Poll: Has SSR become the best DVC Resort currently?

[dumbo71]

Being fairly new here, I've followed the trip reports with great interest. It seems that SSR gets rave reviews.

Please give this some thought before you just go and vote.

Taking into account the following is SSR currently the best DVC Resort?

1) location
2) Theme
3) amnenities
4) dining compared to other DVC Resorts
5) pool
6) condition of the rooms i.e. cleanliness and decor.
7) cost of rooms on a per point basis, i.e. value.
8) Well there isn't an eight but had you looking.

 

[dwelty]

Take the results of this poll with a grain of salt. As big as SSR is, there are still FAR more owners of other resorts on these boards. Everyone feels a certian loyalty to their own resort. All DVC resorts have their own pros and cons. The only way you would get a real un-biased review, would be to ask several non DVC members who had stayed at all of the resorts for their opinion. Not very realistic.

 

[BCV23]

1. location: SSR has the worst location in my opinion but that is completely subjective.

2. theme: very well done but they all are

3. amenities: no better than others.

4. dining: not even close to the options available in the Epcot area resorts

5. pool: SAB has the others beat by a mile IMO

6. room conditions: haven't stayed at them all but see bad reports about them all and figure there are far more good experiences that don't get posted or fall to the bottom of the page immediately. I expect overall the room conditions are about equal.

7. value: it is the second best value after OKW IMO

It is great to see how satisfied SSR owners are with their home though.

 

[rascalmom]

1) My family (with teens) loves the proximity to DTD
2) Theme is about equal among the DVC resorts, but I think the grounds of SSR with all of the fountains, waterways & greenspace outdoes the others. When the new pool is opened, I think it will rank first in theming.
3) Spa - yep!
4) Turf Club food was about equal to Olivia's in quality. Prefer the atmosphere of Turf Club. Do any of the others at WDW have their own restaurants? They have close proximity to parks or BW eateries, but SSR has close proximity to DTD eateries.
5) I think SSR's High Rock Springs is the most beautiful. With small kids, SAB would win.
6) Right now, SSR is newer. As it develops more "wear & tear" like the others, we shall see.
7) OKW wins here - for size of rooms & point requirements. SSR #2.
8) Well there isn't an eight but ... give me a while & I wil think of something! Oh yes - those extra years on the contract...

 

[speakupjc]

I own at SSR and voted against it. I never want to stay there because of its massive size and location although I will if I can't get in anywhere else. My favorite is BWV for its location, access to great restaurants etc.

 

[Dean]

Keep in mind this pole will be skewed in favor of SSR simply because there are a higher percentage of owners there. So take whatever number comes up for SSR and reduce it by at least 30%.

 

[Starr W.]

We stayed at SSR as non-DVC members(booked through Expedia). Though we have joined DVC since our stay.

I like the subtle theme of SSR and the fact it seems miles away from the parks. We are a family of walkers so the distances didn't bother us. The Turf Club was nice, loved the salmon salad. Only ate at AP once, Mickey waffles were good. They need to do something about the cashier situation with the giftshop/AP, it's kind of a bottleneck.

I think the dining options are good with DTD a short walk away. We really enjoyed House of Blues and are going to try WPC in May. The rooms were very nice and no cutesy furniture or decor.


DH & I are both experienced travellers, and the thing I really noticed about CM's at SSR and WDW, is that I didn't encounter one that when asked a question gave you that totally clueless look with their mouth open(like they were brain dead).They were always pleasant and if they couldn't answer your question they would find it for you.

 

[BCV23]

Do any of the others at WDW have their own restaurants? They have close proximity to parks or BW eateries, but SSR has close proximity to DTD eateries.

BCV, VWL and BWV are each a part of that resort. WL only has three restaurants including CS.

Y&BC/BCV has Yachtsman's, Yacht Club Galley, Cape May, Beaches and Cream, BC Marketplace, Hurricane Hannah's, Crew's Cup. Plus you can get appetizers at the other 3 bars I believe although we have never done that.

BWV/BWI has Flying Fish, Spoodles, ESPN Club ....and???

And of course, for guests at either Epcot resort, the other's restaurants are a short walk away as well as all the options in WS and at the S/D.

