Old key west

[Jacs]

Hi
We have just booked Old Key West but are wondering if this is the right choice for our
First Disney property holiday we have always stayed off site before. We are a family of four staying in a studio.

 

[TavieP]

OKW has been my family's "home resort" since we became DVC members in 1992. It's got a great, chill, relaxed atmosphere. It's a bit further from the parks than other resorts and fairly big so just make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to wait for the buses, and the bus ride itself to the parks can be 20+ minutes.

I don't know your family's taste/preferences/touring style but I love the decor and off-the-beaten-pathness of the place.

 

[Micca]

Welcome to the Dis Jacs! We're also DVC/OKW people and love it there. You'll want to try the table service restaurant "Olivia's." It's one of the best on property--not fancy or anything, but really good food. BTW, if you're going to Disney Springs, you can take a boat from OKW.

 

[dawgfan]

We stayed here with my brother in law and family about two years ago. We usually stay around the corner at POFQ. We loved OKW. It is different in theme and in services available. It has no food court but does have an on site restaurant that we did not try bit I would love to eat there. The store is also smaller than other locations we have stayed. This is likely due to the condo feel or set up of the place being DVC. The boat runs to Disney Springs and that is nice and convenient. Understand that this will not be your standard on site Disney location...but one that is above that. You will love it. After this stay at a moderate for a comparison and see which your family prefers.

 

[mdsouth]

Hi
We have just booked Old Key West but are wondering if this is the right choice for our
First Disney property holiday we have always stayed off site before. We are a family of four staying in a studio.

I am curious, why did you pick Old Key West? What are you second guessing? How long will you be staying?

The reasons I am asking is that these questions will help us help you decide if it is the right one for you.

 

[Disneypapa]

I also own at OKW and really like the décor the laid back setting and the larger rooms. Very nice pool area. Biggest drawback is the distance to theme parks, but then to many, that is a positive Relax and enjoy.

 

[bumbershoot]

Fabulous choice!

 

[jcanary]

Great choice if you like a laid back atmosphere after the parks and a much bigger room. at all of the pools there is free washer and dryer if you need to wash clothes, etc. a small kitchenette is also nice to have. Enjoy the resort.

 

[iluveeyore]

We love this resort - and as far as distance to parks, if you look on a map of the resorts, you'll see how close it is to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and next to Disney Springs - a bus ride to Epcot or Hollywood Studios is really about 10 min or less depending on lights and traffic. Magic Kingdom is the furthest away, maybe 15-18 min. It is a very pretty resort with a very tropical feel, one of our favorites. Enjoy!

 

[zorro77]

Great choice, we've been coming to OKW since 93". Biggest rooms and very casual place. Never seem to be crowded.

 

[rg35]

The OP hasn't returned, but I'll give some info anyway.

I have stayed at OKW four times (95, 97 - grandparents DVC points as a teen, 2015, 2016 - my own DVC membership...AKL is our home resort, however).

Pros

• Old Key West is big. It doesn't feel like you're staying in a hotel, more of a gated community type feel.
• Olivia's is a very good table service restaurant. We usually dine there on a non-park day even if we're not staying at OKW.
• Large community center with lots of activities for kids (under 9 must be accompanied by an adult).
• Bike and surrey rentals
• Ferry service to Disney Springs. Walking path to Disney Springs (about 1 mile).
• Very large rooms.
• Multiple pools. The pools that are not the main pool are pretty quiet and relaxing. We usually go to the main pool though because our kids like the water slide.

Cons

• Buses have to circle the entire resort, so depending on your internal resort bus stop, you may be on the bus for a while before you start going anywhere. We always have a car so this doesn't affect us, but it's worth mentioning.
• Quick service restaurant (Good's Food To Go) can be very slow on days when the pool is crowded (usually saturday and sunday which are popular check-in / check-out days).
• Main pool can get a bit crowded.
• The decor may not be everyone's taste/outdated, but I don't really care about stuff like that.