Old Key West vs Saratoga Springs?

[starbox]

I'm curious what this is based upon ? We usually stay at OKW and the bus system is VERY effecient there ? How is SSR the "most" efficient on property ? TIA

OKW has more efficient bus transportation that the other deluxes (exculuding SSR) that all share busses with other resorts.

SSR is the most efficient bus transportation on property because:

1. The circuitous route at OKW is s-l-o-w - it takes busses less time to make the loop through the resort at SSR. (Although the proposed route including the grandstand may change this).

2. Tour busses does not compete for drop offs in the same bus stop. We missed a bus waiting at the main area because a tour bus pulled up and the OKW bus skipped the main stop while it unloaded people and luggage.

3. The proximity to DTD makes SSR the only resort on property that has an efficent, simple way to travel from resort-to-resort. This is a HUGE advantage for families like ourselves that do alot of resort-hopping to dine and want to use Disney busses to do so.

And, in my opinion:

4. It has always seemed that SSR has the most busses running. When we have stayed elsewhere, we always saw SSR busses more than any other resort. On our last trip to OKW, we waited at the MK while THREE SSr busses came and went (half full because there were so many busses). OKW was backed up so far that there was still a line even after the second standing-room-only bus came.

OT - for some reason CBR seems to have the worst in terms of numbers of busses out there- I think I've seen one CBR bus in my life.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Starbox, while I respect your opinion, we have never ever had an OKW bus pass us and we've owned there for 6 years so I think I would have noticed by now. It's all of about 8-10 min for the OKW busses to make the complete loop through the resort.
Also, just coming off a stay at CBR (this past weekend) and the busses ran great.

The proximity to DTD makes SSR the only resort on property that has an efficent, simple way to travel from resort-to-resort. This is a HUGE advantage for families like ourselves that do alot of resort-hopping to dine and want to use Disney busses to do so.

I respectfully disagree again. I don't believe DD is always the best place to catch a connecting bus to another resort because I tend to find the busses run less frequently from DD. We have no problem whatsoever taking a bus from OKW to any theme park (whichever shows up first). Then we catch the desired resort bus from that park. Since busses run more frequently to and from the major theme parks (in our experience), we find getting to other resorts just as efficient as one staying at SSR.
As for SSR having the most busses running.....again.....never observed that ? Friends of ours stayed there in Sept and were not overly pleased with the SSR bus system. They ended up relying on their rental car. Now this is coming from them, not me. I have not stayed at SSR. While I'm not personally saying their bus system is slow, I also don't think it's the "most" efficient as you claim. I'd say it's right on par with the other DVC resorts.
Maybe it's an individual perspective on both our parts, but (respectfully) I just don't agree with your statements about the bus service.

 

[dumbo71]

I'm curious what this is based upon ? We usually stay at OKW and the bus system is VERY effecient there ? How is SSR the "most" efficient on property ? TIA



SSR is definitely more formal and new. But to say OKW is more like a moderate and to downplay the quality one gets here is way off imho. Not everyone likes "Ethan Allen" formal while on vacation. While it is a nice alternative to those who do like it, we much prefer the laid-back, relaxed style of OKW. Has nothing to do with "quality". Rather it's just a different ambience. OKW has the largest bathrooms of all DVC studios. A moderate doesn't give u a kitchenette or balcony or a large bathroom. I don't think I agree with the analogy. And if you stay in a room larger than a studio, the larger balconies can't be beat. OKW has huge balconies and we can actually fit our entire family of 5 out there for meals or board games etc (used to fit 6 when my mil was still with us). This is a huge "plus" for us.

Yes, OKW decor is much less fancy than SSR, but that is in keeping with the themeing of the resort. That's what "Key West" is all about. I wouldn't expect to see dark formal furniture there. Disney themes appropriately. I happen to be one who prefers the light and airy colors/decor of OKW. This and a very laid-back atmosphere is what I look for on vacation. But to say I'm giving up "quality for quantity" is way off.
Yes SSR is nice.......but it's not "better" than OKW or any other DVC......just "different". So I think each of these DVC resorts has something unique to offer guests who stay there. It's just a preference.

I agree with this post totally.

Also I DO NOT find SSR to be upscale in any way shape or form. The resort is a generic cookie cutter Disney Resort. What makes SSR upscale??? It might as well be the BCV just moved over near DTD. The theme stinks, really.

OKW wins hands down over SSR. Why go all the way to Florida to stay in a resort based on an unknown upstate NY destination. I don't want to visit upstate NY let alone go to WDW and stay there.

OKW is the best built DVC Resort to date. It also has the lowest popints and largest rooms, enough said.

Before the flames start, yes I own SSR but I don't stay there. I don't book more than 7 months in davance so the "buy where you want to stay" doesn't apply to me. I kept this resort for the longer contract and because I feel that longer contract will mean higher return say 10 years from now when I'll likely dump my remaining points.

