Tell Me About Your Experience at OLD KEY WEST

[runway]

I am planning our next trip and I'm considering trying a villa at Old Key West. Looking for the pros and cons. Please share your opinions.

On our last two trips we stayed in villas at Boardwalk. Prior to that we had just stayed in regular sized rooms. Yacht Club was our favorite resort. However, now that we've tried the multi room villas I don't think we'd enjoy going back to regular rooms. Having extra space has become an essential part of enjoying a vacation.

 

[correcaminos]

We've stayed there many times. It was our original "home resort" and while we stay a lot of places, we keep going back.

I would guess you are considering a 1 or 2 bedroom based on your comment. I will say the biggest pro of OKW is the room size. They are HUGE. We went from a 2 bedroom OKW to BCV and wow, the size difference was huge for us. They have a completely full sized kitchen (no 3/4 fridges) and full size washer and dryers (not the smaller stackable ones). I like the theming personally, but that's obviously a personal thing.

We love the pool there, but it isn't 'super special' or anything. We like it much better than Boardwalk though so if you liked that pool this should be good. Nice slide, good size and great pool parties. The CMs running it and the Community Hall are great. Like Boardwalk the CS options are outdoors so nothing you can just go into and sit to eat. The TS option, Olivia's, is great! I mean fantastic there. Over all I cannot speak well enough of the CMs there. All the ones we meet are great it seems.

In addition to the room size, the patios are massive! We really enjoy our time out on them. Our last stay we were right by a pond and had a slew of animals near by that was nice to see.

There is a boat to Disney Springs - try this as it is a lovely ride. The parks are all bus rides. You can park right outside your room so if you like to drive to the parks it's easy to get to/from your car. Lots of parking in shady areas too.

The biggest 'negative' is the size. It's spread out over a golf course so while it is quiet, it is large. The nice thing is all the buses going to the parks stop at the Hospitality House first so if you want to go there it's easy to get to. We like staying at Peninsular in the HH area. Close to 2 bus stops (Peninsular which is the first stop - great for getting off at the end of the day and HH - the last stop great for boarding) and still very quiet.

For some the lack of elevators in all the buildings is a negative. That doesn't bother us. It's truly a great resort and a tremendous value for the amount you pay. I would be happy to stay there every single visit truthfully.

 

[runway]

Thank you @helenabear . This is very helpful. You may have just made up my mind. I don't think I see the size of the resort as a "negative". One of our favorite things about staying on the Crescent Lake loop (YC, BC, BW) is having such a large area for taking scenic walks. It's almost a requirement that we have the ability to take a nice walk right outside our door.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I disagree with @helenabear about the size of the resort being the biggest negative. In my opinion, the dining is Old Key West's weakest element. We love Olivia's, but it's really the only option as the counter service location is little more than an outdoor snack bar. This is the main drawback of the fact that Old Key West and Saratoga Springs don't have non-DVC resorts attached to them. That said, Old Key West is my go-to resort when traveling with a large party. We're going in August with a party of six: my wife and I, my parents, my adult sister, and my daughter. For roughly the same price as what we'd pay for two rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge or three rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter, we're going to have loads of room to spread out, cook breakfast, do laundry, and stay out of each other's hair.

 

[runway]

I disagree with @helenabear about the size of the resort being the biggest negative. In my opinion, the dining is Old Key West's weakest element. We love Olivia's, but it's really the only option as the counter service location is little more than an outdoor snack bar. This is the main drawback of the fact that Old Key West and Saratoga Springs don't have non-DVC resorts attached to them. That said, Old Key West is my go-to resort when traveling with a large party. We're going in August with a party of six: my wife and I, my parents, my adult sister, and my daughter. For roughly the same price as what we'd pay for two rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge or three rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter, we're going to have loads of room to spread out, cook breakfast, do laundry, and stay out of each other's hair.

I'm under the impression that Disney Springs is walkable from OKW. Is this not the case? I was assuming we'd have all of the dining options there to choose from. While I like having a full sized fridge for beverages, I don't do any actual cooking on vacation. (To be honest, I rarely cook at home.)

