OKW Grand Villa Locations/Preferences

[robinb]

Tell me about your OKW Grand Villa locations!

Thanks to Doc, I printed out a map of OKW and marked all the Grand Villas . I am so excited! I have wanted to stay in a GV since I first toured OKW years ago and bought into DVC.

Can anyone suggest comment on the buildings they stayed in and how the view was? I like a golf view at OKW. We don't golf, but I like watching people play through my resort. I think I also want to be near the main pool, but that's not a requirement. I do not want a handicapped GV. I understand that 1st floor GVs and the ones in building 63 are all handicapped. Is that correct? I think I'll be safe asking for a non h/c upper floor villa.

I'm leaning toward requesting buildings (in order) 16, 15, 43, 53 & 48. Building 51 is on the bus turn around (yuck!!!), 22, 29 and 49 are too far away from pools and bus stops, 19 and 25 (some of the best locations!) are smoking optional. However, if you really liked one of my "rejects", I'd like to hear about it anyway .

Thanks all!

 

[Richyams]

I have stayed in nine or ten different GVs. We get one every year. I have never been so impressed with one or dissappointed with one enough to start requesting locations. The one in building 15 or 16 was close to the road. Not real bad, but the noise on the balcony was less than desirable. One down by the 50's, maybe 51, maybe 55, had less parking than most of the building seem to have. All in all, I guess building 25 was the best location. Not too far in, you were home once you got through the gate, it was also real close to HH.

None of these plusses and minusses were enough to spur me to request specidic locations.

 

[reneesam]

I am looking forward to our first stay in a GV next June. I'm afraid that we will get so spoiled we won't want to go bach to a smaller unit! Our only request was N/S.

Rich, do you make requests? Do you ask for "not handicapped" or "upper floor"? Do you get two parking spots with a GV?

Thanks!
Renee

 

[PADVCmember@OKW]

Stayed in a GV in building 48.

We loved the location's proximity to a bus stop, a quiet pool, and the walking path to DTD.

I would definitely request that location again!

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by Richyams
The one in building 15 or 16 was close to the road. Not real bad, but the noise on the balcony was less than desirable. One down by the 50's, maybe 51, maybe 55, had less parking than most of the building seem to have. All in all, I guess building 25 was the best location. Not too far in, you were home once you got through the gate, it was also real close to HH.

For building 15 or 16 do you mean it was too close to Community Drive? 15 backs onto Community Drive and 16 is across the road next to the whrere the old Sales Center (Commedore Hourse?) was. I could see how 51 would have less parking as it's on the bus turn-around (yuck, again). I think that 25 has the ideal location! One of our best stays was next door in building 24. It was close to the HH and close to two bus stops. But ... 25 is smoking optional . 19 also has a great location, but the same problem.

None of these plusses and minusses were enough to spur me to request specidic locations.

I have had truly awful locations at OKW. There was the studio with the Buena Vista Drive view and the 1 BR with Peninsular Road view. The noise was terrible and I could see the cars. I was spent more time inside than usual. Since then, I have made an effort to request, in order or perference, a list of acceptable buildings. We spend a lot of time on our porch at OKW and I prefer a quiet, car-free view. Of course, we usually then have to duck golf balls .

 

[Richyams]

There are no assigned parking spots anywhere. The only time I have had a problem was in the 51 bldg...I think it was 51.

I like the turtle pond area, I have requested that area, once when I requested that area we got bldg 25 and liked that location so much that we never made another request.

All the GVs except one start on the second floor, and that one is handicapped, so there is no need to request upper floor.

We have never gotten a HA unit. This year our only request is to be near my father's units and his only request is to be near mine.

In the future, I will probably start requesting non-HA after hearing how much less desirable those units are for people who don't need them.

 

[TIdoublegaER]

We stayed in a GV in bldg 63 and it was HCA. There are 2 in this building since there is an elevator. Didn't even notice at first until we went in the master bath. The bathroom had the roll in shower and no vanity, but that really wasn't that big of an issue. The bed was lower, the closet had a lower rack to hang clothes and the counters in the kitchen were lower - but not to where it was difficult to use them. My biggest complaint was there was no garbage disposal since there were not cabinets under the kitchen sink.


I would recommend stating NON-HCA as your first request after your smoking preference if you really don't want HCA.

