Old Key West review please? Should we stay there?

[bjcaed]

We are looking at booking Old Key West. Booking a Studio? what did you think of the property? HOw were the buses? Dinning??
thanks!!!!

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I used to stay exclusively at OKW (when I was still renting points when I went down.) I love the vibe (laid back and chill), the views (the river or the golf course usually), the boat to Disney Springs, and that there are several pools. What you need to know is that it is BIG - there are 5 bus stops internally. This can make for a very long trip to and from the parks, depending on where your bus stop is. It can also mean that buses are full by the time they get to your stop in the mornings at rope drop. The other draw back is that the quick service is a bit lacking. It is tiny, no indoor seating, and has a very limited menu. I haven't stayed there since before the Covid shut down, so I can't comment on the upkeep of rooms or anything at this point. If I hadn't discovered the skyliner and found that I actually LIKE POP, I would still be staying at OKW. I'm happy to answer questions if you have any.

 

[Wedgeout]

Has its own charm. Bus system is efficient. (Similar to bus at Port Orleans). Food onsite good. Boat access to even more options. A place to relax and enjoy for what it is..a resort.

 

[Marionnette]

We are looking at booking Old Key West. Booking a Studio? what did you think of the property? HOw were the buses? Dinning??
thanks!!!!

Beautiful property. Large studios with 2 real beds. Recently renovated in 2017-2019. Very serene setting. A great place to relax and enjoy the Florida weather in the winter. If you have issues with climbing stairs, it can be a problem. There are only a few buildings with elevators.

If you are visiting because your primary focus is the parks, be aware that the only way to get to the parks is either via car or bus. The buses can take quite a while as they wend their way through the resort, picking up at each bus stop. The check in building (Hospitality House) where dining, quick service and the main pool are located can be quite a hike (without sidewalks!). But you can hop on any bus to get to it. There is a snack bar at the Turtle Pond pool. It might be seasonal. My last visit at OKW was post-COVID and it was not open.

 

[chalee94]

We are looking at booking Old Key West. Booking a Studio? what did you think of the property? HOw were the buses? Dinning??
thanks!!!!

I liked it so much, now I own there! (Well, a doorknob or two... )

Studios are the only ones in the DVC system with 2 queen beds, so that is nice if you prefer real beds. Olivia's is a great table service option. The buses can take some time to get around the resort - it's a large resort - plan ahead. It is a centrally located resort so that is good if you are hitting all 4 parks - but transportation to the parks is buses only. The boat to Disney Springs is nice, though.

If the buses frustrate you, the parking for a car is right outside your villa, so taking the car if you need to hurry is an option that some of us use.

This thread is also useful:

OKW Lovers Thread. Part 2 | The DIS Disney Discussion Forums - DISboards.com

 

[RivShore]

As others have said it is beautiful with a great laid back vibe, nice rooms, one negative - the QS is a tiny hole in the wall.

 

[KCMA]

We own there and love it.. Laid back.. nice to have to the river going through the property.. lots of palm trees (we live in Canada so when we are in Florida we love to have lots around) .. the dinning is the only so so thing about the resort.. the quick service is basically a walk up window just outside the pool… the sit down restaurant is great and always find something to get and Disney springs is a short boat trip away for endless dinning options… like others said it’s big.. figure out the internal bus route and it will make for a smoother trip

 

[han22735]

Honestly we stayed there last August and probably wont be back. Not the greatest of dining options, very spread out, the feature pool wasn't anything special and no elevators. We did like the room and low point requirement.

 

[MixieLou]

We love OKW but it is different than staying at your traditional Disney World hotel. It looks and feels like a townhouse or condo complex. The rooms are very large and it feels much more like a home than a hotel. It is a big resort and getting out of there on a bus can take a while depending on where your room is. You can hop on a bus to go up to the hospitality house area if you are far away and don't want to walk. The main restaurant Olivia's is very good. The quick service is lacking though with a very, very limited menu. You can also take a boat to Disney Springs which opens up your dining options further.

This is the one resort where the studios have two beds as opposed to one bed and a sleeper sofa. Something to keep in mind if you are looking to stay in a studio and prefer the bed/sofa combo.

 

[mac_tlc]

We have owned there since 1992 and like that it has a different feel than many others. It was the first DVC property built, so I think the size of the property, size of the rooms and “feel” of a condo complex is a result of that. The lower point requirements are definitely a result of being the first resort!

