Just back from SSR - not the best experience

[rstackjd]

Sure hope this was an abberation, but we just returned from SSR (4/11 - 4/20). AKV is our home resort, but we couldn't get the accomodations we needed there so our frsit trip as DVC Members was to SSR.

Now I will premise all this by saying I've NEVER seen the parks as crowded as they were last week. Not sure what was going on, but lets face it - when the line for Dumbo exceeds 70 minutes - you know it's a busy park!

The Good - SSR is a beautiful property, and the accomodations were great. Pool and slide were wonderful, if only the weather had been better. Staff was overall very friendly, though the Artists Pallet Staff could be a little better trained and friendlier

The Bad -

Bus Service was a nightmare! We were late for a dinner reservation becasue we waited well over 45 minutes for a Magic Kingdom Bus. At one point I called DVC on the "hot line" phone in the bus shelter and was basically told (politely) - "not our problem." This was not an isolated incident. The "norm" was over an hour of waiting and riding to get between SSR and the MK "Monorail Loop". We were not alone in noticing this, as it became a standard topic of discussion (complaint) with other guests. And since we were hauling around a 2 and 5 year old, transport time was a big deal.

Food Service / Store - Artist's Pallet seemed to us to be a) limtied in menu items and b) a total nightmare of disorganization. Once again, maybe it was becasue of the small kids and the need to take care of them right away, but we never got to Artist Pallet, got our food, paid and were sitting down eating in under 20 minutes. On some days it took that long just to get to order! The staging was a disaster having to cris-cross back and forth for ordering, paying, pick-up, napkins, beverages, etc etc.

Not DVC related, but WDW related - the DDP is just plain a nightmare. Part of our frustration with the transportation was the fact that in order to use or DDP sit dowm meals we had to make our reservations MONTHS ahead of time. While we were there we tryed to change one night and found that it was impossible (that's what they said "Impossible") to find a table for at ANY sitdown restaurant for 4 adult and 2 kids between the hours of 5:00 and 8:00! We talked to one couple who paid for the DDP but didn't know they would need to make the reservations well ahead of thier trip and they could not find any sit-down dining available. And since you cannot swap counter service for sit-down, and since it is none-refundable, they are just "out" the money for the DDP sit-down portion. !!! You can be sure they will be telling everyone they know that Disney screwed them, and I'm not so sure I disagree. Aside form the reservation issue, we found the DDP to be just confusing and a pain to work with and, frankly, fattening! We don't normally eat that much! So for us, DDP will not happen again.

I don't mean to be negative, and believe it or not we LOVE WDW and everything about it (well, except that DDP ). But I think Disney needs to take note that there are things that are not working and the bad PR will eventually catch up with them. And honestly, when the DVC took the "not our problem" position on the transportation thing when they had well over 1/2 dozen vans sitting there, well, that just sort of corked me.

Ok, I'm done now. I think.

 

[beccasmom]

I agree with you that transportation at SSR can be an ordeal. We have stayed there three times (never at particuarly "busy" times) and have been amazed how long it can take to get a bus. That is why I always advise folks who are staying there to rent a car if they can swing it. Particularly for us, my mom travels with us often to WDW, but is not as spry as she used to be. The walking distances at SSR can be considerable. It is a lovely resort, but the transportation needs to be addressed, IMHO.

We have not used the dining plan in many years. Since we became DVC members, we find it easier to "cook" basic meals in our villa. Just coffee, toast, cereal, etc. in the morning, maybe a quick nosh at night. WDW's original dining plan (many moons ago) included 3 full meals a day and it was great, but involved a LOT of running around and planning. Too "scheduled" for me....I felt like I was at work, constantly checking my watch for the next "meeting"! Frankly, it was a lot of work and a little exhausting, so we've resisted doing it for many years. But for eaters it was nirvana and folks sure seem to love it.

We love WDW too, but hey, it is not perfect and I think most of us realize that. But we love it anyway! I hope your next trip home is more pleasant!

 

[Claire L]

Sorry you had such poor transport We were in the Grandstand section last October and found the bus to be great. Although by the time we got to the last stop a few times it was full house. Also noticed people not staying at SSR caught the bus to SRR then walked to their car they had parked for free at DTD

Claire

 

[mouseclick1]

Our home is BWV, but we stayed at SSR for the first time over Easter. Overall, I enjoyed the resort very much, but I do have to agree with you on a couple of points.

