7 Reasons Why Disney’s Old Key West’s the Best DVC Resort

My favorite thing about Old Key West, especially when compared to other DVC villas, is the size of the room. The Old Key West Resort has deluxe studios, one-bedroom suites, two-bedroom suites & a grand villa (which has three bedrooms).  The villas I have stayed at when I visited The Old Key West Resort were bigger than villas at other DVC resorts I have stayed at, and my personal favorite room at the Old Key West is the deluxe studio.  What makes the deluxe studio special is that it is the only studio at a Disney Vacation Club Resort in Walt Disney World that has two queen beds.  The other studios have a queen bed and a pull-out sofa.  Some of the pull-out sofas are more comfortable than others, but nothing beats the comfort of the queen beds at the Old Key West Resort.  And the villas at the Old Key West are large enough that even with the two queen beds you don’t feel cramped with space at all, there’s even room for a table and chairs and ample amount of space for any luggage you have or souvenirs you buy at the park.

You might think that the larger size rooms would mean that the rooms at the Old Key West Resort would be more expensive than other Disney Vacation Club Resorts, but that’s actually not the case at all. In fact, Old Key West can often be less expensive than the moderate hotels at Walt Disney World, especially if you drive to Disney World because you have to pay for parking now at the moderate resorts but if you book a DVC room through David’s Vacation Club Rentals, you don’t have to pay for parking.  And when you compare Old Key West to the other DVC resorts, it compares very favorable; in fact, at David’s Vacation Club Rentals, only the value studio at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is less expensive, there are not many value studios at the Animal Kingdom Lodge so they’re much harder to book.

If you like the exciting vibe of the Walt Disney World theme parks but would like to head a more low-key resort at the end of the day, then the Old Key West Resort is a great choice for you. It has a laid-back, Caribbean theme fitting of the name of its resort.  And the beautiful pastel colors of the resort also add to that peaceful setting.  I also think the buildings at Old Key West are the prettiest colors of any of the Disney resorts.  And the music playing in the resort’s main building as well as the busses to the Disney parks adds to the Caribbean flavor.

If you, or someone in your party, loves golf, then this is the perfect resort for you. The Lake Buena Vista Golf Course, which has hosted the PGA tour, LPGA & USGA in its history, actually winds through the Old Key West Resort.  You can even get a room with a golf course view.  What’s not to love about that?

If you stay at the Old Key West Resort, then you really should try a meal at Olivia’s Café. I personally recommend the breakfast; I have tried multiple menu items at breakfast and they were all delicious.  It was also fairly reasonably priced (for Disney, anyway).  I love the theming of the restaurant; when you step in, you really feel like you’ve wandered into a restaurant in the Florida Keys.  I love the nautical theming and the decorations.  I also really love the photos displayed of Disney Vacation Club members, it really makes you feel right at home.  It’s a nice escape from the hustle & bustle & crowds of the parks to feel like you’re at a local, small town cafe with family & friends.

Old Key West & Saratoga Springs are the only DVC resorts that give you boat transportation to Disney Springs. Personally, I think this is the best way to get to Disney Springs because the boat ride is beautiful, and you’re not crammed together the same way you are in the busses.  And if you’ve been to Disney World before but you’ve never been to Disney Springs before, I highly recommend it.  They have a lot of fun stores and restaurants there.  My personal favorite is T-Rex Restaurant, it’s a Landry Restaurant similar to Rainforest Café that’s in Disney Springs & Animal Kingdom, with a dinosaur theme, it’s a lot of fun for all ages and the food is delicious.

The parking situation is great at Old Key West in that you can park right in front of your villa.  This may seem like a small thing, but if you’re the one unloaded your SUV, trust me, it’s not.  And if you use your car to drive anywhere during your Disney World stay, having your car right there is a lot more convenient than say if you stay at Kidani Village in Animal Kingdom Lodge or The Beach Club where the parking lot is much farther away.