Old Key West...will I feel like I'm in Disney??

With the spring offer, we can book Old Key West within our budget...wondering what that may be like...
Some backround..we have always stayed Poly. 40+ visits, but I can no longer justify/accept the pricing there. Want to reduce cost for our five day trip in the spring. Old Key west popped up as an option in the 1 BR villa category.. We do like to relax at our resort, what will this feel like if we chose it? Disney enough? Is it so big that we would have to drive to the pool at the resort? Any experiences or feedback would be super!

Old Key West is our home resort. We just stayed in a one bedroom there this past December. If you decide to stay at this resort, you won't believe the amount of space you will have within a one bedroom unit!! Added pluses include the kitchen and in-suite washer and dryer as well as the jetted tub in the bathroom. You'll also enjoy the oversized patio/lanai that comes with your room.

That said, it is a very large resort. There are some quiet pools scattered about the property. Except for our very first trip, each time we have stayed, we have requested a location near to Hospitality House so we have been within walking distance of the main building, store, restaurant, lounge and pool. The resort does run an internal bus if you are staying further away and need to bus to the pool. Plus, one bus route runs the reverse of the others - I think it's the bus that goes to Disney Springs.

It does have a different vibe than some of the other resorts but I've felt it's not Disney enough.

We have stayed there once and probably wouldn't stay there again. It's a very large resort and if your room location isn't close to the main pool then yes driving to the pool is your best option. It could be a long walk from your room. Unless you are good with the quiet pools scattered throughout.

We felt that Old Key West and Saratoga Springs resorts did not feel as Disney as we are used to at other resorts. We did like OKW a lot more than SSR, however we would most likely pick a moderate over either of these resorts.

Hi Lisa, good to see you back! I think I remember you staying at Hilton Head once, IMO OKW would be similar to that as far as decor and feeling. As Linda mentioned, if you do decide to stay there request to be near the Hospitality House, that's where you will find the main pool, shop, counter service, and Olivia's. I think my second choice would be Miller's Road which has it's own pool and is still near HH.

The living area is large and you would have a sleeper sofa and a sleeper chair so there would be no sharing. The units also have screened in porches which are nice for the morning coffee or to relax at night after the parks.

Cash bookings cannot book hospitality house.

If you are looking for another resort besides Poly, try the Coronado Springs. We used to stay at Poly all the time too but then realized for that rate we could stay at CSR for twice as long. We loved Poly for the laid-back feel and the lush tropical landscaping, but I think Coronado's grounds are just as beautiful if not more and the grounds are larger, so if you want to take a nice quiet early morning walk around the lake you can. Plus it never feels crowded, especially the pool areas. Always felt like the Poly pool was so crowded it just wasn't enjoyable. Also, they have a great food court that Poly never had, so many options for everyone. Although I will admit you don't get a view of Castle at CSR and the convenience of the monorail like you do at Poly, the buses at CSR are really great and efficient, as they don't share with any other resort as most others do. We usually drive, and CSR is just a short drive from MK and Epcot. We love it and probably won't ever waste the money at Poly again.

I can tell you from experience of also being a Poly child (only stayed at 2 other resorts) very little will compare however you may find another resort to meet while also saving some money. One of the resorts we did stay at was CS. Overall I agree with minnie-mouse's comments. We did not like the food court & guest services (check in, etc) was lacking. Outside of the reception area CMs they were great. The grounds beautiful and spacious & the rooms very quiet. The bus service was also good & we did drive many places on our own & was also convenient. Many things have been improved upon (been told) since our visit there including the food court. I would suggest making a list of what you want/need at the resort & see which ones meet those criteria best without breaking your budget. Another option could be a split stay bw your favorite & another more cost effective resort. That is our plan for our next trip.

The only problem with Coronado is that OP said she has a teen boy and girl and would like them to have separate beds. Coronado rooms do not have the 5th sleeping space they would like.

Of course you could always request a roll away bed. I have relatives who got a roll away bed at Coronado so that their teens had separate sleeping spaces. Of course they will say that roll away beds are not guaranteed. Also I believe there was a charge per night for the roll away. Not a significant charge, but there is a small fee.

There are some very interesting responses here. To be honest, we feel that OKW has as much Disney "feel" as any of the other resorts on property. I will admit, it's tough to completely measure up to the monorail resorts, but OKW has so much going for it. A 1BR villa at OKW would make for a terrific stay. The rooms are spacious, offer so many options (like cooking, a refrigerator to store drinks and snacks, beautiful outdoor patios, washer/dryer, etc), and offer a very relaxing feel (at least in our opinion). We are DVC, and OKW is our home resort for more than 20 years, and I still get a great feeling when we pull into OKW that first day.

That being said, it is spread out. Depending which building you stay in, there is a chance you'll be closer to one of the smaller pools, or you might want to hop on a bus (or in a car) to get to the main pool area. But we've really not had any issue over the years just taking a leisurely walk to Conch Flats, if our room was a bit more remote. I would highly recommend you give it a try and see what you think.

Coronado Springs has Junior Suites. They aren't too pricey and can sleep 6.

CS seems more spread out to me than OKW plus the rooms are smaller since it is a moderate. I also didn't like that it was a hike across the parking lot to get to the bus stop (similar to Caribbean Beach). I missed the patio at Coronado. One thing I really like about OKW is the boat access to DTD.

We found OKW to be very quiet and a beautiful resort but it did not feel "Disney" to us. The rooms were amazingly large but we were sharing with another family and felt confined to our bedroom as they had the master bedroom and their teen daughters took over the living space with the sleeper sofa. That may have colored our experience a bit.

OKW looks very nice but, for me, it resembles an apartment complex a bit too much. Having spent a good amount of time living in apartments, when I'm on vacation, I want a hotel. That is the only thing about it that would give me pause about spending my vacation there.

OKW is also our home resort. As mentioned above, the rooms are huge and the grounds are beautiful. It is made to resemble a "vacation home." It was the original DVC resort so most guests there are original DVC owners, which for me is amazing but there aren't a lot of young families there.

The environment is super relaxing and there is a pool within walking distance of every room. It just might e a quiet pool though. It's definitely more relaxing than "Disney."

CSR is my fav moderate. Ive stayed there a few times and like the Cabanas and Casitas location more than the Ranchos. we stayed at OKW 1 bedroom by renting points. very nice and big with a nice patio, hot tub, kitchen. it was costly though. Id stay at both again. they arent as disney as some of the others prob since CSR is a convention resort. id stay at either, CSR first due to cost.