I was very disappointed in the bus service. We waited for about an hour one night for a HS (MGM) bus to come by, while 5 MK buses and 3 Epcot buses had passed in the same period. When a bus reading "Hollywood Studios" finally did pull up, the driver told us he was not really going to HS, but DTD. I told him how long we had been waiting and he finally called dispatch or something, and was told to take those of us waiting to HS after stopping at DTD. I was getting so frustrated that I also tried to make a call from the phone at the stop, but it was not working. While our other experiences weren't quite as frustrating as this one, I was very unimpressed.

We never ate at Artiste's Palette, though we did pick up a few grocery items in the store. The whole set up didn't seem too appealing to me, but I can't really criticize it since we didn't try it. I wish SSR had a table service restaurant that offered breakfast. I don't know why they don't. We did eat at the Turf Club for dinner one evening, which was excellent.

We are going back for a short trip this August. I have an ADR for Turf Club again, and think we might give Artist's Palette a try for either breakfast or lunch. Then, I can really decide if I like it or not. We aren't doing the parks at all in August, so transportation won't be an issue. It really is a beautiful place, and I am looking forward to going back for four days of rest and relaxation!

 

[DisneyFreaks]

SSR is our "home" and we absolutely love it but I have to agree about the busses. On both of our stays there we had to end up taking our own cars to the parks. I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I know how frustrating that can be when you have little ones in tow.

 

[doconeill]

Last December was our first SSR stay, and although we had a van, we took the bus several times, either because we were splitting up, or just going over to DTD, or in the case of MK didn't feel like driving back after MVMCP.

I'd say there is always a chance that you could wait up to 60 minutes for a bus. I don't think we came close to waiting that long though for any bus though.

On the MK-to-SSR bus after MVMCP, it was PACKED. We huddled together and survived all the lurching back to SSR. The bus stopped at Grandstand first - and not a single person got off. Everyone laughed, and the driver got on his way to the next stop, which thankfully resulted in a lighter load.

IIRC, not every bus route stops at every stop at SSR. I believe there is a sign in the bus shelter that says which route stops there. For instance, we were at the Paddock. DTD (which stops at all stops), Epcot, and MK at least did. I don't think AK did. I could be misremembering though.

And as for having the sign wrong, I've seen that many times. Same trip, me and DFiL were waiting at DTD/PI for an SSR bus to go back (he isn't able to walk that far, and it was late after a few beers at Raglan Road). We waiting for about 20 minutes (about the max wait for the DTD-SSR bus I believe), and a bus pulls up, but says "Downtown Disney" on the sign. Knowing that the stop handles several resorts, I asked the driver if he was going to SSR. He answered very gruffly something like, "No! This bus goes to Carribean Beach! Read the sign!" I said I DID read the sign, and it still said Downtown Disney. He looked at me like I was a pain in the butt he's had all day, and changed the sign without even acknowledging me again.

Fortunately the correct bus, with the correct sign, came later.

Disney is supposed to be improving how buses are handled with GPS monitoring and automatic re-routing, but it seems thy have a long way to go in general.

 

[culli]

I have to totally agree with the AP food service. We went when it was slow and only ate there twice. No one in line and it just looked like it would be a mess if they had more than 5 people waiting. No logic seemed to go into how it was arranged. If they would just arrange the place different I think they could be so more efficient. I feel sorry for anyone that plans to eat there and there is any kind of line. When we go again there will be no plans to eat at AP. The sit down restaurant was nice, keep in mind slow time, and we enjoyed our meal - I also thought the prices were reasonable.

 

[dizney4us]

I think the bus works great MOST of the time, but there are always issues here and there. We stayed at SSR for 6 nights 4/2007...not one bus problem ever! This February we stayed @ BWV, and the only problen we had was after eating breakfast at Boma @ AKL we waited 45 minutes for a bus to.... Animal Kingdom!! People were irate! Buses for MK and MGM and Epcot kept coming and coming and nothing to Animal Kingdom?? Where it was I have no idea! But several people complained REPEATEDLY before they finally called in another bus. It was ridiculous!!! But it does happen. My daughters waited forever for a bus to DTD from BWV also.

 

[disneynutz]

Sure hope this was an abberation, but we just returned from SSR (4/11 - 4/20). AKV is our home resort, but we couldn't get the accomodations we needed there so our frsit trip as DVC Members was to SSR.

Now I will premise all this by saying I've NEVER seen the parks as crowded as they were last week. Not sure what was going on, but lets face it - when the line for Dumbo exceeds 70 minutes - you know it's a busy park!