SSR isn't bad per say but to act like it is superior to OKW is comical in my view.

 

[Mickeygolf]

Dumbo71, I think you're a reincarnation of Richyams. Older DVC Disers will understand this better.

I think Starbox is just proud of their home resort. The opinions given were stated as factual, but we all know there are no facts in what was stated. It is not that slow to make the circuit, I've never been passed at the Hospitality house because a tour bus or ME bus was there, it took me almost an hour and a half to get from OKW to GF via DTD buses. I could have went to MK, caught the monorail and been there much faster, and the assertion that there are more SSR buses may or may not be true, but it didn't happen that way the week after Thanksgiving this year. Every park we went to we were thankful at the end of the night that we were in the OKW line as opposed to the SSR line for buses. They were really long that week. It all depends on your timing and experience.

I'm an OKW owner and that's where my family likes to stay. We'll get around to all the other resorts some day, but our preference is OKW. The size of the rooms, ease of transportation, and the overall feel are what make it great for us. But everyone is different that's why we have so many nice DVC resorts now.

I appreciate Starbox vigor, but they are truly only opinions. Everyone needs to discover which DVC resort fits them the best.

Good luck!!!

 

[MiaSRN62]

Mickeygolf says: I appreciate Starbox vigor, but they are truly only opinions. Everyone needs to discover which DVC resort fits them the best.

Agreed......and starbox is proud of SSR (rightfully), but I can assure you most people are of their "home". I agree they painted SSR in a wonderful light, but people need to experience it for themselves. I just felt the negative comments about OKW being more closely related to a mod (by Tubtruck) were way off.
I was talking about my personal experiences while staying at OKW since becoming an owner there in 2000. I am just as proud of OKW, but realize not every resort is right for every person. They each have their strengths and weaknesses.

 

[dumbo71]

Dumbo71, I think you're a reincarnation of Richyams. Older DVC Disers will understand this better.

but who is Richyams???

I am in agreement that there is no one right resort for everyone.

Try them all and develop your favorite.

 

[MiaSRN62]

but who is Richyams???

Dumbo,
Rich was a very colorful/animated poster on the DIS. He truly loved OKW and would sing it's praises every chance he got. He often got himself in hot water though with other DVC'ers......particularily BWV owners. His posts were fun and interesting to read and he often got into some very heated debates with other DVC/DIS'ers.
Sadly, he passed away a couple years ago. Even though he could get under your skin at times, many people still miss him and his thoughts and ideas. Many of his posts would really give ya a good chuckle. Here is a link on the Memorium board here on DIS :
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=641599
Hope this helps explain who Rich was.
Take care,

 

[Mickeygolf]

Thanks Maria, couldn't have summed up Rich any better than that. He was a lot of fun and I miss him on these boards. I guess I always liked him so much because we both owned at OKW and as you said he was one of it's biggest supporters.

 

[NCRedding]

I've stayed at both, and enjoyed both trips. I do prefer OKW with the larger rooms, and fewer points. I certainly wasn't disppointed in my trip to SSR.

However, I VERY much disagree with the statement that SSR buses are the most efficient. We were at SSR in January, and planned to just rely on disney transport. After the first day, we knew that would not work so we rented a car from the CCC and had a much better trip after that! I relied on OKW transportation on our last trip there, and never moved our car, except to go off-site.

 

[AJMlovesRLM]

We satyed at a dedicated 2 BR in OKW in Sept. and next month we are staying in a SSR GV!

The low-points and over-sized rooms is what made us go for OKW last time. IMHO, it is a wonderful place and we will definately stay there again (but we will request a bldg. AWAY from the bus stop - too lound & we rent a car!). However, now that a GV is needed, we figured the new SSR would be the best DVC could offer and we just had to check it out!

Hopefully we have the opportunity to try all of the DVC resorts in the future. The BCV and the VWL interest me big time!

 

[starbox]

Agreed......and starbox is proud of SSR (rightfully), but I can assure you most people are of their "home". I agree they painted SSR in a wonderful light, but people need to experience it for themselves. I just felt the negative comments about OKW being more closely related to a mod (by Tubtruck) were way off.

I don't know if I'd say I am "proud" of SSR, but I do think that each resort has strengths and weaknesses (SSR included). The bus transportation set-up, in my experience and opinion, a strength of SSR (mostly due to being so close to the DTD hub). I think OKW bus transport is better than the DVC's attached to deluxe resorts, but I had two really bad bus experiences at OKW (once when we missed the Good Morning song at MK because of the tour-bus unloading and skipping of our stop and once when we had to wait over 45 minutes for a bus after MK).

