Super First Trip Home: OKW 8/8 - 8/13

[CarnotaurDad]

Cast of Characters:

Me
DW
DD (4)
My sister
Her Husband
My Mom
My Dad

As new DVC members, we wanted to plan a family trip together and, with my dad being a teacher, the best time was to go in August. We used our points to get a 2 BR at OKW.

Let me preface this by saying that our home resort is BCV and both my DW and I felt like we were "settling" for OKW. From some of the things we had read, and what other people had told us, we really thought it was just going to be ok and that we were really doing it because we could afford the 2 BR at OKW.

How very, very wrong we were.

In a word, OKW was absolutely magical (oops, that's two words, isn't it?).

We checked in on Sunday, August 8th, at 11 AM and from the moment I entered the lobby, I knew the resort was going to be great. I was instantly relaxed and loved the interior as well as the laid back attitude of the CMs. Our room was ready (yeah!) and they had met every request: Ground Floor, Non-Smoking, Lake View. We were in 4613.

We drove down to our room and went in and we were all blown away, not just at how big the rooms were but how NICE everything was. The theming was incredible, the decor was great and the back porch looking over the water was heavenly. Sitting on that back porch and watching the rain, or the sun come up, or even the fireworks from PI, is such a great way to spend part of the day.

My mom and dad got the bedroom with one King, my DW, DD and I got the 2 queens room and my sister and her husband slept on the pullout sofa. We all had more than enough room and the beds were very comfortable (even the pullout).

We ordered an extra trash and towel and they came two times during our trip (Tuesday and Thursday). That was more than enough times. The CM who cleaned our room also ran the dishwasher for us and straightened things up. What a great touch.

As for the other facilities, Olivia's food was awesome (we did takeout) and Good's had yummy conch fritters. Walking from 4613 to the Hospitality House took about 10 minutes but was a pleasant stroll. A quiet pool was perfect for our daughter and only about 5 minutes away.

We used the bus service once and was surprised how much we enjoyed it (to Epcot).

All in all, even with the hurricane, we couldn't believe what a great place OKW is. We were so relaxed there, we are now looking for add on points at OKW. I travel a lot for business so, when I vacation, I really just want to relax and have a great time with my family. At OKW, I was able to do that (and a lot more).

If there are any specific questions I can answer, let me know and I will be glad to do so.

 

[Pa@okw95]

The next time you go you should know that every building has a trash closet on the bottom floor for people staying there to empty their trash. Also you can just throw the towels in the washer when you want and dry them later. Just a thought to let you know about T & T day, might only want to do it once next time.

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

Glad you had a Great time! OKW is truly a treasure...we love it!

 

[PamOKW]

Glad you gave it a try and found that OKW fits your vacation style (mine, too). I hate to see people turned off to a resort by comments here before they give it a try themselves. I haven't found a bad DVC yet.

Thanks for sharing your trip!

 

[mrsminniemouse]

Thanks for your report. We bought SSR in December and in May we went and viewed both OKW and SSR. Of course, we are excited to stay at SSR because it is our home resort and we only have a few weeks to wait! But next year we intend to stay at OKW. It looks wonderful!

We want to try all of the DVC properties as time goes by but as we have stayed at The Beach Club 3 times now (thoroughly enjoyed it each time, particularly when we stayed there for our wedding with over 20 family and friends) we are interested to stay in different areas.

I dream of staying at OKW, it looks so tropical and relaxed, plus it has Olivia's on site, topped with large rooms and low point costs! WOW! Cannot wait!

So glad you enjoyed your first trip home. Cannot wait for mine!

Mandy

 

[spiceycat]

who do you think start the rumors that OKW is a horrible place to stay - OKW members....

just kidding

OKW is constantly under estimated by members who haven't stayed there.

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

Yes when I want parks especially Epcot then BWV or BCV - when MK then VWL - but when I want to relax (or with family) then definitely OKW....you don't even feel like you are at WDW - it is great for that reason!

 

[LIFERBABE]

If you formed your opinion about OKW (or any DVC for that matter) from these boards, you will be pleasantly surprised!

I had no interest in OKW before visiting OKW and touring the rooms. The rooms were immaculate as were the grounds. Very well maintained. We were in the process of purchasing BCV and we called our guide and added on at OKW too!

Some make it seem that since OKW is mostly available, that it is less desirable. It is just larger so it fills up last. If I really want to impress family I will take them to OKW.

Glad you enjoyed your stay and thanks for the great report!

