SSR #1 DVC on trip advisor!

[loribell]

Where did I trash SSR? It's a lovely resort, lovely rooms, just not my cup of tea.

My decision not to buy? Hello. DH is in the military. We're having trouble getting the leave to use the 170 points we own.

Okay, you didn't trash the resort, just bad mouthed the owners a litlle and maybe that is also a little unfair but you did question why we defended our resort, which I don't, and said we were thin skinned. I don't defend it or my decison to purchase. I know I made a great decision. I could care less what anyone thinks of my decision to purchase anywhere or anything, especially some stranger.

SSR owners simply want potential & new buyers to know the truth about the resort.

 

[Olaf]

I could care less what anyone thinks of my decision to purchase anywhere or anything, especially some stranger.

Would that the rest of the SSR owners felt the same way, but there's thread after thread which clearly illustrates otherwise.

SSR owners simply want potential & new buyers to know the truth about the resort.

And whose "truth" might that be? Yours? Mine? Or any of the other people who wrote less than glowing reviews of SSR?

 

[cobbler]

Ok, how did Pop beat out all the other DVC resorts. Something fishy is going on there

Maybe there is something from the 60's in the water

 

[mwehttam]

Oh, please, it's hardly rocket science. Look at that list, look at the size of the resorts relative to their position on the list, now go look at the resale board.

It's far more amusing to read the boards and see thread after thread from SSR people trying desperately to defend their purchase decision. It's just plain ridiculous.

If you want to bad mouth VWL (my home resort), be my guest--I could care less. Frankly, the fact that so many of you are so thinned skinned about it says everything.

LOL, these SSR bashers are so one track minded. Any body comes on with any nice thing to say about that SSR and, boom, they are there to you-know-what all over the thread. The fact that the SSR Bashers have to do that says something about them. But it doesn't make me , it makes me laugh.

-Matt

 

[loribell]

Would that the rest of the SSR owners felt the same way, but there's thread after thread which clearly illustrates otherwise.



And whose "truth" might that be? Yours? Mine? Or any of the other people who wrote less than glowing reviews of SSR?

How about the ones that write glowing reviews of the resort that are based on fact, not those that complain about what it was like when construction first started or those that say that it took them an hour to walk to the gift shop and back from the Carousel (I was just there, in the Carousel, and did it every night - didn't take more then 15 minutes to do the walk there and back), or those that say that the resort has nothing to offer. Funny how DTD doesn't give it something to offer yet it has always been jam packed with people when I have been there.

Or maybe those that written by people who actually appreciate the fact that they are fortunate enough to be able to not only be able to vacation at Disney, but also be blessed enough to own a small piece of it instead of those that feel like they are entitled to more than others are or are just plain spoiled!

I really do wonder why you felt the need to immediately jump on this thread and try to disqualify it. There really is no reason to dispute it. If that is what is in the reviews then that is what is there. I do believe that in the next few days SSR will no longer be at the top because of this post.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I've never stayed at SSR and will soon take my 1st trip home to BWV!
The pictures of SSR are lovely, so please don't flame me for this comment.

Do you suppose all the upgrades from value and moderate resorts given by Disney has helped Saratoga Springs on Trip Advisor?

It seems like if I were traveling on a strictly POP budget, SSR would seem like absolute paradise.

Just my .02

 

[tjkraz]

You know, it’s strange though that this order is almost exactly opposite of the internal demand...

Not really. With occupancy levels the way that they are at the likes of BWV and BCV, the rooms there are always going to be shabby in comparison to SSR. And then you've got the terrible shared bus service, frequent stories of less-than-magical Cast Members often predisposed to hate DVC members...

What it tells me is that (gasp) people actually place a higher priority on quality of accommodations and service than they do saving 10 minutes getting to Epcot in the morning.

...and resale value for DVC.

Hmmm. There's a curious one. (Not really but I'm humoring you.)

Let's see. BWV and VWL--two resorts that have been off the active market for at least 6 years--sell for the same price as SSR. OKW, VB and HHI sell for less. BCV sells for more, obviously driven by the short supply of contracts and the fact that it has been sold out for nearly 4 years.

Regardless, I don't see where that has any bearing on the quality of a trip experience at any given resort. Resale value doesn't influence room cleanliness or bus frequency or the comfort of the mattress.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

Ok, how did Pop beat out all the other DVC resorts. Something fishy is going on there

No kidding. I don't bash any DVC resort. I was just saying at dinner tonight with my parents who are also members that there isn't a DVC resort on property I wouldn't mind staying at.

But any list that rates Pop Century above most of the DVC resorts, the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Yacht and Beach Club, Boardwalk Inn, and even Coronado Springs, doesn't really seem too believable to me.

And AS Movies and Music are all better than the BWI? OK...

 

[tjkraz]

But any list that rates Pop Century above most of the DVC resorts, the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Yacht and Beach Club, Boardwalk Inn, and even Coronado Springs, doesn't really seem too believable to me.