OKW has strengths that SSR does not have: The theming is much more clever and whimsical. The rooms and balconies are larger. There are 2 queens in a studio. The bathrooms are much larger. The points are lower. The community hall at OKW is better (in my opinion) because it has table games. There is a sand-play area.

SSR has strengths that OKW does not have: There is indoor seating for the CS restaurant. You can request a view of DTD and walk there very easily, which allows you to use DTD as a transportation hub if you choose. The pool has more features. The resort is newer and has new beds/sofas. There are more walking/jogging paths/and a more fully equipped fitness center/spa.

I don't see how anyone could say that the furninshings at one resort are "better", just as I don't think you could say that Turf Club or Olivia's are "better" because they are totally and intentionally different. SSR and Turf Club are more "country club" and Olivia's and OKW are more "beach house". Lots of people go to the country club and have beach houses and love both atmospheres.

I honestly did not mean to sound like a SSR cheerleader. The OP was asking specifically if a stay at SSR would be "disappointing" after OKW. I don't think it would be. I don't think a stay at OKW would be dissapointing after SSR either. Each DVC resort has something special to offer to guests, and none of the DVC resorts are subpar.

 

[jaskemr]

I've only been Disney once in recent years and Stayed at OKW in 2005.
We had a 2 bedroom villa.

Are people saying a 2 Bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs is smaller than a 2 bedroom villa at Old Key West?

We had plenty of room at OKW, 2 bedrooms, 2 Baths, large balcony.
How do 2BRs compare between the 2 resorts besides the decor?

Since I've only stayed at OKW once, and that's it, I can't compare the 2 resorts. OKW was perfect for us, and Staying in the same exact villa would make our 2nd trip easier because we know what to expect and how the busses run (we were close to the the main building/entrance (Building 11?), and often times on the return bus, we would get off at the first stop and just walk past Olivias and right to our place because it was way quicker than riding the bus all the way around OKW (ie we were last to get on and last to get off).

The bus stop there was quite congested at times and the tour buses etc did clog it up often times. I didn't see any bypass the stop, but it did add time while they waited in line.

I'm considering Saratoga Springs because it's a different resort with what appears to be similar accommadations and price to Old Key West. The fancier decor I won't really care for, OKW was just fine for me. Just hoping if I choose Sarasota Springs, I won't end up regretting not staying at Old Key West.

 

[MiaSRN62]

starbox says : I don't know if I'd say I am "proud" of SSR, but I do think that each resort has strengths and weaknesses (SSR included). The bus transportation set-up, in my experience and opinion, a strength of SSR (mostly due to being so close to the DTD hub).

Starbox,
Didn't mean to paint you as a SSR cheerleader. It wasn't meant in a bad way. I think all owners should be proud of their home though.
I agree about strengths and weaknessess in the various DVC resorts and stated this in my post #25. We are all free to express our personal opinions about the resorts. There will be those that agree and those that do not. I agreed with just about everything you said about SSR except the busses. I don't see that as a "true" general statement. I never experienced anything like what was mentioned about the OKW bus stop either. It may be true based on your own personal experiences though (which as you stated, were 2 bad experiences at OKW). Law of averages...I've stayed at OKW many times over 6-7 years and never had any problems. I fully believe anything can happen at ANY resort though. Just because you haven't had to wait 45 min at SSR yet, doesn't mean that might not happen in the future or that others already haven't experienced. I still stand firm though, that imho, busses in DD area run less frequently than they do from the major theme parks and I'm not even sure they run in the mornings before the shops/restaurants at DD are open ? So getting to an early morning breakfast at one of the hotels might be a little tough from DD ? But perhaps your experiences have been different. Either way, it's nice to be able to share our varying opinions.

Jaskemr says : Are people saying a 2 Bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs is smaller than a 2 bedroom villa at Old Key West?

Yes, the OKW villas are the largest. You will most notice the size difference in the living/dining area. Also, the balconies are larger at OKW though I have heard there are some balconies at the other DVC resorts that are comparably sized, but they seemed to be mostly some isolated corner units. I've never stayed at SSR, only seen it from the tour we took in August. At OKW, all 5 of our family members can sit out on the balcony for a meal or a board game etc (we used to fit 6 comfortably when my mil vacationed with us), while I have not been able to do that while staying at some other DVC resorts. Just a head's up. For us, the larger balconies are important, for others they may not be a factor. Other than the size of the living/dining room and balcony, I think you'd be happy with SSR. Everything is very pretty and brand new there.

 

[jaskemr]

I want to thank everyone for providing input into this thread.

I appreciate the differences in opinions and experiences people have had.

This has been a most informative thread!

I also like that you have been able to disagree and debate different points of view in a respectful way! It definately helps hearing the pluses and minuses.

A couple more questions on SSR,
1) If I was to stay there, and it seems like the most recommended part would be "Congress Park" (although I probably would have picked "The Springs", do to the location of the onsite resturants, etc), which building would be the best in Congress Park?

