Just Back From SSR. Our Thoughts.

[Deb & Bill]

Hard to know if this is the cause of the bus problem, but I do wish they would screen riders to make sure cheapskates aren't parking for free at DS and walking to SSR for the buses.

I remember a stay we had at SSR a while back where the majority of the riders got off at Congress Park and then asked how do they get to.... For the longest time there were signs at Epcot directing guests going to Disney Springs to the SSR bus stop.

They need some gates that would open with a DVC guest card or magic band to enter the property at SSR from Disney Springs. You'd still get people waiting for someone to go through the gate and they would tag along, but it might keep some out.

 

[cw62803]

$20 to park your car is a lot of money. I think the people who park at Disney Springs and walk over to SSR to take a bus are smart.

 

[Deb & Bill]

$20 to park your car is a lot of money. I think the people who park at Disney Springs and walk over to SSR to take a bus are smart.

The issue with this is that SSR is a total DVC resort and members who own there pay the cost for all the transportation at the resort. It doesn't have a hotel with it that covers part of the cost of transportation. So the "smart" people who park at Disney Springs and walk to SSR to take the bus are ripping off SSR owners, not Disney.

 

[Sleepy Sheep]

Hard to know if this is the cause of the bus problem, but I do wish they would screen riders to make sure cheapskates aren't parking for free at DS and walking to SSR for the buses.

This is a well known problem. While waiting for the boat at Disney Springs one time, I listened to a woman expounding on how many minutes faster it was to take the boat to Saratoga Springs and hop on the bus, as an alternative to walking.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Our experience in Dec was crowding, and therefore delays, were attributable to scooter on/off loading and the corresponding loss of seats. I have a hard time with scooters being on buses; I think there should be separate runs. My bias is based on my experience with acquaintances using them because they were too out of shape/lazy to walk. This is not true of all but it makes me view riders with a jaundiced eye.

Wow. Really, wow.

Most people using a scooter already feel bad enough slowing everyone down.

They really don't need people like you trying to make them feel worse.

And yes, transportation is awful. We waited 45 minutes for a bus that could accommodate my scooter. They ended up calling one that came directly to The Springs.

Oh, and yes, I do need a scooter. And not because I am out of shape or too lazy to walk. Although I am out of shape and I can't walk far. My doctor recommended one and my husband purchased one for me.

 

[mikebb]

We own at and have stayed at SSR a number of times, so thought I'd weigh in on the bus situation. I've never really gotten the feeling that people who park for free at DS and ride the SSR park buses contribute to any busing problems or crowding at the resort. SSR. We've had the same typical ups and downs with any other Deluxe or DVC resort. In fact, the worst experience I had with an SSR bus was during a lightning storm last year we were stuck at DS - boats were not running (because of the storm) and we did not want to walk back in a downpour. You would think Disney would be able to adapt for these conditions, but they did not send an SSR bus to DS for almost 45 mins.

 

[abner1776]

Well I just got back from 4 nights at SSR and I would have DIED to be in a Springs room. I was in Carousel in probably the WORST room in the entire resort 7832, I had a wonderful view of the guard shack at the main entrance...I was ready to call Uber just to get me to the Carousel bus stop which is a misnomer as it's really a Paddock bus stop...sorry Disney. Carousel is for those DVC members who are on "double secret probation." If I was driving and wanted total relaxation then Carousel is fine, but for a senior citizen using DME and the busses, Carousel is nothing more than solitary confinement. NO food, NO pool(even the Paddock pool was shut down for renovations), no nothing and a million steps to anything I needed. Once I got to the bus stop, no problem with full busses as I was usually the only person at the bus stop.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Just back from a 2 night stay in Congress Park. Honestly, it was perfect for our purposes....walking to Disney Springs... and we had a view of DS as well! It was so quiet I felt like no one else was even staying there. Seriously, I don't think we passed another guest in the halls even one time coming or going to our room. The bus stop was close and again - nearly empty every time (but we were not boarding at peak times). We went for Moonlight Magic and the line for SSR bus was by far the longest, but they had at least 3 buses sitting there after the fireworks. We got on bus #2 and did have to stand but I suppose we could have let people pass and wait to be first on the 3rd bus.

All that being said, I can see where we would NOT like it as much had we had another room location. This was the same for us the time we stayed at CBR. I didn't like it, but then our room flooded and they moved us to a better (to me) location and had I never been in the 1st room I would have not hesitated to stay again.

We have stayed in the farthest rooms at POP and POR and not really had a problem with it (actually like being far out at POR), but this place seemed seriously huge and (more importantly) hard to navigate. I feel like they could have more signage around because we felt like we were quickly / easily lost but that could be easily rectified if they cared to.

We walked back (after midnight but before 1 am) from DS the first night and were vaguely pointed in the direction of the walking path by security at DS. OMG. It was down thru parking lots and NOT the walkway we had come in on. We were so far and it was soooooo dark. I really have no idea how we made it back or if that was a real walking path....but I feel like maybe we started heading in the wrong direction at some point because there were almost NO SIGNS!!! And we did not pass a single other person the entire time.

Anyway, I'd stay again, but only in Preferred with a request for Congress Park.

ETA:
Another thing we noticed was that we really only saw families with kids in the lobby, store, and maybe a handful on the bus (again we were not getting on buses for park opening). I specifically remember noticing we were the only ones on the boat to and from DS that were not 55+ (possibly 65+). Our room had a playground and BBQ area steps away and we never saw anyone at all at either. This wasn't an issue of course, just an observation.

 

[SL6827]

Getting put in the Carousel or Grandstand section is what is keeping me from wanting to book standard. (except for the Grandstand buildings that are really close to the Springs) I like being closer to the amenities and such, so if booking preferred I would request the Springs. I wish they would at least make the Carousel a value type category at SSR, but don't really know if that would be possible or not.

 

[abner1776]

As far as non-guests parking at SSR and walking over to DS to save the parking fee, I was under the impression that Disney has cracked down on that type of activity.

I took a cab over to the Palm golf course but my friend drove me back to SSR when we were finished golfing. At the guard shack, the guard scanned in my MB to make sure I was a guest otherwise we could not enter the property.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

As far as non-guests parking at SSR and walking over to DS to save the parking fee, I was under the impression that Disney has cracked down on that type of activity.

I took a cab over to the Palm golf course but my friend drove me back to SSR when we were finished golfing. At the guard shack, the guard scanned in my MB to make sure I was a guest otherwise we could not enter the property.

You have it backwards. They walk from DS to Saratoga. Then take the bus to a park.

They save the parking fee at the park.

 

[Judyat]

We just came back from two weeks at SSR in a studio. Had a beautiful few of Disney Springs from Congress Park. Yes it cost an extra point but it was so worth it. As for the condition of the studio it was OK. We knew what to expect so it was fine. Can it use an update ? Yes but we had no problems with what was there. We like to walk to Disney Springs and the bus stop was close as was the quiet pool. Buses were great.It helps to have the monitor for when to expect the next bus to the parks. All in all it was a great time. No complaints.

 

[SL6827]

I have never considered that anyone but SSR guest would use the buses to get to the parks. Guess I was wrong. Sounds like a legitimate problem though.

 

[Bashful2]

Our experience in Dec was crowding, and therefore delays, were attributable to scooter on/off loading and the corresponding loss of seats. I have a hard time with scooters being on buses; I think there should be separate runs. My bias is based on my experience with acquaintances using them because they were too out of shape/lazy to walk. This is not true of all but it makes me view riders with a jaundiced eye.