An Epiphany

[DVC Mike]

I agree with what the OP has pointed out. I think that's why SSR has the reputation of having an "apartment-complex" feel to it.

Maybe in 5-10 years when all the vegetation has grown up, it will have a much different feel (like OKW).

 

[mlayton14]

Totally agree with OP .. the place simply has no ambience IMO. Wayyy to many roads, cards, buses, and NOISE along the edges of these roads (which are everywhere). Disney resorts are supposed to be about escaping the real world and being transported into the fantasy of a different place and time .. and SSR just simply doesnt do this for us. The Mods (all of them) are better than SSR in this respect. Thankfully, or hopefully, this will be the last of this kind of development at DVC.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

I always thought SSR was supposed to feel like a small town. I have never been to Saratoga Springs, NY, but I live near East Aurora, NY, and the main street in SSR is much like East Aurora's....well, 10 years ago...it is getting much busier now. The main road, going down to the "traffic circle" is EXACTLY the layout of Main Street in EA. Right down to the theater showing 1 movie. I always expect to see the Vidler's sign when we walk through SSR. For that reason, the street running through it actually seemed to fit the theme..to me, at least.

We love SSR, oddly, since it is like home.

I do agree with the OP though that less traffic would add more to the "escapism" of SSR, make it even more laid back.

We also love POR. The AB section is just great. We stayed there 5 years ago, just the two of us, and we loved walking the paths from AB to the main building. Beautiful resort.

 

[BroganMc]

I guess I'll be a dissenter voice then. Having walked around POR, OKW and SSR, I found myself hating the two former and loving the latter. POR felt very junky to me and not very accessible. (I kept having to avoid steps in my path.) OKW felt like I was always walking around a car or smelling fumes. SSR has only one area of road traffic and that's at the Springs.

What makes that area not a bother for me is that traffic always stops for pedestrians. I've had busses pull out from the stop only to stop 30 feet later as a family approached the crosswalk. Any Disney-owned vehicle stops and refuses to let you even give them right-of-way. The only ones I've seen take it are some taxis at night (taxi drivers are universally in a hurry) and some new resort guests. Also once you cross the street you are in the community center areas.

Grandstand is even further removed from the roads with its own walkway to the Carriage House. (You only compete with golf carts.)

Carousel seems like it would be awful until you walk around it. There's a private pond there where the buildings face and the walkway goes along that. It's the same design as the Paddocks but in miniature. And Paddocks and Congress Park share the walkways overlooking the nearest waterways.

But most of all, everything is so clean and accessible. I love going out for walks at SSR.

 

[LSchrow]

I guess I'll be a dissenter voice then. Having walked around POR, OKW and SSR, I found myself hating the two former and loving the latter. POR felt very junky to me and not very accessible... OKW felt like I was always walking around a car or smelling fumes..........But most of all, everything is so clean and accessible. I love going out for walks at SSR

but not a lone dissenter we've no interest in ever going back to PO (& yes, muushka, there are other ppl that also find the resort "dark & dirty" )... however, we love the cleanliness & elegance of SSR. OKW is nice, but agree with broganMc re the "fumes" (we loved walking around SSR, but the fumes really did seem to be everywhere at OKW).

it does seem to matter where you stay at SSR. while at CP, we wandered the walkways by the water, & always walked to DTD, so we felt "immersed". we only used our car (which we liked having so accessible, but not "in our faces" lol) to go to AP for b'fast, & a number of outlet jaunts.

very few resorts have really impressed us, and SSR is one of that very select few.

 

[Muushka]

(& yes, muushka, there are other ppl that also find the resort "dark & dirty" )

Like I said, that's what makes the world go 'round!
Imagine if everyone loved the same thing, what a mess that would be!

 

[sajetto]

Maybe in 5-10 years when all the vegetation has grown up, it will have a much different feel (like OKW).

This is exactly what I'm hoping for. I think that SSR has some really pretty areas, but I also agree with the OP that the layout of the parking lots really detracts from the atmosphere.

SSR has an amazing SPA and a really good counter service offering, but old vegetation will really improve the surroundings

 

[Disney Doll]

I think part of the reason for the design/layout of SSR is to take advantage of the views of the golf course. PO doesn't really border a golf course. If the parking lots were on the outside of the buildings, it would make for a lousy view from the golf course and a lousy view from the balconies, unless they turned the whole thing around so that the balconies faced the interior.

But that still wrecks the view from the golf course.

 

[its_jason]

I love the idea of improving the boat launch area. You get off the boat and you feel like you are somewhere you aren't supposed to be.

I agree, we loved SSR when we stayed recently but the boat launch is just weird. They need more signs to find it first of all. Ever watch peoples faces when they get off the boat at night? It's like where the heck am I ?!

 

[Flyerfan]

I have not yet stayed at SSR (January is our first trip home). We have stayed at POR and loved it. However, IMO every resort has a different theme and maybe the design of SSR is much like that of the real Saratoga Springs. I understand the OP's comments/opinions but as I'm reading this thread, I'm trying not to form any pre-conceived notions of my home.

 

[TenThousandVolts]

I have not yet stayed at SSR (January is our first trip home). We have stayed at POR and loved it. However, IMO every resort has a different theme and maybe the design of SSR is much like that of the real Saratoga Springs. I understand the OP's comments/opinions but as I'm reading this thread, I'm trying not to form any pre-conceived notions of my home.

Hi Flyerfan. I had my 1st trip home to SSR in the spring, and there was a lot of SSR bashing on the boards at that time. I was really nervous before my trip. I got there and found that all my worries were for nothing. The place is beautiful, immaculate grounds, gorgeous rooms, very peaceful and relaxing, and just plain wonderful! The OP just has pointed out what they feel is a drawback of the resort. All the resorts have some drawback or another, after all. The silver lining to the road running through the resort is that the bus stops are easier to get to- at the 'closed in/courtyard' resorts, you need to make your way to the outside rim of the resort to get to the bus stops.
I do agree that when you are in the areas where you have to cross the road to get to the Carriage house and DTD (Springs, Paddock, Carousel) you are less immersed in the Disney feeling. That is why I am so in favor of guaranteed booking at SSR. I really prefer the other 2 areas and feel that those rooms should be reserved on a 1st come 1st served basis.

 

[DonnaL]

While I agree with you 100%.....I love the feel of POR also.....I don't think that's the atmosphere they were trying to create at SSR.....don't forget SSR is patterned after Saratoga Springs, NY which is actually a town not a southern plantation which is what POR is supposed to feel like.......therefore, I feel that's why streets, etc. are part of the landscape at SSR....to make it appear to be a small town with streets, sidewalks, etc.......look at the main area of SSR....patterned after a Main Street of small town USA...the theatre building, then a small intersection, then offices, the laundry, the community room and the rental shop which all mimic the same types of businesses you might find on a small town Main St. However, I do agree with the above poster who stated they really don't like the view coming into the boat landing.....it would be very nice to have a large gazebo or something in that area.

 

[kikiq]

Another reminder that SSR was not build from scratch but from the Disney villas/Disney Institute area. We have many fond memories of staying in the original villas and going to the Disney Institute. This summer, we spent several hours trying to picture where we "stayed" based on the buldings that were left. I think in the back of our minds it could have played into our decision to make SSR our home resort. We loved the community feel to it...like watching kids riding their bicycles down the street...when we saw all the bicycles available for guests lined up by sizes, that was like someone was calling us home<G>