Quick Verdict
Both Saratoga Springs and Old Key West are the cheapest DVC resorts to rent in 2026 — they sit at the bottom of the points charts, so a renter pays the fewest points (and therefore the fewest dollars) for the same number of nights. Between the two: rent Old Key West if you want noticeably bigger rooms (its villas are the largest in all of DVC). Rent Saratoga Springs if you want the walkway to Disney Springs, a guaranteed elevator, and a slightly more modern feel. For most families, the deciding factor is room size — and that points to Old Key West.
Every "Saratoga Springs vs Old Key West" article I've ever read was written for people buying DVC — agonizing over home-resort priority, points charts, and contract expiration dates in 2042 vs. 2054.
That's not us. We're renters. We don't care which resort gives us booking priority, because we're not booking 11 months out as owners — we're renting someone else's points for one trip. So the whole comparison changes. The question stops being "where do I want to own?" and becomes something much simpler: which of these two cheap resorts gets my family more for the money?
I've rented both. Here's the honest renter's breakdown.
Why These Two Resorts Are the Renter's Sweet Spot
Here's the thing nobody explains to first-time renters: when you rent DVC points, your cost is points × the per-point rate. Most rental companies charge a flat rate per point, so the resort that requires fewer points for your dates is simply cheaper — full stop. As of September 2026, David's Vacation Club Rentals charges $22 per point at both Saratoga Springs and Old Key West (their "Advantage" tier, year-round), versus $24 at resorts like Bay Lake Tower and Riviera and $26–$29 at the Premium and Platinum resorts booked 7–11 months out. DVC Rental Store quotes per request.
Saratoga Springs and Old Key West both sit at the bottom of the DVC points charts. That means for the exact same week, the exact same villa size, you'll spend fewer points — and hundreds fewer dollars — than you would at Beach Club, the Polynesian, or Riviera. They are the value play, and they're where I tell every first-time renter to start.
So this isn't "which fancy resort is best." It's "between the two smartest-value resorts, which one fits your family?"
I ranked every DVC resort by what the trip actually costs in the cheapest DVC resorts to rent — these two came out on top, which is why they get their own head-to-head here.
The Price Breakdown: What You'll Actually Pay
Let me put real numbers on it. Both resorts are close on points, but there are small differences by season and view.
A Studio for a Week
A standard studio for 5 nights in a value-ish season lands around 80–100 points at both resorts depending on exact dates.
~90 points × $22/point = ~$1,980 total for the week
Compare that to a Beach Club studio the same week (~130+ points × $29/point at 7–11 months = ~$3,770+)
You're saving roughly $1,800 by choosing a bottom-of-the-chart resort — partly fewer points, partly a lower per-point rate
A One-Bedroom for a Week
Step up to a one-bedroom (separate bedroom, full kitchen, washer/dryer) and you're looking at roughly 150–190 points for the week.
~170 points × $22/point = ~$3,740 total
Disney rack rate for a comparable Deluxe villa that week can run $5,000–5,700
That's a 30–45% savings for the same physical room
💰 The two resorts are within a handful of points of each other for most dates — so price alone rarely decides it. The real difference is what those points get you in square footage. That's where Old Key West pulls ahead.
Plug your own dates into the free calculator to see Saratoga Springs or Old Key West at $22/pt.
Open the free DVC savings calculator →Room Size: Old Key West's Quiet Superpower
This is the single biggest practical difference, and it's the one I felt most as a dad cramming a family into a villa.
Old Key West
As the original DVC resort (opened 1991), Old Key West has the largest villas in all of DVC. A one-bedroom here feels like an apartment — a genuinely huge living room, a kitchen you can actually cook in, and a primary bath with both a tub and a separate shower. With kids and a pack-and-play and the inevitable mountain of stuff, that extra space stops being a luxury and starts being the reason everyone sleeps.
The studios are bigger too. If your crew skews toward "we're barely in the room," it matters less — but if you're doing a slower, pool-heavy trip, OKW's space is the best-kept secret in budget DVC.
Saratoga Springs
Saratoga's villas are on the smaller side of DVC room sizes. They're perfectly comfortable — clean, well laid out, recently refreshed — but they're noticeably more compact than OKW. For a couple or a small family that's out at the parks all day, you won't feel pinched. For a family of five doing a relaxed week, you'll notice the difference by day three.
Location & Getting Around
Both resorts are in the Disney Springs area, both have boat service to Disney Springs, and both rely on buses to the parks. But there's one meaningful edge.
Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs has a walking path to Disney Springs in addition to the boat. After a long park day, being able to stroll over for dinner without waiting on transportation is genuinely nice. Saratoga is also sprawling, so the room you're assigned matters — request a room in the Springs section to be closest to the main pool, food, and the walkway.
Old Key West
Old Key West also has boat service to Disney Springs, but no walkway — you're taking the boat or a bus. OKW is spread out along canals and fairways, which is peaceful but means longer internal walks to the Hospitality House (the main building with food and the feature pool).
Dad Tip: Neither resort is "walk to a park" close — they're both bus-dependent for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, etc. If walkability to a park is your priority, neither of these is your resort (look at the Epcot-area DVC resorts instead). For Disney Springs access, Saratoga's walkway is the tiebreaker.
