Will i be disappointed staying at SSR?

[uknewbie]

I keep having a niggling feeling that i will be disappointed staying at SSR

We've only stayed once on site before at the Beach Club, we stayed at a villa last year and missed the disney magic, so have gone for SSR this year based on price.

To stay at another deluxe would be an extra £1200 (approx $1900) for 15 nights. We already have the free dining plan so no saving there. Dh will not be happy if it's not really nice - we'll be eating at all the other deluxes and so will be unhappy (as will i!) if we regret not staying elsewhere! Like the look of WL.....

Can you upgrade to a different resort if after you've checked in you like the look of another? Should i consider a split stay or is that a nightmare with ultimate tickets and free ddp?

Help!

 

[klinlin]

Last trip, we had Thanksgiving dinner with friends who were staying in a 2 br there. I found it to be a deluxe apartment complex. Beautiful, but no Disney feel, and just too far away from the magic for a family with kids IMO. We did have a nce walk over to Downtown Disney, but it took over an hour to get back to the BC via bus.

 

[Missytara]

I usually stay at POR, but was upgraded to SSR last year on the 4/3 deal. I wasn't as thrilled as I thought I would be, but it was nice to do something different.

1. The food court was abyssmal, especially at breakfast. We ended up walking over to WPE for breakfast every morning; but then had to walk back to SSR to catch the bus to the parks. We finally opted to just eat in the park.

2. At POR, I was used to walking to the food court/main building and then walking right over to the bus stop from there. At SSR, we were in Springs, close to the main stuff, but you had to walk all the way to the main building, passing the bus stop and go all the way back.

3. The lounge at POR at night is very exciting, either a game would be on or Yeehah Bob would be entertaining; the lounge at SSR was very "stuffy" and quiet.

4. We felt more crowded with three people in a studio, then I did a few years ago with 4 people in POR in a standard room. When I opened the sofa bed at night, you had to move the coffee table in front of the sliding glass door and stash the pillows all over the place. There was little drawer storage or closet space. Loved having the kitchenette though, over just a fridge.

5. Loved the balcony, especially at night.

6. Bathroom was bigger at SSR and easier to get ready in the morning.

7. The zero entry pool was fantastic and it was great having the spa right there - I used it twice.

8. Cannot say enough about the food, the view, and the service at the Turf Club. I will go out of my way this year to get over there from POR. It is one of the best kept secrets in the World.

All in all, I am so glad that I did it, but quite frankly, no deal this year would keep me from POR.

Hope that helps.

 

[kaffinito]

I've read of other people switching resorts if they don't like the one they are staying at, so that is an option. I don't know how it works with your options though.

Have you looked at the faq's thread on SSR or at some of the photos? They really don't do SSR justice. I was worried too last year that I wouldn't like it there, and ended up loving it. The rooms are a lot nicer than I had expected, and I thought they were better laid out there than at BCV when we went to visit DSIL and DB at their room. I don't know why, but our room just seemed larger.

It is a very large resort, but the main pool and the other pools at the complex are very nice, and we also really liked the dining options at the resort. The Turf Club has seating outside, and is a really good restaurant. It isn't very difficult to get around the resort just using a bus. You can also request an area near the main section so you have easy access to dining.

 

[dancingdisneygirl]

I love SSR....we've stayed there 3 times and we keep going back. I love being so close to Downtown Disney, love the pool, my family just loves the atmosphere.

 

[Minnie824]

I'll be honest, we really didn't care for SSR. We normally had stayed at the other deluxe resorts, and when we joined DVC we had bonus points, and at late notice SSR was all we could get. We did a split stay w/GF and were thrilled to move. The bus situation was annoying. Because SSR is so big, theres 5 bus stops in it and it took FOREVER. Plus, all but 2 bus trips on our entire stay, the bus was packed full on the way home from the parks and we were standing. The rooms, although ok, and large, did lack the disney feel to me. I would maybe see if you could get into AKV or another of your choice, or do a split stay. The split stay is not difficult, especially since you're going to be there a long time.

 

[wdwgirl03]

Saratoga Springs is our home resort. We love it...we've stayed there a few times and are going to be staying there again in December. Yes it's big but it's nice that it's so close to DTD.

Sorry, but I don't get the comments people say about it not being "Disney" enough.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

SSR is our home resort & we love it because, like OKW, it is very laid back & relaxing.

