Need advice about OKW

[kelleykuc]

We have our first trip planned for March and were supposed to be staying at POR in one of the new Royal Guest Rooms. Since the renovations aren't complete, our entire party (me, DH, 3 kids ages 5 to 2 and my parents) have been moved to OKW to a 2 bedroom villa. As our date gets closer I'm getting nervous about the difficulty of getting to, from and around OKW. I feel like I MAY still be in a position to request a room at a different location. I like OKW because of the kitchen and washer and dryer, but would appreciate any feedback or suggestions anyone has. Thanks in advance!!

 

[HGLightlyj]

POR and OKW are located pretty much in the same area at WDW. Both have boat transportation to DD. I always request to be close to the Hospitality House as I don't drive but there are interior buses that shuttle folks also.

 

[mountdew1]

I don't feel that OKW is any harder to get around than POR or CBR. And as the PP said, its not much harder to get to than POR or POFQ. OKW and SSR tend to get a bad rap because they aren't nearly as centralized as the other DVC resorts, but yet are no worse than the moderates, and better than most of the values. We stayed about as far away from the Hospitality house you can get, and I had no problems walking over each morning to refill the mugs, get food etc.

 

[SusieBea]

We have our first trip planned for March and were supposed to be staying at POR in one of the new Royal Guest Rooms. Since the renovations aren't complete, our entire party (me, DH, 3 kids ages 5 to 2 and my parents) have been moved to OKW to a 2 bedroom villa. As our date gets closer I'm getting nervous about the difficulty of getting to, from and around OKW. I feel like I MAY still be in a position to request a room at a different location. I like OKW because of the kitchen and washer and dryer, but would appreciate any feedback or suggestions anyone has. Thanks in advance!!

From any point in OKW, it is only about a 10-15 minute walk to the main area where the restaurants, shop, and feature pool are located. But you can always take a bus. All of the park busses stop at the Hospitality House last, so you can get on at your local bus stop (there are 4) and get off at the main area. You will LOVE the amount of space you will have in the 2 bedroom, and the balconies there are also very spacious. If you have specific additional questions, please ask. A lot of us here love OKW.

 

[n2mm]

While I don't own at OKW, we do like staying here. That 2 bedroom is huge and will spoil you. You can request near the hosp. House location, but at hosp. house that is a booking catagory for DVC members and it gets booked up. THe buildings over in the 60-64 area is very close and a great location, and still an easy walk. I have a friend who loves being in the back of the resort near turle crawl (?). I would suggest you look on the DVC threads as someone always has a wonderful map to take a look at. One of the downsides of OKW is no food court. There is a quick service window, but the choices are very limited. However, Olivia's is open for B/L/D and the food is good. With a full kitchen you can do some of your meals there. If you have a rental car you can pick up what you need, but if not, I believe you can order some groceries through a delivery service. We find OKW to be the most relaxing of all of the resorts. They have a great community hall for the kids and a gym. Lots of pool activities at the main pool during the day. They are one of the few (if not only) resorts that has a steam room (in the light house near the hot tub, main pool). My grandson (teen) loves this resort as it has a basketball court (you get the ball at the community center). Also wanted to add the outside living area at your room. They have a huge balcony with a table and 4 chairs so you can dine outside if you desire. It has a ceiling fan too! We loved having this extra living space.

 

[browneyedgrl4282]

We have stayed there and did not have any issues getting around. We called before we arrived and requested we be closer (within about 5 minute walk) to main area because we had small children (twins were 17 months and the baby was 5 months). We had a one bedroom villa and let me tell you WILL LOVE having the villa!

 

[kelleykuc]

Thank you everyone for the info!! My only other question is how long (realistically) can we expect it to take us to get to the parks using the bus transportation? I'm hoping we can work in afternoon rest times so we don't wear ourselves out but I don't know what to expect using the buses to get to and from the parks.

 

[chalee94]

I don't know what to expect using the buses to get to and from the parks.

depends how patient you are. the buses are pretty reliable and i've been amazed when leaving parks at closing time how much easier it seemed to be getting on an OKW bus compared to some other resorts...but depending on where your villa is located, you may have to ride through a few bus stops within OKW to get out of the resort. after that, you are in a relatively central location but not right next to any park...the ride to the MK is not as long as from AKL/AKV but opinions vary as to whether it feels "too long."

i would think afternoon rest times would be very do-able...

 

[MollyMcDaniel]

Thank you everyone for the info!! My only other question is how long (realistically) can we expect it to take us to get to the parks using the bus transportation? I'm hoping we can work in afternoon rest times so we don't wear ourselves out but I don't know what to expect using the buses to get to and from the parks.

OKW has a dedicated bus, so no stopping at other resorts. I stayed at POFQ years ago and honestly don't remember the bus service, but I'm wondering if they share with Riverside? You are getting a nice upgrade! The kitchen is huge and the laundry room is nice with full size w/d. It is also the only resort that has a balcony with full size table and chairs. It is centrally located, but depending on the location of your room, it can be time consuming to stop at all of the bus stops, especially if there are ECV's loading.