Have you ever noticed this about SSR?

[WALTSAGOD]

Damn, rough crowd here. So many folks take this crap very seriously.


With that being said the thought of being "stuck out there" that far away has never appealed to me. SSR is just to spread out but with that being said, there are those will will look forward to this quiet area I'm sure.

The selection and offering of the many different DVC resorts is nice isn't it?

Play nice,...

 

[vandy]

So where is the best place to stay at SSR. This is the first I've heard of Carosel. Is this a place to avoid? I have ressies at SSR for Spring Break, but I did not request a specific area yet. Sounds like maybe I should.

thanks!

fatfish

What is the knocl on that area? What are the pluses of the others? We are going for the first time next summer.

To answer these questions: The biggest knock as you have heard about the Carousel section is that it is the farthest away from the main area. For those who use the pool, community hall and restaurants quite often, and they do not like the walk, it can be frustrating. We have always had a car so it was nice since this is the closest to exiting the resort as well. One plus for the Carousel is that it is the second bus stop which means you can more easily find a seat going to the parks and get off of the crowded bus quicker coming back. If you wish to, you can ride the busses back and forth, if you know their route (see below). Basicaly take any bus to the main area, and take the DTD bus back to your building.

What about the other areas?

SPRINGS:
Closest to the main area (just across the street). First bus stop for the DTD bus BUT it is the LAST stop for all others. Depending on when you go the busses can be crowded at times and at times you may have to wait for another bus. If you want quick access to the main area, this is it.

GRANDSTAND:
Newest area of the resort with two of the buildings not that much farther away than the Springs. Request the two by the quiet pool, which is themed and has a kids spray/play area. It also has a refillable mug station. Buildings overlook the golf course. Biggest plus to me is that this is the first bus stop to all parks, and 2nd stop for DTD. Short walk to the main area and to the boat to DTD.

CONGRESS PARK:
Overlooks the lake and DTD on the other side. Nice quiet pool as well. Easy walk to DTD and to the main area. It is the 4th bus stop to parks and last stop for DTD. Probably tied with the Grandstand as being the next closest to the main area overall. Of course specific buildings in each section can be fairly close.

PADDOCKS:
Runs along side road in resort and overlooks a lake between it and the Springs. There is a pedestrian bridge that crosses the lake to the Springs to help make walk to main area shorter. For the most part, it is the next to farthest section from the main area. It does have a quiet pool as well. It is the third bus stop for the parks and the fourth bus stop for DTD.

CAROUSEL:
Farthest section away from the main area, but closest to the main gate. Very nice if you have a car. It does not have it's own quiet pool, but the Paddocks pool is not far away. It is the second bus stop for the parks and the 3rd stop for the DTD bus. If you don't mind walking, it is a nice stroll, maybe 7 -10 minutes to main area going slow.

Each section has it's own fans and dissenters. My personal favorite is the Grandstand buildings next to the pool (rooms 8100-8400 and 8500-8800). Next would be Congress Park. As I said, we drive a car so the Carousel and Paddocks do not bother me as much as it would others.

 

[vandy]

I've posted Caskbill's map on other threads, but in case you haven't seen it yet, here it is. The walking paths and the distances are placed on the map to give you an idea.

[/IMG]

 

[wilma-bride]

I have to be honest here and say that we have only stayed at our home resort, SSR, once and on that occasion we were in a room in the Paddocks area. We didn't entirely love it, truth be told, for many different reasons but mainly because it was August, it was DARN hot and it was a long old walk to the main pool/food court area. Having said that, once we decided to start using the internal bus to get around (and our rental car on one occasion) it got better. Last trip we chose not to stay there because we had older relatives with us who would have struggled with walking had we been far away again.

We are definitely giving it another shot, though, and I certainly wouldn't rule out ever staying there again on the basis of one bad experience.

My observation of DVC owners/lovers/haters (and only my opinion before you get your falme throwers out) is that there seem to be 3 categories:- those who like the hotel-style accommodations such as BWV and VWL, those who like the condo-type accommodations like SSR and OKW and those who are happy to experience the variety that DVC gives us.

 

[vandy]

My observation of DVC owners/lovers/haters (and only my opinion before you get your falme throwers out) is that there seem to be 3 categories:- those who like the hotel-style accommodations such as BWV and VWL, those who like the condo-type accommodations like SSR and OKW and those who are happy to experience the variety that DVC gives us.

