Three Cheers for Old Key West!

AggieDizzer

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 22, 2019
(I hope I am posting this in the correct forum...it's not a full trip report, just a few thoughts on our resort after our visit last week!)

After our first stay at OKW (we are regulars at Port Orleans Riverside but had the chance to upgrade our accommodations for this trip) I have to say we have been SPOILED! I was absolutely wowed by the resort - from the atmosphere at the hospitality house, to the wonderful cast members, to the SIZE OF THE VILLA, to the beauty of the layout...top to bottom, it was a magical experience. I will never forget when we first entered our 1 BR villa and our kids all simultaneously said "OH MY GOSH!!!" It was so great. It's what makes a WDW trip worth every penny.


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I heard about some summer deals that the resorts were running earlier this year on the Dis. We planned on staying at Wilderness Lodge, but I grabbed a deal at OKW on a 1 bedroom villa, sight unseen. (I knew very little about this resort when I booked it.) Since we are not DVC, we didn't get a preferred location; in fact, we were about as far from the hospitality house as you can get (bldg 22). But we weren't too far from a bus stop, and the resort regularly runs an internal shuttle. Plus I like to walk anyway, so it was no big deal to walk to the hospitality house - about a 10 minute stroll. And as a bonus, our room was right on the golf course, and had a beautiful view of the 6th fairway of the Lake Buena Vista course (which I played on this trip, but that's a story for another day!).



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The rooms at Old Key west are huge - I mean, huge! I knew they were a little bigger than the standard suites, but I had no idea. The master bedroom had a king bed, which was one of the most comfortable I have ever slept in. The suite also had 2 pull out beds in the common area - a twin and a full size. It had a full kitchen, stocked with all the cooking utensils you'll need (if you choose to cook on vacation, which we did sparingly). Full size refrigerator and freezer. Dishwasher. And as an added bonus, which made life sooooo much easier for us - the room came with a full size washer and dryer! I regret I didn't take pics of the inside, but there are tons of pics online.

So the room itself was great. If you are so inclined, you could have food delivered to the room and cook meals here easily. We had breakfast in the room pretty much every day - cereals, fruit, muffins, eggs, etc. The general store has a small selection of items there (bread, bagels, muffins, milk, frozen pizza, ice cream, cereal, condiments, etc) but it's pricey, and if you have a large group it might make sense to pick up food off property or have food delivered to the resort.

One activity I particularly enjoyed was the Wednesday morning fun run!! Every Wednesday the resort hosts a 3k fun run around the resort. As a runner myself, I thought it was a cool activity. I ran with my wife and daughter, scoring a small medal and a water bottle. The cast members made it a lot of fun. Yes, it's hot and humid, but everyone was super supportive of everyone participating (there were maybe 25-30 of us).

While I thought the pool at OKW wasn't quite up to Old Man Island standards, it was nonetheless very nice, featuring a giant sandcastle water slide and several small pools off the main pool. I didn't spend a lot of time at the pool but what I saw seemed very relaxing and fun, like one would expect at a Disney resort. Adjacent to the pool is the Conch Flats Community Center, which offers board games, TV, puzzles, and activities for the younger kiddos (it's also where we signed up for the fun run).

The food options are solid as well, but be aware there is no food court at OKW. There's the signature restaurant, Olivia's, where we had dinner one night, and thoroughly enjoyed it. (I won't do a full food review in the interest of time and because I am not a foodie, but suffice to say we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals here). There's a small bar called the Gurgling Suitcase, which is charming and offers a "bar food" menu along with delicious cocktails and a selection of different beers. Then there is a quick service/counter service restaurant called Good's, which has a selection of breakfast platters, muffins, pastries, and breakfast sandwiches in the morning (NO Mickey Waffles though) and burgers, sodas and sandwiches throughout the day.

The resort runs a ferry to Disney Springs, which we took advantage of on a few occasions when heading out for dinner. It comes in roughly every half hour or so. The view from the boat of the resort is beautiful....


