Category — q. Reviews

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

MORE ON THE 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 floor plans of all four room types are below.

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; at Old Key West, all have two queens.

They are the third largest Studios at Disney World, with only those at Riviera and the Polynesian larger.

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 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.

They also have large porch or balcony, and a separate master bedroom. Some villas don’t have an entrance between the laundry room and bath, meaning that in those the bath is only accessible from the 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 (similar, or identical, to a Studio) to the amenities of a One-Bedroom, and sleep 9.

Grand Villas 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 the 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…

You all haven’t found the sponsors of this site quite appealing enough yet for me to have been able to afford to stay in a Grand Villa, but I’m sure they are quite nice!! And a fellow can dream…look for a review of one here within the decade…

(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.)

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

This review continues here.

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

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

The master bedroom and bath area is the same in both One and Two-Bedroom Villas.

It’s accessed from a hall behind the kitchen. The bedroom is ahead, and on the side…

…is the laundry room, with in some–but not all–villas, a door to the bath.

The bath is divided into two areas.  One space is a full bath itself…

…but with a shower, and no tub.

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

…and a whirlpool tub.

Closer view of the tub.

There’s also a closet in this space.

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

The bed from the other side.

Next to the bed is a small chest of drawers and this easy chair.

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

The door to the balcony…

…the TV and dresser…

…with plenty of storage…

…and the bench, with even more.

These bedrooms are spacious and well-appointed.

OVERVIEW OF ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

This review continues here.

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

PHOTO TOUR OF THE LIVING/DINING/KITCHEN SPACE 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 astonishingly large, much larger than at the 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 much larger than at any other comparable DVC resort except the Treehouse Villas, and the Treehouses are also the only DVC resort with a comparably large balcony–big enough for another table

As you enter the Villa from outside, you’ll find an entry foyer, with a closet on one side with a high chair, vacuum, etc.

Down the entry hall you’ll find the entry to the master bedroom area on one side, and if in a Two-Bedroom Villa, to the second bedroom on the other.

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 small couch and a chair, and really seat only 4.  This space in contrast seats 6 comfortably, and eight of slender hips–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 8 large windows in this space) which also double as balcony access.

Here’s a closer view of the dining table and balcony beyond. Compared to almost all other DVC resorts this table and the space it occupies is huge.  It seats six easily, and more in a pinch (there’s four more chairs at the table on the balcony you can bring in, and, if you have a Two Bedroom Villa, two more chairs in the second bedroom).

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

Behind the window shades beyond the dining table are doors to the balcony, with a second table and four chairs.  This space is so large it really serves as another room–except during the hot summer months.

Balcony views vary–fairways, pools, woods.  Our last stay had a woods view.

Different people will have different favorite parts of these wonderful rooms–but I like the kitchen the most.

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…

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

Two-Bedroom Villas at Old Key West sleep 9, and One-Bedroom Villas sleep 5.  In each case, three of those are allocated to the fold-out couch and chair in the living room. (Your visual cortex has not just flipped–rather, this shot and several others among those that follow are from an earlier visit in a mirror-image room. So you’ll see a mix of geometry and fabrics…)

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–see the shot above for it unfolded).

The biiger 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

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(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 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.”

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.

My photos are from 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 entry door would be in a Studio.

Around the corner is a short corridor the bath. On one side is another closet–the only closet in a Studio, the second 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 open space–but with the second sink just outside functions just fine for families.

Two queen beds dominate the rest of the airy, large space. At the other DVC resorts, Studios come with a queen and a fold-out couch (some also have a fifth sleeping spot in a Murphy bed or fold-out chair); at Old Key West, Studios have two queens.  The loss of the couch will be made up for most by the better sleeping quality of the bed.

A closer view of one of the beds.

The other side of the room has a table and chairs, 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, with plenty of storage room.

All Studios bookable as Studios have their own balcony. 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.

While there’s nothing special about these second bedroom/Studios, they are large, spacious, and quite 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

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OVERVIEW: DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS

Disney’s Old Key West Resort (a Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resort) is a wonderful place for returning visitors to Walt Disney World to stay.

