Good news for SSR fans

[Dean]

MiaSRN62, well said and I agree with you.

 

[Mississippian]

Honestly Dean, I think most of us here felt the OP gave a very fair, honest asssessment of SSR for her family's vacationing needs. I think the problem crept up when one poster used words like "yuk", "inferior" and "lousy" among other comments and this instigated the "bashing" observation. If people could just give fair assessments and leave out the derogatory adjectives I think everything would stay on an even keel on the threads. But some of the adjectives used are bound to spark emotions.

I'm the one who used the word "yuk," and I defend the use of the word because I believe DVC is doing a real disservice to its members by building 800 units in an apartment complex with no real dining or nightlife options, save for Downtown Disney, which at nighttime apparently has to be accessed by bus (as do all the parks). And contrary to what one SSR defender said, there is no such thing as a "convenient" bus ride.
In my opinion, OKW has some of the same problems for me as SSR, but OKW makes up for it with low point rentals and extra-large rooms. SSR offers neither.
One of the things I've said before is that I believe, based on posts read on this forum and a couple of personal conversations with actual people, that many people are buying into SSR with hopes of staying elsewhere. This means those of us who own elsewhere are likely to get "stuck" with SSR as our only option when making reservations inside the seven-month window. For me personally, this means being forced to stay at a resort that has none of the things I like, but plenty of the things I hate.
I do understand that some people want a more laid-back location, and not to be in the thick of things. Based on the demand for current DVC units, these people are in the minority, although certainly their needs should be addressed. But this could have been done with 200 SSR units. Building 800 SSR units has the effect of lowering the value of points at the other resorts. And I think that's just yucky.

 

[Disney Fanatic]

I have travelled all over the world for vacations and anyone who can say that SSR is not a beautiful property is IMO a bit spoiled!

I hate to be the one to say this but we have toured the property twice and the arcitecture is amazing.

I know there may be things you personally like and don't like about but at the end of the day it is a very nice hotel.

I always try to keep things in perspective and remember how lucky I am just to be able to stay and vacation at Disney! There are many people in this world of ours who for them, Disney is just a dream!

 

[Dean]

I'm the one who used the word "yuk," and I defend the use of the word because I believe DVC is doing a real disservice to its members by building 800 units in an apartment complex with no real dining or nightlife options, save for Downtown Disney, which at nighttime apparently has to be accessed by bus (as do all the parks). And contrary to what one SSR defender said, there is no such thing as a "convenient" bus ride.
In my opinion, OKW has some of the same problems for me as SSR, but OKW makes up for it with low point rentals and extra-large rooms. SSR offers neither.
One of the things I've said before is that I believe, based on posts read on this forum and a couple of personal conversations with actual people, that many people are buying into SSR with hopes of staying elsewhere. This means those of us who own elsewhere are likely to get "stuck" with SSR as our only option when making reservations inside the seven-month window. For me personally, this means being forced to stay at a resort that has none of the things I like, but plenty of the things I hate.
I do understand that some people want a more laid-back location, and not to be in the thick of things. Based on the demand for current DVC units, these people are in the minority, although certainly their needs should be addressed. But this could have been done with 200 SSR units. Building 800 SSR units has the effect of lowering the value of points at the other resorts. And I think that's just yucky.

I agree with you in one sense. I do think DVC has sold this to SOME buyers with the idea of simply getting into the system. The same happened with every resort after OKW but I think the percentages are higher for SSR at least than any other on site, and the sheer volume will be a problem as well. Any resort that has less demand than the rest of the system will put MORE strain at the 7 month window or after (HH, VB, SSR and EP(?)). Any resort that has more demand , will lessen that strain (CR?, VWL, BCV, BWV). If you buy where you want to stay, it does not come into play and you will be set. If you plan exactly at the 7 month window and are willing to call day by day, your chances for most options are still pretty good. But what will happen more is that members knowing they may have trouble, will be more likely to book during their home resort window. The home resort WILL be more important going forward than it has in the past. But if you are happy staying at your home resort most trips but want to try the rest over time AND are willing to plan at least 7 months out, you should do OK most of the time. However, some will be in a situation where what they want is time routinely booked up before the 7 month window, I think that time is increasing and will continue to expand. Those people will not be happy with their choice and possibly feel they were misled. We've already seen it here in regards to VB a couple of years ago.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Mississippian says : In my opinion, OKW has some of the same problems for me as SSR

But what is a problem for you specifically, is quite the contrary for others. We bought into OKW when BWV was available to us and we chose OKW for everything we feel it has to offer, whereas you feel it's lacking. It's simply a preference. Different people want different things out of their vacation.