 

[tidefan1985]

Just returned from six days at OKW in GV 2223. While this unit may seem undesirable when looking at the map, we found it to be most enjoyable. No noise problems as you are at the end of the road. Great view of the golf course. Close to the bus stop. The pool closest to the unit is never crowded. Easy walk to the HH for adults and little kids. Just my opinion.

 

[AZKathy]

We were in building 25 in June. Great view, second floor. It did not have any kind of odors in it at all. (Honestly, I had no idea it was a smoking optional until reading this thread.) We just loved it.

[We had stayed off site the week prior with a friend in her time share trade at the Vistana Resort. Now, odors....that is a completely different story! UGH!]

We were so very happy to get back to OKW after that stay. It was our first stay in an grand villa and we want more points now to always stay in a grand villa. Well, we can always dream!!!!!!!

 

[Jimbo]

We were in building 25 in June. Great view, second floor. It did not have any kind of odors in it at all. (Honestly, I had no idea it was a smoking optional until reading this thread.) We just loved it.

I was just about to post the same thing! We're not smokers, and we never noticed a thing. It was a perfect location, near the pool, close to the first and last bus stops, and had a nice view.

YMMV, but unless there's allergies involved it'd be a shame to cross 25 off your list just because the last person <u>might</u> have smoked in it (and might not have). I know on our next GV stay - whenever that is - I'd be thrilled to score the same room.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Originally posted by robinb



I have had truly awful locations at OKW. There was the studio with the Buena Vista Drive view and the 1 BR with Peninsular Road view. The noise was terrible and I could see the cars. I was spent more time inside than usual[/B]

robinb, would you mind sharing the building #s of the undesirable studio and 1 BR? We've only stayed at OKW twice so far, but from DH's reaction to it, I'm sure we have many more stays to come! But those views sound like they'd dampen his enthusiasm.

 

[TIdoublegaER]

Simba's mom -

I know you asked about undesirable locations, but we have stayed in building 18 and 11 also and enjoyed both. Bldg 18 is really close to Miller Rd bus stop and a quiet pool, plus a short walk to HH. Building 11 is right by the HH and was very quiet.

 

[Richyams]

I never stayed in any of those first buildings, the ones right out front and to the right of HH. I guess building 11 is one. My sister bought in a while back and had a two bedroom villa there. The location was nice, woods and VERY close to HH, but there were times when parking was tough because of overflow from HH area parkers.

That's it, my total list of downsides, I just looked at the map to get the right bldg numbers. Parking near bldg 53(not 51), parking near bldg 11 and 12(I guess there are no GVs in those buildings) and the road noise from bldg 15.

I would still stay in any of them again.

 

[dianeschlicht]

BTW, we stayed in building 51 where the bus turns around in January. I expected it to be noisy, but we never once heard the bus! I think that is because most of the windows are on the other side of the building.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I forgot to mention that we had a GV in building 22 a few years ago. The view was nice, but the walk to the bus stop was not! the other issue we had was that somebody parked their motor home in the turnaround, and there was no room for anyone's cars!

 

[robinb]

Originally posted by Simba's Mom
robinb, would you mind sharing the building #s of the undesirable studio and 1 BR? We've only stayed at OKW twice so far, but from DH's reaction to it, I'm sure we have many more stays to come! But those views sound like they'd dampen his enthusiasm.

The buildings were 56 and 50. Both times the units were at the very end of the buildings next to the road. #50 was a studio (last unit) and #56 was a 1 BR (part of a 2BR lock-off) 2nd unit in. I think you'd be fine in either one of these buildings as long as you're away from the road.

I know that some people enjoy "The Luck of the Draw", but I find it doesn't hurt to include a list of preferred buildings.

 

[robinb]

Back from a trip to Chicago ... and catching up .

AZKathy and Jimbo -- I just might put #25 back on my list. It really is a great location. I am not allergic to smoke, but I am sensitive to it. We tried to take a smoking studio at BCV in July and couldn't do it. But ... it is a smaller space. Maybe I'll give it the old scratch and sniff if we get it.

dianeschlicht -- Friends of mine just came back from a 2BR in #52 and they said the same thing, that there was no noise. However, they did say that they were concerned about their rental car and the buses. They came really close to the parked cars!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Resurrecting this very old thread. While googling the subject of good Grand Villa locations, I thought this thread provided the most helpful information. Hope someone else can benefit from this, too. Going to be calling in early October to hopefully book my Grand Villa for September 2012.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

After seeing where this posted, it probably would be best located over in Mouscellaneous.