Considering OKW or Saratoga Springs

[Dakota731]

Ive only stayed at AKL, BWI and Port Orleans. How will they compare? I’m worried they won’t be Disney enough!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I would recommend OKW. It is almost done with refurb. SSR starts refurb soon. It needs it.

If you liked PO you will like either OKW or SSR, both of which have far nicer pools than PO

 

[CinderellaDream]

We've stayed at all the hotels you mention except SSR and they all have their pros and cons but I wouldn't hesitate to stay at OKW. We loved it and absolutely recommend it (especially if you get a refurb room).

 

[Sparkly]

I also reccommend OKW, spacious rooms, lovely laid back feel to the resort, boat to.Disney Springs. Can't go wrong!

 

[Micca]

AKL is pretty much "maximum Disney" so you won't get to that level of magic. We're DVC members at both SSR & OKW and enjoy our stays at both. The cool thing about SSR is that you can walk to DS. OKW is the original DVC resort and the rooms are a bit larger, and Olivia's is a hidden gem of Disney dining. Unless you have kids who need the max Disney magic possible you'd feel comfortable at either of these resorts.

 

[ajwilhorn]

DW and I stayed at OKW for the first time last month and loved it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

OKW has very few buildings with elevators. So if you can't climb the stairs book SSR. SSR has elevators in every building.

Also, what do you consider to be "Disney enough"?

Neither has a food court like PO. OKW only has a table service restaurant and a pool side small counter service with all dining at an outdoor picnic table. SSR has one table service restaurant and one counter service. Bigger than OKW, but not a food court either.

 

[tinabina919]

Ive stayed at both and wouldn’t again. They are just too big, it took us too long to get to the parks with the internal busses. SSR was good for our last day to walk to DS but that’s about all.

 

[Deb & Bill]

By the way, just got back from two nights at OKW and took buses to Epcot and MK. In both cases, hardly any wait for the bus and I even got a seat (very nice younger guys offered me a seat and I really appreciated it). Buses didn't take that long to get to either theme park. And in both cases, the bus stop was pretty close to the front of the bus stops. We got on the bus either at Millers Road or the Hospitality House (we were about halfway between the two) and we usually rode the bus around the resort returning from the theme parks. It doesn't take that long at all. We always met some really nice people on the buses and talking with them made the trip feel even shorter. OKW has five bus stops and, unless you are loading or unloading scooter, it's really a quick trip around to all the stops.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Size-wise, both OKW and SSR are smaller than CBR and Coronado.

 

[meggiebeth]

We’ve stayed at Saratoga Springs a few times and visited (but not stayed at) Old Key West. We personally much preferred SSR’s theming; it was much more grand, eye catching and pretty to us. We prefer the theming of the villas, and the pools. The location is also slightly better, as you can walk to Disney Springs. Old Key West is a nice resort, but doesn’t have as much grandeur. That said, we like that it has a table service restaurant for breakfast, and this would be really useful if staying there.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

We just returned from SSR and LOVED it. We have previously stayed at AKL - Jambo and Boardwalk Villas. We love all of these places for different reasons. SSR was beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing. The CMs are the best I've encountered. I cannot wait to stay there again.

 

[IndyToThere]

Just got back from a 2 night stay at Old Key West. I always assumed OKW was the old dog of the deluxe resorts and not that particularly great. However, I really enjoyed it and liked it even more than the Boardwalk where we had stayed last year. That said, you don't have quick park access like some of the other resorts, but the resort itself is very peaceful and relaxing. I'm wanting to try out Animal Kingdom Lodge at some point in the future but would definitely stay at OKW in a heartbeat. If you happen to drive (which we didn't), it's that much more convenient as you can park right in front of your room.

 

[Tony Toon]

We have stayed at SSR several times and OKW once. We prefer SSR but still are obviously still happy to stay at OKW.

We have never had a problem getting a bus at SSR although we were at Grandstand (first stop) in October. Haven't ever had a problem at The Paddock or Congress Park either although we didn't always get a seat.
OKW we were at the last stop and the bus was often full when it came.
Rooms at OKW are very big and many are now really fresh having been refurbed
SSR rooms are starting to look a little dated although any we've stayed in have been lovely. DD had to ask to be moved from one at Congress Park that wasn't up to scratch once.
SSR location. Easy walk to DS if you're at Congress Park.
OKW doesn't really have anywhere near that's an easy walk.
Both have boat access to DS. SSR is a very short ride and is much quicker than the bus.
SSR food options. Turf Club Bar and Grill has been lovely every time we've eaten there. Artist's Palette is a good counter service with freshly prepared option.
OKW food options not so good in our opinion. Olivia's was good but the QS option is literally a hatch beside the pool with a very limited menu.
Better choice of pools at SSR.
CMs at both resorts have been lovely.
While SSR is larger the walkways are so well laid out everywhere is a short walk away. We found that depending on where you were it could be a long walk to get about at OKW.
As already mentioned the lack of lifts at OKW could be a problem.

Having said that we prefer SSR we are booked to stay at OKW at the end of the month for 9 days. SSR wasn't available and we had no hesitation in going for OKW. We have also stayed at Pop, AK, BC, POFQ and will stay at AoA for a couple of nights before checking in to OKW. In the past if budget was not a consideration we'd choose BC. Not so sure at the moment though with all the building in that area.

Mrs TT

 

[Deb & Bill]

See

We have stayed at SSR several times and OKW once. We prefer SSR but still are obviously still happy to stay at OKW.

