Why does Old Key West get no love?

[AlexDisneyTrip]

My dad has been a DVC member since I was a wee thing in the early 90s. I don't know how ownership works but we've always stayed at Old Key West so I say that's where he's an "owner." I don't remember staying anywhere else but it's possible it happened once or so. I haven't been in 10 years so and I'm now 35 so I'm looking for a "grown up" perspective.
I'm sure we stayed in smaller rooms when I was very small but all of my memories are from the 2 bedroom villas. I remember these to be nice. I also remember there being a lot of pools that were fun. Not the shipwreck level of fun which we used to go to back when that was allowed.
Anyway a google search led me to a thread here ranking dvc resorts and OKW was typically at the bottom and I'm generally curious as to why. Is it mostly location? Is it a matter of just being good when everything else is really good or great?
Also when you're a dvc member can you stay at any of the other dvc resorts for the base price? I was looking at a points chart and (as an example) the hawaii location under the DVC resorts said rooms from 16 points but then the same hotel was under disney resort hotels and said rooms from 37 points. Do you only get the lower price if you are an owner there? I have often wondered why we stay in the same place at DW each time. I know that OKW is a few points cheaper than a lot of the other ones but my dad is also not a penny pincher in that regard (maybe when we were little but definitely not now). I also know an obvious answer is to ask my dad - and I totally plan on it but I also don't want to come across as ungrateful so I am hoping some experts can weigh in on it for me!
It's funny because I've been to Disney about 30 times but I haven't been in 10 years and I've never had any part of the planning process so I'm also a total newb at the same time!

 

[Robbie Cottam]

OLD….
Kinda in the middle of no where…
And staff management issues

Would be my three reasons…

As far as the DVC points go, all most all DVC members have access to all resorts at 7 month.

The point cost does not change if it is you home resort or not…. Each resort has there own points charts and the are completely different.

But if the room is listed as 16 points it is 16 points. The same level of room (ie studio, one bedroom etc) maybe be 37 points at a different property …

Also most properties have more than one view for each level of room…. Pool view, standard view (pronounced parking lot) theme park, etc…. And that will also change the required number of points for that room ….

Not apple to apples but. One point is one point

 

[miksicnarf]

Many people prefer to be closer to the parks, don’t like buses, or prefer more theming. Those of us who love OKW have our reasons which I prefer not to state because in my opinion, OKW is getting more than enough love these days and becoming harder to book! As for the points difference at Aulani, you were probably looking at using points to book a regular hotel room vs. a DVC villa—many resorts have both (OKW does not). It always costs way more points, and is not usually advisable, to use points to book hotel rooms.

 

[Donna M]

Being older, spread out, not having the dining options of other resorts along with more of a condo feel are some of the reasons I have seen for OKW not being at the top of the list, but there are many people who love it there. OKW is our first choice because of the theming, boat ride to Disney Springs and especially the size of the units. Lower points can´t be overlooked either.
It´s nice to go back to a place that is familiar.

Each resort requires a certain amount of points which can change depending on the unit size and time of year. Some resorts start at a higher amount of points than others too.

 

[Simba's Mom]

At least DH is doing his part. After our first stay at OKW, 20 years ago, he declared that it was the one resort he wanted to stay at, so we bought OKW points, and went home and sold the points we had elsewhere. Since then, I have gotten him to stay elsewhere just a couple of times (somewhat reluctantly). My only concern is that I'm using an ECV now, and since OKW only has 3 buildings that have elevators (and boy, are those hard to get!), I ask for a first floor villa every stay, then hold my breath and pray we get one.

 

[drusba]

Purchasers of DVC purchase a contract at a "home resort," and can reserve rooms on points at that resort beginning 11-months out from arrival date, They can also reserve DVC resorts they do not own but only beginning 7-months out from date of arrival. The point-per-night cost at any given DVC resort is the same for both a resort's owners and other DVC members. (You appear to have found that a Disney hotel room at Aulani, not DVC, could be reserved, but cost more points than a DVC room -- that is true throughout Disney resorts. A DVC member can trade-out to non-DVC Disney resorts but the points to do so are always higher per night than anything you would consider reasonably close to what you pay in points for a DVC resort.) Many owners like to stick with the resort they own, many like using multiple resorts except that they sometimes cannot get one they do not own at 7-months out because the resort or kind of room desired is already full, and thus stick with the home resort reservation they made earlier.

