How would you rate Saratoga Springs?

[Dis Dragon]

Hello All,

I've been to WDW several times over the past few years and have had the opportunity to experience a lot of the different resorts. I've never been to Saratoga and have been reluctant because it seems kind of disconnected from the parks.

I was curious to know what people thought of where Saratoga ranked in order for DVC properties. (all things considered)

 

[Stargazer65]

3rd best

 

[crisi]

I wouldn't stay there if it were the only choice - but other people love it. For me, its too disconnected, too spread out, and I don't like the exterior room access. Plus I think the decor is really ugly. But, I could just have bad taste.

 

[DonMacGregor]

I wouldn't stay there if it were the only choice - but other people love it. For me, its too disconnected, too spread out, and I don't like the exterior room access. Plus I think the decor is really ugly. But, I could just have bad taste.

The interiors or exteriors? I think the interiors are quite nice:

 

[crisi]

The interiors or exteriors? I think the interiors are quite nice:

Interiors - but there is no accounting for taste and perhaps mine is just bad. (Most DVC rooms are ugly - and they've gotten worse in the past ten years. SSRs have always struck me as particularly ugly - but again - my taste is likely different than yours).

 

[Dis Dragon]

3rd best

What 2 would you rate above it?

 

[Maleficent's Dad]

Rate it - that's a tough one.
For location, it doesn't get high marks simply due to park proximity. It is, however, literally next door to the Springs. But for location, you can't beat BW, BC, BLT, GF, and Poly for example.
Dining? Eh. Other than the Springs location, it stinks.
They've done a nice job of dressing the place up. Regardless, it is a large resort. I don't love the physical layout of the place, but once you get your bearings, it's not at all bad.
The upgraded rooms, while theme-less, are very nice. All building have elevators, and parking is extremely convenient if you have a car.
Our least fave is the AKL. Sure the savannah views are great, but other than that, we don't love the place (okay, Jiko and Sanaa are good). Our faves are the BC & BW.
So SSR falls somewhere in the second half for us, which is not bad! I mean, first world problems when we're looking down our noses at such a beautiful resort! I wouldn't hesitate in staying here in the future, but then again, I would stay at any DVC Resort; we've never had a terrible time at any of the places. We just have our preferences, like everyone else does. Not sure if all this helps. It's a really nice place, and it's funny that we all complain about simple small things. But we do prefer other resorts before SSR. It's not last on our list either!

 

[Stargazer65]

What 2 would you rate above it?

BLT first, BRV second, and SSR third. These are just my own personal preference of favorite resorts. I like SSR for its large room selection, it's proximity to DS, the upstate NY theme, and the open spaces for walking.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I think they ran out of money during the renovation (there were lawsuits with the construction contractor/mismanagement), so there isn’t enough furniture or decoration in the room. The renovated rooms have a nice, clean feel to them, but no desk or table in the bedroom, no Disney art in bathrooms. Too spartan. Grounds of resort are nice but you are definitely disconnected. It’s a good place to stay when going to universal- close to the highway.

 

[Anthony1971]

I will not rate in any order because yo really would not like my answers for why some popular resorts rank so low.
SSR is not at all spread out once you know there are shortcuts for the Main Building or if you want to walk to DS. We found it the least walking or all DVC resorts as the bus stop was a very short walk the pool in our section was a very short walk there was food and drink station at the pool........ Food Both the CS and TS are good the CS these days are all the same so.... But having the ability to go to DS very quickly by far is the one of the best offerings as the food at DS to us is far better than almost anything you will find at a Disney resort or Park. As far as being close to parks IMO SSR and OKW offer the best balance although they are shorter to EPCOT and Studios the ride to AK and MK are similar but also short juts never seems you are on a bus for a long time like the ride to AK from MK resorts or MK from AK.
To us every resort has a different reason to stay as well as reasons not stay.... But as far as any one who says ......... about SSR it seems many make general statements that in the end are just not true. There are also those who stay at any DVC resort and had a bad experience and those who stay at a DVC and find they like a different resort better.

 

[FAITHOMAS]

Hello All,

I've been to WDW several times over the past few years and have had the opportunity to experience a lot of the different resorts. I've never been to Saratoga and have been reluctant because it seems kind of disconnected from the parks.

I was curious to know what people thought of where Saratoga ranked in order for DVC properties. (all things considered)

SSR feels so away from the Disney magic, somehow

 

[Brian Noble]

I was curious to know what people thought of where Saratoga ranked in order for DVC properties. (all things considered)

So far, I've stayed at BCV, BLT, BRV, BWV, OKW, and SSR. Ranking them would be like asking me which of my children is my favorite. There are reasons I like each one of them. There are things about each of them I don't like all that much.

