Old Key West reviews/ opinions/ General Feeling???

[Crush Dude!]

Hi folks still tring to decide between OKW and Saratoga, so if u wudnt mind id love to hear all advantages, disadvantages, reviews and opinions on this resort

Thanx in Advance :wave::wave::wave:

 

[PoohBear119]

DH and I just stayed at OKW in Nov. We absolutely loved it. We never had a tough time getting a bus. There is an internal shuttle to get between the areas of the resort. It is very quiet too. The rooms were lovely. The studio was a little tight with 3 people, but we managed. I have toured through Saratoga (haven't stayed there), but I was not impressed with it. I actually would prefer OKW to Saratoga.

 

[cemeb4dk]

being a DVC member we have done both. neither are our favorites but if giving the choice I would pick OKW. The rooms are very large compared to comparable rooms at other resorts. The resort is quiet. The only problem I had was it was so big and spread out, we didnt like having a 10 minute walk or take the internal bus to the front of the resort. The pool is great. Plus if your DVC you cant beat how much lower the point values are. Like I said we like parts of the resort we just like being connected to the main part of hotel I guess so that is our only gripe with OKW.

 

[ryguy]

I have just come back from a weeks stay at Old key west 11/26/-12/03 and have to say was pretty dissappointed. This is the second time I have stayed at this resort in the last two years and have had two different experiences. The first time was great the room was clean and in a good location. (building 64), the only complaint was that I was right on the golf course and the lawn mowers and leave blowers were right by window at 6am. But I don't feel that thats something I can really complain about, thats life on a golf course.
This trip my experience was below average. Our room was filthy. (Room 2032, Building 20) I am not a clean freak, I don't go around looking for bones to pick. I understand that most hotel rooms have wear and tear and won't be perfect. Since I am not a DVC member the room was pretty expensive and I expect a cleaner experience. Here was what my room was like: On a mirror there was a huge booger and eye liner/make up marks. All the tile in the room was sticky. Our dresser draw in masterbedroom was off the tracks and unfixable. There was dead bugs in the drawers and saw dust from the broken top drawer. The carpet was very dirty. Bought new white socks for the trip and after fifteen minutes walking around the socks were black. Keep in mind I never had them in a shoe. The dishwasher had a leak for two days, there was so much water that it made its way over to the carpet right in front of the fridge. Told and showed the maid, nothing was done. The second day I had to call housekeeping to get the problem fixed. Don't know if it was but since I left the following day, I do know the carpet was still wet. This is not only a health concern, but several times we stepped in the wet puddle and than almost slipped when you went back on the tile. It was obvious that this particular room had not been maintained very well over the years. I will say this is the first time that I have had such a dirty experience at a Disney resort. I go at least twice a year and thats over the last 20 years. I guess I am shocked since this is a DVC resort and these rooms are "for sale", everytime someone like me stays in a DVC room its free advertising for their timeshare. I know my mom was looking for this experience to seal the deal for her to buying into DVC but this really soured her to the idea. I know if I had laid down a lot of cash and a 50 year commitment I would be irrate. I guess those maintence fees are for cutting the grass, not maintaining the rooms. Lastly, we were on the third floor, no elevator. I didn't even know that they had a third floor. Neither did the girl at the desk since she told me it was on the second floor. Which wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't have two 65 year old grandmas with foot problems. Of course they couldn't change my room because of the thanksgiving holiday.
That being said it didn't ruin our trip, we had a great time. Won't being heading back to OKW anytime soon, maybe after the next renovation. I am hoping its just a isloted incident. I will say the resort itself is nice and and the rooms were very large. Never stayed at Saratoga Springs but its newer so it has to be in better physical condition. With so many newer DVC resorts I would try something that has less wear and tear. Hope that helps and have a great trip.

 

[Bluemoon]

Hi everyone. I have been lurking here for quite awhile enjoying the posts but now I feel I have a little something to add.

We are DVC members and have stayed at several of the resorts.
Our favorite by far is OKW. The rooms are large and more homelike (is that a word?). It IS very quiet as pointed out earlier, and Olivias is a good value for a meal.