We have never had a problem getting a bus at SSR although we were at Grandstand (first stop) in October. Haven't ever had a problem at The Paddock or Congress Park either although we didn't always get a seat.
OKW we were at the last stop and the bus was often full when it came. Just got back from OKW on Friday and were located on Millers Road. Always got a seat, even if we caught the bus at the Hospitality House.
Rooms at OKW are very big and many are now really fresh having been refurbed
SSR rooms are starting to look a little dated although any we've stayed in have been lovely. DD had to ask to be moved from one at Congress Park that wasn't up to scratch once.
SSR location. Easy walk to DS if you're at Congress Park.
OKW doesn't really have anywhere near that's an easy walk. You can walk to Disney Springs during daylight hours from OKW. So that means you can also walk to SSR from OKW.
Both have boat access to DS. SSR is a very short ride and is much quicker than the bus.
SSR food options. Turf Club Bar and Grill has been lovely every time we've eaten there. Artist's Palette is a good counter service with freshly prepared option.
OKW food options not so good in our opinion. Olivia's was good but the QS option is literally a hatch beside the pool with a very limited menu. Goods to Go is a smaller counter service and it does have a limited menu. But since you have either a full kitchen or kitchenette, you can prepare anything you like.
Better choice of pools at SSR. Why do you stay that? The main pool at the Hospitality House is really nice and even has a sauna there. And the three other pools are nice, plus the Turtle Pond pool has a small counter service that is open seasonally.
CMs at both resorts have been lovely.
While SSR is larger the walkways are so well laid out everywhere is a short walk away. We found that depending on where you were it could be a long walk to get about at OKW. At most, it's ten minutes from anywhere at OKW to the Hospitality House. But you can hop any bus to get to the HH. And hop either an internal bus or cross the bridge to Peninsular Road to take a bus back to your area. At SSR you can hop a bus to the Springs to get to Artist Palette, but you'll have to walk back.
As already mentioned the lack of lifts at OKW could be a problem. Three buildings at OKW do have elevators, but they are usually reserved for medical needs. But most of the buildings are only two stories tall, so one short flight of stairs isn't difficult, even for us oldies.

Having said that we prefer SSR we are booked to stay at OKW at the end of the month for 9 days. SSR wasn't available and we had no hesitation in going for OKW. We have also stayed at Pop, AK, BC, POFQ and will stay at AoA for a couple of nights before checking in to OKW. In the past if budget was not a consideration we'd choose BC. Not so sure at the moment though with all the building in that area.

Mrs TT

See my comments in blue.

 

[Tony Toon]

See
See my comments in blue.

That's good to know. To be fair we usually stay at peak time (4th July/New Year) so everything is crowded. October just past was much busier than we have ever experienced previously. We thought it compared with 4th July! Fingers crossed we have the same experience as you did when we go for New Year.

Mrs TT

 

[Nancyg56]

We are at OKW now and have mixed feelings. This is one gorgeous resort, to be sure. The grounds are meticulously groomed, and having stayed at many of the WDW resorts I can say that the staff here are among the friendliest I have encountered. I always find CM's in every Disney resort well trained and friendly, and I think these folks are top notch.

We are at Turtle Pond in a two bdrm villa, and it is lovely. The rooms are spacious and were spotless upon arrival. The mousekeeping is good so far, although yesterday we never got it, so we just asked for towels. I am not sure whet the mixu was because after asking a mousekeeper to just make a note to have houseeeping the following day *she had said we were not geting it that day) the manager called to tell me we were entitled to it daily. I know, and explained what had happened. I honestly think it is becuase we are at a DVC resort so there was confusion.

The only thing I can complain about is that we need to take a bus even for breakfast, and we were a little thrown by the outdoor seating. I know why , but for some reason we were not expecting that. This resort villa meets all of our needs but that one, and is the best option for my crew's dynamic, but I was not prepared for the difference between this resort and the ones I normally book for the family. I would suggest that anyone who is considering booking thie resort be sure they truly do understand that it is not set up like a normal deluxe resort food court wise, and ask if they are okay with that. If you are, this one is a perfect choice. It took me two days to get over making my own coffee! LOL!!!! Not really, we just bought some at the store and get it ready, so it's all good now.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We thought the food options were good at SSR. Everything we got at Artist's Palette was tasty. It was very quiet. We were in Grandstand, we had a relatively short walk to the main bldg but it was long to DS (which wouldn't be bad if not in a hurry to get somewhere). The boat to DS was closed kind of early, we thought, when we were there (8pm/mid-March), which surprised us. Had to take a bus. In general we found the boats in that area to be a little confusing - but we haven't really spent a lot of time there.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...The only thing I can complain about is that we need to take a bus even for breakfast, and we were a little thrown by the outdoor seating. I know why , but for some reason we were not expecting that. This resort villa meets all of our needs but that one, and is the best option for my crew's dynamic, but I was not prepared for the difference between this resort and the ones I normally book for the family. I would suggest that anyone who is considering booking thie resort be sure they truly do understand that it is not set up like a normal deluxe resort food court wise, and ask if they are okay with that. If you are, this one is a perfect choice. It took me two days to get over making my own coffee! LOL!!!! Not really, we just bought some at the store and get it ready, so it's all good now.

Why not just eat in your villa? You have either a kitchenette or full kitchen.

 

[Nancyg56]

Why not just eat in your villa? You have either a kitchenette or full kitchen.

I think I needed to do a quick mindset change, because we generally enjoy a breakfast at the CS restaurants. We now have coffee and half and half in the villa, egg whites for my niece, plenty of leftovers for us, so we can have something before heading to the parks. The issue was totally me and not the resort,

I do think that this is a different kind of stay than what we are used to in regards to used to, and for my crew the is the best option. The amount of space is perfect for us, and proximity to the pool could not be better. We have only encountered friendly people.