Where to stay at OKW?

[Tigger Fans!]

Just wanted to get everyone's input as to where is the best place to stay at OKW?

Thanks for you help!

 

[dianeschlicht]

LOL, loaded question! I would say ANYWHERE at OKW, but.....
I really like the views in buildings 16-22, but like the location of buildings in the South Point area (52-55). We stayed in building 64 this last trip. It is one of the new buildings with an elevator, and it was very close to HH and that last bus stop for leaving the parks was nice, but then you have to ride all the way around the resort when you return.

I really have not found a BAD location at OKW yet. They all seem to have nice views and each is close to at least one nice ammenity. We don't care for the pools, so that isn't of much importance to us.

 

[DisneyPhD]

We were in a studio in Bldg 29 (room 2925) that was about 20 feet from the main road. We heard every bus, bell service cart and just about every other vehicle driving past at all hours of the day or night. It was very noisy. Otherwise it was a short walk to the bus and 5-10 minute walk to the main building.

 

[Disney Doll]

We were in a 1BR in the building closest to the first bus stop as you drive down Peninsular Road, after you pass the HH area.It's a building right near the bus stop, and looking out the fornt door at the main pool. It was an OK area, but not our best.

I have kind of decided, after staying at OKW numerous timeas(it is our home resort), that I prefer the Turtle Pond (or Cove or whatever it's called )or the Southpoint area over being close to the main area. The main pool is a little too crowded and noisy for my taste, and the further out you get, I think the better the views are.

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by Tigger Fans!
Just wanted to get everyone's input as to where is the best place to stay at OKW?

Just in case you don't have a map of OKW.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/OKWmap.jpg

P.S. We like buildings 11-14 or 23-26.

 

[DeeP]

OKW is a very, very large resort. It is one of WDW's largest resorts, if not the largest. Some of the buildings are quite a walk or a bus/car ride from the main hub of the resort which has the resort's restaurant, the marina w/boat to DTD, the store, front desk/guest services, main pool, pool bar, Community Hall and workout room. If you think you will use these things and do not have a car then requesting a room close to the main hub might be in your best interest. Also only 3 buildings at OKW have elevators and they are also located in this area; all buildings have 2 flights of stairs and outside corridors and stairwells. Since this is the main hub of the resort there is more activity in this area.
There are several buildings at OKW that are very close to a road with traffic noise and there are also buildings that are in turn around bus locations that do not have a parking lot located in front for guest's cars.
OKW is do able without a car, however due to the size of this resort, the location of this resort and having bus only transportation to every where but DTD, it is much easier if you have your own car at OKW. Also parking your car is very easy at OKW, there are parking lots located in the front of the majority of the OKW buildings.

 

[PADVCmember@OKW]

We were in builing 27 during our last stay. Great location!

Check the map.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Just a comment about the noise of bus turn arounds etc. We have stayed in buildings 52 and 20, both buildings where buses turn around. We never once heard the buses in either of these buildings. We DID, however, hear the buses when we stayed in building 56, because they would all brake for the corner at that spot, and we all know how squeeky Disney bus brakes are! I thinkg the turn around areas are less of a problem because they are at the front of the building, and most of the windows and patio are at the back.

OKW is NOT the largest Disney resort. All Stars, Pop Century, and perhaps CBR are all larger.

 

[DeeP]

OKW is NOT the largest Disney resort. All Stars, Pop Century, and perhaps CBR are all larger.

Pop Century I can not comment on, since I have never even stepped foot on the property (nor have most guests since it is not opened!), I guess we will have to wait until this resort opens to really see.
CBR, I agree is also a very very large resort. CBR and OKW are very much alike in many ways.
The All Stars are 3 seperate resorts not 1 resort. If you look at each resort seperately they are not large resorts at all. CSR is a much larger resort than any of the All Stars are. However if considering the actual "size" of the resort, I would be willing to venture that both CSR and the total size of all 3 All Star resorts combined are still smaller than OKW.
Size has always been something OKW owners have tooted about over and over again, why the sudden change of heart??

 

[paults]

according to a lot of other threads on this site, OKW doesn't have any bad views.