It’s the most spacious, most livable, and least expensive of the DVC resorts, and is my personal favorite among them.

For typical first-time visitors, I don’t recommend the Disney Vacation Club resorts.

That said, these “DVC” resorts can be a great choice for first time visitors with large families, needing extra sleeping spaces, or looking for a more comfortable place to stay.

Among the Disney Vacation Club Resorts, Disney’s Old Key West Resort ranks eleventh overall for first time visitors, with its particular strengths being livability and value for money.

OLD KEY WEST AND THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB RESORTS

You can have a spectacular visit at any Walt Disney World resort.

However, this site recommends that first time visitors to Walt Disney World avoid the Disney Vacation Club resorts, while noting that these resorts are wonderful for visits after the first.

The recommendation comes from the simple fact that the distinguishing feature of these resorts–extra space and full kitchens–will not be of much value to first-time visitors following one of the itineraries on this site, as they won’t be used much.

That said, the Disney Vacation Club resorts represent more than 10% of Walt Disney World’s total rooms, and are very appropriate for first time visitors with large families, needing extra sleeping spaces, or looking for a more comfortable place to stay–especially if you have a car, as Old Key West is pretty spread out.

Because of this, I always provide of up-to-date reviews of these options. This Old Key West review is based on our five stays at Old Key West since this site opened.

REVIEW: DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience.

On this basis, Disney’s Old Key West Resort comes in near the bottom of the Disney Vacation Club resorts. (See this for resort rankings.)

Old Key West Kid Appeal.

While quite charming to adults, Old Key West has no real kid appeal compared to spectacularly-appealing alternatives like the Polynesian (Studios only), Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and the Villas at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Old Key West Convenience.

Old Key West is not as isolated as it is sometimes described to be–it’s not far from Epcot, for example.

That said, its distance, sprawling layout–with many services far from most rooms–and five bus stops make it among the least convenient of the Walt Disney World resorts.

OTHER DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF OLD KEY WEST RESORT

Old Key West has a number of very strong positives.

Old Key West Resort presents far and away the best value for money among the Disney Vacation Club resorts.

It has the lowest prices of the DVC resorts (other than a few spaces I wouldn’t recommend to anyone), and, in its one and two-bedroom villas, the largest and most livable spaces. 

Compare the One-Bedroom Villa floor plan (above) with that of a similar villa at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa (below).

The One and Two-Bedroom Villa living/kitchen/dining area space is much larger at Old Key West than at any other DVC resort, as is the balcony.

The practical effect is that One and Two-Bedroom villas are much more livable in general, and in particular when the pullout beds in the living room are unfolded.

A second positive of Old Key West–one that it share with Saratoga Springs–is that because of the “single-sided” building layout that both of these resorts have, there are no bad views.  Views at Old Key West can be of water, trees, or golf courses–but not parking lots or the backs of buildings.

A third positive is that it is one of the DVC resorts that offer 5 person one bedroom villas, and 9 person two bedroom ones. (Many smaller-roomed resorts sleep 4 and 8.)

Finally, the sprawling layout with its multiple smaller guest room buildings makes the resort feel much less like a hotel, and more like a small town.  The casual architecture supports this look and feel.

Old Key West Resort also has some distinctive negatives.

As noted, it is sprawling. As a result, only a few buildings–specifically 11-16, 23-26, and 62-63–are a quick walk to the main pool, shops, and restaurant, and many–specifically buildings 30 through 56–are quite a hike. (See below for a map.)

Only three of its 49 three-story buildings have elevators–Buildings 62, 63, and 64.

For One-Bedroom villas, only buildings numbered 30 and above have an entrance to the (only) bath from both the master bedroom and also from the kitchen/dining/living area.

In buildings numbered lower than 30, one has to enter the master bedroom of a One-Bedroom villa to get to the bath.  Since one of the key benefits of the One-Bedroom Villas compared to regular rooms is separation and privacy, this is a big deal for many.