You have summed it up very nicely and I totally agree with this. For us, we prefer OKW and SSR. Since we drive, we want to park just outside our door. That said, I would say though we are the third category: the ones who like the variety of resorts that DVC gives us. Spice of life, right!?!

 

[pinnocchiosdad]

All I can say is that after 6 days of rain at OKW the other week (hurricaine Faye), I will stick with the tower style hotels (AKV, VWL, BCV) from now on. I felt like a prisoner at OKW building 46. We got soaked to go to the laundry room, soaked to get a snack, soaked to get ice, soaked to get to the bus. I would be a fool to blame Disney for the weather, but the trip would have been alot more enjoyable in a closed accomodation. I actualy love to walk (I'm a retired mailman) and miss that in a hotel like my home AKV. But it is nice being an elevator ride away from a Mickey Ice Cream bar at any given hour of the day!!!!!

 

[JESW]

We are fairly new DVCers so it has been fun trying out the resorts. We stayed at OKW last April and were waaaaay far out but liked it. HUGE rooms and I like the styling - and the Jimmy Buffett music on the bus. Last month we stayed at SSR in the Paddock area and really liked that location. Sure, we had to walk a bit to get to the main area, but it was QUIET and the kids liked the small quiet pool. (we never even went to the main pool) The bus stop was a short walk out the door.

But I must say that our favorite DVC resort so far has been The Wilderness Lodge Villas . We stayed there in June and loved our location and loved how the villas are right at the main building. It made it very convenient to stop at the store before we went back to our room.

When we were at SSR in August we were there right in the middle of tropical storm Fay. Three out of four of us got sick with nasty colds throughout the vacation so it was a pain to have to trek over to the store in the rain and the wind to get medicine. But we still liked the resort and would stay there again.

We really enjoy how different each and every DVC resort is - hope to try them all eventually.

Jill

 

[CarolA]

All I can say is that after 6 days of rain at OKW the other week (hurricaine Faye), I will stick with the tower style hotels (AKV, VWL, BCV) from now on. I felt like a prisoner at OKW building 46. We got soaked to go to the laundry room, soaked to get a snack, soaked to get ice, soaked to get to the bus. I would be a fool to blame Disney for the weather, but the trip would have been alot more enjoyable in a closed accomodation. I actualy love to walk (I'm a retired mailman) and miss that in a hotel like my home AKV. But it is nice being an elevator ride away from a Mickey Ice Cream bar at any given hour of the day!!!!!

See but for some of us the "extra" space at OKW made it GREAT during a hurricane.

We hit one when I was there with my friend and her two teens and two friends.... The girls just spread out ALL over the living room, watched "Full House" videos did some games and gossiped... it was GREAT. I think we would have gone crazy couped up in a smaller space.

So it really depends on what you need when.

Now just an FYI.... to get the Mickey Bar at BCV you must go outside. It's a covered walkway but I was there during a hurricane too (I like to go in the fall!LOL!) And it was WET!!!

 

[bavaria]

Well here's a post.

One of my favorite rooms ever at SSR was in the "section that was so far away from everything" Lovely view, nice room.. I would stay there again in a heart beat.

Mensch! That means that you, me, and Mr and Mrs Rozzie are all going to be fighting for that room. Nobody else seems to like it but us, and we all seem to REALLY like that room at SSR!

 

[hakepb]

My observation of DVC owners/lovers/haters (and only my opinion before you get your falme throwers out) is that there seem to be 3 categories:- those who like the hotel-style accommodations such as BWV and VWL, those who like the condo-type accommodations like SSR and OKW and those who are happy to experience the variety that DVC gives us.

To me the difference is location convienence and available transportation variety more than resort type. (Although I've always thought my SSR bus service was pretty good, it is sooo nice at BWV taking a boat to EPCOT and DHS, a nice change of pace)

Personally I'd rather stay in a condo style monorail resort than a hotel style resort away from all the parks.

There'd be a lot fewer SSR "complaints" if they got a high-speed monorail that could whisk you from SSR to the MK within 5 minutes...

