Sunday Spotlight - Disney's Old Key West Resort

Disney's Old Key West Resort_® first opened at Walt Disney World_® Resort on December 20, 1991.  It was the original Disney Vacation Club_® (DVC) timeshare property, and as such was originally named Disney’s Vacation Club Resort.  In January 1996 DVC expanded their timeshare offerings at the Walt Disney World Resort, and so the resort was renamed to Disney’s Old Key West Resort.  The resort is themed to celebrate the Conch Republic of Key West, Florida, and enjoys quite the laid-back feeling that a southern Florida provides.

The resort has a total of 761 villas, comprised of Deluxe Studios, 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom and 3-Bedroom Grand Villas. 

• Deluxe Studios are 376 square feet and can accommodate up to four guests, plus one child under age 3 in a crib.  They include a kitchenette, two queen-size beds and a private porch or balcony.
• 1-Bedrooms are 942 square feet, and can accommodate up to five guests, plus one child under age 3 in a crib. They include a fully equipped kitchen, washer & dryer, king-size bed in the master bedroom, a queen-size sleeper sofa plus a sleeper chair in the living room, whirlpool tub in the bathroom, and a private porch or balcony. 
• 2-Bedrooms are 1,333 square feet, and can accommodate up to nine guests, plus one child under 3 in a crib. They offer all that a 1-Bedroom has plus a second bedroom with 2 queen-size beds and a second full bathroom.
• 3-Bedroom Grand Villas are 2,375 square feet, and can accommodate up to 12 guests, plus one child under 3 in a crib. They offer all of the amenities of the 2-Bedroom, plus they include a third bedroom with 2 queen-size beds, a third full bathroom, a full dining room, additional private balcony and are two-story rooms.

Even though the resort is a DVC timeshare property (the villas are owned by members through DVC’s points-based system), DVC maintains ownership of approximately 3-4% of the total point allocation for each of their timeshare resorts, making those rooms available for rent year-round to non-members.  

The resort includes 1 feature pool and 3 leisure or “quiet” pools, a children’s pool, whirlpools, sauna, fitness center, Community Hall family recreation room, tennis courts, fishing, marina watercraft rentals, arcade and recreational activities.  It also features 1 table service restaurant:  Olivia’s Café serving breakfast lunch and dinner;  2 quick-service counter locations: Good’s Food to Go, and the Turtle Shack.  A bar is also on-site:  Gurgling Suitcase.

Disney’s Old Key West Resort_® is a Deluxe Villas level resort centrally located to the east of Epcot_® in the Downtown Disney_® area.  Convenient bus transportation will take guests to all parts of Walt Disney World_® Resort, and water taxis transport guests to and from Downtown Disney. 

Sunday Spotlight - Disney's POP Century Resort

Disney's POP Century Resort_® first opened at Walt Disney World_® Resort, originally planned to open in 2001, finally opened on December 13, 2003 (after delays caused by the tragic events of 9/11 and the following drop in tourism and further construction delays in 2002.  The resort is themed to celebrate the decades of the 20^th Century, and is filled with all kinds of popular references, icons and imagery of the century (thus the name POP Century). 

The resort is comprised of 5 sections, representing the 1950’s, ‘60’s, ‘70’s, ‘80’s and ‘90’s. Each section is decorated and themed with its’ own oversized icons – such as a giant jukebox and 45 rpm records for the 1950’s; giant “Baloo & Mowgli” figures from Disney’s ‘60’s classic film, The Jungle Book;  giant Mickey Mouse Phone, giant Big Wheel and 8-track tapes representing the ‘70’s and so many more.  The resort is designed with exterior doors and staircases (which are also themed with coverings such as giant bowling pins or Rubick’s Cubes).

POP Century features a total of 2,880 guest rooms, each accommodating up to 4 guests, plus one child under 3 in a crib. All rooms have either 2 double beds or 1 king-sized bed.
The resort includes 3 themed pools:  the Bowling Pin pool, the Hippy Dippy feature pool and the Computer pool.  It also features  1 quick-service food court : Everything POP; and lounges, poolside snack bars and in-room pizza delivery service.

Disney’s POP Century Resort_® is a value level resort located in the ESPN Wide World of Sports_® area.  Convenient bus transportation will take guests to all other parts of Walt Disney World_® Resort. 

Sunday Spotlight - Disney's Port Orleans Resort

Disney's Port Orleans Resort_® first opened at Walt Disney World_® Resort as two separate resorts:  Disney’s Port Orleans Resort which opened on May 17, 1991 and Disney’s Dixie Landings Resort which opened on February 2, 1992.  On March 1, 2001 both resorts were merged together into one larger single resort, with the former Dixie Landings resort being rebranded as Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside, and the original Port Orleans Resort being rebranded as Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter.

The resort is themed to invoke the bustling river life of the old South and the “gay paree” of the American Frontier – New Orleans.  The French Quarter portion was designed to resemble the French Quarter’s style and architecture, while the Riverside section was designed to invoke both southern plantations in the Magnolia Bend section, and bayou dwellings further up the river in the Alligator Bayou section.  The Sassagoula River connects both portions of the resort with other waterways of Walt Disney World_®, and provides nice boat transportation to the Downtown Disney_® Area. 

Port Orleans features a total of 3,056 guest rooms, with 1,008 rooms found in the French Quarter; 1,024 rooms found in Riverside and 1,024 found in Magnolia Bend.  About 500 rooms throughout the Magnolia Bend section of Riverside are currently being refurbished as “Royal Rooms” with a princess-inspired theme. 

The resort includes 2 themed feature pools:  Ol’ Man Island with a rustic saw-mill theme; and Doubloon Lagoon with a sea-serpent themed slide.  Additionally there are multiple quiet pools located throughout the resort.  Other recreation includes children’s playgrounds; the “Fishin’ Hole” where guests can rent cane poles and bait for some old-time catch & release fishing; a marina for watercraft rentals; bicycles & surrey bike rentals; horse-drawn carriage rides in the evenings; and video game arcades.

The resort features 1 table service restaurant:  Boatwright’s Dining Hall; and includes 2 quick-service restaurants: Riverside Mill Food Court and Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory; as well as 2 lounge/bar locations: River Roost, Muddy Rivers and Scat Cat’s Club.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort_® is a moderate level resort located in the Downtown Disney_® area.  Convenient boat transportation will take guests directly to Downtown Disney_®, as well as bus transportation to all other parts of Walt Disney World_® Resort.  The resort is classified as a Moderate level resort, and most rooms will accommodate up to 4 guests; however rooms in Alligator Bayou will accommodate up to 5 guests, as they include a trundle bed, which makes Disney’s Port Orleans Resort a great option for many families.