Saratoga Springs

[hhawkins]

Just confirmed SS through RCI for early June. Was not my first choice. Please help get me excited. Will I be happy. Anniversary trip for wife and I. seven nights in one bedroom unit.

 

[amypetecar]

Lots of space
Very quiet
Great location to visit and dine at downtown disney
Great spa, take advantage on an anniversary trip
Better than average pool

At the end of the day, being on property anywhere is awesome!

 

[DizBub]

The first time we went to SSR it was because it was all we could get. We were worried but thought, how bad could it be? We'll be in WDW and have a new experience. Well, we LOVED SSR and have returned several times. Even tried to buy a contract but the sellers reneged.

Try not to worry, you will love it too.

 

[Batstang2000]

We just spent 7 nights at SSR in a one bedroom in October, absolutely loved it.

 

[DVCBrian]

We bought another resort a few years ago, and got as a bonus "developer points" that were valid for one year and only at SSR. Neither of us were looking forward to our first stay, but that year we stayed at SSR three times and loved each stay. SSR is a fine resort!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

We own at SSR and I keep thinking we will try someplace new each stay, but we always end up just staying at SSR and we are never disappointed! We love the peace and quiet away from the parks at the end of the day, and the location is great for walking to DTD or taking a boat over. Most of the rooms have great views and there is no extra charge for view rooms or poolside rooms. The beds ad pillows are very comfy, also.
As an anniversary get away, I think it is a perfect location - I've heard great things about the Turf Club - just haven't made it in there - and there are some nice wines to purchase in the snack bar.
Our last stay was ground floor in the Paddock area, and we had a nice little brick portico with a beautiful view of the lake and fountains - very pretty at night.

 

[AnnaS]

Relax, don't over think it and enjoy it!!

We have stayed here twice and will be staying here again in January. The first time was also because of a last minute booking but we enjoyed our stay very much. We have enjoyed all of them. We always miss the other resorts regardless of which resort we are in.

Everyone has their favorites for their own personal reasons. Each one has it's own theme so very hard to go by someone else's opinion/thoughts, etc.

Great Community Hall
Great Spa
Two great pools (Quiet ones also if that is what you want)
Great Counter Service and Sit down Restaurant
Golf on site
Close/convenient to DTD

Have a great time, you are on Disney property!!!

 

[jpmom97]

SSR is our home resort and the only place we have stayed. We love it. The locataion is great, it's beautiful grounds, the pools. I just switched out reservation to the Beach Club for our upcoming visit and I was a bit sad that we wouldn't be seeing our SSR so we will probably visit. You will love it.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

We loved it!!!! we own at ssr & gfv. ssr has so many feature pools---we basically went to a different one each day. Amazing walking trails, both around the resort and to DD. no need to wait for the bus or a boat, just work off that food and wine in a gorgeous walk. We took long morning walks every day and it was awesome. You'll love being close to the action but in a relaxing retreat environment.

 

[MouseMomx2]

The first time we went to SSR it was because it was all we could get. We were worried but thought, how bad could it be? We'll be in WDW and have a new experience. Well, we LOVED SSR and have returned several times. Even tried to buy a contract but the sellers reneged.

Try not to worry, you will love it too.

Ditto!

We just stayed there again earlier this month and loved it even more.

 

[Cee]

SSR is wonderful! We will be there in May so we will warm it up good for you!

 

[Anal Annie]

Just confirmed SS through RCI for early June. Was not my first choice. Please help get me excited. Will I be happy. Anniversary trip for wife and I. seven nights in one bedroom unit.

We own at SSR and I don't understand all the negativity towards it. It's a newer resort, has lots of pools, is well maintained and has beautiful grounds. While we do like to resort hop from trip to trip so that each trip is different and unique we like our SSR just fine. Yes, everybody has their fav resort for different reasons but it really bothers me out to read posts that are all whiny and are basically like "Waaaa SSR was all that was available...waaaa".

Give it a chance and just count yourself lucky that you were able to even get the trade.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

We've stayed in every DVC at WDW (except the new GFV), and SSR is hands-down my favorite.

First, it's an absolutely beautiful resort. It's not heavily-themed like some of the others, but is very picturesque and peaceful. The decorating inside the rooms is classy, with a few Disney touches added during the recent refurbishment.

The layout of the resort is very similar to a condominium development. The rooms are in individual buildings, with parking around each building. The hallways are open-air, which is another complaint you'll sometimes hear about the resort. Don't get the mental impression of a Motel 6, though. Just note that it's different from a more-traditional hotel layout, such as at BLT, BWV, VWL or BCV where there's a central lobby with hallways and rooms leading off of it.

Some people are thrown by the sheer size of the resort, and the fact that it has six sections. Regardless of the section you're in, though, you're never really very far from the amenities. One of the benefits of its size is the fact that the resort offers so many amenities. Two themed pools, with life guards, water slides, and daily activities at each; two kid's interactive water play areas; three quiet pools; a playground; tennis courts; golf course; shuffleboard; horseshoes; fire pit w/ daily marshmallow roasting; bike & surrey rentals; jogging paths; a community hall; arcade; 3 pool bars, a lounge, a sit-down restaurant (dinner only), and 2 counter service restaurants; pool tables; 3 laundry rooms, and more that I'm sure I've missed.

If you have a car, the parking is convenient. If you're using Disney transportation, you'll find that the travel time to all four parks is about the same. The resort sometimes gets a bad rep for its busses, but we've never had any transportation issues at SSR. (Yes, we may have had a bus or two that took more than 20 minutes to arrive, but no more so than at any other resort we've stayed at.) There are 5 bus stops within the resort, but the resort doesn't share busses with any other resort.

