A few thoughts on Saratoga Springs

[Dean]

After touring around SSR, I have a few thoughts. It will be a very nice resort when it is finished but there are some quirks I noticed. First, the grill area doesn’t seem large enough. 2 BBQ grills just didn’t seem sufficient for the four buildings currently there. The pool is definitely too small for when the resort is completed, especially with the expanded phase 3. And though it may have required some design changes, I think they should have put in under building parking.

It seems the building requests will be truly crazy once it’s finished. The water front buildings and ones by the main pool will be much better than the other 5, especially the 3 not by the remaining quiet pool. The resort is definitely big enough for a real restaurant, hopefully they will add this once the resort is closer to completion. I do realize this is not an issue unique to SSR or DVC in general but it did strike me more than most DVC properties.

 

[erikthewise]

Underground parking is an interesting idea. It sounds awfully expensive though, and that would cut into profits. Do you know of other timeshares that do this?

I agree about the water view situation. The whole point of the exterior corridors was apparently to allow all the rooms to have the good view of the lake and DD. But that looks to be moot for many of the buildings yet to come. Will they also have exterior corridors, to no benefit?

 

[wdwstar]

vero beach has underground parking, it seemed to work out fine for VB. i think dvc figured every so many building there will be a quite pool. the quite pool that is finished looks very nice with the frog accents. i wonder if each quite pool will be the same or will dvc make each one different.
i do like the hotel look, not the exterior corridors like ssr.
i agree they should have put in a real sitdown restaurant, for the conveince, of not planning around the bus and boat to take you to DTD. for the conveince to just walk down from your room and eat and not spend all that time going to DTD.

 

[PamOKW]

Are any of the buildings (now or in the future) located along the golf course?

Is the parking like OKW or is it in nearby lots?

 

[littlestar]

Dean,

We also toured Saratoga last week. Your thoughts are exactly some of the same things my husband and I noticed. We talked to a guide while we were there and he said he thinks the movie house may be turned into the dining area. He said originally Saratoga was only supposed to be 182 units (don't quote me but I think that's what he said) and DVC knows they are going to have to make some changes with how big the place is going to be when it finally gets done. We also told the guide we thought the main pool looked a little small for over 800 units.

I did think the buildings were very pretty. Especially the colors, the fireplaces were beautiful (stone work and brick work was nice), great landscaping. But, the buildings are really far apart (very spread out). I thought it looked more spaced out than Old Key West. It kind of reminded me a little of Mariotts Grand Vista (of course Disney's landscaping is a lot better, though). I definitely won't complain anymore about BWV long hallways if I end up in the farthest building at Saratoga.

I did think Saratoga was pretty, but I think Disney has some tweaking to do with the expansion.

 

[lenshanem]

It seems most everyone that has shared comments about SSR have all said the same thing or similar variations, including me -
main pool seems too small, food selection way too limited & potential for room requests to be alot for DTD or near main pool.

 

[Granny]

My guess is that Disney will continue to tweak and enhance SSR as they go along.

Keep in mind that this is now the location of their main DVC sales office. It wouldn't make sense, in the long run, to have someone take the tour and get all fired up and then go to a disappointing food court, see a way overcrowded main pool, or see anything less than a great resort.

As for the views....well, I think that the vast majority of DVCers (ie, those not on this board) aren't as worried about views as people here tend to be. Unless the disparity is really great, I think they'll be okay. If they get the "check in rage" thing going (see BWV for past example), then they might create a couple of view classes (with the same point structure) in order to avoid the front desk confrontations. This would reward the people who have SSR as their home, as they should be rewarded.

I think SSR will continue to be a work in progress, and that in the end it will be another great DVC destination.

Stay tuned!

 

[spiceycat]

the main swimming pool does seem small for that big of a resort - hopefully once OKW has a slide at its main pool - DVD at SSR will realize that it needs to be bigger.

however Dean you are at OKW enough to know that there are times when the quiet pool as well as the main pool just don't have very many guests there.

there have been several times when I and my guest have been the only ones at OKW quiet pool.

I think DVC sees this as a waste and wants to provide as little pool as necessary - the fewer and smaller pool they built - the more room for villas.

besides alot of people won't buy at a resort where no one is using the pools - I remember when I first looked at OKW (DVC) and walked around - well the main pool was fine - there were people in it - but the quiet pool over by building 19 - no one was there - I thought this was strange at the time - but know I understand that sometimes the quiet pool are empty at OKW (don't get me wrong I love them empty) - but for a resort this is strange.

