OKW Lovers Thread. Part 2

[sdgilliland]

We are planning our first visit to OKW in March 2014. We are traveling with my parents, and my two kids ages 6 and 4. We will be renting points for a 2BR lockoff. My little girl has spina bifida and uses leg braces walk short distances. Stairs are not an option for us, but she does not use a wheelchair, so we don't necessarily need an ADA unit. She is 4 yrs old, and still prefers a tub for baths. What area or buildings should we try to book? Thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We are planning our first visit to OKW in March 2014. We are traveling with my parents, and my two kids ages 6 and 4. We will be renting points for a 2BR lockoff. My little girl has spina bifida and uses leg braces walk short distances. Stairs are not an option for us, but she does not use a wheelchair, so we don't necessarily need an ADA unit. She is 4 yrs old, and still prefers a tub for baths. What area or buildings should we try to book? Thanks!

Request Bldg 62, 63 or 64 for medical needs. Those are the only ones with elevators. These are right across the street from the Hospitality House.

 

[Chuck S]

We are planning our first visit to OKW in March 2014. We are traveling with my parents, and my two kids ages 6 and 4. We will be renting points for a 2BR lockoff. My little girl has spina bifida and uses leg braces walk short distances. Stairs are not an option for us, but she does not use a wheelchair, so we don't necessarily need an ADA unit. She is 4 yrs old, and still prefers a tub for baths. What area or buildings should we try to book? Thanks!

A two bedroom at OKW, even if an ADA unit, will have the large jetted tub in the master suite. The freestanding sower in the master suite and the shower in the studio portion would be modified, with no tub, only a shower, in the studio portion.

 

[sdgilliland]

Request Bldg 62, 63 or 64 for medical needs. Those are the only ones with elevators. These are right across the street from the Hospitality House.

Thank you. Building 62 looks ideal on the map. If those 3 buildings are unavailable, will they let the owner know at booking? And if so, where might we end up? Do we need an alternate request just in case?

As far as the tub/ ada unit...My family will be in the studio portion, and my parents will take the master. Ideally, we would like to keep baths in our area, and give them their space...so the Jacuzzi tub wouldn't be my first choice for the kids...but it would work if necessary.
Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Chuck S]

Thank you. Building 62 looks ideal on the map. If those 3 buildings are unavailable, will they let the owner know at booking? And if so, where might we end up? Do we need an alternate request just in case?

As far as the tub/ ada unit...My family will be in the studio portion, and my parents will take the master. Ideally, we would like to keep baths in our area, and give them their space...so the Jacuzzi tub wouldn't be my first choice for the kids...but it would work if necessary.
Thanks again for all your help!

No, they will not let them know if it is available, they do not book specific building at the time of reservation. It all depends upon what is available on the day of check-in. The only way to absolutely guarantee no stairs is to book an ADA unit, as those are firm booked, and then any extra ADA units go into the regular room assignment pool. But general medical requests should have priority over non-medical location requests.

Make sure it is a medical request for no stairs and elevator building. And request non-ADA with tub in 2nd bedroom. That should get you either an elevator building or a first floor unit.

 

[annnewjerz]

Hi everyone!

We are going to be staying at Old Key West for an upcoming trip in September and after looking around this thread, I'm getting pretty excited to see what's in store for us. This will be our first trip to any Deluxe other than Boardwalk Villas, where we've been twice.

A few questions for all of you seasoned OKW pros:

1. I'll be about 6.5 months pregnant at the time of our trip so I'm thinking we'll want to be centrally located to the pool / food / etc. to minimize any extra walking since we'll be doing enough of that at the parks. Are Buildings 23-26 a little more quiet than 11-14, but still within a close walk to the main pool / restaurants / etc.?

2. General building suggestions would be appreciated based upon the information above.

3. Where do you get the boat to Downtown Disney? How frequently does it run? Easy access to Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang Puck Express, etc. is something we are looking forward to.

4. Does OKW share busses with any other resort, like SSR? One thing I did not like about the Boardwalk Villas was the fact that we had to stop sometimes at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin.

5. Any other general tips / tricks / things to look out for while down there?

The countdown has officially started!

