Saratoga or Moderate for same price- Am I nuts?

[dani1218]

Help! It looks like we are heading to Disney in May and will be staying in a 2BR villa at SSR as that is what is available. My mother-in-law (and Brother and Sister-in law- who will be renting a studio there) seem to think we will have more fun if we just opt for Coronado Springs, or one of the Port Orleans moderate resorts....(They think SSR will be stuffy while I think it looks luxurious- we are all SOOO different in what we like- they would be happy sleeping in tents or staying off-site)....

I am looking for a great pool and slide for the kiddos and see no reason to stay at a moderate for the same price. We always stay at the nicest place that is in our budget- it is vacation! It will cost the same to get three hotel rooms in a moderate as it will to rent points and get the villa and studio through DVC (and have the kitchen, laundry, more space, better pool, etc). We will be traveling with 5 adults and 3 young children. Can any of you give me any reason to opt for the lesser resort? I think the extra space alone is worth it and that they are nuts (why pay the same for less) but since this is my first Disney experience I am asking the pros.

All comments appreciated!

 

[Disney Fool]

hmmm. let's do a comparison...full kitchen, washer/dryer, two bathrooms,roooooooooom to breathe, luxurious accommodations, compared to one-room, two doublebeds, one bathroom for all, no private balcony.

 

[Buzz2001]

Depends what you are looking for and what appeals to you. Check out my CSR website for pics and info on CSR.

 

[Hopefully]

While I agree that everyone is very different in their likes and needs, this one is a no brainer to me.
Just the cost savings of eating breakfast in your Villa, coupled with the convenience of throwing in laundry once or twice and packing less, justifies the Villas to me. Not to mention all of the other great reasons. We ordered breakfast food, juice, water, soda, beer and wine and snacks from wegoshop.com in October and had it delivered to our Villa. It was great and I would recommend it.
I have not stayed at SSR yet, but I have stayed at OKW, BCV and BWV. I don't ever want to go back to just a hotel room again. The ability to eat at a table and chairs, or breakfast counter, to sit on a comfortable couch or chair during the day, and to spread out during rest times is wonderful. You can not underestimate the value of the added space.
If I could get a Villa for the same price as a moderate, I would do it in a heart beat.
Have a great trip.

 

[BrerRabbit_fan]

This is just my opinion and you might feel differently. I did not find SSR to be more luxurious. Our studio was about the same size as CBR, it did have a microwave but you can pick one up at Walmart for a fraction of the price. We didn't use the spa or fitness center (I walk enough in the parks). The resort is massive and we needed the car to get anywhere. When we stayed at the mods, we enjoyed the resorts more. CBR has white sand beaches and hammocks. POR is beautiful in the mansion area. I haven't stayed at CSR so can't comment there.

 

[ldo]

for younger kids, you get a spray ground area (near Grandstand), a pool with both a fun bigger slide (ages 4+ love it) and a toddler slide, a zero entry pool for little ones to play, a Community Hall with games and crafts PS2 players, toddler games, paint-by-numbers, coloring. At SSR, the counter service restaurant is right by the big pool--you can can lunch and eat poolside. A 2 BR gives you a nice-sized living room area to congregate with your group in the evening, as well. You can put younger kids in bedroom and still hang out in living room (then transfer to sofa bed, if you want). Fully stocked kitchen--you could cook a meal or two, if you wanted and save a lot of $$ on food.
NEver stayed at CSR or CBR, so can't comment.

 

[Pig Pen]

This is just my opinion and you might feel differently. I did not find SSR to be more luxurious. Our studio was about the same size as CBR, it did have a microwave but you can pick one up at Walmart for a fraction of the price. We didn't use the spa or fitness center (I walk enough in the parks). The resort is massive and we needed the car to get anywhere. When we stayed at the mods, we enjoyed the resorts more. CBR has white sand beaches and hammocks. POR is beautiful in the mansion area. I haven't stayed at CSR so can't comment there.

There's a big difference between a studio and a 2 bedroom villa. I love CSR, but if a 2 bedroom at SSR is available for the same $$, go for SSR.

 

[spiceycat]

okay first question is their studio part of your 2-bedroom.

if yes - then might not do it.

the last thing you need on vacation - is why did you pick this? and other complaints or even worst they decide last minute to cancel on you.

DVC member can't cancel easily - so you probably won't get your money back.

so only go for the 2-bedroom if you can afford it on your own.

then let them go to CSR or whatever moderate they can afford. you can meet in the parks.

 

[LilGMom]

I'd definately stay in a 2 bd. villa and studio over a regular resort room. Since you are going in May having a washer and dryer (and especially with little kids) is wonderful!!! SSR isn't stuffy, it is a really beautiful resort and we loved being able to walk to DTD to shop, eat or just walk around - it was a great way to wind down from the day. We have stayed at all of the moderates, half of the deluxes and a few of the DVC resorts and I have to say that while the studio at SSR is only about 13-16 square feet larger it felt larger and when we stayed in a one bedroom it was wondeful knowing that if we left a towel or article of clothing on the floor we weren't going to be tripping over it. And we liked eating our breakfast at the table, the kids could eat while DH & I got ready.

The moderates are great and we have always enjoyed but the one bedroom villa spoiled us.

We joined DVC so that we could have easier access to more space and the room extras.

 

[Chellymouse]

We loved POR-FQ and it's going to be a new experience for us at SSR, but we are looking forward to more space, kitchen, in villa laundry, ect. If you are able to get a 2 BR villa (they are huge) instead of a studio (about the same size as a mod) you're better off with the villa. Especially with that many people. As long as everyone is for sure and no one is going to back out, go with SSR. The resort is beautiful and well equipped.