Saratoga is our second choice, very easy walk to downtown and the restaurants. Good way to walk off all the calories from dinner.

On the flip side, we just got back from Kidana a few weeks ago. Very dissappointed with the resort. It was large for a single site hotel. Very typical hotel building. Yes, the lodge was nice and different but dark. Jambo was even larger but still dark. We had visted Jambo house a couple of trips ago and ate there and we had seen the rooms but staying there I really felt like a sardine in a can.

On top of all that we did have a few issues with the rooms but no biggie. The worst thing about it though, We moved to OKW for a few days. On the day we checked out of Kidana the maid was waiting outside our door by 8:15am. We were in no hurry and we told her it would be alittle bit before we were gone. Her response was "No problem, I have nothing else to do". Well, when we left at 10 am, she was still standing outside our door. How unprofessional can you get???

Anyway, cant wait for January, 1 bedroom at OKW.:sohappy:

 

[Crush Dude!]

DH and I just stayed at OKW in Nov. We absolutely loved it. We never had a tough time getting a bus. There is an internal shuttle to get between the areas of the resort. It is very quiet too. The rooms were lovely. The studio was a little tight with 3 people, but we managed. I have toured through Saratoga (haven't stayed there), but I was not impressed with it. I actually would prefer OKW to Saratoga.

How did you find the internal bus???
The studio would be perfect for just 2 yeah??
Any pics you can share?

 

[Crush Dude!]

Hi everyone. I have been lurking here for quite awhile enjoying the posts but now I feel I have a little something to add.

We are DVC members and have stayed at several of the resorts.
Our favorite by far is OKW. The rooms are large and more homelike (is that a word?). It IS very quiet as pointed out earlier, and Olivias is a good value for a meal.

Saratoga is our second choice, very easy walk to downtown and the restaurants. Good way to walk off all the calories from dinner.

On the flip side, we just got back from Kidana a few weeks ago. Very dissappointed with the resort. It was large for a single site hotel. Very typical hotel building. Yes, the lodge was nice and different but dark. Jambo was even larger but still dark. We had visted Jambo house a couple of trips ago and ate there and we had seen the rooms but staying there I really felt like a sardine in a can.

On top of all that we did have a few issues with the rooms but no biggie. The worst thing about it though, We moved to OKW for a few days. On the day we checked out of Kidana the maid was waiting outside our door by 8:15am. We were in no hurry and we told her it would be alittle bit before we were gone. Her response was "No problem, I have nothing else to do". Well, when we left at 10 am, she was still standing outside our door. How unprofessional can you get???

Anyway, cant wait for January, 1 bedroom at OKW.:sohappy:

Great glad u like it so much!!! The rooms a great size? Have u got any pics?

 

[Bluemoon]

I will try to get a few more of the living room and bedroom later.

 

[Crush Dude!]

I will try to get a few more of the living room and bedroom later.

Love that last pic :sohappy:

What room type is in the pics?

Cant wait to see more thank u :wave:

 

[tazhughes]

We own at SSR, but we definitely prefer OKW. We've stayed there 2 times (both times in a studio), once we were directly across from the main building and the other time we were way in the back of the property. We enjoyed both stays, being close to the main building is a definite plus but we didn't find the walk that terrible and the internal shuttle was fine for getting around.
The biggest con of OKW for us is the lack of elevators, there were a few times when our daughter was asleep in the stroller and since we were on the 2nd floor we either had to wake her or carry the whole stroller up the stairs.
The pros for us are the restaurant, the pool, and the water shuttle to DTD.
The cons at SSR for us are the size of the resort, the layout, and the pool was unimpressive.
The pros for us there are the access to DTD and the restaurant options.

Hope this helps.
:wave:

 

[pax_65]

I own at OKW and love it. We've stayed at every DVC resort (and like them all) but OKW is still our favorite, because it has a very relaxing atmosphere that offers a nice escape from the parks. Someone else said the rooms are more "homey" and I agree. The buildings are more like homes too - smaller, no elevators, no real hallways. At OKW, you walk up the stairs to your room - the only people who might be walking outside your room is the maid and maybe the people living above or right next to you.