Ann

 

[stitch1094]

Just returned from a week at OKW. Slightly disappointed. Toaster was broken. Outlet in kitchen broken. Housekeeping never showed up - had to call to get towels. Bus waits tended to be long.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hi everyone!

We are going to be staying at Old Key West for an upcoming trip in September and after looking around this thread, I'm getting pretty excited to see what's in store for us. This will be our first trip to any Deluxe other than Boardwalk Villas, where we've been twice.

A few questions for all of you seasoned OKW pros:

1. I'll be about 6.5 months pregnant at the time of our trip so I'm thinking we'll want to be centrally located to the pool / food / etc. to minimize any extra walking since we'll be doing enough of that at the parks. Are Buildings 23-26 a little more quiet than 11-14, but still within a close walk to the main pool / restaurants / etc.?

2. General building suggestions would be appreciated based upon the information above.

3. Where do you get the boat to Downtown Disney? How frequently does it run? Easy access to Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang Puck Express, etc. is something we are looking forward to.

4. Does OKW share busses with any other resort, like SSR? One thing I did not like about the Boardwalk Villas was the fact that we had to stop sometimes at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin.

5. Any other general tips / tricks / things to look out for while down there?

The countdown has officially started!

Ann

11-14 and 23-26 are Hospitality House Area. Do you have that booked? You can hop any bus to get to the HHA from any bus stop at OKW. And the bus stops are kind of located all over the place, so you aren't too far from a bus stop. OKW does not share with any other resort. Just OKW.

The boat to DTD leaves from the dock near the HH. It docks over near the West Side. You can get a shuttle boat over to the Marketplace or you can walk over there.

Just returned from a week at OKW. Slightly disappointed. Toaster was broken. Outlet in kitchen broken. Housekeeping never showed up - had to call to get towels. Bus waits tended to be long.

Did you notify Maintenance about the broken outlet and Housekeeping about the toaster? When we have called them, they are usually pretty prompt about fixing things.

As for Housekeeping not showing up? How many nights were you there for? And were you on DVC points? If you are on points and aren't there for at least four nights, you won't get any services. And then you just get your trash removed and towels replaced on day four if you don't stay at least eight nights.

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

Hi everyone!

We are going to be staying at Old Key West for an upcoming trip in September and after looking around this thread, I'm getting pretty excited to see what's in store for us. This will be our first trip to any Deluxe other than Boardwalk Villas, where we've been twice.

A few questions for all of you seasoned OKW pros:

1. I'll be about 6.5 months pregnant at the time of our trip so I'm thinking we'll want to be centrally located to the pool / food / etc. to minimize any extra walking since we'll be doing enough of that at the parks. Are Buildings 23-26 a little more quiet than 11-14, but still within a close walk to the main pool / restaurants / etc.?

2. General building suggestions would be appreciated based upon the information above.

3. Where do you get the boat to Downtown Disney? How frequently does it run? Easy access to Earl of Sandwich, Wolfgang Puck Express, etc. is something we are looking forward to.

4. Does OKW share busses with any other resort, like SSR? One thing I did not like about the Boardwalk Villas was the fact that we had to stop sometimes at the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin.

5. Any other general tips / tricks / things to look out for while down there?

The countdown has officially started!

Ann

Was there for 1st time in May for 8 nights bldg 26. Short walk to everything.
You are going to love it !

 

[annnewjerz]

11-14 and 23-26 are Hospitality House Area. Do you have that booked? You can hop any bus to get to the HHA from any bus stop at OKW. And the bus stops are kind of located all over the place, so you aren't too far from a bus stop. OKW does not share with any other resort. Just OKW.

The boat to DTD leaves from the dock near the HH. It docks over near the West Side. You can get a shuttle boat over to the Marketplace or you can walk over there.

Thanks for the info! We requested Hospitality House-area buildings in our reservation with DVC. I noted that I was pregnant and that a centrally located building near HH on the ground floor would be our preference. We're in a studio --- so for all I know there aren't even ground-floor/HH options, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. I know being pregnant isn't a disability, but after walking around in the early September heat in my third trimester, I may end up feeling like I'm disabled!

Was there for 1st time in May for 8 nights bldg 26. Short walk to everything.
You are going to love it !

