Saratoga Springs Resort Review

[goodferry]

We just got back this afternoon from our 5 night stay at SSR. It was just DH and I this trip, my kids were visiting with Grandma in Saratoga Springs in New York, so we took a short trip.
We had a studio reserved, one night cash, then three on points, and then one night cash. We were a little apprehensive to be honest. In general we like smaller resorts, VWL is our favorite. We were worried we would be overwhelmed by the size.

What We Didn't Like

1. It is a huge resort, and that aspect we did not like. Depending on your from location, you could be a 20 minute or more walk from the Carriage House. We had a rental car, I couldn't imagine staying there without one.

2. The maps and signage are terrible! The print on the maps is so small they are unreadable, especially at night. The paths to DTD are not well marked at all and in general there are not enough directional signs. Even the location for the boat to DTD is poorly marked.

3. We took one bus the first night to DTD to get something to eat. I think we stopped 4 or 5 times before we were on our way. I can't imagine relying on buses to and from the parks, it would be frustrating.

4. Unlike say the BWV or BCV or VWL, SSR isn't really convenient to any park. I realize it's close to DTD, but that's reall just a shopping district, not somewhere we spend a lot of time.

What We Did Like

1. It's a beautiful resort and it does feel like a destination onto itself.

2. The pools are nice, we only used High Rocks, but walked around and looked at others. We spent afternoons at the pool and never had trouble getting chairs and didn't feel like it was crowded.

3. We were lucky enough to get a fabulous room. We were in Springs, 3105. It was on the first floor directly across from the entrance to the pool.

4. The Spa and gym are fabulous, definitely the nicest on property (the GF gym isn't even a little bit close)

Room Condition

We thought the room was fine. There was some dust, we found some socks in the drawers that weren't ours, and the clothesline in the shower was moldy. We didn't find any of these things to be a big deal and overall we liked the room. I don't know if it was a renovated room, I never saw what they looked like before, but we didn't feel like anything looked worn at all.

In the end we enjoyed our stay and would definitely go back. We liked the destination feel of the resort and the gym is important to us, but we wouldn't go without a rental car.

 

[disneynutz]

Great review!

We enjoy SSR and we also have a car on vacation. Disney signage is lacking sometimes, we wish that they would do a better job telling people how to use the boats at DTD. Every trip people are in the wrong lines or at the wrong dock.

Bill

 

[Deb & Bill]

My guess about the signage to DTD is to keep the non-SSR guests off the Congress Park bus and walking to DTD where they parked their car for the day.

The bus situation can't be any worse than the buses at the Epcot resorts. I found those to be bad most of the time and SSR not to be bad at all.

 

[goodferry]

We have stayed at all the BW area resorts and by far this was worst in terms of the busing, especially this time of year when it is so crowded.

 

[CMOORE185]

We never have a car at WDW, and found using the bus system at SSR works just fine. We never had to wait long to get a bus anywhere.

 

[Dizny Dad]

. . . . . . . we wish that they would do a better job telling people how to use the boats at DTD. Every trip people are in the wrong lines or at the wrong dock.

Bill

Each dock has a sign describing which line or side of the dock one should be on to go where the boats offer. The signs show a colored flag that matches the flags on the boat. Each boat captain announces his destination, and those that can't read or understand are treated with grace and polite accommodation.

Yes, something should be done.

 

[goodferry]

Once you reach the dock there is no problem, however I found one small sign in a hallway in the carriage house indicating the way to the boat dock and never did see a single sign in DTD pointing the way to the SSR dock, and there is more than one dock and they do not all service DTD. IF you carry the little map they give you around you will be fine, but I am not sure that everyone really does that.

As far as the bus service, I am sure the buses come frequently, what I mean is that depending on which section you are staying in, you are stopping four or more times before actually heading to the parks. We didn't realize until our last trip when we rented a car just how close the parks really are and how short of a trip it really is.

 

[disneynutz]

Each dock has a sign describing which line or side of the dock one should be on to go where the boats offer. The signs show a colored flag that matches the flags on the boat. Each boat captain announces his destination, and those that can't read or understand are treated with grace and polite accommodation.

Yes, something should be done.

I'm talking about signs telling you the overall boat system. I'm at SSR and I want to go to Port Orleans, where do I go?

Bill

 

[Deb & Bill]

...As far as the bus service, I am sure the buses come frequently, what I mean is that depending on which section you are staying in, you are stopping four or more times before actually heading to the parks. We didn't realize until our last trip when we rented a car just how close the parks really are and how short of a trip it really is.

I'm trying to think of a single bus that only makes one stop and then goes to the parks. Maybe Pop Century? But then you have hundreds of people getting on the one stop.

OKW has five stops. Y/BC, S/D, BW has five stops (sometimes only two or three). POR/POFQ has multiple stops. CSR has multiple stops. AKL/AKV makes two stops. Polynesian/WL/CR/GF even have multiple stops.

Even the boats stop multiple times (except for the OKW boat which goes to the PI boat dock and then back to OKW).

 

[GEB@okw]

Ah, I was wondering where I left those socks. Can you send them to me, after you wash them, of course?

 

[mlittig]