Old Key West Resort Reviews - Disney Reviews and Ratings

Author

freeplaxicoburress

Registered: March 2010
Posts: 2

Review Date: Sat March 6, 2010

Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 4

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	landscaping, theme
Cons:	no elevator, filthy shower when we checked in, poor TV,

We were excited that we were able to trade into DVC for our stay after our Disney cruise in August 2009, but the facilities were disappointing. It wasn't nearly as nice as our Marriott ownership or the Marriott facilities where we have stayed since purchasing in 2005.

Upon our arrival, we determined that housekeeping failed to clean the bathroom. Hair on the shower wall, a used women's razor with stubble on the ledge....just gross. We called housekeeping and a cast member from the Virgin Islands came in, determined that she forgot to clean it, and kept saying how sorry she was for the oversight. She removed the dirty razor and face cloth and left. We assumed it was to get cleaning materials, but she never came back. She was so dopey that we were afraid she would get fired for her poor effort, so we bought some cleaning products at Publix when we went to stock up on food for the week.

Like I said, we expected a lot and were disappointed with this DVC property. If staying on property wasn't such an advantage, we would stick to Marriott properties.

Disney quality seems to be declining, while they charge more and more.

The rooms were nice, but the TV was old and the coaxial/reception was bad from time to time.

The entire property has beautiful landscaping and the entire property is beautiful.

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janetjune27

Registered: February 2009
Posts: 5

Review Date: Mon January 4, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	good views from balcony
Cons:	busses can be noisy

had our stay on dec 13 thru 16, a 1bdrm villa
2nd floor, bld far from ck in, room was very clean,had a problem with tv remote was fixed with a call to maintanance promptly,the weather was in the 80s,very good stay I highly recommend

MommaluvsDis

Registered: May 2001
Posts: 2593

Review Date: Tue December 15, 2009

Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Lush vegetation, beautiful property
Cons:	Very Large resort

I gave this property an 8 because just going from point A to point B on the property can take awhile.

The rooms (we were in a two bedroom) were spotless and roomy.

We had an issue with our Disney Dining Plan and the resort manager John Ionne was rather rude about it. You'll get no support from management should you have a problem

domestic goddess

Registered: October 2002
Posts: 446

Review Date: Fri November 20, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 4

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	size of the room - studio, close parking
Cons:	room not clean, run down, very dim lighting

We were disappointed in the condition of this room. It was run down and worn, the microwave had not been cleaned, there was thick dust on the headboards and the tissue cover was broken. The lights were very dim and made the room somewhat dark in the evening and early morning.

The resort as a whole seemed quiet and check in went smoothly (we arrived at 12:30am) and the CM's in the gift shop and registration were very nice and helpful. The airline check in desk was very accomodating on our last day checking in for our flight home.

Dobbee69

Registered: October 2009
Posts: 8

Review Date: Thu October 29, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Atmosphere, staff, layout
Cons:	Rooms need updating

This was my first visit to Disney world in 20 years and my husbands first visit. We loved Old Key West! The staff was very, very friendly. Upon arrival our room was not ready. ( we arrived very early) So we headed down to Down Town Disney for lunch. We received a page when our room was ready while we ate lunch and headed back a few hours later and had a bellhop take us to the Studio that we were staying at. Our bags were there waiting for us. The rooms are a good size, plenty of room for two adults to move around without being underfoot. The room was clean no problems there. I noticed that we did not have any shampoo in the room so when we were in the lobby I had requested it and by the time we walked back to the room we had 4 bottles in the bathroom! Good Job! I do see that other people have made references to the conditions that the rooms are in need of refurbishment and I can say yes they are a little outdated. Some new rugs, paint, prints etc. Could do, but for the amount of time you spend in the room I did not find it a problem. As long as it is clean! As for the location of our room it was GREAT, we were within walking distance to the lobby, off of Old Turtle pond Rd. building 35. Every morning we would walk to Olivia’s for breakfast and then hop on the buses and go about our day. We were also very close to the bus stop so that was great as well. Our room was situated in the back of the building so we did not hear much bus noise at all. We were also very close to the community pool that we visited one evening. We liked the Condo feel of the layout. It was very quiet we never hear any noise from the neighbors. Unlike staying in a hotel with hallways with noisy people getting off elevators with children running down the hallways screaming at night. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and would visit again any time! See ya soon!