So glad to hear you liked your recent stay. Of all the DVC resorts, OKW was the one that I never had any interest in staying at --- but the more I looked at pictures, heard some friends talk about it, and opened myself up to the idea --- the more I decided it was probably going to be a perfect place for this trip. Here's hoping for a building near the Hospitality House.

 

[Chuck S]

Thanks for the info! We requested Hospitality House-area buildings in our reservation with DVC. I noted that I was pregnant and that a centrally located building near HH on the ground floor would be our preference. We're in a studio --- so for all I know there aren't even ground-floor/HH options, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. I know being pregnant isn't a disability, but after walking around in the early September heat in my third trimester, I may end up feeling like I'm disabled!

HH area is not a request, it is a booking category...like Boardwalk View or Savannah view at those respective resorts. Unless your confirmation specifically says "Deluxe Studio-Near Hospitality House" it is doubtful you will get into bldgs 11 to 14 or 23 to 26.

If it just says "Deluxe Studio" you are not booked into the HH category.

 

[chepic]

Just wanted to say:


I WANT TO BE THERE RIGHT NOW DRINKING A TURTLE CRAWL AND WATCHING THE DAY FLOAT BY.

that felt good

Now back to our regular programming!


cheryl

 

[Chuck S]

just wanted to say:


i want to be there right now drinking a turtle crawl and watching the day float by.

that felt good

now back to our regular programming!


Cheryl

Amen!

 

[WILDERNESS FAN 55]

Thanks for the info! We requested Hospitality House-area buildings in our reservation with DVC. I noted that I was pregnant and that a centrally located building near HH on the ground floor would be our preference. We're in a studio --- so for all I know there aren't even ground-floor/HH options, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. I know being pregnant isn't a disability, but after walking around in the early September heat in my third trimester, I may end up feeling like I'm disabled!


There are studios on the ground floor in every building at OKW

 

[Irishmom23]

Just returned from my first stay at OKW. Requested Turtle Pond and was put in building 56 near the South Point bus stop, which was very convenient as it is the second stop. No view either, however we were in the same building as my sister's family which was the most important request we had made. My DS and I were in a one bedroom, my sister's family of 7 were in a two bedroom. Loved the overall feel of the rooms and all the space. Both units were in excellent shape as were all the grounds. Used the buses as we always do and there were no issues, even on the 3rd and 4th of July. Loved the main pool and Olivia's. My DS (25) liked OKW but prefers SSR and the Springs pool. She also likes the quick service options at SSR as compared to OKW. We both prefer BCV due to the proximity to Epcot, however OKW was perfect for extended family and a relaxing vacation. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again, but I do believe I would like to try HH booking next time, as we spent so much time at the main pool. Will definitely be back!

 

[Chuck S]

... She also likes the quick service options at SSR as compared to OKW...

I agree that the QS options are lacking at OKW. For many years this was true of almost all the Deluxe class Disney resorts. When OKW first opened, we could order "to go" items from Olivia's menu at Good's to Go, they shared a kitchen at that time. The kitchens have since been remodeled, and the Dining Plans put the final nails in the coffin of ordering Olivia's for take out.

When OKW, the first DVC Resort, was designed, it was likely believed that most guests would use the kitchens in their rooms, except for those people in studios. They did not think food services would be a priority at a condo style resort. Olivia's was expanded to accommodate demand by enclosing the original outdoor patio seating area, removing the chefs herb garden and building a new outdoor patio area. However, the expansion of QS was limited...even with a dedicated QS service kitchen they just don't have the room to offer much more without moving Goods to Go completely to a new area or removing Hank's Rent & Return, the work out room or the Community Hall.

 

[dmoore22]

I agree that the QS options are lacking at OKW. For many years this was true of almost all the Deluxe class Disney resorts. . .

The quick serve options provided by "The Gurgling Suitcase" are more than enough for me!

 

[Chuck S]

The quick serve options provided by "The Gurgling Suitcase" are more than enough for me!

Remember when the specialty drinks included blown glass swizzle sticks?

 

[jpwoods]

It seems like I remember seeing somewhere the types of mattresses used in the resorts that could be purchased - does anyone know where I can find this info? Our king mattress in our room last month was heavenly and we would like to know the brand and style. Help?!?!?

 

[chepic]

Remember when the specialty drinks included blown glass swizzle sticks?

yes, we must be old!!! ;o)

che