OKW - what's the good, bad and the ugly?

[Minniefan68]

We are renting DVC points from a friend and originally planned on staying in a 2 bedroom at WLV, but I found out OKW would be less points and therefor a lot cheaper.

Last year we took the boat from MK to check out WLV and fell in love with the property, however, we've never seen OKW nor do we know anyone who has stayed there.

So we need the facts...good, bad and ugly.

Thanks. :girl:

[ldc12377]

We have stayed at OKW one time. It was very nice.
The Good: The room was clean and BIG. We stayed in a studio but there was so much space. The main pool has a neat slide that looks like a sandcastle which my kids loved. The playground by the pool was nice and had sand for the kids to play in. The whole resort is so peaceful and beautiful. Nothing about it feels rushed like some of the other resorts tend to feel.
The Bad: The resort is very spread out which could be a problem if you don't have a car. We had our car so it wasn't a big deal to us and we did notice that there were a lot of busses around all the time so maybe it isn't an issue. Hopefully someone else will be along to settle that issue. Some of the buildings don't have elevators. Again not a problem for us because we requested a ground floor and got it. The view wasn't the best but still nice.
The Ugly: Nothing really...It is a very beautiful resort with beautiful grounds. Very peaceful and calm, which is very nice after long crazy days at the parks.

Hope that helps.

[Maleficent's Dad]

The Good
OKW has the best accomodations on property. The 2BR's are huge; you'll appreciate the large family room/dining area and two porches/patios. There are three TV's in the two bedrooms, a washer/dryer, and the usual stuff that comes with 2BR's. The hot-tub is great, especially for kids.
The resort itself is beautiful. There are tennis courts, basketball courts, bike rentals, boat rentals, DVD rentals, a small "boardwalk" type area, and boat transportation to DTD.
Grounds are well kept. Most rooms have good views - a lot of golf and water views.
I like Olivia's and Gurgling Suitcase. We do make use of the Community Hall.
Parking is great - with most spots a few steps from your room.
The Bad
OKW is a large, spread out resort. And if you find yourself roomed in one of the far-out reaches, you may have a view of...a highway...
Few buildings have elevators.
Bus stops may not be convenient - and there are a number of them around the resort which makes for a long trek to any park. With the exception of DTD, buses are your only option (unless you have a car).
Dining options are limited - with Olivia's being the only sit-down (it is a large resort) and two small snack counters (one is seasonal).
The Ugly
Not-so-much...
Limited options for drinks & dining...
Could be FAR from the main drag of the resort...
Buses don't hit all stops later in the evening...
Buses - while improved - are not the "most efficient" means of transport from OKW

[garymacd]

Thanks for the information, Frank. I have been hoping someone would ask and answer this question since we are heading down in about 40 days.

Can't wait.

[ThanxForNoticin]

OKW is one of the nicest resorts at Disney. Maleficent's Dad summed things up extremely well. Once you've stayed in a 2BR at OKW, you might not want to stay anyplace different in the future! Hope you have a good trip.

[Through the looking Glass]

We have allways been happy with our stays at OKW. Location is one of the keys to staying there. We try to stay either near the head house or Turtle pond area. Turtle pond area has a quiet pool, small CS, and a playground. It is allways quiet in that area. Son is a light sleeper and has never been woken up by noise.:sleepin: There are ways to get around using the bus service, you just have to figure out which bus goes where. Some of the busses stop different than the others. I really don't know how to explain that. It's almost if some go clockwise around and others go counter clockwise. It usally takes me a day or so to remember.
It's a little less "Disneyized" than some of the other resorts. Most people I talk to either love it or hate it. For our family a little time not being undulated with the mouse:smickey: is nice.

[ytzking]

We recently stayed ( Jan 24-29 ) in a studio in bldg. 18 at OKW. We were able to do this with the refunded points from 1 night in a 1 BR at BWV. The resort is perfect if you have a car. I can't say anything bad about the room or the grounds. A little spread out but walkable if you're not in a hurry. I would definitely recommend trying to get a room near the main building ( not necessarily adjacent but close, building 18 was about a 5 minute walk to the main pool and restaurant ). If you are there to slow down the typical Disney pace, just a notch, OKW is the place.:thumbsup:

[j&j]

:mickey::mickey::mickey:very quiet boat will take you to downtown. rooms are larger first of the DVC. We never wanted to stay here like the BWV better because of the view. if you like quand able to handle the buses you will like it.

[Cheloconnell]

We stayed in both a studio and one bedroom this past February. Did not like the studio at all. Terrible view and dark where we were. It was kind of smelly and run down as well. The one bedroom was amazing. We had a great view and it was massive. The biggest one bedroom we have stayed in. I guess it depends where you are, but I have definitely been in nicer studios, but when it came to one bedrooms they are #1 :mickey:

[hubbyofadisneyholic]

Since OKW is our "home resort" I admit to being a bit biased, but we love it there.

We request the area near the South Point bus stop. While it is far from the main buildings, it is a short walk to a quiet pool and we usually have a view of the golf course.

Every bus is supposed to stop at Hospitality House before leaving the grounds so you shouldn't ever have too long of a wait.

Bus service to a particular park can be erratic, be in recent years that is pretty common no matter what resort you stay at.

After spending 6 or 7 nights in a 2-br villa a normal resort room seems soooooo small. :blush:

Enjoy...:mickey:

[BedknobsandBroomsticks]

We have stayed at POFQ (last trip) in two connecting rooms and my DH hated it. Too small, not enough privacy for us, no washer and dryer, no kitchen.... We did it to save money and we did achieve that but he and the rest of us really missed OKW. We love it there. Quiet, beautiful, big rooms, clean, fun... We stayed once at Boardwalk years ago and loved it but it is too expensive there for a 2 bedroom and they are almost impossible to get too. We are not DVC, yet! I can't get DH to jump off that bridge. We can always get our two bedroom at OKW, in the building we want, near hospitality, and we never have trouble with the busses or anything. Olivia's is nice and you can take a boat to DTD where there are other food options or go back to the parks. They also have in room pizza delivery, which we always use at least once. You'll love it there.:thumbsup: