Category — w. Most Recent Stuff
Christmas 2013 at Walt Disney World
OVERVIEW: CHRISTMAS 2013 AT DISNEY WORLD
The Christmas season at Walt Disney World includes both the best and the worst times to visit, with both prices and crowds at both lower and very high levels over the period.
Decorations, special Christmas shows, programs, and events, and Christmas trees are everywhere, making Disney World as special a place to celebrate the holidays as you can find.
May 15, 2013 78 Comments
Accessible Villas at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
In mid-May 2013 I made my fourth visit since this site opened to Disney’s Old Key West Resort.
This time, I was assigned an accessible One-Bedroom Villa, and what follows are some of the differences between these spaces and standard rooms.
(There’s a full review of standard villas at Old Key West here.)
ACCESSIBLE VILLAS AT OLD KEY WEST
I noted three spaces with differences: the entry door, the kitchen, and the bath.
The entry has a buzzer which presumably provides both audible and visible signals for both the hearing and visually challenged. (I was visiting solo, so did not have a chance to test it.)
The kitchen has multiple differences compared to standard villas.
The items of the work triangle–sink, fridge and stove–are pushed to the ends of the kitchen, so that the kitchen island presents fewer access problems.
The sink now is set up so a wheelchair can pull up underneath it.
The countertops are at 34 inches tall, rather than 36 inches tall–at the upper end of the sensible range of such accessible counters. Moreover, the bottoms of the wall cabinets are only 16.5 inches above the counters. These two changes together put the lowest shelf of the wall cabinets 3.5 inches lower than in standard rooms.
The fridge in this room gains accessibility by being side-by-side, rather than over/under as in standard rooms.
The bath has a couple of features making it much more accessible.
The bath sink has clearance for a chair below it, and note both the safety bars and fold-up seat in the shower.
The toilet area also has multiple safety bars.
My room was a lock-off One-Bedroom Villa on the ground floor.
I imagine that since only three Old Key West buildings have elevators, and because a lock-off is the most flexible type of space, that most other accessible villas at Old Key West are also first floor and lockoff.
For more on Disney’s Old Key West Resort, see this.
Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook!
May 14, 2013 2 Comments
Review: Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Page 5
This is the fifth page of this review of Disney’s Old Key West Resort. For the first page, see this.
THEMING, AMENITIES, AND CHOICES AT DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT
Disney’s Old Key West Resort is described on Walt Disney World’s website as “an island hamlet of brilliant green landscapes, pastel-colored Victorian architecture and ornate gingerbread accents…nestled among swaying palm trees, shimmering waterways and… lush golf fairways.”
Its 156 acres include an area called the Hospitality House. You’ll find pretty much everything here except your room itself. (There’s a map on the first page of this review.)
It includes the check-in lobby, where you’ll also find concierge services…
…a comfortable lounging room off the lobby
…and a well-stocked shop…
…with a nice assortment of groceries–which makes sense, given all the kitchens here.
Also in the Hospitality House area you’ll find the table service restaurant, Olivia’s…
…a small bar…
…and a small snack bar, which is the only counter-service offering here (there’s another one at the far end of the resort near the Turtle Pond quiet pool)… understandable, I suppose, given all the kitchens, but awkward for anyone on the dining plan…or in a studio.
The bar and snack bar are close to the main pool.
At the main pool you’ll also find a hot tub…
..and a sauna!
Near the main pool you’ll also find a pool for little kids, and beyond it a playground.
Nearby there’s a marina…
…and the dock where you can catch a ferry to Downtown Disney.
Beyond this area, the resort has several different sections with their own bus stops, and, for the more distant sections, quiet pools.
The quiet pool at the far end of Old Turtle Pond Road, which is about as far from the Hospitality House as you can get, is particularly substantial and has its own snack bar.
Hours at this snack bar can be short–in mid-May 2013 they were 9a-5p–and the menu limited. (Like all the images, if you click the menu it’ll enlarge.)
The rooms at Old Key West are grouped into several different areas, and are now labeled by the roads they are on. There is no difference in theming among these areas, so use the material on the first page on best and worst rooms to pick your building.
Disney’s online check-in system lets you pick two from among many choices. However, when we did it, no choice was either “near the Hospitality House” or “in a building with elevators.”
See the image for the choices offered (at least in April 2013) and my comments on them…
Disney’s Old Key West Resort opened in December 1991 as the first of the Disney Vacation Club Resorts–its first name was the Disney Vacation Club Resort! It expanded over the years until the current layout was completed–with buildings 62, 63 and 64, the newest, opening in 2000.
It was fully renovated over the course of 2010 and 2011.
