Poll: Has SSR become the best DVC Resort currently?

[Dean]

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

because the percentage of people who own at SSR is higher than other resorts and owners have a tendency to rate their home resort higher than deserved blindly. So if you end up with 30% saying it's the best resort, the number should actually be lower than that. The same would be true but to a lessor degree (simply due to numbers) at any and all of the resorts. It would be difficult to design a good poll for this issue though.

 

[Sammie]

because the percentage of people who own at SSR is higher than other resorts and owners have a tendency to rate their home resort higher than deserved blindly. So if you end up with 30% saying it's the best resort, the number should actually be lower than that. The same would be true but to a lessor degree (simply due to numbers) at any and all of the resorts. It would be difficult to design a good poll for this issue though.

My point was that unless you can actually poll all DVC members and not just those that post on the DIS or even those that post on the DIS and actually will participate in this poll, it's still going to be only reflective of those participating and not the percentage of SSR owners. I seriously doubt there are more SSR members here at the DIS than say BW or OKW even.

 

[Dean]

I seriously doubt there are more SSR members here at the DIS than say BW or OKW even.

My impression is otherwise but hard to say for sure.

 

[byoung]

No way!

 

[tubtruck]

Dean still has not got it? The fact that SSR is the lagrest resort does not favour SSR in this poll, the question clearly states Is SSR the best resort ?, given that the number of owners at SSR is smaller by a massive margin than all the other resorts added together it is more likely that SSR will be discriminated against in this poll given that a considerable number of people will vote no even if they have not even been there because it is not the resort that they own at.

 

[Doctor P]

I voted no, but in terms of personal opinon (and I don't own at SSR), there are an awful lot of things that the resort has going for it. Location is actually pretty good. You can go directly to any other resort from SSR in an easier manner than from almost any other resort due to the buses at DD, and certainly easier than any other DVC resort. As a golfer, having the clubhouse of LBV so handy is a real plus. The sofa beds at SSR are also the best I have ever slept on. Proximity to DD is also superior to proximity to the Boardwalk in my opinion (all things considered).

 

[Slakk]

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.

How true! We thought we would LOVE to stay at BWV then realized it is not really to our taste. I will have stayed at every DVC but OKW by June and I believe that you miss out on so much by limiting yourself to one resort all the time.

Each one has its own plusses and minuses - I happen to like SSR the best so far probably because I love DTD and love the Spa but any DVC is a winner

 

[BroganMc]

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.

I concur. I know I was very surprised to see all the negativity on this board toward SSR. Having toured the place in May and staying there this month, I just couldn't see what was so wrong about the place. It all seemed to boil down to (a) poster dislike of DTD, (b) lack of a walking or ferry distance to a park and/or (c) concern for reservation competition at the smaller resorts.

I'd say more SSR owners have had a chance to try the resort, fell in love, and realize this talk was far more sour grapes than anything.

Of the three reservations I've made all are at SSR and I'm not likely to switch. It was a lot of fun heading over to DTD for movies, PI and Christmas shopping my last stay.

And on my latest stay, I visited Beach Club, Boardwalk and Wilderness Lodge (as I usually do during my offsite stays). Beach Club was the best for a day of country hopping at Epcot, but all three struck me with how incredibly busy they feel with the CRO hotel guests. I wonder how one relaxes there. It soured me on switching my stays a bit. Sort of in the category of "beautiful to visit but wouldn't want to sleep there". Handicap parking at all three was miles behind the availability at SSR as well. So on the bright side, being a SSR owner who's stayed at her resort has made me less interested in competing for the smaller ones. Should make every DIS poster happy, right?

 

[kathleena]

I stayed at SSR in Oct and while I liked it, it was just too far removed for my tastes. I voted no, it's not the best resort. but I do think it is better than OKW (sorry folks, the cheeriness and the theming swing me over) I don't think it's any better than BCV and VWL. And the BWV is my home, so I am very biased.

