Its Wayne's fault (!)

[wayneg]

Upto this August we had only eaten at Boma, Trails End, Hoop Dee Doo & Mickeys Back Yard BBQ. So onsite dining was new to us. We really enjoyed trying places we would not usually pay for. I can see why some don't like it especially if paying. Onsite I think is overpriced but on DDP and seemed to take longer to eat meals, it was good to try some new places. Really liked Tutto Italia and Le Cellier both bills came to about $150 for 3 of us, $50pp per meal I would not pay myself.

Can't compare SSR only stayed at OKW. Not sure it will be in same league as Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress(never stayed there either) but many like it, have a look at Disney's website. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/saratoga-springs-resort-and-spa/

 

[luke]

Thanks Wayne, reassuring stuff. The Hyatt comes out about the same price but factoring in food/parking etc the Disney resort seems a better bet.
I guess I'm worried about wasting vouchers as we like to eat offsite (I love Wendys and DW loves cheesecake factory) and also I'm quite a fussy eater and no Disney restaurants overly appealed but I guess they're accomodating and as you say, it's nice to try something different.
I guess ADRs would be my other concern as we don't tend to plan to the extreme and wouldn't know where we'd be at any time!

Oh and I'm leaning towards SSR as we drunkenly ended up in their pool the day before my wedding after a day in epcot so it has happy memories

 

[wayneg]

We worked the credits perfectly. Used every one and came home with about 6 bags of gummi bears with the snack credits we had spare.
If you want to still eat offsite dine at a few places that require 2. the signature restaurants use 2. Also the dinner shows, like Hoop, include all you food, drinks and tips. Then you have spare nights to eat offite, or just do 10 nights onsite then 4 nights at the Hyatt to end the holiday.
We did miss eating offsite but our next trip at Easter will be all offsite then back to DDP in August.
I was also concerned about the planning, didn't enjoy it too much but all worked out well in the end and ate some really nice meals.
Did you see my thread from August? I posted pics of every meal we had.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

SSR and OKW are obviously both fantastic value for money, the problem or doubts I have with Disney hotels based upon my limited experience of them I should add is the quality of the room.

You could in theory pay over £200 per night at some the resorts only to find the room in need of a refurb when you get there, we are hoping to stay a few nights next August on-site too but are going with the 'newer the better theory'.
I doubt you will have any problems with SSR but I know there is a photo thread on the resorts board, you could always check that.

 

[luke]

Thanks both of you. Yeah that quality of the rooms are nagging at me too, but I'm leaning still towards it, using Disney transport would be a plus for epcot too for a good drink around the world

yeah I was thinking that about using the credits for signature restaurants and shows, then can keep quick service credits that aren't used when we're at Universal and Sea World etc and I'll just have a big lunch one day or can they be used for breakfasts?

I've not seen your trip report Wayne, I'll try and find it tho searching can be a pain as I'm on my iPhone

 

[fuse04]

arr thats soo cute!!! how is the planning going?
tracy

not been doing much so far, going August is very different because oif the heat; have a short list for our ADR's, well when I say short it isn't that short Hows you planning?

 

[scojos]

we also planned our ddp, to avoid wasting meals, breakfast at CS was good for us, we are big bfast family, ate a few TS bfasts too, CM, CP Boma, Ohanas and TH.
we did end up with too many snack credits at the end of the hols, brought sweets back, however we did pay for things water etc at the start of hols, so we wont make that mistake again.
looking forward to meeting you all

 

[wayneg]

If age of rooms is a concern you should be OK at SSR being so new, we stayed at OKW which is oldest DVC property and had no problems but some have posted about tired rooms there.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2249674
This was my thread, no idea how easy it will be for you to look thru it on iphone, its quite a long thread you will need to skip thru to my posts. Everything on there from 1st time in Biz class seats, pics of our room at OKW to our cruise.

 

[luke]

Thanks Wayne, will check it out now

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

Enjoying reading this thread. When does the OKW / SSR deal expire?

Time is ticking by quite quickly till August...will be ADR time before we know it!

Roll on my first time staying on property - can't wait!!

 

[wayneg]

Enjoying reading this thread. When does the OKW / SSR deal expire?

Full details here, plenty of time, all down to the last words "subject to availability" I am waiting for flights but nearer it gets more tempted I am to book OKW 1st.

