Hi everyone,
First a big thanks to all who post on these boards. I really enjoyed reading up on SSR before my stay, and appreciated everyone's feedback, so here is mine
This was our first stay at SSR (rented points), but we have previously stayed at OKW and other non-DVC Disney resorts. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and were impressed by the cleanliness and attractive decor of the rooms and common areas, and the friendliness of the cast members. We were in Paddocks, studio room 6612, which is in the Paddocks building closest to the Congress Park section, and looked across at the CP bus stop.
Room: Very attractive and clean, upscale feeling, and the most comfortable bed!!! Unfortunately, DH was sick so I got to sleep on the not-so-comfortable pull-out...
Location: They gave us two choices, this room in the Paddocks or a room in the Carousel building which was farthest from the main area. The room in the Paddocks was closer to the main pool and restaurants, but I will say that the Carousel section has an advantage of not being within viewing of the off-property, DTD, area that borders SSR. It is across from the golf course and is very pretty and quiet.
Artist's Point: We thought the food and service were good, but the wait for food was sometimes really long, and in the busy seasons this is not a big enough restaurant to handle the number of people staying there. By the way, we did the dining plan which we really liked. Even though it is too much food, we really enjoyed having a set price and not thinking about how much each meal cost.
Turf Club: This was my favorite meal of the trip (we also went to Boma, Kona Cafe, and Le Cellier). The food was great (mussels and caesar salad deserve a special mention) and the service was very good. I think what I liked most was that the restaurant was small, so it wasn't as loud as other Disney restaurants can get, and it had a quieter, "adult" feel. That said, they entertained the children who were dining very well, holding a stick horse race, but not taking away from the adults who were dining. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Pool area: I thought the pool was great, the water temp was great in both the pool and hot tub, and the Donald fountain and slide looked like so much fun for the kids. Speaking of which, mid-afternoon the cast members came by and played games with the kids and gave them temporary tattoos, which I thought was really nice (although this is probably typical of the DVC resorts). No, this pool area isn't as extensive as SAB, but its very well done.
New section ("The Grandstand"): This section is still under construction, but looks like it is getting pretty close to being done. I think the building closest to the check-in area (rooms 8501-8836) might end up becoming the most requested section in the resort. It will have its own signature pool, is within easy walking distance of the other main pool and restaurants, and will have very pretty views of the golf course all around it. I think this could end up being the nicest section of the resort.
The main negative feature of the resort is how spread out it is! Now, this might not be the end of the world when you have perfect weather and are feeling great...but, if you have bad weather (like we did the first two days) or don't feel well (like my husband did) or have small children, this can become increasingly annoying. Not the end of the world, but something worth considering. Overall, however, we really enjoyed our stay and were impressed by SSR, and I am glad we had the opportunity to stay here
First a big thanks to all who post on these boards. I really enjoyed reading up on SSR before my stay, and appreciated everyone's feedback, so here is mine
This was our first stay at SSR (rented points), but we have previously stayed at OKW and other non-DVC Disney resorts. Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and were impressed by the cleanliness and attractive decor of the rooms and common areas, and the friendliness of the cast members. We were in Paddocks, studio room 6612, which is in the Paddocks building closest to the Congress Park section, and looked across at the CP bus stop.
Room: Very attractive and clean, upscale feeling, and the most comfortable bed!!! Unfortunately, DH was sick so I got to sleep on the not-so-comfortable pull-out...
Location: They gave us two choices, this room in the Paddocks or a room in the Carousel building which was farthest from the main area. The room in the Paddocks was closer to the main pool and restaurants, but I will say that the Carousel section has an advantage of not being within viewing of the off-property, DTD, area that borders SSR. It is across from the golf course and is very pretty and quiet.
Artist's Point: We thought the food and service were good, but the wait for food was sometimes really long, and in the busy seasons this is not a big enough restaurant to handle the number of people staying there. By the way, we did the dining plan which we really liked. Even though it is too much food, we really enjoyed having a set price and not thinking about how much each meal cost.
Turf Club: This was my favorite meal of the trip (we also went to Boma, Kona Cafe, and Le Cellier). The food was great (mussels and caesar salad deserve a special mention) and the service was very good. I think what I liked most was that the restaurant was small, so it wasn't as loud as other Disney restaurants can get, and it had a quieter, "adult" feel. That said, they entertained the children who were dining very well, holding a stick horse race, but not taking away from the adults who were dining. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Pool area: I thought the pool was great, the water temp was great in both the pool and hot tub, and the Donald fountain and slide looked like so much fun for the kids. Speaking of which, mid-afternoon the cast members came by and played games with the kids and gave them temporary tattoos, which I thought was really nice (although this is probably typical of the DVC resorts). No, this pool area isn't as extensive as SAB, but its very well done.
New section ("The Grandstand"): This section is still under construction, but looks like it is getting pretty close to being done. I think the building closest to the check-in area (rooms 8501-8836) might end up becoming the most requested section in the resort. It will have its own signature pool, is within easy walking distance of the other main pool and restaurants, and will have very pretty views of the golf course all around it. I think this could end up being the nicest section of the resort.
The main negative feature of the resort is how spread out it is! Now, this might not be the end of the world when you have perfect weather and are feeling great...but, if you have bad weather (like we did the first two days) or don't feel well (like my husband did) or have small children, this can become increasingly annoying. Not the end of the world, but something worth considering. Overall, however, we really enjoyed our stay and were impressed by SSR, and I am glad we had the opportunity to stay here
All of the positive reviews makes me even more anxious for our trip in July!! 
