Old Key West...I really need help/opinions

[ash901]

DH and I have been to WDW once without children, and we took our 2 children in 2013 to Magic Kingdom for the day before we we left on our Dream cruise. On that trip we stayed at POP and our first trip was offsite in 2004. We having been planning to return for a complete trip in May of 2016 5 park days and 6 nights. We will be flying. Now to my questions( not sure if this is the right forum). On two separate occasions an older co worker of my husbands has offered us to use his points for OKW. At first we brushed it off as just talk, but this week he brought it up again stating that his points are just going to waste and he would rather see someone use them.

1. How does that work? Can we book our own reservations with his DVC?
2. Do you recommend this resort for our first big trip with the children Ages 5 and 8?
3. Is there a way to put a dollar amount to these points so I'll know what to offer him? He insist he wants nothing or just what we feel like giving, but idk if im comfortable with that.
4. Im soooooo confused on what to do. Before this i was planning on staying at POR CBR or POP
Thanks

 

[bumbershoot]

He can book the reservation for you and request Magical Express for you as well. He gives you the reservation number, you put it into your MyDisneyExperience account, and you book FP+s and ADRs all on your own.

OKW was part of our first Disney trip, and my son was 6.5 and my cousins (who went to WDW often but since they are semi-local they mainly had day trips so in a way this was their first *resort* trip) were 4 and 8. ALL LOVED IT. The villas are so much bigger than a hotel room, the grounds are beautiful. The main pool is fun, but the Turtle Pond pool (a "quiet" pool) is fabulous as well. Get a 1 bedroom and you get full sized washer and dryer.

If renting points through others, it's generally 10-15 bucks per point used. Others might ask for their dues for those points (something like $5/point). But if he wants nothing, he might not accept that.

Do it. Do it if you won't be cancelling; but if you do cancel, definitely reimburse him and don't ask for it back, because he won't be able to use those points if they are truly expiring. It's a terrific way to experience Disney World.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

I'm not familiar with OKW as I have never stayed there, so I can't say much on that. That said, I'd jump on it over POR, CBR, or Pop. For pricing, run a popular search engine search for "DVC cost calculator" and run your dates on the 1st link. That will show what it would cost through DVC reseller places as an idea.

 

[chalee94]

1. How does that work? Can we book our own reservations with his DVC?

no. DVC's reservation number will not speak to you at any point as a nonmember.

you can verify the reservation on the disney website afterwards with the reservation number.

2. Do you recommend this resort for our first big trip with the children Ages 5 and 8?

it's not "ideal" in some ways (if you are spending a lot of time at the MK with younger kids, i'd *prefer* to stay at BLT in a perfect world) but if you're getting a good deal on OKW, it's a great resort IMO.

but OKW studios do have 2 queen beds so it's similar to a hotel room (most DVC studios have 1 queen bed plus a sofabed pullout). you'd also get a kitchenette and access to a (free) laundry room.

it is a large, spread out resort - you may want to try to book the "hospitality house" area which is near the main pool (big sand castle slide with a "mickey" exit), the lobby, the restaurant and the boat dock to DTD. (try to book 7-8 months out or earlier to make sure you get that section).

3. Is there a way to put a dollar amount to these points so I'll know what to offer him? He insist he wants nothing or just what we feel like giving, but idk if im comfortable with that.

annual dues on OKW pts are about $6 per pt. so anywhere from $6-10 per pt is still a great deal.

4. Im soooooo confused on what to do. Before this i was planning on staying at POR CBR or POP

i think OKW is definitely nicer but it is true that you do not get daily housekeeping with DVC points stays.

but hey, this is 2015. take a little time and play on the internet first.

scan through the allears gallery and information here:

http://allears.net/acc/g_okw.htm

here's a video tour through a studio:

here's a video tour of the OKW resort as a whole:

and if you have more questions about OKW, you can go to this thread to ask OKW owners and lovers more detailed questions about what to expect:

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

 

[chalee94]

putting more numbers on it:

OKW studios in May go for 13 pts per night for weeknights (Sun-Thurs) and 17 pt per night for a Fri or Sat.

so even if you were paying $10 per point, a weeknight would be $130 per night total, including taxes. (if a hotel room like POR were available for $115 per night, it would be about $130 per nt including taxes.)

