I didn't think I'd love SSR so much!

[poohnpiglet3]

I just got back from a very nice vacation at SSR. Some of you might remember that I was going to be going alone to Vero Beach, but I had to transfer my ressies to SSR (and one night at BWV.)

At SSR, it's much more spread out, so if you don't have a rental car it kinda stinks if you don't want to hoof it. Since it was just me, I didn't mind at all. A rental car would have been really nice, though!

My room was FANTASTIC. I had a studio that faced DTD and I got to see the fireworks at PI each night (well, I could have each night if I was in my room )

Every night as the sun would go down, DTD and PI would light up and come to life before my eyes. It was simply gorgeous. The view was just incredible. The quiet pool at the back overlooks DTD as well.

We own at BCV and I'm not sorry that we do. I like it very much there, and given the size of SSR I don't anticipate that we'll have trouble getting ressies at 7 months, however, this would absolutely be a place I would welcome calling "Home."

I just really didn't anticipate liking SSR so much!

I had one night in the middle of my stay I had to move to BWV (I could have even gotten a standard view - imagine that, reserving it the day before!) But I was not impressed with BWV. The room was older, it just wasn't for me. Just my opinion.

Anyway, I just wanted to file a mini trip report for those SSR owners.

I can't wait to go back to SSR!

Sherri

 

[Aunt Cawa]

Thanks for the report! Looking forward to our first trip home to SSR later this month.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by poohnpiglet3
...given the size of SSR I don't anticipate that we'll have trouble getting ressies at 7 months...

Personally, I'm holding out hope that DVC will eventually allow us to select a specific region (Congress Park, The Springs, etc.) at the time of booking. That DD view at SSR seems equivalent to the Preferred Boardalk View, and I'd love to be able to guarantee a room there by booking at 11 months.

Glad to hear you enjoyed your stay so much.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Originally posted by tjkraz
Personally, I'm holding out hope that DVC will eventually allow us to select a specific region (Congress Park, The Springs, etc.) at the time of booking. That DD view at SSR seems equivalent to the Preferred Boardalk View, and I'd love to be able to guarantee a room there by booking at 11 months.

I am hoping for the very same thing, tjkraz! I'd hate to get stuck next to the roadway in "the Paddock" when I was hoping to be in "the Springs" or in "Congress Park". Still, if it's fewer points to stay in the Paddock (even just a couple), maybe I'll jump at it.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by pumpkinboy
Still, if it's fewer points to stay in the Paddock (even just a couple), maybe I'll jump at it.

I couldn't agree more.

Once those rooms open, I think DVC is going to begin feeling some of the backlash from owners who book 10 or 11 months ahead and are denied the DD view or even The Springs which is right across from the main pool.

 

[off to neverland]

Sherri,

Did you find the bus service to the parks to be good?

Do you think a group of 20-somethings would enjoy SSR or BCV more? (I'm taking my brothers and parents in May and am absolutely agonizing over where to stay!)

Glad you liked SSR!

 

[Paticake]

I am so happy to hear good reports about SSR. We can't wait to bring our large group in Nov.

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by poohnpiglet3
At SSR, it's much more spread out, so if you don't have a rental car it kinda stinks if you don't want to hoof it. Since it was just me, I didn't mind at all. A rental car would have been really nice, though!

Doesn't SSR have the busses that can get you around similar to OKW?

Originally posted by tjkraz
Personally, I'm holding out hope that DVC will eventually allow us to select a specific region (Congress Park, The Springs, etc.) at the time of booking. That DD view at SSR seems equivalent to the Preferred Boardalk View, and I'd love to be able to guarantee a room there by booking at 11 months.

My guess is the likelihood of this is directly proportional to the amount of guests whining and demanding DTD views at the front desk of SSR. That's pretty much what created BWV's system of three reservable room categories.

Originally posted by pumpkinboy
Still, if it's fewer points to stay in the Paddock (even just a couple), maybe I'll jump at it.

I think the chances of DVC ever developing a split point system like BWV is nil.

I think the creation of two classes of "views" is more probable, and again only if those checking in make continuous and strenuous stinks about their room views.


Personally, I think every resort should have two view categories so that the resort owners get first crack at their choice of categories. But I'm not going to lose any sleep over it!

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by Granny
My guess is the likelihood of this is directly proportional to the amount of guests whining and demanding DTD views at the front desk of SSR. That's pretty much what created BWV's system of three reservable room categories.

Well hopefully it won't boil down to "whining and demanding." The resort already been segregated into three unique "neighborhoods", at least two of which hold specific appeal to indiviudal guests:

Congress Park - That great DD view.
The Springs - Right across the road from the main pool; probably the destination-of-choice for families.
The Paddock - Everything else(?)

Hopefully DVC will see the value in giving guests their area of choice rather than waiting years for the complaints to really pile up.

I'm certainly not going to hold my breath waiting for a point differential. Interestingly enough, about a month ago Dean met with some officials from DVC and reported that they were going to "keep an eye on the situation." They could have easily dismissed the topic altogether, but at least they left some ray of hope.

