SSR report & CM GOSSIP! (long)

[Terry S]

dianeschlicht... When I was there at the beginning of October, I too saw many trees that had fallen right on top of the Treehouse Villas and at that time were still there!

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by mndisfam
One said - he seemed more in the know - the biggest complaint he hears is the lack of dining options and "trust me, they are hearing the complaints, and they are listening." The other salesman disagreed, saying "they will not add anything. DVCers like to cook in their rooms (OH REALLY WOMEN ARE ON VACATION TOO!!!) and can walk to Downtown Disney."

LOL, that is too funny! Sounds like he might have been a DVC Guide at some point and was believing his own sales pitch!

Thanks for the report, and for passing along the comments. I agree that like any large company, the rumor mill is constantly running and CM's are like anyone else and like to impress with their "inside info".

 

[d-r]

they will not add anything. DVCers like to cook in their rooms (OH REALLY WOMEN ARE ON VACATION TOO!!!)

Our family isn't into cooking in the rooms, but I can't resist saying:

"sometimes men cook."

 

[RuthnPaul]

Originally posted by Terry S
dianeschlicht... When I was there at the beginning of October, I too saw many trees that had fallen right on top of the Treehouse Villas and at that time were still there!

As of October 23, the trees were still on top of the treehouse villas!

 

[DrTomorrow]

Originally posted by Mickmse2002
OK, so they can tear them down, just not re-build. That makes more sense to me know.

It might be even trickier than that: perhaps, as long as they are they, they can be rebuilt and/or "enhanced". I can see 6 more SSR buildings, each with a 'treehouse' hidden somewhere deep inside....

 

[TOMAR@SSR]

Hi, thanks for the great report!
We think that " Artist`s Palette " has very healthy choices of food, however, we agree about the size, and seating capacity, and hope that mabe another restaurant choice will develope someday, to accomadate the size of the resort!
We also hear that DTD is a walk away (that`s true), but another choice ( @ home base ), would be really lovely!!

 

[Tigfanjeff]

Treehouse villas vs. Fairway Villas.

I think when the OP mentioned treehouse villa's for teardown they meant the fairway villas.

The fairway villas can be torn down and rebuilt though they couldn't be build to the size of the standard buildings there.

The Treehouse villa's can be torn down but not rebuilt as they are in a protected wetland.

Since the treehouse villa's consist of only a very small portion of the former DI rooms, I don't think DVC will be worrying too much.

 

[LisaR]

We are obviously in the minority, but we LOVED the food that was offered at SSR. My kids loved the choices as well. I found it refreshing to find a counter service restaurant that didn't have burgers and fries. I do not know if they offer the same foods every day or mix it up. If the same things were always offered then I wouldn't mind seeing a few more choices so it doesn't get boring if your there for a longer stay. We were only there for a day pool hopping from OKW.

Lisa

 

[kweaver]

Originally posted by LisaR
We are obviously in the minority, but we LOVED the food that was offered at SSR. My kids loved the choices as well. I found it refreshing to find a counter service restaurant that didn't have burgers and fries. I do not know if they offer the same foods every day or mix it up. If the same things were always offered then I wouldn't mind seeing a few more choices so it doesn't get boring if your there for a longer stay. We were only there for a day pool hopping from OKW.

Lisa

We *really* liked the food at AP too. I do think they need more choices...especially at lunch and dinner (breakfast was great!) but I expect this will happen as the resort gets closer to completion. I wouldn't mind if they added burgers to the mix...just don't take away the more unique items. I'd like to see some traditional pizza topings (chose your own) as well as their current offerings. And please...allow orders from the pool area!

 

[sgtdisney]

I have to smile when I hear the 'stories' that CMs like to tell to explain why things are one way or another. When we were at a member meeting once 2 years ago, someone asked why none of the newer DVC resorts at WDW has the larger kitchen set up like OKW does. The response was they they surveyed members (not me) and that no one liked to cook while on vacation other than small breakfasts and that the large kitchens were a waste of space. Now you hear that members love to cook so they make the restaurant small. Pretty funny stuff.

 

[Donald's#1Fan]

I just had to add my 2cents worth as my family and I returned from a 2 week stay at OKW and SSR from 10/8-10/23. As a member since 1994 at OKW we usu. stay there and love it, but due to the pool being closed we decided to spend a week at SSR. We loved both places, but must say that what the OP said about the pool is absolutely true. We used the main pool on most days and most of the time we found it to be crowded, not uncomfortably so, but to the point that there were often no avail. pool tables and sets of chairs together were hard to come by. Now, this is not a problem currently, but with only 4 blgs. opened, this is going to be a HUGE problem in the near future, esp. considering this was an off season week that we were there. The slide is great, 3 turns, very fast and very well themed, but the draw to the slide is going to be the main pool's downfall as my children wanted to go to that pool, not the "quiet" pool as there was no slide there, which btw provides an incredible view of the Downtown Dis. lights and fireworks. The food was very good, although in limited variety, but good and pricey, you are only allowed to take it to the pool if you have a table to sit at, so plan accordingly if wanting to eat at the pool. This place is huge and it really helps to have a car if quick trips are needed to go anywhere on property, otherwise plan on long walks to where ever you plan on ending up within the resort. We were in room #2321 and had an incredible view of Downtown Disney and the lights and fireworks, they really did maximize the view there! As far as the trees down, the institute bldgs. next door have a few trees, still leaning on them as do the treehouse villas as seen from the roadway and the boatride from OKW to SSR, pretty incredible how much damage was done this far inland! Again, this is a beautiful resort, very big, but beautiful. As an OKW owner, I do hope they stop the pool hopping once the slide is built, w/ the sheer numbers of people at SSR, the OKW pool as well as the SSR pool will be mobbed w/ people just from SSR as there will be no other options than the "boring" (my kids words, not mine) quiet pools. And yes, we cooked at both resorts, not just breakfast.

