The good the bad the ugly of OKW renovations (update pg 13)

[BobNed]

I haven't stayed at OKW yet but I read on the resort boards that some people buy a helium balloon the first day of their visit and leave it in the room near the A/C. The balloon moves and sets off the motion detector so the A/C stays on.

HTH!

That might have worked on older motion sensors, but the new type are too sophisticated to be fooled by a balloon. They use infrared sensors that look for heat, mass (body-sized mass), etc. A balloon won't trick them

 

[Goofygirl17]

Didn't know that. That's too bad.

 

[MELSMICE]

we had a great time with good weather and met some really nice people (Hi to Melsmice if you are reading this, so good to meet you at Vero then at OKW )

Same to you Pootle. It was a pleasure meeting you & your DH.

Both myself & my DH agree that OKW was done on the cheap, which is quite disappointing. Not only was it done cheaply, I feel whoever they hired to do the renovations were subpar in how they did things. We've been in 2 renovated units to date & each one had paint platters or brush strokes across cupboards, woodwork and/or countertops.

I still love OKW but I definitely wish they would have put some more thought & money into the renovations.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Same to you Pootle. It was a pleasure meeting you & your DH.

Both myself & my DH agree that OKW was done on the cheap, which is quite disappointing. Not only was it done cheaply, I feel whoever they hired to do the renovations were subpar in how they did things. We've been in 2 renovated units to date & each one had paint platters or brush strokes across cupboards, woodwork and/or countertops.

I still love OKW but I definitely wish they would have put some more thought & money into the renovations.

That is the part that stunned me as well. I never expected it to be so slovenly done. They took what was an originally very impressive unit back in 1993 and renovated it into a cheap looking condo.

I still LOVE OKW, and my whole reason for starting this thread was to see if others felt the same way about the renovations. I know I'll still spend most of my WDW trips there, but it makes me sad that I feel they have spent maintenance money to devalue my "home".

 

[BobNed]

That is the part that stunned me as well. I never expected it to be so slovenly done. They took what was an originally very impressive unit back in 1993 and renovated it into a cheap looking condo.

I still LOVE OKW, and my whole reason for starting this thread was to see if others felt the same way about the renovations. I know I'll still spend most of my WDW trips there, but it makes me sad that I feel they have spent maintenance money to devalue my "home".

It isn't going to hold up either, IMHO. On our February trip in building 51, the nightstand in the master was already showing signs of wear; the paint was scratched in several places with the old finish showing through. Can't wait to see what it looks like a year from now - or sooner.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yes, the GV we were in in January in building 15 was also showing lots of scratches on the new surfaces. The only suface that wasn't scratched was that ugly coffee table!

 

[MELSMICE]

Yes, the GV we were in in January in building 15 was also showing lots of scratches on the new surfaces. The only suface that wasn't scratched was that ugly coffee table!

It probably was but you just can't tell!

 

[dianeschlicht]

It probably was but you just can't tell!

HA HA HA HA !!!!!

 

[cc1075]

Our friends are at OKW in a two bedroom. I don't think much thought went into this project at all. They don't like the blinds - I don't think anyone will - the nasty coffee table - the dark wood, etc. etc. But, I think the biggest disappointment for me is the lack of thought for the owners. This is not just some hotel we are stopping at for the night - it is our home away from home. The studio - well they have taken away at least half of the storage area by putting the beds on platforms - where do we put our luggage - shoes, etc. etc. From everything I have read - I do not think our trip next month will be met with many smiles. Glad we drive - I guess we will just keep everything in the car. So instead of our home away from home - we will now be in upgraded camping! So sad they didn't put more thought into the renovation. Sounds it was done by a committee that never met on a very limited budget.

 

[Pootle]

Ah yes, those blinds

What an effort to put them up and down! The ones in the living room stayed up once we realised it was not a 60-second job, and the blinds in the master stayed closed. They are just so difficult to do .

We had a maintenance guy out for the a/c and I mentioned that he was sure to be kept busy by those blinds - his face said it all

 

[WDWMom]

Ah yes, those blinds

What an effort to put them up and down! The ones in the living room stayed up once we realised it was not a 60-second job, and the blinds in the master stayed closed. They are just so difficult to do .

We had a maintenance guy out for the a/c and I mentioned that he was sure to be kept busy by those blinds - his face said it all

Glad we will be in a 2 bdrm this trip so we won't have to mess with them. No one will have to sleep in the living room so we can keep the blinds open. I doubt the boys will even close their's. Depending on our view, DH and I might not need to close our's.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Glad we will be in a 2 bdrm this trip so we won't have to mess with them. No one will have to sleep in the living room so we can keep the blinds open. I doubt the boys will even close their's. Depending on our view, DH and I might not need to close our's.

It isn't really the blinds that are the issue, but rather the roman shades on the French doors. We didn't have any issues with the blinds behind the sofas at all.

 

[Pootle]

It isn't really the blinds that are the issue, but rather the roman shades on the French doors. We didn't have any issues with the blinds behind the sofas at all.

Yes, they are the ones that I was referring to also. Here in the UK we would refer to them as 'Roman blinds'.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yes, they are the ones that I was referring to also. Here in the UK we would refer to them as 'Roman blinds'.

Aha! A semantics issue!

 

[Checkers]

OP, we are here in a 2br and I pretty much agree with you on everything. I really was prepared to like the renovations but am disappointed. The master bathroom is in dire need of renovation and don't get me started on the flushing mechanism! I do like the new balcony furniture, however.

 

[DenLo]

I would expect it's pretty expensive to do a complete remodel including complete bathroom and kitchen makeovers. I wouldn't think most DVC members would be interested in having increased annual dues to pay for that extensive remodel.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I would expect it's pretty expensive to do a complete remodel including complete bathroom and kitchen makeovers. I wouldn't think most DVC members would be interested in having increased annual dues to pay for that extensive remodel.

The problem is that this was billed as a 90% makeover. I don't see it as that at all. Frankly, the items that would most need renovation after 20 years in ANY residence is going to be the kitchen and bathrooms. I doubt that paint and cheap floor coverings along with adding a few new window treatments really classifies as a total renovation. Other timeshares do pretty complete ones, and I would expect Disney to do just as much.

 

[cc1075]

My favorite so far... we have friends at OKW right now. The text message they sent...... looks like a 1941 Holiday Inn.

 

[dianeschlicht]

My favorite so far... we have friends at OKW right now. The text message they sent...... looks like a 1941 Holiday Inn.

OMG! That is one that should be sent to the Member Satisfaction team!!!

 

[rachel09985]

Does anyone know if all the 1 bedroom units are updated already or will be updated by beginning of June?