Old Key West Tips

Question about OKW. If you're in a room near Hospitality and Peninsular road. What Bus stop is best to go to the parks.

I assume if you get on Pen its first so you have to do the whole Bus loop. Or if the bus gets full does it just go to the parks ?

At hospitality house its the last stop so I guess you run the risk of bus being full ?

The bus will go straight to the parks if full. Found that out with our first OKW stay when we were at the end of south point rd bldg 50 and I went to pick up breakfast and coffee. Got dropped off at MK. Dw was not happy. Luckily for me my aunt, uncle and cousins were at the contemporary doing the Wave buffet so I went and joined them.

The only time we've ever had issues w/ the bus being full and skipping HH (or any other stop though I don't think we've ever had that happen), is when people are trying to get to rope drop or park opening. So, as others have said, you do run that risk if you go to HH for those times (or at least standing the entire bus ride).

We always stay "near HH" and usually in the buildings right by the Peninsular Road stop and our general rules for which bus stop we hit are:

Get on at Peninsular Road if:

• You're trying to get to the parks in early morning with the rest of the hordes
• The bus you want is still on it's way to OKW and you have nothing you need do in the HH area (might as well ride the loop in an AC'd bus and listen to the OKW loop music).
• It's unbearably hot and humid and riding the loop in an AC'd bus is so much more appealing than sweating it out waiting for it at the HH stop

Get on at HH if:

• You're heading to the parks at a time where it's unlikely the bus will fill up before it reaches HH (most anytime after the morning rush)
• The bus is already in the loop so you missed getting on at Peninsular Road (the best thing about being near both stops)
• It's not sweltering out and you'd rather wander around HH a bit or you have something to do in that area before heading to the parks

If you use Spotify, user "Chewbacca" has a playlist called "Old Key West Resort Music" for when you can't be there physically and need a pick-me-up. I turn on shuffle and let it go...

With google, I actually found myself a listing of someone who identified all (or most) of the songs from the OKW playlist and had them in order. I have managed to download just about all of them and rebuilt the playlist. I loop it on my outdoor speakers on the deck when it's margarita time; I also had it built on a bluetooth speaker that I used when I was a schoolbus driver when I needed and pick-me-up. I also took that same speaker with us to OKW and used it the South Point quiet pool, by our chairs, because they don't play the loop there.

I figured out which song was the very first song in the loop, because one year we were there, we were hardcore "by the pool" people that year, and Turtle Pond was our thing. For whatever reason that year, they didn't start the music until the gate went up on the Turtle Shack food snack shack. And not every time. So when they finally hit "play" on the music, it was always the same song - "Tomorrow Nation" by O'Yaba



Just like you are there.

We stayed at OKW for the first time last year. The rooms are beautiful, probably the best on property. Agree with previous poster to order/buy groceries. Downside is only two or three buildings have elevators.

I think we have stated in numerous posts that we recently added on at OKW.  We thought one of the perks would be Olivia’s since we had read such good reviews over the years.  We made an ADR for our first night.  We were very happy after checking in to our 1 bed.  The unit was lovely.  Couldn’t wait to get to Olivia’s after a 6 hour flight…we were hungry.

It was disappointing at best.  Food was mediocre.  Service was a tad better.  We thought perhaps it was just an off night so we tried lunch on another day…same experience.  We may try one more time for bfast.  But, will likely be taking the boat to DS when wanting to eat close by during future stays.