Mickey with Minis
Real-life advice for touring Disney parks with littles in tow, from two sisters who've done it and lived to tell the tale.
Mickey with Minis
Deep Dive on Disney's Old Key West Resort - Episode 203
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This week Danielle and Hayley are talking all things Old Key West. Spoiler alert: we have a soft spot for this one!
Want help planning your own adventure? Reach out to Danielle today at daniellegriggs@fantasticalvacations.com to get started!
Mickey with Minis podcast outro music
Hi. Hello. How are you? I'm good. How are you? I'm good. It's been a big weekend, as you know. We borrowed your husband all day yesterday.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00We found a free swing set on Facebook Marketplace and we jumped on it because swing sets are hard to come by. And we had a very a very rickety one that was kind of falling apart. So we jumped on it. And Nick's dad, God bless him, flew out for the weekend to help. Yeah. Um, and we borrowed your husband yesterday, and they got it probably like 75% done yesterday and finished the rest today. It was a little, I think a lot more work than they um anticipated. There were a lot of like boards that needed to be replaced and things like that. But it looks brand new, it looks fantastic. The clips are pleased as punched. They look so happy. They are, they really are.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and while he was down there doing that, I also had a really big day because my youngest has decided to play hockey. And your kids have decided to play hockey with her. But I feel like Gloria is really driving the commitment on this. She is absolutely leading the charge. Yes. And she needed gear. So I work in Worcester and there's a store there. This is a really cool concept. It's never occurred to me before, maybe just because I'm not a sports person. But basically, they they sell new and used equipment. And basically, people go there every season or when their kids outgrow something and they sell their gear back to the store and they get store credit for new equipment. So, like every season you just go back and re-up and you also earn points as you do it. So you can like, it's not like you're selling it back at a discount and then buying something else that's not at a discount. It's like actually savings. So, um, and the guy there was like the most patient with us because I literally walked in. I went there during the week on my lunch break this week, and I was basically like, Hello, I don't know what I'm doing here. Can you help me? My child has decided to hockey and I don't know anything about it. And he was like, Okay, has she done learn to skate yet? And I was like, This is like a learn to skate, learn to play. And he was like, I really recommend doing learn to skate first because a lot of kids just find they don't like the ice and they're just not gonna be unless they're really, really committed to like wanting to learn hockey. I was like, Let me tell you.
SPEAKER_00We have dove right in, my friends.
SPEAKER_01She is really, really committed to playing hockey, and uh so I came back on the weekend with her in tow, and he like fitted her up and like from head to toe, and like showed me how to do everything and what order to do it in, and it was an education. We were there for like an hour and a half with all three kids, and then we got lunch, and then Ella had been stung by a hornet and has never been stuck by anything before, a bald-faced hornet in my bathroom that must have like wandered in from the back door and woke up, like covered her face and neck in a really splotchy rash. So we were at urgent care with all three children, and then she had a gym show rehearsal in a different town. So we this was her gymnastics performance, so we had to drive over and do that, and then I brought the little kids to a playground thinking they would enjoy that, and they just complained at me the entire time. So we left, picked up Ella's meds at the pharmacy, and then went back and got Ella. It was just like I try to protect my peace on the weekends, like I really tried to have as little planned as possible. I don't mind like a hangout, like the weekend we hung out with like at your house and then at Joe and Christine's house the whole day. Yeah, that was lovely. I I I left that weekend feeling refreshed, freshly watered plant. Like I just it was it wasn't like running around doing things, obligations. Yes, it's a lot, and it was a it was a lot, and then today was quite busy as well because the two little kids had gym shows and we had to do the Sunday stuff. So it's on a big weekend and it's not gonna stop until the school year is over. So we've got two weeks. Yeah, two weeks to get through, Haley.
SPEAKER_00I was kind of looking at the calendar through the summer. We're trying to find um a weekend to go to New Jersey this summer because the twins' parents are here till uh the twins are um some of Nick's best friends from college. He went to an all-male college, and those guys are so tight that he lived with, the six of them. Um so cute. So they're the uh two of them are twins, and their parents are visiting from India and they're here till September, and we would really like to get down there and visit again before they leave. His mom's really cool. Kind of looking for a weekend to do that. This is a really busy summer. It is, it's all fun stuff, like it should be fairly hopefully relaxing on the weekends, but there's like a lot going on.