The Good - SSR is a beautiful property, and the accomodations were great. Pool and slide were wonderful, if only the weather had been better. Staff was overall very friendly, though the Artists Pallet Staff could be a little better trained and friendlier

The Bad -

Bus Service was a nightmare! We were late for a dinner reservation becasue we waited well over 45 minutes for a Magic Kingdom Bus. At one point I called DVC on the "hot line" phone in the bus shelter and was basically told (politely) - "not our problem." This was not an isolated incident. The "norm" was over an hour of waiting and riding to get between SSR and the MK "Monorail Loop". We were not alone in noticing this, as it became a standard topic of discussion (complaint) with other guests. And since we were hauling around a 2 and 5 year old, transport time was a big deal.

Food Service / Store - Artist's Pallet seemed to us to be a) limtied in menu items and b) a total nightmare of disorganization. Once again, maybe it was becasue of the small kids and the need to take care of them right away, but we never got to Artist Pallet, got our food, paid and were sitting down eating in under 20 minutes. On some days it took that long just to get to order! The staging was a disaster having to cris-cross back and forth for ordering, paying, pick-up, napkins, beverages, etc etc.

Not DVC related, but WDW related - the DDP is just plain a nightmare. Part of our frustration with the transportation was the fact that in order to use or DDP sit dowm meals we had to make our reservations MONTHS ahead of time. While we were there we tryed to change one night and found that it was impossible (that's what they said "Impossible") to find a table for at ANY sitdown restaurant for 4 adult and 2 kids between the hours of 5:00 and 8:00! We talked to one couple who paid for the DDP but didn't know they would need to make the reservations well ahead of thier trip and they could not find any sit-down dining available. And since you cannot swap counter service for sit-down, and since it is none-refundable, they are just "out" the money for the DDP sit-down portion. !!! You can be sure they will be telling everyone they know that Disney screwed them, and I'm not so sure I disagree. Aside form the reservation issue, we found the DDP to be just confusing and a pain to work with and, frankly, fattening! We don't normally eat that much! So for us, DDP will not happen again.

I don't mean to be negative, and believe it or not we LOVE WDW and everything about it (well, except that DDP ). But I think Disney needs to take note that there are things that are not working and the bad PR will eventually catch up with them. And honestly, when the DVC took the "not our problem" position on the transportation thing when they had well over 1/2 dozen vans sitting there, well, that just sort of corked me.

Ok, I'm done now. I think.

You need to report your issues to the Member Satisfaction Team. Members pay for the AP and Transportation. If we don't report it, it will never get fixed.

 

[JimMIA]

Hopefully your overall trip was a huge success, despite these shortcomings.

We always drive to WDW, and we formerly loved DDP (before the elimination of the appetizer and gratuity, and the standardization of the menus). But I have to say that the combination of bussing everywhere and using DDP -- to me, at least -- is almost a prescription for disaster unless you integrate your ADRs with where you will be anyway.

We like to eat, and nice dinners are part and parcel of our WDW experience. When we used DDP, we made our ADRs and scheduled our theme park days around them with no problem. But we were scheduling meals after 8 PM for the most part, and we can drive anywhere in WDW in about 15 mintues or less. Even so, we spent a LOT of time in, or getting to, restaurants.

The facts of dining at WDW are that you are not going to be able to get dinner reservations the day of, or day before, a meal. Which, of course, means you will not be able to make last-minute changes. It's just not going to happen -- not realistic at all to think you will. That is just the nature of the beast, and if you're using DDP, you have to factor in those realities.

The facts of bussing at WDW are that you often get wonderful service, but Disney recommends that you plan 1 1/2 to 2 hours for transportation time if you are counting on being at a specific location at a specific time. If you DO that, you'll get to your destination an hour ahead of time sometimes, but you'll rarely be late. If you plan on bussing somewhere in 30-45 minutes, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. It's just not realistic.

I don't know how your family is at WDW, but ours works in slow-motion. Everything we do seems to take an hour longer than it should. We've learned to adjust for that reality, and we now find our vacations unfolding at a much slower, and more relaxed pace. That's actually been one of the best lessons we've learned in our trips, and one of the biggest benefits of DVC ownership.

 

[starbox]

I have to totally agree with the AP food service. We went when it was slow and only ate there twice.

AP is actually my favorite CS place anywhere at WDW - at least the food is delicious and different from the standard generic burger and fries or chicken and ribs Disney CS fare. Seriously - we've gone there just to eat when we were not staying at SSR.

Disney's CS seems inefficient anywhere - the new touch screen system at the POLY is really, really, really, really bad. You wait in line to use a confusing computer to order. Then, you wait in line to pay. Then, you get a buzzer and wait in line to get the food. And then you have to go through a drink station that is practically right on top of the other lines. At least at AP you interact with human beings in an open, airy atmosphere - and there's something for the kids to do w/the cool easels at the tables.

