Saratoga springs

[BELFAST_BOY]

Hello all

just bought my DVC at SSR and am now in the process of planing my first visit october 2008:woohoo: Could anybody please tell me the best area to stay in?

[Richard Bruvofetc]

Hello all

just bought my DVC at SSR and am now in the process of planing my first visit october 2008:woohoo: Could anybody please tell me the best area to stay in?

Welcome to the family.

Our first trip is in October so I can only advise on location after that.:thumbsup2

[chalee94]

congress park (with a view of DTD) is probably the most popular, along with the springs area (near check-in and the main pool.) opinions vary though...

don't be afraid to visit the general DVC-related forums a little further down and look for information there.

oh, and "welcome home..."

[Hilary]

We love Congress Park :love: and we usually opt for that location if it's offered. However, we go with an open mind and are happy to try new locations if that's what we're offered.

[scottishsue]

Our first visit won't be until October 2008 either ........ but welcome along - we will be neighbours !

[Claire L]

Will let you know soon as we are staying there in 9 days time :woohoo:

Claire ;)

[BELFAST_BOY]

Our first visit won't be until October 2008 either ........ but welcome along - we will be neighbours !

Have you booked any flights yet?

[scottishsue]

Have you booked any flights yet?

No we haven't booked our flights yet. We'll book them when we get back from this years holiday - sometime in November. Hopefully should get some good deals.

[BELFAST_BOY]

No we haven't booked our flights yet. We'll book them when we get back from this years holiday - sometime in November. Hopefully should get some good deals.

Ive been phoning aroud trying to get some prices hardly any flights released and mosk are over £2000:eek:

[lawlesslovewdw]

We liked either the springs near the lake or in the grandstand near the pool there. Both had good views (not of DTD) and close to artist point and main pool.
If you fly virgin and check in at DTD ask if a bell man can take you and luggage to check in. We phoned to try and book a taxi and they said they would take us :thumbsup2

Request something other than ground floor(1st) as the "balcony area" isnt fenced off!:confused3

[MarkLyndaJakeChloe]

Hi Belfast Boy,

Good to see someone else form Belfast joining the DVC. We joined last October and are planning to go Easter 08 and August 08.

We arranged for our in-laws to stay for 2 nights last December where they stayed in Congress Park with great views of DTD. Grandstand is getting good reports with its great pool, views of the golf course and closeness to the reception block.

With regards to flights its best to book early. We got our flights with Globespan for £1750 (for 4 of us) and they are now quotng over £3000. Having said that we booked with Virgin (from Gatwick) for Easter and they've dropped their price by about £300. Also, definitely better to fly from Belfast for obvious reasons.

Also good to see a fellow blue nose.

[paulrae]

We are also new DVC owners (home resort of SSR) and new Dis board members , we also wondered the quitest place to opt for:confused3

[squitty]

Hi

We are at SSR right now and are staying in the Grandstand part, 4th floor. I have to say it's lovely. We are very near to Carriage House(checkin) and so close to the pool.
A very nice resort. I have not heard any noise.

[BELFAST_BOY]

Hi Belfast Boy,

Good to see someone else form Belfast joining the DVC. We joined last October and are planning to go Easter 08 and August 08.

We arranged for our in-laws to stay for 2 nights last December where they stayed in Congress Park with great views of DTD. Grandstand is getting good reports with its great pool, views of the golf course and closeness to the reception block.

With regards to flights its best to book early. We got our flights with Globespan for £1750 (for 4 of us) and they are now quotng over £3000. Having said that we booked with Virgin (from Gatwick) for Easter and they've dropped their price by about £300. Also, definitely better to fly from Belfast for obvious reasons.

Also good to see a fellow blue nose.


I have never flew from belfast always from gatwick with virgin in my cases it has always been more expensive to fly from belfast plus you get better baggage allowance;) . I usually go the night before do twlight check in and stay in the hilton.I have a load of Virgin flying club miles so i am hoping to use them for my flight in a miles plus money offer.

[Disney MAINEiac]

our first stay was in congress park in a corner 1-bdrm with view of DTD. back when they shot off fireworks every night. it was wonderful. Beautiful park/garden area out by the lake and walkway with viewing area of the DTD panorama and fireworks. Alas i don't think the do the fireworks any longer??

