Pros and Cons on Saratoga Springs?

[tsmith76]

It's the only resort with the availibility I need. Any comments on whether or not I should wait and see if something opens up ?

 

[beccasmom]

I think Saratoga Springs is a great resort. I do believe the bus service could be better based on our three visits there. Because the resort is so large, buses tend to fill up a lot more quickly than you may be used to. You may need to stand, which can be a problem for some folks. IMHO, the rooms farther away from the hospitality buildings can be a healthy walk for some folks, but requesting a closer room can take care of that issue. Several buildings have opened since our last stay there, so I do not know the bus route as it now stands. We found Congress Park to be a great area.

Otherwise, SSR is lovely and a quick walk to DTD. The rooms are beautifully furnished and have a good amount of space. You will have your own washer/dryer if you stay in any room other than the studio. The main pool area is very nice, as is - so I am told - the spa.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Location-Location-Location.....SSR does not really have it for us.

There is a reason that it's always the last resort to sell out and always seems to have discounted rates even though it's brand new.....and it's not because its so big....it's because it's just too far away....even though it may be beautiful.

We visit Downtown Disney one morning in a 10-day trip.....so being close to DTD ...... and away from EPCOT or MK would be a very big CON for us.

...but then.....just our opinion.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I don't think SSR is far away at all. In fact, to me its very centrally located. Its also huge so that is one of the reasons it often has availablity past the others.

Bottom line SSR isn't for everyone but I do have to say I get confused that some people make it sound like some kind of trashy cousin to the other DVC's.

Here are the pros for me:

Its lovely, the buildings are very pretty, its nicely landscaped (its new so the landscaping isn't as mature as other resorts). It has lots of charm and its a lovely place to stroll around. You can rent a surrey bike or take a carriage ride. It has the spa which is great if you want to give yourself a bit of pampering.

You can park right outside your door if you have a car. That is very nice and something my family has been totally spoiled with at SSR and OKW.

Since its new the units are lovely and very fresh. It still has that clean, new feel.

I think the location is a plus. Being so close to DTD and its dining options is wonderful. And if you don't have a car and like to go to other resorts to dine, its nice to be so close to DTD and its bus stops that can get you to any part of WDW in a flash.

It has a wonderful cs place called the Artist's Palette. One of my favorites if not my favorite cs place in all of WDW. When I stayed at Boardwalk I really hated the lack of easy access cs. And while I love OKW, Goods to Go is a pale comparison to Artist's Palette. They have a bakery and great salads, flatbread pizzas, sandwiches and hot dogs.

Great pool with zero entry, cool large slide and a small slide for little kids. They also have a cute splash area for little kids. In addition to the main pool (High Rock Springs) they have a second feature pool in the Grandstand area with spray cannons and its own pool bar. There are also several quiet pools which I think are very nice.

The resort is spread out however as I mentioned you can park at your building. There is nothing nicer after a long day than to just park at your door basically and walk right in. Especially if you have luggage or groceries. And since its spread out they have several bus stops. So you are never far from a bus stop or quiet pool. And the layout of the resort is such that there are paths and short cuts from all areas to the main area. I really think only the Carousel section is a bit far removed and even that isn't that far in my book. I mean at Boardwalk (which is lovely) I got really tired of trudging through that lobby, down our very long hallway. And not having anything but boats to MGM and Epcot or my feet got old too. But that's just me. I guess my point is that there are location issues with all resorts. WDW is huge, you can't be close to everything at any resort. Look at a map of the WDW complex and you will see that SSR is about as centrally located as they come.

I love SSR. It and OKW are my favorites for the location, design and laid back feel. I think if you want to take a trip and its all thats available you should go for it. To me its my first choice who knows it might become yours too!

I might add the Grandstand is our favorite location. Its the first on the bus route, very close to the main area, and has that nice feature pool I mentioned. I also enjoy the Paddock area. Its early on the bus route too, very quiet, and a short walk over the bridge to the main area. My daughter and I walked from the quiet pool in the Paddock last week to the Springs pool and it took around five minutes at a slow pace (she had to stop a few times to look at ducks). Congress Park is the closest to DTD. Springs is the main area and probably the most requested. And the Carousel is the furthest out, but is very quiet. And again, the walk isn't that bad and if you have a car that makes it even easier. Many people want that removed location because its so quiet.

 

[DISNEYNY]

I will agree with the above poster that the Grandstand area is very nice. We loved the pool in that section. It was also great being the first on and off the bus...you knew you would always have a seat.

 

[KELLY]

I own there. But I love it we could have added on at AKV but stayed with SSR. It is big but we don't mind walking. We always stay in a one bedroom or bigger.

 

[torsie24]

Is it very often they have discounted rates there? I'm not a DVC member, but think SS looks lovely for some of my stay next year. Should I hold out and not bok rack rates?

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

I don't think SSR is far away at all. In fact, to me its very centrally located. Its also huge so that is one of the reasons it often has availablity past the others.



Centrally located....to WHAT - to Goodings Market outside WDW?

It's on the edge of WDW property about as far away from the MK as you can get.

