Thinking about switching to Old Key West

[Amy&Dan]

I currently have a reservation for ten nights in October (Oct. 25-Nov. 4 to be exact) at an SSR Studio. We have always gone the one bedroom route at both SSR (2 times) and BWV (once). I am just thinking about how the whole reason we bought DVC was to get that larger unit, that 355 square feet in the studio for four people for ten nights is bringing me down! Dh keeps saying if we were going to do this we should have just stuck with staying at the mods. But we are a bit short on points from taking family twice in the past year and half. So that was why a studio seemed a good idea, to get us off the borrowing thing! But I am now wondering about maybe switching to OKW where a one bedroom will be a few less points if I can get one. We also love trying new resorts out but hate to miss out on SSR, I was really looking forward to being back "home" after an 18 month period of time. While researching OKW on allears, I saw quite a few comments about lack of cleanliness and worn out furniture at OKW. I haven't seen that too much on my searches here on the dis so thought I would post a thread to see if anyone has any recent experience with OKW they could share with me. I also might add that I checked tripadvisor and it seemed most of those reviews were only negative in regrds to the size of OKW which will not bother me at all (I have stayed at SSR, and all the mods and love spread out resorts).

Please give me any thoughts about OKW vs. SSR and OKW in general! I hate it when I stress about my resort choice and somehow I always seem to!

Oh, and for the record we have two kids, ages 13 and 11 (boy and girl).

Thank you so much for any insight and advice!

 

[Caskbill]

We go at least twice a year and usually stay a few weeks. At least one or two of those is always at OKW.

I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary with the furnishings. All the appliances were changed just a few years ago.

With OKW being as large as it is, and as many guests coming and going, things are going to happen that can be wear and tear. If maintenance items aren't reported by a previous guest, there's no guarantee that mousekeeping would even notice. This is true for any resort, not just OKW.

Try the 1-B/R there. It's the largest 1-B/R of all the DVC resorts. It's the only one with a full size kitchen (not apartment sized like the other DVC-resorts), full laundry. A LR and DR area that are huge compared to the others. More seating room than the others also with a real dining room table, not a countertop at the kitchen.

While I like all the DVC resorts, the 1-B/R units everywhere else feel like a small Apartment. At OKW, it's more like 'home'.

 

[AnnaS]

Hi,


I love OKW and have yet to stay at SSR - so I can't comment - but I am the type who is just happy to be there and will enjoy the resort I am at.

Just a thought, why not split your stay (and save a few points) - start out 4/5 nights in a studio and finish your stay with a 1 bdr. - you will be ready for the larger acomodations and you will have the washer/dryer, kitchen too.

 

[psu4glory]

last year we did a split stay at SSR and OKW. we spent the first 7 nights in a studio at SSR and thought it was very nice...new and clean.

but when we moved into a 1-br at OKW for the remaining 5 nights...WOW! the room is huge! full size kitchen, full size dining table, laundry, whirlpool tub, enormous bathroom. we didn't notice anything out of the ordinary as far as wear-and-tear / maintenence / cleanliness goes.

bottom line - i'd DEFINITELY recommend OKW to anyone who hasn't given it a shot yet...especially the 1-br.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hi,


I love OKW and have yet to stay at SSR - so I can't comment - but I am the type who is just happy to be there and will enjoy the resort I am at.

Just a thought, why not split your stay (and save a few points) - start out 4/5 nights in a studio and finish your stay with a 1 bdr. - you will be ready for the larger acomodations and you will have the washer/dryer, kitchen too.

You sound like me. I have yet to have a bad resort experience, we have loved them all! Including our stay in the dreaded Paddock area of SSR. And that is a great idea of splitting the stay, don't know why I didn't think of that, we have usually started at a value or mod for the weekend and then moved over to a DVC 1BR for a week.

Okay, I just called ms, we are doing a studio at SSR for the first three nights and then moving over to the OKW 1BR for the next 7 . I feel like this is the best of both worlds and saved me some points by starting with the studio.

Thanks so much everyone!

 

[fkj2]

If you'd be arriving on either Friday or Saturday, you might be able to stay in a studio for either one or both of those high point nights, and then move to a one bedroom at OKW as long as you don't mind moving to conserve points.

I was at OKW in December and the only complaint I would have had is that someone had broken the door latch on the dishwasher. The one bedrooms, as others have noted, will provide a lot of room for four people. There weren't any problems with the other major appliances (the full-size washer and dryer are wonderful) or the furniture.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

I have been reading those same negative reviews concerning OKW so I'm glad to read all the compliments here. We just switched our SSR ressies over to OKW because my family wanted to try something new for our trip in October. We love SSR but are very excited about staying at OKW.

 

[KathyRN137]

We own at SSR, but chose OKW this past November because we needed a 2BR instead of our usual 1BR.

Our unit was spacious, clean and in very good condition. We loved it!

Kathy

 

[BostonDisneyKid]

Ignore all the threads and people saying OKW has the biggest rooms, the best resort, best recreational areas, most relaxing resort and so on. As an OKW owner I can assure you they are all lies!!! OKW is an old decrepit dump bordering on condemtion with living conditions that are sub-human. My advise - stay way from OKW and go to SSR, the "big new resort" with all the modern luxuries and ammenities.


Seriously, you must realize that we, the OKW owners, are the ones spreading the rumors about the "uncleanliness" and "broken down state of the appliances and furniture". We are trying to keep people away from our home so it remains truly the best kept secret within WDW and DVC !!! But don't let that out...

