Just back and my feelings on Saratoga Springs

[SaratogaShan]

Crisi hits the nail on the head as usual!!!! Here's photo of an actual example of what Crisi was describing (a cira 1978 rec room, complete with the classic bar!!)

Oooooh, love the bar stools!

Maybe a little naugahide (sp?) furniture is just what SSR needs! And while we are at it......maybe some room service provided by roller derby girls!?

 

[Finny]

I do have to chuckle as I read the posts - especially the ones about theming. I LIVE in the Saratoga Springs area, and we are buying at SSR. At first I thought - why would I buy at SSR when it is just a few minutes down the road?

We just bought in SSR, and we live 20 minutes from Saratoga Springs! Length of the contract, and the incentives got us.

Thank God DVC didn't duplicate the true Saratoga water.
I was in the real Saratoga and took a drink out of that fountain in the park. I started gagging uncontrolably, and almost heaved.

Has anyone else here drank that specific water that I'm talking about?

MG

You must have tried the "mineral" water. Terrible isn't it? There is a plain water spout there too.

 

[UConnJack]

But you know, for as "elegant" as the internal decor is (and that is debatable), it just so does not fit the exterior, apartment complex style. I'm sorry, but walking in from an exterior halled, 4-level apartment building into a Victorian furnished and styled room just makes no sense to me.

 

[rinkwide]

Most will be able to find at least subtle differences in the decor...

First off - the SSR grand villa isn't decorated for the holidays.

 

[beachblanket]

Seriously! Are you blind? I don't think you have ever been in any Disney resort let alone SSR.

Beach Club Inn - 5/97
OKW - 9/98
BWV - 8/00
DL Grand Californian - 8/03
WDW Grand Floridian - 6/04
DVC HH - 8/04
BWV - 8/05
DVC VB - 8/06

Upcoming:

Yacht Club Inn - 5/07
BWV - 2/08

SSR - not even on the long range radar screen

 

[elijahpep]

Crisi hits the nail on the head as usual!!!! Here's photo of an actual example of what Crisi was describing (a cira 1978 rec room, complete with the classic bar!!)

Hey, my room didn't have an air hockey table when I was there last week. Is this something new? Should I complain?

~Eli

 

[BroganMc]

But you know, for as "elegant" as the internal decor is (and that is debatable), it just so does not fit the exterior, apartment complex style. I'm sorry, but walking in from an exterior halled, 4-level apartment building into a Victorian furnished and styled room just makes no sense to me.

Oh now you're being ridiculously picky. Have you never heard of a VERANDA, man?! If that's not the height of Victorian elegance, I don't know what is.

 

[UConnJack]

Oh now you're being ridiculously picky. Have you never heard of a VERANDA, man?! If that's not the height of Victorian elegance, I don't know what is.

That's not my point. What I mean is, the rooms are nice, yes. Not necessarily my style, and I think the Victorian theme is kind of boring in general, but the rooms are very nice. I just don't think the resort overall has much continuity in the Victorian theme. I think there is a real disconnect there that you don't really get at the other resorts. You cross the threshold into the Boardwalk, or the Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, or even OKW, and you are hit with the theme, become immersed in it pretty much wherever you are. I just don't get that at SSR, most of it feels pretty generic. Nice, but generic. Room interiors are OK, and the resort center theming isn't too bad, but as a whole it just feels like a bunch of apartment buildings. Even if I liked the theme, I would never feel immersed in it like I expect to at a Disney resort. I'm not trying to be picky, I'm just trying to nail down exactly why I'm not feeling it there.

But about the "veranda", it hardly plays specifically into the Victorian theme. All resort rooms have them. You can call it a "veranda", "balcony" or "lanai", or whatever, but it isn't specific to a Victorian theme.

 

[BroganMc]

But about the "veranda", it hardly plays specifically into the Victorian theme. All resort rooms have them. You can call it a "veranda", "balcony" or "lanai", or whatever, but it isn't specific to a Victorian theme.

UConn, sarcasm is clearly not your forte, is it? Try reading my post again with the humor circuitry turned on, k?

