OKW vs BLT

[horner89]

Hi all,

We're in the middle of planning our next big trip to WDW and have basically decided that, given the size and age range of our group, we think a 2-bedroom villa would be the best option for us.

However, we're kind of undecided on which villa to book a stay in, OKW or BLT, and I was hoping some people on here might help clear up a few issues we have.

1) Room size. I've heard OKW has the biggest rooms, but is BLT significantly smaller? We're a group of 5 adults & 1 teen (2 Adult Couples, 1 Adult with 1 Teen), so the two couples would have the two rooms and the adult/teen daughter would share the main room with the fold out sofa and chair. Do the BLT 2-bedroom villas comfortably accommodate a group of this size or would we need the extra space at OKW?

2) Resort size. How much of a walk is it from one end of the resort to the other at OKW? We won't be renting a car and will be reliant on WDW transport/taxis, so would it be an issue if we went OKW and got a room at the far side of the resort or would that be a huge pain and kind of spoil the trip?

3) Bus schedule. How good/regular are the buses at OKW compared to BLT? I know BLT has the monorail for EPCOT and you can walk to MK, but are there lots of buses running to AK or HS as well or not so much?

4) Dining options. I know there isn't a specific quick service location providing the usual breakfast options at OKW, so what would be the best way to get a counter service breakfast when staying there? Would we need to go to another hotel for breakfast or into a park? (None of us plan to cook while there).

5) Reviews. Overall, if you could only pick one or the other, which would you personally recommend?

Thank you!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

1. OKW is 1395 square feet for a 2BR villa. BLT is 1152 square feet. So it's a decent extra amount of space. In addition, even lock-off villas at OKW have 2 queens in the second bedroom (which is a studio on a lock-off and has its own kitchenette, which can be nice in a group). The second BR on a BLT lock is a queen+sofabed and is one of the smallest studios in DVC. So that's where the space really shows up -- the second bedroom of a lock-off. (Note: The 2nd bedroom of a dedicated 2BR at BLT has slightly better space use, because it lacks a kitchenette, and has 2 queens).

2. OKW is a large resort. There is internal busing. That said, it's a really pretty resort, and has good amenities. I don't know what degree of distance would "spoil your trip."

3. OKW has good busing. To be honest, the busing at BLT/CR is not that great. You walk to Magic Kingdom, monorail to Epcot (via the TTC, with a platform change) and use shared buses to DHS and AK; I think the share is currently Wilderness Lodge. They run on a good schedule, but you will be stopping at another resort most of the time. OKW is a dedicated bus system that is not shared.

4. You are in a 2BR unit. Bring breakfast items or have groceries delivered. Breakfast needn't be cooked. However, if you must, Good's does serve brekkie: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/old-key-west-resort/goods-food-to-go/menus/

5. I think it really depends on who all will be in the second bedroom. If it is only a couple in the second bedroom and they wouldn't be using a second bed or a sofa sleeper, a lock off at BLT would probably be a good fit. Just be aware that the bus situation isn't that great.

 

[RangerPooh]

1) Room size. We have stayed in a 2 bedroom villa at OKW many times. It is very spacious! We've stayed in studios and 1 bedrooms at BLT and said never again! They are tiny and the entire trip we felt cramped. This coming from a family who at the time was two adults, 2 young children, and 1 infant. Once while at OKW we had a larger party staying in the 2 bedroom an never once felt crowded.

2) Resort size. OKW has good internal busing, but honestly we don't wait for it. We just make the walk to the Hospitality House. If you would prefer you can request a building closer to the HH. We've done this many times.

3) Bus schedule. Personally we felt that the buses at OKW were nice, punctual. I know that (at the time) it did share a line with SSR, but waits weren't an issue. With BLT you are still sharing a bus with the CR. Buses will run throughout the day to all of the theme parks/water parks so it's not really an issue of will they go there. At BLT it's quicker to just walk to the MK. We did take the monorail to to EPCOT, but found that some days it was quicker to take the bus because you cannot take the monorail directly to EPCOT but have to transfer at the TTC.

4) Dining options. At OKW you have Goods Food to Go (QS), Olivias (TS), and Sassagola Express Pizza Delivery. We haven't eaten at Olivia's but ate a few meals at Goods. Nothing impressive there. One meal was completely botched and was comped when we brought it to the managers attention. At BLT we ate at CM (only because our girls were young) as well as the food court. Honestly, when we were at OKW we would place an order with Garden Grocer and have it delivered to the resort. This meant that we had cereal and oatmeal for breakfast, snacks, and other meal items available to us. Otherwise when we didn't eat meals in the room we tried to eat them at a park.

