A Visit to Hospitality House at Disney’s Old Key West

Here is a photo of a map that’s posted near the resort’s main entrance. You’ll notice that the majority of things “to do” at the resort are at Hospitality House. The other areas of the Disney Vacation Club resort are comprised of room accommodations.

If you’re visiting Disney’s Old Key West from elsewhere, you’ll want to make sure to exit at the Hospitality House bus stop. If you take the water taxi from Disney Springs to Old Key West, it docks at Hospitality House. (Bus service is also provided from Disney Springs.)

We’re going to start our walk through as though we arrived at the North Cove Rd (bus stop) entrance. Once we depart the bus, we see the Conch Flats General Store ahead. A covered walkway sits to the right.

If you’re looking to do a little shopping, you might enjoy browsing the gift shop. We always enjoy checking out the resort-branded merchandise.

But for this afternoon, we’ll take the walkway to the center of the Hospitality House area to see what else is available.

I don’t know about you but this entire area always feels like a breath of fresh air to me.

The first open door we come across leads into the resort’s lobby and reception area. This area was remodeled a few years back and it turned out nicely.

Adjacent to the lobby, you’ll find Papa’s Den, named after Ernest Hemingway, who was often referred to as “papa” by his friends. The bookshelves are lined with trinkets and references to the author.

One can only assume that the marlin above the mantle references his many record-breaking catches.

We noticed a scavenger hunt was available on our last visit. Most resorts have some small offering where they hide a character cut-out. If you find the cut-out, which was Orange Bird, you can take a photo with him. Then, show the photo to a cast member at the Community Hall and you’ll receive a pin or some other small prize. It’s something fun for children to do if you have a little extra time to kill.

A souvenir coin machine is also available. This photo indicates the designs that were available on our visit.

Back outside, you’ll find a side entrance to Conch Flats and a window looking inside.

This is also where you’ll find the entrance to Olivia’s Cafe.

Olivia’s is a “locals” type of restaurant. It’s charming. A few of the walls are lined with polaroids of families (mostly DVC members) who stayed at the resort back when it first opened in the early 90s.

If the weather is pleasant, you might enjoy a meal on the outdoor patio. You can make a special request when you arrive. But if it’s hot outside, you’re better off inside.

As we come out the opposite side of Hospitality House, we can see the boat dock straight ahead. So if you’re visiting, remember the bus stop is on one side and the boat dock is on the opposite.

Here is a view of Hospitality House from the pedestrian bridge that cuts through the center of the resort.

For reference, I was standing on the bridge in the photo below when I took the image above.

If you’re coming from the bridge or most other areas of the resort, you’ll enter Hospitality House from this side area shown below.

A long row of picnic tables with umbrellas lines the area. Old Key West weighs heavily upon the outdoor experience. Even the quick service is a walk-up window.

Speaking of quick-service, if you’re looking for a cocktail or beverage, you can pick one up at the nearby Gurgling Suitcase.

Or you can order a soda or quick-service meal next door at Good’s Food To Go.

From the water’s edge, we can see a heavily landscaped area with a lighthouse that’s not too far away. We’ll get to that.

Continuing along, you’ll run into a couple of outdoor table games and recreational activities.

We love to see anything with the resort’s branding, even if it’s only an Old Key West corn hole set.

Conch Flats Community Hall sits toward one end of Hospitality House. All of the DVC Resorts have a Community Hall. Guests are welcome to step inside and cool off. You’ll find a selection of board games, activities, and a movie corner. This is also where you’ll find the resort’s monthly recreation calendar.

Most of the resorts have an arcade. The Electric Eel Arcade sits immediately between Good’s Food to Go and Community Hall.

A few steps beyond we run into Hank’s Rent and Return. I don’t care for the Surrey bikes so much. However, I have done an individual bike rental at Old Key West. It’s an excellent way to see the resort and you can take an extended bike path to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Disney Springs.

If you’re staying at the resort, you might want to take advantage of the Exercise Room (AKA fitness center).

I don’t have each court featured, but Disney’s Old Key West is home to a number of sports courts. They have tennis courts (where Pickleball has taken over), a volleyball court, basketball court, and shuffleboard. You can sign out equipment at Community Hall.

Hospitality House has a separately fenced playground near the pool. Who doesn’t love a good playground?

Related: A Parent’s Guide to Playgrounds at the Disney Resorts

Now, about that pool. The Sandcastle Pool is such a fun pool. You might notice a hidden Mickey at the water slide exit.

Old Key West is so kid-friendly. See how the sandcastles below surround an area behind the water slide.

This area is home to the kiddie pool, and the playground is opposite.

On the other side of the pool, you’ll find the lighthouse. Step inside and you might find a steamy retreat. It has a sauna! If you would like, we have a separate guide to the pools at Disney’s Old Key West.

Final Thoughts

That wraps up our tour of Hospitality House at Disney’s Old Key West. I hope you enjoyed the tour and photos. It’s a pretty area of the resort and we always enjoy our time there. If you decide to visit, make sure to see How to Get to Disney’s Old Key West for Dining or a Resort-Hop. It details specifics from every resort, theme park, and Disney Springs.

For some of our other more “niche” resort posts, you might enjoy the following:

• A Visit to Old Port Royale at Disney’s Caribbean Beach
• A Visit to the Carriage House Lobby at Disney’s Saratoga Springs
• Hidden Spots at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge You Might Not Know Existed
• 12 Things to Do at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort

Or you might like our entire guide to Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

More Planning

Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. Explore our resources, including our Disney World Resorts Guide. It provides an overview of everything you need to know about the Disney Resort Hotels. For dining, our Disney World Dining Guide is an excellent place to start. Our Disney World Transportation Guide is a wonderful resource for planning your routes. It’s one of our most popular resources. If you plan to meet characters in the parks, we have an updated list of Disney World Characters. It includes every available character meet-and-greet in the parks and where to find rare characters throughout the year. Lastly, our Disney Parks Guide provides a complete overview of all four theme parks and water parks.