Is Saratoga Springs really that bad?

[MelodyMarch93]

So a little background. We are in the initial stages of planning a Disney trip for Thanksgiving 2017. Our family is 4 adults traveling, and we really want a villa, but can't afford the higher priced ones that are closer to the parks. Dad also wants to be close to the golf course and us ladies like the shopping, so for our family at this time Saratoga is winning out because of the villas 2br in this case, with a spa as well. We also like the getting away relaxing aspect.

Most Things I have read list Saratoga near the bottom? Is this just because of the location? Or other factors? This would be our first time staying on Disney property, and while we like theming, it isn't the be all end all for us and we want a comfortable place for four adults to sleep in one spot.

Is renting a villa there really require DVC? In most cases it looks like if you book early enough you can pay cash.

Just trying to figure things out. Our second choice for villas would be Old Key West due to no spa, and if we have to go the room route we are considering Carribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside or the Coranado Springs. Ultimately what we are looking for is to be at one of the more friendly places for adult families, and a place to escape the hubbub of the parks.

Any and all help/advice is appreciated!

 

[HappyGrape]

It's wonderful.
We requested near custom house and we got the springs
Walking to Disney springs was great
It's very pretty, lovely landscaping with little bunnies jumping in and out the bushes while I was doing my morning walk. So perfect - its magical!
The main pool was never crowded and so near the food
The busses were very regular, we never waited more then 10 minutes. We sow one morning people waiting longer to get to AK but this was once in 12 days
The food court is good - I loved some of their sandwiches
I love the rooms too

I would have no hesitation to stay there again. We are going to CBR only to save money this time - but would love to go back to SSR again in the future

 

[SarSki]

We love staying at Saratoga Springs and will be staying there for the 5th time this May!
We love how close to Disney Springs it is. Walking distance to all of those restaurants and stores is unbeatable!
As for the rooms, we usually stay in a studio and find that to be very comfortable.
The restaurant is great, not a huge selection of meals to choose from, but all very nice. The quick service location is also very pleasant with a variety of food.

I dont know about DVC, we book ours from the UK and just pay cash for it.

We never hesitate booking Saratoga Springs, especially now that Disney Springs is so much better!

 

[T00dles]

So a little background. We are in the initial stages of planning a Disney trip for Thanksgiving 2017. Our family is 4 adults traveling, and we really want a villa, but can't afford the higher priced ones that are closer to the parks. Dad also wants to be close to the golf course and us ladies like the shopping, so for our family at this time Saratoga is winning out because of the villas 2br in this case, with a spa as well. We also like the getting away relaxing aspect.

Most Things I have read list Saratoga near the bottom? Is this just because of the location? Or other factors? This would be our first time staying on Disney property, and while we like theming, it isn't the be all end all for us and we want a comfortable place for four adults to sleep in one spot.

Is renting a villa there really require DVC? In most cases it looks like if you book early enough you can pay cash.

Just trying to figure things out. Our second choice for villas would be Old Key West due to no spa, and if we have to go the room route we are considering Carribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside or the Coranado Springs. Ultimately what we are looking for is to be at one of the more friendly places for adult families, and a place to escape the hubbub of the parks.

Any and all help/advice is appreciated!

Everyone has different favorites. SSR gets hit because its huge and hard to take a bus to the parks. However it sounds right up your alley. DVD, who manages the DVC resorts, retains a portion of the rooms for CRO (cash reservation only). So no problem paying cash.

I stayed there for my first DVD stay...I loved it. My in laws who own at Boardwalk weren't as impressed, they're OKW folks in that kind of a case (last min booking). It all depends on what you like being close to. It sounds like the four of you would really enjoy it there.

 

[Hopefully]

So a little background. We are in the initial stages of planning a Disney trip for Thanksgiving 2017. Our family is 4 adults traveling, and we really want a villa, but can't afford the higher priced ones that are closer to the parks. Dad also wants to be close to the golf course and us ladies like the shopping, so for our family at this time Saratoga is winning out because of the villas 2br in this case, with a spa as well. We also like the getting away relaxing aspect.

Most Things I have read list Saratoga near the bottom? Is this just because of the location? Or other factors? This would be our first time staying on Disney property, and while we like theming, it isn't the be all end all for us and we want a comfortable place for four adults to sleep in one spot.

Is renting a villa there really require DVC? In most cases it looks like if you book early enough you can pay cash.

Just trying to figure things out. Our second choice for villas would be Old Key West due to no spa, and if we have to go the room route we are considering Carribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside or the Coranado Springs. Ultimately what we are looking for is to be at one of the more friendly places for adult families, and a place to escape the hubbub of the parks.