Mississippian says : that many people are buying into SSR with hopes of staying elsewhere.

Do we KNOW they want to stay elsewhere from fact or is this just hypothetical speculation for the comparitively few SSR owners that frequent the DIS ? I mean, as a whole, DVC Members are a pretty minute percentage here on the boards.

Mississippian says : I do understand that some people want a more laid-back location, and not to be in the thick of things. Based on the demand for current DVC units, these people are in the minority

Again, how do we KNOW they are in the minority ? It could just be a few owners (comparitively) from the larger resorts wanting to trade in and this is putting a strain on the "other" resorts because they are much smaller and their owners are not choosing to trade out.

Dean says : I do think DVC has sold this to SOME buyers with the idea of simply getting into the system.

And I agree with this as well. DVC did really do a disservice in telling prospective buyers that they could trade in anywhere. It's a huge selling point of the program unfortunately. All timeshares pretty much do this I think. They give you this big book of all the exotic places you can trade into. I know this happened when we bought our Vistana week. But all I hear on TUG is how difficult it actually is to secure these places and you need to plan 18-24 months in advance to get any sort of decent chance.

 

[Sarnia]

I'm the one who used the word "yuk," and I defend the use of the word because I believe DVC is doing a real disservice to its members by building 800 units in an apartment complex with no real dining or nightlife options, save for Downtown Disney, which at nighttime apparently has to be accessed by bus (as do all the parks). And contrary to what one SSR defender said, there is no such thing as a "convenient" bus ride.

The sign saying the path is closed between dawn and dusk is for the small unlit path that branches off the main one to DTD. The main path is open all night.

My wife and I stayed at SSR for 2 weeks in November last year, and absolutely loved it. We toured all the other resorts apart from OKW, and both preferred the apartment feel of SSR to the other resorts. It feels more like living in your own apartment at SSR, we found the others felt more like staying in a hotel.

As far as location goes we thought it was perfect, we walked to DTD often, and it's a very quick and easy walk to the marketplace, it's also pretty quick going the other way to Westside. Unless you are extremely unfit or have an injury or a disability you would have to be very lazy to think it's too far to walk.

I do think that the locations of BCV and BWV are great, as we eat at Epcot a lot, but we also love DTD, so we are just as happy with the location of SSR.

Access to the attractions was quick and easy as we found the bus service fantastic.

With the close proximity of DTD I didn't feel that there was any need for a full service restaurant.

While I understand that you are expressing your opinion, some of the terms you have used such as 'inferior product' and 'shabby quality' seem ludicrous to me. You must understand that these kind of statements will annoy people who have purchased at SSR and love the place. A little tact wouldn't hurt . Also bear in mind that your very biased and extreme views may put off prospective purchasers. It seems strange to give such a bad (and untrue) impression to people when that may damage a business that you have spent a large amount of money to become a member of.

 

[Luigi's Girl]

While I understand that you are expressing your opinion, some of the terms you have used such as 'inferior product' and 'shabby quality' seem ludicrous to me. You must understand that these kind of statements will annoy people who have purchased at SSR and love the place. A little tact wouldn't hurt . Also bear in mind that your very biased and extreme views may put off prospective purchasers. It seems strange to give such a bad (and untrue) impression to people when that may damage a business that you have spent a large amount of money to become a member of.

Very well said Sarnia!

 

[MiaSRN62]

My wife and I stayed at SSR for 2 weeks in November last year, and absolutely loved it. We toured all the other resorts apart from OKW, and both preferred the apartment feel of SSR to the other resorts. It feels more like living in your own apartment at SSR, we found the others felt more like staying in a hotel.