SPEAKER_01You have a lot of travel, I feel I do, I do, yeah, and we do too. Um and I'm trying to figure out how to finance any of it at the particular juncture, but if everything holds, we have kind of a lot going on. Um yeah. So yeah, interesting, interesting. Well, and it's the first year my kids will be in camp, like in camp in a way where they must be there. Yes. Like camp is really childcare. It's no longer like, oh, you want to stay home today because it's like a good day for the sprinkler, like oh, maybe today's a beach day. Like, no, this is you have to be there because I have to go to work. So um it's gonna be a different vibe to the summer than is normal. And I don't know what like the vibe at the office is like in the summer. Like, yeah, like when I worked at Harvard in the summer, people were in and out, you were out at Fridays, like all different schedules and stuff, and I just don't there's nothing formal in place where I am now, but I just don't know what people kind of get up to. So I guess we'll see. Yeah, should be interesting.
SPEAKER_00Well, the opposite of a busy vibe is what we are talking about today, which is old key west.
SPEAKER_01We can't believe we actually like spent time before recording to like really triple check that we haven't done a deep dive on old key west before. Because I feel like we have, and maybe it's just that I've had two sets of first-timer clients stay at Old Key West. So maybe I did a big download with them, yeah, and that's why I feel like we've done this before. I definitely remember talking about aspects of old key west before, but we couldn't find it. Folks, if you're listening and you're like, yeah, you totally did this already, please send us a link because we have totally, totally. We don't know where it is, we can't find it. I like went through old transcripts. I was I was convinced, but I guess we haven't.
SPEAKER_00So here we go. So here we go. So old Old Key West, for those who don't know, it used to be the Disney Vacation Club. It was the old if you bought into Disney Vacation Club or DVC, this was the resort. So we stayed there a number of times before it was Old Key West when it was just Disney Vacation Club. And obviously, now if you don't know Disney Vacation Club has expanded to a number of different resorts, and now this resort is Old Key West. You can book on DVC Points or on in a catch room. Um, so I have many nostalgic memories there. Yeah, I have a sound place. Yep. I think this place is so lovely for like a little bit of a slower trip. Yes, yep. Yeah. The vibes are just very relaxing. Yeah. Honestly, so we I last stayed there in um February of 2024. And that was kind of a last minute trip right before a cruise. And honestly, I was like, it was all we could get on points, and I was a little bit bummed. I was kind of like, I don't, I don't know if I want to stay there with the kids. We loved it. We absolutely loved it.
SPEAKER_01So let's let's talk about it. Let's get into it. So yeah, we're talking super laid back, like old key w like key west vibes. Totally. I've never been to Key West. Our dad got married for the second time in Key West.
SPEAKER_00He loves Key West big time. Yes.
SPEAKER_01But I have never been there. So I don't know how accurate it is, but it's just very, very chill and tropical and fun.
SPEAKER_00If you're booking, um, I don't even know. Do they have I don't think they have rooms that are just hotel rooms. You can book DVC rooms on cash, but I think they're like the same rooms. Yeah, everything is studios and pillars. So what we really loved about the studio is usually the studios with some exceptions, but the studios are like a queen, I think a king or queen size bed and a pull-down or a pull-out couch. This was two beds, which was yeah, for a big family, that was really, really nice.
SPEAKER_01And then for villas, they've got one, two, and three bedroom villas. I believe we stayed, we've definitely stayed in a two. Have we stayed in a three? I don't think so. I don't think we've stayed in a three, but I think we've stayed in a two multiple times.
SPEAKER_00Your first trip with Ella, you were in a two-bedroom, right?