Several previous posters have mentioned the walk to Downtown Disney. This is definitely one of the resort's big plusses. However, be forewarned that the construction in Downtown Disney has closed the primary path between SSR and DTD. It's still very convenient to get there, though. There is an alternate path, the bus, or the boat.

Enjoy! It's a great Disney resort!

 

[Andrew015]

I booked a quick, last-minute trip a few months back for the end of September. SSR was the only resort that had availability, and in all honesty, I wasnt very excited about it. I had never given it a shot, so it really wasnt really fair for me to judge it without having tried it, but I just could not get excited about it. It looked nice from all of the pictures that I had seen, but it just didnt have that wow factor that I get from say WL or the Poly, or that great location factor like say BLT or Boardwalk. But we were going to WDW and would be on property, so could it really be bad?

To make a long story short, our short little trip turned out to be fantastic, and we really fell in love with SSR. While my heart will always belong at WL, I sure would love to give SSR another shot. The resort has a quiet charm and relaxing appeal about it. It certainly doesnt have the hustle and bustle of say Boardwalk or BLT, so if you really enjoy that type of excitement or tremendous people watching, you might not get the same experience here. But if you enjoy a quiet, peaceful, relaxing atmosphere with beautiful grounds, SSR will not disappoint you.

SSR always seems to have availability. This is part of what scared me about the resort prior to staying here, as one can assume that if it always has availability, it must not be popular. And if its not popular, there has to be a reason why, right? Not true! SSR is usually available because of its size (its the largest DVC resort by a good margin). So Im actually kind of excited to know that Ill probably be staying there again, as I often dont have the ability to plan 11 months in advance due to my work schedule, and it might sometimes be my only option. I can definitely live with that!

One final point about SSR. As mentioned, its the largest DVC by # of rooms, but also by area. This place is HUGE! This could be viewed as one of the resorts biggest downfalls, and in the chance that you get stranded in one of the far-off, remote building clusters, this could make your stay a little less enjoyable. I wanted to have close proximity to the Carriage House (the main central building w/ restaurants and check-in desk), and I didnt want a 20 minute walk every morning just to get my Mickey Waffles or refill my mug. My research led me to request the Grandstand section, which turned out to be a fantastic selection. There are other good ones, too (some with better views of DTD), but I would happily return to the Grandstand anytime. Do your research on which building section meets your needs best.

 

[suz_cute]

Andrew and Dave said pretty much what I would have said. We really enjoy SSR, and have stayed there the last three times in a 2BR. We were always happy.

 

[michelleiada]

We've stayed in every DVC at WDW (except the new GFV), and SSR is hands-down my favorite.

First, it's an absolutely beautiful resort. It's not heavily-themed like some of the others, but is very picturesque and peaceful. The decorating inside the rooms is classy, with a few Disney touches added during the recent refurbishment.

The layout of the resort is very similar to a condominium development. The rooms are in individual buildings, with parking around each building. The hallways are open-air, which is another complaint you'll sometimes hear about the resort. Don't get the mental impression of a Motel 6, though. Just note that it's different from a more-traditional hotel layout, such as at BLT, BWV, VWL or BCV where there's a central lobby with hallways and rooms leading off of it.

Some people are thrown by the sheer size of the resort, and the fact that it has six sections. Regardless of the section you're in, though, you're never really very far from the amenities. One of the benefits of its size is the fact that the resort offers so many amenities. Two themed pools, with life guards, water slides, and daily activities at each; two kid's interactive water play areas; three quiet pools; a playground; tennis courts; golf course; shuffleboard; horseshoes; fire pit w/ daily marshmallow roasting; bike & surrey rentals; jogging paths; a community hall; arcade; 3 pool bars, a lounge, a sit-down restaurant (dinner only), and 2 counter service restaurants; pool tables; 3 laundry rooms, and more that I'm sure I've missed.

If you have a car, the parking is convenient. If you're using Disney transportation, you'll find that the travel time to all four parks is about the same. The resort sometimes gets a bad rep for its busses, but we've never had any transportation issues at SSR. (Yes, we may have had a bus or two that took more than 20 minutes to arrive, but no more so than at any other resort we've stayed at.) There are 5 bus stops within the resort, but the resort doesn't share busses with any other resort.

Several previous posters have mentioned the walk to Downtown Disney. This is definitely one of the resort's big plusses. However, be forewarned that the construction in Downtown Disney has closed the primary path between SSR and DTD. It's still very convenient to get there, though. There is an alternate path, the bus, or the boat.

Enjoy! It's a great Disney resort!

When you say "the hallways are open-air". What does that mean exactly? No interior hallways? You enter your room from the outside? Looking at pics it doesn't look that way....I never would have guessed.

 

[Tink6666]

Yes, the rooms open to an open air hallway...not an interior hallway like a hotel. It is a covered hallway. There are 3 floors. We own at SSR and have stayed there many times. We love the quiet. We usually request the springs so we can walk over for breakfast in the am.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

When you say "the hallways are open-air". What does that mean exactly? No interior hallways? You enter your room from the outside? Looking at pics it doesn't look that way....I never would have guessed.

Correct, there are no interior hallways. Well, kinda. Don't think 1950s motor lodge. There are hallways, but they have big openings to the outside. Here are a few pictures of the hallway side of the buildings. If you look closely at the openings, you can see a few of the villa doors.

 

[rillsung]

We stayed at SSR during our very first DVC trip, just weeks after buying in LOVED LOVED LOVED it! We spent a lot of time at Downtown Disney that trip and loved watching all the goings on over there from our balcony

 

[Sammie]

I consider the hallways semi open air. The hallways in the front have openings but as you walk toward the back of the building they are enclosed. We love staying at SSR.

Great pools and plenty of them.
Good food and nice places to sit and eat.
Spa, recreation.
Very quiet, beautiful landscaping.
Friendly staff.
Upscale decor.