[mark&sue]

The fireworks were great. We do an awful lot of walking in the evening so for us it has to be Congress Park as we not only walk to Downtown Disney we also walk to Crossroads and the restaurants further up by Winn Dixie.

We also walk to the downtown disney bus stops for evenings out at say Jikos or Whispering canyon. Just a 5 min walk and one bus so lots of cocktails!

Enjoy your stay. We love Saratoga Springs Resort


Susan

[jns]

Hi and welcome
have you looked at aer lingus from Dublin
They are doing direct flights starting this Oct

[Young Pooh]

We just stayed in Congress Park which we thought was excellent - so close to DTD so very handy for nights out and for buses to other resorts.

The only downside we found was that we were in a ground floor 1 bed which we found quite dark due to trees and shubbery outside. Also, never used the small patio area as very close to walkway and overhung by trees.

We had stayed in a 1 bed at BCV the week before and were always on the balcony so found this a bit of a pain.

I would stay at SSR again but would request an upper floor with full balcony if possible.

[Ali and boyz]

welcome home :wave2:

we love congress park but have to say Granstand looks really nice . we walked from the granstand to the West Side of DTD in no time over a wee bridge beside the golf course and as others have said right next to the main pool (although the granstand had its own pools) and check-in

if you had children I would say Grandstand as CP is quiet and wee bit of a walk if you were going to the main pool. Springs also looks nice and close to everything

[UKDEB]

We stayed at SSR for our first trip "home" in August. We requested Grandstand as I like staying in new places, but I didn't research too much other than that, so I didn't have any pre-conceived ideas of what was "the best".

We were thrilled with our location - a studio at the farthest back right corner of our building. We had glorious views of the LBV golf course and the Treehouse Villas and it was amazingly peaceful. The only sign of life we saw anywhere near us were the smokers at the entrance to our building and the boat passing by in the distance en-route from Port Orleans to Downtown Disney. Admittedly, the golf course was closed for refurbishment, but I could have put up with the odd golfer passsing my balcony.

The Grandstand pool was just across the parking lot and it was a 5 minute walk (tops) to the main building. There were laundry facilities in the pool area and dh seemed more than happy to deal with the washing whilst I was getting ready to go out in the evenings (I believe the pool bar figured heavily :rotfl: ).

The boat dock and the path to Downtown Disney are just beyond the main building. We've requested Grandstand again for our January trip and I'll be more than happy if we get the same location.

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/mattchurchill/August%202007%20Trip%20report/IMG_3632-1.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/mattchurchill/August%202007%20Trip%20report/IMG_3637.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/mattchurchill/August%202007%20Trip%20report/IMG_3636.jpg

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i278/mattchurchill/August%202007%20Trip%20report/IMG_3639.jpg

[scottishsue]

Debs, that looks amazing !! I can't wait for our first trip "home" next October.

Is it difficult to get the area that you want? I think we would like either Grandstand or Congress Park, if we can get them.

[UKDEB]

Well, we'd requested Grandstand, but when we checked-in they'd assigned us to Springs. I asked if there was anything available in Grandstand (there was) and she moved us. We arrived at 10am, though, having flown into Miami the day before - by all accounts, it's easier to get what you want the earlier you get there. mark&sue checked in the same day as us and they got Paddock. They weren't able to move them until the following day. wilma-bride arrived a few days later and also got Paddock (or was it Carousel?). I guess those of us flying in from the UK and not arriving until tea-time get what's left. :confused3

[jjpenguin]

I think it is luck of the draw. I got in at 7pm and got Grandstand.
At first I wasn't too pleased as it seemed far away but I was very happy there. It was amazingly quiet (apart from the frogs after the rain!) and the pool is lovely.
Also being the first pick up/drop off on the bus is very handy.

[UKDEB]

It was amazingly quiet (apart from the frogs after the rain!)
Ah yes, those darned noisy frogs! Boy do they know how to party ;) .

P.S. Don't mention the frogs to Jules

[saratogagirl]

OMG are the frogs bad this year !! There were dozens of the little devils last year, all waiting to pounce on me, I can't cope with the stress LOL

[scottishsue]

awww, I'd love to see all those little frogs ! (Don't you like them Jules??)

