We won't be staying at OKW again, well, maybe not!

[dvc at last !]

We did not buy SSR because we are from Western NY and my sister lives in
Saratogs Springs, NY ( too much like where we live).
We purchasred OKW like the " feeling ".
We are going to WDW in October and are staying SSR for a few days and OKW for a few days so I can form a opinion after that. Keep you posted.

 

[GADisneyDVC]

They do give a schedule of events when you check in at SSR. This gives you inof for all the pool events and happenings at the community hall. I do not know about any other showers. They had no problem with my 6 year old DD going to the locker room. She was so thrilled with getting to be a big girl--and there is even a locker that Minnie Mouse is using in there.So that was very cute. My daughter did great with being quiet and keeping the whole peaceful feeling of the spa. Of course, they may not have been so thrilled had I brought in a whole troop of girls! : )

 

[disney gadabout]

Another point of view.....My favorite studio is the OKW studio because I love having the 2 beds if it's the 3 of us going. DS prefers it to a sofa bed. As for the area, I crave the quietness of OKW after the busy days at the parks. Sitting on the deck, overlooking the golf course with a cup of coffee in the morning....December cannot come quick enough (our next trip "home")!

 

[MiaSRN62]

And just wondering, do they give you a schedule for pool activities and community hall when you check into OKW? It sounds like fun to me!

Yes, Corinnak....OKW will give you a schedule with all times and applicable fees if there are any.
The shower/changing areas by the main pool at OKW are very nice----just no razors, robes and slippers !
The SSR spa does sound very nice......we used the one at Y&B this August and it was tiny compared to the pics I saw of the SSR one.

 

[aes74]

I don't know how to do a quote yet, but someone asked why we like the SSR main pool better than the OKW pool. We have a couple of reasons, we love the zero-entry. When DH and I are alone I like to sit there in the very shallow part and read my book. When we are with the kids, the zero entry is great for my little one. Also, we like to have the lockers there in the spa and use the showers after the pool--with the robe and slippers and all the yummy smelling spa toiletries. For me, I feel so pampered. My daughter loves it too!

Whoa whoa whoa tex, hold the phone. We are allowed to use the showers at the spa after you use the pool?

 

[GADisneyDVC]

I don't know if we are "allowed" to or not but we have done it 3 or 4 times. One time was when we did not have our room ready and they let us come in and use the showers to freshen up after our car ride. We also have used them after working out in the gym room in the spa and a couple of times we have just asked for a locker and they haven't said a word. I guess we will keep asking until they tell us no!

 

[aes74]

I have really enjoyed this thread. It's funny why one person prefers a certain resort over another. For example, I really like SSR a lot. I like the wide range of snacks and groceries, it's heavenly if you are on the DDP. I like the pool, and how new and clean the rooms are. And I even like the food at AP. It's different from anywhere else.

I actually prefer it over BWV and BCV. Although I adore BC and the restaurants there, especially Beaches and Cream. But to stay there...I thought it was really crowded and the pool crowded and tended to be closed a lot. Just my experience. And likewise, I really love BWV, the decor, feel, etc, but I was frustrated being on the DDP there. There wasn't much to offer in the way of cs options, in my opinion. Only pizza or a sandwich, and after a few days that got a little tedious.

So the point of my rambling here, is that we really ended up liking SSR. Haven't stayed at VWL or OKW, look forward to trying them. Because honestly, I am just happy to get away to Disney. If it's at Disney, and I am out of "the real world," I think I would be happy in a cardboard box.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I agree that this is a good thread. I love the OKW studios because of the two queen beds. That's what I don't like about the other studios. But we seldom stay in studios anymore, unless we are running low on points. Now the OKW one bedroom, that's a fiiiiiinnnnneeee place to stay. Oh, yeah. Give me some juice or hot chocolate on the porch and I'm happy.

I have similar feelings about BWV. We stayed there once and I didn't care for it. We always drive, so the self parking was REALLY inconvenient. I know I can valet, but I prefer to self park - quicker for me. I didn't care for the hustle and bustle of the BW area. BCV are a lot quieter, so we do like to stay there. We thought SSR was wonderful, similar to OKW in many ways. And VWL is just one great place to stay. We have stayed at VB one time in an Inn Room, so we got the two queen beds. We thought the beach was lacking a bit, but it was nice for two nights.

 

[jimmytammy]

When I first saw this thread, I thought uh-oh, some bashing is going to be happening here. But it does seem very light hearted, so I will chime in. We own at VWL and love it there. We have stayed at OKW, SSR and BCV along with several times at VWL. With that said, VWL remains our fav. But all the resorts have great things to offer. And we should have a fondness in our hearts for our home resort.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Jimmytammy says : When I first saw this thread, I thought uh-oh, some bashing is going to be happening here. But it does seem very light hearted

I agree it could have turned into something not-so-nice, but it didn't. In fact, the OP even changed their mind a little on page 2. Maybe they should amend their subject line a tad ?

GADisneyDVC says : We definitely will not rule out OKW especially with all the great things everyone is saying about the one bedrooms. I just think it will not be our first choice for a while.

OKW does hold a special place in our hearts , but the fun of DVC is seeing and experiencing the positives of all the DVC resorts. We're staying at VWL in less than 2 weeks (it's our second fav DVC). BCV/VWL/SSR didn't even exist when we made OKW our home back in 2000. We love so many things about OKW, but we also enjoy checking out some other DVC resorts from time-to-time as well. I feel each one has something a little different to offer.

 

[GADisneyDVC]

Okay, okay, I am the OP of this thread and I will say that one day, maybe, when I am low on points, I might stay at an OKW 1 bedroom. How's that? You guys are great! I have enjoyed this thread too. I love the variety in DVC. We have stayed so far at SSR , HHI , OKW-not our favorite. We have BWV coming up in January so then we just have VB, BCV, and VWL left to try! I am going to start planning now!!

 

[jbthi]

I have stayed at all the DVC resorts except Hilton Head and I love them all, for different reasons. I own at BWV and BCV because that is the perfect location for me. I love the size of the units at OKW. I like walking to DTD from SSR. I also like the food court there. VWL has a different feel, I love the main lodge and I like Roaring Forks.

The only criticism I have is the studios at OKW and VB. Not because of the 2 beds but because of the noise factor. These 2 resorts are built alike and the times I have stayed there I can hear so much from the next door unit. I don't think it's that the other guests were noisy. Maybe it's where the door to the lockout is located. I don't know if it's a problem in 1 BR. We have only stayed in the studio and the 2 BR (which is dedicated).

June

 

[jade1]

Okay, okay, I am the OP of this thread and I will say that one day, maybe, when I am low on points, I might stay at an OKW 1 bedroom. How's that? You guys are great! I have enjoyed this thread too. I love the variety in DVC. We have stayed so far at SSR , HHI , OKW-not our favorite. We have BWV coming up in January so then we just have VB, BCV, and VWL left to try! I am going to start planning now!!

Good thinking-never is a long time. Kids grow out of zero entry for one thing and we prefer the other resorts, but on short notice if OKW is available we stay there for sure and its great in its own ways.