I'm glad you like it.......I'll pass if you don't mind!

As I said.....it's always discounted and it's ALWAYS the LAST property available for Castmember rates when everything else is long gone. hummmmmm, what does that say for it? It's the cheep $$$ DVC property to book if you are looking for the best bang for your buck.

It' may be pretty - but it does absolutely nothing for my DH and myself.

Have fun there!

 

[Tyr23]

I don't think SSR is far away at all. In fact, to me its very centrally located. Its also huge so that is one of the reasons it often has availablity past the others.



Centrally located....to WHAT - to Goodings Market outside WDW?

It's on the edge of WDW property about as far away from the MK as you can get.

This is what pushed us toward choosing OKW over SSR even though we've never stayed at either resort. On a trip a few years ago, we were driving past DTD and saw what appeared to be a large apartment complex on the outskirts of DTD. Guess what - it was SSR. I didn't like the fact that it didn't seem like it was "on property" because of the proximity to the "real world." If you're not planning on or care about being "absorbed" into Disney, then it's probably not a big deal, but it wasn't what we were looking for.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I don't think SSR is far away at all. In fact, to me its very centrally located. Its also huge so that is one of the reasons it often has availablity past the others.



Centrally located....to WHAT - to Goodings Market outside WDW?

It's on the edge of WDW property about as far away from the MK as you can get.

I'm glad you like it.......I'll pass if you don't mind!

As I said.....it's always discounted and it's ALWAYS the LAST property available for Castmember rates when everything else is long gone. hummmmmm, what does that say for it? It's the cheep $$$ DVC property to book if you are looking for the best bang for your buck.

It' may be pretty - but it does absolutely nothing for my DH and myself.

Have fun there!

Last I looked, MK wasn't the only park in WDW. Hey look, you are entitleed to your opinion but to make my opinon look like I go to SSR so I can be close to a grocery store is rather rude. Stay where you want. The OP asked for some pros in addition to cons of SSR. If you want to use the thread to only rag on it go right ahead. It doens't sound like you have stayed there which given your strong feelings makes total sense. I have stayed there several times, I have also stayed in the Epcot and MK areas. So I have found during those stays what works for us and what we prefer. I think its beautiful and the location is great for us. If that makes me some sort of second class citizen who spends all her time touring Goodings in your opinion, well I can live with that!

Tyr23: OKW is wonderful, we love that resort as well (just spent two weeks there. Just know that its right next to SSR so very close to the same area you didn't want to be in at SSR. And its also a large condo complex style resort as well. Larger and more spread out than SSR with fewer dining options, many of the buildings don't have elevators and its a good deal older. This doesn't bother us at all, but based on your above post I am not so sure it will be right for you. Given your thoughts about SSR, think very carefully about OKW. I think maybe you need to look into Boardwalk, Beach Club, AKV (although talk about far from MK) and VWL.

 

[Tyr23]

Amy&Dan-

Thanks for the response! Unfortunately our choices in resort were between SSR & OKW (renting points from BIL). I don't mind the spread out aspect of the resort, but I didn't like that you could see the "real world" across from SSR. I'm hoping that's not the case at OKW but we'll see next week!

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

OKW is another last on the list DVC property but so much more COOL than SSR!!!

The room sizes are more comparable to Vacation Club properties (far bigger rooms with more luxury) just outside WDW and you have the flexibility of 2 beds in a studio which you loose everywhere else with DVC.

It's regretable that you have to move up to a 2 BR villa to get two BEDS and avoid people sleeping on a sofabed...what a waste of points.

SSR does overlook the DTD hotels --- Hilton, Holiday Inn, etc........no thanks.

Anyway.....OKW is beautiful...big rooms....quiet and you avoid all the hustle and bustle of driving through our around DTD to get "home" at the end of a long day!!!

Luckily all of this is simply my opinion.....not important to anyone by myself and my husband.....that's the really cool thing about personal opinions....the are 100% right for US!

You wanted pros and cons ---SSR has far too many CON's for us.........take a peek at OKW!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Old Key West is set a bit further back from the DTD hotels so I don't think you can see any of the outside buildings. I could be wrong.

We love the resort, just got back on Sunday from our 15 nights. You are really pretty close to Epcot, in fact if you go the bridge area across from the Hospitality House you can see some of Illuminations which is nice. There is an internal resort shuttle that can take you around if you don't have a car. The Hospitality House is the last stop on the bus route so if you are staying near there its really easy to get off on the first stop and then walk over to your building. We learned that after being tired of waiting for our stop at HH as the bus looped all over the resort. Its the weirdest bus route I have experienced!

And its only in some buildings that you can see the outside world at SSR. And I want to say they have the balconies set up so that none of them look at that. Some of the parking lots in the Paddock and Carousel you can see the highrise buildings of DTD.

Have a great trip.

 

[brcworks]

Calm down, everyone

If you have a car, SSR is wonderful! It's new, very nicely designed, and definitely feels like Disney (the only "real world" I could see was DTD, and that's one of my favorite places!). It's also not far from Gooding's, which in my mind is a plus!http://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/lmao.gif


If you don't have a car, it may be a little far from the parks for some people. To each his own...