I'm sure there are many who feel as you do Sarina
You stated it all very well. We like the cottage/village feel of our home, OKW over the hotel feel as well. It's more like a vacation "home" to us ? We feel like we're staying in a disney neighborhood. Not sure how else to explain how we feel. Just because Mississippian doesn't feel that way (and that's perfectly fine for them), I don't see the need to slander and use put-downs constantly. I just feel you can get your feelings/opinions across without using the language such as they did. For instance, it came across much better as in the way Synonomous explained their feelings.
Welcome to the DIS Sarina !

 

[tjkraz]

I'm the one who used the word "yuk," and I defend the use of the word because I believe DVC is doing a real disservice to its members by building 800 units in an apartment complex with no real dining or nightlife options, save for Downtown Disney, which at nighttime apparently has to be accessed by bus (as do all the parks).

Wrong. The walking path is well lit, well marked and available 24/7.

And contrary to what one SSR defender said, there is no such thing as a "convenient" bus ride.

I'll take a 5 min bus ride anyday over the excruciatingly slow boat service offered to BCV and BWV.

In my opinion, OKW has some of the same problems for me as SSR, but OKW makes up for it with low point rentals and extra-large rooms. SSR offers neither.

Wrong again. Check the point charts. SSR is at least 10% lower than BCV / BWV and VWL.

One of the things I've said before is that I believe, based on posts read on this forum and a couple of personal conversations with actual people, that many people are buying into SSR with hopes of staying elsewhere.

To paraphrase your own words, what is so wrong with hoping to stay elsewhere? I hoped to (and have) stayed at resorts other than my own. And frankly I don't feel the need to justify that decision to you, nor do I need to explain my reasoning.

And frankly, I hope to stay at other resorts another time. After a handful of trips SSR is my favorite, but the program that I bought into give me the flexibility to stay elsewhere when I choose to do so. If you can't bring yourself to plan 7 months ahead of time, ensuring that you get a room instead of me, then that is YOUR problem.

This means those of us who own elsewhere are likely to get "stuck" with SSR as our only option when making reservations inside the seven-month window. For me personally, this means being forced to stay at a resort that has none of the things I like, but plenty of the things I hate.

Two points:

1. Before you start making blanket statements about what you believe is "likely" to happen, you might want to actually get some experience under your belt. I've personally booked three trips to BWV and BCV in the past year. Some of those bookings came with as little as 2 months notice, and I had no trouble getting what I wanted. I never had to waitlist for a single night.

To imply that BCV, BWV and VWL are consistently 100% booked as that 7 month window opens would be grossly incorrect.

2. The system, as it stands today, was well known before you bought. The development plan for SSR was well known before you bought. If you are so concerned that you will not be able to book prior to 7 months at your Home resort, then you just need to admit that you made a mistake and consider selling. You can sling insults toward SSR and SSR owners as much as you want, but they paid the same buy-in price you did and have the same rights and priviledges as you.

The program isn't going to change, and owners at SSR or any other resort need make no apologies for the manner in which they choose to use their points. If DVC can't deliver you the type of vacation that you expected, then sell.

I do understand that some people want a more laid-back location, and not to be in the thick of things. Based on the demand for current DVC units, these people are in the minority, although certainly their needs should be addressed. But this could have been done with 200 SSR units.

Do you really think that Disney has any interest in building resorts that small? The first 180 units at Saratoga Springs sold out within a year of being offered for sale. Disney has no justification for continuing to spend 2.5 - 3 years developing tiny properties that will sell out in a year.

The other resort that was quietly shelved after 9/11 was Eagle Pines. EP was to have had over 700 units and no direct access to a theme park. Barring any movement on the age-old Contemporary rumors, I'll be shocked if the next resort is under 1000 rooms.

Building 800 SSR units has the effect of lowering the value of points at the other resorts. And I think that's just yucky.