 

[myrheille]

If he's a DVC member, surely you can book at any DVC resort past the 7 months point? I'd make a reservation for OKW just to be sure, then at seven months you could switch to another resort that you'd like best. That said, OKW is supposed to be a fantastic resort for return visits. It's very roomy, you'll have lots more space than the other options you were considering. However, it's hard to manage without a car, as it's pretty sprawling. Get information on the various resorts, ask your husband's coworker if he's be willing to work with you if you want to change it up, and go for it! We're DVC renters and it's a magnificent way to travel, I wouldn't hesitate if I knew someone who would let go of his points for cheap

 

[ash901]

Thanks for your quick replies. OKW would not be my first choice, but I dont want to be greedy but asking for something else. Few more questions
1. Once he makes the reservations,would our names be on them and would I have control to change them?
2. Can we add a dining plan? Will we have magic bands?
3. Is this frowned upon, or is it Disney-legal?
4. How many people are allowed in a one bedroom?
Thanks

 

[chalee94]

1. Once he makes the reservations,would our names be on them and would I have control to change them?

nope - you have no control as a renter. zero.

your name is on the reservation but you control the reservation only when you check in.

2. Can we add a dining plan?

no. the DVC owner would have to do that in advance and you'd also have to arrange payment in advance.

Will we have magic bands?

it's an onsite stay. everything that goes with an onsite stay still goes.

3. Is this frowned upon, or is it Disney-legal?

it's just a version of DVC renting - it is not frowned upon or in any way problematic.

4. How many people are allowed in a one bedroom?

depends on the resort - for OKW, a 1BR will sleep 5. OKW has the pullout sleeper chair and the 1BRs there are about 1000 sq ft in size.

 

[amym2]

We are DVC members and stayed at OKW in a 1bdrm when our kids were 8 and 10. We all loved it! The kids loved the pool and Olivia's, the TS restaurant at OKW, was great for both breakfast and dinner. We were not visiting the parks (water park only) and had a car but we did use the bus a couple of times. The great thing about OKW is that it is centrally located to all of the parks. Some people complain that it is spread out, but we were in the Turtle Pond section with an easy walk to the main area (Hospitality House), and there are bus stops throughout the resort. The 1bdrm is absolutely huge, and our kids don't do well with sharing a bed, so having the sleeper sofa and sleeper chair in the living area was great. If you do a studio, you'll have less room, but I definitely think you would still enjoy it. 1bdrms hold 5 and studios hold 4 (both allow an additional child under 3). We have stayed at many Disney resorts and would stay at OKW again in a heartbeat- especially for a great deal!

 

[bumbershoot]

Thanks for your quick replies. OKW would not be my first choice, but I dont want to be greedy but asking for something else. Few more questions
1. Once he makes the reservations,would our names be on them and would I have control to change them?
2. Can we add a dining plan? Will we have magic bands?
3. Is this frowned upon, or is it Disney-legal?
4. How many people are allowed in a one bedroom?
Thanks

As stated, you have no control. But he's your friend, so there are no worries there.

You can have him add the dining plan. You pay him and they pay them, or you have him give your CC to them to pay for it. YES you'll get magic bands, because you will add the reservation number to your MDE and then you will be able to customize them and they will be sent to you!

NOT frowned on at all. 100% Disney-legal. The only time it gets iffy is if they think someone has a business, and that requires more than 20 rented reservations in a year, and since his points are going to waste if you don't use them, obviously that's not what he's doing.

Charles answered the capacity question.



The ONLY downside IMO is that you won't get daily housekeeping service, but IMO that's an overrated service. We like having our room all locked up, no reason to be paranoid about putting electronics away, etc. And you can arrange for housekeeping to happen; you just have to pay for it.