 

[dallastxcpa]

Oh the frustration of the buses! Sometimes they can be a down right pain and my kids are all 10 and older. I can't even begin to imagine having to wait an hour with a little one.

I also agree with you on the configuration of AP, it is a bit of a mess when it gets crowded. I always thought that they should take that big theater and do a character breakfast in the morning and a dinner show at night.

I hope you get to stay at your home resort next time as AK is absolutely beautiful.

 

[Fitswimmer]

Love the food at AP, but the layout is a mess. I have no idea who designed it, but they were not thinking about how guests would use the area. It's one thing about SSR that I'm not fond of, it can be chaotic when it's crowded.

As far as the bus service, we've waited a few times but nothing that extensive. Having said that-we usually try to avoid the "stupid crowded" times of the year. We tend to go in the off season.

 

[eporter66]

1. We rent a car, so can't speak to the bus service
2. We have always found Artists Pallete to be excellent. Fast service, with some interesting selections. Great breakfast, and always something for the kids
3. The week you went down was school break up here in New York (and I suspect a lot of schools in the Northeast), so I am thinking that is why the parks were so crowded. I had 3 families in my own department at work that were going to WDW for their school break. That's in a department of 12 people.
4. Since we get a 1 or 2 Bedroom, we never have used the DDP. We do breakfast in our room, and always have a few things to munch on. Since we often stay at SSR, we just head over to DTD for dinner. Plenty of options - fast food and sit down.

 

[starbox]

2. We have always found Artists Pallete to be excellent. Fast service, with some interesting selections. Great breakfast, and always something for the kids

Two Words: Mickey Waffles!!!

I know this is a controversial practice - but I always order myself an adult bacon/egg/cheese croissant and order of Mickey Waffles!

It's just not vacation till you've had your Mickey Waffle. No matter how grown up you are.

 

[rstackjd]

It's just not vacation till you've had your Mickey Waffle. No matter how grown up you are.

Gotta agree with you there!

I'm glad everyone is understanding that I was expressing a frustation and not "ripping" WDW or DVC. Overall we had a great trip - lets face it even a bad day at WDW is better than, well, just about anything.

It's also comforting to know it wasn't my imagination.

Now the countdown to the next begins

Bob

 

[starbox]

Gotta agree with you there!

I'm glad everyone is understanding that I was expressing a frustation and not "ripping" WDW or DVC. Overall we had a great trip - lets face it even a bad day at WDW is better than, well, just about anything.

It's also comforting to know it wasn't my imagination.

Now the countdown to the next begins

Bob

We were there the week before you and it was CRAZY crowded everywhere. It was not your imagination!!

I've never seen crowds like that, and I've been going to WDW since 1974! Everything took a long time.

 

[Starr W.]

AP is actually my favorite CS place anywhere at WDW - at least the food is delicious and different from the standard generic burger and fries or chicken and ribs Disney CS fare. Seriously - we've gone there just to eat when we were not staying at SSR.

Disney's CS seems inefficient anywhere - the new touch screen system at the POLY is really, really, really, really bad. You wait in line to use a confusing computer to order. Then, you wait in line to pay. Then, you get a buzzer and wait in line to get the food. And then you have to go through a drink station that is practically right on top of the other lines. At least at AP you interact with human beings in an open, airy atmosphere - and there's something for the kids to do w/the cool easels at the tables.

I enjoy AP also, I don't find the layout bad. We usually do one CS dinner there. Now I thought the BC Marketplace was a nightmare, we just wanted gelato and we had to wait behind DDP folks who couldn't decide on what sides to get the kids. At least at AP they have all the "grocery" stuff together. It's the same waiting in line with your food or melting gelato while someone can't make up their mind about buying a Mickey T-shirt or such.

Okay from what the OP and you have said about the crowds, I'll stick to VB for Easter. I don't see how the gps system have helped the buses, I waited longer in May for buses at VWL than I had the previous November at SSR.

When you have a really full bus heading back to SSR, why do only 2 people get off at the Grandstand?

 

[Sully]

We were at SSR for the month of February and we can agree with the OP complaints. The bus scheduling is being done by a new method that I guess is still not worling. We had some long waits back then. I did file complaints. For AP, after 3-4 years, they still have not got it organized. Sometimes it is great and other times it is horrible, and it is just my wife and I.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

It's always busy around Easter and Spring Break, but this year I think that Easter coming so early kind of messed up flow of travelers and every one went in April. It would be interesting to see how WDW faired w/ park attendance.

Unfortunately, spontaneous people will not fair well at WDW or w/ the DDP. If you don't make reservations for any/everything you want to do, it isn't going to happen. You will not get a sit down dinner!