Again, what is your evidence to support this conclusion? If anything, people seem to be consistently willing to pay a premium for points at VWL, BCV and BWV to get that 11 month booking advantage. What is there to suggest that prices would be higher if not for SSR?

 

[MiaSRN62]

Tjkraz says : If you can't bring yourself to plan 7 months ahead of time, ensuring that you get a room instead of me, then that is YOUR problem.

I agree. Unfortunately for some, as I said before, with any timeshare, one really does need to plan ahead. The system just doesn't work well with last minute plannings (and that could mean any amount of time less than 6 months). Most likely you'll get a room somewhere with DVC, but it may not necessarily be where you want it.
I have to do early planning with my offsite FL timeshare. I'm not even sure owners even get a 4 month lead over RCI/II exchangers wanting to come in. If I want to utilize the Vistana beach option (Hutchinson Island, FL), I need to be on the phone in January for a summer vacation. Once I waited until mid-Feb and they had some weeks available (for summer) but not any that worked for me. I was on the phone in January to book my in-laws into Vistana for August. Not sure I would have gotten the week I wanted had I waited another month or two.

With timeshares of any sort, I think one just needs to be more organized and be able to plan further ahead if they want to get their first or second choice. Maybe DVC should stress this to prospective buyers so they understand how the system works best to their advantage and help them to realize if Membership suits their vacation styles.

 

[Sarnia]

Welcome to the DIS Sarina !

Thanks My wife and I have been lurking here for years and have learnt pretty much all we know about DVC from reading the great posts here. It was time to stop the lurking and register after reading some of the comments in this thread though

We are taking my wife's family to SSR for 2 weeks in April/May next year, and we will be damn proud to show them what we think is a fantastic resort.

 

[thelobstershanty]

To the OP,
I enjoyed reading your report and found it informative. If you did not like SSR, you should also cross OKW off your list. Most of the things you did not like at SSR are the same at OKW.

My second thought after reading this thread was just how passionate some people are about DVC resorts. Debating point by point back and forth and often repeating the same point over and over. I have heard debates over real world issues with less passion and emotion. I find Dean's posts to be the most valid and unbiased.
We also have our preferences of DVC resorts and have our favorite DVC resort, which is our home resort. That is why we bought there. But we do not find it an important issue to get so passionate about. World peace, the real threat of further terrorism yes we are passionate about but not WDW resorts. We like all WDW resorts not just DVC resorts. We find all Disney resorts to be a step above most other resorts for the price paid. Even the value resorts are a good deal for a family on a budget, We stay most times at our home resort but also stay at other DVC resorts for various reasons. We are looking forward to our first trip to HH. There will probably be things we like and dislike about HH but nothing worth getting all worked up about. We will still be on vacation which is the whole point. We are glad there are many options with DVC.

 

[MiaSRN62]

World peace, the real threat of further terrorism yes we are passionate about but not WDW resorts.

Well of course I'd say we all feel this way---that, in the scheme of things, DVC is low on the list under world peace. But a timeshare is a costly investment, and the fact that any of us frequent the DIS and it's discussions does not make us shallow or anything that you might be insinuating. It's just a hobby/investment interest or whatever. The fact that there are DIS boards and other WDW based news groups/chat rooms/message boards is really a way for me to relax etc and just join in with friendly (or not so friendly at times ) debates and discussions. As it is with anyone who frequents message boards. I'm actually learning things here and seeing a different viewpoint than what I had before I read this thread. You can feel free to read or not read and join in or not join in. I know I have read some fairly involved (for lack of a better term) posts from you in other discussions (which is fine). You have basically made your opinions known about certain DVC resorts in other threads. It is pretty well known from many posts that you pretty much dislike OKW and SSR ---which is fine. But, otoh, we are basically just discussing pros and cons of the different resorts as well. I agree, Dean is able to leave out his emotions and speak in broader, more general terms. It's a gift .
I know personally, my emotions/passions come in to play (as I think many people experience).
I think we all just share one common interest/investment here and it's nice to have a place to discuss it. You must feel this way somewhat or you wouldn't be participating to the extent you do on these boards ?