 

[Megangel31]

We felt the same way about SSR when we stayed there recently. The points were purchased, sight unseen, last September because of the $ incentives, the 50 year contract, and the DTD location (we're there several nights each trip to WDW). Reading the posts on this board (didn't discover the DIS until looking for construction info about SSR in the interim) made me gear up to feel some disappointment upon arrival. There was none. The place is just gorgeous. We did have a great view across the lake of DTD West Side and PI. Our last evening, I did catch the fireworks from our balcony.

We loved the theming, the landscaping, and the decor, as well as the convenience to DTD shopping, so much that my mother is now ruined for the other DVC resorts and wants to stay there again on our next trip in February instead of BCV. We will be back to SSR next September (working on the reservations now) and I hope to squeeze in a visit to the spa as well. Also in September my sister (former CM) and her husband will be coming down with us, and I am curious to see her reaction to SSR. For her, the Boardwalk is it, and she is somewhat disappointed that I am not booking there instead.

I also agree about the potential usefulness of a point differential to system to distinguish amongst the locations in this very large (to-be) resort. I'd love to be able to "reserve" a Congress Park DTD view unit again and am willing to use more points to get it.

One more thing...my VWL points were also purchased sight unseen (the only DVC I'd seen before purchasing any of them was BWV- my sister's favorite). I was really excited to see the villas because I adore the Wilderness Lodge theme, but I found them too dark for me. Don't get me wrong, I find all the DVC resorts incredible and am planning another visit there in 2006, but it just goes to show that there are different strokes for different folks (SSR bashers) and it's great that DVC provides enough variety in their accommodations that there is a choice for everyone.

 

[pumpkinboy]

OK so now I see the value of going to those weekly meetings for DVC members: to press our demand (or perhaps request) for differing ressie classes at SSR. I am still not sure I'll make it to one. But if those of us who do all ask often enough, perhaps...

 

[OneMoreTry]

Originally posted by Megangel31
Reading the posts on this board (didn't discover the DIS until looking for construction info about SSR in the interim) made me gear up to feel some disappointment upon arrival.

The complainers are always a minority -- and in general tend to be the same people over and over again. All the resorts have had their problems, but all are great. I guess I'm just reiterating what you said.

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by tjkraz
Well hopefully it won't boil down to "whining and demanding." The resort already been segregated into three unique "neighborhoods", at least two of which hold specific appeal to indiviudal guests:

Congress Park - That great DD view.
The Springs - Right across the road from the main pool; probably the destination-of-choice for families.
The Paddock - Everything else(?)

Hopefully DVC will see the value in giving guests their area of choice rather than waiting years for the complaints to really pile up.

Please, please don't take my comments to mean that I am calling anyone here a whiner. What I was saying was that BWV went through a period where people were really giving the front desk a hard time, and DVD finally came up with the Standard & Preferred View solution.


To me, SSR is similar to OKW in that there are various "sections" with proximity to the main pool, or other sections that I can't remember the name of. People request these sections, but they don't have them into separate reservation categories because, over the years, the outcry hasn't warranted the additional administration and programming necessary to make that change.

Similarly, BCV could break out its EPCOT views and VWL could have it's Lake Side views, etc.

Like I said, I wish they would do this at all DVC resorts. But my opinion, humble as it is, is that Disney won't do anything unless it becomes a major issue.

Frankly, I hope I'm wrong.

 

[DrTomorrow]

While I agree that the ability to reserve a specific "land" of SSR would be nice, I do wonder if that is something that the vast majority (that is, all the non-DISers) really care about, or even think of. I know that we - the few, the proud, the DVC obsessive - worry about what view, what building, what floor, how far from the elevator, dedicated/lock-off, but I suspect that most people don't.

This reminds me of my planning work for our FTP trip last October. We were staying at the Polynesian for the first time (first empty-nester trip, so we did LV Concierge [we bought into SSR after we booked but before we went]) and I was all over the DIS and Tikiman's Polynesian site for info - and I was amazed. There were discussions about how high the foliage was, the distances of the various longhouses to the GCH, the difference in view between 2nd & 3rd floor rooms, the terrible-ness of the fact that Concierge was temporarily moved due to rehab, even discussing the merits of asking for a specific room number! But in the midst of all this, a newbie piped up and said "You know, I'll be happy with whatever room they assign me; I'm just happy to be staying at the Polynesian at WDW".

Don't misunderstand me, I want as many options as I can get. [In fact, what I want is to be able to log on, set my search criteria (SSR, 1BR, NS, NH, higher floor, arrival and departure dates) and see, in a map-style layout, which units are available; then click on the one I want to reserve it. See, I don't want much ]. But just as I know that there are folks (like me) who use CaskBill's Planner and are on the phone at 9 ET every morning to book day.by.day, I also know that there are DVCers who wake up one morning (a morning well after the 7 month window has passed) and say "Hey, we've got to start thinking about our Disney trip." And I wonder if they even know about the choices they currently have, much less the ones that we're pushing to have added.