In contrast, SSR (and pretty much all the more recent DVC villas) feel more like a hotel. You take an elevator to your floor and then walk the halls to your room. Our room was near the elevator, so we heard a lot of noise outside our room - constantly reminding us that we were in a hotel, not our "home away from home".

That said, I really enjoyed SSR. It's also fairly quiet, and the main pool is really nice and relaxing. I liked being able to walk to DTD, but it is quite a walk (longer if your building is far away, which ours was). The snack bar at SSR is nice because it offers some interesting options... I didn't like that it was pretty far away from the pool, though (I still prefer the burgers & fries snack bar at OKW). We ate at the Turf Club and really enjoyed it (although I still prefer Oliva's at OKW).

SSR is quite a bit newer than OKW... I've never had a bad experience at OKW but the resort shows it's age if you happen to get a unit that hasn't been rehabbed in a while (I think they are working their way through the resort rehabbing units.)

I usually rent a car for OKW because the bus service isn't always the greatest (can be waits of 20-20 minutes if you just missed the bus). We rented a car at SSR also, and didn't even try the buses. I was nervous that the buses would have to leave SSR and then go to the Treehouse Villas, taking even longer. I'm not 100% certain that's true, though - maybe someone can advise.

For me it comes down to this: If you want to feel like you're staying in a "home" where you can relax away from the crowds at Disney, choose OKW. If you want to feel like you're staying at a fresh, new hotel, but with all the benefits of DVC, choose SSR.

Good luck - you really can't go wrong either way!

 

[Crush Dude!]

We own at SSR, but we definitely prefer OKW. We've stayed there 2 times (both times in a studio), once we were directly across from the main building and the other time we were way in the back of the property. We enjoyed both stays, being close to the main building is a definite plus but we didn't find the walk that terrible and the internal shuttle was fine for getting around.
The biggest con of OKW for us is the lack of elevators, there were a few times when our daughter was asleep in the stroller and since we were on the 2nd floor we either had to wake her or carry the whole stroller up the stairs.
The pros for us are the restaurant, the pool, and the water shuttle to DTD.
The cons at SSR for us are the size of the resort, the layout, and the pool was unimpressive.
The pros for us there are the access to DTD and the restaurant options.

Hope this helps.
:wave:

Thanx, great info :wave:

 

[Crush Dude!]

I own at OKW and love it. We've stayed at every DVC resort (and like them all) but OKW is still our favorite, because it has a very relaxing atmosphere that offers a nice escape from the parks. Someone else said the rooms are more "homey" and I agree. The buildings are more like homes too - smaller, no elevators, no real hallways. At OKW, you walk up the stairs to your room - the only people who might be walking outside your room is the maid and maybe the people living above or right next to you.

In contrast, SSR (and pretty much all the more recent DVC villas) feel more like a hotel. You take an elevator to your floor and then walk the halls to your room. Our room was near the elevator, so we heard a lot of noise outside our room - constantly reminding us that we were in a hotel, not our "home away from home".

That said, I really enjoyed SSR. It's also fairly quiet, and the main pool is really nice and relaxing. I liked being able to walk to DTD, but it is quite a walk (longer if your building is far away, which ours was). The snack bar at SSR is nice because it offers some interesting options... I didn't like that it was pretty far away from the pool, though (I still prefer the burgers & fries snack bar at OKW). We ate at the Turf Club and really enjoyed it (although I still prefer Oliva's at OKW).

SSR is quite a bit newer than OKW... I've never had a bad experience at OKW but the resort shows it's age if you happen to get a unit that hasn't been rehabbed in a while (I think they are working their way through the resort rehabbing units.)

