Pro's and Con's of SSR

[BurghFan111]

We are SSR owners and were there this past Christmas for the first time. We loved the rooms, very upscale feel. We loved the food. My girlfriend loves the spa. We did not get in the pool but it looks awesome. The boat ride to DTD is great as well as being able to walk there. The crowd there is a relaxed crowd. People seem to take their time and be a little more friendly than when we were in a moderate our previous trip. As far as cons go i would have to agree with everyone who mentioned the buses. They fill up too fast and don't come enough for such a large resort.

 

[BroganMc]

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.

On my 2 hr walk yesterday I think I passed by only two parking lots and one street. Most of those walkways are on the front side of the buildings facing golf courses and lakes. That's much more community-like than apartment complex.

I think the difference in perspective comes from my experience though. When I stay at my Marriott resorts I'm constantly walking alongside the parking lot to get places. Buildings there front the golf courses and lakes but there are no walkways. So there's no chance of people watching or saying hello to strollers as you sit on your balcony. You only meet folks at the activity centers or in the parking lots.

My Marriotts are set up alot like OKW. At OKW, I always walk along a road or parking lot. I've even had to ride in the road when sidewalks vanished and curb cuts disappeared.

 

[BroganMc]

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.

CH has table tennis, PS2s (they're getting new PS3s), a big screen TV and several other games. Activities are arts & crafts, games and family-friendly kinda stuff. Think summer camp. There's a big arcade room as well. Horsheshoe pit, tennis courts and bike rentals are on-site too.

Only thing I haven't seen yet are some basketball courts. EDIT: I found the basketball courts today. It's right by the tennis courts, near the DVC sales center. Talked to a CH CM today who gave me the low-down on all the equipment and activities. She said all the supplies are there. Just sign out with a room key. DONE EDIT:

I know you can go boating on DTD lake, fishing and DQ is at WestSide.

I guess it all depends on the age and temperament of the teens. 10-15 yo will probably find lots of things to do at SSR. 16-19 yo may be sneaking off to DTD or the parks more.

 

[PBB]

Everyone,

Thank you for all the responses. I did not realize this was such a controversial topic on the boards. I know I did not expect the USSR to be brought into this topic.

Looking at the photos shows me how similar that SSR is to VWL. I can see that they took the difference of the 400 SF between OKW and SSR in the 2 bedrooms. The living/dining room certainly is the difference.

I don't like that the 2 bedrooms don't have the capacity to fit 8 people in a dining area altogether. They do look like an apartment on the photos. I have to admit I like the feel of the original OKW, HH and VB layouts. Much more comfortable feel.

We were very familiar with the Disney Institute and Fairway Villas. I agree about that the park like design would have been great but with the golf course and existing infrastructure I don't think it would have been cost effective to reinvent the wheel on that site.

In looking at the posts, I realize that I am going to ask for a golf course view. We are not big DTD fans so looking at that view isn't going to thrill us. Bus Service is always a concern and I remember the long bus rides from DI and I believe we just ended up driving to the parks some.

Thanks for the answers on the Extra Magic Hour. They really cleared up how they are doing it now. I have to admit it is getting to confusing to go to WDW between the MYW ticketing and such. I miss the simpler times.

Patrick