 

[dianeschlicht]

So glad you liked our "home"! I'm not sure where OKW gets it's "bad" image, but we have always loved it! Maybe it's the "old" in the name! Don't speak too loudly about its amenities though! Let's just let it be our little secret! BTW, the only area we liked better than 46 is 55!

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Thanks for the report!

You have made me soooo homesick.

 

[kweaver]

So glad to hear that you had a good time! We're SSR owners who have yet to stay anywhere else (I cannot convince DH that we need yet another vacation this year...not to mention that it needs to be at Vero or HH for Thanksgiving!).

We're really looking forward to staying at OKW next May. We've walked around the resort, had dinner at Olivias and toured a GV there. With the new pool/slide area and the best CMs (we experienced excellent service!)...I think we'll be staying there often over the next 50 years or so.

 

[laceemouse]

We recently booked a 2 bedroom at OKW for 4 nights in October and we can't wait!!! Thanks for the great report! We own at BCV but hope to try ALL of the DVC resorts in time.....Lacee

 

[MagikMom]

I'm so glad to here about the positive experiences people have at OKW. We are going to book 2 studios there in June. My DH, DD(12), DS (9) and I will be in one studio and my husbands twin brother, my sister-in-law and my neice (11) will be in the other studio. They have never been to Disney before! I can't wait to see their faces when they experience everything! From what I'm hearing I think we will all love OKW.



Oct. 2004 SSR (soon!)
Aug. 2003 BWV
Oct. 2002 All Star Sports/BCV
March 2001 All Star Sports

 

[Doug7856]

We own at SSR and can't wait for our first trip home in December, but this past June we got a great airfare ($49 from Baltimore) at the last minute and decided we had to go to see the Magic Kingdom (It's been over two years since our last trip!). We also "settled" for OKW. We had a studio and found it to be wonderful! The studio room was very comfortable and the décor was very nice. We enjoyed the palm trees and the pools were great -- even without a slide! We pool hopped to SSR and I think it will always be our first choice, but now we know that we will never be "settling" for OKW -- it is a great choice for our family!

 

[CarolynFH]

I'm glad you had such a good trip for your first time "home." But the real reason I'm posting is because

I LOVE YOUR SCREEN NAME!

Is there a story as to why you sign in as "CarnotaurDad"?

 

[CarnotaurDad]

Hi Carolyn,

Our DD (4) is completely in love with the Dinosaur movie, and has been since she was 2. Her favorite character in the movie is the Carnotaur so, when I picked the screen name, I thought it would be great to incorporate her love of the character to DISBoards.

As an aside, she also loves the Dinosaur ride at AK. She doesn't keep her eyes open for much of it, but she always wants to go again. Go figure.

She actually has several "Love-Hate" rides at WDW: Haunted Mansion, Dinosaur and Tower of Terror. Pretty funny.

We actually thought about NOT posting how great the trip was so that nobody else would figure out that OKW is such a wonderful place. However, we wanted to share the fun time we had with everyone.

 

[pumpkinboy]

As I recall, you ended up buying something like a 100 point contract, didn't you? Or have you added on since then? So I was wondering how soon until you buy a big contract then, now that you have discovered the joys of OKW.

 

[CarnotaurDad]

PumpkinBoy,

You are correct. We bought 105 at BCV and are definitely looking to buy more (what a curse it is!).

We are thinking of trying to find a 100 at OKW (or something like that).

The 2 BR, really, REALLY spoil you.

 

[carlos1117]

Boy, I'm sure glad we purchased there!

 

[pumpkinboy]

Originally posted by CarnotaurDad
PumpkinBoy,
You are correct. We bought 105 at BCV and are definitely looking to buy more (what a curse it is!).
We are thinking of trying to find a 100 at OKW (or something like that).
The 2 BR, really, REALLY spoil you.

Yes, I remember you musing about maybe just buying 60 or so. Yeah, you're spoiled now, eh? But at least you have your own DVC account that other members can transfer points to you, and you can have control over your reservations.

It might be worth it for you to buy additional points directly from DVC. Yeah, they're gonna run you $89 a point now, but no closing costs, no ROFR, exact same use-year as your current contract, you can buy an amount you can afford at that moment, and if you want, you can finance them (we liked the 50% down financing at around 5% - and this is deductible mortgage-type interest). 50-75 points at a time could work well to build up your vast DVC empire and sate your add-on-itis now and then. Plenty of OKW points available thru DVC right now, in most use-years, according to my guide.

Good luck! Glad you had such a great trip, and that you managed to get out safely.

 

[Bexx]

Glad you had such a good time and thanks for the great report. I'm SO excited to be going there - I can hardly wait!