We got back about a week ago so I wanted to describe our experience to help others considering OKW. As a reminder, we are a family of 5 (kids 12, 9, 4). We started by spending 5 nights in a one-bedroom refurbished room at the Boardwalk. It was fantastic! I know a lot of people complained about the decor but we really liked it. Anyway, we followed that by 4 nights at OKW in a one-bedroom. We were unable to get the HH category but I did request to be close to HH as the highlight for my kids is the slide at the pool (this is how they pick their favorite resorts, based on the slide!). However, we ended up with a room on Turtle Pond. Anyway, we enjoyed our time at OKW but I wouldn't rank it as one of our favorites. Most of the things we liked have already been stated by others:
1. The size of the rooms. This simply cannot be overstated. We felt like we were in an apartment! It definitely adds to the relaxation factor when everyone is able to spread out. For us, we will do a couple hours at the parks in the morning, come back for lunch, do the pool, and just hang out before going back out at night so this was a big deal because we do spend a decent amount of time in our room, especially in the summer when everyone needs a break from the heat/rain.
2. The resort definitely felt more laid back than the Boardwalk. It was a nice switch. The main pool never seemed as busy as the pool at the Boardwalk. However, there were still a lot of activities going on. My kids played ping pong for example.
3. There was a waitress serving drinks at the main pool. I'm guessing this is seasonal but it was great!
4. Pool slide: This is from my kids -- they said it's faster than the one at the Boardwalk.
5. Parking: Yes it was nice to park in front of our room especially after the hike from the Boardwalk parking lot.
6. The balcony: It was great to have such a huge space. I would often sit outside and read a book in the afternoon.
What we didn't like:
1. We had a terrible check in experience. It's a long story but after we finally got to our room (4:30), there was no tv remote. We had to call multiple times to have one delivered. There was also no blankets for the pullout and sleeper, only sheets. This was frustrating when we returned late with tired kids and couldn't make up the beds. We called and they only delivered sheets. Since it was 10:30, we actually got our own blankets out of our car and used those.
2. Olivia's: We had the worst service of our entire vacation here and the food was just OK. I wouldn't go back.
3. The boat: I thought this would be more convenient than it was. We had three dinners planned at Downtown because I thought it would be easy to do while at OKW. Since we weren't close to HH, we either had to drive to HH or hop on a bus to get to HH, then get on the boat. The boat drops off on the West side and while we don't mind walking at all, it's really inconvenient for those that want to get to the other side without walking (you have to wait for another boat and there was always a long line). It seems that it would be quicker to take the bus. After our first experience with the boat, we decided to drive each time. The new garage is great but the traffic was horrendous. Hopefully that will clear up when construction is done. Honestly, downtown is so packed with people (unless you go early in the morning), worse than any park, I'm not in any hurry to go back so for us, I wouldn't consider being close to Downtown that much of a benefit.
4. Our view. Honestly, I couldn't really tell what it was because there were huge trees hanging over us so we couldn't see anything. I could hear golfers off to the side and I know there was water, but there was literally nothing to look at but the trees on top of us. Some people I'm sure appreciate the privacy, but I definitely enjoyed our pool view at Boardwalk more.
So, overall it was a good stay and if it was the only resort available, I wouldn't be heartbroken. If we were taking other relatives and/or friends and all staying together I would definitely consider OKW because of the size. However, we definitely prefer the convenience that other resorts such as BLT or BWV offer. To us, being able to walk to a park is the most important factor and OKW doesn't offer that. So, it really comes down to what you are looking for in a resort. Again, it was nice and we enjoyed it but it was lacking the convenience factor.
Hope this wasn't too long-winded! I'm happy to answer any questions!
