Saratoga's good points?

[Coach81]

The room.. the beautiful colors, the springs, the "horse race" motif. Artist's Palette, the main pool, the spa and workout facilities, the easy access to DTD. The beautiful grounds, the DVC room tour, the some-what laid back, easy feeling, the sense of calm and tranquility.

We love SSR.. it is truly our home away from home.. we love it!!!

 

[majortom1981]

I just came back from my second stay at ssr. Its what I call a basic hotel. Its not great and its not bad either.

I must say though the buses at ssr stink. Everytime I tried to get to the magic kingdom I had to wait a half an hour.

The rooms arent that bad but nothing special either. I dont mind staying their but I just bought my first dvc points last weekn at akv. My fiancees parents home resort is ssr.

Its not a resort to be ashamed to be staying at . I do think its better then okw though.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I own there and I guess I am biased too, but to us its a wonderful resort and I have to say posts like these make want to laugh and scream at the same time. Since when did staying at any WDW resort become a death sentence to be dreaded? Well anyway, its a lovely resort, you have gotten a lot of great feedback. I'll also add that we rarely rent a car (have had a car once in our six SSR stays and used it like once or twice) and in the four years we have been staying there, never had anything but great bus service. Go stay at BWV or BCV and see what bad busses are all about because by the time you do the resort sharing thing, you'll feel like you have been on that bus an hour. SSR doens't share, the internal route it takes is very fast and the good news is that with something like five stops, no section is a far walk to the bus stop. No walks down long hallways to stand at a packed bus stop full of people who all have to use one stop.

I agree that Turf Club is a best kept secret with dining, be sure and enjoy a quiet dinner there one evening, preferably on the patio. I also love AP, but do agree the setup is weird. But the selection is nice and only at a mod or value food court would you get more variety. Having stayed at BWV and OKW, I can tell you that AP's selection and food quality far surpasses the cs options you will have at those. They should have just kept it separate from the gift shop, very poor planning but really not a huge deal.

Time and again, I can't help but notice that SSR's harshest critics are from people who have not stayed there. If you go into this vacation with an open mind, you may be surprised. This thread like so many, has people posting they felt like you, only to be surprised and delighted with their stay. Visiting a resort and staying there are two different things. For example, I have visited AKL/AKV and it doesn't appeal to me at all. But if I could stay there vs. not going at all, I'd be thrilled to give it a try.

Have a great stay, you are darn lucky you got a thing this close in. And you didn't get SSR because its a lowly resort, you got it because its big and therefore does have the best chance for availablity last minute. And now some owner there who loves the place will call for a last minute October trip and be crushed they didn't get it! So your gain is their loss. Part of being a DVC owner is that if you want to stay at a specific resort, pre planning is key. October at WDW is a busy time due to F&W, MNSSHP, lower points, fall breaks etc.

Ane while I love OKW and have had three great stays there, bear in mind that resort is also large, has very limited dining, and its much older. So you'll have a bit more space but some of the units are worn out and they are not nearly as nicely appointed as SSR's newer units. So bear in mind, that resort like all others will have some pros and cons too. And its in the exact same location as SSR but without the easy walk to DTD (you can walk but its longer and at night its path to DTD is closed). But its also a great resort and my second favorite behind SSR.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

The rooms are big.
You don't have to brush your teeth in the kitchen.
The bathroom doors lock.
You don't have to fix your breakfast in the bathroom.
You can catch a nice nap on the bus ride back to the resort.
No loud fireworks keeping you up at night.
Lots of exercise walking to / from the bus stop or pool.

Okay, having stayed in a BLT studio, I heartily agree with and understand your commnets "you don't have to brush your teeth in the kitchen" and "the bathroom doors lock". I would love to know which resort "you don't have to fix your breakfast in the bathroom" refers to.

Love the rest of your tongue-in-cheek humor.

 

[tjkraz]

Looks like I may have to stay at Saratoga Springs for my vacation and honsestly after visiting it I have no desire to stay there. Either does my husband and after spending all this money to buy in he is not a happy guy that we have to stay there. Can anyone tell me if they love it there? This way I can tell him some good things and keep him from canceling this vacation on us. Any help would be appreciated!

Well, you don't HAVE to stay there...it's entirely your choice. Looking at your later post I see that airfare was booked before you had a confirmed resort reservation. Hopefully this is a lesson learned.

And I also hope you aren't expecting greater availability in the future on 6 weeks' notice. Remember there are a finite number of rooms at each resort and you are competing with people who routinely book trips as far as 11 months out. Booking anytime under 6 months prior to arrival is going to yield limited availability.

 

[Cathy66]

We stayed for ten in March and loved it. DTD and golf are selling feautres for us. We often walked to DTD in the evening. We loved the size of the rooms. We never had the feeling of being crowded or that the resort was too busy.

