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I am on holiday at the moment in DisneyWorld, Florida (WDW). With the benefit of multiple visits to the vacation capital of the world over the last 25 years, I am taking the opportunity to pen a couple of new articles for these pages as I dodge the regular hour or so of inclement weather in the afternoons.
I am sitting on the balcony overlooking the lake and Downtown Disney Marketplace with my trusty laptop in front of me. Our current accommodation is not at Disney's Old Key West Resort (OKW) but for various reasons this is the most appropriate topic for the first review. We went up to the resort yesterday (July 4th) to have a look at their celebrations and to take a few up to date photographs.
HISTORY
The Disney Organisation started looking at the Time Share concept in the late 1980s. Rather than buying one or two fixed weeks in an accommodation block they decided on selling a real estate interest to prospective vacationers. Depending on the size of the investment members were awarded points which they could trade for a variety of sizes of accommodations on a flexible basis throughout the year which was appropriate to their needs. This concept became the Disney Vacation Club (DVC).
Disney started construction of a series of accommodation units inside WDW - in the area between Disney Village and Epcot in 1992. Building continued over the course of the next four years and by the time it was complete there were 565 apartments. Although the complex itself was initially referred to as DVC, the name was changed to Disney's Old Key West Resort in the late 1990s when the concept expanded to other parts to the park. Now there are five DVC resorts in WDW (Old Key West, Boardwalk, Yacht Club, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Saratoga Springs) and two resorts outside of WDW (Vero Beach on the Florida Atlantic Coast and Hilton Head Island in South Carolina).
You can find more details of Disney Vacation Club in my recent review: http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Disney_Vacation_Club__Review_5588210
THE RESORT
There are now eighteen major hotel complexes 'on property' in WDW. These are graded by Disney as Deluxe, Moderate, Value and Vacation Club. Although the DVC hotels are aimed primarily at their membership each can be booked through conventional agencies. The Vacation Club offers a 'Home Away From Home' experience with more spacious accommodation, kitchens equipped for self catering and laundry facilities. Four styles of accommodation are
offered: the Studio apartment, which is a conventional hotel style room sleeping up to four in twin beds; the 1-bed (sleeps four); 2-bed apartment (sleeps eight) and the Grand Villa (sleeps twelve.
Disney's Old Key West Resort is built alongside the waterways that lead down to Downtown Disney. The fifth fairway of the Lake Buena Vista Golf Club also runs through it. The apartments are built into two and three storey blocks which resemble the gingerbread and clapperboard styling of the old houses in Key West, Florida. These are painted in pastel blues, pinks and greens. The blocks are further grouped into districts (Hospitality, Peninsular Road, Miller's Road, Old Turtle Pond Road and South Point), each of which has its own bus stop. All the names around the resort make some reference to Key West.
Entry to the resort is gained from the manned gate off Disney Vacation Club Drive (originally Community Drive). The 'front desk' is situated in Hospitality House, a large light and airy hall. The right hand end has a number of check-in desks, separate concierge and ticketing desks and a DVC information stand. To the left is the Library, a place for reading or sitting in quiet contemplation. Directly opposite is Conch Flats General Store, a gift shop which also stocks a range of provisions and Olivia's - OKW's restaurant.
"Downtown" OKW is clustered around Trumbo's Landing. Along the sidewalk is The Gurgling Suitcase (poolside bar and light snacks), The Electric Eel Games Room (fun for the larger kids!), Community Hall (arranges daily events and rents board games and DVDs) and Hank's Hire Service. At the end of the sidewalk is the main pool, a kiddie pool and a sand pit. At the side of the pool is the red and white painted OKW lighthouse (the base of which houses a sauna) which is illuminated at night time. 'Dry' activities include tennis, shuffleboard, bicycles (all equipment can be rented from Hanks), and a gym room. Hank also services boat rentals on the waterway. The resort is well supplied with jogging and running tracks which thread through the undeveloped perimeter undergrowth.
The grounds generally are well manicured. There are arcades of palms along the roads and the edge of the waterways. The areas around the houses have become dense islands of exotic vegetation.
Five buses service OKW - one each to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, the Animal Kingdom (and Blizzard Beach) and MGM Studios; and one to Downtown Disney (and Typhoon Lagoon). There is also a DVC water taxi which plies between Downtown Disney Marketplace and Trumbos Landing, calling at Disney's Saratoga Springs.
The resort has a full programme of events every day which will suit every member of the family. As an example this Saturday you could "Find All The Hidden Mickeys at Community Hall" at 9:30am; "Paint a Picture Frame" at 10am; Come to a "Un-Birthday Party" (for 5 - 12 year olds) at 12noon; "Decorate a Tote Bag" at 2pm; Go to an "Ice Cream Soda Magnet" at 3:30pm; watch a "Disney Classic Movie" at 4pm.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
We have stayed at OKW on ten occasions since 1992, mostly as members using our vacation points. Indeed my CIAO photograph was taken in the OKW main car park. We did stay once paying cash - arranged though the DVC member's desk and for which we received a 10% discount. We have had the opportunity of experiencing both the one and two bedroom apartments. We saw inside the grand villa, which spreads over two floors, during our induction tour. In practice a two bedroom apartment is created by opening up the communicating door between a one bedroom apartment and its neighbouring studio.
For reasons that will become clear in a later review, I shall concentrate on the one bed apartment here. The buildings are now up to thirteen years old but an ongoing maintenance and reconditioning programme keeps them in pristine condition. There are no lifts. There is plenty of parking adjacent to each building.