SPEAKER_01Yes. And you had like a massive jacuzzi tub, didn't you? Yes. Well, so that's like one of my most nostalgic memories about the West was I remember, and I I think it was a similar room type. I think it was a two-bedroom, probably. There was a trip that we went down with. I think Auntie Mary was there, and maybe Ashley Gagnan came with us, a friend of ours from high school, who we used to do a lot of like Florida travel with. Um, she actually works for Disney now. Um, but I remember after a really long park day, mom put foot soak in the jacuzzi, and we all sat around with our feet in the jacuzzi soaking our feet. And that is literally why I always bring foot soak. I have yet to like make this happen for me ever again. But that was just like a nice like way to end, like luxurious way to end the day. And everyone just sat around talking about their favorite parts of the day. And I was definitely like a teenager at that point. So if you can make your teenager have that good a memory of like sitting around with you talking about your day, like that's probably a win. Good job, mom. For sure. But that, yeah, that was probably a two-bedroom. Yeah. Um, yeah, that's so one-bedroom villa is gonna have a king bed and then a king size or queen size sleeper sofa and a twin-size sleeper chair. So the the bed is like the king bed is in its own space, but then there's some um sleeper sofa, sleeper chair stuff going on in the living room.
SPEAKER_00The two bedrooms are oh wait, have they maybe they've done a renovation then? Maybe I just totally gave out-of-date information because when we stayed in the studio, it was two beds for sure. No, no, the studio is, but the one bedroom still okay. Sorry, sorry, okay. The one bedroom, yeah.
SPEAKER_01The studio is two queen beds still. Yeah. Um the two bedroom is gonna have a king bed in one room, two queen beds in another room, and then it will still have the sleep queen sleeper sofa and the twin-size sleeper chair in the living room. And then your three-bedroom grand is gonna have a king bed in its own space, two queen beds in their own space, two double beds in their own space, and then a queen size sleeper and a one uh a twin-size sleeper uh also in the living space. So you can get up to 12 people in that three-bedroom, yeah. Which is pretty cool, and have really four separate sleeping areas. So depending on the kind of group you're going with, that can be a really good one. I had um, I had folks go that was two families traveling separate, traveling together, but they wanted to sleep separately, and they also had children that they wanted to sleep separately, so they want to like a two-bedroom was perfect. Yeah for them.
SPEAKER_00So it's uh yeah, good options, good options. The rooms are generally larger than what you find in current hotel rooms. On the whole, they have more square footage, which is pretty great if you're traveling like with a big group.
SPEAKER_01Yep. Um, and let's see, um, there's also gonna be, I don't know, do the studios have the studios don't have laundry, do they? No, we did not have laundry, but the villas all do, and they have the full kitchen as well. So that's pretty nice.
SPEAKER_00I went and did laundry um because we were doing a pre-cruise stay the day before our cruise. I went and did laundry. Um, but it is nicely positioned near the bar, which is the gurgling suitcase. So I wheeled all my laundry down there in a double stroller. I piled my double stroller high with laundry, brought it down, threw it in the wash, grabbed a drink, and sat at the bar while I waited for my laundry. It was lovely. It was like a totally relaxing experience. It was so funny. I love that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. All right. For dining, you've got some sleeper hits here. You do. Olivia's Cafe is like the sit-down. I again, such a soft spot. I know they've changed it. It used to be they had in the entryway of Olivia's Cafe, they had an area that was just all people's family photos from their Disney trips. DVC members would send them in and they would hang them up, and it was absolutely plastered on the walls. And I loved that so much. They have recently taken them down. Yeah. End of an era. A sad face. But yeah, uh, they do a good brunch. I weirdly remember getting we weren't we weren't the kind of family that like went out to breakfast a whole bunch. You know what I mean? No. I remember getting, I think I got like an over-easy egg that I had like never had before, and like and like I got a half a grapefruit, and I thought that was like the fanciest thing with a little raw sugar on it. I thought that was like the fanciest thing I had ever done in my life was getting a half a grapefruit. We did not have fruit around. We had green apples and green grapes, and that was it. That was like that's that's all you're getting here. So, like a half a grapefruit was like a big deal.