Honor

Registered: July 2006
Posts: 41

Review Date: Sun October 18, 2009

Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Beautiful theme, spacious
Cons:	Tired, worn out, dated

We thought we'd try OKW to be different. Saratoga is our home resort. We booked a week in March 2009. Our 1 bedroom villa was on the top floor, no elevator. We had to drag heavy luggage up three flight of stairs. Ok. The carpet had a huge, oily, still-wet stain right off the foyer. We requested it be cleaned but even after more than 24 hours, not done. The bathroom was moldy, dated, felt unclean. The furniture was torn and worn. The grout in tiled kitchen counter was heavily stained; many kitchen items were missing. The unit felt like a time warp from the 1980s. After one night, we asked if we could transfer to Saratoga. They graciously accomodated us. But the rest of the resort is absolutely beautiful. We often visit OKW to dine at Olivias since it's so near to Saratoga.

Ahabart

Registered: April 2007
Posts: 139

Review Date: Mon October 12, 2009

Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 5

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Room Size
Cons:	visible wear and tear/dirty, transportation service

This hotel should only be chosen if you value space above all else, including cleanliness. For a family that needs a kitchen and laundry room and can't afford anything else, this may be a good choice. We do not plan to return.

msufan

Registered: July 2009
Posts: 32

Review Date: Sun September 20, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	lots of amenities- the pool!!!
Cons:	huge property- takes a while to get anywhere

We thought OKW was really nice. It does need some updating, but overall it was fantastic. The staff was top notch and so friendly. They even gave my kids balloon animals when we checked into the hotel. It was quiet and we had a lovely view. Bus service is a little slow because the resort is just so big and it has to make so many stops even once you get back to OKW. It was really nice to have a W/D and fully stocked kitchen. Our absolute favorite part was the pool and the slide. You can also check out floats/noodles/etc for free right next to the pool. Towels are provided, as well. There are additional pools, too. We just did not go to these pools during our stay.

TheBlundells

Registered: January 2008
Posts: 122

Review Date: Sun September 6, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Very relaxing resort, pool area, large rooms
Cons:	none!

We loved our stay at OKW. We had a studio in building 24. The hospitality house was just over the road - 2 minutes walk. We had 2 queen beds, small kitchen area and a bathroom. The room was nicely decorated but not to the same standard as the newer DVC resorts. i.e no flat screen tv. The kitchen area is very small but equipped with microwave, toaster and coffee machine. There is no cupboard space to store food. The resort is beautiful and very relaxing.

Our kid (9 and 7) had a fantastic time at the pool and slide. When they had had enough they would visit Ted at Hank's rental to play ping pong, basketball, tennis or the play-station. We loved the pool area and turtle walk.

saintstickets

Registered: August 2009
Posts: 197

Review Date: Sat September 5, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Quiet, beautiful, room size
Cons:	Small walk to restaurant

My wife, 2 grown children and I stayed in a studio for Thanksgiving. We arrived several hours before 3:00 check-in but waited less than an hour and this was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving! Room had 2 queen size beds. Two grown children (19-girl & 23-boy) can't share bed so we brought a single inflatable bed. There was plenty of room to inflate bed. Left $5 for maid service and asked for extra towels. They left towels AND put sheets on inflatable bed! How's that for room service? Short walk to bus depot of about 50 yards. Bus came by every 15 minutes so very little waiting. Nice ride to any of the kingdoms. Parked car right outside room and did not get back in it until we left 5 days later. Very relaxing, very nice. So much so, we are looking at joining DVC and will make OKW our home resort.