1) location ummm i wouldn't rank it high on location, all it's near is DTD and the buses take a long time to everywhere but there
2) Theme I would rank it high on theming. I do love the horse theme, but I'm biased to BWV as I love the music and the lobby
3) amnenities I don't think it has any more or less than other DVC resort - except the spa, and that won't tip me over to make it the best
4) dining compared to other DVC Resorts Definately not at the top. The set up with the store and the counter service was just awful. You had to stand in one line, then stand in the other with your food, behind all the people buying product and getting their packages. I found it a waste of time and very annoying.
5) pool Nope, not the top. Maybe when the second themed pool opens.
6) condition of the rooms i.e. cleanliness and decor. I think just because it's new, they are fresh. I think the decor is great. I would score it high on decor, but the kitchen area in the BWV studios is larger, and there are drawers in the bathroom sink cabinet too.
7) cost of rooms on a per point basis, i.e. value. I can get BWV for cheaper......and location is better and food choices are better (have to count Epcot being next door vs DTD being next door)
8) Well there isn't an eight but had you looking Well, it was hard not to......

And oh by the way - I would stay there again because I do like the resort. It's very pretty, nice to walk around in and the room decor is nice. If I had a choice between OKW and SSR, I would go to SSR. But if I had one of the other three, I would take them.

 

[jemiaule]

1) location -
Not IMHO, but then we are not big DTD people and rarely go there. I like BWV & BCV to be close to walk to Epcot. VWL is nice because of the boat ride to MK.

2) Theme -
Personally I think VWL has the nicest theme.

3) amnenities -
They do have the spa going for them, but I don't go to WDW for a spa. There are no boat rentals there which I found to be a bummer...but then some people don't go to WDW to drive a boat.

4) dining compared to other DVC Resorts -
Oh no way. Some may say yes though because of the DTD Dining. Personally if I am going to walk a ways to dinner I would rather walk from BCV & BWV and dine in Epcot.

5) pool -
We were kind of surprised SSR had a rather unimpressive main pool for a new resort. But you know - water is water and having a roomy pool to take a dip in is what matters. All DVC pools are nice.

6) condition of the rooms i.e. cleanliness and decor. -
Well SSR is a new resort so it will have the newest furniture, etc. That said, I still prefered our room at OKW over the one at SSR. Cleanliness was equal, decor was equal, the three things that made me like OKW better was the room was MUCH bigger, the balcony was MUCH bigger and there were some maintenance issues at SSR that we had to call on.

7) cost of rooms on a per point basis, i.e. value. -
I feel OKW has a better value for the points purely on the room...less points and more space.

 

[jemiaule]

I wonder how many others have voted who have not stayed at all of the resorts ?.

We have stayed at all of the WDW ones but BCV. Haven't made it to Vero or HH yet...key word there is yet

 

[MiaSRN62]

rascalmom says : 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've never stayed at SSR but I did get to take a tour there this past August. I agree and feel there's a good amount of walking involved with most any DVC resort. Certain areas at the BWV, or SSR or OKW are always going to be further from dining options than other areas at those resorts. Just depends on where your room is situated. I experienced alot of walking when staying at both BWV and OKW depending on the stay. I just feel a wdw vacation is alot of excercise .

I do feel certain rooms at SSR are much more convenient than other rooms there to dining/pool/DD having walked the resort and this can be said about most of the DVC resorts pretty much. I do wish OKW had a food court area like SSR. That was one thing I think I probably miss the most at OKW since you can no longer get Olivia's takeout at Goods to Go (going on several years now). I felt the SSR food court had a very nice selection and it was nice to have indoor seating. Also, I feel Goods to Go closes too early. Should stay open until at least 11 pm or 12 midnight. I still prefer OKW for the size of the room and large balcony (and 2 queen beds with a studio).....but just wish I could change a couple things there.

The rooms/decor at SSR are obviously going to be brand new and shiny. It'll be interesting to see how they stand the test of time and then compare it to the other DVC resorts.

So I voted "no" that SSR is not the best because I agree with others in that each resort has pros and cons and different unique things to offer Members/Guests there. I do feel SSR's reputation is improving over time though and this is a good thing for DVC system overall.

 

[Dean]

Dean still has not got it? The fact that SSR is the lagrest resort does not favour SSR in this poll, the question clearly states Is SSR the best resort ?, given that the number of owners at SSR is smaller by a massive margin than all the other resorts added together it is more likely that SSR will be discriminated against in this poll given that a considerable number of people will vote no even if they have not even been there because it is not the resort that they own at.

Actually SSR is almost 40% of the total units for DVC and given the points structure and GV there, likely a true 40% of the total points and owners (edited to add, when it is sold out). And if you count only on property options, it is essentially 50%. Maybe VB and HH owners that have stayed at all resorts within a 5 year time frame would be the most objective. One point I hadn't intended to elaborate on is that IMO newer members are more likely to be less objective than long standing members which also affects SSR more than the others.

