Category — q. Reviews

Refurbed Rooms at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

by Dave

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, see this.)

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort has been undergoing a room refurbishment. Of its six areas, three are done, one (the Grandstand area) is well along, and the last area confirmed for refurb, the Carousel, should be completed by sometime this summer. There’s no official word on a refurb to the sixth area at Saratoga Springs, the Treehouses, which saw a minor set of changes in 2016.

Thanks to COVID stuff, I have not yet had a chance to stay in any of these refurbed rooms, but do have some new floor plans of the refurbished rooms at Saratoga Springs to share, and some simple observations coming from comparing them with the former spaces. More will come after I can stay here.

REFURBISHED STUDIOS AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

Like most other recent Disney World refurbs, Studios at Saratoga Springs have gained a nice wooden-look floor, and the queen bed is now a single mattress on a platform, allowing for storage below it.

As in other recent Disney Vacation Club construction and refurbs, the fold-out sofa bed has been replaced with a fold-down bed, which is more consistently comfortable.

The small table and two chairs that used to be in the corner near the balcony are gone. I don’t see the value of or need for this change, and it seems to diminish the livability of these rooms.

REFURBISHED ONE BEDROOM VILLAS AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

In the Living-Dining-Kitchen area of One (and Two) Bedroom Villas at Saratoga Springs, the major changes are in the living area.

As in Studios, the fold-out sofa bed has been replaced with a fold-down bed, which is more consistently comfortable.

In front of tis fold-down bed is a larger, L-shaped couch with a movable piece that can serve as either a chair or a footstool. This new couch increases the overall seating capacity of this area.

The dresser has been replaced with a fold-down twin sized bed underneath the TV. This adds both capacity and flexibility to sleeping arrangements, and this space can now sleep three, rather than the two it could sleep before. There likely is a net reduction in storage space thanks to the dresser being replaced with this fold-down twin, but I won’t know that for sure, or how much the net change matters, until I investigate this space in person. These (and Studios, and Two Bedroom Villas) have always been among the smallest instances of their given room type among the DVC resorts, and short on closet space, so I am a little suspicious…

The dining table has had two chairs added, and now looks to seat five. These chairs, however, came from the old breakfast bar that used to be between the kitchen and living area and is now gone—perhaps to make room for the fold-down twin bed–so there’s no real net increase in dining seating capacity…and perhaps a reduction in “places to put your plates.”

Wood-look floors replace carpets in this entire area.

The master king bedroom and bath have seen smaller changes, principal among them being losing the desk in the bedroom, and having the spa tub in the bath being replaced with a soaker tub that takes up less space on the long wall, and thus permits a larger sink area. Also gone here is the shuttered viewing space between the bath/sink area and the bedroom area.

REFURBISHED LOCKOFF TWO BEDROOM VILLAS AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

“Lockoff” Two Bedroom Villas combine a One Bedroom Villa and a Studio via a connecting door, so changes to them combine the changes ot the two spaces already discussed. These will now sleep in total nine, but as in the past there’s still not remotely near enough space in the living/dining areas for nine.

REFURBISHED DEDICATED TWO BEDROOM VILLAS AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

“Dedicated” Two Bedroom Villas at Saratoga Springs have a second bedroom that is similar to a Studio, but not identical to it.

For example, it has two queens rather than the queen and fold-down bed of a Studio–and this also loses the sofa. Instead of a mini-kitchen it has a closet, and the closet in the sink area of the Studio is gone, and replaced with a larger double sink. In where in a Studio would be an entry area and exterior door, it has a second closet. There’s no longer a table and chairs in this space.

REFURBISHED GRAND VILLAS AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

Grand Villas see the flooring changes seen elsewhere in the Saratoga Springs refurb. Other changes appear minor.

The fold out couch in the living room is replaced with a fold-down bed.

The breakfast counter is gone from the area between the kitchen and dining room

The master king bedroom has largely the same changes as the king bedroom in One and Two Bedroom Villas.

The two upstairs bedrooms have changes similar to those in the second bedroom of Dedicated Two Bedroom Villas.

I’ll come back to all of these spaces after I’ve had a chance to stay in them!

PHOTO TOUR OF A STUDIO AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

This review continues here.