Any and all help/advice is appreciated!

SSR is lovely for a family of 4 adults. If you can afford it I would recommend a 2 BR Villa. You will have a Master with a King bed and jacuzzi tub and a second bedroom with a queen bed and a queen sleeper sofa and a second full BR. There is a fully equipped kitchen a living room/dining area and a washer and dryer in the Villa. You will have a patio or balconey to overlook the lovely grounds. Having the full kitchen can save some money on food and snacks. We do a grocery ordering service and eat breakfast in the room and have cold drinks and snacks (including adult beverages) for when we relax.
You can either rent directly through Disney's reservation line - based on availablity, or you can rent DVC points from an owner directly or through a broker for the owner.
Renting directly through Disney is considered a regular hotel stay. You get daily housekeeping, and can cancel or change as necessary.
Renting from an owner is much cheaper!!!!!! But it comes with restrictions. Most owners require most if not all payment upfront. Most owners will not allow cancellations or changes in dates. You will not get daily Housekeeping, as DVC is a timeshare, not a hotel. You will have your towels changed and your trash emptied on day 4 of a 7 night stay, or a full cleaning on day 4 of an 8 night or longer stay. DVC reservations belong to the owner until you check in. Disney will not talk to you. You can not make requests
Take a look in the DVC section here on the DIS for the DVC Rentals thread
Good Luck

 

[bumbershoot]

Most Things I have read list Saratoga near the bottom?

Well, I sort of think you're reading the wrong things.

 

[Deb & Bill]

SSR is a great resort. It's really nice to get up early in the morning and take a walk around the grounds.

 

[ellie05]

We were there on December and really liked it. We were so close to Disney springs really enjoy the location. We used the bus a couple of times never had an issue.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Like all the WDW resort, SSR is special in its own ways. There is a group that if your not on the monorail loop or not next to Epcot/Hollywood studios, the resort is no good. So Bumper-shoot just said, your reading the wrong things/ reviews.

AKK

 

[Lynne M]

"Bad"? Good heavens, no. I stayed there for the second time in October, in a 1 bedroom villa, and had a wonderful visit.

SSR gets knocked because it's not right next to a theme park like, say, BWV or BCV, and it doesn't have a very pronounced theme like VWL or AKV. But for a relaxed golf and spa vacation, I don't think you could choose a better resort.

You can book directly through Disney, as you would for any resort stay, or you can rent a reservation though a DVC member. The upside to renting is that you'll probably save a significant amount of money, the downside is that most rentals don't allow refunds if you must cancel, and it's very unlikely that you'd be able to change dates if you need to.

 

[River Country]

SSR is my home resort and i love it there because its almost a retreat from the chaos of WDW. It's quiet has great pools is on a golf course has a spa and a very underrated restaurant The Turf Club great burgers. If you stay i think its in Congress park you can walk to Disney Springs.

It is the largest of the DVC resorts but IMHO not the bottom

 

[SusieBea]

OKW is our home resort, but I also like SSR! We've stayed there 3 times, the last in November 2015. When it's just my DH and I, we choose the Congress Park area because of its proximity to Disney Springs. In November, we had lil grandkiddos w/ us and stayed in the Grandstand for the pools and the first bus stop. The grounds are lovely, and the QS food is very good.

 

[MelodyMarch93]

Thank you all for your replies! I can see where some folks would have SSR lower on their list, because they like staying closer, but for us that is not such a consideration for us. I like that the availability is high, we would be looking to pay cash. We are having a discussion this afternoon, and although the earliest we could book is the beginning of 2017, we want to firm up at least these details so we can start saving our $$.

I am sure I will be back to ask other questions as we go further along in our trip planning process.

 

[SusieBea]

Sorry, one more thing - the rooms at OKW are much larger as is the balcony. I don't know if you'll have a car, but, if you do, traveling to the spa at SSR and to golf will not be a problem. Those resorts are very close. Happy planning.

 

[sharadoc]

SSR gets a bad rap because it's not attached to a "deluxe" hotel/resort but is a standalone DVC. So there's no central lobby and entertainment area, which makes it feel too spread out or makes things inaccessible to folks who are used to a standard hotel style vacation. It's a beautiful resort, with beautiful pools and entertainment.

However - I would recommend OKW over SSR if you have a choice. The rooms are SO MUCH BIGGER. At SSR you have a sofabed and a chair. At OKW, it's a sofabed, loveseat and chair. Lots more room to spread out. OKW has a full size round table to sit for meals and snacks. SSR has the smaller round table with 2 chairs, and they put 2 chairs at the kitchen counter. You can pull out the table and fit around it, but it's very tight.