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm under the impression that Disney Springs is walkable from OKW. Is this not the case? I was assuming we'd have all of the dining options there to choose from. While I like having a full sized fridge for beverages, I don't do any actual cooking on vacation. (To be honest, I rarely cook at home.)

Eh. It's TECHNICALLY walkable but not the kind of walkable I'd actually want to do in the middle of the day in August. I'd consider Disney Springs a viable option for a sit down dinner but definitely not a quick breakfast or lunch. Saratoga Springs would give you more flexibility in that regard if you can get a building in the Congress Park section.

It's not a major deal breaker for us. Breakfast is the one meal we cook in the room and we're usually in a park for lunch and dinner.

 

[runway]

Eh. It's TECHNICALLY walkable but not the kind of walkable I'd actually want to do in the middle of the day in August. I'd consider Disney Springs a viable option for a sit down dinner but definitely not a quick breakfast or lunch. Saratoga Springs would give you more flexibility in that regard if you can get a building in the Congress Park section.

It's not a major deal breaker for us. Breakfast is the one meal we cook in the room and we're usually in a park for lunch and dinner.

Would you say it's comparable to the walk from Boardwalk Villas to Hollywood Studios? Is it the same type of walking path (paved, scenic, partially lit after dark)?
There is also a boat that goes to DS, correct? If so, does it run on a convenient schedule?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Would you say it's comparable to the walk from Boardwalk Villas to Hollywood Studios? Is it the same type of walking path (paved, scenic, partially lit after dark)?
There is also a boat that goes to DS, correct? If so, does it run on a convenient schedule?

Yes to all four questions.

 

[DisneyGigi]

So glad that you posted this question. We are also going in August/September and staying here for the first time. We want to have a room with 2 doors to the bathroom. Can anyone give me an idea what area to request? We don't use buses very often, but will want to explore the resort of the evenings a couple of days. Already have all our dining planned for other resorts/parks, so we decided to skip Olivia's. Probably only use the pool in the evening, once.

 

[runway]

For cash stays, when doing online check in, does anyone recall what the request options are?

 

[correcaminos]

I disagree with @helenabear about the size of the resort being the biggest negative. In my opinion, the dining is Old Key West's weakest element. We love Olivia's, but it's really the only option as the counter service location is little more than an outdoor snack bar. This is the main drawback of the fact that Old Key West and Saratoga Springs don't have non-DVC resorts attached to them. That said, Old Key West is my go-to resort when traveling with a large party. We're going in August with a party of six: my wife and I, my parents, my adult sister, and my daughter. For roughly the same price as what we'd pay for two rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge or three rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter, we're going to have loads of room to spread out, cook breakfast, do laundry, and stay out of each other's hair.

I understand your point. We do eat a lot more in our room than at QS places at the resort. So for us it's a non issue. For others it might be, but for us we have light and easy meals instead of QS anyway. So if you won't have food in your room, that could be a negative.

The path is walkable, but that one I wouldn't do at night due to possible animals . It isn't a bad walk and I would say between the walk from DHS to BWV and DHS to BC

 

[correcaminos]

So glad that you posted this question. We are also going in August/September and staying here for the first time. We want to have a room with 2 doors to the bathroom. Can anyone give me an idea what area to request? We don't use buses very often, but will want to explore the resort of the evenings a couple of days. Already have all our dining planned for other resorts/parks, so we decided to skip Olivia's. Probably only use the pool in the evening, once.

Depends on what you want. South Point and Turtle Pond are popular for more quiet get a ways. South Point is closer to DS. Old Turtle Pond has a great pool and food options. Peninsular is closest to the HH and main pool. Miller's Road is next closest and the pool there is quite tranquil. The last two will not give you the second door unless you happen to get building 62-64. I will say if you do get the double door check out the layout prior to going to bed, as guests of ours got mixed up and came in the wrong door. Older buildings with one door are more private than you think due to how the door is angled

 

[DisneyGigi]