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March 31, 2021 No Comments

Theming and Accommodations at Disney’s Old Key West Resort

by Dave

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Old Key West Resort, see this.)

THEMING AND ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

Disney’s Old Key West Resort is one of many Disney Vacation Club options at Walt Disney World. These resorts are available not only to DVC members, but also to everyone else, just like any other Disney World offering, through the regular Walt Disney World website or resort reservations phone number at 407-939-7675.

Kelly, the long-time travel agent partner of this site, can also book them for you. See the form near the bottom of this page for how to contact her.

The DVC resorts like Old Key West also are sometimes available to the general public at a discount through renting points from a Disney Vacation Club member or point broker. Check, however, the cancellation terms of such a rental very carefully.

Because the two sets of options at the Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Saratoga Springs are so different, for review purposes I count thirteen options among the Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World.

The overall ranking among them for first time family visitors is as follows:

Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows (studios only)
Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Jambo House
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas–Kidani Village
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Disney’s Riviera Resort
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, main resort
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, Treehouse Villas

The next DVC offering to open perhaps will be Reflections, located on grounds that were formerly part of Fort Wilderness, although COVID-19 has created uncertainty about this.

Disney’s Old Key West Resort comes in near the bottom based on my criteria of kid appeal and transportation convenience. That said, its One and Two Bedroom Villas in buildings numbered 30 and higher have a lot going for them, and the theming can be quite appealing to adults.

THE THEMING OF DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

At Disney’s Old Key West Resort, according to Disney’s website, you will

“experience the romance of the Florida Keys at this tranquil community of Conch Flats—a sprawling island hamlet with shimmering waterways, swaying palm trees and manicured golf-course fairways. Delight in sun-soaked pools, casual dining and such amenities as fully equipped kitchens or kitchenettes. A peaceful tropical paradise, Disney’s Old Key West Resort is also just a boat ride away from the excitement of Disney Springs.”

This is mostly true–Disney’s Old Key West Resort is tranquil, sprawling, and does feature absolutely lovely landscaping and views.

But other than some names, some menu items, and the pool lighthouse, it has absolutely nothing to do with, nor is it at all reminiscent of, Key West, young or old. The original name of this property was “The Disney Vacation Club Resort,” a name which went away after there was more than one of these. The changes that map to the Old Key West name are slender.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

All Disney Vacation Club resorts except the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows have studio rooms, One Bedroom Villas, and Two Bedroom Villas.

Most have Grand Villas as well.

Old Key West has all four types, with a couple of significant variants among the One Bedroom Villas, and no less than four variants among the Two Bedroom Villas.

At Old Key West, Studios sleep 4 and include a kitchenette with a microwave and a mini-fridge. Most DVC Studios come with a queen and a fold-out sofa or a fold-down bed behind the sofa; at Old Key West, all have two queens. Most will find two queens more comfortable to sleep on; many will miss the living flexibility created by the couch that you will find in other studios in place of the second queen.

They are the third largest Studios at Disney World, with only those at Riviera and the Polynesian larger. However, there is–other than the two queens–nothing special about these studios. In particular the extra interior space compared to many other DVC studios does not translate into any extra livability.

See this page of this review for multiple photos of a Studio/second bedroom of a Two-Bedroom Villa.

Old Key West One-Bedroom Villas come in two types. The more common type, shown above, includes a doorway from the laundry room into the full bath. This type is found in all buildings numbered greater than 29.

The second type, in buildings 11-29, has no such door. Its absent presence is marked by the red circle.

What this means is that folks not in the master bedroom must walk into the master bedroom, and then past the soaker tub, in order to access the full bath.

Your family likely is quite different than mine; in mine, this would be a problem. One Bedroom Villas in buildings 30 and higher don’t have this problem, as the door through the laundry room avoids the master bedroom and soaker tub areas.

All Old Key West One Bedroom Villas of either bath access type sleep 5, including three on fold-out beds in a full kitchen/dining/living space. The living/kitchen/dining area of One and Two Bedroom Villas at Old Key West is by far the most livable and homelike among the DVC resorts. I’ll comment more on this when we get to Two Bedroom Villas, below.

They also have large porch or balcony, and a separate master bedroom.

