Saratoga Springs Resort or Port Orleans Riverside?

[Twilight Sparkle]

I am planning a mother-daughter trip for me and my teen this December (first week of). I have already secured a royal room reservation at POR but have the opportunity to rent DVC points for a preferred studio at SSR. I am not sure which way to go, but here are some factors I am weighing:

1) We will rely on bus service to the parks since we won't have a car.

2) We are light sleepers, so we need a quiet environment at night.

3) My daughter is a vegetarian and it looks like the QS and TS at SSR both have great options for her. The TS at POR doesn't appear to be vegetarian friendly at all. The QS there looks like it might work for her.

4) We will spend one full day hanging out at the resort.

5) My daughter is uncomfortable around dogs. How likely is it to run into dogs at POR?

6) Having a microwave in the room at SSR is a plus for us.

7) SSR studio would be about $500 cheaper over our 4 night stay. That would be a nice amount to put towards our airfare.

8) We do well with calm, relaxing environments.

If you have stayed at either or both of these resorts, I look forward to your thoughts regarding this decision. We have never stayed at or visited either resort. Thank you!

 

[hakepb]

I love the balcony and appreciate the kitchenette enough to prefer SSR.

A studio has a queen bed and a full-sized sleeper sofa. If the sleeper sofa is not acceptable for DD then SSR is not an option.

DVC rentals do not get towel replacement or daily cleaning (but now get daily trash removal)

1st week of December is the busiest week for DVC rentals, so you need to quickly book, if it’s available.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

I love the balcony and appreciate the kitchenette enough to prefer SSR.

A studio has a queen bed and a full-sized sleeper sofa. If the sleeper sofa is not acceptable for DD then SSR is not an option.

DVC rentals do not get towel replacement or daily cleaning (but now get daily trash removal)

1st week of December is the busiest week for DVC rentals, so you need to quickly book, if it’s available.

Thank you so much for your help. I, too, love balconies. Daily cleaning isn't a problem for us. We've only rented DVC points at Disney, so we have never had daily mousekeeping. I had no idea the first week of December was the busiest for DVC. That explains why I couldn't get AKL or BWV this time. We've only ever visited in January before, but we wanted to see all the Christmas decorations this time. Supposedly, there is availability right now for what we're looking for at SSR, but I guess I better not wait long to decide. Thank you for letting me know that!

 

[madchatter]

SSR proximity to Disney Springs will open up some additional dining options for you guys and your daughter’s diet. It’s a little more spread out that POR and is quite peaceful.

If you’re in a preferred studio then you’ll either be in Congress Park which is very nearby Disney Springs or you’ll be i the Springs section which is very near the main Carriage House area.

We stayed there most recently just last week and never had a problem with any buses. All went well.

They’ve also got a Community Hall with many craft and recreation options that may make for a nicer resort day.

I love POR but I think I would prefer SSR in your scenario.

 

[davper]

Hi
I have stayed at both resorts.

1) We will rely on bus service to the parks since we won't have a car.
POR as the edge here because it is closer to all the parks.

2) We are light sleepers, so we need a quiet environment at night.
Other than the occasional door being slammed, both are quiet.

3) My daughter is a vegetarian and it looks like the QS and TS at SSR both have great options for her. The TS at POR doesn't appear to be vegetarian friendly at all. The QS there looks like it might work for her.
Not vegetarian, so can't comment.

4) We will spend one full day hanging out at the resort.
I give POR the edge here. Better themeing. Disney Springs is closer to SSR but both resorts have the boat to get to DS.

5) My daughter is uncomfortable around dogs. How likely is it to run into dogs at POR?
New policy that I have not encountered yet.

6) Having a microwave in the room at SSR is a plus for us.
The kitchenette is definitely a plus to saving money on food.

7) SSR studio would be about $500 cheaper over our 4 night stay. That would be a nice amount to put towards our airfare.
Less expensive is always better

8) We do well with calm, relaxing environments.
They are both calm.


If I was in your shoes, I would go SSR.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

It sounds like SSR is the winner. Thank you all very much for sharing your insight and helping me with this decision. I do appreciate it!

 

[Miffy]

Vegan here, so wanted to chime in. The QS at SSR for breakfast is good, but I wouldn't recommend any of their restaurants to a vegetarian or vegan for lunch or dinner. The thing about staying at SSR, though, is that it's an easy walk to DS, where there is a huge selection of vegetarian and vegan food. Even if you're not in Congress Park, it's, to me anyway, a pleasant walk over to DS.

From POR, you have the boat to DS. We took this a few days ago. A nice ride, but loud, and it takes way longer than walking to DS from even the farthest-away point at SSR.

I hope you are aware, though, that the SSR studio has one bed and one pull-out sofabed. At POR you would have 2 beds. Just a heads-up on that. I go with my DH and we've never used the sofabed, but I hear it's pretty uncomfortable.

SSR is quiet. How quiet? We recently had a room pretty near the roadway and with the balcony door closed we heard zero.

I think SSR is great for a resort day. There are two excellent pools and loads of walking trails. Also, it's a great walk from SSR to OKW, where there's a nice restaurant, Olivia's (veggie burgers there--for your daughter).

Saving $500? I'm voting for SSR!

 

[iluveeyore]

Another vote for SSR...if you want to be close to Disney Springs, put a request on your reservation for Congress Park as it is a quick walk to the Marketplace side, and you can hop on any bus to get off close to the main hall for the QS if you like. Congress Park has it's own quiet pool as well overlooking the water and Disney Springs, very peaceful and pretty for relaxing. When I have gone away with my daughter, we don't mind sharing a queen-size bed if it means having a sofa in the room, much more comfortable to lounge and watch tv with a coffee table than in bed all the time, so the pull-out being uncomfortable might not be a concern if you won't use it as a bed. The balcony is great as well, and so is the kitchenette. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Another vote for SSR...if you want to be close to Disney Springs, put a request on your reservation for Congress Park as it is a quick walk to the Marketplace side, and you can hop on any bus to get off close to the main hall for the QS if you like. Congress Park has it's own quiet pool as well overlooking the water and Disney Springs, very peaceful and pretty for relaxing. When I have gone away with my daughter, we don't mind sharing a queen-size bed if it means having a sofa in the room, much more comfortable to lounge and watch tv with a coffee table than in bed all the time, so the pull-out being uncomfortable might not be a concern if you won't use it as a bed. The balcony is great as well, and so is the kitchenette. Enjoy your trip!

We do plan to share the one queen in the studio. My daughter is tiny even though she is a teen, so we both have plenty of room in a queen. The two beds at POR would have been nice, but that's not a huge plus for us.

Thank you for the tip about hopping on any bus to get to the Carriage House from Congress Park. With that in mind, I think we'll be happy with anywhere they put us.

 

[JennyDrake]

Another vote SSR - THE quietest place I've ever stayed on WDW property.