The fact that it was the first DVC resort perhaps explains both some of its negatives and some of its positives…
Its sprawling layout, community (rather than hotel) feel, and large rooms perhaps came from Disney’s attempt to figure out whether it was building vacation homes in a community or a hotel. Perhaps it split the difference.
The next wave of later DVC resorts shrank the rooms and (with the exception of Saratoga Springs) shrank the layout into hotel footprints. Planning for the most recent DVC resorts–Kidani Village, Bay Lake Tower, and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian–added back sorely needed living/dining/kitchen space.
Among the DVC resorts, Old Key West’s strengths for first time visitors are its relatively lower prices and relatively larger rooms.
The principal negatives are its sprawl, absence of elevators in almost all buildings, awkward bath access in most buildings, and lack of convenience and kid appeal.
Returning visitors often find Old Key West to be a favorite. Its spaciousness can be a godsend for a boisterous family, and among the DVC resorts it is far and away the best value for money.
EXTERNAL LINKS FOR DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT:
PAGES: Previous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
MORE ON WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD
- For where to stay, see this
- For your next best choices, in order, see this
- For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
- For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
- For where not to stay, see this
- For what you get in each resort price category, see this
- For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
- For resort reviews, see this
- For the value resorts, see this
- For the moderate resorts, see this
- For the deluxe resorts, see this
- For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
- For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this
- For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this
- Military/DOD families should look at this
- Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this
Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook!
May 13, 2013 4 Comments
Next Week (May 11 through May 19, 2013) at Walt Disney World
DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MAY 11, 2013 TO MAY 19, 2013
The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.
The same stuff is in the table, but organized by park, not by topic.
“Star Wars Weekends” kicks off at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for 2013 on Friday May 17.
Because of this, you’ll see slightly different Extra Magic Hours than normal, and early openings at both HS and AK over the weekend.
These weekends increasingly are mobbing the Studios, so avoid Disney’s Hollywood Studios the 17th-19th.
I’ll be at Walt Disney World the 13th through the 19th, at Pop Century, then All-Star Music, and then the Polynesian. Expect updated reviews of these three to follow in later May and June.
The first part of the trip will be focused on re-testing the Epcot itineraries (I think Danny is right, so I need to test, revise and re-test them), and the second part on fine and fun dining with older son, who just graduated from law school!
(For more on May 2013 at Walt Disney World, see this.)
May 10, 2013 No Comments
Disney World Free Dining for September 2013
DISNEY WORLD FALL 2013 FREE DINING DEAL
As expected, Walt Disney World announced today a free dining deal good for most arrival dates from September 2 through September 25. You need to book this deal by July 31.
Savings vary by resort, and not resort hotels are included in the deal.
Here’s the basics of what’s available:
Deluxes, Disney Vacation Club, and Moderates:
- Free “regular” dining plan, which gives you credits for one table-service meal, one quick-service meal, and one snack per night of your hotel stay.
Values:
- Free “quick service” dining plan, which gives you credits for two quick-service meals and a snack per night of your hotel stay.
For more on the dining plan, including how/when you can use these credits, see this.
The best-loved dining venues will book very quickly, so make your dining reservations as soon as you can! See this for ideas, and also this.
While I’m widely booed for saying so, I expect this to be the only free dining offer for US residents in 2013. For why, see this.
Oh, well, gotta call em as I see em! And at least I’ll get a free breakfast out of this!
For more, see Disney’s page on this deal here.
Also today Disney World announced a room rate deal covering most arrival dates August 15 through September 28
Many smaller families aimed at more expensive hotels will save more with the room rate deal than with the free dining deal. See this for more on this room rate deal.
Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook!
May 9, 2013 41 Comments
Disney World Room Rate Deal for August and September
DISNEY WORLD FALL 2013 ROOM RATE DEAL
As expected, Walt Disney World announced today a room rate deal good for most arrival dates from August 15, 2013 through September 28, 2013. You need to book this deal by July 31.
Savings vary by resort, and not all are included in the deal.
Here’s the basics of what’s available:
Deluxes and Disney Vacation Club:
- 30% off: Animal Kingdom Lodge Standard and Pool View rooms; Beach Club and Villas; BoardWalk Inn and Villas; Contemporary Standard and Lake View rooms; Old Key West; Saratoga Springs; Wilderness Lodge and Villas; Yacht Club
- 20% off: Polynesian and Grand Floridian
Moderates: 25% off: Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Cabins at Fort Wilderness, and Port Orleans Riverside
Values:
- 20% off: All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, and Pop Century
- 15% off: Art of Animation Family Suites
For more, see Disney’s page on this deal here.
Also today Disney World announced a free dining deal covering most arrival dates September 2 through September 25. See this for more on this deal.
Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook!
May 9, 2013 4 Comments
