Pros and Cons on Saratoga Springs?

[Amy&Dan]

I don't recall saying I hate it.....I simply said it's always the last one to sell out and always the DISCOUNT DVC resort --- even though it's brand new.

When DVC guests cannot get their first choice......aren't you generally offered SSR because it always has rooms left over???? I don't recall hearing many DVC guests fretting about their waitlist for SSR opening up vs. BWV, BCV,WLV. I propose the idea that perhaps DVC guests have voted with their own advance reservations.

Castmember rates are extremely reasonable but SSR it's simply not our cup of tea.

I believe the OP asked for opinions....there are plenty of resorts far closer to the fun which we prefer....OUR opinion.

Okay, lets call a truce, this is silly! Again, SSR is very large compared to the other resorts and so I do think that falls into the equation (more rooms, more availabity). I do also think that many DVC members don't care for the condo style thing, they want the hotelish feel of BCV, VWL and BWV. So in that sense, there are a lot of fans of the Epcot resorts in particular who won't even consider SSR but not as many SSR fans/owners who won't consider the Epcot resorts. Although I am one of those based on my experience now of doing both. And OKW generally has just as much open as SSR and is cheaper on the points scale. So I guess if availability is the deciding factor of resort popularity, its not as popular either.

Old Key West: 709 units
SSR: 828 Units
BCV: 205 Units
BWV: 383 Units
VWL: 136 Units

So you can see by those numbers that it would go to reason SSR and OKW would take longer to sell out due to their sheer size if nothing else.

I guess that maybe 5-10 minutes extra we spend bussing or driving from SSR to MK and Epcot vs. the other resorts isn't a big factor. But we go sometimes as many as four times per year and have stayed as long as 17 nights so I guess we have the time to not stress about that. And again, we do all four parks equally so to me it all evens out in the end.

Okay, I am done, I feel like you and I have hijacked this thread spouting off our own opinions when in the end, what does it matter? We both clearly like what we like and that's all that matters!

 

[lisa3383]

We stayed at this resort last year for our anniversary. Bottom line: never again!

We were told by the Disney booking agent that this is a "deluxe" resort. We get there and complain about a few things and we are told, "well this isn't a deluxe resort." Looking back I feel that the agent was pushing the resort on us, she even offered a discount (free park hopper and water park option add on). The discount did not make up for the stay however. There was trash in our hallway for a week (left from another visiter) and it wasn't cleaned up until we called and complained about it. There aren't the same amenities as with the deluxe resorts (no bathrobes, or room service (other than cleaning) and no special surprise for our anniversary - many of the other hotels do this). The rides to and from the parks were such a hassle because of the distance. The food was pretty mediocre and there weren't many options (only one restaurant and one cafe). The grounds are pretty, but not very themed in comparison to other resort options. On top of all this the resort lost our luggage (we had just gotten there and they lost it in between the time we gave it to them and the time they brought it up to the room). Hours passed without them being able to find it. We asked 2 times to speak to a manager and we were told "No" - I'm dead serious! Finally a manager offered us $50 so that we could go buy sweatshirts as it was unseasonably cold and our coats were in our lost luggage. 5 minutes later they find our luggage and refuse the money. By this time we were waiting for 5 hours! We lost time in the parks and we were angry. To make up for it, once we got back Disney sent us park tickets, a picture frame, and credited us $50. Worst Disney experience ever!

Sorry that was so negative, I would recommend either saving money with a moderate hotel or spending a little more for a true deluxe!

 

[rie'smom]

We returned last Thursday from SSR. It was our first and last time at SSR. The biggest problem is the size of the resort. People complain about CSR and CBR-at least walking the resort is possible at those places. It may be a trek but the landscaping makes it cooler(temp wise).
We were in the Congress section and it would have been quite a walk to the pool and the main building.
The rooms were just ok-not any better than any other DVC resort. Bigger than the S/D standard room but not as nice.
If only SSR is available, I'd either stay at the Swan or Dolphin or replan my trip for another time.