See this for more images of the master bedroom, and this for more images of the combined kitchen/living/dining space.

Two-Bedroom Villas add a second four-person bedroom to the amenities of a One-Bedroom, and sleep 9. This second bedroom may be a simply a Studio accessed through a connecting door, in which case it is called a “lockoff”–shown above–or it may be part of an integrated design, in which case it is called a “dedicated” Two Bedroom Villa, the floor plan for which is shown below.

Dedicated Two Bedrooms differ from lock-off Studios in three ways:

They don’t have a patio or balcony off the second bedroom
They don’t have a separate entry to outside, putting a second closet here instead
They don’t have the microwave or minifridge outside their bath

In each case, the full bath by the master bedroom may or may not have the door through the laundry room. As with One Bedroom Villas, buildings numbered 30 and higher have it, and those lower than thirty don’t.

Both One and Two Bedroom Villas have much more livable living/dining/kitchen spaces than most such villas at other DVC resorts. For example, the living area comfortably seats six on the couch, love seat, and easy chair…

…and the dining table comfortably seats four, and you can either seat four more on the balcony table or grab a couple of chairs from it and squeeze in six at this table.

Neither of these matches the nine person capacity of a Two Bedroom Villa, but you will find plenty of DVC One and Two Bedroom Villas where the living room seats only three or four, and the dining table as few as two.

See this for more images of the kitchen/living/dining space in both One and Two Bedroom Villas at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

Grand Villas at Old Key West sleep 12 in almost twice the space of a Two-Bedroom Villa, in three bedrooms plus sleeper sofas. At Old Key West, Grand Villas are two-story spaces.

Grand Villas hold three more people in space almost twice as big as the 9-person Two-Bedroom Villas. The extra space downstairs comes from doubling the already commodious size of the kitchen/dining/living area, and moving the second bedroom to the upper level–where it is joined by a third bedroom, also sleeping four.

These spaces are also about twice as expensive as Two-Bedroom Villas…

That said, from a floor plan point of view, many other DVC Grand Villas are more livable. Most don’t waste the space of the two story living room, and many have more seating options in their living areas. The virtues of Grand Villas at Disney’s Old Key West Resort appear to be price and availability–there’s more than two dozen of them–not livability.

(To each of the capacity figures above, you can add one more kid under 3 at time of check in who sleeps in a crib.)

STUDIOS/SECOND BEDROOMS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

This review continues here.

MATERIAL IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

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October 12, 2020 No Comments

Photo Tour of a Studio / Second Bedroom at Disney’s Old Key West Resort

by Dave

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Old Key West Resort, see this.)

PHOTO TOUR OF A SECOND BEDROOM / STUDIO AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

Disney’s Old Key West Resort has four room types–Studios, One-Bedroom Villas, Two-Bedroom Villas, and Grand Villas.

You can see the bones of each of the first three room types in a Two-Bedroom Villa, and that’s what this photo tour covers, with a page on each major space.

See the Two Bedroom Villa floor plan. At the lower right you’ll see a space with two beds. That’s basically the same as a Studio, and the rest of the spaces are the same as a One-Bedroom Villa.

Some Two-Bedroom Villas are literally the combination of a Studio and a One-Bedroom, with locking doors between, and two entrances–one to the Studio and one to the One Bedroom. These are called “lockoffs.” A floor plan of such a Studio is above.

Other Two-Bedroom Villas are designed as single units, called “dedicated” Two Bedrooms, and don’t have the second outside door or kitchenette. Instead they have a second closet where the outside door is shown in the above floor plan, and a simplified outer bath where the kitchenette would be. They also don’t have the patio/balcony off of the second bedroom space. A floor plan of such a unit is above.

My photos are from the second bedroom of a Two-Bedroom Villa designed as a single dedicated unit. I’ll comment on the differences you’ll find in a studio/lockoff as we go.

THE SECOND BEDROOM/STUDIO SIDE OF A TWO BEDROOM VILLA AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

Studios have an entry from the outside corridor, as well as a lockable entry to a One Bedroom Villa. The second bedroom of a dedicated Two Bedroom Villa has a closet in the space where the outside entry door would be in a Studio.