SPEAKER_00It was fancy, very fancy. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And they also do um, they do a fried chicken that people are very excited about later on. Very good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. So when we stayed there, we did a breakfast there, which was great. And then we also did a dinner there. And what was really fun at dinner, they had a scavenger hunt for the kids. So there's all these like different nautical thick decor all over the restaurant, and it was a scavenger hunt to find like different pieces of the nautical stuff. So it was really good for my kids to like keep them busy during dinner, and they got like a tiny prize at the end if they found everything. But um aside from that, I had the fried chicken and it lived up to the hype. It was fantastic. It's supposed to be great, it was really good.
SPEAKER_01It's like a combo of like southern seafood and like southern comfort cooking, is kind of what I would say about that. Um, I just want to take a peek at the brunch menu real quick, too. Yeah, yeah. So we got some fun specialty cocktails for brunch.
SPEAKER_00We had brunch there, but the day we left for our cruise at like 7 a.m. I think we were basically the only people in the restaurant. Our server was amazing. He had been on the Disney Wish before and told us like all about different things he liked about it and was just like super engaging with the kids. It was fantastic.
SPEAKER_01Nice. Oh, and they have grips as the side. I do love it. We don't get those up here. So that that's fun. I like that. Yeah. Um, let's see, let's see. The pool, I think, is kind of underrated. I think so too. Yeah. Like I would say it's not on par with like the crazy one at Coronado or like the one at Beach Club. But as far as like the other resort water slides go, yeah, I think it's like very much on par.
SPEAKER_00And there is no sand involved, which for the sensory sensitive among us, there is no sand, it is a fake sand castle. It's a fake sand castle.
SPEAKER_01They do not appreciate sand. Yes. Um, there are also three leisure pools. This is a pretty big resort. This is a pretty big, pretty dispersed resort. It does have an internal bus loop or it did at last check. It does. And so that there are quieter pools in the sort of separate areas. So if you don't want them, if it's nighttime and you've had a big park day and your kids want to do a night swim, but you don't want to trek all the way back to the main pool, you can hit one of the quiet pools, and that's very fun. Um, which I think is convenient.
SPEAKER_00To hit on downsides really quick. Um, there are if you're booking cash, I'm not sure if you get a choice of where your room is located at all. If you're booking DVC points, you can choose near hospitality house or just regular. Um, hospitality house is like the main area where the pool is and check-in and all that. We did not book that category. Um when we went there, we had a combination of cash day and points day because it was very last minute. And there are only three buildings at Old Key West that have elevators. And we really, really wanted an elevator because we have at the time we had three kids and strollers. Um, so we messed, we hadn't sent a room request beforehand, and we wound up getting um, we were just outside kind of the perimeter of what they consider hospitality house area. Um, that said, we were the last bus stop when you were coming back to the resort from the park. And from the time we entered the resort to the time we got to our stop was 12 minutes. So it's a lot. Yeah. It is kind of a long time. Um, but you know, on the way out, we were the last stop. So we left directly from our stop to the park, which was great. Um, and I think at one point during the day, one time when we came back through the resort, I think there were people trying to find like the fastest way to a bus stop, and they were like in the median, which was, and they were like running back and forth trying to get the bus to stop for them. Oh my goodness, like, I can't do that. I can only stop at a stop as well. Oh no. But um, so that's definitely the the elevators not being at every um building, and also the time it can take for the internal bus, I would say, are the two major cons of this resort. Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_01There's also this is really a bus resort, so um, there is a boat that you can take to Disney Springs, which is a nice little ride. Um, but that's about it. You're riding the bus from this one. Yes.
SPEAKER_00That said, we found the service great. We didn't wait long for buses at any given point in time. Yeah, it was really good.
SPEAKER_01Um, for recreation outside of the pool stuff, they run the full calendar of recreation activities that you'll see at all of the other resorts. Um they also do campfires, movies under the stars. Um, they have they do have a gym relevant to my interests and my mental health. Um they uh because it's DVC, they do have a community hall. So there's like some table games, and um usually there's like kind of an arts and crafts or some coloring kind of thing going on in there. So you can check that out, even if you're staying on cash. Um, they've got bike rentals and surrey bike rentals, they've got uh fishing. Um, there's a tennis and pickleball court, basketball court, volleyball court. This is too many ball court. Uh they have a jogging path if Haley wants to continue her training. I do. They've got three playgrounds dispersed throughout. Um so that is good to know.