 

[Amy&Dan]

We stayed at this resort last year for our anniversary. Bottom line: never again!

We were told by the Disney booking agent that this is a "deluxe" resort. We get there and complain about a few things and we are told, "well this isn't a deluxe resort." Looking back I feel that the agent was pushing the resort on us, she even offered a discount (free park hopper and water park option add on). The discount did not make up for the stay however. There was trash in our hallway for a week (left from another visiter) and it wasn't cleaned up until we called and complained about it. There aren't the same amenities as with the deluxe resorts (no bathrobes, or room service (other than cleaning) and no special surprise for our anniversary - many of the other hotels do this). The rides to and from the parks were such a hassle because of the distance. The food was pretty mediocre and there weren't many options (only one restaurant and one cafe). The grounds are pretty, but not very themed in comparison to other resort options. On top of all this the resort lost our luggage (we had just gotten there and they lost it in between the time we gave it to them and the time they brought it up to the room). Hours passed without them being able to find it. We asked 2 times to speak to a manager and we were told "No" - I'm dead serious! Finally a manager offered us $50 so that we could go buy sweatshirts as it was unseasonably cold and our coats were in our lost luggage. 5 minutes later they find our luggage and refuse the money. By this time we were waiting for 5 hours! We lost time in the parks and we were angry. To make up for it, once we got back Disney sent us park tickets, a picture frame, and credited us $50. Worst Disney experience ever!

Sorry that was so negative, I would recommend either saving money with a moderate hotel or spending a little more for a true deluxe!

I am so sorry that happened to you. I know Boardwalk lost our luggage for a long day and I was so upset. Last day, horrible end to a great trip!

I think it is misleading when SSR and OKW are touted as Deluxe resorts. They are and they aren't. The pools, room size, queen sized beds and balconies are all very deluxe level. But they don't have the room service and amenities you would associate with deluxe's. That is why so many do prefer Boardwalk and Beach Club when they stay in a villa. They get the spacious accomodations attached to a hotel.

As for the trash thing, I have to wonder if it was partly because if a hallway is primarily DVC Point rooms, those rooms (at any DVC resort) don't receive daily maid service. So the hallways don't receive the amount of housekeeper traffic that other resorts do. Its inexcuseable however. At Boardwalk, our villa was located in a hallway with Inn rooms I think so those rooms were getting daily cleanings and the hallways were constantly being used by housekeepers. Room service trays would sit out for much of the day but not trash and not for days on end. However, we have never had trash in the hallways of SSR or OKW. There are trash rooms all over the place to dump your trash. Too bad there are pigs in the world who I guess don't know how to use them!

So I just want to stress, SSR and OKW are different than the Deluxe level resorts. Outside hallways, vast grounds, no room service and they are neither one attached to a park. For some people none of that matters. To others it does and its really bad when Disney sells those units to cash paying guests who don't realize exactly what the layout and features of those resorts are.

 

[CarolA]

It's the only resort with the availibility I need. Any comments on whether or not I should wait and see if something opens up ?

Well, you have two options. One is to book SSR and have a place to stay.

Two is to cross your fingers and possibly wind up with no place to stay.

Me, I would go with 1 and waitlist. Now if there is NO way you will stay in SSR then go with option 2 and waitlist.


Personally I really enjoy SSR , have stayed at all sections of the resort (and it's less distance from the farthers point at SSR to the main builing then the walk around the World Showcase LOL!) and have never had a bad experience.

And as for the trash... At the BC once I watched the SAME meal try sit outside a room for about four days. And that is suppose to be a "Deluxe" The SAD truth that folks on the DIS don't like.. .NOTHING on Disney property is true "deluxe" Independent resort rankings don't give them the ratings you need to be "deluxe" (AAA does rate them higher then most, but then you realize how much booking AAA does at Disney and it's hard to call them "independent") If you want "Deluxe" in Orlando I suggest the Ritz or JW Marriott. If you want "deluxe" in timeshares wait on Four Seasons!