 

[LowesChevy]

We had a 2bd villa Dec. '06 and it was great. My mom loved the laundry lol! Usually you have to pack it up and head to the laundry area and drag it all back. You can bring less clothes and wash whatever you buy too. Bring some Dvds to watch. Get some groceries and have a couple of breakfasts at the villa to save some cash.

There is a lot of space to store clothes, luggage, and food. The living room space is a little crampt compared to OKW, but there is still plenty of room for 4 people to watch the tv all at once.

One of the downsides is the size of the place-its a monster as most of the villas are. You can take the busses to travel around the resort, but I suggest getting map and finding the area closest to the Carriage House-the check in area where the pool, restaurants and store are. We stayed in the Carousel, it was a far walk to the restaurant. We ended up driving, but if you are not going to eat there every morning then do not worry about that issue.

It just depends on what conveniences like laundry facility in room, being able to make a few meals, more space, easy access to DTD or is it a Carribean theme with everyone in regular resort rooms, and nice beaches with water views.

Think about how much time you actually spend in the room-do you take breaks in the afternoon to come back to swim, rest, or rent bikes. You may want that extra space to lounge around instead of sitting on the bed to watch tv. If you spend most of the day at the parks-maybe the moderates are a better fit. Both have table service and counter service restaurants and bus service.

Just think about how some of these make a vacation easier or cost saving-good luck.

 

[dani1218]

Thank you for all the great input. We will have a 2BR villa AND a separate Studio- the plan being my brother-in-law and his wife will be in the studio alone and myself, husband, 3 kids and mother in law in 2BR. Hubby and I will take King bedroom with the baby, MIL will have other bedroom and the girls can either sleep in the other bed with MIL (which all will LOVE) or on the pull out. I just like the idea of being able to put them to bed in an actual separate room and to have space to stay up and hang out. Plus the washer and dryer with 3 kids will make packing SOOO much easier...same with the kitchen for breakfasts! I am glad to hear the SSR is not stuffy...I do not want stuffy....I just think their pool looks great and my kids will love the slides...I can't wait!!

 

[bab31]

there are many valid reasons back and forth...but if you choose the moderate you can still have breakfast in the room - they have a small fridge- we had groceries delivered.

 

[stacy6552]

SSR is the way to go no question here whatsoever. SSR is not stuffy at all, its very comfortable. The pool is wonderful. The rooms are georgus and the comfort of a 2 bedroom is so far and above the comfort of a moderate room, its not even a contest.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

SSR, no question! When we stayed in the 2-BR I couldn't get over how much room we had. We were never tripping over each other and had our privacy. It was quiet and just lovely. The main pool will be a big hit with your kids, too. I kept wishing my Dgrandson was there to enjoy it!
We really had no problems with the bus transportation from Congress Park, either.

 

[episode]

If its the same price, of course get SSR.

 

[DVC Mike]

SSR 2-br and studio over 3 hotel rooms in any moderate!

 

[ElizabethB]

We've stayed at SSR, CSR and POR. We love CSR and POR but with a family group, we would definitely pick a 2 bedroom villa at SSR. We had a 2-bedroom recently for a family group of 8 and loved it. The villa gives you a place to gather to have a little breakfast, plan your day, etc. Three POR or CSR rooms would not be as nice for that. Also, at SSR, you have a balcony or two to hang out on. And, one cannot overstate the convenience of doing a load of wash while having breakfast and sticking it in the dryer while you go to a park. We sometimes even asked the maid to move the wet clothes from the washer to the dryer for us. It was not a problem.

The one disadvantage, cited by others, is that the place is gargantuan. You really do need a car to get around. We were glad we had one. We were quite close to the main building, but it was still too big to walk very far. Also, for us, it seemed to lack a theme. Although nominally a horse racing/Saratoga theme, it looked like any Orlando condo development to us. We didn't use the pools so might have been more impressed had we done so. Theming is better at CSR or POR, IMO.

As far as formality goes, it's not formal at all. The rooms are motel style, rather than hotel style -- so you have outdoor corriders and your villa door opens to the outside. This didn't bother us, really, but we prefer the indoor corridors at, say, the BWV. That feels much more formal to us. We were there during love bug season and didn't enjoy having lots of love bugs outside our villa door. But, it wasn't a big deal. The main building of the resort, the restaurant, etc., are all very casual. There is a golf course there and many people were having lunch in the restaurant after golfing. The ambience was, if anything, a little too informal for my taste.

It will be easier to get around one of the moderates, IMO, but the other advantages to having a SSR villa outweigh this, IMO.

 

[rie'smom]

We're DVC members but I would choose CSR.

So you have a kitchen and laundry facilities-it's vacation!

We stayed at BWV 2x in a 2 bd and SSR 1x same thing-never again. If the w/d is there, I feel that I have to use it. The kitchen is one more thing to clean-that's not a vacation, IMO.

From the last trip(November),I've decided to use my points for a Disney hotel. DH and I are going next Sunday and we're staying at the GF, next trip CSR.

 

[natses1966]

My family (4 adults, 5 YO & 10 YO), just returned from SSR on 2/2. We had a 2 BR, 2 bath villa and it was great!

We had breakfast and coffee there on the mornings we weren't doing the character ones and we had dinner there a few times, also.

We used the washer and dryer quite a bit, too. This really allowed us to pack lighter.

It was very clean, not at all stuffy, and we were able to spread out a little since we had so much space.

I can't imagine going back to a hotel room!