SPEAKER_00There's also for food, so there is a quick service. Oh, that's right.
SPEAKER_01We we skipped over it. I got excited.
SPEAKER_00That's okay. No, that's okay. I feel like this is so lacking at some other deluxe resorts. And I will say it's so it's called Goods Food to Go. It's just one counter, it's not like a food court. Um, and it was fine. There were, you know, your chicken fingers, your burgers, maybe a couple of other different things.
SPEAKER_01I want to remember a pulled pork nacho that I was quite a fan of. I'm just looking to see if that is here. They've got a they actually have kind of a bunch of stuff. They've got a chili cheese dog, that kind of thing. They've got regular chicken strips, but also a roasted jalapeno chicken strip. So if you're feeling adventurous, yeah, stuff, a weird amount of soup. Oh, it's one a day. Chef's choice at the end of the day. It's like this is too much soup for Florida. What are we doing? Too much soup. Um, they've got the homemade kettle chips, mac and cheese, that kind of thing. I don't see the nachos, but there were nachos here when we stayed there and they were like made on the kettle chips, and they were very good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah, I would just say like it wasn't anything to really like write home about specifically, but just having a quick service at a deluxe resort that's like very easily accessible was with kids a massive win.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm really I was taken by surprise about that. Staying at the boardwalk with the case. Yes. Um, for sure. They also have, I will say, a lounge that I really quite like. I love the gurgling suitcase. Gurgling suitcase. I've said this before, but it reminds me of a bar that I hung out at a few times when I lived in Hong Kong. And it was like for travelers, like for ex-cat types, and it was by the beach, it wasn't on the beach because I hate sand, but it was by the beach, so you got the sea breeze, and uh it was just papered with international currency from all over the place, and just like very much this a similar vibe here. Oh, wait, this is where the nachos are. Pulled pork rolls. Oh potato chips exist. Yeah, they exist. They are still there. It turns out I was just going to the bar over and over again, not to the um hush puppies here, they've got these conch fritters everywhere. So yeah, this is a good one. And then they have, you know, your specialty cocktails, but they also have a full bar, which I appreciate.
SPEAKER_00And then there's also at one of the quieter pools, um, there is the turtle shack pool side snacks. So if you're not looking to track all the way back to the hospitality house area and you're staying at like one of the um places that's a little further out, there is a pool bar and has some food at one of those kind of more remote pools, which is great.
SPEAKER_01This is giving Caribbean Beach a little bit. Yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I just what I love about Caribbean Beach, uh what I love about Old Key West is like you can't quite describe it. It's just it's a vibe. It really is. To borrow from the youth, it is a whole vibe. It's a whole vibe. It's very from the moment you step in there, it's very relaxing, very laid back. Um, we had a sitter one night while we were there. They and she brought the kids down to the hospitality house area. They had like lawn games set up, they played like a massive chess game and some cornhole and just like had a great night. Love it. Yeah, love it. So big fans, and I think this is highly underrated.
SPEAKER_01It's funny. I feel like um, like you know, Saratoga is often like people are like, eh, I gotta stay at Saratoga this time. It's like I think people have the same thought about this, but it's not the same the same thing at all.
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh, we forgot to mention they have a boat to Disney Springs. No, I I mentioned it. Oh, you did mention it. I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm so sorry.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it's nice, it's like a smaller boat, it's not one of the big ones, so it's just kind of a nice ride. Yeah, yeah, beautiful. Big fan. Should go back.
SPEAKER_00We should.
SPEAKER_01We should do it like right now. Right now. I've been doing budgeting all afternoon. I can't, I can't go with me. I can tell you with absolute certainty. I can't go to OK.
SPEAKER_00Soon, soon, my friend. Soon.
SPEAKER_01Oh my gosh, I know. It's the worst. But it must be done. Um well, hey, if you're thinking about this hotel or any other hotel, I would be happy to help you book. And if you don't know where you want to go, I'd be happy to help match you up with the right location. Danielle Greg's a fantastical vacations dot com. Um, I would just love to help you plan your magical trip. All for now. See you real soon. See you real soon.