I've never walked from SSR to DTD but isn't it a hike to the restaurants? It sure looks it sitting on the patio at WPCafe.

 

[Sammie]

Keep in mind this pole will be skewed in favor of SSR simply because there are a higher percentage of owners there. So take whatever number comes up for SSR and reduce it by at least 30%.

How can it be skewed in the favor of SSR if more DISers are nonSSR members.

 

[starbox]

I don't think there can ever be a "best" resort. SSR, being new, does not as many maitenence issues yet; the Carousel and Grandstand rooms especially are going to look and feel brand new. It does seem that a few of the resorts are having some mousekeeping issues, but those seem cyclical and are likely the result of poor management - a good lead mousekeeping CM is all it takes to turn things around. I have not read a report of a bad mousekeeping experience at either BWV or WLV lately.

I think SSR has pleasantly suprised people lately, but you have to remember how unfinished it was. A few years ago it was very scraggly-looking, did not have any TS dining, etc. It's just now really coming into its own and I think the recent trip reports reflect that. It is a good, solid resort that has something unique to offer guests - just as the other DVC resorts do. It's not the "best", it's one of five of the "best" resorts (aka DVC properties) at Disney.

 

[Sammie]

I don't think there can ever be a "best" resort. SSR, being new, does not as many maitenence issues yet; the Carousel and Grandstand rooms especially are going to look and feel brand new. It does seem that a few of the resorts are having some mousekeeping issues, but those seem cyclical and are likely the result of poor management - a good lead mousekeeping CM is all it takes to turn things around. I have not read a report of a bad mousekeeping experience at either BWV or WLV lately.

I think SSR has pleasantly suprised people lately, but you have to remember how unfinished it was. A few years ago it was very scraggly-looking, did not have any TS dining, etc. It's just now really coming into its own and I think the recent trip reports reflect that. It is a good, solid resort that has something unique to offer guests - just as the other DVC resorts do. It's not the "best", it's one of five of the "best" resorts (aka DVC properties) at Disney.

I totally agree. Why do any of the resorts have to be considered "best" anyway? That only proves what is best to some. No one's opinion is more important or holds more weight than anyone else's.

Right now SSR works best for our family and our wants and needs. That does not make it best for someone that prefers SAB or being close to MGM as the BW offers.

 

[tubtruck]

I agee with Starbox maybe Dean is getting a little confused, given that there are more people at the other resorts in total at SSR, maybe 30% should be added to the total rather than taken away, besides I shouldnt have voted as I am not qualified to do so as I have not as yet stayed at all of the DVC resorts. I wonder how many others have voted who have not stayed at all of the resorts ?. Nice to see SSR is now getting an excellent press as it is a wonderful place and now is very near to completion. Congratulations SSR owners on getting a bargain price, it wont be many years before your ownership will be worth more than BCV given the differences in contract length and you have paid less for it!

 

[Melrosgirl]

We've stayed at SSR twice. It's a nice resort, but I would never request to stay there. I've only stayed there when nothing else was available.

 

[Sammie]

I agee with Starbox maybe Dean is getting a little confused, given that there are more people at the other resorts in total at SSR, maybe 30% should be added to the total rather than taken away, besides I shouldnt have voted as I am not qualified to do so as I have not as yet stayed at all of the DVC resorts. I wonder how many others have voted who have not stayed at all of the resorts. Nice to see SSR is now getting an excellent press as it is a wonderful place and now is very near to completion. Congratulations SSR owners on getting a bargain price, it wont be many years before your ownership will be worth more than BCV given the differences in contract length and you have paid less for it!

Definitely a good point. We have stayed at all the DVC resorts including HHI and Vero many times. I do always find it amusing that someone can state that a resort is not a good one, and have not experienced it. We find something to like at all the DVC resorts. And at this particular time we like SSR the best because it fits our needs and wants to recreation, quietness, beautiful spacious grounds and lots of options for dining nearby Disney or otherwise.

 

[rigsby25]

We own at OKW. We bought a resale sight unseen because of the lower maintenance fees and lower number of points for reservations. We booked a 1 bedroom our first time out and we were very pleasantly surprised. Last winter we decided to go on a spur of the moment trip and nothing was available but SSR. It was really a nice place but we were homesick for the island paradise at OKW. Since then we have also stayed in an SSR 1 br and I am totally shocked at how much smaller they seem comparted to the OKW 1 bedroom.