emthmt28

Registered: July 2009
Posts: 1

Review Date: Fri July 17, 2009

Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 1

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	exterior appearance, several pools
Cons:	run down rooms, far from the "Disney" quality expected

I stayed here twice using my points from my Vacation Club. An absolute run down disaster. The first time I had blood stained sheets on the bed and a fridge that shocked you when you touched it (had a leak that was leaking onto the shredded electrical cord). Thank god I touched it before the kids did. The sheets and fridge were replaced after 6 hours of waiting. The queen sized bed now has full size bed sheets. At this point I gave up.

Second trip, our room wasn't ready until 6:00 PM, an absolute disgrace considering check-in time was 3:00 PM. Our luggage was lost at the resort somewhere, nothing like receiving diapers for you 2 y/o and 11 month old at midnight when you checked out of the all-star resorts at 11AM. Then I went to plug in my phone charger and the outlet was hanging out of the wall with the HOT WIRE fully exposed. Again I thank god I found this and not one of the little guys. The fridge was leaking AGAIN!!!!! Of course I can't forget to mention the broken leg on the bed, nothing like climbing into bed after I FINALLY got checked in and the bed rocking like ship due to it only having 3 legs!!!!! I only stayed at the all-star resorts due the 3 free nights offer, and only had enough points for 4 nights so figured I'd try something new. I cannot believe I'm saying this but I would DEFINITELY recommend the All-Star Resorts over this dump of a vacation club resort. Not to mention the guy below us smoking his cigar outside on his patio which made our entire room smell horrible and drove my asthma up the wall. But staff was great, only took 4 phone calls and 2 hours from someone to come and tell him to put it out. If this was my first stay at Disney I'd never go back, but I know first hand how great the other resorts are.

kim532

Registered: February 2000
Posts: 353

Review Date: Thu June 25, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 6

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	rooms were huge
Cons:	resort was way to large

I was not prepared for the size of this resort. I should have been clued in that there were 4 bus stops on the map. To get to the gift shop and main pool area, a bus is required unless you want to walk a bit.
Even getting to the parks, we were on the 15 minutes and still hadn't left the resort yet.
These negatives were offset by the size and amenities of the rooms. We had a dedicated 2 bedroom. It was wonderfull. The bath tub in the master bath was so large my 2 year old could go swimming in it.
We will definitely stay there again, but only when we plan on having our own vehicle to come and go without using Disney transportation.

bcvdreamer

Registered: June 2007
Posts: 579

Review Date: Thu June 25, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Relaxing Atmosphere, Room Size, Cast Members
Cons:	Large Resort

We love OKW. We had a 2 bedroom and a studio in building 12. The kids in our group, ranging in ages from 2-15 loved the pool and resort recreation activities. They all played ping pong, tennis and participated in an afternoon pool party. We all had fun at the pool party, and they the CMs even got the adults involved in the activities. The bus service and boat service were great. The resort CMs are all friendly. The rooms were in good condition. We did have broken wheels in the dishwasher, but we informed the front desk upon check out.

starwood

Registered: March 2000
Posts: 4919

Review Date: Thu June 25, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Great theming, love the background music
Cons:	Being it was the first DVC resort it is showing its age.

The atmosphere is so relaxing here. It really gives the feeling of Key West. It is quiet. We prefer getting a room by the hospitality house. That way we can frequent the general store and get the resort bus there. We also prefer getting a first floor room. I really don't want to carry my luggage up the stairs to the second or third floor.