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I'll wrap up for now, but I just want to say that OKW gets a 9.5 on a scale of 1 to 10 from me. I just loved it - I hope we get a chance to go back!! If I can answer any questions, I would be glad to do so. If I can think of anything else I will post. I have been humming "Volcano" by Jimmy Buffett and the "Banana Boat" song (Day-O) by Harry Belafonte since I got home (they play these and an assortment of other island tunes on a loop at the resort). Ah, I hope I get to go back.

I have so much more I could say about our trip last week, but that will all be for another time.

Oh, and I almost forgot - on our departure day, Disney sent us a lovely rainbow!! Talk about magic!


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Peace and blessings.

:)
 
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That picture is beautiful. Which building were you in? Did you ask for first floor or just happened to get it?
You were really smart to take OKW, even though you knew very little about it. Way back in the mid-90's, we were booked at POR (Dixie Landings then), but were offered a "managers special to upgrade to a one bedroom at OKW. Because we didn't know much about the resort, we declined. Several years later we joined, and so many times we've regretted that decision we made back in the 90's.
 


That picture is beautiful. Which building were you in? Did you ask for first floor or just happened to get it?
You were really smart to take OKW, even though you knew very little about it. Way back in the mid-90's, we were booked at POR (Dixie Landings then), but were offered a "managers special to upgrade to a one bedroom at OKW. Because we didn't know much about the resort, we declined. Several years later we joined, and so many times we've regretted that decision we made back in the 90's.

We were in building 22, which seemed to be about as far away as you can be from the Hospitality House. We were actually on the second floor, which I preferred - I don't like listening to people stomp around in the room over us - so I was glad for that. We didn't make any special requests, because like I said I didn't know much about this resort when I booked it. I was very pleased with the way it turned out, and my family and I don't mind long walks so it was not a big deal for us.
 
I think the resort looks lovely and I always put it on my list of possibilities when we decide to take a Disney vacation. Your review makes me want to stay there when DH and I go for our anniversary in a couple of years. It seems so relaxing!
 
Old Key West is definitely on my "bucket list!" We almost stayed there a couple years ago in a 2 bedroom villa, but a few weeks before our trip changed to a more budget friendly cabin at Fort Wilderness.

I love that you did the run! Most of my Disney trips are for the RunDisney races, but I haven't done one of the resort runs yet.
Thank you for that review!
 
We've been staying at OKW since 1998, our first DVC trip after buying our points at OKW in 1997. It has always been our favorite.
 
We stayed at OKW last trip in a 1 bedroom (rented points) and it was my husband's favorite resort out of all that we have stayed in or seen - very low key, and the space is unparalleled. It was great for my preteen and teenage kids to sprawl out. And the balcony was fantastic! If you are looking for something that is really relaxing, I would definitely recommend it.
 
Old Key West is definitely on my "bucket list!" We almost stayed there a couple years ago in a 2 bedroom villa, but a few weeks before our trip changed to a more budget friendly cabin at Fort Wilderness.

I love that you did the run! Most of my Disney trips are for the RunDisney races, but I haven't done one of the resort runs yet.
Thank you for that review!

I actually have never run a RunDisney race but I am signed up for the Dopey Challenge next year. I am really looking forward to it! Just so you know, the resort run is VERY low-key. Don't expect much fanfare. It truly is a "fun run".
 
We stayed at OKW last trip in a 1 bedroom (rented points) and it was my husband's favorite resort out of all that we have stayed in or seen - very low key, and the space is unparalleled. It was great for my preteen and teenage kids to sprawl out. And the balcony was fantastic! If you are looking for something that is really relaxing, I would definitely recommend it.

My kids are also teenagers, and sprawling is definitely a good description of what it's like to travel with them. Having the 2 pullout beds and the extra space was a great perk to staying here.
 

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