And AS Movies and Music are all better than the BWI? OK...

I think you're missing the point of the review process.

They aren't asking people to review a resort in comparison to every other one on Disney property. They are asking people to review their unique experience. Was the room clean? Was the staff friendly and helpful? Was it a good value?

Just because ASMo gets a better rating than BWI doesn't mean that it's been branded a higher class establishment. What it DOES mean is that guests staying at ASMo return from their trip with a more favorable opinion of their stay than those at BWI. ASMo guests feel that their rooms were cleaner, staff was more plesant and helpful and overall it was a better value than guests who stayed at BWI.

 

[3DisneyKids]

We all also have to remember that these boards are totally NON-representative of DVC as a whole. DVC is over 100,000 strong and there are just over 1,000 DVCers on the DIS. So just because SSR gets bashed here (or just becase SSR owners get overly defensive here, whichever way you happen to view it) has very little to do with reality.

SSR is selling beautifully, period. It beat sell-out projections by a healthy margin. Many people love it...and when you love something (and have paid a hefty amount for it) and someone says something negative about it, it is only natural to defend your decision and your preference.

No, it's not for everyone, but niether is any DVC resort.

As for me, I just love DVC.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

Lori, Lori, Lori....

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! The more people hate SSR, the more chance we have of booking Grand Villas there in the beginning of December at 3 months out!



PS- I also love my BWV.....I think I need to start a smear campaign for that, too! hehe

 

[4DisneyGolfnuts]

If you own elsewhere don't believe the story from trip advisor. It must be a misprint. We are basically one step above the slums over here. Let's keep the bashing going, so we can get our ressies when we want them. I mean who would want to be a 5 minute walk from DTD when you could ride a bus 25minutes to get there. All the others rule. SSR is for losers. Please don't come here! We just aren't cool like the other resort owners.

I love the place. Sorry for being so uninformed.

 

[mwmuntz]

I just love the fact that someone in another "SSR Bashing" thread used the Trip Advisor link to try to show how much more appealing AKL was to SSR (therefore AKV will be too, I guess), and now that somebody noticed that SSR is the highest rated DVC on Trip Advisor there are folks now trying to discredit it.

It's sad to see that time & time again, people feel the need to bash other resorts in order to prove to themselves and others that the resort that they own or like is still "the best". And as far as SSR owners being defensive? Maybe they are being a little hyper-sensitive, but even the most timid dog will fight back if it's kicked around enough.

Disney can tear down 1/2 of SSR and build an Epcot clone in its place, turn the pool area into something that rivals Blizzard Beach, and extend the Monorail system to SSR, and some people will still try hard to find something wrong with it, because in some sad way, it make them feel better about themselves. Why can't the non-SSR owners just let the SSR folks enjoy what they have? Why do you constantly have to rain on their parade? They bought DVC for many of the same reasons that you did, why try to ruin it for them?

I think that some of the resentment towards SSR is not with the resort itself, but because of it's size. Not it's physical size, but by the number of units and number of new owners that it brought in to DVC. I think some people are upset because all of these new SSR owners have invaded their little club, and now they have to compete with them for reservations and other DVC resources. If so, take it up with DVC management. Don't come here & bash the resort, that's childish. What's going to happen when AKV is completed & sold out? When/if CRV is built? What will happen if the rumors of DVC branded resorts being built all over the world comes true? Any and all of these developments will just make it harder to book your beloved home resort outside of your priority window, You'll be thankful that DVC has some large properties in WDW. I just hope that the SSR owners learn from all of this, and won't let history repeat itself. I hope that 10 years from now, they will have more class than to take cheap potshots at that new resort down the block that just opened.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I think you're missing the point of the review process.

They aren't asking people to review a resort in comparison to every other one on Disney property. They are asking people to review their unique experience. Was the room clean? Was the staff friendly and helpful? Was it a good value?

Just because ASMo gets a better rating than BWI doesn't mean that it's been branded a higher class establishment. What it DOES mean is that guests staying at ASMo return from their trip with a more favorable opinion of their stay than those at BWI. ASMo guests feel that their rooms were cleaner, staff was more plesant and helpful and overall it was a better value than guests who stayed at BWI.

I'm not missing anything. You can make a statistic, list or poll say whatever you want it to say. This list reminds me of lists I've seen on cruise boards where sister ships will be miles apart on a list of top rated ships. They'll give one a higher rating for layout than the other based on reviews. They have identical layouts.

Just like I said in my first post, I don't have a problem with any of the DVC resorts. I own at three of them now. When I toured SSR I liked the decor better than any of the existing WDW DVCs I had been to. Didn't care for the landscaping at the time, but that's come a long way on my last visit. I would stay there in a heartbeat and am sure that at sometime in the future I will. I don't need a list in a magazine or website to let me know if it's a good idea or not.

