Old Key West; is it rough not having elevators?

disneyyes

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 5, 2002
For those of you who have stayed above ground level at Old Key West, did you find it difficult if you didn't have an elevator in your building? I'm making plans and am just wondering if I should request a building with an elevator. Would this be hard to manage with a stroller and an infant? How about luggage... do you have it delivered by bell services or lug it yourself? I've never stayed in a Disney resort that didn't have an elevator so I'd love to hear about your experiences. Thanks!
 
FYI, in case you need a map, here is one that shows OKW and which buildings have elevators. We stayed in building 62 our last trip to OKW. We were on the 1st floor and never heard the elevator.

OKWmapcolor.jpg
 
For those of you who have stayed above ground level at Old Key West, did you find it difficult if you didn't have an elevator in your building? I'm making plans and am just wondering if I should request a building with an elevator. Would this be hard to manage with a stroller and an infant? How about luggage... do you have it delivered by bell services or lug it yourself? I've never stayed in a Disney resort that didn't have an elevator so I'd love to hear about your experiences. Thanks!

I've stayed on all 3 floors. 2nd floor isn't bad but 3rd is a long way up with luggage.

What size room do you have? Most of the 3rd floors are dedicated 2 bedrooms. I started requesting 1 bedrooms on the 1st floor and only once did not get it.
 
Thank you! Hmmm. . . I wonder if it would be better to book the Hospitality House category, or instead to request a building with an elevator? I wonder if DVC would be required to honor a request of an elevator if it was deemed a necessity?
 


I've stayed on all 3 floors. 2nd floor isn't bad but 3rd is a long way up with luggage.

What size room do you have? Most of the 3rd floors are dedicated 2 bedrooms. I started requesting 1 bedrooms on the 1st floor and only once did not get it.

It would be a studio unit.
 
Thank you! Hmmm. . . I wonder if it would be better to book the Hospitality House category, or instead to request a building with an elevator? I wonder if DVC would be required to honor a request of an elevator if it was deemed a necessity?

The HH category does not have any elevator buildings (62, 63, 64 are not HH). You can request first floor or elevator for medical reasons (if that's what it is). I don't think there is a requirement unless you claim handicapped.
 
It was a little unweildy in the evenings when you are returning from the parks and lugging everything in. I don't recommend it for chronic overpackers--the suitcases up three floors were not the easiest (if my mother and father hadn't had my husband as a houseboy I don't know their things would have made it!). I wouldn't want to lug a stroller and baby up to the top, particularly if you aren't near the bus stop (we weren't last time btw).
 


Very helpful everyone, including that fantastic map, the past experiences, etc.! Thank you so much and I invite any/all additional input! :) The renovations look very nice so we are anxious to give OKW a try.
 
We always have Bell services come lug the bags upstairs for us.

I prefer not hearing footsteps, etc., overhead, so I really like to get a villa that is on the second floor at the end of a building, because lots of those do not have a third floor over them, only two stories high.

On a day to day basis, having a second floor villa is no worse than having a second story in your home. Lots of people will leave a stroller at the bottom of the stairs instead of taking them upstairs with them.

Hope you enjoy OKW. We love the resort.
 
Just got my second knee replacement in October and was in a second floor GV at OKW in June. No problems at all. Plus I let the kids haul all the stuff into the villa.
 
Just got my second knee replacement in October and was in a second floor GV at OKW in June. No problems at all. Plus I let the kids haul all the stuff into the villa.

Along the same line, DH had a hip replacement in July and did a second floor unit in early November with no problem at all...and yes we lugged our own suitcases up and down the stairs.
 
Forget convenience, how about neccessity. I booked an OKW GV HH for Thanksging 2019 and forgot there were no elevators. My Mom is 91 yrs old and in a wheelchair due to a stroke. Member services will not due anything to remedy the situation. I've been a member since 1995. So it's not a matter of lugging up suitcases or stroller. It's about trying to carry my mother up two flights of stairs.
 
There are not any HH area GV, that are ground floor. Building 49 or one with an elevator buildings are your only options.
 
Yes. All I want to do is go from HH to building 63 that has a GV and elevator. Disney won't switch me.
 
For those of you who have stayed above ground level at Old Key West, did you find it difficult if you didn't have an elevator in your building? I'm making plans and am just wondering if I should request a building with an elevator. Would this be hard to manage with a stroller and an infant? How about luggage... do you have it delivered by bell services or lug it yourself? I've never stayed in a Disney resort that didn't have an elevator so I'd love to hear about your experiences. Thanks!

First, good luck getting a room in an elevator building. We've asked the last 5-6 times, and the ONLY time we got our request was when a manager had to move us due to maintenance issues (we also got FP+s and $100 credit, but I loved the elevator building most). One time we were on the third floor with two toddlers and a stroller, and I was just barely able to climb stairs. What were we thinking not asking for first floor? And like others here, we've always had bell services bring our luggage up/down stairs.
 
The only third floor studios are in buildings 14,18,35,38,64.

We had one of those studios in building 35 and after a day in the park it seemed to take forever to get up to the room. I really felt sorry for the families with sleeping kids and a stroller to bring up. Plus the studio didn't have the extra window that most studios have and the view was of shrubbery and trees. I turned the lights on during daylight hours to bring some light into the room. . We do not stay at OKW anymore due to my knee problems as I want an elevator in a building because requests are not guarantees.
 

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