questions about OKW

[makelab]

am i missing something here? i've been looking at the properties and i've noticed that there are a whole lot of OKW resales, and for pretty low prices. also, the points required for stays there are lower than all the other resorts. why is this? is it just that OKW is the oldest/or an older resort?

 

[Chuck S]

Probably because it is an 'older' (relative term) DVC resort and the original owners lifestyles/plans may be changing. I imagine that the same pattern will emerge after BWV and VWL hit 10 year anniversaries.

 

[PamOKW]

OKW is now 10 years old. During that time, the owners have a lot of different life experiences (marriage, divorce, deaths, financial situation) that might cause them to sell. The purchase price for many of these people was also much lower....pre-construction was $48 and the first year or so points were $51. It is also a much larger resort than any of the others. More people = more units potentially for sale.

I'm not sure why DVC set the points higher for the newer resorts. I believe someone once posted an explanation that this is a way that they recoup some of their construction costs. Of course, building the newer resorts is more expensive than it was 10-15 years ago.

 

[PamOKW]

Oooh Chuck -- you type faster than me!

 

[makelab]

with all that taken into account, would you say it is still a good place to buy? our family stayed on property for the first time last year and loved it. we stayed at ASMO, so i figure even a studio at OKW would be a step up, eventhough a small one.
we decided real quick that we may end up going there every year, even when the kids are long gone.

~200 pts for a 1Br for a week? not bad at all.

 

[Princess Tess]

We just got back from OKW last week, it was absolutely gorgeous! We bought into VWL last year and are already considering an add on. If we can afford it I will without a doubt buy at OKW, as matter of fact if I had to do it over I would just buy a resale at OKW. I know it's 10 yrs. old but besides a leaky faucet there wasn't too much evidence of it's age.

Having said that, I think it depends on what is appealing to each individual buyer. I happen to love the architectural style of OKW and as beautiful as VWL are, the "lodge" style does nothing for me.
The only downside I found to OKW was its size, if you needed to go to the general store and didn't have a car you had to take a bus, the bell service guys were awsome and were willing to jump through hoops to help out anyway they could. They helped us out quite a few times during our trip and I consider them our "heroes" who got us where we needed to be on time. Things have been difficult for them since 9/11 so they are hustling for their tips....

 

[Princess Tess]

one more thing...we stayed at ASSP last year, the grand villa at OKW this year and it was like going from rags to riches

 

[loribell]

I think the change from ASMO to OKW studio is more then just a small step up. I loved CS then stayed ant OKW and felt like it was a big step up. IMHO the studios at all three onsite DVC properties are a baig step up. Nice size in all, although OKW's are the biggest. Plus that free refrigerator and microwave are a nice added benefit. Bathrooms are much larger also.

One other thing, my mother went with me when I stayed at OKW and was totally surprised when I told her how old the resort was.

 

[PamOKW]

A studio at OKW vs. a room at All-Star is more like "one giant leap for mankind" than a small step. A one bedroom or larger will put you into orbit. Prior to Disney adding the "Home Away from Home" category, OKW was listed among the Deluxe resorts just like the GF. An All-Star room is 260 sq. ft and an OKW studio is 376 sq. ft....plus a private balcony or patio.

OKW is 10 years old but it looks like it opened yesterday. Heck, many of the resorts at WDW are much, much older than OKW including Y&B, SW&D, GF, Contem, Poly......you get my drift. Disney has wonderful upkeep on all their properties and they are built well to begin with.

As Princess Tess says, personal preference comes into picking one over the other. There is nothing "bad" about any DVC resort.

 

[ncligs]

OKW is our favorite...can you tell?????????

 

[makelab]

so, can you make a new purchase at OKW? or is it sold out? what would be a decent resale?

 

[ncligs]

OKW is sold out. You would have to make a re-sale purchase. Most re-sales are 200 pts and above. We are on a waitlist through DVC in case they have any smaller (50-100 pts) contracts come available.

 

[NancyDVC]

We love OKW. We have been members since early 1992, back when no one knew what DVC was. The studios are larger than the rooms at the hotels. We love the theming, the quiet and being the "original" DVC resort.
Yes, it is true that after 10 years the resales are more abundant at OKW, probably for all the previously mentioned reasons-lifestyle changes etc.
My nieces and nephew are already planning how to use my DVC points when I "can no longer use them" (due to advancing age no doubt). What they don't realize is that I plan to be there in 40 years for the last year end of DVC blast at age 92!
Just consider the value of a resale at OKW-lower cost per point and fewer points needed for your stays! A win/win situation!

 

[TIdoublegaER]

DH and I were all ready to buy at VWL and ended up buy OKW resale. We have nevered stayed at VWL but thought the theme and location were awesome. We have stayed in a studio at OKW and really enjoyed the resort. What sold OKW for us was the bigger villas and better point value. We only wanted another 150 pts and that would have only allowed us to stay in a 1bdr w/o borrowing pts (we normally stay Sun-Thur to avoid the weekend points) at VWL. A 150 pts at OKW go much further and we get the 11 mo. window for the GV. I look forward to staying at VWL, BWV and BCV in the future, but OKW was definitely the right choice for us.

 

[ncligs]

TIdoublegaER,

Excellent choice!!!!!!!!!!!