47% discount: as compared to brochure rate, is valid on the accommodation component of a non-flight inclusive booking and only for bookings made between 6 Oct 2009 and 2 Aug 2010 and stays between 1 Aug and 18 Nov 2010 at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Disney’s Old Key West Resort, for selected room types only. This offer is valid for new bookings only and can be booked in combination with the Disney Free Dining promotion. Subject to availability.

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

Oh there is loads of time!! When I booked I think it said December expiry, great to see it extended. Is the American free dining released yet?

 

[wayneg]

US free DDP offer is not usually released until Spring, April time.

 

[mossyflossy]

My only doubt in fact, is that we normally stay offsite and have never even done a single table service meal on property.

Also I'm slightly worried that a Disney hotel won't be up to the standards of offsite hotels, having stayed at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and the New York Palace Hotel (NYC) on our last holidays, both amazingly luxurious hotels!

Am i worrying for no reason? Thanks guys, looking forward to getting back on this board once I've been allowed to book (come on DW, you know you want to, I took you to New York as a compromise last year ) having spent most time on the podcast board recently

We've also stayed at Hyatt grand cypress, and a few other really fabulous Orlando hotels in our time, but took the plunge last month and stayed onsite at OKW for the first time, with the free dining, which we upgraded to deluxe.

All I can say is that we thoroughly enjoyed it, including the planning of ADR's and the fabulous meals. The accommodation is much more basic, even at the "deluxe" resorts, but it is completely fine, and if you go with the attitude that it's somewhere to lay your head, with the convenience of being onsite, I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.

But, as Wayne has suggested, we split our stay (6 nights OKW/2 nights at Rosen Shingle Creek at $69 per night) so that we could still go to our offsite favourites, Cheesecake factory and Bahama Breeze. it also gave us a few days of feeling pampered in a luxury hotel, which is also impt to us on a holiday.

Next August, we're thinking of trying out the beach/yacht club instead of OKW, mainly because of its location/proximity to Epcot.....it's a few hundred pounds more for the days we have in mind, but until we try it, we will not know which works best for us....but we will also have an equal amount of time offsite so that we can revisit cheesecake factory, BB, Mannys etc!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

All I can say is that we thoroughly enjoyed it, including the planning of ADR's and the fabulous meals. The accommodation is much more basic, even at the "deluxe" resorts, but it is completely fine, and if you go with the attitude that it's somewhere to lay your head, with the convenience of being onsite, I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.
Next August, we're thinking of trying out the beach/yacht club instead of OKW, mainly because of its location/proximity to Epcot.....it's a few hundred pounds more for the days we have in mind, but until we try it, we will not know which works best for us....but we will also have an equal amount of time offsite so that we can revisit cheesecake factory, BB, Mannys etc!

Sounds like a plan, to be honest for us 'Deluxe' should mean just that, I agree that one of the big advantages is location, but for the prices they charge I want a nice room too.

Just a personal opinion, and having never been to OKW probably an irrelevant one.
I like the idea of the different theming at the Disney resorts and OKW too, but I just don't like the idea of it being so vast and spread out. It may not bother others, we are all different after all but it wouldn't suit us really, I would want to be in easy reach of the hub of the resort.

I would also want the proximity to be walking distance to 'other things', which is why the Magic Kingdom or ECPOT area villa resorts appeal.

SSR I can kind of see the appeal of more, as it's newer and close to DTD.

However, both are great value for money, the Disney UK site is quoting just under £900 for 3 nights next August for Boardwalk and Beach Club villas (which is just crazy money) , SSR & OKW are less than half that.

For our first 3 nights we are waiting for the 7 month window dates to kick in at the end of January and are going to try and rent points for Bay Lake Towers, just depends on the $ price per point really, if that doesn't work out we will look at BWV/BCV (not through Disney UK though!..) or SSR probably.

A lot of the deluxe Disney hotels/villa resorts are over £250 per night, which we just don't want to pay, anything up to around £150 we will consider.
Remaining 13 already booked at a Cumbrian Lakes villa, and because of the gap between when the previous renters leave and we arrive, we do have a fallback option of adding the extra 3 days on also, if we decide we want to. Just need to wait a couple of months now.

 

[wayneg]

Just a personal opinion, and having never been to OKW probably an irrelevant one.
I like the idea of the different theming at the Disney resorts and OKW too, but I just don't like the idea of it being so vast and spread out. It may not bother others, we are all different after all but it wouldn't suit us really, I would want to be in easy reach of the hub of the resort.