We have had housekeeping issues where the room has not been cleaned properly but it was quickly remedied by calling.

disney0556

Registered: May 2005
Posts: 7

Review Date: Wed June 10, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	laid back,restful,large rooms
Cons:	may have to duck an errant golfball

My family has stayed in Old Key West resort on 5 occasions with a large family outing ( 10 ) planned for December. I have enjoyed staying in the studio,1 bedroom and 3 bedroom Grand Villa. The whole atmosphere of this resort is rwstful and laid back. Cast members have always been polite and attentive and downright happy. They must be putting something in the water. The rooms in this resort are larger than most every other DVC resort. I would suggest staying here.

bsusanmb

Registered: July 2004
Posts: 1818

Review Date: Sun June 7, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	large rooms, theme
Cons:	food is lacking, no elevator

Very relaxed feeling, great pool, pretty decor. Need to have a counter service restaurant. Our rooms that we have stayed in were in need of refurbishment. I would stay here again.

SheenaXena21

Registered: February 2005
Posts: 1053

Review Date: Tue May 19, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	The laid back feel, large rooms, 2 beds in studios
Cons:	bus system, no food court

I've stayed here twice. I would def. recommend staying in a room that's NOT near the road and away from the busses! They are so loud!

I love the laid back feeling of the resort. The CM's are so nice and helpful. The rooms are larger than other villa resorts and the studios have 2 queen beds, which is a definite plus.

It doesn't have a food court and the CS has a VERY limited menu. And the food sucks!

Sometimes the bus system was good other times you can wait forever!!!
Great resort and fewer points. Can't beat that.

jonmcguire

Registered: March 2007
Posts: 23

Review Date: Thu May 7, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Relaxing atmosphere
Cons:	Very spread out

Stayed in December 2008. Enjoyable trip, but it was cold and I was sick. Felt like everything was far away.

That said, the rooms are beautiful.

No elevators makes for a long trip to 3rd floor after a long day in the parks.

dgthree

Registered: January 2009
Posts: 259

Review Date: Wed May 6, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	large rooms, friendly cast
Cons:	huge property

My first experience with a DVC property was OKW. The pullout in the living room was more comfortable than many sleeper sofas I've experienced. While the room had a few quirks when we arrived, the issues were taken care of promptly.
Fortunately, we had a building that was within walking distance of the Hospitality House, which made going out to catch a bus in the morning quite easy. Coming home on the buses was a whole other experience, as HH was the last stop on the route if you didn't want to get off first and walk a bit.
Yes, this is an older resort, but it is well taken care of, and all the cast members we experienced were more than willing to bend over backwards to help us.
All in all, I loved my OKW experience, and would definitely go back.

clombardi

Registered: May 2005
Posts: 1333

Review Date: Sat May 2, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	beautiful landscaping, size of rooms
Cons:	counter service offerings

Love OKW rooms! The studio is great because it has 2 queens unlike many DVC studios with queen and pull-put couch. The 2 bedroom villa is huge!The atmosphere at OKW is so relaxing. You truly feel like you are in Key West or the Caribbean. The background music and the lush greenery make this a perfect get away. The Turtle Pond pool is fabulous as is the feature pool.

BrotherBear82

Registered: March 2008
Posts: 21

Review Date: Fri May 1, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Beautiful resort
Cons:	distance to Bus stops

This is a beautiful resort. I have to agree the rooms are very generous in size as conpared to the other DVC resorts. We prefer this resort when we stay in a studio. It is larger and layed out better than the other resorts. Being that we come from the northeast it's nice to believe you are in the tropics for a short time.

Julylady

Registered: January 2005
Posts: 414

Review Date: Fri May 1, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Size of units
Cons:	Need a car

We own at OKW and love staying there! Our last stay was November, 2008 in the Turtle Pond area in a dedicated 2-bedroom. We were just steps away from the pool, very convenient! We like to cook several meals in the unit to both save $$$ and prepare healthy options. The units are are well stocked with pots/pans and other cooking utensils.

Our favorite thing about OKW is the size of the units. There is plenty of room to spread out and relax. I love sitting on the balcony in the mornings with a cup of coffee listening to the birds and watching the golfers.

I never request a particular unit and have always been very happy with our location. We do recommend a car however, as some of the units are pretty far from the bus depots.