If you like being in the middle of the action, SSR may not be the place for you.

 

[bitohoney]

I don't think you will be dissapointed. I've never been to SSR but it looks like a lovely resort and I would like to stay there. How can you be dissapointed at Disney?

 

[LilGMom]

SSR is our home and we also love it. The grounds are beautiful, the rooms are painted in light colors so it makes if feel airy, the theming throughout the resort is consistant, the pools are great (even the "quiet ones") and we loved being so close to DTD. I can't comment on the buses since we always drive everywhere but everything else was just fine.

Here are some pictures:

Watching the sunrise from my balcony -


The front of our building -


Looking out from our balcony. There was a quiet pool directly behind this little courtyard.

 

[ppony]

Unless we know you, there's no way for anyone to say for sure. That said, not having stayed there yet, we want to buy points there when we can because it's beautiful and honestly, how can you not feel like you are at Disney w// DTD right within eye and ear shot! The grounds were beautiful when we visited there last Nov and the pictures on that thread mentioned are just beautiful. I look forward to buying points there.

Ahong those lines: The tree houses are MY idea of roughing it. My family wants to camp one day, I HATE camping (too many hellish trips as a child) . I think the tree houses are a good compromise. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

 

[uknewbie]

Thank you all for your input

I guess i'm just concerned that it won't have the same Disney feeling that the Beach Club did - it doesn't look as themed so maybe doesn't have that 'wow' factor? I do like the idea of being walkable to DTD though....

Am thinking of doing a spit stay with either AK or WL, but will have to check out how it works from the UK.

Thanks again for your replies.

 

[tlhbdm]

We stayed at SSR in September, in a one bedroom for the first half and a studio for the other half. We really enjoyed the resort, just didn't like the fact that it is farther away to the parks than other resorts, however for the price I would try it out and if you don't like it, then you know for next time. You could always to split stay, you would just have two separate packages, I'm not sure how it all works with being on a package, I know it's simple if it's room only.

We are going again in May and decided to stay at VWL, we are renting points again like we did during our September trip, and to us, the little extra cost to be closer to everything is worth it to us.

To make a long post short, I would say try SSR and if you don't like it then you know for next time.

 

[tlhbdm]

Also I should add that we enjoyed the theming, but we love the older(victorianish style). The pool was also nice.

 

[Pakey]

I own at both SSR and BCV (and have stayed at BC, YC, BWI) and I do not think that SSR compares favorably to the Epcot resorts. We enjoy going to SSR (have done 5 vacations at SSR) when we are going for a non-Disney vacation where we are not spending a lot of time at the parks (my husband and I enjoy taking golf/spa vacations). The resort itself is very pretty with gorgeous grounds. But its a long way to the parks and to dining at the other Deluxe resorts.

OP, I think you are going to feel about SSR the way you felt about staying offsite at a villa. SSR does not feel like Disney. It's a nice resort, as are many of the offsite locations, but it's not the Beach Club. I hope you enjoy SSR but if you go there expecting the same feel you got at BC, you are going to be very disappointed.

 

[uknewbie]

I own at both SSR and BCV (and have stayed at BC, YC, BWI) and I do not think that SSR compares favorably to the Epcot resorts. We enjoy going to SSR (have done 5 vacations at SSR) when we are going for a non-Disney vacation where we are not spending a lot of time at the parks (my husband and I enjoy taking golf/spa vacations). The resort itself is very pretty with gorgeous grounds. But its a long way to the parks and to dining at the other Deluxe resorts.

OP, I think you are going to feel about SSR the way you felt about staying offsite at a villa. SSR does not feel like Disney. It's a nice resort, as are many of the offsite locations, but it's not the Beach Club. I hope you enjoy SSR but if you go there expecting the same feel you got at BC, you are going to be very disappointed.

I think you might be right Beach club was our first time so i think everything else won't ever feel as special

I have also just found out that you can't split your stay with a package from the UK - we would have to buy separate tickets for the new resort and it would end up costing lots!

Ahh well, maybe if i think i'm going to be disappointed then i won't be???

 

[PrincessBelle87]

I disagree about it "not feeling like Disney". However, we had a perfect view of DTD from our balcony, so perhaps that's why I always felt a part of Disney. Maybe ask for a DTD view? We were in the Congress Park section. Overall I really liked the resort. But it's all based on personal preferences in my opinion.