The room key is like a credit card and also serves as a theme park admission pass and a charge card for purchases and dining around the park. Entering the apartment leads to a Y-shaped foyer, one limb goes to the parlour, the other the main bedroom. The parlour is spacious and is dominated by a queen-sized sofa bed and another two seater sofa. At one side is the dining table (with overhead pendant light) and six chairs. To the other side is the kitchenette - fully equipped with stove, microwave, fridge, coffee maker and cutlery and crockery for eight. In the back of the central island is the main television. The bedroom, again large by many hotel standards, contains a king sized bed, armoire with television, desk with telephone
Pictures of Disney's Old Key West Resort, Orlando
"Welcome Home"
and internet point and easy chair. There are doors from the parlour and the bedroom onto the patio (ground floor) or balcony (upper floors).
The internal decor also tends towards pastel pinks and pale blues. The soft furnishings are semi tropical and floral in design. There is a generous supply of bedding and pillows. Two of our younger members have spent their vacations on the pull down sofa bed with no undue side effects and were more than happy to claim the parlour for their own after hours.
The bathing and utility area tends to vary in layout from block to block. There is a large whirlpool bath (a distinguishing feature is that a 'window' directly above the bath between the bathroom and bedroom can be opened and closed with louvred doors). There is a separate room with a large shower cubicle (in some ground floor apartments this is capable of taking a wheelchair) and wash hand basin. This leads to the toilet. All apartments also have a utility feature (washing machine, tumble dryer, iron and ironing board and vacuum cleaner) contained either in a separate room or in a large cupboard. Soaps, washing powder, toiletries and tissues are supplied in abundance.
In all areas there is ample drawer, cupboard and hanging space sufficient to store away those suitcases and to dispose of wet swimming costumes and ponchos. The floor space of the 1-bedroom apartment is 932 square feet; the 2-bedroom - 1333 square feet.
OLIVIA'S
Originally said to have been styled after a home cooking Key West restaurant (Olivia was the proprietor in the 1930s), Olivia's is decorated out in cream with and large paddle ceiling fans. The walls are decked out with old photographs and mementos of the Florida Keys and models of game fish. Another feature is the member's wall. Since its first opening, DVC members have been encouraged to leave a framed and labelled photograph of their family group on vacation. In the past, OKW has also featured a children's character breakfast with Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore and Tigger too!
We have eaten at Olivia's on occasions, preferring the lunch to dinner menu. Indeed we sampled the lunch menu yesterday. Examples of their appetisers include Crab Cakes with Key Lime Mustard Sauce ($9.49) and Conch Chowder ($4.69). Entrees range from Herb-roasted Half Chicken with Olivia's Potatoes ($15.99), Penne Pasta with Shrimp, Asiago Cheese, Tomatoes, Spinach and Garlic ($16.99) to Turkey Club Sandwich ($9.19). You could then finish off with a Key Lime Tart with Raspberry Sauce ($5.49)
Their bar service offers a number of heady (strong!!) cocktails with such names as Turtle Crawl and Sultry Seahorse, wines and beers.
MEMO TO PROXAM, TANGE: They also serve chilled Key West Sunset Ale on draft.
COMPARISONS AND COMMENTS
As I noted above, OKW is a DVC resort but it is open to non-members who want the additional freedom of a self catering accommodation. Members do have the advantage of being able to book early - and request an apartment in their particular favourite block - and obtaining a number of discounts on purchases, dining and tickets. They also have their own "Members Only" activities including a "Welcome Home" meet on a Tuesday. Choice of the site of your room is probably less critical with the inexperience of your first visit. Do however make a note of any special needs (young children, disabled, difficulty with stairs etc) when you check in and these will be catered for.
There are a few advantages to a cash booking however. Firstly you get daily room service (beds made, change of linen and towels, trash removal, crockery put in the dishwasher). Members only get a trash removal every four days and room makeover at eight days.
Being the oldest of the properties there are some inherent differences. The room sizes are larger, better seating, much greater storage space. However there is more tendency for sounds to reverberate from neighbours. Bath tubs take an age to fill and are noisy when emptying. Cistern flushes are also quite noticeable particularly through the night.
Transport experiences are variable. Each bus is supposed to run on a 30 minute schedule. It is however quite easy to get to a destination by another undocumented route and see a lot more of WDW in doing so. Just missed the bus to Epcot? Try bussing to MGM Studios and then talking the launch. This brings you to the International Gateway, a much quieter entrance into World Showcase. The bus to the Magic Kingdom went early? Go to Epcot, transfer to the Monorail to the Ticketing Center and then cross the lake.
If your vacation will be spent wholly 'on property' you may not need to hire a car. Disney have now made an arrangement with Mears Transport of Orlando (called Disney's Magical Express) which will pick you up at Orlando International Airport and take you straight to reception. With some airlines you can also check in for your return flight before leaving the resort.
BOOKING
We made our current (July 2006 - at DVC but not OKW) booking on line with Disney.co.uk. The current advertised rates at OKW are from £168 for the Studio; £226 for the 1-Bed and £316 for the 2-Bed apartment. These prices are PER ROOM per night.
For a party of three (one 17 year old) a ten day stay in a one bedroom apartment comes to £2260. Disney UK currently has an offer of a 14 day park admission pass for the price of a 7 day pass. Add this option and the ten day stay becomes £2785.
A party of six (with 12 and 10 year old children) staying for ten days in a two bedroom apartment would pay £3160 (£4560 including 14 day passes)
Booking is confirmed by a deposit of 10% by credit card: the full balance is taken about 30 days prior to departure. Accommodation and ticket vouchers are sent by mail along with an introductory guide to WDW.
POSTSCRIPT: "WHERE THE MAGIC NEVER ENDS" was the original advertising slogan for Disney's Old Key West Resort aka Disney Vacation Club
Internal room picture and floor plan from www.ourlaughingplace.com and www.wdisneyw.co.uk
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