 

[wdwstar]

PamOKW yes they are suppose to have some building near or facing the golf course and yes the parking is like okw for the most part. parking behind the buildings and more rows behind the rows behind the building.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by erikthewise
Underground parking is an interesting idea. It sounds awfully expensive though, and that would cut into profits. Do you know of other timeshares that do this?

I agree about the water view situation. The whole point of the exterior corridors was apparently to allow all the rooms to have the good view of the lake and DD. But that looks to be moot for many of the buildings yet to come. Will they also have exterior corridors, to no benefit?

Every issue has two sides of course. Essentially all of the new purposes built Marriot's have under building parking. But I do see how it would be a double edged sword as it would take away the patio setup.

Spiceycat, I know the quiet pools aren't that much in use but a nice themed pool tends to be more so, note BW and BC. The issue is the themed pool which really seems VERY small to me overall. Hopefully they will build a second themed pool by the back 5 buildings instead of a quiet pool, we shall see.

Again, I think it will be very nice overall. But interesting that my family saw the resort with me and EVERYONE of them said, OKW next trip.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

So how big is the pool? Compared to another DVC resort. HH, VB?

 

[littlestar]

Dean,

We said the same thing that we would pick OKW over Saratoga. Especially when the OKW slide is done. With the size of the rooms at OKW and a new themed slide, I think OKW (especially those one bedrooms) is really going to be a smart point bargain. Not to say that I wouldn't take Saratoga, too, it would just be my last choice as it looks right now. Maybe it didn't help that it was 95 degrees out when we toured Saratoga and we had to keep looking at a map to figure out where we were!

 

[Cruelladeville]

I am surprised that no one thought the rooms at SSR seemed smaller than at the other resorts--that was my first thought when I saw the models. I was especially surprised by the grande villa. Granted, less points are needed to reserve it than at BWV, for example, but it still seemed tiny.

I also thought that the current layout was odd, with check-in, food court, and main pool way at the one end of the resort, with the buildings stretched out in a line. Several buildings will definitely be situated at an inconvenient distance away from the amenities. And what is with the numbering system?? I found it confusing that 2400-2800 rooms are all in one building.

The artist's drawings don't do justice to the actual resort. SSR is so much prettier than the drawings indicate!

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Cruelladeville
I am surprised that no one thought the rooms at SSR seemed smaller than at the other resorts--that was my first thought when I saw the models. I was especially surprised by the grande villa. Granted, less points are needed to reserve it than at BWV, for example, but it still seemed tiny.

I also thought that the current layout was odd, with check-in, food court, and main pool way at the one end of the resort, with the buildings stretched out in a line. Several buildings will definitely be situated at an inconvenient distance away from the amenities. And what is with the numbering system?? I found it confusing that 2400-2800 rooms are all in one building.

The artist's drawings don't do justice to the actual resort. SSR is so much prettier than the drawings indicate!

My understanding was they were the same sq ft as the last few resorts BWV, BCV, and VWL. I suspect they seem smaller due to the darker furnishings.

 

[lisareniff]

Is there anyway we could quantify the size of the pools at the different resorts? Volume of water? Surface area? Capacity? (I don't think volume is the best measure) Does anyone know any numbers? I would love to get a comparison.

 

[PamOKW]

I think someone posted that the main pool at OKW and the SSR had roughly the same capacity limits (difference of less than 10 -- can't remember which one had the higher amount).

 

[JKLLady]

We just returned from SSR this evening (Fri, 07/09), after an 8 day stay in a one bdrm (Room #2730) & while we liked the resort, it did have a few minuses.
First, the pluses:
The room decor & landscaping are lovely; with only the first few bldgs. open the buses were never crowded, High Rock Springs pool is great & my DS, age 7, ranked the pool slide right up there with Keister Coaster; the Donald Duck play area was also a big hit w/DS & I loved standing under the waterfall while he played, it was like hydrotherapy!
Now, the minuses:
The walk to the pool took about 10 minutes, even though we were in the first building after the Carriage House/pool area; the pool was not crowded while we were there, but I can't imagine what it will be like after all the bldgs. are open; Artist's Palette was a huge disappoinment.....DS, DD (age 18) & I walked over for dessert while DH crashed, and there was not much to choose from, it seemed commercially made & not too fresh. DD & I both felt that the food service area seemed way too small, even for just the few bldgs. that were open. At the Member Update on Wed., I asked if they had any plans to add to the food service offerings & was told not at this time.........I guess their just going to wait & see.
All in all, we had a wonderful stay, and will probably stay there again sometime. However, I have to agree that with the larger room size & the soon-to-be pool slide, OKW is a better deal. For us, it'll be a tough choice between OKW & BWV in the future!