Old Key West is a hotel in Walt Disney World in the deluxe category. Sitting near, and offering boat transportation to, Disney Springs, the hotel was the first Disney Vacation Club Resort built. In this post, we’ll review Disney’s Old Key West including thoughts on their studio rooms, amenities, location and value.

We’d gone quite a few years since our last stay at Old Key West, writing an all new review of the hotel is proof of that. The resort has a niche covered in the Walt Disney World market, where they have some of the largest rooms on property when it comes to 1 or 2 bedroom villas. That doesn’t typically cater to our travel needs, as most of our WDW trips are just Melissa and me. Because of that, we hadn’t stayed at Old Key West since pre-pandemic times. It was time to change that on one of our latest trips.

The resort does have a different feel than almost all of the other deluxe offerings in Disney World. Saratoga Springs Resort, another DVC option that was built in the 90’s, is the most similar. They both offer a sprawling complex of rooms, sit along the water, and have a bygone era feel to them.

That setting isn’t without charm, as the spread out nature offers some beautiful views and a more relaxed atmosphere than almost any place at Walt Disney World. The architecture plays a role in the laid-back setting, taking inspiration from the Florida Keys. It’s not quite island living but there’s a similar feel to it. You don’t have to squint in order to imagine this being a retirement community along the ocean.

Of course, that’s not the case. We’re in Walt Disney World! There’s the usual on-site perks that come with staying at a deluxe WDW resort:

• Early Entry hours every morning at all four theme parks
• Extended Evening Hours in select theme parks on select nights
• Complimentary Walt Disney World transportation
• Advanced Lightning Lane and dining reservations
• Free water park entry on day of arrival (only available during summer)

Old Key West has a special transportation option relative to most hotels, offering boat rides to Disney Springs. This is a nice perk if you’re taking part in a slower paced trip and want to hop over to the dining & entertainment area for meals and shopping. Transportation isn’t a strong suit otherwise because of how spread out the resort is. There are five bus stops throughout Old Key West, meaning that it takes a while to get to or from your room.

Location makes up for that to a degree, as Old Key West is to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs. All in all, I find the location and transportation of the resort to be a bit of wash. The location and great boat service are offset by the slower bus service. I don’t think anyone should stay or not stay here due to the location.

Moving to the room, this particular review will take a look at the studio rooms. We have stayed in the 2-bedroom villa before, those rooms have changed slightly since our review of them but are still the same basic layout. Along with Saratoga, Old Key West features some of the largest hotel rooms (in terms of square footage) in Disney World when it comes to 1 and 2 bedrooms. Studios are a good size at 376 square feet but not the biggest according to this post from the excellent Touring Plans.

The studio room includes two queen beds in a more open design than many of the standard Walt Disney World hotel rooms. Walls are painted in that soft, pastel green (would you consider this aqua?) that’s associated with the Bahamas and the Florida coast.

The room is a little low on decor, relying heavily on the color scheme and natural lighting to bring the room to life. That’s not a bad move, as the theme is clear but it could use a few more details.

A low point of the room is the awkwardly angled TV that doesn’t really make any sense. We don’t really watch any television while at WDW but I can’t imagine this is a great viewing experience seeing how the TV faces the window, even when rotated some.

Here’s a small table, sitting in the spot where I took the photo of the TV from. There’s plenty of space for it but it’s nondescript and doesn’t add much to the feel of the room. It’s a passable place to work for a few hours.

The kitchen area is fairly standard, featuring a fridge, microwave, coffee maker and sink.

Bathrooms show off the larger footprint, having a little more open space than what most hotel rooms do. The sink is inside of the bathroom (although there is the one outside too) along with the toilet and a bath/shower combo.

This is, again, pretty ordinary in terms of decor but it works fine. The soft colors continue into the room and the shower curtain adds a little pop.

Like many rooms at Old Key West, ours had a balcony that overlooked the golf course and lots of green. This is a highlight of the resort and fits in with the slower pace. Having a cup of coffee on these decks in the morning or relaxing after a long day in the parks is another remnant of what Old Key West is striving for.

The rooms as a whole are nice and I like how open they are. They won’t wow anyone with details but they do feel practical and comfortable. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough personality in the room to make them memorable.

Most of Old Key West’s amenities reside near the Hospitality House, which is where we recommend staying close to if you have the choice or chance. The check-in room is one of Disney’s most understated lobbies but it is pretty and a nice place to relax.

Just across from that is Olivia’s Cafe, Old Key West’s table-service restaurant, and Conch Flats General Store. When first opened, the Conch Flats story played a big role in setting up the resort’s theme. That’s what the resort community was known as, offering peaceful escapes with waterways and fairways. While that’s not used nearly as much anymore, Old Key West does work best when it’s leaning into this idea.

The pool, a bar, quick-service spots and more recreation are found on a boardwalk just beyond the lobby. It’s a festive little spot, especially at night, and has a small beach town vibe to it. This is also where the boat transportation docks to take guests to and from Disney Springs.

Old Key West’s main pool is fun, featuring a sand castle waterslide. It’s not the biggest pool but there are 3 more stretched throughout the resort’s grounds. As far as I can tell from my in-depth research (hunting around Google for 10 minutes), this is the only pool complex at Walt Disney World that features a sauna. Even better, that sauna is in a lighthouse! Who says that you can’t have it all?

After not thinking much of it the first few times we stayed at the resort, Old Key West’s Hospitality House section impressed me. I love the way it ties together the resort and fits in with the community feel. Other hotels in Walt Disney World are going to wow you in ways that this one just doesn’t try to, but I do think OKW (the rare acronym that is more syllables than the actual name) is coherent and complete.

That’s where the gigantic size of the resort does play a favorable role. I know massive grounds aren’t for everyone, and they have some negatives as I’ve mentioned, but walking around here on a comfortable day is really pleasant. This ends up being a great spot for returning guests who aren’t as park focused as others might be.

Even after our most recent pleasant stay, we still don’t rank Old Key West highly in our resort rankings. It’s among the cheaper deluxe resorts, and a downright good value if you’re using DVC points, but I prefer staying at some of the moderates over this. Don’t get me wrong, I think this hotel fits a very specific type of trip and is favorable for larger families or travel groups. In fact, it might be the best spot in Walt Disney World for doing that on a reasonable budget.

The lack of grandeur caused by the community feel the resort is going for means it’s hard to compare Old Key West to the likes of the Magic Kingdom resorts or the WDW lodges. When you add in the blander studio rooms and the bus transportation issues, we just don’t recommend staying here to most people going to Disney World. That said, if you’re looking for a slower pace and a beautiful setting then this resort might be for you.

Overall Rating – 7.5/10

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