 

[missycj96]

Here are the pros and cons:

Pros: Pool area is the best other than storm along bay at WDW. great pool; excellent donald duck pop jet fountain; great slid; hot tubs; refillable mugs by the pool!

Activities: I love the ceramics class; a full schedule of activities; great indoor playroom for kids

Everything is new and nice

Great spa and gym

Bus to DTD and OKW is a fun and relaxing option

Artists Palette is good counter service

Cons: If you are not in the Springs, everything at the resort is a real hike.

In sum, if you have a car, and request the Springs, I think its a great place to stay.

 

[Ka-chow!]

Never stayed there. It is suspicious that there are a large number of SSR resales available - many more so than the other DVC resorts.

 

[figment814]

SSR is the only on site property I've stayed at. My thoughts are its a great place for adults or families who get to Disney alot. (I was there with BF, two teenagers who have been to Disney dozens of times.)

We have two trips coming up this fall, one we are staying at SSR and at Boardwalk Villas (home resort.)

Given the choice between every property, I probably wouldn't stay there. Why? My BF and I often like to have different schedules. I like to get up early and get going. If I was at an Epcot or MK resort, I would hop on the monorail or walk over to another hotel or a park. Saratoga Springs doesn't really allow for that (Downtown Disney is great for a night, but not as great for me.)

Plus, I like variety, I can't wait to stay at other places.

But with only one option, it's perfectly fine...with a car.

 

[dclfun]

We are DVC members and have been for 12 years. We own points at OKW and AKV. Last December I needed to plan two short stays on last-minute notice. I was waitlisted for SSR and got it. I'd only stayed there once in the past and it was due to a hurricane so I really didn't get a feel for the resort as we were huddled in the room the whole time. I was pleasantly surprised. The grounds were gorgeous and it was nice to see families using the picnic tables and bbq'ing, having really nice gatherings with each other. I didn't like the feeling of the outdoor hallways as much as I do at OKW but I didn't see the dirty diaper in the hallway for two days like I did at VWL. We've tried all the DVC resorts and I still prefer OKW and AKLV's which is a good thing since I have the 11 month booking window at both those properties. Part of that though, for me, is that they are familiar and do feel like home (we stayed at AKL frequently before it became DVC). As to the amount of SSR DVC resales I doubt people are selling so they can buy another DVC but perhaps because they can no longer afford DVC or want to be a member. The decision to stay or not to stay at SSR belongs to the OP- people have shared pros and cons. I personally liked my two stays there. To me, there isn't a "bad" resort on property and each one has it's merits and detractions.---Kathy

 

[dzone1]

Does anyone know if there is a rental car service onsite at Saratoga. I have a feeling a car seems to be the way to go when staying there. Better yet, does anyone know roughly how much a cab ride in to MK?

 

[Portugal1000]

My DH & DS (7) stayed from 19th to 27th December last year and thought it was fantastic. I was amazed to read negative reviews on my return. I must have stayed at the other SSR! I am quite happy there are alot of people who dont seem to like SSR and that its the last to get booked as this will hopefully mean some good discounts. We paid $222 for a 1 bed for every night of our trip as we booked in the last day of value. I know they have changed that this year so will have to see what sort of prices available this December. We just loved everything about it but for me the location was the best. We had already spent 12 nights at CBR and Homewood Suites and came here to relax over the Xmas period. Did all the parks at the beginning of the holiday whilst they weren't busy. We enjoyed taking a stroll over to DTD and eating at the different restaurants on the DP. We also loved the Turf Club and Artist Palate. My son loved the movies at night. We thought the cast members were fantastic. We are from England and its just so nice to go somewhere that people actually take an interest in where you are from even thought hey must meet lots of English people. Also, you would never get to stay somewhere like this in England for $222 so we thought it was a fantastic deal. We stayed in the Grand Stand building right next to the pool and can honestly say we where practically the only ones in our block until Xmas Eve and even after that we only ever saw a couple of other families. I was amazed that it wasn't busy considering you were bale to book using that 40% discount last year. Back again from 6th - 27th Dec this year. Have FW booked from 17th but won't hesitate to change to SSR if a AP rate comes up.
Hope this helps.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I do not think you need a cab to get to the MK. That cab will take you to the Ticket and Transportation Center, then you will have to ferry or monorial to the actual park. No cars or cabs (only WDW busses) get you right to the MK. If you take a cab to the TTC you are probably looking at around $15 give or take. It would be much easier to just get on a bus at SSR and have it take you right to the MK. Cheaper and quicker.