Whether this matters or not depends on who is in the second bedroom. If it’s little kids, you may be glad they can’t get out. If its teens, or a family you don’t like, you may prefer a Studio with its own exit.

Around the corner is a short corridor the bath. On one side is another closet–the only closet in a Studio, the second closet in a dedicated second bedroom.

The other side of this corridor has this sink. In a Studio, it would be joined by a mini-fridge, coffeemaker and microwave.

At the end of this corridor behind a door is the full bath.

It is undivided, all one space–but with the second sink just outside, the area functions just fine for families.

Here’s a view of the simple shower head in the combo tub/shower–you’ll find fancier shower heads in other DVC studios/second bedrooms…

…and of some of the toiletries, in the shower surround.

Two queen beds dominate the rest of the airy, large space.

The beds from another angle.

At the other Disney World DVC resorts, Studios come with a queen and either a fold-out couch or a mattress that folds down from the wall behind the couch (some also have a fifth sleeping spot in another fold-down bed or a fold-out chair); at Old Key West, Studios have two queens. The loss of the couch will be made up for many by the better sleeping quality of the bed.

A closer view of one of the beds.

Between the beds is a bedside table…

…with a couple of small drawers.

The other side of the room has a table and chairs (a chair from this is barely visible at the right), and a dresser and TV. In this shot you can also see the closet on the left that would be an entry were this a lockoff-studio; in the center the corridor to the bath and kitchenette; and on the right the open connecting door to the rest of the Two Bedroom Villa.

A closer view of the table and chairs…

…and of the dresser. The TV above is much smaller than you’ll find in most other comparable spaces at other DVC resorts, as the geometry of the room does not lend itself to a larger TV. I measured it as a 32 inch diagonal–you’ll find another 12 or 22 inches in many comparable spaces.

The dresser has plenty of storage room.

All Studios bookable as Studios have their own balcony or patio. In Two-Bedroom Villas, the second bedroom won’t have this balcony unless it is a “lock-off”–that is, a combination of a Studio and a One-Bedroom Villa.

These spaces also have some charming art, above the table…

…and between the beds.

While there’s nothing special about these second bedroom/Studios, they are large, spacious, and livable. As Studios, some families will find the second queen a much more comfortable place to sleep than the fold-out couches in other DVC studios.

THE CENTRAL LIVING SPACE OF ONE AND TWO-BEDROOM VILLAS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

This review continues here.

MATERIAL IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

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October 12, 2020 No Comments

Photo Tour of the Living/Dining/Kitchen Space in One and Two Bedroom Villas at Disney’s Old Key West Resort

by Dave

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Old Key West Resort, see this.)

PHOTO TOUR OF THE LIVING/DINING/KITCHEN SPACE IN ONE AND TWO BEDROOM VILLAS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

The living/dining/kitchen space at Disney’s Old Key West Resort is the same in both the One and Two-Bedroom Villas. These spaces are quite large, much larger than most other DVC resorts.

See the One Bedroom Villa floor plan.

The kitchen is full-sized, and the living room nearly as big as you’ll find in many homes. The dining area, while not large, is even so much larger than at any other comparable DVC resort except the Treehouse Villas, and the Treehouses are also the only other DVC resort with a comparably large patio/balcony–big enough for another four person table.

As you enter one of the Villas from the outside, you’ll find the living/dining/kitchen area ahead, a hall to the master bedroom on one side, and on the other side an entry to the second bedroom (if present) and a closet.

The closet includes a vacuum and a fire extinguisher. If you need both at the same time, you have erred.

Also in this area is a shelf for car keys, wallets, masks, etc.

As you enter the main kitchen/living/dining space, the five corner windows surrounding the living room space immediately attract your attention.

Most comparable DVC spaces have a couch and a chair, and really seat only three or four. This space in contrast seats six comfortably, and even more by grabbing the ottoman or chairs from the dining area.

The dining area is right next to the living area, and adds three more floor-to-ceiling windows (for a total of eight large windows in this space) which also double as balcony access.

Here’s a closer view of the balcony (or patio if you are in a first floor room) beyond. Compared to almost all other DVC resorts the dining table and the space it occupies is huge. It seats six with a bit of elbow poking, and the balcony serves as a further dining option or expansion space in fair weather.

