SSR Downside?

[tjhsr]

We were there in early may just to check out SSR. The first thing dw said when we rode over to look at it was it looks great and everything is brand new. The 12 extra years is just means my kids will get 25yrs of use.We will be adding on when we are there in 3wks.100 to 130pts?

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by The Great Baboo
We just stayed at SSR from 8/25-8/29 -- the room was very nice - nice view of DTD (Fulton's Crabhouse lit up at night) -- short work (about 10 mins) to DTD -- the problem we had with all of it was that EVERYTHING WAS TOO FAR AWAY FROM OUR ROOM -- luckily we rented a car, so when we wanted to swim in the main pool, we drove over (about 1/2 mile from our bldg)....which was also right next to the Food Court (which was nice, but limited choice)....we just felt very isolated, not too many people walking around at all, buses were empty, etc.....on the 29th we switched to the BCV (which is our home resort)...everything was hopping there...you interact with people ...short trip to Spoodles...or a walk over to Epcot....We have SSR ressies for Christmas.....but we'd like to change to BW or BCV....but we're waitlisted....As far as buying DVC ...maybe worth going with SSR just to get the extra 10 years of use, even if you don't wind up staying there.....good luck with your decision.........

Curious about something, do you drive your car over to Epcot. I really do think it is further than the walk you have to make at SSR to get to the main pool and food areas?

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by tixx
the poster that talked of the place being huge and empty right now..glad i passed.. but I will let them give me a tour of SSR

That is one person's perception. I would not let it influence your decision. Take the tour and make your own opinion.

I do find it interesting that many find the location of BCV to Epcot ideal, but they can't walk from Congress Park to the main pool at SSR because it is too far.

 

[rinkwide]

Originally posted by Sammie
I do find it interesting that many find the location of BCV to Epcot ideal, but they can't walk from Congress Park to the main pool at SSR because it is too far.

That's because at the end of the walk to Epcot you've essentially passed a quite pool, gift shop, front desk, two excellent restaurants, an amazing water park, a beach with watersports, a boat dock with ferry to a studios park, a romantic lakefront dining and entertainment complex and now your standing in front your own back-door entrance to one of the premier theme parks on the planet featuring rides, shows and world-class food/drink galore.

Now then, at the end of the walk at SSR what have you got?

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by rinkwide
That's because at the end of the walk to Epcot you've essentially passed a quite pool, gift shop, front desk, two excellent restaurants, an amazing water park, a beach with watersports, a boat dock with ferry to a studios park, a romantic lakefront dining and entertainment complex and now your standing in front your own back-door entrance to one of the premier theme parks on the planet featuring rides, shows and world-class food/drink galore.

Now then, at the end of the walk at SSR what have you got?

Ok, so you are saying that it's not the distance, but that the walk from BCV has more visual distractions to take your mind off the fact that the walk is equal to or longer than the walk to the main pool at SSR.

That I would agree with, however beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I found the walk from Congress Park to the main pool very pleasing especially along the waterfront DD view.

Thanks for the viewpoint though.

 

[disneycrazed139]

I would say that the resort being so spread out, as others have mentioned but I agree with this...

However, in five of our six previous trips to WDW, we stayed in a moderate resort, (CBR twice, and CSR twice), and the walk to get to the food court every morning was every bit as long as the walk from our room to the pool and food area at SSR (which, by the way, was probably the second to the last farthest away room to the pool and food area in the entire complex). I had read some posts here that SSR needs to provide golf carts for those staying there, because of the great distances to get around, my family and I laughed!

I really expected a hike when we stayed at SSR based on the reports. I don't think I am off in saying it took about 5 minutes to walk from Congress Park to the pool...

If you are in the far out sections of CBR--like the Trinidad locations, the walk to the main area will be twice as long...10-15 minutes or so, I think. I think it would be the same at Coronado Springs. SSR seemed more compact to me than CBR so I was actually pleasantly surprised.

 

[las3888]

I do find it interesting that many find the location of BCV to Epcot ideal, but they can't walk from Congress Park to the main pool at SSR because it is too far.

I don't think it is so much that people can't walk the long walk to the main pool or the food court at SSR, it's just that they don't like the way it is set up. Some people like that sprawling feeling, whereas others like that feeling of having everything under one roof (helps in rain storm as well, and in our case, the brutal summer heat). It's more of an 'to each your own' kind of thing.

 

[DisneyKidds]

As for comparing walks........yes, it is a beautiful walk around SSR and to the main pool. However, the discussion of the walk from BWV/BCV to Epcot was in terms of what benefits those resorts might have over SSR. One can hardly comapre the ability to walk to Epcot to the ability to walk an equal distance just to get to your pool.

