Saratoga Springs Resort

[Twende]

My parents want to make a last minute trip this December and wanted the Beach Club. So far it is completely booked.

I am being offered Saratoga Springs Resort instead. I have never been there and I am not sure that it is the right choice for them.

At the Beach Club they enjoy the soothing colors, the lobby area, the queen size beds, large rooms, the lakes and boats to take little cruises at night and the fact that they can see EPCOT's Illuminations from the beach.

How does SSR compare on these points?

 

[michelewdw]

We stayed at SSR this past June. We got a great passholder rate and although I wasn't extremely excited about staying there I was pleasantly surprised. There are lakes, the main pool and quiet pools were great. You can catch a boat to DTD or walk there on a nice path. We stayed in the Congress Park section which has a great view of the waterway and DTD. You can see fireworks from pleasure island and I think MGM. It was very peaceful there and I would definitely stay there again.

Michele

 

[Twende]

Thanks for the reply Michelle. Peaceful sounds good!

I was wondering about the mug refill places. Is there only one place. I have to have my coffee in the morning!

But I guess there is a small kitchen in the rooms or is that just some rooms?

Can you tell I know nothing about this resort?

My mom is in a push type wheel chair so I have to ask about elevators and ease of getting to the CS dining area.

 

[Destination Disney]

BC and SSR are two entirely different resorts all together.
We have stayed at both and while BC is a smaller resort which we LOVE, we really enjoyed SSR and have stayed there 3x already, plus we are going back this OCt. and then in Dec.

The thing to do with SSR is to look at a map of the resort, (You will probably find one on the DVC boards) Since it is so large you can find an area close to what it is you want to do and what your looking for. The Springs and Grandstands are close to the main building. The Carousel and Paddocks are a bit further and the walk is a longer one to the main house. (We drove) Congress Park is close to the path to walk to DTD and they also have a boat ride to take there as well. Rooms in the congress park area will give you a view of DTD. The themeing is nice and the pools are great. The grounds are nice with bridges that cross over waterways and ponds with lots of grassy knolls. Very peaceful! I believe LBV Golf course runs through the grounds.
One thing you will not get with SSR as you would with the beach club is the attached lobby. Since SSR has separte buildings. And you will not be viewing illuminations. However I do believe Pleasure Island shoots off fireworks. AS for the wheel chair when we stayedin the Grandstands they put us in a handicap room which to me just had the bathroom entrance located away from the vanity area. The rooms are studios which will have a kitchenette so that saves you from having to go to the main house everyday. Micro, toaster, frig, coffee maker are all there. FYI... if you are making coffee in your room everyday request more coffee right when you get there to be brought up by house keeping. They only stock the rooms with one packet to start! Hubby needs more then that to get going!

Here is an example of how we gaged our room/ stay:
In July we stayed in the Springs building when we did the "resort" only trip . No theme parks.[/ We figured we would be swimming a lot, doing resort activites with the kids and taking in DTD. So we requested a building close to the main house where everything we wanted to do was located. Luckily the Springs was available.

Dec. we stayed in Carousel: A bit further from the mian building but we were only there for 3 days and were doing theme parks and MVMCP. So we did not care if we were close to the main house or not b/c we were not swimming or doing resort activities. We lucked out b/c our room was on the end right next to the bus stop!

Aug. We stayed in the Grandstands. Overlooking the "Grandstands pools" but also close enough to the main building to where we can enjoy the main pool and activities within a very short walking distance.


Not sure if this helped, but just to give you and idea of the layout of the resort. Def. try to look at a map.

 

[Twende]

Thanks that is great information.

We will be driving a car so the bus stops really are not important to us.

Can you park near your rooms or is there a main parking lot?

I will have to search for a resort map.

Being able to walk to DTD Disney might replace the lobby.

Where is the boat dock to DTD? What rooms are near that?

I know they will miss a lobby but things are a bit limited for that time frame.