My Gran had frogs in her garden in Norwich, and I used to love watching them.

[MickeyMcMouse]

Another vote for congress park - we have had it the last 3 or 4 times at Saratoga and its great. Well positioned for a nice easy walk to downtown (followed by a stagger back:thumbsup2 )

Another tip mentioned before if you wanting a specific area is stay somewhere the night you land and check in early morning - you will usually get your choice of areas and sometimes your room hours before the 4 o'clock check in time.

David

[saratogagirl]

awww, I'd love to see all those little frogs ! (Don't you like them Jules??)

My Gran had frogs in her garden in Norwich, and I used to love watching them.


Sue, frogs are the root of all evil, nastly gross little things which sit about Saratoga waiting for me to scream at them. I am completely scared stiff of them, sad I know, but there you go. They have as much right to be at Saratoga as I do, but that still doesnt help the totally irrational fear I have of them. I love Saratoga it is my dream resort, hence my user name, but it got to the point last year, where I dreaded going back at night as I knew the pathways would have frogs on, maybe I need therapy .....

[paulrae]

Oh how I hate theses Forum's:

I lose sleep :surfweb: and they make us all want to be somewhere else ;)

And at the moment that's SSR in Grandstand part!

[MickeyMcMouse]

Forgot to say, another reason to stay away from the ground floor is that the odd (shhh .....) snake has been spotted in the undergrowth.:rolleyes1

Non poisonous, i think, but a snake is a snake :eek:

David

ps don't like snakes, but love saratoga springs, so please don't let them put you off.

[Merylj]

Forgot to say, another reason to stay away from the ground floor is that the odd (shhh .....) snake has been spotted in the undergrowth.:rolleyes1

Non poisonous, i think, but a snake is a snake :eek:

David

ps don't like snakes, but love saratoga springs, so please don't let them put you off.

Exactly why I will never stay on the ground floor :scared1:

[BELFAST_BOY]

Frogs and Snakes :scared1: think I should have bought my DVC at AKV instead;)

[saratogagirl]

Belfast Boy, please dont be put off by my comments on the frogs, its a beautiful resort, I just have an irrational fear, I agree with other posters I wouldn't like a ground floor again. I really couldn't relax out there like I can when we have an upper floor. The final straw last year was when I took my glass of wine out outside at about 11.00pm to discover the budweiser frog sprawled on my patio chair, he looked well chilled out unlike me !! I will definately request an upper floor in future. I have no fear of lizards bit every time I heard a lizard in the grass outside the room, I convinced myself it was a frog LOL I am so sad !! On the plus side we got some nice visitors on the ground floor, a squirrel and a big white bird (looked like a stork), you will love it there

[jjpenguin]

The frogs are waaaay cute, I'll post a photo later.

[Ali and boyz]

we have no choice as the fully accessable rooms are all on the ground floor :sad1: :sad1: :sad1:

[jjpenguin]

As promised specially for Jules.. a couple of princes in disguise

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a287/jjpenguin/DSC01693.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a287/jjpenguin/DSC01705.jpg

[saratogagirl]

Aruna, you naughty, naughty girl, where is the first one on the wall, and the second what is he sitting on, heavens above this gets worse LOL

[jjpenguin]

Jules, these little guys were in the side stairwells of the buildings, the second is sitting on the wall lamp there. So you may just want to use the lift :lmao:

They were doing a good job eating all the mozzies! :thumbsup2

[lynnemcb]

just back from a week in SS following Disney Cruise and a week in WL. SS was great - one bedroom in Congress Park - we have stayed here before but never in another part of resort.

My family like this area - five minues walk to main pool, counter service and reception and five minutes walk to DTD and a smaller pool located behind the blocks. The buses to the park drop off at four or five different areas in the resort and although it all looks pretty i would prefer to stay where we were.

We had ground floor also and although no problems with frogs ( plenty last year in OKW) I wouldnt want this again for the same reasons - very small patio and not really able to leave wet swimming stuff outside as you would on a balcony.

Had a great time though - dont know if you have kids but the resort is the best I've been to -have been to all DVC (& Port Orleons and ASM) except AKV _ for kids activities in community hall and at the pool.