 

[crisi]

Actually, no - its that avacado green couch (ugh), the endtable (hate the legs) - both which are very similar to the rec room furniture of a number of my friends growing up, all the dark wood (yech) and that bedspread (my parents put in wallpaper with that pattern on a larger scale up in their house in 1977 - we spent the next fifteen years hating it - it was ugly the first time).

Now, DVC picks some UGLY bedspreads - I'm not thinking of one I'd put in my own home - but that one takes the cake.

(The couch at BCV is uglier, and the shower curtain at BWV is frankly, beyond compare in the ugly contest - but for the sum of the whole, SSR is just 'not all all to my taste.')

Now, a lot of folks think VWL is too dark, but I love the Stickley furniture look and the saturated reds and greens. The clash of patterns - well......they need a less patterned carpet in those rooms.

 

[Chuck S]

I think the furnishings look very nice, with the possible exception (as Crisi noted) of the fabric choice for the sofa.

 

[Starr W.]

Hey, my room didn't have an air hockey table when I was there last week. Is this something new? Should I complain?

~Eli

I think the air hockey tables are only in the GV's.

 

[UConnJack]

UConn, sarcasm is clearly not your forte, is it? Try reading my post again with the humor circuitry turned on, k?

Besides the "beating a dead horse" smile I have lobbied for, I think we need one with something flying over one's head (I would use that a lot too). No, I obviously didn't get the sarcasm, sometimes doesn't translate well when written I guess. I glad it was just sarcasm I missed, as I've come to expect a better arguement from you.

 

[drakethib]

Besides the "beating a dead horse" smile I have lobbied for, I think we need one with something flying over one's head (I would use that a lot too). No, I obviously didn't get the sarcasm, sometimes doesn't translate well when written I guess. I glad it was just sarcasm I missed, as I've come to expect a better arguement from you.

I actually think I have seen the beating a dead horse smiley on another board.

yes we do need it here. !

 

[rinkwide]

...beating a dead horse...

Excellent idea. Nothing's more fun, and I think it would tie-in nicely with the whole Saratoga/equestrian theme. I'd suggest they do it as a pool-side children's activity featuring a giant piñata.

 

[UConnJack]

Excellent idea. Nothing's more fun, and I think it would tie-in nicely with the whole Saratoga/equestrian theme. I'd suggest they do it as a pool-side children's activity featuring a giant piñata.

Of course, Rinkwide found one. I love it. Very un-PC, and I'm sure a PETA representive will be all over it, but I love it. Mods, could we get it included in our list of standard smiles?!!?

And I like the piñata idea.

 

[alldiz]

Excellent idea. Nothing's more fun, and I think it would tie-in nicely with the whole Saratoga/equestrian theme. I'd suggest they do it as a pool-side children's activity featuring a giant piñata.

Kerri

 

[beachblanket]

You cross the threshold into the Boardwalk, or the Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, or even OKW, and you are hit with the theme, become immersed in it pretty much wherever you are. I just don't get that at SSR, most of it feels pretty generic. Nice, but generic. Room interiors are OK, and the resort center theming isn't too bad, but as a whole it just feels like a bunch of apartment buildings.

BINGO!!! And here's some graphic proof from my home resort:

Secondary entrance (from Swan/Dolphin) at BWV:

Boardwalk lobby:

Boardwalk view villas with their unique "multi-seafront-building" facades:

Boardwalk main pool (great mega-sized overhead shot):

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hmmmm, I didn't see Boardwalk Villas anywhere in that sign....

Oh, and that's the pool that is shared with the non-DVC resort at the Boardwalk, isn't it???

 

[beachblanket]

Hmmmm, I didn't see Boardwalk Villas anywhere in that sign....

Correct, because the grand dame of the Epcot area resorts has a name that stands by itself.

Oh, and that's the pool that is shared with the non-DVC resort at the Boardwalk, isn't it???

Not resort, the Inn - who does share it, just like the vaunted one at BCV is shared with the Beach Club and Yacht club hotels. Or put another way, DVC was never designed to only offer resorts built as villa-only properties, and interestingly the most popular ones in their collection are actually a mix of hotel and time share units.