Here are some of the things in the plus column for SSR. It is a quiet respite away from the hustle and bustle of the theme parks in a way that some of the others are not. The walking paths are lovely, and well away from the roads and most road noise. The atmosphere of the resort is one of quiet sophistication. The landscaping contribtues to all of this. I can park very very close to my building. The two feature pools are well appointed, and the quick service location is a solid choice. The ability to easily walk to Disney Springs for a meal or some evening entertainment is awfully nice--I often wander over to Boathouse to grab a bite at the bar, and have been known to catch a concert at House of Blues.

On the minus side: the buildings are all exactly the same design, and so the resort is a little monotonous. There is no sit-down breakfast option (even at Disney Springs), at least for now. The 1BR and 2BR villas use the "2nd Generation" design (shared with BCV, BWV, and BRV), and I'm not a fan of that layout. It is not close to any particular theme park.

Things that sometimes people complain about but I don't agree with: There is no theme. I don't think it is any better or worse than, say, BWV or BCV. OKW is better executed. AKV and BRV/CCV are the standard-bearers here. There are exterior hallways; that's true but I don't really care one way or the other.

 

[Shellyred8]

Hello All,

I've been to WDW several times over the past few years and have had the opportunity to experience a lot of the different resorts. I've never been to Saratoga and have been reluctant because it seems kind of disconnected from the parks.

I was curious to know what people thought of where Saratoga ranked in order for DVC properties. (all things considered)

I think it's a pretty good place for the days when you are going to EP or HS. Maybe even AK. And it's great for getting to DS. I loathe having to take a bus from any of the other resorts to DS.

 

[Micca]

We have a DVC contract at SSR, it's a nice resort. There are pros/cons just like all of them. It doesn't seem very "Disney-fied" so if that sort of thing is important to you, you might be disappointed. We always have a rental car, so I can't really comment on the transportation issue. It is a benefit to be able to walk to DS.

SSR wouldn't be my first choice, but if it's the spot with the room and dates I need, I can enjoy it.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Our personal experiences, which often differ from others, has SSR low on our list of resorts to stay. It's not a terrible resort and it's not a terrible location. We've just had a couple poor experiences with the check-in process and the rooms, and so we're a bit slanted against it. I wouldn't avoid it completely, but most of the other resorts (DVC or not) would be preferable for us.

 

[Wakey]

It’s our favourite resort.
Beautiful grounds and rooms.
Theming is very nice, I think it’s one of the best themed. Look at the Grandstand pool for example, even the bathrooms are done like a stable. The racing horn going off every hour.
Pools are some of the best.
Gym is one of the best.
Quick serve good.
Disney Springs for all that evening entertainment and food.
10/10 for us. We also actually like retreating to the resort rather than being in the middle of Disney madness all evening too.

 

[PalMikey]

I came here to show SSR some love!

I ended up renting points, from a member via the DVC renting forum, for a last minute birthday trip. Typically we (me and spouse) stay at BWV or BCV but of course those resorts were sold out so we ended up doing a split stay at SSR preferred studio in Congress Park and BLT standard view studio. I have to say, SSR exceeded my expectations and we preferred it over BLT.

The resort grounds are sprawling, beautifully manicured, and has a relaxing vibe. The renovated rooms are well designed, trendy yet tasteful, and similar to other renovated resorts. We drove our car, from NY, so the proximity to parks was not an issue.

We loved it so much we’re considering buying into SSR!

 

[I Run Long]

We love SSR too! Prior to buying a DVC resale contract at AKV, we tried 3 times to get a SSR contract, but Disney kept ROFR - so we reluctantly threw in the towel. We love its location to Disney Springs and never have a car with us - we always rely on Disney transportation and never have a problem. Proximity to the parks is not an issue for us. In fact the only time we have ever had a transporation issue was staying at PVB when the monorail broke down and when busses departed with the cast member trying deperately to flag the driver down so that guests could get on (the driver let the guests off the bus and then drove off. He could have been going off shift but no one got the chance to ask). For me I rate my stays at pervious DVC resorts from top to bottom: BCV, SSR, AKV, OKW and waaaay at the bottom PVB. But everytime I go those ratings can change. I went to SSR being really bummed out as that was all that was available and fell in love with the place. But everyone's tastes are different. I say try it - you may come away loving it like we do. Have a fabulous vacation!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

My least favorite, just doesn’t feel “Disney” to me. Love the treehouses though

 

[bbn1122]

I stayed at SSR four times over the past 8 years. It’s a really nice resort, but I usually choose it for the availability and low points.
I love proximity to DS, but it’s so large.
Based on where I have stayed My #1 is Rivera, #2VGF, #3WL, #4BLT, #5SSR, #6AK and #7OKW.