Disney World Resort Review; Old Key West
Old Key West is a pioneer in Disney vacationing. It was the first resort dedicated solely to that growing community of Disney Vacation clubbers. Since then, Disney has constructed the sprawl of Saratoga Springs and added vacation club areas to the Beach Club, the Wilderness Lodge, and coming soon, the Animal Kingdom Lodge. But before you non-DVCers move on to a different article, be advised that even nonmembers can book a room at Old Key West especially during the off-season.
photo courtesy of Mouse Planet. Click on the photo for Mouse Planet’s photo tour of Old Key Wesy
The resort is supposed to elicit the feeling that you are in the Keys. The place is surrounded by vegetation. The buildings are relatively low and of the clapboard style. Everything is laid back. A waterway snakes through the complex ending at the main public area with waterside restaurants and the gift shop. The shop itself is typical of DVC resorts in that kitchen fillers are alongside the typical t-shirts. The food choices, however, are not typical. One big problem for the resort is that there is no food court. Many of the larger resorts have them, but here, you only have a small dockside counter service with a limited selection. There is also Olivia’s Cafe, a sit down place with a Southern and Caribbean cuisine with items like crab cakes, jerk chicken, and conch chowder. As you can guess, there are key lime dessert items available.
As with any resort, there are good things and bad. On the plus side, the rooms are spacious allowing for large families to stay together. We comfortably fit 7 adults and a toddler. The kitchen allows you to eat home to save a few extra bucks for souvenirs. At the dock, a water taxi provides transportation to Downtown Disney. Its a peaceful, pleasant trip. The bus service to the parks is fair and you don’t share with any other resort (a big plus to me).
photo courtesy of Mouse Planet. Click on the photo for Mouse Planet’s photo tour of Old Key Wesy
Besides the aforementioned food court problem, there are a few other drawbacks. Some people would enjoy the quieter aspect of the resort, but others will be looking for something to do. There isn’t much. Like I said, there is a pleasant boat trip to the Downtown area, but it takes some time including a stop at Saratoga Springs. The place is huge so try to stay near the Hospitality House so you can walk over to the shop, the boat rentals, and the food.
All in all, Old Key West is a nice play to stay especially if you’re the kind of person who wants peace and quiet after a long day at the theme parks. If you want to continue the action or plan to eat a lot at the resort, I would suggest you go elsewhere
today’s resort review is by Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra
Patricia Whittaker said,
March 22, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
Old Key West Resort is SO peaceful and relaxing; it can be a great change from the hustle and bustle of the parks; the quiet pools are often empty!! The eating is a downer but we can eat at Riverside up the road or buy something at the general store. The Publix and Goodings are close so you can stock up on supplies. It`s a great place to stay and hard to believe you are in the middle of the MAGIC.
Mouse Extra said,
April 16, 2007 @ 4:50 pm
[...] of investment being poured into this relatively small space, when compared to Saratoga Springs and Old Key West, is certainly as sign that it is substantial. It’s one thing to bolt a bunch of villas to the [...]
Mouse Extra said,
August 30, 2007 @ 5:27 pm
[...] these properties. Reports say that Disney has been giving moderate level prices for rooms at the Old Key West and Saratoga Springs Resorts. These resorts are as good if not better than the moderates, and if [...]