 

[dianeschlicht]

Ignore all the threads and people saying OKW has the biggest rooms, the best resort, best recreational areas, most relaxing resort and so on. As an OKW owner I can assure you they are all lies!!! OKW is an old decrepit dump bordering on condemtion with living conditions that are sub-human. My advise - stay way from OKW and go to SSR, the "big new resort" with all the modern luxuries and ammenities.


Seriously, you must realize that we, the OKW owners, are the ones spreading the rumors about the "uncleanliness" and "broken down state of the appliances and furniture". We are trying to keep people away from our home so it remains truly the best kept secret within WDW and DVC !!! But don't let that out...

LOL! YEP, and OKW was the original Disney Vacation Club, so in reality it IS the best kept secret!

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Seriously, you must realize that we, the OKW owners, are the ones spreading the rumors about the "uncleanliness" and "broken down state of the appliances and furniture". We are trying to keep people away from our home so it remains truly the best kept secret within WDW and DVC !!! But don't let that out...

Whew! We have only visited there and we really liked what we saw. We look forward to coming back to a quiet place after the busy park days. Guess that's why we loved SSR as well.

 

[La2kw]

We own at both resorts and enjoy both resorts. We have stayed at OKW many times and have not had any problems with cleanliness or anything else. In fact, the only resort we had cleaning issues with was the BWV the year it opened, and we chalk that up to new employees not understanding the difference between point stays and cash stays. I would definitely go with a 1BR at OKW over a studio at any resort for 4 people.

Oh, and there's nothing wrong with borrowing. We have borrowed points for every single WDW trip we have ever made since becoming DVC members.

 

[lizziepooh]

I'm glad you decided to split your stay. Since you have only stayed in l bedroom units before, I think you would find 10 nights in a studio with 4 of you crowded and stressful. One bedroom at OKW will be much more relaxing for your last 7 nights. We really use the washer, dryer, kitchen, living room etc. Have fun.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thank you guys, you have made me much happier with my decsion to do a split stay between an SSR studio and the OKW 1BR. I agree, 10 nights with four of us in a studio is pushing it. We did 9 at CBR and while we loved that resort, it made me really miss my one bedroom!

La2kw: I have just really been wanting to get off the borrowing thing. We were so in debt so to speak awhile back after renting two, two bedrooms at SSR, just a few months apart we had to do nine nights at CBR because we had nothing left to even borrow. Now we are caught up but here we go again! Dh is already saying we should just buy a resale at OKW in a few years when we get the first DVC contract all paid off. It never ends this addiction of ours.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I'm glad you decided to split your stay. Since you have only stayed in l bedroom units before, I think you would find 10 nights in a studio with 4 of you crowded and stressful. One bedroom at OKW will be much more relaxing for your last 7 nights. We really use the washer, dryer, kitchen, living room etc. Have fun.

Thanks so much. I have to say, the washer and dryer is the big thing with me. I hate not having one, if the studio did I probably could be happy there. The kitchen is nice too, although lets face it, I don't use my kitchen at home much of the time, not likely I will cook on vacation. Normally I use the kitchen to make my daily allotment of ice tea! But its nice to have.

 

[tomchris]

Another plus is having morning coffee on the large balcony.

 

[sue]

We own at SSR but have stayed at OKW last Oct. We liked both resort's however, we didn't care for the beds at OKW. They were very HARD and noisy.

 

[utahkennedys]

Ignore all the threads and people saying OKW has the biggest rooms, the best resort, best recreational areas, most relaxing resort and so on. As an OKW owner I can assure you they are all lies!!! OKW is an old decrepit dump bordering on condemtion with living conditions that are sub-human. My advise - stay way from OKW and go to SSR, the "big new resort" with all the modern luxuries and ammenities.


Seriously, you must realize that we, the OKW owners, are the ones spreading the rumors about the "uncleanliness" and "broken down state of the appliances and furniture". We are trying to keep people away from our home so it remains truly the best kept secret within WDW and DVC !!! But don't let that out...

I couldn't agree more! Stay away from OKW, it's the absolute PITS! Who would want to stay at a gorgeous resort in a huge villa for low points?

 

[Steffy]

I was happy to read you decided to split your stay. Long vacations in one room become stressful for me.

I did exactly as you are now planning. I stayed the first 3 days at SSR studio and then moved to OKW 1 bedroom. Now I loved SSR. Beautiful resort. Loved the AP for CS meals. Loved the closeness to DTD. Went to Wolfgang Pucks for my first meal as an owner.

Then we moved to OKW. WOW. Big problem. Didn't want to leave the room! The balcony!! The bathroom. Put a load of clothes in the washer as we left for the parks, stuck it in the dryer when we got back. Coffee on the balcony. So relaxed. Plenty of room. Nice round dining room table to spread out and write my postcards. A foyer! It was my sister's first trip to Disney and she was oh so impressed.

I think you made a great choice. I'm on my way back to OKW in 22 days!

 

[Camping Cat]

We own at SSR but have stayed at OKW last Oct. We liked both resort's however, we didn't care for the beds at OKW. They were very HARD and noisy.

Oh no! I hate hard beds! And I am just getting over shoulder surgery. Does anyone know if there is any possibility of requesting a mattress pad (like one of those foam egg crate pads)? That would be a life saver for me.