Pro's and Con's of SSR

[PBB]

We are going to WDW for the first time in 4 years and we are staying at SSR. Our home resort is OKW and we have stayed there several times. We have stayed at The villas at WL and loved it as well. In fact, we loved all the DVC's with the exception BW. This is our first time at SSR and I keep reading mixed reports about the resort. What are the pros and cons of this resort ?

I am not worried about location. We stayed in the fairway villas several times when it was the Disney institute. We just loved how quiet it was during our afternoon naps. (kids were little then) I hope this hasn't changed. How are the interiors and what resorts do the interiors compare with ?

Also, I have one stupid question about the Extra Magic Hours. I understand the extra hours in the morning. I am just unsure about the evening hours. How does that work ? We are arriving on Sunday and the hours at MK are 9am til 11pm. Since I am staying at a WDW property does this mean we can get in the park starting at 8 am and leave as late as 2 am ?? I am reading this right ?

Thanks for any tips you can provide.

Patrick

 

[Deb & Bill]

We're with you on your favorite resorts. BWV is our least favorite, too. If you like OKW, you should also like SSR. Rooms not as large, but a similar feeling, like you are in a community rather than a hotel.

SSR has rooms similar to all the other resorts than OKW for layout. Furniture is dark wood (like VWL, but not as rustic). There is an elevator in each building and the hallways to the rooms are outside, so there are no fully enclosed corridors and rooms only on one side of the building. The hallways are totally covered and partially enclosed so you are protected from the weather. You can park relatively close to your villa similar to OKW, but not as close.

For EMH, usually a park will have either EMH for the morning or evening and only one park a day with EMH. So you won't ever get in one hour early and stay three hours later in the same park. But if the park you want to go to in the morning opens at 9AM and it has EMH in the morning, you will get in at 8AM. If the park you want to go to in the evening is open until 11PM and has EMH that night, you can close up the park at 2AM.

 

[ChelleinNC]

Also, I have one stupid question about the Extra Magic Hours. I understand the extra hours in the morning. I am just unsure about the evening hours. How does that work ? We are arriving on Sunday and the hours at MK are 9am til 11pm. Since I am staying at a WDW property does this mean we can get in the park starting at 8 am and leave as late as 2 am ?? I am reading this right ?

Easy one first If there are Morning EMH hours, the park opens 1 hour before posted time. Evening EMH hours the park will be open 3 hours after posted time, so yes if it's evening emh at MK on a night they're open till 11pm, you'll be able to stay until 2am

This is our first time at SSR and I keep reading mixed reports about the resort. What are the pros and cons of this resort ?

I am not worried about location. We stayed in the fairway villas several times when it was the Disney institute. We just loved how quiet it was during our afternoon naps. (kids were little then) I hope this hasn't changed. How are the interiors and what resorts do the interiors compare with ?

You'll find many views on the pros/cons of SSR (and many threads about it)
Pros/Cons
It is still quiet--very relaxing if you ask me
Not next to a park-- again relaxing & next to DTD, bus service has been great for us
Condo style--park next to building, no long halls/OTOH no long halls if it's raining/storming
Rooms are very nice, not as big as some/not as small as others
"Themeing", some don't think there's enough/any themeing. I used to live in Saratoga Springs, so I "get it". Decorations are classy/elegant pictures of Saratoga, the racetrack, horses.
Pools are great. Main pool has a great slide, splash area and zero entry. Grand Stand "quiet" pool has a splash area & (more importantly )a pool bar

That's a start. If I find any pics of the rooms I'll post them

 

[dbprimeaux]

We love SSR!! Pro's everything. Con's NONE!!
Pros: We like the quietiness after a long day at the parks
LOVE Congress Park for the closeness to DTD (which we visit almost nightly)....
The size of the rooms
Gosh.....I could go on and on....

Cons: The path lighting to DTD.....needs more lighting (IMO)

 

[Buckeye Fan]

I sure wished I could figure out how to post pics!!! I have some beautiful ones of SSR.

What I LOVE about the resort:
* I know people don't feel that SSR has the grandeur of some of the other DVC resorts, but I love the decor. It's similar to my personal decorating style, so it really does feel like home.
* Proximity to DTD and ability to catch a bus anywhere from DTD
* Turf Club (only been there once, but 11 of us all had excellent meals!!!)
* Quiet pool across from DTD - you won't see a pool view like it anywhere.
* The grounds - absolutely beautiful and will only get prettier with time (as landscape matures). WONDERFUL walking/running paths.
* The ease of walking to any section of the resort via sidewalks.

What I would change:
* I prefer OKW's entries to the rooms. Reminds me of a condo. SSR feels more like our first apartment, and the other DVCs are more like a hotel.
* If you're used to staying at OKW, SSR will feel cramped. This is not unique to SSR, though.
* The balcony feels like an afterthought. Enough said.
* I don't feel there's enough furniture to seat everyone in the living space. We rented a 2-BR and there's a couch and a chair. We had to drag balcony chairs in and a chair out of the master BR to seat everyone. At OKW, you have a couch and a loveseat. Since the living areas at the other resorts are smaller, DVC should have considered putting sleeper sectionals into the rooms (especially the 2 & 3 BR vacation homes).

We were at SSR a month ago and until you went to the pools, you would NEVER have known anyone else was at the resort. We stayed right across from the main building and pool (in the Springs) and never heard a peep the entire time we were there. I was out on my balcony, and I was in amazement at how quiet the resort seemed, though I know it was at full capacity. I have less privacy in my own subdivision at home!!! All in all, we loved our stay. As I've posted many times, though, I haven't met a DVC resort that I haven't liked. All for very different reasons!

Have a wonderful stay!