In the back of the dining area there’s a counter and two sets of large cabinets–extra storage space you don’t see in other DVC rooms, begging for a Monopoly or Axis and Allies boxed game…

Another view of the balcony/patio and its four chairs. This space is so large it really serves as another room–except during the hot summer months.

Balcony views vary–fairways, water, woods.

Our last stay had all three views.

Different people will have different favorite parts of these wonderful rooms–but I like the kitchen the most. (I measured the TV at 55 inches.)

All the DVC One and Two Bedroom Villas have the basic kitchen stuff–fridges, ranges, microwaves, toaster, coffee pots, and all the pots, pans, utensils and service items needed to support it.

What distinguishes the Old Key West Kitchen is its large size and vast sweep of counter space, including over the TV.

The most complicated things we’ve made here are frozen pizza, scrambled eggs and grilled cheese…but in this kitchen, you really could put together a full meal for 9 without being cramped…

I’ve put images of all the kitchen stuff at the end of this post, so that you don’t have to wade through them all to get to the next part of this review.

THE FOLD-OUT BEDS IN DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

Two-Bedroom Villas at Old Key West sleep nine, and One-Bedroom Villas sleep five. In each case, three of those are allocated to the fold-out couch and chair in the living room.

As always, I both slept on and carefully measured each of these beds. The narrower bed comes from this chair.

It’s about is ~29 inches wide by ~78″ long (it sleeps a little shorter than that, because of the configuration of the head).

The bigger bed unfolds from the larger of the two sofas.

It’s ~59″ wide and ~70 inches long.

I wouldn’t put an adult on either of these. The smaller bed would be the better choice–it has a better mattress, about 5 inches of foam, compared to 4 inches on the larger bed. But what I will obfuscatingly call my hips were not sufficiently padded.

Note that while it doesn’t unfold or anything, you can also put a shorter kid on the second sofa. I measured the cushioned area of this sofa as 48 inches long by 24 inches wide, with 4 inch thick cushions.

These living/kitchen/dining space at Old Key West are, by far, the most livable such among the DVC One and Two Bedroom Villas.

THE MASTER BEDROOM AND BATH AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

This review continues here.

KITCHEN SUPPLIES IN ONE AND TWO BEDROOM VILLAS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

Eating and serving supplies:

A full set of silverware for nine–also note the can opener, bottle opener, corkscrew, measuring spoons, whisk, and tongs.

Plates, bowls, cups, glasses, wineglasses, and some serving dishes and ovenware.

Cooking and prepping tools:

Pots and pans.

Cooking and serving spoons and ladle.

Knives.

Cutting board and baking sheet.

Colander, measuring cup, mixing/serving bowls, more ovenware.

Pitcher, grater, another mixing/serving bowl, and a blender.

Food storage:

In addition, there’s a range, microwave, coffeepot, and toaster.

THE MASTER BEDROOM AND BATH AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

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October 12, 2020 No Comments

Photo Tour of the Master Bedroom and Bath in One and Two Bedroom Villas at Disney’s Old Key West Resort

by Dave

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Old Key West Resort, see this.)

THE MASTER BEDROOM AND BATH IN ONE AND TWO BEDROOM VILLAS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

The master bedroom and bath area, on the left side of the floor plan, is the same in both One and Two-Bedroom Villas at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

It’s accessed from a hall right off the entry, behind the kitchen. This image is of the hall from the master bedroom. On the side of the hall…

…is the laundry room. Most DVC One and Two Bedroom Villas have an over and under laundry set up that fills a closet. The laundry at Old Key West features full sized machines and more space.

In Old Key West buildings numbered 30 and higher the laundry room has a door to the full bath, which makes the entire unit more livable, as folks don’t then need to go through the master bedroom to get to the full bath.

The total available bath resources in Old Key West One and Two Bedroom villas is divided into two areas. One space is a full bath itself…

…but with a shower, but no tub.

The shower includes a rainfall head and also a handheld sprayer…

…and toiletries are available in a wall mount.

The second part of the bath is directly accessible from both this space and the master bedroom, and has another sink…

…and a whirlpool tub, with shutters opening or closing it from the master bedroom itself.

There’s also a closet in this space.