BEST AND WORST ROOMS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

Buildings 62, 63 and 64 are the best buildings at Old Key West. (See the resort map above; click it to enlarge it.) Request a third floor room (better views, quieter) in one of these buildings.

These three are the only buildings at the resort that have each of an elevator, both master bedroom and living room access to the bath in the One-Bedroom villas, and a very short walk to the main pool, shopping, and dining area of the resort.

Buildings 62, 63 and 64 are, in fact, the only buildings that have more than one of these three features! Building 62 is my favorite among these.

All of the other buildings that have the extra door to the bath (30-56) have no elevators, and are distant–often very distant.  30, 31, 45 and 46 are the closest of these.  If you don’t care about elevators and don’t mind a bit of distance, request a second floor room in one of these four buildings. (The second floor because it’s high enough to guarantee a balcony rather than a deck, but avoids the extra stairs to the third floor.)

The other buildings that are a short walk to the main pool and such (11-16 and 23-26) have no elevators and no second door to the bath.  These buildings are great if you do not care about the door or elevator.  Of these, 11-14 are the closest to the main area.  Building 12 is my personal favorite. Request a second floor room (same reasons as above).

Avoid buildings 19-22, 38, 39, 41, 42, and 49-51, because of the traffic noises they can face.

BEST FOR:

Larger families, families seeking a bit of extra privacy or more beds, families looking for a more comfortable place to stay, families with a car (so they can overcome the inconvenience and sprawl of the resort).  It’s one of my personal favorites.

WORST FOR:

Families looking for a distinctively kid-appealing or convenient resort; families without a car.

THEMING AND ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT

This review continues here!

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

• Overview of Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Theming and Accommodations at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Photo Tour of a Studio/Second Bedroom at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Photo Tour of the Living/Dining/Kitchen Area of One and Two Bedroom Villas at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Photo Tour of the Baths and Master Bedroom of One and Two Bedroom Villas at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Amenities at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Dining at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• The Pools at Disney’s Old Key West Resort

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(For the first page of this review of Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, see this.)

THE POOLS AT UNIVERSAL’S CABANA BAY BEACH RESORT

Cabana Bay Beach Resort is divided into two courtyards, each of which has a pool complex. Preferences will vary, so try them both.  The Cabana Courtyard has a slide; the Lazy River Courtyard has a…lazy river!  But each area also has much more.

THE CABANA COURTYARD POOL COMPLEX

The Cabana Courtyard is just outside the lobby and surrounded by the 600 family suites in this section of Cabana Bay.

Just outside the lobby you’ll find this sand play area.

Here it is in the evening.

The pool itself is dominated by the art-deco slide tower….

…but there’s much more to it, including this zero-entry area…

…a sandy lounging area…

…and a kid’s water play area.

There’s also a pool bar and grill with a fairly extensive menu.

The same bar–“Atomic Tonic”–at night.

Unlike Disney’s moderate resorts, between the two pool complexes there’s plenty of seats for all the people this resort will hold.

THE LAZY RIVER COURTYARD POOL COMPLEX

The Lazy River Courtyard pool complex opens from the Bayside Diner and is between the family suites and four-person rooms in the Continental and Americana buildings. Rather than a slide, it has a lazy river; amenities otherwise are similar.  Different folk will prefer one or the other; I liked the Lazy River area pools much better–the theming, while sound, was a little more subtle.

It also has a zero-entry section…

…large sand lounging area…

…kids play area…

…and bar and grille.

There’s a game area near the Bayside Diner (center left in the photo), also with firepits (there’s firepits on the Cabana side as well.)

A hot tub…

…and movies at night.

Then there’s the Lazy River–seen here from my window in the Continental building.

There’s not a lot to this lazy river–but  no Disney value or moderate has anything close to it.

Tubes are optional–but if you want one, you can buy one for 12 bucks, or bring your own.

The Cabana Courtyard pool complex on its own is better than any Disney value resort pool; add the Lazy River side and you’ve got a total pool complex better than any Disney moderate as well!

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