Chim Chiminy
stale marshmallows sting when they hit you
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2003
- Messages
- 1,861
We spent the first half of our trip at SSR, before moving over to POR.
We were treating family again, so I tried to save on points by booking three studios. Then when my two brothers decided to come along, at the urging of my mom (I posted on this a while back), I waitlisted for a 2 bedroom. It did not come through.
So three studios it was!
I will never book just studios when a large group is coming. In the very least my family will be in a one bedroom, so we can at least have space to all gather.
My family, 2 adults 2 children, were in one studio.
My parents and two adult brothers were in the second studio.
My two BIL's were in the third. They had no complaints......
We had planned to arrive before my parents and get everything settled at check in. However, there was an accident coming into Orlando and we sat in traffic for over an hour. My parents arrived first, and my dad decided to check in. Things got screwed up....
We were "welcomed home" by the guard, a friendly guy from Mass.
I thought they needed more than just one round seating area for guests. There was only one person manning the check in area around 5:30.
After waiting about five minutes, the CM went and got another CM to check us in.
Eneri, the CM, was very friendly. There was an envelope waiting for us with two keys in it. Yet we had four people in our room.
She got into the computer, took all our info, said our room was ready. Then asked if we had already checked in. I said no, that my father had arrived and already checked in. The computer was showing that we had checked in, not my father. I said we had three rooms reserved. Then she pulled it up and said no, you have two. I pointed out that the other party wasn't arriving until the next day. She went in to another page and saw the third ressie, said oh okay.
We wanted our VISA put on the room key for charging privelages. But she wasn't sure how to do it since we had keys already waiting.
She finally re-cut the keys, with our VISA on them.
Check in took almost thirty minutes.
My parents were waiting in the lounge area before Artist's Palette, so we gathered them up and went over to Congress Park.
We were both assigned the same room.
Our new keys worked, my dad's did not.
I called from studio #2336, which had a view of Cirque, the water, and Congress Park building next to ours.
Another fifteen minutes was spent on the phone trying to figure out why we were all in the same studio.
Turns out, when my dad checked in, the CM checked him in under my name instead of his own. All of our ressies I had put in the name of person staying there.
So even though my dad had given his name at check in, the CM checked my name off in the computer as having checked in. They had no record of my dad checking in.
When we had the keys re-cut with our VISA on them, it canceled out the keys my father had been given. With all the confusion at check in, we were given the room my father had been assigned an hour earlier.
They sent a bellman over to our studio, with keys to a different studio for my dad.
Their studio, the one WE were supposed to be in, had the full DTD view and the balcony was a bit bigger.
We were in their room, they were in ours.........
I decided we would just leave it since we had already put our VISAs on the room keys for 2336, it had already been such a hassle. I didn't want to drive back over to check in and go through it again.
Yes, I was mad about the view but thought, we can just pop over to watch the fireworks if we want.
With that cleared up, we all settled in. My DH and I went for groceries while the kids got to swim with their grandparents.
I pretty much forgot about the check in troubles when we returned from the MK the next afternoon to find birthday balloons and autographed pics for both my kids.
Eneri had overheard my son during check in ask if he could have charging privelages too, since it was his 11th birthday. She asked him a bunch of questions and I guess made note of it after we had left.
Now, impressions of SSR.
Very beautiful. The landscaping is lovely. We really enjoyed the quiet pool. The sofa bed is comfy, like the way it folds out.
Our three studios were spotless. Enjoyed being able to park so close to our rooms. All of the cm's we encountered were friendly, personable. The main pool is a lot of fun. Great water slide. Spa is fantastic!
With only two buildings open during our stay, the buses were great! Several times we were the only ones on the bus.
Drive to DTD was super fast.
My kids loved the playground.
Bell services was quick and efficient.
Community hall was fun, plenty of activities to occupy my kids.
The negatives---
Everything felt too spread out. The main pool is not big enough for the amount of rooms. Ferry dock felt out of the way, and we were attacked by bugs here one night. My ankles look like they have chicken pox.
Not enough selections at Artist's Palette, although the food we had there was very good.
I am afraid this resort is going to be too big, I am already imagining the hassles with bus service and overcrowding at the pool.
We didn't think they have enough quiet pools for the proposed buildings.
The golf carts for mousekeeping and DVC tours were being parked in regular parking spaces. At times the lot was full and we would have to search for a spot in the next lot.
We really missed having a gathering spot in our building, like at BCV.
The partially enclosed outdoor walkways are fine, but all the concrete with nothing to absorb the sound? Even whispers echoed.
The headboard for the beds were off center. We tried moving the bed, but you can't.
Smoker's were in the one bedroom next door, which was a non smoking room. (Not really DVC's fault I guess, but it was an annoyance, especially on the balcony with the smoke blowing our way. And several times my BILs would come into our studio and say it smelled like smoke.) Also those same people put their trash in front of our door several different times. I guess they paid for daily linens, because every morning there was a new basket of clean towels and sheets in front of their room. They wouldn't bring it in until late afternoon/evening, so that area in front of our door was always cluttered.
My BIL and I both had the Mystical Forest Massage at the spa. The spa staff is wonderful, the spa itself is beautiful.
My DS had a My First Facial as a special birthday treat from me. He thoroughly enjoyed it, his therapist was wonderful with him, and I got to relax in the spa lounge, child free, for thirty minutes. He is now asking if he can have a massage next time, since his facial was so relaxing.
Overall, I don't think we were "wowed" with Saratoga Springs the way we were with BCV. We enjoyed it, we will stay there again, we just didn't feel like we were home.