5) Reviews. OKW, hands down!

 

[ibela]

Definitely BLT. It may be a little smaller but how much time do you plan on spending in the room? We enjoy the resort amenities but aren't physically sitting in the room too much. BLT has an extra bathroom, the QS at Contempo is far better, and location can't be beat. OKW is much more quiet so if its a trip with a lot of downtime where you want it to be quiet then I'd go that route but otherwise, BLT all the way.

 

[Hopefully]

OKW by a mile. The 2 bedroom is amazingly spacious. Request a building higher than # 30, so you have a second entry into the master bath through the laundry room for the living room occupants.

 

[rpcvpanama]

BLT. Has a 3rd bathroom which with that many adults will be invaluable. We did a family trip last May and there were 6 adults and stayed in a dedicated 2 bedroom. One couple and the rest singles. We had the couple stay in the Master and then two people in the second bedroom on the Queens and then 2 people in the living room, one on the pullout couch and one on the pull out chair. It worked well for us but we didn't stay in the room that much so we left the couches open all day.

 

[hes122]

I'll chime in on BLT. I was there with a group of 9 adults in a dedicated 2 bedroom unit. We did not feel like we were on top of each other at all. The 3rd bathroom was invaluable and really helped with getting everyone out the door on time. The only downside (if there is one) is that those of us who slept in the main living area had to store our suitcases in one of the other rooms. It wasn't a huge deal, but I'd venture to guess that you might have that same issue at OKW.

I don't remember there being an issue with the bus to HS on the day we went there. We didn't do AK that trip so I don't have any advice on that. We "may" (it was 2011 so take that FWIW) have shared the HS bus with a few local resorts but we went in late-January so the crowds could've have been the cause of that.

 

[Deb & Bill]

With BLT you'd have a full bathroom just off the entrance to the villa, so each group would have their own bathroom. The group in the master bedroom would have the bed room/bathroom, so they might consider paying more than 1/3 of the unit if you are splitting the costs. I'd have the second couple pay 1/3 and the adult and daughter pay less than 1/3 since their room is the gathering space and access to the kitchen.

 

[Disneypapa]

I admit, I have a bias, since I own DVC at OKW. I love the décor, size of the rooms, parking at your front door and laid back atmosphere. You just can not get those attributes anywhere else with DVC.

I have stayed in a studio at BLT and while it was adequate for two, I can not image having more people in those accommodations. I have at other 2 BR villa resorts, slept in the living area on the sofa and that is not fun regardless of the resort (you do have more space at OKW, which made it more tolerable).

As others have said, the buses are find at OKW, but I would request a room near HH. The food options are ok, just not great, not sure you have any better choices at BLT. The BLT is huge. Long hallways and the feel of a condo or apartment building, if that is to your liking.

Bottom line, I would stay at OKW without any remorse or regrets.

 

[gillep]

I would go with BLT and the 3rd bathroom. Contempo Cafe is a much better QS restaurant and the walk to MK is really nice.

 

[addiln]

For the size I would go with OKW. I am a huge fan of BLT but I think that the room may not be big enough. I think location you can not be BLT but are you will to give up the room for the location.

 

[beccasmom]

I think your best bet is OKW. It is terrific for larger groups because you have a lot of space. I agree the two-bedroom is an awesome space and the GV is tremendous if you'd like even more room.

We often request a unit near the HH and it provides a lot of extra convenience. However, there are internal buses. The transportation system is fine IMHO and the watercraft service to Disney Springs is an enjoyable alternative.

I do think the resort is somewhat lacking with regard to eating alternatives, but Olivia's is a wonderful restaurant and Good's offers a fairly good variety.

Both are great resorts and we enjoy them a great deal. BLT is exceptionally well-located. Its proximity to the CR is a huge asset. We just tend to book at OKW with a larger group; it "costs" us less point-wise for the larger spaces than BLT. As with everything, there are wonderful aspects to either resort. Good luck!

 

[Shellyred8]

From the food and location/resort size perspective, I would go with BLT. If you don't like the options in the resort, just hop on the monorail and go to one of the other mono-rail resorts. I've always liked the food at the Contempo and we recently discovered that the Wave has a pretty awesome breakfast buffet.