I usually rent a car for OKW because the bus service isn't always the greatest (can be waits of 20-20 minutes if you just missed the bus). We rented a car at SSR also, and didn't even try the buses. I was nervous that the buses would have to leave SSR and then go to the Treehouse Villas, taking even longer. I'm not 100% certain that's true, though - maybe someone can advise.

For me it comes down to this: If you want to feel like you're staying in a "home" where you can relax away from the crowds at Disney, choose OKW. If you want to feel like you're staying at a fresh, new hotel, but with all the benefits of DVC, choose SSR.

Good luck - you really can't go wrong either way!

Definately leaning towards old key west, thankls so much for all the great info :sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

 

[Crush Dude!]

Is the water launch to dtd at okw??

 

[PoohBear119]

How did you find the internal bus???
The studio would be perfect for just 2 yeah??
Any pics you can share?

The internal bus was good... we used it to get to Hospitality House on our check out day. We opted to walk to our room when we first got there. I think the studio would be fine for two people. DH and I took his brother for a birthday present since we are DVC owners. No pics of the room, but I know people have them out there somewhere.

 

[Crush Dude!]

The internal bus was good... we used it to get to Hospitality House on our check out day. We opted to walk to our room when we first got there. I think the studio would be fine for two people. DH and I took his brother for a birthday present since we are DVC owners. No pics of the room, but I know people have them out there somewhere.

No probs thanx, i thonk location will be my biggest problem but il have that at either resort!!!

 

[LSU_Tigger]

I'm a DVC member and stayed at both places as you can see at the bottom. When we stayed at OKW it was a one bedroom at building 14. Which is close to the pool and lobby. Trip to SSR, same thing, one bedroom at The Grandstand. Within short walking distance to The Carriage House. IMO OKW would barely win because the location of the room to the bus stop and main pool. There is more room at OKW one bedroom, but it is older than SSR. It is a lot more spread out at SSR(1260 rooms) than at OKW(761 rooms). So I guess you have to decide on new room and long walks or more room and quiet. Hope I could help. Sorry no pics.

 

[Crush Dude!]

I'm a DVC member and stayed at both places as you can see at the bottom. When we stayed at OKW it was a one bedroom at building 14. Which is close to the pool and lobby. Trip to SSR, same thing, one bedroom at The Grandstand. Within short walking distance to The Carriage House. IMO OKW would barely win because the location of the room to the bus stop and main pool. There is more room at OKW one bedroom, but it is older than SSR. It is a lot more spread out at SSR(1260 rooms) than at OKW(761 rooms). So I guess you have to decide on new room and long walks or more room and quiet. Hope I could help. Sorry no pics.

Im liking more room and quitness :ROFLOL:

 

[bgraham34]

The only thing I don't like is the bus system. I don't like having to make multiple stops to get to your room or to the park. It takes a little bit longer to get where you are going. But other than that I really like the resort. It is quiet and pretty to look at. The rooms are bigger than other DVC resorts.

 

[pax_65]

Is the water launch to dtd at okw??

YES. Be advised that it stops at SSR, so there may be crowds returning home (people from both SSR and OKW waiting for the same boats). In this regard I miss the pre-SSR days because there was just 1 little boat that carried guests from OKW to DTD. I shouldn't sound so negative, though... it's a really nice boat ride. You can also rent boats at OKW and cruise that same waterway from OKW to DTD on your own (but you can't dock at DTD).

As far as location goes... at SSR I'd request to be close to the main pool or DTD if you want to walk there. At OKW you have some options... you can request to be close to the main pool, or if you really want peace & quiet, request to be near the Turtle Pond pool. It's a quiet pool but it has a small bar/snack bar there so it's really nice (you might want to ask if the snack bar will be open and what the hours are, they seem to cut back at quiet times of the year). The Miller's Road pool is nice too - peaceful and quiet but no snack bar. Plus you can easily walk to main pool from that area, so you have options every day (without needing to drive or catch a bus anywhere). Location requests aren't guaranteed, but in my experience they do a good job of trying to hook you up - especially if you're a little flexible (if you request a specific building, your chances are a lot lower).

Good luck - let us know what you decide to do.