We are glad there are many options with DVC.

100% agree lobstershanty

 

[thelobstershanty]

Well of course I'd say we all feel this way---that, in the scheme of things, DVC is low on the list under world peace. But a timeshare is a costly investment, and the fact that any of us frequent the DIS and it's discussions does not make us shallow or anything that you might be insinuating. It's just a hobby/investment interest or whatever. The fact that there are DIS boards and other WDW based news groups/chat rooms/message boards is really a way for me to relax etc and just join in with friendly (or not so friendly at times ) debates and discussions. As it is with anyone who frequents message boards. I'm actually learning things here and seeing a different viewpoint than what I had before I read this thread. You can feel free to read or not read and join in or not join in. I know I have read some fairly involved (for lack of a better term) posts from you in other discussions (which is fine). You have basically made your opinions known about certain DVC resorts in other threads. It is pretty well known from many posts that you pretty much dislike OKW and SSR ---which is fine. But, otoh, we are basically just discussing pros and cons of the different resorts as well. I agree, Dean is able to leave out his emotions and speak in broader, more general terms. It's a gift .
I know personally, my emotions/passions come in to play (as I think many people experience).
I think we all just share one common interest/investment here and it's nice to have a place to discuss it. You must feel this way somewhat or you wouldn't be participating to the extent you do on these boards ?


100% agree lobstershanty

I was not insinuating anything. I just do not understand why get so offended and debate to the bitter end if someone posts why they prefer one resort over the other. As Dean said, just because someone comments on the location, room size or whatever about a resort--it is not bashing the resort--it is an opinion.
I agree a timeshare is a sizable investment but so are many things in life. Some spend more on a car then a timeshare costs but I have never heard a BMW owner get offended if a Jaguar owner said he likes his car better.
You buy what you like and why care if anyone else likes it.
We like all WDW resorts for different reasons. We prefer the hotel style DVC resorts for many reasons but that does not mean we dislike OKW or SSR. It just means we prefer the Epcot and MK resorts both DVC and non DVC. We have stayed at OKW when we have a large group and will someday also try SSR. We have also recommended OKW to others that wanted a low key trip with little park attendence. We just prefer the Epcot and MK resorts, they feel more Disney to us. We like to be able to see the parks from our resort. We value the ability to walk to a park or take a boat or monorail vs a bus or driving. We greatly value how close you are to restaurants and things to do at night, other than DTD/PI. We usually only go to DTD maybe once a trip but we are in the parks everyday, so for us this is a value.
We like our home resort alot but have never even thought to time the wait for buses or boats or measure the distance from the room to International Gateway. We are on vacation, who wants to do that? It's a vacation villa, it is not like you are moving in permanently.
We like our home resort and are glad we bought where we did but it is not something I would get all bothered about if someone has a different opinion. To us there are many other important things to get bothered about than a WDW resort.
Dean makes some very valid points regarding the ease of booking or resale values at certain resorts. This seems to offend some and I can not understand why. If you favorite resort is one that is easier to book that makes it all the better for you. And if you are not planning on selling your points the resale value does not matter. As long as you are happy that is all that matters.
You are right everyone has the choice to read the threads and join in or not. It is just surprising to me how some people get offended and passionate about someone else's opinion and continue to post over and over to the same thread saying the same things. I could understand getting emotional if someone was posting a negative opinion about one of your family members but not over a Disney resort.

 

[DVCconvert]

I just do not understand why get so offended and debate to the bitter end if someone posts why they prefer one resort over the other.

Simple!
If they didn't, many would have nothing to post!

(directed at the species in general, no one member of it)

 

[MiaSRN62]

Thelobstershanty says : It is just surprising to me how some people get offended and passionate about someone else's opinion and continue to post over and over to the same thread saying the same things.

Well, basically, everyone is different. What interests and empassions you may not someone else. The world is made up of all different kinds lobstershanty. Not everyone is going to understand why you may feel passionate or involved in something. I don't discuss any of this stuff (hardly) outside of these boards (aka in the real world). Occassionally I'll talk "DVC shop" with a couple friends who are Members at work. But usually we're too darn busy to get into any lengthy conversations.