Using your example that I bolded, how can you explain how one and only one value on the list can leapfrog Disney's flagship resort the Grand Floridian. The Pop is rated 30, the GF is 32. Non of the other values are under 50. It can't be the price because the other three values aren't even close to the GF. So are you suggesting that the staff at the Pop Century are that much nicer, the rooms are that much cleaner or the ammenities are that much better than the Grand Floridian?

And of course no one is pointing out the obvious problem with this whole list is if you chose to believe it, we should all sell DVC and see if we can get into the Bonnet Creek resort which is currently #3 on the list.

 

[UConnJack]

Let's keep the bashing going, so we can get our ressies when we want them.

Don't worry, I suspect it will never be a problem.......

 

[Olaf]

I hope that 10 years from now, they will have more class than to take cheap potshots at that new resort down the block that just opened.

Proves my point beautifully. Anytime anyone makes a negative comment about SSR, they're attacked. They're "bashing"! They're taking "cheap shots"! It's so "childish". Go read that other "bashing" thread you mentioned. The OP wasn't bashing by any stretch of the imagination. In another "bashing" thread, a man was called a lier because he didn't come back and get into it with you people. I'm bashing because I have the audacity to point out that the Trip Advisor order of ranking might be a bit skewed by the sheer numbers of SSR owners--how dare I!

You're right about the numbers though. If only all the SSR owners would so love their home resort that they'd stay there all the time.

 

[4DisneyGolfnuts]

Some of you are getting so excited about this. I think its funny.

I can just see all those fingers typing furiously.

Let it go people. Have fun. This board is more dangerous for SSR owners that my year in Iraq.

Put things in perspective. We are arguing about a freaking Vacation Club!

 

[mwehttam]

I just love the fact that someone in another "SSR Bashing" thread used the Trip Advisor link to try to show how much more appealing AKL was to SSR (therefore AKV will be too, I guess), and now that somebody noticed that SSR is the highest rated DVC on Trip Advisor there are folks now trying to discredit it.

It's sad to see that time & time again, people feel the need to bash other resorts in order to prove to themselves and others that the resort that they own or like is still "the best". And as far as SSR owners being defensive? Maybe they are being a little hyper-sensitive, but even the most timid dog will fight back if it's kicked around enough.

Disney can tear down 1/2 of SSR and build an Epcot clone in its place, turn the pool area into something that rivals Blizzard Beach, and extend the Monorail system to SSR, and some people will still try hard to find something wrong with it, because in some sad way, it make them feel better about themselves. Why can't the non-SSR owners just let the SSR folks enjoy what they have? Why do you constantly have to rain on their parade? They bought DVC for many of the same reasons that you did, why try to ruin it for them?

I think that some of the resentment towards SSR is not with the resort itself, but because of it's size. Not it's physical size, but by the number of units and number of new owners that it brought in to DVC. I think some people are upset because all of these new SSR owners have invaded their little club, and now they have to compete with them for reservations and other DVC resources. If so, take it up with DVC management. Don't come here & bash the resort, that's childish. What's going to happen when AKV is completed & sold out? When/if CRV is built? What will happen if the rumors of DVC branded resorts being built all over the world comes true? Any and all of these developments will just make it harder to book your beloved home resort outside of your priority window, You'll be thankful that DVC has some large properties in WDW. I just hope that the SSR owners learn from all of this, and won't let history repeat itself. I hope that 10 years from now, they will have more class than to take cheap potshots at that new resort down the block that just opened.

Bravo! Hit the nail right on the head.

-Matt

 

[mwehttam]

You're right about the numbers though. If only all the SSR owners would so love their home resort that they'd stay there all the time.

What a petty remark. Just proves mwmuntz point.

-Matt

 

[cobbler]

I have only stayed at 2 of the DVC resorts and I would definatly rank SSR higher than BWV based on my experiences.

I never had any isses at SSR, maintainence, service, CM friendliness or otherwise.

My stay at the BWV was nice, friendly CM's but our room was in poor condition. I chalked it up to heavy usage and being older. I didn't come back here and bash the resort though. I even called maintainence and they did nothing but I did write down all that was wrong with the room and gave it to the front desk when I checked out.

Here were my problems:
- Hole in the drywall in the entry - about the size of a dime - quarter.
- Very noisy dryer, belt probably going bad, made a high pitch squeel constantly while running.
- Running toilet, not a lot, very light but it would soon be a bigger problem if not fixed.
- Broken coffee table in the LR, one of the legs you could literally take off and had to put back in place so it would stand up.
- Curtain rod/whatever it is in the mstr bedroom was very lopsided, as if it had falled down before and someone put it back up, but didn't level it. If you went to shut the curtain, it looked as if it would fall down.

But it didn't ruin my trip. Nor was I willing to overlook it because it is supposed to be one of the "desired" locations.

So I guess what I am saying is that no resort is perfect, even the "perfect" 3. And it doesn't make any resort inferior to another.