 

[magicmommy]

I have stayed at all the onsite resorts except OKW. We own the majority of our points at SSR and some at AKV. We have had studios, 1BR's and 2BR's and travelled with our teenagers, alone as a couple, with extended family, with another couple and just a girls weekend. That being said, some resorts and or some sections of resorts work better depending on who is travelling. We have stayed in all areas at SSR except the "dreaded" Carousel
My first visit was a 2BR in the Springs with our boys. Loved it! Our next visit also with the kids we were assigned the Paddocks and like DH likes to call it...I had the "look". I was not happy but the resort was full. Needless to say I ended up loving the location. We were in one of the buildings that was next to the quiet pool and also close to the bus stop with a nice walk over the bridge. I guess the bottom line is everyone has different tastes so if you tried it and did not like it thats ok but give it a shot! If I was assigned a room that I hated I would also pay the fee to change if I thought it was going to ruin my vacation! I love SSR and plan to have many, many more trips and I'm sure I'll like some locations better than others but I'll take any room in Disney over no room in Disney at all.

 

[DeeCee735]

 

[pinnocchiosdad]

Hey Diane. To bad the Long Island DVC thread slowed down. I see you have a trip to AKV in April. Your gonna just miss Kidani opening. We are at BCV 9/27. Were at OKW last month.

 

[Sully]

We love SSR for it's size, being spread out. We love to walk around the resort. The farther out areas are nicer as they are usually quieter. We stayed at the Springs once on the bottom floor and everyone walks by and can look in your room. It is also the last bus stop and chances are the bus is full. Give us a location that is away from the main buildings.

 

[DisneyMama27]

We stayed in Carousel and enjoyed it! It was just me and DH, so we enjoyed long romantic strolls, plus it was May and the weather was gorgeous. We didn't have a car, but the buses were running smoothly that time! When we go with the kids, we do request Congress Park, mostly because DH likes to walk to DTD and we like the pool there.

That said, we would stay anywhere there - there are good things about each section, as a PP noted. CP is one of the last stops, which means in peak season the buses were full and did not even stop. Also, we had a 1BR in CP this summer that was missing the front closet - we just made the best of it. Our attitude is, we are at Disney and that is enough to make our day!

I know everyone has their own favorites, and the right to their own opinions, but it does seem that SSR gets knocked more than other resorts. We LOVED OKW, but the walks there were just as long (which is a plus for us, as we enjoy that). We've also stayed at BWV and liked that style as well. If you have a car (which we did that time), BWV is not as convenient as a condo-style, but we never complained. (Mostly because the BWV bus was the slowest we ever encountered! )

We are def. in the 3rd category - we like them all, each has their own distinct style and all are able to enhance the Disney experience for us! We have stays at SSR, OKW, and AKV-Kidani Village planned and I am looking forward to each one!

 

[DoOverDreams]

We've been put in the Carousel section twice, and have loved it. 1 bedroom units. The walk to the "main" buildings is not far, and is really a very lovely walk. We definitely wouldn't mind being there again.

Of course, just about anyplace at WDW is wonderful!

 

[PIERCEDRN]

Damn, rough crowd here. So many folks take this crap very seriously.


With that being said the thought of being "stuck out there" that far away has never appealed to me. SSR is just to spread out but with that being said, there are those will will look forward to this quiet area I'm sure.

The selection and offering of the many different DVC resorts is nice isn't it?

Play nice,...

I stayed at the closest building at grandstand and I still disliked SSR, so if i was put in carousel I would really lose it.
I bought resale at SSR so I am totally entitled to point out my dislikes of SSR just as a condo owner complains about the lawn not being cut. Especially when Disney is listening to the boards.

SSR's theming seems like an afterthought, slapped on at the last minute and reminded me of my old overbuilt suburban-sprawl condo complex that I want to escape FROM not TO.

My knock on my "home" is that they focused on more money-more units and not more theming-more Disney. That's why it grew and grew beyond its useful size.

I hope they think it through more when they build more DVCs.

Anyway I still LOVE my SSR contract for the cheap points, low fees and long contract. When the 7 month window dries up, I will stay there again for a golf vacation.
BOB

 

[DisDaydreamer]

BOB

OT... Hey, Isn't that Peanut1 with you in your sig photo?

 

[buckeyebill1995]

We stayed in Carousel our last trip and really enjoyed it! I would definitely stay there again.

 

[jade1]

It's not as far from there to the main building as it is around World Showcase....

QUOTE]

That cant be can it? Never stayed there but that would be pretty extreme if its even close to the same wouldn't it? Plus it would be there and back.