But some owners say they hear bus noise at some locations others are to far from HH or the main pool, some buildings are very close the the roads (road noise) some buildings (I think just 1 building?) don't have a parking lot, so if you have a car you need to park in another lot.

request close to HH unless you want some real quiet spot.

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by DeeP
Size has always been something OKW owners have tooted about over and over again, why the sudden change of heart??

I'm not sure I've heard anyone tooting about resort size, but certainly about room size.

As to best building/floor/room to stay, that all depends on what you want.

As to buses, we were in building 41 back in December. Reportedly this is one of the buildings you can hear the diesel buses quite clearly. I didn't notice it much, but I'm accustomed to lots of background noise living in the city. I tolerate that much better than the girls soccer team running around the BVW when we were there.

-Joe

 

[jaysue]

We have stayed in buildings 17 and 26 and were quite happy especially now that the early am laundry traing stopped

Thanks
jaysue

 

[threeprincesses]

Are there any golf course views at OKW? If so, which buildings would these be? Thanks!!

 

[DeeP]

OKW is surrounded by a golf course so the majority of buildings have some type of a golf course view. If you want to see a golf course and golfers, OKW will not disappoint.

 

[RobDoc]

Here is a <a href="http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=1251562#post1251562">OKW configuration report</a> that may help with your decision.

There are great rooms all over the resort. I have stayed in all areas at OKW and have yet to find a disappointing room. Views include golf course, water or woods. Just request the view you think you'd enjoy.

While some seem to delight in depicting OKW as a large spread out resort, you can walk to any area of the resort easily within 10-15 minutes and DD is a 15 minute stroll from building 55.

The OKW 1 and 2BR villas are the largest of all DVC resorts. As you can see from the resort map, the golf course does not really surround the resort, it winds thru the resort and is visible from many of the room balconies. The Disney buses provide an efficient means of transportation to any location at WDW. I always use the buses (on our current stay we have not had to wait more than 10 minutes for any bus) and leave the car parked for our entire stay. The current transportation goal is to have a bus within 15 minutes throughout the day and they are doing a great job of reaching that goal.

IMO, there are no bad room locations to worry about at OKW.

Enjoy your stay!

 

[DeeP]

Originally posted by WebmasterDoc
While some seem to delight in depicting OKW as a large spread out resort, you can walk to any area of the resort easily within 10-15 minutes and DD is a 15 minute stroll from building 55.
[/B]

Like anything else, what applies to one person can be the exact opposite for someone else. When I stayed at OKW it took a lot longer than 10- 15 minutes to walk to the front of the resort to get to the store,restaurant, etc. from one of the very back buildings. Maybe it was walking in the heat and humidity that made the walk go at a much slower pace.

If OKW is not one of WDW's largest and most spread out resorts, I would love to know what some would consider a large and spread out resort!

 

[dianeschlicht]

DeeP, you seem to be VERY negetive about OKW, much the way RichYams is posititive about it. Both attitudes get old after awhile.
Doc, you said it all VERY well. We too found the buses to be particularily good this past month. We just missed our Epcot bus one morning. It pulled away just as we walked up. It was less than 10 minutes before the next one came! That was our longest wait this trip too. As to walking the "long" distance to HH from the South Point area...We have done it several times, and 10 -12 minutes was all it took. If it is night, I tend to take the internal bus.

 

[sumessefui]

VERY OLD!!!

 

[Tigger Fans!]

Originally posted by WebmasterDoc
Here is a <a href="http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=1251562#post1251562">OKW configuration report</a> that may help with your decision.

....IMO, there are no bad room locations to worry about at OKW.

Enjoy your stay!

Thanks for the configuration report! I actually printed it out a couple of weeks ago but I'll sit down now and go through it more closely.

This may be a novice question but here goes...
Is there an extra charge/point value required if you request a certain view?

Thanks to everyone for your responses!

 

[jmminarik]

Originally posted by Tigger Fans!
This may be a novice question but here goes...
Is there an extra charge/point value required if you request a certain view?

Only at the BWV, where there are 'standard' and 'preferred' views, but that's built into the charts. A studio is a studio at OKW, with the same point cost for all studios on any particular day. Views are simply requests that you can make.

-joe