I come to these boards specifically to discuss/share/learn from everyone's experiences. Listen to different viewpoints etc. It does not nearly engulf any part of my life. It's just a past time to me, as I'm sure it is to many of us. Alot of people would probably admit openly (or at least to themselves) that they find out more valuable info here on DIS about DVC than from DVC itself. Or about WDW than from most travel guidebooks. A couple people on these boards, I see on other disney/timeshare related boards as well. Just like to be as informed and up-to-date as I can with a major investment such as this one (DVC). And sometimes it's just fun to get engulfed in a rousing discussion such as this and put the real world on the back burner for a little bit. I don't feel this is so difficult, as you do, to understand.

Thelobstershanty says : As Dean said, just because someone comments on the location, room size or whatever about a resort--it is not bashing the resort--it is an opinion.

I'll repeat as I did in post #100. It's not the OP's assessment we found as bashing, but rather adjectives used to degrade certain resorts such as "yuk", "lousy" and "inferior". Mississippian stands behind those words, while I see them as totally unnecessary in a discussion such as this. He/she could have found a heck of a better way to describe his/her dislike for a certain resort. THAT is what many here consider BASHING. SSR and OKW owners put their hard-earned money into these investments. Others (lurkers) read these comments and perhaps they want less and less to try them out, thus perhaps resale value falls for them---and all this because someone decides to toss around unfounded criticisms and negative descriptions ???? Some people may never realize they really prefer SSR and OKW because words like "lousy" and "inferior" dance around in their minds.

If they didn't, many would have nothing to post!

I, personally, don't post simply just to get my numbers up or see my screen name on the boards I actually read alot more than I post. I post only when I feel I have something worthwhile to say or add to a discussion. So my aim during the week is not to see how many posts I can rack up

 

[tjkraz]

...I have never heard a BMW owner get offended if a Jaguar owner said he likes his car better.

Yeah, but how did the Jaguar owner react when the BMW owner said that Jaguars were "lousy" and "inferior"?

Oh, well. I guess we all pick our own battles for our own reasons.

Dean makes some very valid points regarding the ease of booking or resale values at certain resorts. This seems to offend some and I can not understand why.

I agree that Dean's posts are always very valuable. He has obviously been a DVC member for a long time and has a wider knowledge of the timeshare industry than perhaps anyone else here. Not that I necessarily agree with everything he says.

But I don't recall any replies here that implied they took offense to one of Dean's posts.

It is just surprising to me how some people get offended and passionate about someone else's opinion and continue to post over and over to the same thread saying the same things. I could understand getting emotional if someone was posting a negative opinion about one of your family members but not over a Disney resort.

For my part, I TRY to stick to factual discussions. For every one person that posts here regularly and has a (somewhat) deep level of understanding, there may be a dozen or a hundred "lurkers" who are just reading and trying to soak up as much as they can. We're all here to discuss and inform, and I think we all have a responsibility to keep that information as accurate as possible.

So, when someone posts incorrect information like the walking paths from SSR to DTD are closed after dark, that deserves to be corrected. And I've made my share of mistakes, and don't mind being corrected either.

Beyond that you get into the gray area where the conclusions we draw may or may not be accurate. Case in point is this entire issue of demand for a resort like BCV. What we know to be true is that it's harder to get a room there than a resort like OKW. The REASONS are completely open to interpretation and discussion.

* Could be the small size of the resort.
* Could be more owners trading out and thus allowing DVC to set aside rooms for cash guests.
* Could be a higher portion of owners at BCV are reserving at 11 months, leaving only a handful available at 7 months.
* Could be more long-time DVC members are still getting around to trying BCV for the first time (remember, it's only been open for 3 years now.)
* Or, it could actually be that it holds a greater appeal than other resorts.

Most likely, it's some combination of all of the above, plus a dozen other factors that haven't even been considered. But we can't justifiably apply the word "fact" to any of this--it's all idle speculation. And whenever that type of speculation rears its ugly head, a...discussion...is likely to break out.