Depends on what you want. South Point and Turtle Pond are popular for more quiet get a ways. South Point is closer to DS. Old Turtle Pond has a great pool and food options. Peninsular is closest to the HH and main pool. Miller's Road is next closest and the pool there is quite tranquil. The last two will not give you the second door unless you happen to get building 62-64. I will say if you do get the double door check out the layout prior to going to bed, as guests of ours got mixed up and came in the wrong door. Older buildings with one door are more private than you think due to how the door is angled

Okay, thanks! I know I did request the Turtle Pond, will have to go back and check second option. For us the second door for the bathroom is most important, mostly for at night, so each has a way to use bathroom. I am assuming that the two doors leading in from one to the other, from Master bedroom, tub area, to toilet and shower, have a door too? I hope? :-/ We won't be there to eat at all, except maybe cereal we bring and snacks. On our previous trip together as an extended family, we booked 2 rooms at Coronado Springs. (We love that resort, 3 stays) but it just did not make sense to book that way this time because we would have had to paid difference for TS dining (free dining) and we paid way more that way even that trip than going deluxe.

 

[runway]

Depends on what you want. South Point and Turtle Pond are popular for more quiet get a ways. South Point is closer to DS. Old Turtle Pond has a great pool and food options. Peninsular is closest to the HH and main pool. Miller's Road is next closest and the pool there is quite tranquil. The last two will not give you the second door unless you happen to get building 62-64. I will say if you do get the double door check out the layout prior to going to bed, as guests of ours got mixed up and came in the wrong door. Older buildings with one door are more private than you think due to how the door is angled

@helenabear , can you explain this a little more please? Are you saying that the layout of the villas differs depending on what building you are in? I want to book a 1 bedroom and I like the bathrooms the way they are set up at Boardwalk Villlas. From diagrams I've seen I thought the bathrooms in the 1BR at OKW were the same. The layout that I like has the bathroom divided into two parts by a door. Each part is also accessible by a second door. One part has the large tub and a sink with vanity counter. The other part has a walk in shower, toilet, and a pedestal sink. Can you please describe the different possible bathroom layouts in the 1BR at OKW?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

So glad that you posted this question. We are also going in August/September and staying here for the first time. We want to have a room with 2 doors to the bathroom. Can anyone give me an idea what area to request? We don't use buses very often, but will want to explore the resort of the evenings a couple of days. Already have all our dining planned for other resorts/parks, so we decided to skip Olivia's. Probably only use the pool in the evening, once.

You want a building number 30 or higher.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

@helenabear , can you explain this a little more please? Are you saying that the layout of the villas differs depending on what building you are in? I want to book a 1 bedroom and I like the bathrooms the way they are set up at Boardwalk Villlas. From diagrams I've seen I thought the bathrooms in the 1BR at OKW were the same. The layout that I like has the bathroom divided into two parts by a door. Each part is also accessible by a second door. One part has the large tub and a sink with vanity counter. The other part has a walk in shower, toilet, and a pedestal sink. Can you please describe the different possible bathroom layouts in the 1BR at OKW?

The bathrooms are the same, it's the ACCESS to the bathrooms that changes. In buildings 29 and below, you have to go through the master bedroom to get to the bathroom. In 30 and above, there's an additional door from the laundry room. It only really matters if someone is sleeping in the living room.

 

[runway]

You want a building number 30 or higher.

Was the part of the resort with buildings 30-55 built at a later time than the part with buildings 11-29? Were 63 and 64 added as an afterthought?

 

[runway]

The bathrooms are the same, it's the ACCESS to the bathrooms that changes. In buildings 29 and below, you have to go through the master bedroom to get to the bathroom. In 30 and above, there's an additional door from the laundry room. It only really matters if someone is sleeping in the living room.

Thanks. We're really picky about bathrooms. We like privacy but want to be able to get ready at the same time. Plus I like to have one sink that no one else is allowed to use (they splash too much!) The division makes it so much easier.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

For cash stays, when doing online check in, does anyone recall what the request options are?

Attached.

Was the part of the resort with buildings 30-55 built at a later time than the part with buildings 11-29? Were 63 and 64 added as an afterthought?

I think 62, 63, and 64 are the handicap accessible ones.

 

[runway]

Fantastic. Thank you, @CaptainAmerica. They give a lot of options!