Or look at it this way. Compare the walk from your SSR room to the main pool. Then compare your walk from your BCV/BWV room to the main pool. That is apples to apples........and the SSR walk is a lot longer. Then compare the walk from BCV/BWV to a theme park (either Epcot or the Studios) to the walk from SSR to a theme park...........ooops....doesn't exist . I think that was the comaprison, not the lenght of the walk. I agree that, in this case (unlike in life), the destination IS more important than the journey .

Not knocking SSR as it has a lot to offer and we'll use our BWV/VWL points to stay there in the future.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Well, we just added on 130 SSR points bcs of the outrageously good incentive they are offering. And we needed the points anyways, and the high ROFR activity made resale purchase much less attractive. My dear Auntie, who is moderately retarded with Down's syndrome and is now 63 (yeah, Wow!) has begun using our points, and has really enjoyed her stays at OKW, just getting away from it all. The last time she was at WDW, she and her health care worker admired SSR on the boatride by, and she announced that she would like to try staying there some time. We were gonna need more points anyways, since these trips are so good for her (forcing her to walk more and giving her lots of extra stimulation) we now plan to send her and a health care worker down twice a year.

I think SSR will be just beautiful once it is all finished, and while they are finishing, it will feel a bit empty and spread out I expect. Also with it being new, I imagine new staff will be coming on all the time and what with being new and all, will not be as knowledgable as our friends at OKW or BWV. But once it is all going and they are on to building the next DVC resort (I think I heard that it was gonna be on Mars or something ), I expect us SSR owners will love it as much as OKW owners love theirs.

 

[MamaCrush]

If you add on SSR points, are those points extended to the 2054 timeframe?

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by MamaCrush
If you add on SSR points, are those points extended to the 2054 timeframe?

Yes. If you were to purchase a 100-pt add-on at SSR, the 100 pts would run through 2054 while ownership at any other resorts would still end in 2042.

 

[Sammie]

Originally posted by DisneyKidds
As for comparing walks........yes, it is a beautiful walk around SSR and to the main pool. However, the discussion of the walk from BWV/BCV to Epcot was in terms of what benefits those resorts might have over SSR. One can hardly comapre the ability to walk to Epcot to the ability to walk an equal distance just to get to your pool.

Or look at it this way. Compare the walk from your SSR room to the main pool. Then compare your walk from your BCV/BWV room to the main pool. That is apples to apples........and the SSR walk is a lot longer. Then compare the walk from BCV/BWV to a theme park (either Epcot or the Studios) to the walk from SSR to a theme park...........ooops....doesn't exist . I think that was the comaprison, not the lenght of the walk. I agree that, in this case (unlike in life), the destination IS more important than the journey .

Not knocking SSR as it has a lot to offer and we'll use our BWV/VWL points to stay there in the future.

I see your point, but when someone comments that "everything at SSR was too far from our room" and the only rooms open at the time are Congress Park, then I see the comment as being one of distance comparsion. Nothing at SSR at this time is any further than the walks required at other DVC resorts to get where you need to go. The journey is only different, but distance is distance regardless of what you see while walking.

But then personally I always find it amusing that people complain about the distance required to walk anywhere at a Disney resort then turn around and spend hours walking at the parks.

 

[HGD24]

I'm not sure that personal preferences of one resort over another should influence your decision to buy as you never have to stay at SSR if you don't want to...you can stay at any of the other DVD resorts....you just 'own' a deed to SSR.

I wouldn't let location, restaurant offerings, etc necessarily decide for you.

I do agree that being the newest resort, it will be the nicest.

Hope that helps and good luck!

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by HGD24
I'm not sure that personal preferences of one resort over another should influence your decision to buy as you never have to stay at SSR if you don't want to...you can stay at any of the other DVD resorts....you just 'own' a deed to SSR.

Sounds like someone just spoke to a DVC Guide recently.

Just remember the words "subject to availability." You get 11 months to book at your Home resort, and only 7 months at the other properties. There are several classes of rooms which are VERY difficult to book outside of that 11 month window, including:

- Standard View rooms at BWV.
- Boardwalk View rooms at BWV.
- Grand Villas at OKW.

Yes, chances are you will be successful booking outside of your Home resort frequently. But just bear in mind that things are PROBABLY not quite as easy as your salesperson lead you to believe.