 

[Noelle]

We bought SSR sight unseen as an add-on to our BCV. Although we've only stayed there once, we like it. I only wish I would have discovered OKW BEFORE we bought because we probably would have preferred buying there and being able to book at 11 months.

As others have said, the resort is very peaceful in comparison of it's size. We LOVED being so close to the Adventurer's Club. That was the only real draw to Downtown Disney for us. I am looking forward to being able to stay in the Treehouse Villas. I think that's kind of a neat thing. The Spa is great too.

 

[Starr W.]

Well, you don't HAVE to stay there...it's entirely your choice. Looking at your later post I see that airfare was booked before you had a confirmed resort reservation. Hopefully this is a lesson learned.

And I also hope you aren't expecting greater availability in the future on 6 weeks' notice. Remember there are a finite number of rooms at each resort and you are competing with people who routinely book trips as far as 11 months out. Booking anytime under 6 months prior to arrival is going to yield limited availability.

To the OP, Tjkraz is correct on all points.


99% of our trips are booked at 11 months, the other 1% at 9am at the 7months window.

 

[supersuperwendy]

We were just at SSR from Aug. 16 - 21st. We used Developer Points to stay there and we LOVED it! I see a lot of complaints about buses, but we had nooo problems! I loved the boat ride to Downtown Disney. We requested and received The Grandstand. We walked through the treehouses and caught the boat there. It was great! We met some great DVC members from England at High Rock Springs. We kept running into them around WDW! Our kids all played together in the pool and had a blast almost every night of our trip. I even found a DVC charm for my bracelet in the giftshop! We had a dedicated two bedroom that was fantastic. I thought it would feel small compared to the two bedroom at BWV, but not at all! We LOVED it!

 

[saintstickets]

Question that is a bit off topic....how difficult is it to get a massage at the spa at SSR? Should you reserve one in advance of your stay or can you get a time once you are there? If you are staying at another resort, can you still use the spa at SSR or must you be a guest at SSR?

 

[dizney4us]

As an owner at SSR I may be a little bias, but I have to admit, I really to love it there (although can't wait to try my other home at BLT in March ).

The most common complaints I see on these boards about SSR are:
- Too Big
- Not themed enough
- Poor bus service

As for the size, personally I like a bigger resort. Even at the most crowded of times, it still feels quiet and peaceful. We were there for Easter week last year. MK closed due to crowds, Epcot was a zoo, yet SSR still seemed quiet, peaceful and calming.

Theming. To this I say to each his own. While I have not stayed at all the DVC resorts, personally outside of AKL (and maybe VWL) I really don't think the "theming" is any different. Those would be the only resorts that I could say (going by pictures now) you would feel "transported" to another destination. Theming is nice, upscale and fits nicely with what Disney was trying to accomplish. However I have been to the real Saratoga Springs in NY and "get" the whole horse racing thing.

Bus Service - We always rent a car so I can't comment on this.

For the other good points, we love the views it provides. We always get a room in Congress Park and request a DTD view. It is really nice to come home at night, sit on the balcony and watch the commotion, etc of DTD and have a glass of wine and relax. It lets you still feel part of all the disney craziness but in a relaxing atmosphere.

The pools are all really nice. Personally like the Congress Park quiet pool better than main pool but they are all nice.

The Turf Club is probably one of the best kept secrets for dining. Very nice atmosphere and great food.

SSR offers a lot of options on recreation and things to due, plus you are a 5 minute walk to DTD which opens up a whole other world of dining/recreation etc.

While it does not have the lure of "transportation/walking" to a theme park, it has SO much to offer and really offers a nice relaxing break from the parks.

But that is the beauty of DVC. There is something for everyone.

Hope you enjoy your stay and try and go in with an open mind, you might be pleasantly surprised!

Here are a few pics:

View from Room:

Building:

You worded that perfectly! We couldn't agree more. We also love SSR, so much so that we plan to spend 9 nights there in a 1BDR for our 20th anniversary. We are going during a slower time, so I'm sure we could get in anywhere, but we WANT SSR and all it's beauty, luxury and peacefulness!

 

[Sammie]

Question that is a bit off topic....how difficult is it to get a massage at the spa at SSR? Should you reserve one in advance of your stay or can you get a time once you are there? If you are staying at another resort, can you still use the spa at SSR or must you be a guest at SSR?

You do not have to be a guest at SSR to use the spa, we always book ahead but you can certainly wait until you arrive, there is really no way to predict if they would be booked though.

 

[dis-happy]

We stayed there in July when our w/l didn't come through. It wasn't bad. We stayed in Congress Park and enjoyed the pool there. The main pool is really nice as well (plus they show nighttime movies in the pool). We also played tennis and enjoyed the short walk to DTD.


My two favorite highlights from the trip:

Walking to the Community Hall one night I ended up at the round circle intersection. Looking down the street that angles to the right I noticed fireworks in the distance. A great view of Wishes!!! A magical moment all to myself.

