Reviews of Old Key West Resort (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by jase Review Date: 06/05/2023
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
This hotel is annoying. Its so big each building has its parking lot! Not worth the prices. You also only have buses.
Pros:
-an affordable deluxe resort (still expensive) -big roomsCons:
-big -only buses -outdated -deterioratingReviewed by PegP Review Date: 01/05/2022
Rating: (5) Not Recommended
This place had me in tears when we went there last month. We had a split stay and was transferring to OKW from AKL. I was on an electric scooter so I had to tell the bus driver which stop I was getting off at. We'd never been there before, so I didn't know the names of any of the stops. I kept telling him "the one closest to the lobby" but apparently you MUST know the name of the stop. He just kept arguing with me until finally a nice & helpful guest told me where I should debark.
We did the online check in, but the Magic Bands weren't working on the doors. We had to go to the lobby to get cards. It wasn't our bands, none of Magic Bands or apps were working for anyone.
The room was great, though. We stayed in a one-bedroom and the bathtub was the best one in all of the Disney properties. Felt good to sit in a jetted tub after a long day at the parks.
The quick service is outside, so that's not so great in the heat and/or rain. Luckily we went in December, so that wasn't a factor, but it would be at other times.
Pros:
Very spacious rooms. Boat to Disney SpringsCons:
WAY too many bus stops. If you're not at the 1st bus stop, good luck getting on the bus. We went the longer way to the bus stop in order to be at the 1st stop to ensure we had a seat. Outside-only quick service. The poolside bar isn't really poolside.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 09/29/2021
Rating: (7) Not Recommended
Nice rooms but not a fan of the transportation
Pros:
Big rooms , Olivia CafeCons:
TransportationReviewed by Anondisney Review Date: 01/12/2021
Rating: (7) Not Recommended
Old Key West is our home resort. It has a sense of charm and nostalgia about it. It features a very cute gift shop/pool area/community center and it feels very relaxed. However, compared to other resorts where you can walk/take the monorail to major parks, it can't compare. Neither can it compare to some of the more adventurous themed resorts like the Polynesian. Not as many food options as we would like and too far spread out to save the legs from more walking once off the bus for the day.
Pros:
Charming, quaintCons:
Spread out, lacklusterReviewed by castledis Review Date: 07/06/2020
Rating: (4) Not Recommended
We stayed here November 2019 in a deluxe studio on the first floor. The room was really nice, very big and comfortable. However, I wanted some ice late at night and discovered that the only ice machines were located at either the bus stop or the pool which were far away from the building that our room was located. There is not a food court at this resort and there is a small food service area outside (seating is also outside) at Good's Food To Go, the food was not great. There is a bar Gurgling Suitcase, which is quite small but the service was good, had great drinks, and some good food. We did not eat at Olivia's Cafe but I have heard great things about this restaurant which uses 1 table service on the Dining Plan. This resort was very big and had to take an internal bus to transport within resort. It also took a very long time to get out of this resort to head to the parks or Disney Springs. I will probably never stay at this resort again.
Pros:
Nice and spacious room.Cons:
No food court, food was not very good at Good's Food To Go, and transportation took to long within the resort and traveling to the parks and Disney SpringsReviewed by McHughs Review Date: 05/22/2015
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
We have been DVC members for 20 years with Old Key West as our home resort. We have loved the ambiance and have always received wonderful treatment until our recent visit of May 5 thru May 14, 2015.
My husband and I have limited mobility. we do not need a handicapped accessible room. My husband uses a cane and I cannot walk long distances due to complications from chemotherapy. We have always requested a first floor room near transportation and our requests have been met....until this time.
Our 1 bedroom villa was not ready when we arrived so we went to the check-in desk. I had already done the online check in. They said they would text when the villa was ready. I asked what building we would be in and I was told Building 15. Building 15 is no where near a bus stop and when showing the cast member the map, she assured me that it was. Being here for 20 years I knew she was wrong and she would not agree or listen to me.
I received the text about 3:45 that our villa was ready and the text said it was near the Hospitality House. Building 15 is no where near the Hospitality House. We got to the villa and we knew that we could not walk to either the Hospitality House bus stop or the Millers Road bus stop. I made many calls asking for help. The only "solution" they could give me was to stay in this villa for 2 days and then they could move us. However, we would have to check out of the first villa at 8 am and could not check into the new villa until 5 pm. We would have to pack everything up, including our food and then unpack everything in the new villa. We chose to stay in Building 15.
