SSR experiences please

[nickf126]

Hi all,
I am new to these boards, and I get such a wonderful feeling from everyone here when they write about Disney.

My wife is a travel agent, and we usually get discounted rates at the on property resorts. We just booked 4 days at the Saratoga Springs Resort, and I was hoping to get some feedback from some people who have recently stayed there. I would like to know about room decor, distance to attractions, and on property activities. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[DVC Sadie]

Hi! My home resort is SSR and we love it. The decor is lovely. If you go to www.allearsnet.com you can see pictures of the rooms and resort are. The pool has a great slide and is zero entry. Counter service food area has a better selection than the average food court in my opinion. If you post this thread on the DVC thread you will get a lot of feedback. SSR is next to Downtown Disney which is convenient for dining as well as Disney Quest, La Nouba, Movie theater and of course shopping. Hope this helps.

 

[stacy6552]

Love love love SSR. Beautiful rooms and grounds. Fun pool, great neighbors.

try here:
http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/guest/resorts/resortLanding?id=SaratogaSpringsLandingPage

 

[Deb & Bill]

There is bus transportation to the parks and it is really pretty good. It's a new resort, less than two years old, so the landscaping is still growing. But it's beautiful. They are still working on one section, but construction does not interfere with the guests staying at the resort.

Have a great time.

 

[Amy&Dan]

It is absolutely beautiful! The grounds are lovely, the pool is incredible and the rooms are so well appointed and so new, I almost hate to come home to my crappy, lived in house! We have stayed there twice, the second time was with my inlaws. They were very hesitant about staying there, worried it would be too spread out, the rooms wouldn't be nice etc. No worries however, they felt it was the nicest place they had ever stayed and they have travelled all over the world. I was so relieved because they have high standards and won't hesitate to let people know when they are not satisfied! The resort is well laid out so even if you are in a far out building the walk to the main pool area is not bad. And all areas have their own quiet pool and hot tub. There are plenty of bus stops to keep you from having to walk too far to catch your bus. The grounds are so beautiful, you can rent a surrey bike or bicycle to enjoy them or just stroll around. There is also a full service spa, a health club, an arcade area and as someone else said, Downtown Disney is just a short walk or boatride away. No park is more than a 10 or 15 minute bus ride away. There is also plenty of parking in front of each building if you bring or rent a car. The decor of the rooms is traditional, with lovely dark woods. The bathrooms are really lovely. The kitchens have granite counter tops. Definitely check out the allears website for a lengthy, detailed slide show showing the rooms, pools and grounds. I cannot imagine why anyone would not love this resort, have a great trip!

 

[Skroops]

We will definately stay at this resort again. We rented points through a DVC owner, and now my DH is considering my plea to join.

It is a beautiful resort, and comfortable beds. One feature we really enjoyed was the kiddie water play area with water jets.

Good luck!

 

[imlazar]

We stayed in Congress Park last year, the room was great. We booked a studio but got upgraded to a 1BR. The room had everything we needed for our stay including a well stocked kitchen (no food, just plates/pots/etc.)

The main pool is fantastic, but it is a long walk from Congress Park. There is a quiet pool that is closer. There is also a playground for the little ones that our boys loved. The main pool has a donald fountain that the kids loved as well.

Artists Palette is a very good, but the menu is limited. We loved the house salad and BBQ chicken pizza. Again though, it's a far walk from many of the rooms.

Downtown Disney is very close, we walked there in less than 10 minutes.

The only real downside was that it was a very quiet place, you don't really feel like you are in Disney World compared with places like the Wilderness Lodge which we just stayed. And, it's expensive, I think the base room rate is $400 a night for peak season.

 

[G8RFAN]

We stayed there twice. A studio and a 1BR, respectively. First time was a couple of weeks after it first opened and then late last year. If they told us we were the first guests in our room, I would have believed it. Our stay over a year later showed very little wear. IMHO, the room decor is the nicest of all DVC resorts. Both visits seemed like there were only a few guests there making it feel a little isolated, but the proximity to DTD is great. We love the restaurant choices at DTD, so the limited menu at Artist Palette never bothered us. As other posters have said, the pool is also great.

 

[nickf126]

Wow, thanks for all of the feedback guys. SSR took a beating on another site, so I am glad to hear all the good stuff.

 

[OurMsBrooks]

We found SSR to be lovely all around. One nice feature is the bathroom layout (we were in a 1BR). We had the kids sleeping in the living room, and the way the bathroom is set up they could get in two parts of the bathroom (shower/sink area & toilet area) without coming into our room and waking us up! (The big tub, walk-in closet and another sink/counter are attached to the master BR, and you can get into that area through the "shower room" door or from the door off the living room, if you can follow that).

Another nice, tiny detail: a little shelf in the beautiful, large shower to hold the cup of coffee DH would bring me to help me wake up. (I am only a morning person in WDW.)

The only drawback we found was that compared with POR, where you don't have to see a car your whole trip it seems, at SSR to walk from Congress Park to the main pool and Artist's Palette the sidewalk runs right up next to the road, so you get lots of cars and bus fumes. We'd like to see a little bridge over the waterway to avoid walking next to the road.

Gorgeous, peaceful, happy place!

 

[DukeStreetKing]

SSR offers nightly horse-drawn carriage rides around the property. You can rent a carriage for $35.00 at the entrance to the LBV pro shop, which is beneath the Turf Club. We just walked up to the driver without having a reservation. I think you can call the stables at FW and make a reservation, but I'm not completely sure. You can ask at check-in and they should be able to tell you. The ride takes you around some of the resort, depending on where the driver wants to go, or you can ride to DTD. It was a nice way to spend a half-hour or so.

 

[Jen D]

Wow, thanks for all of the feedback guys. SSR took a beating on another site, so I am glad to hear all the good stuff.

Weeellll, if you poke around here a bit you'll find it has its detractors as well. But a resort can't be all things to all people.

SSR is very beautiful and elegant. Request to be either in the Springs or Congress Park... in the Springs you will be close to the main hub with the theme pool, the dining, spa, and everything else. Congress Park you're farther from the main area but you are walking distance from Downtown Disney and all that offers, there is a beautiful quiet pool, and some great views over there. So I'd suggest requesting one of these areas based on your preferences.

Good luck and have a great trip.