1) location - for sure not great, but at least close to DTD.
2) Theme - very nice, but they are all nice
3) amnenities - plenty. The pool is nice. The view of DTD is nice.
4) dining compared to other DVC Resorts. The food was good at both Artists point and Turf Club. I think it will just get better.
5) pool - pool was very nice. Quiet pools were very good also.
6) condition of the rooms i.e. cleanliness and decor. Actually - I would say on a par with the rest of them. I've been in carpet stained rooms and falling apart tv sets/dishwasher, etc.
7) cost of rooms on a per point basis, i.e. value. Not as good as OKW

I think SSR is the best resort for grand villa handicapped access.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We love SSR but do want to stay at all the others as well. We hit BCV in June and are really looking forward to it.

I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the DVCs.

But just like rides,parks,and eateries there is something for everyone.

I think those that were real negative about SSR that have ended up staying there may have swayed a bit from the haterd .

 

[corinnak]

I think that this may be a case of the pendulum swinging back - I haven't stayed at SSR yet (though soon!), but I know that six months to a year ago, there were some very vocal people on the boards here going on about how awful SSR was, how it is ruining the whole DVC program and what a bad plan Disney had had in the very concept of SSR. Seems like as the place has become more finished and people have stayed there, there is a sense of maybe surprise that it's actually a pretty nice resort with unique benefits. I imagine the surprise at finding that a resort that had gotten kind of a negative buzz for a while is actually pretty nice would inspire some visitors to write reviews. I am sure there are people equally pleased with the other DVC properties, maybe even moreso, but they aren't astounded to find that their last choice resort was actually really nice, you know?

As ever, it seems like there is so much personal preference involved, even for those members who feel like they are able to choose a "best," I know for a fact that my first choice of "best" would be different from my best friends choice of "best". I do think it's nice that some are finding that SSR is their favorite - for a while there, it was feared that the guides were selling SSR solely based on the fact that if you buy there, you don't have to stay there. I guess the glowing reports are maybe a sign that SSR is no longer in the "akward freshman" stage and is moving up to Sophomore status.

 

[dumbo71]

I think that this may be a case of the pendulum swinging back - I haven't stayed at SSR yet (though soon!), but I know that six months to a year ago, there were some very vocal people on the boards here going on about how awful SSR was, how it is ruining the whole DVC program and what a bad plan Disney had had in the very concept of SSR. Seems like as the place has become more finished and people have stayed there, there is a sense of maybe surprise that it's actually a pretty nice resort with unique benefits. I imagine the surprise at finding that a resort that had gotten kind of a negative buzz for a while is actually pretty nice would inspire some visitors to write reviews. I am sure there are people equally pleased with the other DVC properties, maybe even moreso, but they aren't astounded to find that their last choice resort was actually really nice, you know?

As ever, it seems like there is so much personal preference involved, even for those members who feel like they are able to choose a "best," I know for a fact that my first choice of "best" would be different from my best friends choice of "best". I do think it's nice that some are finding that SSR is their favorite - for a while there, it was feared that the guides were selling SSR solely based on the fact that if you buy there, you don't have to stay there. I guess the glowing reports are maybe a sign that SSR is no longer in the "akward freshman" stage and is moving up to Sophomore status.

Great post and ITA.

 

[rascalmom]

We have stayed in the Congress Park section of SSR on both of our visits there. I don't think the distance to the DTD eateries is any greater from there than from BW to the Epcot restaurants. Olivia's can be pretty far from some of the buildings at OKW. I am NOT a walker & found the walk along the water to DTD very pleasant.

From the other sections of SSR - take a bus, the boat or drive.

We've stayed at OKW four times (only once on points) & SSR twice. Stayed WL conceirge, but not the WLV. I would stay BW if I could snag a BW view room, but since I don't own there - I'll stick with SSR.

My best doesn't have to be anybody else's best. It's all a matter of tastes and preferences.

 

[Geezer]

I'd say second best. The best is Old Key West.