How would you rate Saratoga Springs?

[prouddaddycdn]

Stayed at SSR this past January and was really surprised at how much I liked the resort. We stayed in a 2 bedroom and it was massive feeling and looked beautiful in person. The points charts are very reasonable for standard view units and we were positioned close to the Disney Springs walkway so enjoyed the convenience.

My issue with the resort are the distance to pools. Depending on where you are positioned, it can be quite a hike to enjoy a pool and in the summer heat, this can be punishing. We loved our stay in January since it was relatively cool so did not feel the need to swim.

In terms of rankings, my list always changes but for the most part, from top to bottom, would be PVB (we rent two studios - kids in one, wife and I in the other), Riviera, BWV, CC, BCV, SSR, AKV, BLT etc but really, we are happy at all these resorts provided we are able to secure the type of unit we want. If BWV or BCV comfortably slept 5 in a 1 bedroom layout like they do at SSR and Riviera, these would likely jump to the top of our list due to their proximity to parks and the point charts.

 

[tjkraz]

I've never really understood the "it's too spread out" argument because the resort is always very good about assigning you to your preferred location, and most amenities are replicated throughout the property. There are 2 feature pools and 2 quiet pools, 5 bus stops, 2 quick service restaurants, multiple laundry rooms, etc.

We usually request a Standard View room in "The Paddock near Disney Springs." That puts us 2 minutes from a feature pool, quick service dining, bus stop and about 7-8 minute walk from Disney Springs. I'm struggling to think of other resorts where those amenities are located any closer.

I guess that room is a little far from the front desk or gift shop if you happen to need something, but that's pretty rare. If we need to grab something from the Carriage House when we're in a further building, we'll usually just ride the bus there after a theme park visit, getting off at the stop nearest the main building.

For families who place a higher priority on access to Community Hall, gift shop or the golf clubhouse, maybe The Springs or The Grandstand is a better location.

 

[DonMacGregor]

I've never really understood the "it's too spread out" argument because the resort is always very good about assigning you to your preferred location, and most amenities are replicated throughout the property. There are 2 feature pools and 2 quiet pools, 5 bus stops, 2 quick service restaurants, multiple laundry rooms, etc.

We usually request a Standard View room in "The Paddock near Disney Springs." That puts us 2 minutes from a feature pool, quick service dining, bus stop and about 7-8 minute walk from Disney Springs. I'm struggling to think of other resorts where those amenities are located any closer.

I guess that room is a little far from the front desk or gift shop if you happen to need something, but that's pretty rare. If we need to grab something from the Carriage House when we're in a further building, we'll usually just ride the bus there after a theme park visit, getting off at the stop nearest the main building.

For families who place a higher priority on access to Community Hall, gift shop or the golf clubhouse, maybe The Springs or The Grandstand is a better location.

I actually think OKW is far worse, as it is more linear than SSR. If you're in a villa down on South Point Road, you are literally over half a mile from Hospitality House (and you can't cut through anything as there are two fairways you have to walk around regardless). Aside from the treehouses, even the furthest buildings in Carousel, Grandstand or Congress park are just a little more than 1/3 of a mile. We had this debate at home once, and got out the Google Earth ruler and traced out the path for the farthest building at each resort (it was a slow day at Casa de MacGregor).

 

[SG131]

We just stayed there for the first time after having to reschedule a trip last minute. The resort wasn't for us and I'd put it at the bottom of my list, but I can see how some love it. I will say the staff was amazing. Some of the old school disney friendliness that is missing so many places these days. We don't typically go to disney springs during our trip so the proximity to it wasn't important to us. We'd rather a resort with other transportation options to the park other than just buses, but we have a scooter and a double stroller in our party so the buses are rough for us. The rooms are really nice, but be careful, the floors get extremely slippery when wet making them dangerous. It could be a good fit for someone looking for a more laid back disney vacation.

 

[Brian Noble]

We had this debate at home once, and got out the Google Earth ruler and traced out the path for the farthest building at each resort

I did the same thing not too long ago, and got 0.5 miles from the far end of Carousel or Congress Park to the Artist Point entrance, but 0.6 miles from the far corner of South Point to the Hospitality House. Maybe I missed a shortcut at SSR somewhere?

 

[DonMacGregor]

I did the same thing not too long ago, and got 0.5 miles from the far end of Carousel or Congress Park to the Artist Point entrance, but 0.6 miles from the far corner of South Point to the Hospitality House. Maybe I missed a shortcut at SSR somewhere?

Definitely .6 at OKW. I think the SSR number was from the closest point on that 7500 building and right along Broadway. I think we ended up being very close to .4 miles.

 

[NVDISFamily]

Our first family trip to WDW and first DVC stay (on rented points) was at SSR. We really liked the resort. We were in the building next to the Paddock pool. Kids loved the pool, slide, and splash area. Walk to DS was nice. Busses to the parks were a bit of a wait and a long trip but were fine. Driving up to the room was great and also loved quick access to things outside of the park.

Finding out how awesome SSR is was a huge bonus for our decision to buy more DVC points. As it’s fairly easy to get rooms at 7 months I don’t feel pressure to own there, but it will be a contender for a good place to stay if I’m trying to host a family reunion and need multiple rooms. The point chart is much more forgiving trying to sleep 20 to 30 people than my home resorts. Plus I think it’s a great place for non park days to spend time with a group.