I want to address that I have never had any sort of problem with the busses at SSR. We have had two of our trips there with nothing but Disney transportation to get us around and never had any problems. There are more good reviews of SSR than bad ones. It is the last one to fill up, as I said much earlier in this thread, it is larger than BWV, BCV and VWL combined. And over 100 rooms bigger than OKW (which due to its size is also the last to fill up).

SSR like OKW has lovely grounds, numerous pools and lots of room to spread around in. I stayed there during a time when the resort was full but never felt crowded. Conversely, I stayed at Boardwalk during a time when it wasn't full and felt the pool was packed and missed the spread out feel of SSR and OKW.

Having a car isn't necessary but its nice. And if you have one at SSR, what makes it even nicer is that you park right outside your door. Same with OKW. At the other DVC's you will park in a lot, walk a bit to the lobby, then walk down what might be a very long hallway to your room. If you have luggage, groceries or are tired that can be a hassle.

And again, no matter what area of SSR you are in, there is a bus stop and quiet pool very close by. The main area might be a 10-12 minute walk (leisurely pace). But my mother who was elderly and just finishing up her chemo therapy walked all over that resort and never complained once. Most WDW resorts are big with lots of walking. Even the smaller ones like POFQ can still have walking involved to get around. You can get up on your own and hop on a bus to any park at WDW very easily at SSR.

I agree with another poster, all of the WDW resorts have plusses and minuses. For instance my recent stay at the Poly taught me that for the MK or Epcot that resort is wonderful. For the other parks it was a hassle and involved sharing a bus with another resort. Same with BWV where I got sick and tired of only being able to walk or boat (which takes the same amount of time since the boats make multiple stops and are slow) to MGM and Epcot. At night after a long day, I was missing just getting on a bus back to the resort when I stayed there.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

We stayed at SSR a couple of years ago in a 2-BR villa in the section nearest to DD, so probably one of the furthest from the main pool. We absolutely loved it, and never thought the walk to the pool or the food area was excessive. Come on folks, NOTHING at WDW is a short walk!
The rooms were amazing, and the main pool was wonderful, especially for kids.
We would go back there in a minute!

 

[rie'smom]

It's not bad walking if you're there during cooler weather but when we were there 2 weeks ago, there's no way you could walk and I walk everywhere. It was miserably hot.

 

[Timmbco]

We just got back from our trip today: 2 days at OKW and 2 days at SSR. I was expecting not to like SSR and wasn't looking forward to staying there BUT we LOVED it. I requested Congress Park but got a 4th floor in Grandstand with a parking lot/golf course view and we still were happy. We will definately go back! We loved the quite pool (refill mugs there)and the main pool and Artist Palate is a great food court! We don't use busses so can't comment on that.

We go to Disney alot and have stayed at most of the resorts so maybe that makes a difference, but it has everything that is important to my family

 

[stitch1094]

It's on the edge of WDW property about as far away from the MK as you can get.

Coronado Springs and AKL are way farther away from the MK than SS

 

[disney-super-mom]

We stayed in the Paddocks section, and thought the resort was lovely.

The CMs there were AWESOME! One of them even gave us a free ride in a resort van to AKL for an early breakfast ADR.

The walk from our room to the main building and pool area was only about 5 minutes.

The main pool and slide is very nice.

The bus service was great.

The food at the CS restaurant (Artist's Palette) and the TS restaurant (Turf Club) was really good and tasty.

