OKW Renovations - Consolidated List

[DisneyCowgirl]

Just checked in. Requested room 18 pre arrival, but it's under external refurb, walls blocking off the parking, and scaffolding & cherry pickers all around it.
Was assigned 1724, but the noise from the construction on 18 was too distracting if we had the balcony door open.
Asked to be moved and are now in 3726 - first time in the Turtle Pond area!

We stayed last week for the first time at OKW and were in 32 and loved that area! I like that quiet pool and hot tub over there.

 

[WDW_Diane]

I’m checking in June 1st. I would like to go ahead and check in online but I want either a building with an elevator or a room on the ground floor, as my daughter had ACL surgery not too long ago. What would y’all recommend I put on my request? I have never been to OKW. What should I put for my first and second requests? I’ve noticed lots of you mention HH. Thanks!

 

[lovin'fl]

I’m checking in June 1st. I would like to go ahead and check in online but I want either a building with an elevator or a room on the ground floor, as my daughter had ACL surgery not too long ago. What would y’all recommend I put on my request? I have never been to OKW. What should I put for my first and second requests? I’ve noticed lots of you mention HH. Thanks!

HH is a special booking section when you book your resie (kinda like standard or savannah view at AKV, you get it by specifically booking it). You want to request 1st floor but may not get it (we booked OKW for MIL and FIL several times and requested 1st floor which they got 2/3 times and once did not). There are only 2 buildings with elevators and I believe you need a medical note or some such to request those. You may want to get a medical note.

 

[WDW_Diane]

HH is a special booking section when you book your resie (kinda like standard or savannah view at AKV, you get it by specifically booking it). You want to request 1st floor but may not get it (we booked OKW for MIL and FIL several times and requested 1st floor which they got 2/3 times and once did not). There are only 2 buildings with elevators and I believe you need a medical note or some such to request those. You may want to get a medical note.

Thank you for this information, I had no idea! This is a Resort I have never stayed at before.

 

[lovin'fl]

Thank you for this information, I had no idea! This is a Resort I have never stayed at before.

ALso, I started doing the Touring Plans room request fax and that was worked well. Maybe check out Touring Plans website. On there you actually select a room and they fax to front desk 2 weeks before your trip. Maybe pick a room in elevator building. The aim to get you close to that room and you can put in comments 'want elevator building or 1st floor because guest had ACL surgery'.

Anothr OKW tip...if you are close to the HH (main building/pool area) then take HH bus to parks as it goes right out from HH (last stop). then when you come in from parks, get off at 1st stop (Penninsular) as it is right next to the HH building and close walk to any buildings nearby. If you could get one of the elevator buildings they are right by the HH. Doing this bus tip saves you from the long internal bus ride with stops. Makes OKW the best busing resort...IMO.

 

[WDW_Diane]

ALso, I started doing the Touring Plans room request fax and that was worked well. Maybe check out Touring Plans website. On there you actually select a room and they fax to front desk 2 weeks before your trip. Maybe pick a room in elevator building. The aim to get you close to that room and you can put in comments 'want elevator building or 1st floor because guest had ACL surgery'.

Anothr OKW tip...if you are close to the HH (main building/pool area) then take HH bus to parks as it goes right out from HH (last stop). then when you come in from parks, get off at 1st stop (Penninsular) as it is right next to the HH building and close walk to any buildings nearby. If you could get one of the elevator buildings they are right by the HH. Doing this bus tip saves you from the long internal bus ride with stops. Makes OKW the best busing resort...IMO.

Great tips for this OKW first timer, thanks!

 

[lovin'fl]

Great tips for this OKW first timer, thanks!

Any other questions, just ask. The little bar by the pool, Gurgling Suitcase, is very nice and friendly and they have a pub menu (and take TIW card). The Turtle Pond section has a pool that has food and drink counter. It is a lovely resort. The boat to DS is nice (but remember it stops somewhat early...like at dark time...then you need to bus). Olivia's is a nice and easy to walk in to TS place. Breakfast is good.

 

[lovin'fl]

Great tips for this OKW first timer, thanks!

I need to correct...if you do the touring plans room request, they fax it 5 days prior to check in (not 2 weeks).

 

[PoohsFan1]

Hi all, we are set to arrive on May 29th and have a 1 bedroom booked near HH. I have read that the buildings near HH are going to be the last ones to be refurbed, I am curious if the refurbs have begun on those buildings and if so are they expected to be done soon? I think I have read that all refurbs are suppose to be done by summer 2019, just not sure exactly what that means. Anyone there now are just came back know what the progress of these rooms are? Thank you for any info. This is our first time staying at this resort and we are really excited to try it out.

 

[pepperandchips]

We were in Building 63 on Thursday night, so it’s definitely reopened - apologies for not being able to check out other nearby buildings to confirm whether open but I didn’t notice construction nearby.

 

[Bmlors]

We were in Building 63 on Thursday night, so it’s definitely reopened - apologies for not being able to check out other nearby buildings to confirm whether open but I didn’t notice construction nearby.