 

[michelewdw]

You can park near the rooms. All doors face to the outside there is not an interior hallway. The room we had was a few steps out the door right to the parking lot. There are coffee makers in all rooms, so you won't have to take a walk just for coffee. I believe all the restaurant areas are wheelchair accessible. It is a good idea to look at a map of the resort, it may make it easier to decide where to request your room.

Michele

 

[Twende]

Oh my I just found a map! This place is beyond huge!

I am glad to see that the parking is near each building. I was not sure that I was seeing that correctly on the map I found.

Does any one know if DTD has fireworks every night?

 

[eliza61]

My parents want to make a last minute trip this December and wanted the Beach Club. So far it is completely booked.

I am being offered Saratoga Springs Resort instead. I have never been there and I am not sure that it is the right choice for them.

At the Beach Club they enjoy the soothing colors, the lobby area, the queen size beds, large rooms, the lakes and boats to take little cruises at night and the fact that they can see EPCOT's Illuminations from the beach.

How does SSR compare on these points?

I think they'll enjoy SSR. The color pallete while not the same is very similar. Lots of pastels. I think it's a bit more low key than BC, which can get busy and noisy with Stromalong bay and the cape may buffet in the lobby. Its a big resort but since you will have a car, transportation and long walks to the bus stop won't be an issue. I think most people who stay there end up really liking it.

P.S. since they are dvc resorts the rooms are nice and roomy

 

[chalee94]

At the Beach Club they enjoy the soothing colors, the lobby area, the queen size beds, large rooms, the lakes and boats to take little cruises at night and the fact that they can see EPCOT's Illuminations from the beach.

How does SSR compare on these points?

soothing colors...check
lobby area...not as nice as BC, IMO, and probably much farther away
queen size bed...check (plus a sofa for sitting during the day if it's just the 2 of them.)
large room...SSR studio - 355 sq ft/BCV room - 380 sq ft...close?
lakes/boats/little cruises...SSR boats go to DTD and OKW...check
fireworks...i don't think SSR is really comparable

the biggest negative for SSR relative to BC is the distance to the parks (esp. epcot/MGM) but i'm assuming that's not a factor.

i stayed at SSR last year and really liked it...but don't know if it's quite up to the standards of BC.

map:

http://willcad.org/disney_maps.html#dvc

 

[MikeyNS]

soothing colors...check
lobby area...not as nice as BC, IMO, and probably much farther away
queen size bed...check (plus a sofa for sitting during the day if it's just the 2 of them.)
large room...SSR studio - 355 sq ft/BCV room - 380 sq ft...close?
lakes/boats/little cruises...SSR boats go to DTD and OKW...check
fireworks...i don't think SSR is really comparable

the biggest negative for SSR relative to BC is the distance to the parks (esp. epcot/MGM) but i'm assuming that's not a factor.

i stayed at SSR last year and really liked it...but don't know if it's quite up to the standards of BC.

map:

http://willcad.org/disney_maps.html#dvc

Don't forget that SSR doesn't share bus service, which I think is a perk. One annoyance we had while staying at BCV and BWV was stopping at the other, plus the swan and dolphin. But as everyone knows bus service anywhere can be a bit of a crap shoot (contrary to my unlucky with your timing getting there thought!).

 

[jimmiej]

Beach Club is our second favorite behind AKL. That being said, SSR was the only DVC resort open for a last minute trip this past July, so we took it.

Positives:

-Beautiful resort
-nice pool
-close to DTD

Negatives:

-large resort. Long walks may be neccessary, depending on what building they get.
-bus service was just OK. Lots of stops within the resort, but otherwise, no sharing.

Overall we liked it & wouldn't mind staying there again.

 

[DISNEYNY]

Just stayed at SSR in Aug. We were in the Grandstand section...it is the first pickup on the bus route. It is also fairly close to the main lobby. It has it's own very nice pool area with a pool bar where you can refill your drinks when the bar is open. The queen sized bed was very comfy. The kitchenette in the studio was also very handy. We could hear fireworks going off, but could not see them. I have also heard that they no longer have fireworks at Pleasure Island, but I'm not sure about that. Overall we enjoyed this resort.

