Old Key West Review
Old Key West is one of my favorite Deluxe Disney resorts! It has a laid back style, and the community is full of camaraderie. The resort theme is designed to imitate the Florida Keys. You won’t want to leave this place! We explore the pros and cons of staying in an Old Key West villa.
Pros of Old Key West
Where to begin…Old Key West has so many attractive qualities. It has spacious rooms, excellent community atmosphere, and great food selections. It is in close proximity to Disney Springs and it hosts a wide variety of recreational activities. The pools are quiet and relaxing, and you just feel like you are on vacation when you enter Old Key West.
Large Rooms
The large and spacious rooms are probably one of the biggest “pros” of Old Key West in my opinion. I actually asked my husband if we could copy the 1 bedroom layout when we build our house. He kindly obliged. Old Key West is home to the only studios that have two full-size queen beds. All other DVC (Disney Vacation Club) or Deluxe Disney Resorts have either murphy beds or pull out couches for the second bed in the studio rooms.
Theming & Atmosphere
One of the first things you’ll notice upon arrival is the excellent community atmosphere. Everyone feels like they know everyone else, and it’s just one giant party. This resort also does a great job to make you feel like you are really on vacation. It’s so relaxing.
Old Key West is home to some of the best recreational activities for families! They have a giant fire pit where you can roast marshmallows and enjoy campfire activities. A sand volleyball court is available for families and friends to enjoy some beach volleyball. Families can enjoy fishing, bike rentals, basketball courts, a tennis court, and even two arcade rooms.
Pro Tip: This resort has a huge draw to large families going on vacation together because it is a great place to go if you want the majority of your time to just be together and enjoy the resort.
Olivia’s
Old Key West has great food! Have you tasted Olivia’s fare? Disney touts it as American cuisine with a Caribbean twist. What you need to know – is that most guests love the breakfast at Olivia’s. Don’t leave without tasting the Banana Bread French Toast. A few months ago, I thought I had rolled up just a few minutes too late and wouldn’t get any of that french toast, but a kind cast member went out of her way to find me some in the back kitchen. It was delicious!
Proximity To Disney Springs
Old Key West is only a boat ride away from Disney Springs. This little fact often gets missed because Saratoga Springs is closer to Disney Springs. However, you can easily take a short boat ride from Old Key West to Disney Springs and enjoy a fancy dinner or some live music.
Pools
Beach Club may be known for the nicest pool because of the lazy river and the sand in the bottom of the pool, but Old Key West has four pools. This usually equates to smaller crowds, and a quieter pool day. Which is a win in my opinion! Especially if you have young children who need more attention.
Pro Tip: Old Key West has laundry areas at each pool. What’s better than having time at the pool, relaxing? Being able to switch over laundry in between cannonballs into the pool.
Cons of Old Key West
Just like any place, there are a few drawbacks to Old Key West.
Transportation
One of the downsides to staying at Old Key West is the transportation isn’t as great as some other resorts. It isn’t bad, it just takes longer as there are 4 bus stops within the resort before you leave the resort to head to your destination. We’ve used the bus system while at Old Key West, and we had no complaints. You just have to have good time management and be aware of when you need to be at the bus stop. If you want the convenience of a direct commute, I recommend renting a car. As Old Key West is less expensive, comparatively to other Deluxe Disney resorts, you can put more money toward renting a car if this is important to you.
Elevators
Another con is that there are no elevators. Every time we’ve stayed here, we’ve ended up on the second floor. Now, this makes for a beautiful view in the morning, but it also makes for 5 minutes of huffing and puffing as we carry our luggage up the steps. Any guests who need handicap accessible rooms, need to make sure and mark this on their request form, as it greatly impacts room availability at this resort.
To Buy or Not To Buy Old Key West Points
I would always say buy (or you can also rent points here), but that is my opinion. The best way to know for you – is to determine if you need a lot of park time or not. Do you want to enjoy time at a resort? Does a calm, laid back atmosphere sound like your style? Would you like to be only a boat ride away from Disney Springs? If you said yes to any of these questions, Old Key West is a great option to buy!
Long Term Value
Old Key West contracts are selling at approximately $99-103 per point (resale). This, combined with annual dues of $7.84 per point make this an excellent Disney Vacation Club resort to buy into. Another added value is that more guests are realizing how great Old Key West is, so if you ever want to take a break one year and just rent your points, you should be able to do so quickly.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about Old Key West! Check out our blog for more information on Purchasing Vs. Renting DVC Points. For more information on the different themes of DVC Resorts, visit Each Walt Disney World DVC Resort In A Word. If you are looking to buy into Disney Vacation Club, we recommend you read Why Your DVC Home Resort Matters [For Your Wallet & Experience]. We also recommend you find out How To Try A DVC Resort Before Buying into Disney Vacation Club.