Our room was nice and new with upscale furnishings.

The quiet pool and hot tub at Congress Park (also a 5 minute walk from our room) was WONDERFUL and PRETTY!

There's lots of nice views there.....golf course views, water views, pool views, and DTD views (which is actually a very pretty view).

You can either walk to DTD, or take a nice boat ride.

There's only one thing about the resort I didn't like.....the cash register line at Artist's Palette, which serves as a cash register area for both the restaurant and the gift shop. Ugh, talk about bottle necking! It's a pretty bad set up that needs to be changed.

We'd go back and stay there without hesitation. It's a wonderful resort.

 

[wiggles02]

We love SSR. We've stayed in the Springs, the Paddock and the Grandstand sections. We love the quiet pool in the Grandstand section. We usually rent a car so we don't do buses, but we could see the bus stop from our room and it looked like there was a bus every 5 minutes. We actually like that it is close to the "real world" On our trip in May 08' we decided that we wanted Italian for dinner and didn't want to go back to a park or pay Disney prices for dinner. So we called in a take-out order to Carrabba's (about 10 minutes away with traffic) and we ate by the pool. The resort is always clean, the CM's are nice. Last week DH and I were at the Hilton DTD for a conference and I was longing to be at SSR. So, I took a walk and had a drink by the pool. Guess it all depends on what you want out of your vacation.

 

[dizneyluv]

And absolutely loved it. It's the only DVC I've stayed at and the rooms were very upscale and beautiful. It's the most impressed I've ever been with a resort anywhere and anyplace. Our kids absolutely loved the High Rock Springs pool. The slide is great and the pool is big. It was NEVER crowded last week at the pool when we were there. The bingo and hula hoop games were fun and you could win some great prizes. The movies at night were fun too!

The Artist's Palette was so great, hardly crowded (we went early though) and even at lunch/dinner they weren't crowded. We went once each for lunch/dinner. Everyone was helpful and friendly.

The windows are HUGE if you like alot of light and pretty views (I have big windows at home and love them). We had a car and we were in the Springs section so I'm guessing that made a difference. I walked the whole place most mornings and ended in the hot tub for a few then back to the room to leave for the parks by 8:15. DH got breakfast for everyone and brought it back.

I loved riding the boat to DTD too. That was so convenient. Wolf Gang Express, Earl of Sandwich and Ghiradelli's so close was awesome. Never mind being so close to Once Upon a Toy and World of Disney. We went down there 3 times on the boat.

We stayed 8 nights and could have stayed 8 more.

Everything was spotless on the grounds and landscaping and Mousekeeping was top notch. We loved Rosalinda especially because she did extra things.

I hope this helps, honestly we just loved it. We've only stayed Value and a rental house but after staying at All Star Movies on the 2nd trip we said it was on site only for additional trips.

Our two bedroom villa was just perfect and I wanted to move in. I hated packing up to leave. I'm plotting another trip to SSR and DH has been talking DVC so we'll see.

Take Care.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Coronado Springs and AKL are way farther away from the MK than SS

I agree with you! What you quoted from me, is actually not my quote. It was Mouseaholic who thought the SSR location was awful. I was the one that was saying SSR was a good location. Not sure how my name got credit but that wasn't me! I happen to think SSR is wonderful, every single Disney resort is close to something and far from something else! Something is funky with the quote button on some of those posts between me and mouseholic I think.

As for not being able to walk around SSR when its hot, I have done it and while I prefer the cooler months to walk around anyplace at WDW, I was able to make it around just fine. I think that issue will be better when the trees grow. At CBR and POR for example the foilage is so dense, you have a ton of shade. SSR is new so the trees aren't mature yet. However, even when its old, I don't think the trees will shade the walkways quite as much as some of the other resorts. But I have walked that resort plenty, most recently two weeks ago and it was indeed hot. But it was hot when I walked around the Poly and OKW that same trip.

Again, I realize SSR isn't for everyone, but I am happy to see I am not the only one that is giving it, what I think, is some deserved credit.