One Thing Grandparents and Stroller Families Should Know
Because Old Key West is the oldest DVC resort, not all of its buildings have elevators — only a few buildings (the ones near the Hospitality House) do. If you book a one- or two-bedroom on an upper floor in the wrong building, you could be hauling a sleeping toddler and a stroller up an exterior staircase.
Saratoga Springs, being newer, has elevators in all buildings. If anyone in your party has mobility concerns — grandparents, a family member recovering from surgery, or just you at the end of a 25,000-step day — that's a real point in Saratoga's favor.
Dad Tip: Renting OKW and worried about stairs? You can request a building with an elevator (62–64) or a ground-floor villa. Requests aren't guaranteed, but the rental company can add the note. If a guaranteed elevator is non-negotiable, book Saratoga and skip the gamble.
Pools, Theme & Overall Vibe
Neither of these resorts has a headline pool like Beach Club's Stormalong Bay — let's be honest about that up front. But both are pleasant.
Old Key West
Key West / Florida Keys theme — pastel villas, palm trees, a laid-back marina feel. The feature pool at the Hospitality House has a fun sandcastle slide the kids liked. It feels like a quiet beach town, not a resort. Some people find it sleepy; we found it relaxing.
Saratoga Springs
Upstate-New-York horse-country theme — a little more polished and "resort-like." The Paddock and Grandstand pools are solid, and the High Rock Spring pool area at the main building is the nicest. It reads more modern than OKW.
A Quick 2026 Heads-Up
Both resorts are mid-refurbishment, and it's worth knowing where things stand as of late September 2026. Old Key West's room refresh has been reported by DVC-watching sites as heavier than a normal soft-goods update — new furnishings in kitchens, bedrooms and living areas, plus the pull-down beds that have replaced sofa beds elsewhere — with the first redone rooms expected in the second half of 2026. At Saratoga Springs, the Treehouse Villas have been under a hard-goods refurbishment, with crews expected to move to the main resort in late 2026 or 2027.
What that means for a renter: you can't request a refurbished room and be sure of getting one. If it matters, ask the rental company what they're seeing when you book — and don't choose between these two on the basis of a refurb that may not have reached your building yet.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | Old Key West | Saratoga Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Points to rent (per week) | Lowest in DVC | Lowest in DVC (near-identical) |
| Room size | Largest villas in DVC | Smaller side of DVC |
| Disney Springs access | Boat only | Boat + walkway |
| Elevators | Only some buildings | All buildings |
| Theme | Florida Keys, laid-back | Horse country, polished |
| Feature pool | Sandcastle slide | High Rock Spring pool |
| Refurb status (Sept 2026) | Room refresh rolling out; first rooms expected 2H 2026 | Treehouses in progress; main resort expected late 2026–2027 |
| Best for | Space-hungry families | Walkability & accessibility |
So Which One Should You Rent?
Rent Old Key West if...
- You want the most square footage per dollar (biggest villas in DVC)
- You're a bigger family doing a slower, pool-and-resort-heavy week
- You want a full, usable kitchen for a 1-bedroom or bigger
- A laid-back, quiet, beach-town feel sounds like a win
- You're fine taking the boat or bus to Disney Springs
Rent Saratoga Springs if...
- Walking to Disney Springs for dinner appeals to you
- Anyone in your party has mobility concerns (guaranteed elevators)
- You prefer a more modern, polished resort feel
- You're a couple or small family out at parks all day (won't miss the extra space)
- You want the slightly newer rooms before OKW's refresh fully rolls out
Who Should Skip Both of These
If your top priority is walking to a theme park, neither Saratoga Springs nor Old Key West is your resort — both are bus-dependent for the parks. Look at the Epcot-area DVC resorts (Beach Club, BoardWalk, Riviera) instead, and accept that you'll rent more points to get there. And if a resort-defining pool is the make-or-break for your kids, Beach Club's Stormalong Bay is in a different league — worth the extra points if the pool is the vacation. These two resorts win on value and space, not on location or wow-factor amenities.
FAQ: Saratoga Springs vs. Old Key West for Renters
The Bottom Line
Rent Old Key West if you want the most room for your money — its villas are the biggest in DVC, and for a family that's the difference between a relaxed week and tripping over each other.
Rent Saratoga Springs if walkability to Disney Springs, guaranteed elevators, or a more modern feel matter more to you than square footage.
They cost nearly the same to rent, and both will save you hundreds over booking a Deluxe villa through Disney directly. You're not making a wrong choice with either — you're just optimizing for space (OKW) or convenience (SSR).
Ready to Price It Out?
(Affiliate link — I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)
New to renting points? Start with my free DVC Savings Guide — it walks you through how DVC rental pricing works, which resorts give the best value, and exactly how to book without getting burned. And if you're deciding who to rent from, read my breakdown of DVC Rental Store vs David's.
— Tom, Dad at Disney
P.S. Stayed at both and disagree with my pick? Tell me in the comments. I'm especially curious how OKW's 2026 refresh is landing — drop a note if you've been since the new rooms went in.
About the author
Tom is a dad of three who's been renting DVC points since 2019. Dad at Disney is his journal of what works, what doesn't, and how to stay at Disney Deluxe resorts for less.
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Disclosure: DVC Rental Store links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rates verified September 23, 2026.