One morning I called bell services to see if they could take us to a bus stop. I was told no. So being there for 10 days, and due to our limited mobility, we were only able to go to a park 1 day. Very disappointing and no magic at all.
One other problem is parking. Cast members are allowed to park in the guest parking spaces in the buildings. We have friends visit and they had no where to park. I asked about this problem and was told that cast members can park in the guest parking areas and my friends could find other parking areas and walk to our Building.
This has been our home resort for 20 years. I am totally disappointed in the manner in which we were treated this trip.
Our Villa was acceptable, except the location, but the bathroom and laundry room really need a good over-haul.
I never thought I would be writing a negative report about Old Key West, but "The Disney Way" is no longer present at this resort. It is very very sad.
Pros:
Quiet resortCons:
Not accomadating nor helpful to problemsReviewed by dani0622 Review Date: 02/02/2015
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
Just returned from a 9 day stay at OKW. From the moment I checked in, I should have known it was all downhill. I'm a DVC member and this is my home resort. I booked a "studio near hospitality house" and when I had called in to wait list Boardwalk seven months earlier, the cast member downgraded my room to just a "studio" (unbeknownst to me). After spending an hour at checkout trying to figure out what happened, we finally got to go to our room, which was about as far away from the hospitality house as possible. They offered to move us the next day (to the complete opposite side, no more convenient) but we stayed.
This place is just so big. Being in the Turtle Pond section felt like miles away from the main area. Getting refillable mugs were a waste since I like to have my tea in the AM and the refillable mug station behind the bar at the pool quick service didn't open until 11 daily. It also closed at 5 daily and some days even earlier. The bus was a good walk away and then it had multiple stops within resort.
I also felt that I just wasn't in Disney like I have at other resorts on property. It very much reminded me of my grandmother's retirement community in Boca Raton. Very lifeless. Pretty, serene, but dull. Rooms were spacious though. No elevators so after a long day at the parks, it stunk to have to carry a kid, diaper bag and stroller up two flights of stairs. My saving grace was that we were on the second and not third floor.
I'm sure I'd have a different opinion if I were near hospitality house which was lively. In the future, I'll not be returning here. In fact, I've already looked into selling my points. The goal is to have a home resort I would be happier at.
Pros:
Beautiful grounds, spacious roomsCons:
Doesn't feel like Disney, too bigReviewed by Disneyhenry Review Date: 01/28/2015
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
Did the online check in, still took almost 30 minutes to check in. From the room I called and asked where to catch the bus to the MK and was told at a bus stop, really? Must think I am stupid so I asked where the closest stop was and the reply was just come to where we checked in, the next day I found a stop one house over for ours, much closer. The bathroom floor needs a good scrubbing same with the walls.
I don't feel like I am on Disney Property, the food choices are very slim at the counter service, I guess I got spoiled to WL counter service .
Staying here mades me think twice about buying into DVC
I gave it 3 because the rooms are spacious otherwise it would have been a 2
Pros:
Spacious rooms boat to DtdCons:
Out dated bathroom, to large, counters serviceReviewed by buntingd Review Date: 09/02/2014
Rating: (2) Not Recommended
We stayed in studio 2620 over Labor Day weekend. My husband did not like that when we got there to check-in there was no parking. He had to circle the parking lot several times and still did not find a spot. He kept circling while I went in to check-in. I had did online check-in so even though the check0in area was packed within 10 seconds of walking in and getting in the online check-in line a cast member with IPAD came and checked me in. Because we were early the room was not ready so the texted my our room # later Our little one wanted to swim but since we could not park we ended out driving to DTD. I had requested a room near transportation and the bus spot was next to the 26 building. We were on the 2nd floor so walking up the steps was hard on my bad knees. The room was a good size..Little one loved the towel flower on the bed. We were abel to see some fireworks from our balcony. The main pool was crowded when we finally got there but she enjoyed the slide. The tub did not drain while taking a shower so by the end of the shower you were standing in 6 inches of water. There were some missing tiles on the wall in the bathroom. The exhaust fan di not work well so the mirror steamed up during the shower. The door in the freezer was broken. This was our fist time staying here and we will not be back. I was very disappointed.
Pros:
pretty grounds, cast membersCons:
no elevators, slow, slow draining bathtub, needs updatingReviewed by dgagnon519 Review Date: 07/03/2013
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
We stayed here from 6/26-6/28. We love OKW, but were let down this time. Our check in did not go to smoothly. Our room was dirty. The counter service which we have never tried previously was awful and the service was as well. Based on this visit I would not recommend it. I give it a 6 though because we have loved it on other trips.