I found a map at: http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/Saratoga.htm

The one on the far right? Or any? Closest to the bus stop? Is there really much difference in walking distance no matter which one? (No scale on the map, so I don't know if it's 100 yards or 1/2 mile.)


2) Does SSR have high speed internet like OKW for $9.95/24 hours or what ever the charge is. More simply, Does SSR have high speed internet available in the villas?

Thanks again for all your responses.

 

[starbox]

I've stayed at OKW many times over 6-7 years and never had any problems. I fully believe anything can happen at ANY resort though. Just because you haven't had to wait 45 min at SSR yet, doesn't mean that might not happen in the future or that others already haven't experienced. I still stand firm though, that imho, busses in DD area run less frequently than they do from the major theme parks and I'm not even sure they run in the mornings before the shops/restaurants at DD are open ? So getting to an early morning breakfast at one of the hotels might be a little tough from DD ? But perhaps your experiences have been different. Either way, it's nice to be able to share our varying opinions.

I agree that bus glitches (and check-in glitches and room cleanliness/readiness issues) are not resort-specific problems. Some problems can, justifiably, color a person's opinion of a resort (although I've never encountered a cleanliness issue, there have been a few examples shared on the boards that I think would put me off of a given resort forever - so I do understand people being upset), but that does not mean a resort is "bad" or that other guests have not had magical stays.

I'm glad to hear that the bus situation at OKW is generally good, since the whole bus thing is important to us. I must have gotten a string of bad luck for some reason .

As for using DTD in the morning, we are not morning enough people to do a breakfast before the parks open. If breakfast was at Chef Mickey's, the GF, or O'Hana, I'd just take a MK bus though. The busses start running from the marketplace at DTD pretty early, but they don't start stopping at Westside till around 11:00.

In general, the DTD hub has worked very well for us. Pre-DVC, we used to bus to DTD from our resort and resort-hop that way. We actually stayed at POR one year just to have the boat to DTD because we thought it would make resort-hopping via. DTD easier. We the ferry boat rides, but found they are not a very efficient way to travel if you're trying to make a reservation.

 

[MiaSRN62]

starbox says : As for using DTD in the morning, we are not morning enough people to do a breakfast before the parks open.

I just wanted to give others the head's up on this. And whichever route one uses to get to another resort from their resort, allow a minimum of 1 hour to get there if not more.

Jaskemr asks : Does SSR have high speed internet like OKW for $9.95/24 hours or what ever the charge is. More simply, Does SSR have high speed internet available in the villas?

Yep ! If you don't have your own ethernet cable, there should be one you can use in the closet. You're good to go at SSR
Sorry I can't answer your other question about SSR. I'm sure someone will have the answer for ya.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I just returned from SSR, and after a week of not having a car, I was very sore from walking everywhere. I was glad to go home, since it took so-o-o-o long to get anywhere. I stayed in Congress Park, and had to walk to DTD, to get groceries, and just to get to the bus to the parks. It wasn't my favorite, especially because all the buses were the old ones, and their bus drivers never lowered the buses, so it was a chore to climb into them! DH likes it there, so I suppose I will stay there again, but I like OKW much better. After my stay at SSR, it was the only stay out of a total of 76 stays at Disney, that I wanted to go home, because I thought that going anywhere seemed to be such a chore. Just my opinion,

 

[jaskemr]

When I stayed at OKW in 2005, I didn't rent a car, and it was my first time, flew into Orlando, and I was clueless of what to do next, but we found the Magical Express Area rather quickly, and it went smoother than I expected. Nice airconditioned "Tour" bus that took us from the airport to OKW, Check in was easy, room was much larger than expected (2 bedroom in OKW). It was like a 2 Bedroom Condo, with 2 baths, 2 bedrooms, sleeper sofa, full kitchen, washer/dryer, dvd player, heck it had everything a family of 6 needed.

Bus Transportation worked well. Getting picked up at OKW was always easy, getting picked up to come back seemed to take longer but perhaps due to the time of day we were leaving.

Buying Groceries was the only problem I had. I called a cab and had them take me to a store and then called again to bring me back. Perhaps catching a bus to DTD would have been a better option, although I loaded up for a whole week.

Where do you buy groceries in DTD? We went there once for dinner and milled around, but I wasn't looking for grocery stores as I had what we needed already.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Buying Groceries was the only problem I had

If you don't have a car, you can always use these services:
http://www.gardengrocer.com/

http://www.wegoshop.com/index.html

 

[hematite153]

Since I didn't see this anywhere, I thought I would add one more piece of advice. Given the number of people in your group, if you do choose SSR, you probably want to request a dedicated 2BDR unit. That way you will get two queen beds (instead of one bed and one pull-out) in the 2nd bedroom.