OKW Lovers Thread. Part 2

I've never stayed in OKW but hoping to make a reservation next week for next spring break! I'm hoping to get a one bedroom near HH How do the buses run? Does the park bus go all over resort picking up and HH is last pick up? Or two separate bus systems- internal and external? Is it often too full to get a seat by the time pick up at HH? And coming back from parks would HH be the last stop?? Thank you!
 
We are going in July and staying quite awhile, and we usually prefer bus service, so I hope you just had some off experience that gets fixed ... I hope others weigh in here!

Our bus service at OKW was very good the entire time we were there. We stayed near the South Point bus stop. I would actually even choose that area again if we were staying there another time. The only issue I had was that it does take 10 minutes just to drive around OKW in the busses ... or longer maybe depending on when you get on the bus. Since we were the 2nd stop, there was always room to sit when leaving the resort. But then we stopped three more times ....
Really a small complaint...
And I loved the resort and the amount of room we had. It was huge.... and our adult "kids" had lots of space :-)
I missed going through a "lobby" each day which might be odd to some ... but I loved doing that at other places like Beach Club and/or Boardwalk.
Anyway we had a nice time :-) I felt like the parks were packed though, and I keep hearing reports of a "lackluster" summer .... so I guess I wouldn't want to be there when it's more crowded than it was !!!
 
Thanks for the news about building 64. It would be ironic to have them start the refurb with 64. If I am not mistaken this building is considerably newer than all the other buildings that date back to 1991. I am pretty sure 64 was added much later so in effect they would be refurbishing one of the newest buildings first.
 
I've never stayed in OKW but hoping to make a reservation next week for next spring break! I'm hoping to get a one bedroom near HH How do the buses run? Does the park bus go all over resort picking up and HH is last pick up? Or two separate bus systems- internal and external? Is it often too full to get a seat by the time pick up at HH? And coming back from parks would HH be the last stop?? Thank you!

The park buses run Peninsular Road -> South Point -> Turtle Pond -> Miller's Road -> Hospitality House. IIRC, the Disney Springs bus stops at HH at the start and end of its run, then departs for Disney Springs.

The Springs bus is the "internal shuttle" option; that's why it stops at HH first and last. However, there was a dedicated internal shuttle running AT TIMES when we were there. We saw it at HH a few times, but it never pulled into our Miller's Road stop.

We never had to stand when leaving OKW, only when returning from parks. Miller's Road is the last stop, but most buses pulled in with no more than 10 people on board. Granted, the parks didn't seem very busy when we were there (Jul. 25 - Aug. 1). YMMV.
 


I've never stayed in OKW but hoping to make a reservation next week for next spring break! I'm hoping to get a one bedroom near HH How do the buses run? Does the park bus go all over resort picking up and HH is last pick up? Or two separate bus systems- internal and external? Is it often too full to get a seat by the time pick up at HH? And coming back from parks would HH be the last stop?? Thank you!

I have seen busses quite crowded by the time they get to the HH pickup area, especially in the mornings. While you'd have to ride through the entire resort, you can easily walk across the bridge to the Peninsular Rd stop and board the bus there, it is the first pick-up stop for the park busses.
 
Thanks for the news about building 64. It would be ironic to have them start the refurb with 64. If I am not mistaken this building is considerably newer than all the other buildings that date back to 1991. I am pretty sure 64 was added much later so in effect they would be refurbishing one of the newest buildings first.

We checked in on Friday and were assigned to a villa in 64. We also were told that building had been closed because the exterior was painted. The units were the same old same old.
 
Been wait listing OKW for Dec and just got approved. Yay! Will be our first time there. Last trip we were there for dinner and played in the sandbox; loved Olivia's and the whole look and feel of the resort.

Couple questions:
Have made some dinner reservations for Olivia's. Is it necessary to make reservations for breakfast too?
Is Gurgling Suitcase a decent place to watch football?
When it comes time to enter our preferences we'd like ground floor and near HH. Will we have better chances of success just making one of those requests? We are renting DVC points if it makes a difference.
 


Olivia's will probably not need reservations for breakfast, unless you have a large party. Most folks at OKW seem to eat breakfast in their rooms, I've never had more than a 10 minute wait time for breakfast.
Just remember, almost all HCA units at OKW are on ground floor because only 3 buildings have elevators. Of course, not every building has handicap units, but requesting ground floor does up your chances of being assigned to one if they are not reserved in advance by someone needing them. I'm going in early December, as well. :)
 
Olivia's will probably not need reservations for breakfast, unless you have a large party. Most folks at OKW seem to eat breakfast in their rooms, I've never had more than a 10 minute wait time for breakfast.
Just remember, almost all HCA units at OKW are on ground floor because only 3 buildings have elevators. Of course, not every building has handicap units, but requesting ground floor does up your chances of being assigned to one if they are not reserved in advance by someone needing them. I'm going in early December, as well. :)

Thanks chuck s!
Good news about breakfast. We likely will do most breakfasts in the room but after looking at the breakfast menu I want to try it at least once.

And interesting about the hca rooms. Had not considered that. I looked at some room photos and while I think our kids would like that shower my wife might not like the smaller bathroom counter. Will have to run that by her.

Hope you have a great trip!
 
