks like a good place to get away from the noise and hustle/bustle while still having plenty of onsite activities.

If we ever retire (self employed and not planning on totally retiring), I could easily stay 3 weeks there. And I don't feel that way about any of the other resorts I have been looking at.

 

[KCMA]

I watched a couple videos of Old Key West yesterday. It actually made me sad that I didn't know about it when my kids were little. It would have been an amazing place to take regular vacations. Talk about a legit vacation home - it definitely looks like a good place to get away from the noise and hustle/bustle while still having plenty of onsite activities.

If we ever retire (self employed and not planning on totally retiring), I could easily stay 3 weeks there. And I don't feel that way about any of the other resorts I have been looking at.

Great explanation!!! Legit vacation home!! .. as our kids get older and eventually will not be with us we can still vacation there and not do the parks… I am a big NASCAR fan and it will be our base for Daytona speed weeks in the coming years.. the evening boat ride to Disney Springs for dinner or sometimes it’s just to grab a drink and walk around or grab an ice cream…

 

[detroitdad]

We own at OKW, AKV and RIV and we appreciate the diversity of our selection of DVC homes. Although our "go to" right now is Riviera, we love the relaxed vibe at OKW. If you go in knowing that transportation to the parks will take a little longer because of multiple bus stops, then you'll be fine. We have fantastic memories of our time at OKW as it was our only contract for several years when our kids were small. The room size can't be beat and the smaller pools that are spread out over the resort are
a nice quieter option. We've owned there since 2001 ($55/pt ) and are never disappointed to spend time there. As others have mentioned, the boat to Disney Springs is a nice, peaceful option. Plan a meal at Olivia's. We've always had a good experiences there.

Go in with an open mind that it will be a different experience than Boardwalk and I think you'll enjoy it!

 

[MICKIMINI]

We request Turtle Pond area. It is at the end of a cul de sac so busses do the circle, however it is near a lovely pool, surrounded by swaying palms. It is particularly gorgeous at dusk. There is a snack bar there and grills nearby. We enjoy being a 5 minute walk to the pool. Parking directly in front of the villa is a huge plus for us older folks. We've been OKW since 1996.

 

[zackiedawg]

When I'm not in a 'near hospitality house' category, I really like to try to get the buildings right across Peninsular Road from HH, or the next loop of buildings ON Peninsular Road that are not considered HH category. All of those are an easy walk to Hospitality House which is convenient for the store, restaurant and bar, and the boat to Disney Springs. But another great advantage - the Peninsular Road bus stop is the one you use - it's the first stop for the resort busses coming in which helps in getting a seat on crowded days...AND during less crowded times, if you head out and notice that you just missed the bus to your theme park, just walk another few hundred feet to the main HH bus stop which is the LAST stop heading out to the parks - you'll easily get there before that bus makes all the other stops in OKW. So you always have two opportunities to catch a bus, rather than waiting 30-50 minutes for the next one.

I think OKW, more than any other DVC spot, feels like a vacation home rather than a Disney Resort. Not that there isn't the Disney connection, but it just feels more like you're in a lovely golf condo resort - it's so kicked back and relaxed - the music selection throughout is island/reggae/Jimmy Buffet/Jack Johnson laid-back. After a long day in the parks, it's the most decompressing spot. Yet you have all the busses to get you to the parks, and one of the longer relaxing boat rides to Disney Springs (I love getting around by boat in general as it's such a relaxing way to travel). Boardwalk is my home resort and overall my stays are probably split most at Boardwalk or Saratoga Springs (because I live in Florida, I sometimes book last minute so SSR is the only option with availability)...but two of the resort areas I really like to try to book at least once a year even though they're very different accommodations are OKW and Fort Wilderness Cabins. Both because they're the most laid-back, relaxing resorts that feel removed from the hustle and bustle of the theme park, yet are still in the bubble, and both offer boat transportation options. The cabins are much smaller, but all set in the woods, doing BBQs, getting around by golf cart, doing campfires, seeing deer and armadillo outside your door...OKW villas are massive, with lovely golf or water views, huge outdoor patio/decks that can be used for dining and hanging out.