Talk me into staying at OKW!

[Carrieberry]

We are looking into renting points again (from nuthut of course!!) for a January 2004 trip. We just returned from a magical trip to BCv and loved everything about it! We went without our two boys this last trip and stayed in a studio which was more than sufficent, but now we are thinking about trying to get a 1 bedroom. The price difference is a concern, so we are thinking about maybe trying out OKW which as you all know is less points for a 1 bedroom than the other resorts. How is the bus service there? We really liked the fact that we hardly needed the buses over at BCv. Is there a boat to DD? How is that? What about the food choices? Are the studios bigger there than the other resorts? They look a tad larger in order to accomodate the two beds. Tell me all about it please!! What do you like? What don;t you like?? Thanks!

 

[PKS44]

The OKW studios are bigger in measurement but do not feel bigger than BWV or BCv or VWL studios...there are a few reasons for this...the two BEds take up more room than the bed and sofa, but also the configuration of the OKW studios is an odd shape, as well.

The 1 BR at OKW are substantially larger than any other 1 BR -a big difference. The atmosphere at OKW is more laid back than BWV (have not been to BCV)-the quiet pools are the same as quiet pools anywhere but the main OKW pool is really nothing more than the quiet pools at any other DVC resorts-no slide, nothing like SAB at BCV...just a nice pool.

The resort is lovely located on a golf course but we did not like our location on the ground floor at the end of Southpoint-- with a view of the air conditioner units and the sounds of those and the nearby traffic. The bus stop could not have been farther away and the room was for the handicapped so it was not ideal for our kids who needed baths, and it had less counter space as a result as well...

Paul

 

[ncligs]

To add to Paul's post above,there is a boat that goes from OKW to DD. It runs from 12:00 noon to around 9:00 pm.

 

[Pa@okw95]

I would stick with BCV if I were you. It sounds like you had a really good time there. OKW is out of the way-you have to take a bus to all the parks. The bus service is not good. The boat to DD is nice but it only holds 12 people, so you can not always get on it. It sounds to me like you are a BCV or BWV family. There is only one food choice and that is Olivia's. I just think for you it will be a big let down from BCV. The pools have no slides which I like but your boys may not care for. You might want to give BWV a shot this time.

 

[jmminarik]

1) The bus service at OKW is supposedly poor during the middle of the day...I've read its a 45 minute interval on the busses. You'll need to use some kind of wheeled vehicle to everywhere but DD. I know lots of people are fans of the Disney Transportation, but I ride public transportation every day and rarely drive...getting into my own little cocoon where we can listen to our disney cd's is a nice way to warm-up and cool down from a day of 'park'ing.

2) There is a boat to DD. We didn't ride it, and it ends somewhere around 9:30pm. I guess the ridership goes down after that...plus the liabilities in having people pouring out of PI after a night of imbibing give them reason to shut the boats down early.

3) Food choices are limited to the snack bars, Olivia's restaurant, and of course, cooking in your room.

4) The studios are bigger than the other studios on property. We disagree with PKS about the perception...compared to the studio we had at BWV, OKW seemed very large and airy.

5) We like the studios at OKW better than BWV. We think the rooms at WLV are cozier feeling (because of the decor and colors), but we liked the 2 BRs at VB best of all. How's that for not being helpful.

6) We don't like the fact that OKW is so spread out, but we like parking in front of the house. Living in a row home, we rarely get a spot right out front.

We lucked out on our recent trip in that we were right next to the pool in Turtle Pond, but otherwise a trip to any store meant hopping in the truck. Not bad, but certainly not as nice as walking the boards...I'm a city boy, I want my grocery stores within 2 blocks.

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by jmminarik
There is a boat to DD. We didn't ride it, and it ends somewhere around 9:30pm. I guess the ridership goes down after that...plus the liabilities in having people pouring out of PI after a night of imbibing give them reason to shut the boats down early.

 

[PKS44]

Originally posted by jmminarik
4) The studios are bigger than the other studios on property. We disagree with PKS about the perception...compared to the studio we had at BWV, OKW seemed very large and airy.

