Old Key West, emphasis on old

[lovin'fl]

Staying here now. And just thought I'd share a summarized review.

What I like:
Size and layout of villa, love table area with buffet for putting stuff
Parking at our building
Gurgling Suitcase
Big balcony (many with nice views)
Still have jetted tubs (1BR)
Points are low

What I don't like:
Gurgling Suitcase is a tad too small
No elevators in most buildings which I forgot about and came with broken foot wearing a boot and we got 3rd floor
Dated and worn (getting refurb now)
Those dang blinds where you pull the beaded plastic looped cord thing to lower and raise. Please tell me they are nixing those in the refurb??

Is smoking allowed on balconies because I am sitting on mine now and can smell someone smoking near me? Yuck!

 

[Maleficent's Dad]

Those dang blinds where you pull the beaded plastic looped cord thing to lower and raise. Please tell me they are nixing those in the refurb??

Is smoking allowed on balconies because I am sitting on mine now and can smell someone smoking near me? Yuck!

Couldn't agree more about raising/lowering the blinds. It's our morning workout to get sunlight in!
Smoking is not allowed on your balcony. You could always call the front desk to lodge a complaint, but not sure how far you'll get there.

 

[lovin'fl]

Just looked it up. They got full refurb last time in 2017 and are just getting soft goods now. Whoa! It needs a full refurb. But at least my jetted tubs will still be here.

 

[lovin'fl]

Also a negative...just realized they don't have the old lady zoom mirror. Only DVC resort I can think of that doesn't.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Stayed in a studio once and the TV was TINY! Leftover from the cruise ships tiny. Not sure what that was about.

 

[bakerworld]

We avoid OKW. The last time we stayed at OKW the door wouldn't stay shut unless we locked it from the inside so twice we came back to the door ajar. Plus there was a 2 inch gap at the bottom of the door. We prefer SSR.

 

[The Jackal]

Smoking is allowed in the smoking area in front of each building. GS is very small. The shades are awful, we just deal with it. Hopefully they replace them. Not sure why they didn’t get the make up mirror. Maybe they will add them. We were just there in a 1 bedroom and it was still in great shape. Didn’t need a refurb.

 

[Disney mac]

I just got home from our first OKW stay.
Additional Positives:
2 queens, rooms are larger, and it's quiet for the most part. I also thought they had plentiful charging ports.
Negatives:
No ice machines in buildings, you have to go to the nearest bus stop.
2nd floor stays if you have a scooter or mobility issue

The cast members were great there, and there is a cool vibe. I'd stay again, especially if I had a car. Last refurb was in 2019 I think too.

 

[Leight19]

Just looked it up. They got full refurb last time in 2017 and are just getting soft goods now. Whoa! It needs a full refurb. But at least my jetted tubs will still be here.

My understanding is the last refurb was 2017 to 2018 and they are not anticipated for another refurb until 2026. It’s hard to tell these days because supposed to be every 7 years I believe but then you have something like akv refurbed last in 2016 and still not scheduled beyond a tentative 2025 last I heard.

 

[CarolynFH]

My understanding is the last refurb was 2017 to 2018 and they are not anticipated for another refurb until 2026. It’s hard to tell these days because supposed to be every 7 years I believe but then you have something like akv refurbed last in 2016 and still not scheduled beyond a tentative 2025 last I heard.

The schedule is 7 years for soft goods and 14 for hard goods. However, that schedule wasn’t implemented until 2016, and DVC has had to play catch-up with many of the older resorts. Supply chain issues and other COVID-related problems didn’t help.