WaDiWo

Registered: April 2008
Posts: 187

Review Date: Thu April 30, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	beautiful property
Cons:	too far from parks, big with many bus stops

The original Disney Vacation Club!! Our initial stay here in 1991 convinced us to join DVC, and it's been worth it since. The property is gorgeous, like someplace I could live for the rest of my life. Rooms and suites are spacious and nice (heavy on the pastels, though). That being said, I personally like to opt for something closer to the parks. You have to wait for t abus and do a interminable loop throughout OKW before you even head out. Same when you go home.

cocowum

Registered: March 2004
Posts: 6087

Review Date: Wed April 29, 2009

Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 4

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Size of rooms
Cons:	room was really run down.

Our stay at OKW was short. We originally had a 10 day cash reservation here but after 2 days we had enough and moved to SSR. Our room wasn't ready until almost 6pm. The room was really run down. Broken appliances, stained rugs and furniture. Bell services lost our luggage and the cast members at the front desk were not at all helpful in resolving any of our issues.

brandylouwho

Registered: May 2006
Posts: 886

Review Date: Wed April 29, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	room & balcony size, lush vegetation, relaxing mood
Cons:	size--spread out

This was the first DVC Resort we ever stayed at and I fell in love. The size of the 1 bdrm was more than adequate for 3 adults, a preschooler & a baby. We were in one of the elevator buldings and it was a short walk to the main pool, front desk, etc. We found the bus service (in Sept 2007) to be timely--no serious issues. I wholeheartedly suggest this resort to others. I know I can't wait to return.

WaltD4Me

Registered: April 2003
Posts: 6271

Review Date: Wed April 29, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Theme, Atmosphere,
Cons:	BIG, Not all buildings have Elevators

I love Old Key West! I love the Key West theme and the whole feel of the resort. The rooms are very large and comfortable and it is a very nice to walk around. I've stayed in a regular studio and a 2 bedroom villa. The 2 bedroom was HUGE, bigger than my house I think. The rooms are well maintened, but I did think the furniture in the 2 bedroom could use a little updating. The fold out sleeper couch was all that comfortable, but other than that I wouldn't change a thing. Be aware too that all buildings don't have an elevator. We had villa on the 3rd floor and after a day at the parks believe me, hiking up to the 3rd floor wasn't fun. The boat ride to DTD is awesome.

dpuck1998

Registered: April 2003
Posts: 9062

Review Date: Wed April 29, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Huge Rooms, Quiet
Cons:	Bus Service, Location

The rooms at this resort are huge! This was my first DVC resort stay and we loved it. The location is the only downfall, but if you have a car then you will be fine. We really loved staying here and had a very relaxing stay.

dvcfamily41801

Registered: September 2001
Posts: 7777

Review Date: Tue April 28, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	The villas are huge!
Cons:	Some locations are far from main building

We love the community feeling of Old Key West, but sometimes you feel so far removed depending on your location at the resort. I prefer to be close to the Hospitality House, Oliva's, Conch Flats General Store and Community Hall. On one of our stays at Old Key West, we say that we are going to spend a day at the resort enjoying the activities at Community Hall.

We have only stayed in a studio and 1 bedroom at Old Key West and they are huge! We love the full size washer and dryer in the 1 bedroom. Most of the times we have had great experience with our villas, only a couple have we had problem (previous guests smoking and carpets soaked from a leak that had a moldy smell) but both times we received immediate attention. I much prefer the resorts with interior corridors because I get totally freaked out with critters outside the door!!

tn4mickey

Registered: August 2002
Posts: 382

Review Date: Tue April 28, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	relaxing atmosphere
Cons:	very large property

We really enjoyed the atmosphere at OKW. The studios have two queen sized beds rather than queen and sleeper sofa. Balcony/patios are very large and the views are awesome. Menu at Olivias has changed over the years and is not as good in our opinion. Without a car it's necessary to ride a bus everywhere although it is possible to walk to Downtown Disney (a nice hike).