The size difference is 376 sq ft vs. about 359 sq ft. that is a difference made by adding a little more than a 4 foot by 4 foot area... and the shape of the room is sort of triangular so its not apparent where the added space is....I lived in a rowhouse in Philly like jmminarik and even when I lived there that much added space never made the difference seem large and airy to me.

Paul

 

[Carrieberry]

Thanks everyone! Maybe we will stick with BCv again!

 

[walter]

We are OKW/VB owners and I have discussed with my wife to try one of the other WDW/DVC resorts. We go off season and my wife states that we can stay a couple of days longer on points at OKW than the others. This may not mean much to most of you, but if you are trying to extend a vacation (to get away from the cold weather), this may make the difference. We do like staying at OKW because it is away from things and have no problem waiting for the bus service. When we want to visit the Boardwalk, we usually drive over there and if wanting to go to the parks, you are in walking distance of Epcot and Disney Studios.

 

[Disneyaholic]

In our family, we would have to be talked into staying someplace OTHER than OKW!! We absolutely love the "non-hotel" feeling we have there.


While the busses can sometimes be sporadic, we have never found them to be so bad that it spoiled our day...

And while the restaurant choices may be more limited than other DVC resorts,you will have full kitchen. We almost always have breakfast in the room, and sometimes a dinner or two. You can always have leftovers from your dinners out.

I would suggest that you give it a try -- or maybe split your stay if you're not sure you will like it.

 

[Caskbill]

Since you've already stayed at BCV, you might just do OKW because it's a different resort. I'd definitely do OKW for a 1-B/R, but if you're getting a studio, I prefer the other resorts because, even though the rooms are smaller, they seem roomier because of the layouts and the couch. In that case you might think about BWV or VWL.

But for a 1-B/R, OKW has all the others beat. Of course we always have our own car and don't rely on Disney transportation that much.

Have a great trip.

 

[jcodespoti]

I enjoy staying at all the DVC resorts. And I suggest everybody treis them all. That said I do not try to compare them to one another. BCV is just different than OKW kinda on the same theme, but different. And for sure the VWL are much different than OKW. We all have our favorite resorts, but I love to stay at them all to. I just don't compare them to each other.


Joe in CT

 

[Carrieberry]

Thanks everyone! It sounds like we will try OKW ONLY if we can afford the 1 bedroom and if we will rent a car. If not, then we will get a studio and maybe try out VWL or BWV. We know we will love BCV so we can always go there again but we would like to try something new. Thanks again!

 

[mitros]

Staying at okw is great if you have a car that you want to use during your stay, because okw is the only dvc resort where you can park just about at your front door.

 

[joepoe]

We stay at OKW and BWV all the time. We have not had any more problems with the buses there than at BWV, where we stay also. You cannot walk downstairs to a restaurant at OKW, but that hasn't been a big negative for us. BWV is right in the middle of everything, but OKW seems more like a condo off the beaten path. The studios are comparable, although OKW has two queens and BWV has a queen and a full sofa pull-out. The OKW 1BR and 2BR are huge compared to other DVC's. OKW is less points, which is a big plus for us. Every resort has its own character, which is a big plus to DVC members.

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by PKS44
The size difference is 376 sq ft vs. about 359 sq ft. that is a difference made by adding a little more than a 4 foot by 4 foot area... and the shape of the room is sort of triangular so its not apparent where the added space is....I lived in a rowhouse in Philly like jmminarik and even when I lived there that much added space never made the difference seem large and airy to me.

Paul

I've been thinking about this since just before my ISP went belly-up before Christmas. The only two items that I can put my finger on as to why OKW studios seem bigger to me is that OKW has the lighter colors and windows/glass on both sides of the room and the placement of the vanity/sink is actually in the bathroom, not in the 'room'. BWV studio baths seem like large broom closets to me.

-Joe

 

[DeeP]

I think it is all a matter of preception and likes. Even if the OKW stuidos are 4'x4' larger than the other studios (and that really is not a significant size difference) the stuidos at BCV, BWV and VWL seem much larger to us due to the fact there is only 1 bed. The main part of the studio appears much larger and the kitchenette is definitely much larger and brighter. We also like having the little foyer when you walk into the unit so that you are not walking right into a bed when you enter the room.