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Last I looked, MK wasn't the only park in WDW. Hey look, you are entitleed to your opinion but to make my opinon look like I go to SSR so I can be close to a grocery store is rather rude. Stay where you want. The OP asked for some pros in addition to cons of SSR. If you want to use the thread to only rag on it go right ahead. It doens't sound like you have stayed there which given your strong feelings makes total sense. I have stayed there several times, I have also stayed in the Epcot and MK areas. So I have found during those stays what works for us and what we prefer. I think its beautiful and the location is great for us. If that makes me some sort of second class citizen who spends all her time touring Goodings in your opinion, well I can live with that!

Tyr23: OKW is wonderful, we love that resort as well (just spent two weeks there. Just know that its right next to SSR so very close to the same area you didn't want to be in at SSR. And its also a large condo complex style resort as well. Larger and more spread out than SSR with fewer dining options, many of the buildings don't have elevators and its a good deal older. This doesn't bother us at all, but based on your above post I am not so sure it will be right for you. Given your thoughts about SSR, think very carefully about OKW. I think maybe you need to look into Boardwalk, Beach Club, AKV (although talk about far from MK) and VWL.

Last time I checked, you drove PAST the Epcot resorts from DTD and SSR. Perhaps you drive another way.....up alongside Riverside....but you still drive past BVW to get to the Magic Kingdom....not sure how you think BWI is farther away from the action than SSR.

 

[brcworks]

Anyway.....OKW is beautiful...big rooms....quiet and you avoid all the hustle and bustle of driving through our around DTD to get "home" at the end of a long day!!!

You don't have to drive through DTD to get home, there's a quiet, pleasant drive past the former Treehouse villas that takes you in the back way...

 

[Amy&Dan]

Last time I checked, you drove PAST the Epcot resorts from DTD and SSR. Perhaps you drive another way.....up alongside Riverside....but you still drive past BVW to get to the Magic Kingdom....not sure how you think BWI is farther away from the action than SSR.

OMG, I don't think BWV is further away, I just didn't care for it. I am sort of one of those people who doesn't care for the long hallways and hotel lobby thing. I LIKE that more codo feel that SSR and OKW have. And I don't find their locations distant, cheesey or in the back parking lot of DTD or a grocery store. From SSR, OKW and the Port Orleans resorts the busses go the back way to MK sort of by Fort Wilderness. That is the way you go on the bus every single time. Now if you drive over to the TTC you can't easily do that as it will let you out past the MK welcome sign and then you will have to loop around by the Poly and TTC to finally get in to the parking area. So then yeah, I think you sort of see the Swan Dolphin from the roadway on your way to MK. But in four stays at SSR and two at OKW, I have honestly never felt like I was a long way from anything. If you want to go to your grave thinking I am too stupid to know better I guess that's okay.

I get it as does everyone else you hate SSR. Take a deep breath and be thankful nobody is ever going to force you stay there!

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

OMG, I don't think BWV is further away, I just didn't care for it. I am sort of one of those people who doesn't care for the long hallways and hotel lobby thing. I LIKE that more codo feel that SSR and OKW have. And I don't find their locations distant, cheesey or in the back parking lot of DTD or a grocery store. From SSR, OKW and the Port Orleans resorts the busses go the back way to MK sort of by Fort Wilderness. That is the way you go on the bus every single time. Now if you drive over to the TTC you can't easily do that as it will let you out past the MK welcome sign and then you will have to loop around by the Poly and TTC to finally get in to the parking area. So then yeah, I think you sort of see the Swan Dolphin from the roadway on your way to MK. But in four stays at SSR and two at OKW, I have honestly never felt like I was a long way from anything. If you want to go to your grave thinking I am too stupid to know better I guess that's okay.

I get it as does everyone else you hate SSR. Take a deep breath and be thankful nobody is ever going to force you stay there!

I don't recall saying I hate it.....I simply said it's always the last one to sell out and always the DISCOUNT DVC resort --- even though it's brand new.

When DVC guests cannot get their first choice......aren't you generally offered SSR because it always has rooms left over???? I don't recall hearing many DVC guests fretting about their waitlist for SSR opening up vs. BWV, BCV,WLV. I propose the idea that perhaps DVC guests have voted with their own advance reservations.

Castmember rates are extremely reasonable but SSR it's simply not our cup of tea.

I believe the OP asked for opinions....there are plenty of resorts far closer to the fun which we prefer....OUR opinion.

 

[brcworks]

I believe the OP asked for opinions....there are plenty of resorts far closer to the fun which we prefer....OUR opinion.

Actually, the OP asked if they should take SSR or hope something else opens up. My vote: go for SSR. You can always visit the other resorts...

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Actually, the OP asked if they should take SSR or hope something else opens up. My vote: go for SSR. You can always visit the other resorts...

That's RIGHT ---- nothing else available on property but SSR......hummmm. Perhaps the suggestion could have been.....are your dates flexible?