I'm considering switching our reservations from AKL savanna view to a studio at SSR. We've been to WDW six times and have stayed at AKL every time. I think we love it.
This will be our first trip with our 4-year old granddaughter and her mom. We really want to share our love of AKL with them, but I'm seeing a significant saving by doing SSR. Will we be disappointed?
I realize different people have different tastes, but my family LOVES SSR.
It also happens to be one of the few places that can handle
five people who prefer to have an in-room washer/dryer and kitchen.
As for theming, I think it is a beautifully appointed and decorated resort. If you're looking for the in-your-face Disney theming of, say, an All-Star, then no, SSR isn't what you want. SSR is like being at home while on vacation. We love the simplicity of Artist's Palette, the pool at the carriage house is tremendous, and the "dive-in movies" (at least I hope they still do them) are a fun treat every night. It's peaceful, quiet, picturesque, and impeccably manicured. About the only downside I think we'd offer is that the busses to the parks aren't always scheduled as consistently as we might prefer.
The great thing about SSR is that you can go back to your room and grab a cold drink from your fridge, maybe crash on the sofa and grab a quick snooze before the afternoon charge back to the parks, or even cook up a pot of coffee. We head out to either the Goodings or what I think is a Winn-Dixie (?) about a mile or two east of Goodings along Apopka-Vineland, and grab a stash of breakfast pastries, english muffins, and juice to allow for a cheap, quick breakfast in room before we head out for the day. This allows us to save on the expense of in-park breakfasts, the last few of which had left us a little disappointed.
We're not particularly outdoorsy folks, so if I had a choice between AKL and SSR and SSR were cheaper, it would be a no-brainer for us. Even as it is, SSR is obviously a premium resort, so we have to fund it strategically, but for us its worth it. I don't think you'll be disappointed.