Perhaps we will feel differently once all the kinks are worked out, and the construction is done.
We were treating family again, so I tried to save on points by booking three studios. Then when my two brothers decided to come along, at the urging of my mom (I posted on this a while back), I waitlisted for a 2 bedroom. It did not come through.
So three studios it was!
I will never book just studios when a large group is coming. In the very least my family will be in a one bedroom, so we can at least have space to all gather.
My family, 2 adults 2 children, were in one studio.
My parents and two adult brothers were in the second studio.
My two BIL's were in the third. They had no complaints......
We had planned to arrive before my parents and get everything settled at check in. However, there was an accident coming into Orlando and we sat in traffic for over an hour. My parents arrived first, and my dad decided to check in. Things got screwed up....
We were "welcomed home" by the guard, a friendly guy from Mass.
I thought they needed more than just one round seating area for guests. There was only one person manning the check in area around 5:30.
After waiting about five minutes, the CM went and got another CM to check us in.
Eneri, the CM, was very friendly. There was an envelope waiting for us with two keys in it. Yet we had four people in our room.
She got into the computer, took all our info, said our room was ready. Then asked if we had already checked in. I said no, that my father had arrived and already checked in. The computer was showing that we had checked in, not my father. I said we had three rooms reserved. Then she pulled it up and said no, you have two. I pointed out that the other party wasn't arriving until the next day. She went in to another page and saw the third ressie, said oh okay.
We wanted our VISA put on the room key for charging privelages. But she wasn't sure how to do it since we had keys already waiting.
She finally re-cut the keys, with our VISA on them.
Check in took almost thirty minutes.
My parents were waiting in the lounge area before Artist's Palette, so we gathered them up and went over to Congress Park.
We were both assigned the same room.
Our new keys worked, my dad's did not.
I called from studio #2336, which had a view of Cirque, the water, and Congress Park building next to ours.
Another fifteen minutes was spent on the phone trying to figure out why we were all in the same studio.
Turns out, when my dad checked in, the CM checked him in under my name instead of his own. All of our ressies I had put in the name of person staying there.
So even though my dad had given his name at check in, the CM checked my name off in the computer as having checked in. They had no record of my dad checking in.
When we had the keys re-cut with our VISA on them, it canceled out the keys my father had been given. With all the confusion at check in, we were given the room my father had been assigned an hour earlier.
They sent a bellman over to our studio, with keys to a different studio for my dad.
Their studio, the one WE were supposed to be in, had the full DTD view and the balcony was a bit bigger.
We were in their room, they were in ours.........
I decided we would just leave it since we had already put our VISAs on the room keys for 2336, it had already been such a hassle. I didn't want to drive back over to check in and go through it again.
Yes, I was mad about the view but thought, we can just pop over to watch the fireworks if we want.
With that cleared up, we all settled in. My DH and I went for groceries while the kids got to swim with their grandparents.
I pretty much forgot about the check in troubles when we returned from the MK the next afternoon to find birthday balloons and autographed pics for both my kids.
Eneri had overheard my son during check in ask if he could have charging privelages too, since it was his 11th birthday. She asked him a bunch of questions and I guess made note of it after we had left.
Now, impressions of SSR.
Very beautiful. The landscaping is lovely. We really enjoyed the quiet pool. The sofa bed is comfy, like the way it folds out.
Our three studios were spotless. Enjoyed being able to park so close to our rooms. All of the cm's we encountered were friendly, personable. The main pool is a lot of fun. Great water slide. Spa is fantastic!
With only two buildings open during our stay, the buses were great! Several times we were the only ones on the bus.
Drive to DTD was super fast.
My kids loved the playground.
Bell services was quick and efficient.
Community hall was fun, plenty of activities to occupy my kids.
The negatives---
Everything felt too spread out. The main pool is not big enough for the amount of rooms. Ferry dock felt out of the way, and we were attacked by bugs here one night. My ankles look like they have chicken pox.
Not enough selections at Artist's Palette, although the food we had there was very good.
I am afraid this resort is going to be too big, I am already imagining the hassles with bus service and overcrowding at the pool.
We didn't think they have enough quiet pools for the proposed buildings.
The golf carts for mousekeeping and DVC tours were being parked in regular parking spaces. At times the lot was full and we would have to search for a spot in the next lot.
We really missed having a gathering spot in our building, like at BCV.
The partially enclosed outdoor walkways are fine, but all the concrete with nothing to absorb the sound? Even whispers echoed.
The headboard for the beds were off center. We tried moving the bed, but you can't.
Smoker's were in the one bedroom next door, which was a non smoking room. (Not really DVC's fault I guess, but it was an annoyance, especially on the balcony with the smoke blowing our way. And several times my BILs would come into our studio and say it smelled like smoke.) Also those same people put their trash in front of our door several different times. I guess they paid for daily linens, because every morning there was a new basket of clean towels and sheets in front of their room. They wouldn't bring it in until late afternoon/evening, so that area in front of our door was always cluttered.
My BIL and I both had the Mystical Forest Massage at the spa. The spa staff is wonderful, the spa itself is beautiful.
My DS had a My First Facial as a special birthday treat from me. He thoroughly enjoyed it, his therapist was wonderful with him, and I got to relax in the spa lounge, child free, for thirty minutes. He is now asking if he can have a massage next time, since his facial was so relaxing.
Overall, I don't think we were "wowed" with Saratoga Springs the way we were with BCV. We enjoyed it, we will stay there again, we just didn't feel like we were home.
Perhaps we will feel differently once all the kinks are worked out, and the construction is done.
