Question for OKW regulars

[jimmytammy]

We will be making our 3rd stay at OKW in Oct. in a 1 bed. This past Mar. we were in a studio for 2 nights then moved over to a 1 bed for the remaining days. We felt that if we checked in early at ressies desk on day of move we might get into our 1 bed by midday to early afternoon. At 5:30 we were finally able to get our room. We literally killed a day waiting for it. So any advice on how to get that room early, at least by normal 4 pm check in time? We realize OKW is huge, lots of ground for Mousekeeping to cover, but check in hasnt been much issue at other DVC resorts for us. We will be staying one night offsite or values, so hoping to be at OKW early for hopes of getting room by reasonable time.
We love OKW BTW so not bashing, just wondering if we are doing something wrong

 

[DebbieB]

We will be making our 3rd stay at OKW in Oct. in a 1 bed. This past Mar. we were in a studio for 2 nights then moved over to a 1 bed for the remaining days. We felt that if we checked in early at ressies desk on day of move we might get into our 1 bed by midday to early afternoon. At 5:30 we were finally able to get our room. We literally killed a day waiting for it. So any advice on how to get that room early, at least by normal 4 pm check in time? We realize OKW is huge, lots of ground for Mousekeeping to cover, but check in hasnt been much issue at other DVC resorts for us. We will be staying one night offsite or values, so hoping to be at OKW early for hopes of getting room by reasonable time.
We love OKW BTW so not bashing, just wondering if we are doing something wrong

Did you have requests or were you willing to take any empty room?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Did you have requests or were you willing to take any empty room?

That's the best way to get something earlier. The one time we needed a lockoff two bedroom for part of our stay and a one bedroom for the first few nights, it was almost 6PM before we got into our villa. First the previous guests did not leave on time (it was almost 4PM before they got them out of the villa) and then the housekeepers had to clean up the horrible mess they left behind. We had checked in around 7AM that morning, too.

But if you need first floor, Turtle Pond, close to the pool/bus stop, it may take longer to get it.

 

[jimmytammy]

We did ask for TP area, upper floor. So we will face the music, get there early, with hopes by making requests, we may get area we want, but realizing up front we may have to wait awhile for said requests. This way, at least we know to go to a park and enjoy instead of waiting around.

 

[fkj2]

I was at OKW this past March. Not only was it packed solid, so were all the other resorts. It may have just been a day when there were a lot of check-outs.

Personally, I couldn't take all the people in the parks; I often left because I couldn't take the crowds. When you can't get a Fast Pass for high traffic attractions much past noon or have to wait at midnight to get on Space Mountain, it's ridiculous.

 

[csharpwv]

I would imagine that if when you check in you tell them that you will take the first room available (of the type of booked of course) I would imagine that you would get into a room much faster.

However, in some cases - waiting for the request that you put in would definitely be the wait - especially if the first thing available was the furthest from what you originally wanted.

It's the luck of the draw!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yes, the requests will be what slows things down. If you will take "next available" you would get in right away. It all depends on what's more important to you. I'm one of those who will take just about anything EXCEPT Turtle Pond. I've never had a location in TP that pleased me.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

I don't make requests at OKW (other than when I want a GV), and I've never had to wait for our villas, ever (member since 2000). I book 1br or 2 br's and our villas have always been ready, when we arrive, generally between 11am and 2:30pm! (We drive in)

Come to think of it the only wait I've ever had, BWV!

 

[csharpwv]

We have only had one wait before - and as it turned out, we really didn't need to wait at all. The people in the room (a studio) before us had used it connected to the 1BR next door - and the people in the studio left a few days before the people in the 1BR, so while the 1BR was still occupied - the system didn't separate the two rooms at the end of the Studio reservation.
So while we had to wait a couple hours, it ended up not being a problem at all.

But we have checked in as early as 9:30am and our room was ready for us!
That was our stay this past December at the Boardwalk. We had taken the Auto-Train down - and it arrived early, so we stopped just to drop our stuff off - we were going to head to Target or Wal-Mart to stock up - but we got right into our room - so we got settled and then went shopping!

I hear horror stories of people waiting until LATE in the evening (after 6:00pm) We aren't picky people - so I hope that it never happens to us!

We love being able to get in early!

 

[SB in KY]

We have had really good luck using on line check in prior to arrival....in 8 of our last 9 stays we have used on line check in and indicated an arrival time of 8AM and there was a room ready for us whe we arrived at 8AM every one of those times!! Now granted we rarely make location requests so we were happy with any available room but we were totally blown away to get a room so early. In the past we rarely got a room assigned before 3:30 or so no matter how early we got there.
On the one stay when the on line check in system would never work for us it was 4:15 when we finally got the text about the room being ready.

I am never one to hang around the resort waiting on a room though...if I get tired of the parks before the room is ready I can always find some delightful pass time....riding the boat to DTD for ice cream, the train at MK, sitting in the nice lobby at the GF listening to the piano music with a lovely drink....oh the possibilities are endless....that is what makes WDW so great

But I have to say in years past when they were really late (after 4:30 or so) getting us to a room we nicely asked for compensation and received it.

 

[jimmytammy]

We learned last March(by a OKW owner) that 1beds at OKW in the older sections(ex. 30s bldgs) of OKW dont have but one door into the bath area where the the ones say in TP area have access from the hall as well as MB area. As a family of four, this allows us some privacy plus kids the ability to use bath without waking us parents and vice versa.
So with that said, it is important to us to try and get one of these room layouts vs. the bath with one door.
It is good to know that the after 4 deal will allow some comp. if needed.
I appreciate all the replies, it has helped.

 

[beccasmom]

Requests have a lot to do with it, but so does time of year, IMHO. We once waited until 6:00 pm for our room at the CR in March, having arrived at the front desk at 11:00 that morning. It was volume of guests, pure and simple. Although that did not make us feel any better at the time! The lobby was wall-to-wall vacationers. They couldn't get the rooms ready fast enough.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Longest I ever waited was at BCV. No requests and it was after 6 when I complained loudly

 

[dianeschlicht]

We learned last March(by a OKW owner) that 1beds at OKW in the older sections(ex. 30s bldgs) of OKW dont have but one door into the bath area where the the ones say in TP area have access from the hall as well as MB area. As a family of four, this allows us some privacy plus kids the ability to use bath without waking us parents and vice versa.
So with that said, it is important to us to try and get one of these room layouts vs. the bath with one door.
It is good to know that the after 4 deal will allow some comp. if needed.
I appreciate all the replies, it has helped.

The easiest is to request either a room with the second door OR any building OVER 30, since that would include not just TP, but also SP and the 60's buildings.

 

[jimmytammy]

The easiest is to request either a room with the second door OR any building OVER 30, since that would include not just TP, but also SP and the 60's buildings.

Thanks Diane
You were the one who gave me the heads up about the 1beds having the one door vs. the 2 doors.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks Diane
You were the one who gave me the heads up about the 1beds having the one door vs. the 2 doors.

Actually BOTH the 1 and 2 bedroom villas in buildings 11-29 only have the one door to the master bath. That was the first phase, and they corrected that shortcoming in the rest of the resort. If you look at this map, you can see that there are far more buildings WITH the second door than there are those without.