Also, when are you going? If you are going during the Christmas season, I would definitely recommend BLT over OKW, if you want to resort hop and check out the decorations at the other resorts.

The other thing I love about BLT is that there is a boat that runs between it and Wilderness Lodge/Ft. Wilderness. So it's really easy to hop over there if you want to have a meal at one of those places.

Have a great trip!!

 

[horner89]

Hi all,

Thanks for the awesome responses. Lots of great info on both resorts which helps us so much as we've never stayed in any of the Disney Villas and weren't too sure what to expect. It sounds like it'll be great either way

4. You are in a 2BR unit. Bring breakfast items or have groceries delivered. Breakfast needn't be cooked.

I probably should have mentioned that we'll have the dining plan (it works for us), so we wouldn't really want to be spending extra to get food delivered or to spend credits on milk/cereal etc. as it probably wouldn't be best value for money. That's awesome news about the room delivery though, very good to know

BLT. Has a 3rd bathroom which with that many adults will be invaluable. We did a family trip last May and there were 6 adults and stayed in a dedicated 2 bedroom. One couple and the rest singles. We had the couple stay in the Master and then two people in the second bedroom on the Queens and then 2 people in the living room, one on the pullout couch and one on the pull out chair. It worked well for us but we didn't stay in the room that much so we left the couches open all day.

That sounds like it matches our group perfectly to be honest, especially having the 3rd bathroom. I did see a video on the rooms in BLT where the doors didn't close fully or had a gap, is that still an issue?

Also, when are you going? If you are going during the Christmas season, I would definitely recommend BLT over OKW, if you want to resort hop and check out the decorations at the other resorts.

We'd be going in October next year, so I think we might just miss the Christmas decorations unfortunately .

 

[Deb & Bill]

...That sounds like it matches our group perfectly to be honest, especially having the 3rd bathroom. I did see a video on the rooms in BLT where the doors didn't close fully or had a gap, is that still an issue?...

The bathroom doors are pocket doors, so they don't close 100%, maybe 97%, so there still might be a small gap. They do have a latch on them to secure them from small fingers trying to open them up.

 

[DieHardJoe]

As you already noted from the responses, both resorts have plenty of nice benefits. We own at BLT and bought before it even opened. We love BLT and even rented a GV there for a big family reunion. Other than the GV, we usually stay in Studios and occasionally a 1-BR so can't add anything to the comments regarding the 2-BR. That said, our next trip is a week in early November at OKW! We were looking for something more laid back and were not interested in being near the MK or monorail. As for food, we always try to get to Olivia's every trip we make to WDW, especially for breakfast. The Banana Bread French Toast is to die for! So even if you decide on BLT, having one meal at Olivia's would be worth a try.

 

[Main Street Matilda]

Speaking as someone who stayed at BLT before OKW, I'd say that you can't go wrong with either resort. I actually thought I'd be disappointed with OKW and was very pleasantly surprised. My family loved it even after having stayed at many of the other DVC resorts. There are perks to both and so I'd say you need to determine what is most important to you.

- The 2BR at both resorts have plenty of room. Our travelling party is usually 7 (4 adults, 2 tall teenage sons and a teenage daughter). We didn't feel remotely cramped in either but definitely enjoyed the extra space at OKW.

- Food choices. There are more food choices at BLT readily available, but we really enjoyed Olivia's. It was our favorite meal during our trip when we stayed at OKW. Also, with Disney Springs close to OKW, there are a bunch of restaurants available there.

- Buses. BLT gets the nod for the monorail for going to EP and MK, but I found bus service to be the same. If anything, I thought bus service was slightly better at OKW although you need to use buses for everything at OKW (except for Disney Springs since there is a boat that takes you there from OKW).

- Overall. That's a tough one. For a party that is mostly adults, I think the atmosphere at OKW is more appealing. We sat at the bar while our kids swam and it felt pretty perfect. Having said that, my husband and I are going (without the kids!) for F&W in the Fall, and opted for BLT because of the monorail convenience to EP. I guess I'd say if you are planning on spending a good amount of time at the resort, pick OKW. If you plan on spending more time in the parks, BLT may be your better choice.

 

[Micca]

We love both resorts! I'd go with OKW for your group because I think the additional space is the biggest priority. They are really kind of apples & oranges because OKW is a more low-key, out of the way resort whereas BLT is closer to the hear of the action.