Based on this, I will update my list to show 15, 62, 63 & 64 complete -- attached is a new graphic.

This leaves only 11-14 as in progress...and it's been awhile since an update, so conceivably those could be done or very nearly done. If anyone has an update on those to post, that would be appreciated as that would close out the entire renovation.

 

[The Jackal]

11-14 were finished I believe. We just got back from a trip on May 5th. 11-14 were open. But buildings 18 and 19 were blocked off and they were working on siding and the roofs of those 2 buildings. They did not get our room request and they initially put us in building 13, they had some wiggle room and put us in building 23.

 

[Bmlors]

11-14 were finished I believe. We just got back from a trip on May 5th. 11-14 were open. But buildings 18 and 19 were blocked off and they were working on siding and the roofs of those 2 buildings. They did not get our room request and they initially put us in building 13, they had some wiggle room and put us in building 23.

Well, woohoo! Let's call the major renovations done! Attached is a final graphic just for completeness sake.

 

[SueM in MN]

HH is a special booking section when you book your resie (kinda like standard or savannah view at AKV, you get it by specifically booking it). You want to request 1st floor but may not get it (we booked OKW for MIL and FIL several times and requested 1st floor which they got 2/3 times and once did not). There are only 2 buildings with elevators and I believe you need a medical note or some such to request those. You may want to get a medical note.

you don’t a medical note to request the building with elevators - they are buildings 62, 63 and 64. Anyone can request them.

The buildings that are part of the ‘near Hospitality House’ group are buildings 11 - 14 and buildings 23 - 26.

If you need first floor or building with elevator, make that your first request. When you check in, ask whether the room assigned to you fits that; if it doesn’t, you can probably switch.

I need to correct...if you do the touring plans room request, they fax it 5 days prior to check in (not 2 weeks).

That is interesting because the DVC Member newsletter has said multiple times that DVC resorts do not accept faxes and basically that they just dispose of any they receive.

Hi all, we are set to arrive on May 29th and have a 1 bedroom booked near HH. I have read that the buildings near HH are going to be the last ones to be refurbed, I am curious if the refurbs have begun on those buildings and if so are they expected to be done soon? I think I have read that all refurbs are suppose to be done by summer 2019, just not sure exactly what that means. Anyone there now are just came back know what the progress of these rooms are? Thank you for any info. This is our first time staying at this resort and we are really excited to try it out.

The insides are all done; when we left on April 21, they were just taking down the barricades for buildings 11-14.

11-14 were finished I believe. We just got back from a trip on May 5th. 11-14 were open. But buildings 18 and 19 were blocked off and they were working on siding and the roofs of those 2 buildings. They did not get our room request and they initially put us in building 13, they had some wiggle room and put us in building 23.

We were in building 21 until April 21 and were told that they were starting on the outsides of buildings.

 

[pepperandchips]

That is interesting because the DVC Member newsletter has said multiple times that DVC resorts do not accept faxes and basically that they just dispose of any they receive.

It seems to be resort dependent but we sure got what we requested with our touring plans fax at OKW! I guess it could be coincidence but I have also had really good luck with touring plans requests made on points at the Poly Villas and AKL (both Jambo and Kidani).

 

[SueM in MN]

It seems to be resort dependent but we sure got what we requested with our touring plans fax at OKW! I guess it could be coincidence but I have also had really good luck with touring plans requests made on points at the Poly Villas and AKL (both Jambo and Kidani).

if it was already in your requests, that’s probably how you got it.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

It seems to be resort dependent but we sure got what we requested with our touring plans fax at OKW! I guess it could be coincidence but I have also had really good luck with touring plans requests made on points at the Poly Villas and AKL (both Jambo and Kidani).

I've gotten nearly exactly what I requested via the TP fax service at Old Key West (on 3 different stays) and the Poly Villas, both when staying on points. Interestingly enough at BWV, I got nowhere near what I requested on two separate stays. A recent SSR stay was close to what I requested, but not exact. So maybe it is resort dependent.

 

[WDW_Diane]

I've gotten nearly exactly what I requested via the TP fax service at Old Key West (on 3 different stays) and the Poly Villas, both when staying on points. Interestingly enough at BWV, I got nowhere near what I requested on two separate stays. A recent SSR stay was close to what I requested, but not exact. So maybe it is resort dependent.

We check in on June 1st. Does anyone have the OKW fax number handy so I can make our request for first floor or an elevator building? Thanks in advance!

 

[Denise W]

We check in on June 1st. Does anyone have the OKW fax number handy so I can make our request for first floor or an elevator building? Thanks in advance!

I believe you have to use the fax service offered by TP. The DVC resorts supposedly do not accept faxes.
Denise

 

[Bmlors]

We check in on June 1st. Does anyone have the OKW fax number handy so I can make our request for first floor or an elevator building? Thanks in advance!

Are you a DVC member? If so, using the online chat with customer service is the easiest way to make a room request, IMHO. We’ve always had success that way.