 

[eporter66]

If your home resort is OKW, then SSR should be fairly similiar in design. Both are big, spread out resorts, and both (to me) have a very laid back feel. OKW is laid back and care free, while SSR is laid back, but a big more elegant or upscale.

Pro's
1. Quiet - laid back feel
2. Pools - all are nice
3. Landscaping - beautiful
4. DTD - We love walking over to DTD for dinner and hanging out.
5. I live in Saratoga, so I love the theme (and think they did a great job by the way).

Con's
Again - maybe I am in the minority, but you are at an upscale resort at WDW, how many cons can there really be?

I really like SSR, and dont have any complaints.

 

[Longhairbear]

We have stayed at SSR twice. We can only think of pros. But we might say a con would be if you were staying in one of the outer most units, far away from the dock, gift shop, and lobby. But some love being away from it all.
We agree that BWV is also our least favorite resort.

 

[jjbescher]

As others have stated, there really are no cons to SSR.

However, unless the Bus Service has gotten better, If you are staying in the Springs, it may take a while to get the bus in the Morning. The problem is the bus stops at the other 2 stops first and is sometimes full when it stops at the springs.

Have a Great time.

jon

 

[chalee94]

some pics of SSR from the SSR lovers...

 

[ZekeKelso]

Pros:
Ukraine girls
Moscow girls
Snow peaked mountains way down South

Cons:

The flight from Miami Beach (had a paper bag on my knees the whole time)
Not being able to get to bed at night
Disconnected phones

But, overall, it's great. Ever time I return, I think how lucky I am and that's it's good to be back home.

 

[disfanforlife]

We are going to SSR in November and I heard something about Community Hall. What is there? I have two teenagers - are there activities or things that would interest them there?
Thanks.

 

[Brenle]

Pros:
Ukraine girls
Moscow girls
Snow peaked mountains way down South

Cons:

The flight from Miami Beach (had a paper bag on my knees the whole time)
Not being able to get to bed at night
Disconnected phones

But, overall, it's great. Ever time I return, I think how lucky I am and that's it's good to be back home.

 

[chalee94]

i suspect he's being silly and evaluating the "USSR." (it's what we called russia in the 80s... )

 

[DVC Mike]

Pros:
Ukraine girls
Moscow girls
Snow peaked mountains way down South

Cons:

The flight from Miami Beach (had a paper bag on my knees the whole time)
Not being able to get to bed at night
Disconnected phones

But, overall, it's great. Ever time I return, I think how lucky I am and that's it's good to be back home.

Back in the USSR....

 

[Brenle]

i suspect he's being silly and evaluating the "USSR." (it's what we called russia in the 80s... )

Hardy-har-har. I fail to see the humor.

 

[keys2kingdom]

I came in here half expecting to find boat and Daitcher.......whew (breathing a sigh of relief).

 

[Esmerelda]

Wow....I can't really come up with any con's. I seriously don't understand how folks stay there and say some of the things they do

Its a beautiful resort....relaxing...has its own buses...its like its own community....Downtown Disney just a short walk/boat right away...lots to do there in DTD...Artist Palette has great food...Turf Club is delish (we booked it twice for our June trip coming up)....the pool is awesome and my teens love it...the staff are always great...rooms are always spotless...Community Hall always has some fun things...hubby and I always hit the ping pong table while we are there...I could really post more but I'm sure all of this has been said.

Its a great resort...I have stayed at least 6 or 7 times and have yet to have any problem with anything. We love it...our teens love it

Its my favorite out of all the DVC resorts. I have not stayed at WLV but we are staying at the Lodge 3 days before we go onto SSR this trip so I'm sure we would love the villas also.

have a great time if you stay there...write a trip report

 

[Brian430]

I've stayed there two times now hoping the place would grow on me and a few cons jump to mind:

1. All of the roads that cut directly through the heart of the "community," which are always filled with cars or busses spewing exhaust. Not sure why they couldn't keep the roads on the exterior and left the "inside" as a park setting like Port Orleans

2. Feeling entirely disconnected to the main resort. Quiet is good. But some of those buildings are incredibly far away from what should be the hub of the resort. Often annoying, sometimes scary. Again, had they placed all the roads on the perimeter of the property, they could have placed all the buildings in the middle of a park-like setting with a the main resort area in the middle. Could have been prettier, and more convenient and possible the best DVC property.

3. The apartment complex vibe of the whole place. I don't buy the whole "community" angle. The place is a sea of parking lots dotted with a series of detached buildings.

I think there is a reason this property took so long to sell and required such heavy incentivizing in the form of discounts and giveaways that other DVC properties never needed to close out.

Plain and simple: Poor property design and a huge missed opportunity of the some the nicest property in all of WDW.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...Plain and simple: Poor property design and a huge missed opportunity of the some the nicest property in all of WDW.

Since they started with the Disney Institute property and made modifications rather than scrape it all and start from scratch (to save money), I thought they made a rather nice complex. The golf course couldn't be changed. The main buildings were there originally (spa, sales building).

 

[kikiq]

I think there is a reason this property took so long to sell and required such heavy incentivizing in the form of discounts and giveaways that other DVC properties never needed to close out.

Plain and simple: Poor property design and a huge missed opportunity of the some the nicest property in all of WDW.

We've stayed on the "SSR property" as the villas and as Disney Institute.
Loved the property then and love it now. It's always been spread out and open. I remember the first time we stayed in the villas, and standing on the bridge walking toward the conference center, my dh and I both thought it was peaceful and beautiful (wonder if we still have that video) Flash forward to Disney Institute, we loved walking over to the Institute buildings and taking classes. You might see it as poor design, but we see it as coming "home" to a new redesigned home that we still love.

What is wonderful about DVC is that there properties for everyone.