We had the option to be near the centre but opted to be further away in a higer room. Apart from checking in, renting a boat for 30 mins & using free gaming card there was no reason to go near the centre in 16 days but as you say we use resorts differently.

However, both are great value for money, the Disney UK site is quoting just under £900 for 3 nights next August for Boardwalk and Beach Club villas (which is just crazy money) , SSR & OKW are less than half that.

Nearer a third of the price at £100pn.
Renting points seems a good option to get price down but then no free DDP.
Too many choices

 

[JohnnySharp2]

We had the option to be near the centre but opted to be further away in a higer room. Apart from checking in, renting a boat for 30 mins & using free gaming card there was no reason to go near the centre in 16 days but as you say we use resorts differently.

Nearer a third of the price at £100pn.
Renting points seems a good option to get price down but then no free DDP.
Too many choices

Joshua isn't the best walker, I can understand why others prefer or are not inconvenienced by being more distant but for us it just wouldn't work.
To be honest that's what for us is a slight downside also for SSR.
That's the appeal of BLT , a hotel-like building with DVC facilities, and extra room with what for us is the best location. It is just in theory perfect for us and has deluxe hotel resorts closeby too (no I am not going to restart 'that' Grand Floridian thread!).

DDP? doesn't really appeal either, hard enough getting Josh in ANY restaurant never mind frequent disney dining, though we do have plans for a couple of ADRs.

Like we say the fact we are all different makes these discussions more interesting.

 

[mossyflossy]

JohnnySharp2, completely see your point of view, and it is a difficult decision to make. OKW was v. nice, but it was frustrating not to be able to just go down to the pool for a swim without either a 5 min walk or a hop in the car, or to be able to refill the drinks by just popping down as in a hotel.

Beach Club etc is working out at an extra £77 per day next August for a family of 4 (£177 per day as against £100 per day at OKW/SS). Wilderness lodge is slightly cheaper than BC for some reason. But a 5 night stay at either includes free DDP, and that's why we are considering it TBH. Can see that DDP isn't for everyone though.

We've also been down the route of possibly renting DVC at BLT/BC, but the savings we'd make are cancelled out by the fact that DDP would not be included.

have you considered the dolphin/Swan? If you can get either at $109-$179 then you've got a great location at around £100pn? That's the other option that we might go with too....

 

[JohnnySharp2]

JohnnySharp2, completely see your point of view, and it is a difficult decision to make. OKW was v. nice, but it was frustrating not to be able to just go down to the pool for a swim without either a 5 min walk or a hop in the car, or to be able to refill the drinks by just popping down as in a hotel.

Beach Club etc is working out at an extra £77 per day next August for a family of 4 (£177 per day as against £100 per day at OKW/SS). Wilderness lodge is slightly cheaper than BC for some reason. But a 5 night stay at either includes free DDP, and that's why we are considering it TBH. Can see that DDP isn't for everyone though.

We've also been down the route of possibly renting DVC at BLT/BC, but the savings we'd make are cancelled out by the fact that DDP would not be included.

have you considered the dolphin/Swan? If you can get either at $109-$179 then you've got a great location at around £100pn? That's the other option that we might go with too....

Hiya,

Yes we have considered the Swan or Dolphin, and they may yet still be an option for us. We really like the location, and the pool/beach area is nice too.

The problem is, without veering away onto other subjects, 'hotels' aren't really ideal for us. Partly with our son being Autistic and other reasons too.
Having a kitchen is a real plus for us, you could almost say it's essential, which is one of the many reasons most of our stays have been in a villa, we just can't be sure how Joshua will settle in a hotel, whereas we know a private villa is ideal for him, the extra room you get with a DVC based resort offers a compromise on the two. Plus it will give us some options in the evening on-site which we just do not get in the villa.
For just 3 nights we could get away with it I suppose, we will see.

It's something that is difficult to explain really, although that doesn't stop me (probably bored the pants off everyone over the years doing so).

In short though yes, they are an option but a little down the list of our choices.

 

[mossyflossy]

yep see what you mean, it's a difficult one isn't it....we ended up being upgraded to the 1 bed at OKW and it does make life much easier when you have the extra space, not to mention kitchen/laundry...and BTW you feel free to chat away.....I don't get bored easy!