 

[granmanh603]

Just returned Oct 26 from 2 weeks at SSR. Dissapointed with AP(did eat dinner??? there once). the saladCearar with chicken and another with 4 small shrimp was a joke. Dissapointed in the size of the main pool, was expecting something on the size of Stormalong Bay for the size of this finished place. We mostly walked to Downtown to eat after that first experience. Heard alot talking of being told to go or bussed from OKW, and in the afternoon others on bus from parks got off and headed for the pool. The quiet pool was mostly quiet and the buses were empty except on the weekends when people seemed to come from nowhere. Never saw too many people, seemed pretty quiet surprised to hear it was mostly booked. My husband liked it and I am not too sure yet.

 

[kellydizfan]

I was there from 10/15-22. I loved the hotel, atmosphere, pool, food wasn't bad - had the chicken bbq pizza - loved it. When I ordered the pizza, she stated I could have a regular cheese pizza if I wanted it. I think they would be accomodating to a point if asked. I agree there wasn't much for the kids to eat if you have picky eaters but mine love pizza and would eat it every day if you gave it to them. Easy walk to Downtown and I would rather eat in Earl of Sandwich anyday but have to say the pizza was good. I would love to stay again but next trip we will try Animal Kingdom Lodge (hopefully). We were in room 1635 with a great view of pleasure island and could see the fireworks from our bedroom. Only complaint was the bus system. Way too too too slow. Granted only one night did we have a full bus and it was after the halloween party. For being booked to compacity, never saw alot of people at any one time. Maybe because it is so spread out. Not a real hard walk to the pool from where we were. I can't wait to see the Horses if that rumor is true - what a great idea!

 

[disneycrazed139]

I wonder if, given the projected size of the resort, they might not add another themed pool. I know the pool is crowded right now because of OKW being closed, etc., but I still suspect it will be very crowded in a couple of years. I can't see why another themed pool couldn't be a possibility.

 

[LisaR]

Originally posted by Donald's#1Fan
[B The food was very good, although in limited variety, but good and pricey, you are only allowed to take it to the pool if you have a table to sit at, so plan accordingly if wanting to eat at the pool. [/B]

Who told you that? We ordered and took it out to a table that we had been sitting at. However, they never asked us if we had a table. There were people sitting in lounge chairs eating their food as well.


Lisa

 

[Donald's#1Fan]

I was told this by a lifeguard whom I specifically asked if we could bring food down to the pool deck and he stated "only if you are sitting at one of the tables" So we made sure we had a table if we wanted to eat at the pool.

 

[Beca]

Okay, I have seen two posters reference "horses" on this thread, but I cannot seem to find what reference they are talking about. I have read this whole thread twice...but, I must be missing it. Could someone please fill me in?

Thanks,



Beca

 

[kweaver]

"The Spa ladies told me that eventually there will be horses roaming the paddocks."

I think I remember someone posting before about needing a table to take food to the pool. How ridiculous! We took our own snacks/drinks down there in June and had no problem (it was not crowded...but the tables were taken). I even got a cup of ice from the pool bar.

I'll be bringing/buying food to take to the pool every trip....I'd like to see someone ask us to leave!

 

[CarolA]

Is it just me or is a food court all we need? Personally one of things I dislike about BCV and BWV is no food court. I don't want to have a sit down meal and the pool side places are swamped (and closed late!) I know BCV has a hamburger place, but.... it is WAY to small.

I would much rather have a food court then a sit down. Especially when you are that close to Downtown Disney. (I love OKW, but have never managed to eat at the resturant there!)

And they can just get over that table thing on the food. I will eat in my lounge chair if I want. I do that at BCV and OKW and see no need for SSR to be different. If they say something I will certainly be in the office complaining that if that is the rule they are going to have to make people eat and LEAVE the tables. No camping all day.

Also, were the lounges really FULL or just covered with a towel. If all that is on the chair is a towel and no one shows up in a reasonable time I just assume that the pool staff put out towels for my use, isn't that nice of them! (I told a woman that one time she went ballastic, but what could she do. Apparently she had come out at 8 am marked her seat and gone back to bed for three hours. I also read on the resort board about some people who went around and collected all the left items at a pool one time and piled them up with a sign that said "lost and found!")

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by CarolA
Is it just me or is a food court all we need?

I totally agree. That was one of the things that attracted us to SSR. In fact, while the lack of sit-down dining is an easy target for critics, I'm not convinced that SSR could even support its own restaurant. I've read that Seasons at the old DI did not perform well. You also can't argue with the fact that DD would siphon off some portion of the dining market whether or not SSR has its own. And, every single room has a kitchen (Yes, some of us DO actually choose to cook!)

Anyone know how Olivia's performs at OKW? Is there ever a crowd, or is it always just a handful of diners?

IMO, one of the biggest mistakes DVC made with regard to Artist's Palette was managing expectations. In your spare time, go back and read the Member Clubhouse articles from the summer and fall of '03 with details on SSR. I think those articles give the impression that AP would be much grander than it actually is. You can't help but be disappointed at first sight of AP after reading some of the info published by DVC.