OKW or VWL????

[Caroleff]

Where should we stay??? We have a party of 5 adults and 2 children (ages 2 1/2) and cannot decide between a 2 bedroom at OKW or a 2 bedroom at VWL??? We currently have reservations at OKW (at a great AP rate of $269 plus tax) and I think we could switch to VWL althouth it would be a little more expensive ($342 including tax). Any input about pros and cons of each would be much appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[tinkandme]

Just let me start off by saying I have not stayed at the WLV.
I have been to OKW many times, It is my favorite resort.

The pros and cons for OKW depend on the type of vacationers your are.
When we stay at OKW, we are able to park our car (we always rent a car no matter where we stay) right outside of our room, this is great for us, we like to come and go as we please and not wait for valet. OKW is quite, mostly all the rooms have a view of the golf coures from the balcony. There is a general store where you can buy groceries for your room. You can grab a boat to DD.
They have 5 pools(I think). It is usually not a crowded resort, meaning most of the folks you see there are staying at OKW.
There is one mid sized restaurant called Olivia's. The layout of the one and two bedrooms are very comfortable It seems to me to be larger than some of the other DVC rooms. So, that just some of the reasons why I stay there. I'm sure the folks on this board will have many comments for you about both resorts.

Good Luck,
TinkandMe

 

[Lisa F]

The way I see it, there are a few issues that keep coming up whenever people compare resorts.

Size: The units at OKW are larger than the units at the VWL.
The 2 bedroom unit at OKW is 1322 sq ft while the units at VWL are 1080 sq ft. The difference in room sizes is made up primarily in the kitchen/livingroom/dining room area (the bedrooms are about the same size in both places). Besides giving you a larger living area, you also get a full size washer and dryer at OKW vs. a stacked set at VWL and the jacuzzi tub is larger at OKW (easily fitting 2 whereas at VWL 2 is a bit more of a squeeze, but still doable. ) The balconies are also smaller in VWL while OKW has something that might better be described as a patio or a deck.

Location: The VWL are located near the MK and you can get there by boat. In addition you're close to the activities at Ft. Wilderness. OKW isn't located near any major park, but it is located near Downtown Disney and you can take a boat there.

Transportation: Besides the afore mentioned boats, both of these resorts are served by buses. OKW is HUGE and spread out so there is an internal bus to facilitate getting to the pool or the restaurant. VWL is much more compact and the villas are actually VERY conveniently located to the bus stop (it's on the way to the main building).

Theming/Ambiance: So far I've tried to remain fairly impartial about my descriptions, but hands down VWL has some of the best theming on property. I've heard that OKW is themed like "key west" (imagine that, given the name!) but to me it has always seemed to not have much theming at all. Take a look at some pictures of the two to see what I mean. The "styles" of the two resorts are different as well... as I said, OKW is spread out and is more of a "condo" style while VWL is more like a hotel style that has all of the in-room amenities the condos at OKW.

Parking: At OKW you can park near your unit. At VWL, parking can be a bit further away, or you can choose to valet park (now $6/day if you do that).

Pools: I haven't ever been to the OKW pool, but the theming at the VWL pool is GORGEOUS. The hottubs are supposed to be some of the best on property (They're the best I've found). The OKW pool does not have a slide while the VWL pool does. I'm not saying that the OKW pool isn't gorgeous since I haven't ever been there.

Restaurants: OKW has one restaurant, Olivias and a few "snack bar" type places. VWL has 3 places to eat with 3 levels of formality. Roaring Forks is the "counter service" place. Whispering Canyon is the more family oriented restaurant. Artist point is the more expensive, gourmet, adult oriented restaurant. I'm not sure how the choices in the OKW snack bar type places compare to the choices in Roaring Forks.

Room Service: OKW shares room service with the moderates (port orleans), therefore it is limited to pizza and sandwiches. VWL shares room service with the deluxe WL, and has much more traditional room service offerings that you'd expect to find at a deluxe level hotel (they have breakfast, lunch and dinner and selections range from something like a family fried chicken bucket to more gourmet selections from Artist Point.)

Refillable Mug Program: I think at OKW you can buy a mug for $4.50 and subsequent refills cost $1.50. At VWL you can purchase a mug for $9 or $10 (depending on size) and subsequent refills are free.

Hope that helps!

 

[rbuzzotta]

i just recently stayed at both. Both are wonderful in their own respect. For a more quiet vacation, I would suggest OKW. The mainpool at OKW does not have a slide like VWL which could be a deciding factor with children. The rooms at OKW are much larger than VWL. VWL is a much more active, or I should say the WL is active and VWL is a little quieter than WL.

How much time do you plan on spending at the resort? VWL charges 6.00 per day to valet (free if you are a DVC member) and OKW parking is free.

We did not use WDW transportation due to the fact that we travel with a stroller and folding it up and carrying on the bus is a hassle....especially at night when the buses are crowded.

Either resort your bound to have a great vacation.........

If you plan on spending time at the resort, OKW has many more activities in the Community Hall for children than VWL.........both are pretty equal with regards to recreational activities. My DH likes the health club at VWL better than OKW, but both are adequate.

 

[Lisa F]

Originally posted by rbuzzotta
How much time do you plan on spending at the resort? VWL charges 6.00 per day to valet (free if you are a DVC member) and OKW parking is free.

Just to clarify, parking is also free at VWL, if you park it yourself... if you have someone else park it for you it's $6.

Lisa

 

[Caroleff]

Thank you all for your quick responses!!! I think we will stay with OKW this trip--mostly due to the fact that OKW 2 bedrooms offer more space and with 2 toddlers running around all the space we can get is appreciated We will definetely visit WL and maybe next time we can stay there!!! Thanks again!!!

 

[GCM13]

I know you already made your decision, but I just wanted to mention something else to think about. Since you will have two toddlers with you, you will probably spend a lot of time at MK, thus making it much more convenient to stay at VWL. We haven't stayed at OKW yet (will be there in 11 days) so I can't comment on the transportion, but we've stayed at BWV and thought it makes more sense for us to stay at VWL while the kids are young. We spent a lot of time traveling to MK.

 

[donald@home]

You can't go wrong with ANY DVC resort, but I agree with your decision and your reason. 7 people in a VWL 2 bedroom would not be as enjoyable as in a 2 bedroom at OKW. The extra room would be missed. Have a great time!!!