When your dad purchased, the only DVC resort that existed was OKW (then called the Disney Vacation Club Resort). Vero and Hilton Head were added in 1995 and 1996, respectively. The second WDW DVC resort, Boardwalk Villas, did not open until 1996 (after Hilton Head). OKW is a an excellent resort, but not close to a theme park and the resort itself is very spread out with a lot of separate buildings having rooms. Its only real downsides are two: (a) for many it is OKW's location away from the parks and the fact that you may have fairly long walks to the main OKW pool and restaurant; and (b) it is the only DVC resort where most of the buildings do not have elevators and thus you need to walk up stairs to get to rooms (there were two buildings with rooms added in the late 1990s which have elevators). ADA law requirements, basically compelling elevators, did not come into existence until after OKW was opened.

Its main upsides are three: (a) its rooms are among the largest rooms for any DVC Resort (the 1BRs and 2BRs are huge in comparison to most others); (b) its point costs per night for rooms are generally lower than any other DVC resorts, e.g., you can get a Grand Villa ( a huge three-bedroom) at OKW for fewer points than a 2BR at the Villas at the Grand Floridian; (c) it has a huge number of rooms and thus rooms are often open at 7-months out.

Transportation to parks is via bus unless you have a car. The bus, which makes multiple stops in the resort, is usually fine, although, as with any Disney resort, problems can happen sometimes, but usually the time to and from a park is really not that long in comparison to other DVC resorts using buses.

I personally do not own OKW (I own BWV and Animal Kingdom Villas). However, I have stayed in a 2-bedroom there and it was very nice -- stayed there because that is where my daughter owns.

 

[cvjw]

We bought OKW points, stayed there a couple times, hated it and sold them. Every villa we were assigned was so loud. Either bus noise from them turning around right outside the villa door or loud from neighbors. We hated the super long bus rides inside the resort BEFORE you ever left for a park. We hated the counter service - no place to sit except outside and the food didn’t seem to be as good as other counter service restaurants.

We did like the view of the river and the large balconies.

 

[Ensusieasm]

OKW is very spread out. If you don’t have a car, you’d want to be near hospitality house, but that section has no quiet pool.
Also, many buildings have no elevators and many buildings don’t have an entrance to a bathroom that doesn’t go through a bedroom.
This is not good for someone sleeping on the pull out sofa in the living area. They would have to enter a bedroom to get to the bathroom. They fixed this problem in some newer buildings. Also, the living room has the old uncomfortable sleep sofa whereas many DVC resorts have a more comfortable Murphy bed that pulls down from the wall over the sofa.

 

[Skywalker3]

We did a couple nights at OKW about 10 years ago.
I did NOT like the long internal bus ride, the extra time it took, plus more bus time to the parks. We also didn't care for the apartment feel, We are still very park-centric, and at this time, not interested in spending a very long time at the resorts. We want as much ease in getting to parks as possible.
OKW has some benefits, like room layout, more space in general, etc., I always read about how good Olivias is, and the pools, and access to DS, but for now, we don't plan to stay again unless nothing else is available. And we do think at some point we'll be staying DVC, but going offsite more often, and OKW may be good for that, but not now.

 

[Epcot Forever Forever]

• Insufficient dining
• Main area not centrally located (or even remotely close)
• Tiny bar
• Not adjacent to a park
• Not all in 1 building

I had a wonderful stay there but many people can’t get past the above

 

[tidefan]

• Insufficient dining
• Main area not centrally located (or even remotely close)
• Tiny bar
• Not adjacent to a park
• Not all in 1 building

I had a wonderful stay there but many people can’t get past the above

I think that OKW divides into 2 camps.

A - those that book into a 1/2 Bedroom and have a car, or
B - those who stay in a studio, and/or do not have a car

Those in Group A are going to probably love OKW much more than those in Group B.

Quite honestly, I think having a car or not really affects perception of each resort. For instance AKV-Kidani is very car friendly whereas AKV-Jambo is not. Those that fly in probably prefer Jambo House, but I would wager that those that drive to WDW prefer Kidani...

 

[Pens Fan]

We stayed there once on a last minute trip and it was fine, but I wouldn't choose to book there at seven months. For us the negatives were:

Too spread out - I don't like having to ride a bus to get to the Hospitality House amenities
Bus transportation only and they have to make multiple stops throughout the resort which adds to the commute time
While we loved Olivia's it's the only option other than random pool bar stuff
Gurgling Suitcase is cute, but way too small. We like a resort with at least one proper lounge.
While our room was in good repair the decor is dated and not really our thing.
Lack of elevators in most buildings
Lack of privacy - we had golfers literally steps away from our patio

 

[Dawn68PA]

I think it depends, like any resort, on the people going and what they want to do and be near. We bought OKW because when we were checking out each property to buy in, our jaws dropped when we drove to OKW. It’s absolutely beautiful. We love OKW because:

