My observations of Disney's Old Key West Resort

[Steve Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve]

The best decor?

Which Disney resort, would you say, has the most elegant/upscale decor?

That's something that I really like...and it is more important to me than the view or the proximity to the parks. Are there any Disney resorts that are as nice as Marriott's Grande Vista (the new buildings)? Or would I be better off staying with Marriott?

Thanks,

Steve

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

Disney has mostly gone with casual decor -- Wilderness Lodge has a cabin theme; most of the other DVC resorts have some sort of beach theme. However, the decor at Saratoga Springs is fairly upscale, although traditional instead of trendy. There are probably pictures somewhere online -- you could ask on the DVC forum at www.disboards.com

I haven't stayed at any Marriott timeshares (amazingly enough!) so I can't compare.

[LikiTikiGal Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close LikiTikiGal]

My DH and I took the tour of OKW last year and he absolutely loves it more than any other Home Away from Home. The resale is even too expensive to buy into so we have to wait. If we buy it will be at OKW.

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

Steve, I found pix of Saratoga Springs at www.tagrel.com

Tonya, welcome to the boards! If you travel in the off-season and own the right timeshare (it must be a high quality, non-Orlando timeshare that trades in II) you can trade into a DVC unit. That can be far cheaper than owning there.

[Steve Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve]

Thanks, Judy, for the info and the link to the pictures. Saratoga Springs looks very nice...those are the kind of villas I like.

Steve

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

You're very welcome, Steve! Glad you liked the pictures of SSR!

[LikiTikiGal Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close LikiTikiGal]

Steve, I found pix of Saratoga Springs at www.tagrel.com

Tonya, welcome to the boards! If you travel in the off-season and own the right timeshare (it must be a high quality, non-Orlando timeshare that trades in II) you can trade into a DVC unit. That can be far cheaper than owning there.

Thanks...it's not in Orlando, per say, but right next door in Winter Garden. II thinks it's a 5 star *shrugs*, I don't know. My DH loves LTV so that's why he got us a timeshare there. I have to make phone calls to see.

[SOS8260456 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close SOS8260456]

I am sitting here laughing about the comment about responding to old threads. I noticed that one of my responses to this thread was that I was looking forward to my May trip to Old Key West, and now that trip is long over, and I am looking forward to checking into Old Key West this Saturday.

I have to say the staff at Old Key West is so wonderfull. My children and I got down here on August 1. We are not getting to Old Key West until 8/19 and that is our final destination before we go home. We are staying offsite until then. I was nervous about the roof top carrier I had on the top of the van, so I stopped at OKW and explained to bell services about it. They said they could store it for me until we leave on 8/26. My kids are jealous because we are "stuck" staying offsite these past 2 weeks while our roof top carrier has onsite accomadations.

Our first weeks stay was in a studio at Boardwalk and bell services there recommended to me to take it over to OKW. I am glad I did because it was a relief to me. We didn't need it for our traveling around Orlando, but we will need it for going home. We enjoyed the location and activiity of the Boardwalk, but with 3 kids, I was going crazy. It was one of the larger studios that sleep 5, but I really missed the washer/dryer and the larger refrigerator. Especially during the hot summer when I usually freeze water bottles to take to the parks.

We are currently staying at Marriott's Cypress Harbour and before we came here someone online told me that it reminded them alot of Old Key West. I really have to agree with that. It does remind me alot of OKW.

One other perk of owning DVC is the discounts on annual passes. Plus if you get the annual pass you can also purchase the Disney Dining Experience card for $70. The DDE card gives you 20% off most table service meals onsite including alcoholic beverages and it also gives you FREE valet parking at ANY of the onsite resorts that have restaurants.

While I could not justify to myself the purchase of lots of DVC points, we picked up a small 25 point contract resale which cost us about $2500. Since there are 5 of us in our family the $100 discount on the annual passes helped make this decision. I will admit though that it gets tuff battling add on itis.

Lisa

[icydog Banned Find all posts View Profile Close icydog]

We love OKW. It's our favorite resort! But a trade into the BCV is a nice treat.

I too love the OKW Resort more than the other DVC resorts. We traded into a one bdrm BCV for this January using an AC from my Marriott Manor Club. It was a once in a lifetime trade I believe.
We have owned DVC since 1992 and have always thought of the OKW Resort as our home away from home. The lay back atmosphere is not replicated at any other Disney Resort and the space in the rooms is to die for . We can stay at the BCV since we own there too or at the other resorts come the 7 month access period but we always chose OKW for our vacations.
This January trade was a fluke and I jumped on it. I got it at 5 AM EST I guess when they first posted it. We usually don't stay for the weekends because it costs too many points so it will be a treat to be able to stay for a full 7 nights. I got our airfare yesterday and it was super high due to the MLK holiday that week. I don't care because the price of this week in points
(200 Points) is worth $2000 at the very least. I already know it may be cold in January. We normally go then on our points.

[katie Member Find all posts View Profile Close katie]

They also never deposit "Grand Villas" (three bedroom units.)

I thought so too until I saw the recent posting on the II exchange opportunities board http://www.timeshareforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=16066

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

I am a little obsessive/compulsive. When I first bought my supertrader with II, I got up every morning at 3:30 a.m. Mountain Time, to check Disney availability. I found a Grande Villa one other time. It was very exciting but we were just back from Orlando, so I could never have talked Rick into it.

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

I said that Disney never deposits 3 bedrooms into II, and got this response:

I thought so too until I saw the recent posting on the II exchange opportunities board http://www.timeshareforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=16066

I'm convinced that Disney deposited that 3 bedroom just to make me look like a liar! Hey, if I say again that they never deposit 3 bedroom units, do you think maybe they'll deposit another one?

On that sightings thread, I said:
I have been watching the DVC deposits in II closely for about a year, and this is the first that I've heard of a 3 bedroom being seen online, or received for an ongoing request. Both this Grand Villa and the one Cindy saw were less than 60 days out. Disney is allowed to make its DVC inventory available for various other purposes if it has not been reserved by a DVC member at the 60 day mark. I'm guessing that they still won't release Grand Villas more than 60 days out.

LikiTikiGal, I suspect that LikiTiki will not be allowed to exchange into the DVC, as it is located too closely to Orlando. You could probably find out by calling II and asking. If you want to know what timeshare would be good to try trading into the DVC, PM me.