The kitchen at OKW is a long line with an island and SSR is a small 3 galley style.

The Jacuzzi at OKW is a 2 person one, just in case ...

The OKW pool area is really nice, and the Gurgling Suitcase is a lovely little pool bar with the nicest bartenders on property (and they always offer a double ;-) when you order a mixed drink).

You can decide if it's a negative or positive that the 2nd bedroom in OKW is 2 beds, while the one in SSR has a sofabed. If they couples want to split up and hang in their room separately, the lack of a sofa at OKW in the 2nd bedroom might be annoying.

There are rooms at OKW that are on the golf course, too. So you could sit on your deck and watch the golfers go by.

SSR is up the road from OKW so you can be at the Spa in 5 minutes, tops.

Both are priced the same in cash, and get the same discounts, so there's no monetary winner.

 

[MelodyMarch93]

SSR gets a bad rap because it's not attached to a "deluxe" hotel/resort but is a standalone DVC. So there's no central lobby and entertainment area, which makes it feel too spread out or makes things inaccessible to folks who are used to a standard hotel style vacation. It's a beautiful resort, with beautiful pools and entertainment.

However - I would recommend OKW over SSR if you have a choice. The rooms are SO MUCH BIGGER. At SSR you have a sofabed and a chair. At OKW, it's a sofabed, loveseat and chair. Lots more room to spread out. OKW has a full size round table to sit for meals and snacks. SSR has the smaller round table with 2 chairs, and they put 2 chairs at the kitchen counter. You can pull out the table and fit around it, but it's very tight.

The kitchen at OKW is a long line with an island and SSR is a small 3 galley style.

The Jacuzzi at OKW is a 2 person one, just in case ...

The OKW pool area is really nice, and the Gurgling Suitcase is a lovely little pool bar with the nicest bartenders on property (and they always offer a double ;-) when you order a mixed drink).

You can decide if it's a negative or positive that the 2nd bedroom in OKW is 2 beds, while the one in SSR has a sofabed. If they couples want to split up and hang in their room separately, the lack of a sofa at OKW in the 2nd bedroom might be annoying.

There are rooms at OKW that are on the golf course, too. So you could sit on your deck and watch the golfers go by.

SSR is up the road from OKW so you can be at the Spa in 5 minutes, tops.

Both are priced the same in cash, and get the same discounts, so there's no monetary winner.

Thanks for the info, but I thought some of the villas at SSR have two Queen Beds in the second bedroom, which is what we are going for. The site says that they are available. We were targeting SSR because of the Spa, with OKW as our second choice. One of the Disney Chat folks told my sister that we can't go to the spa if we aren't staying there, which I think is bull, but who knows? Stranger things have happened.

 

[DebbieB]

Thanks for the info, but I thought some of the villas at SSR have two Queen Beds in the second bedroom, which is what we are going for. The site says that they are available. We were targeting SSR because of the Spa, with OKW as our second choice. One of the Disney Chat folks told my sister that we can't go to the spa if we aren't staying there, which I think is bull, but who knows? Stranger things have happened.

Dedicated 2 bedrooms have the 2 queens in the 2nd bedroom. Lockoff 2 bedrooms consist of a studio plus 1 bedroom. The studio is the 2nd bedroom and has a queen and double sofabed. I believe if you book through CRO you get a dedicated, you may want to confirm. If you rent points, there will be an option of dedicated or lockoff.

I think the knock on SSR is due to the large size and the location farther from the parks. With the Disney Springs renovation, it gives it more of a prime location.

 

[T00dles]

sharadoc brings up some great points. We love the kitchen and porch and space and landscaping and...and....at OKW

Geez...can't wait to go back there!

 

[JJZMgailey]

SSR is our Home Resort and we absolutely LOVE it! It is big and spread out, but that's what we love about it. We also REALLY love the Treehouses!

 

[bumbershoot]

ne of the Disney Chat folks told my sister that we can't go to the spa if we aren't staying there, which I think is bull, but who knows?

Silliness.

Unless she uses the word "spa" to mean "hot tub", as my brother does. I'm which case, yes, it would be true. If she wasn't thinking of "day spa", she could be confused.

We love the Paddock area for the nice pool and fun slide.

We also like OKW.

Since I was just at Bay Lake and am typing from Kidani, I can't understand the love for villas attached to other resorts. It just means the dvc resort doesn't get everything that a standalone does. Bay Lake has no coffee refill station and Kidani's doesn't open until 7. Not helpful.