 

[Galahad]

I agree with you in one sense. I do think DVC has sold this to SOME buyers with the idea of simply getting into the system. The same happened with every resort after OKW

This is exactly right. Salesmen are salesmen and they spin whatever yarns they need to spin. We have been OKW owners since the year it opened as a DVC resort. It is still our favorite and first choice (guess that puts us in a painfully unhip minority). We have never had a problem booking where we wanted to go when we wanted to go. Everyone was certain that HH and VB would poison the points pool and snag all the rooms at WDW ahead of the owners at OKW or BWV. Didn't happen. Relax and enjoy!

 

[thelobstershanty]

Well, basically, everyone is different. What interests and empassions you may not someone else. The world is made up of all different kinds lobstershanty. Not everyone is going to understand why you may feel passionate or involved in something. I don't discuss any of this stuff (hardly) outside of these boards (aka in the real world). Occassionally I'll talk "DVC shop" with a couple friends who are Members at work. But usually we're too darn busy to get into any lengthy conversations.

I come to these boards specifically to discuss/share/learn from everyone's experiences. Listen to different viewpoints etc. It does not nearly engulf any part of my life. It's just a past time to me, as I'm sure it is to many of us. Alot of people would probably admit openly (or at least to themselves) that they find out more valuable info here on DIS about DVC than from DVC itself. Or about WDW than from most travel guidebooks. A couple people on these boards, I see on other disney/timeshare related boards as well. Just like to be as informed and up-to-date as I can with a major investment such as this one (DVC). And sometimes it's just fun to get engulfed in a rousing discussion such as this and put the real world on the back burner for a little bit. I don't feel this is so difficult, as you do, to understand.
:

I understand all that but why get offended, emotional or defensive when someone posts something negative (in their opinion) about a resort you like. What I can not understand is why does it matter. If you are happy that is what counts.

 

[bus driver lady]

Haven't been here in awhile, but thought I'd add my two cents as we'll be visiting SSR for the first time Aug. 25-31st. SSR is our "home" and we're very much looking forward to this first stay. As we're visiting at a slow time, we probably could have picked any of the on-site DVC resorts. Convenience to off-property commitments (DS-16 will be participating for 3 days in a college baseball showcase at the Houston Astros minor league complex in Kissimmee, and we'll be spending our last two days at Universal as we've never been) and to DTD for several convenient evening options upon returning to SSR from spending long, hot days in the August heat! We requested a DTD view and will most likely use the walkway in the evenings...and maybe the boat back to the resort. We stayed at OKW last August for a week and had a nice stay (primarily WDW parks pluse Seaworld one day). We had a nice enough time and would stay there again if that was all that was available. Walking thru SSR back then I know it is more for us...not to mention I will definitely love the "newness" of the resort better. We had a 2BR at OKW and it was a nice layout for the five of us. But I did find the room a little "dated" and grungy. I'm one of the fanatics about cleanliness! We did eat at Olivia's a few times and enjoyed it very much...as well as the staff there. Heard of the hurricane damage that our waitress and other employees had been dealing with at that time...I think it helped for her just to talk about their tough circumstances with us. There'll only be three of us at SSR in a 1BR, and the kitchen (breakfast before early mornings to ballpark) and W/D should come in very handy this trip (daily baseball uniform washing). I realize it won't be as spacious as OKW, but it will be plenty for just us, plus I prefer the decor!

Having said that, this will only be our 2nd DVC stay. We'd definitely like to try all of them...next on our list would probably be VWL or HH. We'll probably make a point of trying each of the others at least once in the next five years. We only have 160 pts. and probably won't add on as our schedule will only allow about one trip per year or less and usually only requiring a 1BR. If it gets to the point we only have SSR as an option, we'll be totally happy being there. On property we have no problems with the bus transportation, and definitely prefer it to driving ourselves. Can't avoid that this trip, though! Also looking forward to trying a few items at Artist's Pallete for lunch...I know DH will love it just looking at some of the menu offerings. I foresee several evening dinners at DTD...yum!!!

Suzy