In it you will find a small safe.

Deeper in the master bedroom itself you’ll find on one side this king bed and easy chair.

The bed from the other side.

Bedside tables are on both sides, and the easy chair also has an ottoman.

The other side of the room has a door to the balcony, a TV and dresser, and a bench with additional storage.

Another view of the TV side of the master bedroom at Old Key West. I measured the TV as 42 inches.

The dresser has plenty of storage…

…and the bench next to it has even more.

Unlike many other re-done Disney World spaces, there is no under-bed storage for emptied luggage in these rooms. But the hall closet and master bath closet provide plenty of space for them.

There’s also some art in these spaces, some fun, some thematic.

These Old Key West One and Two Bedroom villa master bedrooms and baths overall are spacious and well-appointed.

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

This review continues here.

MATERIAL IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

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October 12, 2020 2 Comments

The Pools at Disney’s Old Key West Resort

by Dave

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Old Key West Resort, see this.)

THE POOLS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

There’s four pools at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

The main Sandcastle pool is at the Hospitality House area near the north main entrance, and there’s three smaller ones scattered around the resort.

The main Sandcastle pool has by far the largest set of amenities, and more are just outside.

The three smaller ones, on Miller’s Road, South Point Road, and Old Turtle Pond Road, have hot tubs as well as pools.

The Turtle Pond pool has other amenities as well.

THE MAIN SANDCASTLE POOL AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

The main pool at Disney’s Old Key West Resort features an enormous sand castle with a water slide inside.

Here’s a closer look at the slide.

Some other views from around the pool.

There’s a nice variety of sunny and shaded sitting areas, with lounge chairs and tables…

…including one area with a sand base.

The pool area also features a hot tub…

…the only sauna at a Disney World pool…

…and a kids pool.

Beyond the sand castle is an extensive sandy kids play area.

From the other side.

There’s some cute dolphins on one side of this…

…and tennis courts on the other. (There’s another tennis court on Old Turtle Pond Road).

Next to these is a shuffleboard area.

Keep walking along the sand and you’ll find a some hammocks and a volleyball court…

…and a firepit.

Strictly speaking, there’s no pool bar, but right outside the pool you’ll find the resort’s simple quick service offering and a small bar right next door. Also right outside are some game tables–ping pong, foosball, and the like.

The main pool is quite a hike from many accommodations buildings at Old Key West. However (double check this before you board in case things change!) all buses at Old Key West have their last on-grounds stop at the Hospitality House, and their first at the nearby Peninsular Road stop.

This means you can take the first available bus from your area to the Hospitality House, and the first bus at Peninsular Road back to your area. The Hospitality House stop (red circle) is about 150 yards from the pool entrance (gold X), and the Peninsular Road stop (green circle) about 250 yards–just 100 yards more.

Sandcastle pool has about any amenity except for a modern kids splash play area you’d want, but is rather uninteresting compared to some other Disney Vacation Club main pools.

THE SMALLER POOLS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

There’s three more smaller pools scattered around at Old Key West, in the Old Turtle Pond Road area, Miller’s Road area, and South Point Road area.

On the map, the three smaller pools are circled in green (the main pool is in red). The Miller’s Road pool is at the top left, South Point Road pool at bottom right, and Old Turtle Pond pool at lower left.

THE OLD TURTLE POND POOL AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

The broadest set of amenities among the three smaller pools at Old Key West is at the pool in the Old Turtle Pond Road area.

This pool is kinda hidden in a far corner of the Turtle Pond area, and is in fact more convenient to many accommodation buildings in the western part of South Point Road than it is to eastern Turtle Pond buildings, as there’s a walkway behind building 49.

The pool itself is simple rectangular forms, with some interest added by extra corners.

Another angle on the Turtle Pond pool.

You’ll find here, besides the pool, a hot tub…

…a playground…

…heavy on sand…

…a shuffleboard court…

…a barbecue area…

…and, uniquely among the Old Key West smaller pools, a snack bar, Turtle Shack Poolside Snacks.

There’s not a lot to the menu here (an up-to-date menu and operating hours will be on Disney’s website here), but given the distance of the buildings at this end of Old Key West from the Hospitality House, it’s nice to have the option.