The Community Hall....a CM named Sundee. She was great, knew all my kids names, fun to talk to, and if you are fortunate, you may even get to hear her sing a spontaneous song. The person in front of me was checking out a movie and all of sudden she started singing the theme song in the most beautiful voice!!!

 

[Halle]

I have to agree with a PP, the theming isn't as grand as the other DVC resorts but the resort is beautiful. Loved the sprawling grounds and close proximity to DTD. You will fall in love with it. BTW we own OKW(1993) and BWV(2007). Have a fun trip.

 

[Disneyjamie]

What I like about SSR - self-service pop machine at the pool. I can lay out, read, swim and fill up my mug when I want without having to wait for a cast member to fill it up.

Too bad they took away the BBQ pork flat breads. Those were great.

 

[littlestar]

What I like about SSR - self-service pop machine at the pool. I can lay out, read, swim and fill up my mug when I want without having to wait for a cast member to fill it up.

Too bad they took away the BBQ pork flat breads. Those were great.

My husband was disappointed when they took away the BBQ flat breads, too. But we found an even better place that makes them that is close to SSR - at the end of Hotel Plaza Blvd in the Crossroads shopping center at Flippers Pizza - my husband said it was the best one he had ever tasted.

We like all the food choices we have when we stay at SSR. We can eat at the many restaurants at Downtown Disney or walk or drive to Crossroads and eat at our favorite Orlando pizza place - Flippers Pizza or any number of great chain restaurants in that shopping plaza.

 

[kikiq]

I agree with the PP statement that the big 3 complaints are size, buses and theme. As a SSR owner, I'll put my 2 cents in.

Size - When people say it's so big, what are they comparing it to? It's a condo style, not hotel style. So why compare it. IF you compare it to the timeshares in Colorado and Palm Springs, SSR is actually on the small size. We've stayed at HUGE complexes in Colorado and the one we were at in Palm Springs was definitely bigger, plus there wasn't a restaurant onsite. You can't beat the SSR grounds and the ability to walk/run without repeating your path.

Buses - Most of the people who complain have not stayed at SSR in the last year. The buses have been timely and transportation has been working on it. AND have any of those people stayed at BWV lately? Multiple stops, last week it took us almost 20 minutes to get through the Swan/Dolphin stops BEFORE we even left for the MK. Is that any different than going through SSR? Yet people seem to gloss over that for BWV as a negative.

Theme - Not heavy Disney theming but BWV doesn't have heavy Disney theming either. But then again, at least you're onsite.

The experienced DVCers on DIS are wealth of information. They will tell the times of the year that DVC is popular and when it will be hard to reserve a room in the smaller DVCs. We just returned from BWV. My daughters and I loved our time there, my DH was missing his SSR and would prefer not to stay anywhere else.

 

[DVC Mike]

The Unofficial Guide to WDW 2010 lists the following good points for SSR:

• extremely nice studio rooms and villas
• lushly landscaped setting
• best fitness center at WDW
• convenient self-parking
• close to DTD
• best spa at WDW
• golf on-property

Of course, they list the following bad points too:

• distance of some accomodations from dining and services
• limited dining options
• most distant of all Disney resorts from theme parks
• theme and atmosphere not very kid-friendly

One of the comments submitted said "Saratoga Springs is our least favorite resort. We did not enjoy the theming, and unless you have a car, getting around by the bus system is a real hassle. The food court is small for the size of resort.... Overall, our stay at SSR did not give us that Disney feeling we usually experience while staying at other WDW resorts, but rather the feeling we normally get when we stay off-property -- like staying at a high-priced apartment complex".

 

[castleri]

I agree with the PP statement that the big 3 complaints are size, buses and theme. As a SSR owner, I'll put my 2 cents in.

Buses - Most of the people who complain have not stayed at SSR in the last year. The buses have been timely and transportation has been working on it. AND have any of those people stayed at BWV lately? Multiple stops, last week it took us almost 20 minutes to get through the Swan/Dolphin stops BEFORE we even left for the MK. Is that any different than going through SSR? Yet people seem to gloss over that for BWV as a negative.



You have said it very well. The times we stayed at BWV or BCV the bus service was terrible - All the stops and overfull buses just don't do it for me. SSR however was really very good the last three times we were there. I timed the travel time from GS to Springs and it was about 8 mnutes - granted there were no ECVs or wheechairs loaded that trip but it was definitely less travel time than all the stops for BWV stays. We haven't stayed there in a couple of years but when we did it was Swan and Dolphin, Yacht and Beach and BW all on the same bus.

 

[MickeyFever]

SSR is great. All the larger resorts will take a little while to get you through when riding Mickey's bus. It is not like riding the bus at All Star Resorts. We always get up early and take the first bus out and usually there are 3 or 4 buses waiting to go so the wait is not bad. If you don't like the wait, try All Star Resorts for 1 night and ride the buses from there. You'll appreciate SSR 100x over after that.