 

[tixx]

Originally posted by HGD24
I'm not sure that personal preferences of one resort over another should influence your decision to buy as you never have to stay at SSR if you don't want to...you can stay at any of the other DVD resorts....you just 'own' a deed to SSR.

I wouldn't let location, restaurant offerings, etc necessarily decide for you.

I do agree that being the newest resort, it will be the nicest.

Hope that helps and good luck!

I was of that opinion , until i heard 800 units.. if people buy SSR thinking they can stay at BWV OR BCV ..they will be sadly disappointed ..sheer numbers would tell you that this cant happen... with the huge SSR membership coming on line it is more important than ever ..to buy where you want to stay..

We are talking 4 times the size of BCV

good luck to all ..and you can always rent extra points..it might make more sense

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by tixx
if people buy SSR thinking they can stay at BWV OR BCV ..they will be sadly disappointed ..sheer numbers would tell you that this cant happen...

Well, I think that's a little extreme.

BCV and BWV aren't adding any members (at least not without adding more units). So the availability at exactly 7 months should remain flat. In fact, with BWV and BCV people having a new destination to try (SSR), there may be just a touch MORE availability at 7 months than there is now.

Either way, the true impact will be later in the game. Once the 7 month window arrives, there will be more people trying to get the rooms that remain. So, the real impact will simply be how much earlier in the game all of the rooms are taken at these resorts. If, for example, BCV would typically book-solid for May at 3 months out, perhaps it will eventually be 4 months out to reflect the greater demand.

Realistically, if you think you would be prepared to call at 11-10-9-8 months out, then it should be no problem calling right at 7 months to get a room. I posted these thoughts in another thread and some folks tried to allege that we'll reach a point where calling at 7 months will be totally unsuccessful. I think that's hogwash.

Some room types (BWV Standard View or BW View) will be, and always have been difficult to book if you don't own at the resort. But 100% booked within hours of the phones opening at 7 mos out? You gotta be kidding me.

I hope she doesn't mind, but I'll close by quoting long-time member PamOKW from a similar thread: "Many people felt the sky was falling when HH and VB opened and new owners said they planned to use the majority of their points at WDW. The sky is still up there. "

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

It seems to me the downside to SSR would be the same as the downside to OKW. I'll be more than happy to use my VWL points to stay there on short notice.

And for the buy where you want to stay notion...doesn't the 860 rooms at SSR make buying at HHI and VB that much more attractive? The odds of getting in using those points is suddenly a heck of a lot higher than it used to be...

 

[zalansky]

What percentage of the time would you say the Villas are not available at Disney?

 

[sjdisneywedding]

Originally posted by mydogdrew
Conversely, as the largest DVC resort (once complete) you really won't have much of an 11 month advantage yourself at SSR.


I dont quite understand this idea. Why do you think SSR owners will not maintain their 11 month advantage? No non SSR members will be able to book there at 11 months and while the number of owners increases so will the number o rooms. no?

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by zalansky
What percentage of the time would you say the Villas are not available at Disney?

Tough question to answer because there are a lot of villas.

Let's take two approaches. First, resort demand. Because of preferrable location and size of property, the Beach Club Villas and Villas at the Wilderness Lodge are probably the toughest to get into year-round. The Boardwalk Villas have two classes of rooms that are hard to book--Standard View (which cost fewer points) and the Preferred Boardwalk View (which overlook the Boardwalk itself). Next in line would probably be the Preferred Garden / Pool view at the Boardwalk. And finally, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs are likely to be the easiest to book for two main reasons: 1. Location - the majority of folks seem to prefer resorts closer to the action, and 2. Size - SSR and OKW are the two largest properties.

With that said, there are some times of the year that are much more difficult to book than others. This is certainly over simplified and subject to debate, but here's a brief summary from hardest to easiest:

1. Week before and week after Easter, Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.
2. Mid-February to mid-April, October and November.
3. Memorial Day to mid-August.
4. Everything else (January to mid-Febrauary, mid-April to mid-May, mid-August thru September)

Again, 1 is hardest--4 is easiest.

For the 1's and 2's, it is advisable to call as close as possible to 11 months before your trip and book a room at your Home resort. Then you can call at 7 months and try to switch to another resort if you so desire.

The other times of year, you will probably always be able to find a room--even on short notice. But you may be limited by the sizes of rooms available and will probably not have your choice of all 5 resorts. As I said, OKW and SSR are the likeliest candidates for an opening on short notice.

DVC clearly works best when you can plan your trips as many as 11 months in advance. When you are able to book as soon as your window opens, you are all but guaranteed of getting the room you want. But those odds decrease to some degree with every week that passes.