 

[myrheille]

I don't think it'd be greedy to ask for something else. Since this is quite a big transaction, I'd set up an evening with him (invite him over to dinner to thank him!) and go over everything you'd both want. Ask how much he wants per point, tell him you'd want to add things like Dining Plan, Magical Express, etc. If you feel too uncomfortable with him to ask for another resort, maybe the whole transaction will make you unhappy! You can use something like the Cost Calculator at David's Vacation Rental to price out how many points you'd need for your vacation, and then see if you have other options (OKW is the cheapest though, that's for sure).

But like others said, OKW is a very nice resort anyway! Just make sure you're happy with the whole arrangement, though

 

[chalee94]

As stated, you have no control. But he's your friend, so there are no worries there.

i think it was more "husband's co-worker" than "friend". worst case scenario would be if he for some reason got mad and decided to cancel the reservation (or he stopped paying maintenance fees and DVC canceled the reservation)...so yeah, it's probably good to have a contract as there might be some uncertainty. his intentions are probably very good but yes, there are risks.

just my opinion but i think it would come across as greedy to negotiate a more complex reservation. i don't get the sense that this coworker is very savvy about using DVC so i'd keep it pretty simple. if you really want to add the dining plan, maybe buy a gift card for that amount for him to give to member services when he calls to make the reservation. (and with DVC reservations, there is no requirement to add tickets in order to get the DDP.)

 

[myrheille]

You can also choose not to get the dining plan. I personally don't like it, and it would be easier!

 

[JessicaW1234]

We just stayed there in April in a 2 bedroom with extended family. It is really nice. It sounds to me like he is offering his timeshare at OKW to be nice - I would not go and ask him to reserve somewhere else. If you are interested In the dining plan, then that doesn't seem unreasonable for you to ask him to set that up at the same time as the reservation.

If he is going to lose it anyway, if for some reason you couldn't go, you wouldn't be out the $ unless you reserved dining too. If you are confident you are going, this would be a nice place to stay. I agree that you will want a "near hospitality house" reservation. Otherwise you will have to take an internal bus if you want to use the themed pool. (The others are plain rectangular pools with no theming) My kids (8&8) wanted to use the main pool.

If there is anything you want to know, I can answer any questions you might have.

 

[Cee]

Great with kids. Plenty of room and if you book a 1BR you will have full kitchen and full side by side W/D.

 

[sharadoc]

If you plan to spend a lot of time at the resort, I think OKW is one of the best. There is a nice Community Hall that runs activities all day for kids and families, and they do activities around the pool too. You can sign out DVDs and board games, too. And a few steps from the pool is the best pool bar on property, the Gurgling Suitcase.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm actually not sure the Community Hall allows non members to check items out. We have to show our member card to get movies etc.

 

[ash901]

Thanks for all your replies. I believe we will be sitting down with him and taking him up on his offer. As soon as this years summer vacation is done, I will start booking next years!

 

[chs27]

I have rented points at OKW with no issues. Ask him to book a hospitality reservation, it's near the front of the resort. You will receive magicbands, I did. Use the my Disney experience for making fastpass. Fantastic kid's pool at this resort. Olivia's restaurant is wonderful.

 

[Chrelaine]

We recently stayed using my aunt's DVC. She booked the reservation in our names and sent me the email confirmation. We didn't use ME but, I believe she would have had to set that up for us. We didn't want a dining plan, so I can't comment on that. Everything else, I did myself. I created my MDE account and linked the reservation, set up our ADRs and FP+ and Magic bands. DH, myself and DD4 stayed in a 1 bedroom near the hospitality house and it was more than enough room for us. The sofa folds out into a bed and so does one of the chairs. There is a full sized washer and dryer in the unit. We were in building 13, directly across from check in. We loved the pool area with the water slide. Olivia's was wonderful. We had absolutely no complaints and would stay there again without question. I would definitely take your friend up on the offer.