 

[mamaprincess]

I love SSR!

1. The staff is superb and super-friendly.
2. The rooms are gorgeous and always fresh.
3. The proximity to Downtown Disney is a wonderful bonus because of all the great dining and shopping options,plus the kids just love it there.
4. The bus service is excellent.
5. High Rocks Spring pool is so gorgeous and wonderfully themed, the kids love it! I've never seen it crowded.
6.It is a welcomed and needed respite away form the hecticness of the crowds at the park. You feel rested just coming through the gates. It is such a laid back resort.
7. It is a beautiful looking resort with so many little areas just perfect as backdrops for pictures. The more I go, the more beauty I see in it.
8. I love that it is exclusively DVC. No hotel crowds to jostle with. Everyone is moving at a very easy pace.
9. I really love being able to park right infront of my building especially when my feet are hurting.
10. I love how large it is because it never looks or feels crowded. We were there Christmas week. We never noticed when the crowds came in. You can't feel the difference.
11. The sleeper sofa is super-comfortable as are the beds. I get my best sleep there.
12. Artist Pallete has great selections.
13. We have stayed at every section, Congress Park, The Springs, The Paddocks and just recently, Carousel we have never been bothered by the walking although we do rent a car and would no matter where we were. I have gotten rides on the golf cart to the Carriage House. There is usually someone willing to get you where you're going if you need a lift. You can also hop a bus to the Carriage House is you need to. Like I said the staff is superb and will go out of their way to be helpful to you.
14. The Spa is excellent.

 

[tubtruck]

Actually SSR is almost 40% of the total units for DVC and given the points structure and GV there, likely a true 40% of the total points and owners (edited to add, when it is sold out). And if you count only on property options, it is essentially 50%. Maybe VB and HH owners that have stayed at all resorts within a 5 year time frame would be the most objective. One point I hadn't intended to elaborate on is that IMO newer members are more likely to be less objective than long standing members which also affects SSR more than the others.

Newer members have also had less time to find the DIS to enable them to vote

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't know if I'd call it the best, but I like it. I end up at DTD every night so I don't mind the location. I think most persons would be more interested in being closer to a theme park.

The one I hardly ever stay at is WVL, it's small and difficult to get in, and while it's beautiful the location doesn't really interest me. I don't spend lots of time at MK.

 

[MiaSRN62]

tubtruck says :Newer members have also had less time to find the DIS to enable them to vote

Well just wanted to add......you can be a DIS poster for many years and still be a new DVC Member (or new SSR owner). I lurked on these boards for about a year before I registered and then later became a DVC Member.

 

[Dean]

Newer members have also had less time to find the DIS to enable them to vote

I don't think that's the case on a percentage basis but it's hard to know for certain. Actually I'd think it's the other way that a higher percentage of newer owners are internet savvy than those that have owned for a longer time. I'm sure there has been a poll in the past as to how many owned at which resort that would give some idea though it is an evolving target upward for SSR.

 

[mbhoxsie]

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.

I would completely agree here... I have visited all of the DVC resorts, and have stayed at almost all of them... (Gonna pick up BCV in six months..) Even though we have experience with the different resorts, I would be hesitant to call one the "best" or to say that this one is better than that one...

IMHO, the best resort is the one that suits your mood at that specific time... For instance, if I want to swim,, I go to BCV... I want to relax, I pick VB.. I want low key, I pick OKW... I want the old South, I pick HHI.. etc.. We own at BWV, and love it there because it's in the middle of everything... But, last year we wanted to be secluded a bit, and chose OKW, and we couldn't have been happier...

 

[crisi]

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

1) location - BWV and BCV hands down

2) Theme - VWL hands down

3) amnenities - BCV hands down

4) dining compared to other DVC Resorts - BWV/BCV hands down

5) pool - BCV hands down

6) condition of the rooms i.e. cleanliness and decor. - SSR has the ugliest decor in DVC. Can't stand it. I wouldn't stay here because I don't like the decor. (Taste is subjective - SSR is not to my taste. I'm glad it is to the taste of others).

7) cost of rooms on a per point basis, i.e. value. - OKW hands down.

8) Well there isn't an eight but had you looking.[/QUOTE]

SSR has nothing going for it IMHO but twelve extra years, useless to us because we are too old for them to be useful and have no wish to pass it on to our kids.