My husband and I like the parks, but they aren’t a necessity. We’ve done a few no park trips.
We love Disney Springs and spend a good amount of time there. Even though we don’t take the boat, we love the proximity.
Our 1BR villa is literally larger than our house
We enjoy sitting on the deck so the size of OKW is perfect
People complain about the little bar but it fits the OKW theme. We love it there. We stayed at the Poly once and literally had to leave the resort every day to go to a bar in the evening. You can never get into Trader Sams and the main bar is constantly overloaded. We hate the Poly with a passion.
We’ve stayed at a lot of other WDW resorts and miss OKW every time. We will never stay anywhere but home now.
It feels like a vacation resort. No hustle and bustle. Not a ton of little kids (and their noise ). Laid back atmosphere
Staff has always been 100% awesome

If you want to stay somewhere to see the fireworks, be near a park, or dine where you’re staying (we always dine all over the place so this never mattered either), OKW won’t be for you. If you want to ride the skyliner, boat or walk to a park, OKW won’t be for you. Some trips it may be and some won’t, we tried a lot of resorts over the years to find what’s perfect for us and I think most people do.

Sorry this got long - I wanted to cover what bases I could think of. I look forward to your follow up post!

 

[Epcot Forever Forever]

Another future thing people won’t like is when, when every other WDW DVC resort has a Murphy Bed in the living room, OKW still has a pull out couch because of those windows.

 

[Epcot Forever Forever]

I think that OKW divides into 2 camps.

A - those that book into a 1/2 Bedroom and have a car, or
B - those who stay in a studio, and/or do not have a car

Those in Group A are going to probably love OKW much more than those in Group B.

Quite honestly, I think having a car or not really affects perception of each resort. For instance AKV-Kidani is very car friendly whereas AKV-Jambo is not. Those that fly in probably prefer Jambo House, but I would wager that those that drive to WDW prefer Kidani...

I agree, and regardless of car, your first point about studio vs 1+BR is good too - it’s a great resort if you enjoy using a larger room as a timeshare - cooking in your room, spending time relaxing and taking it easy, hanging out on the huge patio - but the studios are poor for commando park trips.

 

[intamin]

For us the 2 major pros of the resorts are the point charts and the size of the rooms. The rest of the resort leaves much to be desired.

Cons include:
1. too spread out
2. outdated rooms
3. poor park proximity
4. poor accessibility - most buildings don't have elevators
5. general lack of a theme
6. bus only transportation
7. lack of dining options (Olivia's is hit or miss)

Personally I'd rather spend the extra 5 points a week and stay at either AKV or SSR for nearly the same price. At least with SSR I can walk to Disney Springs and the rooms are smaller but IMO much nicer accommodations. AKV it's all in one building, far more themed etc. but I know some people love the chill resort vibes and have an emotional attachment to it because their family grew up going to OKW. It's just personally not for us.

 

[Skip Coffee for Rope Drop]

1). Long waits for the bus
2). Long bus rides after the long waits (especially at night)
3). Long walk to the pool that is fun (the other pools are boing).
4). No refill stations at smaller pools
5). Long walk to lobby/restaurant
6). old outdated rooms
7). Sorry folks but many guests complain loudly about points, dues, etc..you just hear loud complaining everywhere.
8). Once from the balcony, I could see and hear the traffic on Buena Vista Drive

Good Points:

Can sleep 5 in a one bedroom
close to Disney Springs
Affordable if family/grandparents want to get a room who are not DVC.

 

[bobbiwoz]

At least DH is doing his part. After our first stay at OKW, 20 years ago, he declared that it was the one resort he wanted to stay at, so we bought OKW points, and went home and sold the points we had elsewhere. Since then, I have gotten him to stay elsewhere just a couple of times (somewhat reluctantly). My only concern is that I'm using an ECV now, and since OKW only has 3 buildings that have elevators (and boy, are those hard to get!), I ask for a first floor villa every stay, then hold my breath and pray we get one.

It’s the not being sure you will get a first floor or elevator building that keeps me away. I was able to get a HA studio with a roll in shower for an upcoming stay, so, I do expect that to be on the first floor, or in an elevator building.

 

[mrsdoubie]

People can continue to hate on OKW. It just means I’ll always be able to get a room there.

 

[tom1944]

I have it in my rotation of places to stay.

OKW or SSR
AKV-J or AKV-K
BRV or CCV
BWV or BCV
BLT

Our next trip will be a split stay to see if we like it. If we do it is likely we will stay there every few years as part of the split.