 

[Sammie]

The SRR resort is a DVC resort so rooms will be studios, one bedroom or two bedroom, or grand villas. The studios have a kitchenette and one queen bed and one sofa bed.

A one bedroom would have a king bed, master bed with seperate shower, and jacuzzi tub, full size kitchen and living area with dining room, and washer and dryer.

The resort is beautiful, peaceful and very quiet. I would not say the rooms are similar to Beach Club as beach club's decor is pastel, beach influence.

Saratoga's is more earth tones with a racing influence.

Here are some photos.

http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/g_ss.htm

SSR definitely has the Beach Club beat for quick, good counter service. Artist Pallette offers very good food in a lovely setting. There is also a full service restuarant and Downtown Disney is just walking distance away or you can take the boat over.

To me it is not that large in person. If you don't consider the walk from Beach Club to Boardwalk or Epcot long, there is very few areas of SSR that are further than that. If you want to be near the main building you can request Springs or Grandstand.

Congress Park is closest to Downtown Disney and parking is very near your room.

 

[Lisann]

Have you considered the Grand Floridian? In my opinion, it is just a laid back casual beachside resort (albeit an expensive one), similar in some ways to the feel of Beach Club. I think that it would suit there needs much more. You should look into it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

No more nightly midnight fireworks at DTD.

Also, SSR has a very small counter service restaurant (nice selections, but not the usual counter service place). If your mom is in a wheelchair, you'll want to be located near Artist's Palette (dining place) or Turf Club (table service dining). I think there is a ramp from the pool area (which is the same level as the Springs section of SSR and the Turf Club), but lower than Artist's Palette or check in facility and store. That land is a bit roll-y at SSR, so she will be coming up hills coming from Congress Park (nearest to DTD) to the main pool/dining/store.

There is one elevator for each building towards the center of the building.

All studios have a kitchenette with a microwave oven, undercounter refrigerator, toaster, coffee pot. The studio has one queen sized bed and one double sized sleeper sofa.

The one bedroom has a full sized galley style kitchen and one king bed in the master bedroom and one queen sized sleeper sofa in the living room. And a stackable washer and dryer.

There is a large parking lot by each set of building, so you are able to park fairly close to your villa. The boat dock is closer to the Grandstand area.

 

[Twende]

Thanks for all the great replies and the photos were a great help.

We tried GF and it too is already booked.

I have to talk to my dad tonight but I really think this would work for us. He will miss the fireworks but shoot you can't have everything and what is it anyway with parents over 90 years old loving fireworks? They just cannot get enough of them!

 

[DISNEYNY]

Thanks for all the great replies and the photos were a great help.

We tried GF and it too is already booked.

I have to talk to my dad tonight but I really think this would work for us. He will miss the fireworks but shoot you can't have everything and what is it anyway with parents over 90 years old loving fireworks? They just cannot get enough of them!

I think that is great...I hope I am still going to Disney when I am 90!!! If anyone is going to be sleeping on the pullout my daughter said it was very uncomfortable...just her opinion though. Have fun!!

 

[Twende]

I will be the lucky one on the pull out. I was afraid it might be a real pain.

My parents are Disney Freaks! My dad still walks the entire trip and does most everything in every park. I think my parents still hold the record for the oldest couple to ride EE and the longest married couple at HDDR!

My mom is in a wheelchair mostly because she is hard to keep track of but she has fought back from three broken hips 20 years ago. She will ride anything and her all time favorite is Tower of Terror!

Someone just mentioned OKW to me and the fact that it has two queen beds instead of a pull out. I guess I will go check it out now that I had myself convinced I could escape once in while to DDT by walking from SSR!

 

[dislurker4toolong]

They are really different and from what ive learned SSR is a resort you either or hate

 

[chalee94]

Someone just mentioned OKW to me and the fact that it has two queen beds instead of a pull out. I guess I will go check it out now that I had myself convinced I could escape once in while to DDT by walking from SSR!

be aware that only 3 buildings at OKW have elevators...