We also own at BLT and as nice as that is, it feels like just an appendage to the main hotel. As do many other DVC resorts. The ones that are stand-alone are the ones that, at times, seem to get the least “love”.

mac_tlc

 

[SwanVT2]

Honestly we stayed there last August and probably wont be back. Not the greatest of dining options, very spread out, the feature pool wasn't anything special and no elevators. We did like the room and low point requirement.

Is there a slide at the feature pool?

 

[han22735]

Is there a slide at the feature pool?

Yes. Its in the sandcastle.

 

[s.r.disney nut]

Beautiful property. Large studios with 2 real beds. Recently renovated in 2017-2019. Very serene setting. A great place to relax and enjoy the Florida weather in the winter. If you have issues with climbing stairs, it can be a problem. There are only a few buildings with elevators.

If you are visiting because your primary focus is the parks, be aware that the only way to get to the parks is either via car or bus. The buses can take quite a while as they wend their way through the resort, picking up at each bus stop. The check in building (Hospitality House) where dining, quick service and the main pool are located can be quite a hike (without sidewalks!). But you can hop on any bus to get to it. There is a snack bar at the Turtle Pond pool. It might be seasonal. My last visit at OKW was post-COVID and it was not open.

Without sidewalks? There are sidewalks throughout the resort.

 

[best days]

OKW is a beautiful resort!
-It feels more “Florida” than any other resort.
-Feature pool is great, with a fun alide
-Fewer food options than some resorts, but what they have is standard Disney fare and well done.
-one restaurant (Olivia’s) which has a real hole from hole fewl
-super friendly staff in Community Hall
-walking distance to Disney Springs or else, do my absolute favourite thing to do, take the boat ride there and back. So beautiful!

 

[Helvetica]

I love Old Key West. The resort is beautiful and it's a very laid back. The pool is nice, the rooms are larger than normal and I didn't really have a problem with the buses, just give yourself extra time in the morning.

The food options aren't great, but I like the resort. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the Studios because I don't need two beds. I'd rather have a sofa, but to each their own. The 1 Bedrooms are incredible. They're just great.

 

[npatellye]

We are big fans of OKW. The one bedrooms are fantastic and the feature pool is plenty to keep our kids entertained. They love the community hall. We haven’t taken the buses since we always rent a car. Olivia’s was fine for the one meal we had there; we usually end up eating elsewhere or eating in the room.

We liked it so much that we added on more points there.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

I think you’ll enjoy it if you can stay close to the Hospitality House or have a car. We didn’t have either and felt rather isolated and out of sorts trying to get back to our room. The buses had long waits in general. But easy to get a Lyft and totally worth it. Like another poster said, it feels a lot like a condo.

Very friendly staff and we enjoyed sitting in the rocking chairs and taking in the water view. Olivia’s was ok for us, not stellar but not terrible, but it was also not long after reopening so they get a pass.

I would stay there again someday if we were taking a trip that wasn’t quite so park focused.

 

[Shrfleen]

I just got back from my first visit at OKW. I didn't really feel like I was staying at a Disney resort. A lot of people have mentioned how laid back it feels and I can say it definitely felt that way.

As many have mentioned the dining options are few and far between. The sit down restaurant Olivia's was great but the fast casual restaurant Good's Food to Go has your standard food and did not really have any indoor seating to enjoy your meal.

I thought Transportation was great. The buses were never packed full of people like at other resorts and our room location in building 19 allowed us to be picked up right before the last stop at the Hospitality House.

A car to get around would have been nice to visit the Hospitality House more often for drink refills because walking to the HH after a long park day is extra tiresome.

I personally think the room needed a little TLC. Compared to other DVC studios, the look isn't there. The space and bed size is great but I think it is time to get rid of the carpet and do some other modern upgrades.

 

[best days]

There may be no other resort on property that illicits the emotional pull that OKW has for some. For me, it is home. Nothing fancy but it fits just so. And that boat ride to Disney Springs has had me shed many a tear thinking about just how lucky I am to be able to be part of it all.

We just booked to go back tonight, actually, and have the kids the choice of resort. Both of them said OKW and had no interest in anywhere else.

 

[Zach197]

I may be the odd ball here but OKW is our least favorite dvc resort out of them all. We stayed at the resort twice and won’t be back. The rooms are fine and it’s nice to have two beds as opposed to pull out or Murphy bed. To us the resort has nothing going for it except the low point cost. The dining options are lacking. Bus transportation is required unless you have a vehicle. The location isn’t convenient to any of the parks. The resort is quite large so unless your close to hospitality house you’re gonna be driving or long walk. When compared to all other dvc resorts okw has less going for it IMO.