Thanks for the news about building 64. It would be ironic to have them start the refurb with 64. If I am not mistaken this building is considerably newer than all the other buildings that date back to 1991. I am pretty sure 64 was added much later so in effect they would be refurbishing one of the newest buildings first.
It was opened around 1999. Not all that new.
 
Has anyone seen the room renovations being done yet (rather than exterior painting or internal structural aircon, ducting, windows etc issues that often get mistaken for the room refurb starting)? It's now well behind.
 
Has anyone seen the room renovations being done yet (rather than exterior painting or internal structural aircon, ducting, windows etc issues that often get mistaken for the room refurb starting)? It's now well behind.
It isn't scheduled to start until "later this year" (whatever that means) according to the latest Disney Files magazine (page 17):

Disney’s Old Key West Resort:
The two-year renovation
of villas at our community’s flagship resort, reported in
the spring edition of Disney Files Magazine, remains on
schedule to begin later this year, updating bathrooms, floors,
furnishings and décor.
 
I'm sure it's in here somewhere...we stayed at OKW two nights last August and will arrive a Monday for 7 nights...One bedroom villa

Is laundry detergent provided? (Renting)
 
Last edited:
Is laundry detergent provided? (Renting)
Yes, but you'll only get two small packs of Finish powder. If you're renting points, you'll get trash and towel "service" on the fourth day, which may or may not replenish the dish detergent. I placed service in quotes because our T&T service included the housekeeper knocking on the door, asking if we wanted towels, then throwing all of the fresh towels on the chair in the living room. She did take out what trash we had, but only from the kitchen. Not much of a service...
 
I'm sure it's in here somewhere...we stayed at OKW two nights last August and will arrive a Monday for 7 nights...One bedroom villa

Is laundry detergent provided? (Renting)
Laundry and Housekeeping Services
Disney Vacation Club Resorts offer laundry and housekeeping services. Daily housekeeping service is not provided for Members (or renters).

A 24-hour self-service laundry room is available at each Disney Vacation Club Resort. There are also dry-cleaning and valet laundry services. Villas with one or more bedrooms feature an in-unit washer and dryer.

Trash & Towel Service
For stays of 7 nights or fewer, Trash & Towel Service is provided on day 4, regardless of whether you're staying on a Member-discounted cash reservation, Vacation Points reservation, or a combination of both.

With Trash & Towel Service, Housekeeping will:

  • Empty trash and replace liners in trash bins
  • Provide fresh bathroom linens
  • Replace bath amenities as needed
  • Replenish facial tissues, paper towels and toilet paper
  • Replenish coffee, sugar, cream and sweeteners
Full-Cleaning Service
For stays of 8 or more nights, Full-Cleaning Service is provided on day 4 and Trash & Towel Service is provided on day 8, regardless of whether you're staying on a Member-discounted cash reservation, Vacation Points reservation, or a combination of both. This cycle repeats for stays longer than 8 days.

With Full-Cleaning Service, Housekeeping will provide everything included with the Trash & Towel Service, plus:

  • Change the bed linens
  • Vacuum and dust the vacation villa
  • Clean the bathroom(s)
  • Clean the kitchen/kitchenette and wash the dishes
Rental Guests (non-Members or Disney Vacation Club Members not booking through Membership) receive Full-Cleaning Services every day.

For all of the above, additional Housekeeping Services may be purchased.

Additional Housekeeping Service Daily Rates:
  • Deluxe Studio: $30 per day requested
  • 1-Bedroom Villa: $45 per day requested
  • 2-Bedroom Villa: $60 per day requested
  • 3-Bedroom Grand Villa: $75 per day requested
Additional Trash & Towel Service Rates:
  • Deluxe Studio: $15 per day requested
  • 1-Bedroom Villa: $20 per day requested
  • 2-Bedroom Villa: $25 per day requested
  • 3-Bedroom Grand Villa: $35 per day requested
Note: Trash and recycling disposal areas are located on the premises for your use in between Full-Cleaning Services.

Pay As You Play
With Pay As You Play service, you'll be provided with the following amenities at no extra charge at the start of your stay and during each Housekeeping service. After that, you may purchase more amenities for the following fees (fees are subject to change):

  • Toiletries Package: $5 - includes 1 facial soap, 1 bath soap, 1 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 shower gel
  • Coffee Package: $3 - includes 1 package of coffee, 8 sugars, 8 creamers, 8 artificial sweeteners
  • Towel Package: $6 - includes 4 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 4 washcloths, 1 bath mat
  • Laundry Detergent (only in 1-, 2- and 3-Bedroom Villas): $1 - includes 1 box for 1 load of laundry
NOTE: Rates are subject to change without notice.

You should have ONE small box (one load) of laundry detergent. You'll get another one on your Trash & Towel day. You can buy more (see above). You can also get it at the Conch Flats store. Items like dish washng detergent, dishwasher detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, etc. are not charged for. Just call Housekeeping if you need more. Coffee filters and coffee are not provided either except for one or two starter packs of coffee. Most of us bring our own favorite brand anyway.
 
Staying @ OKW in the future and wondering if there are shuttles between distant buildings & the Hospitality house/Olivia's/boat ??? Thanks in advance!!!
 
Staying @ OKW in the future and wondering if there are shuttles between distant buildings & the Hospitality house/Olivia's/boat ??? Thanks in advance!!!
And to geth back to your room, you can either wait for the internal/Springs bus or walk across the bridge to the Peninsular Rd stop and hop on any bus.
 

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