SSR Just there!!!

[fsubigdogs]

Well just back from memorial day weekend and needless to say it was great. It was HOT but great. We stayed at Coronado Springs since we do not get our SSR points till July. I have to say the food at CS was surprisingly very good. Pepper market does a good job of selection. The last day we went to SSR and used the pool which was fantastic. The slide is fast and twisty so everyone will love it. Zero entry was a treat for the little ones and those that just want to lounge. Not enough shade by the pool and only 4 tables with umbrellas poolside, however we camped out by the bar which had 5 tables but i felt weird not doing much drinking and using those tables. One negative that I was disapointed in was the Artist Pallate. It was very nice and decorated to the 9's however the food selection was very limited and not very accomidating. They have a chicken cesar sanwich that one of the 8 yr olds wanted and we asked for no lettuce and the chef i think his name was Brian said what you see is what you get and refered us to the menu. They only had 2 kid selections mac n cheese and mini hot dogs. Keep in mind I have only been to HH as far as DVC resorts so not much to compare it to. I thought it would of been more kid freindly. I hope Disney will take a look at the menu options and make the less complicated and fancey and get back to the basics. I was also surprised by how the retail store was attached to the restaraunt and even use the same registers to check you out.
Please give me some feedback if I am just being a little picky. I know you are across from Downtown but if your just sitting buy the pool you don't want to leave to get lunch. Thanks

 

[tjkraz]

We only spent about an hour touring the resort, but I left with the same impression of Artist's Palette--disappointment. It was much smaller than I had expected. I didn't look at the menu too closely, but from afar there did not seem to be many selections.

In the end, I'll reserve judgement until we visit in December. There will be 4x as many rooms (and guests) at that point, and it's certainly conceivable that they will expand the menu accordingly. At this point, it's understandable that they are walking a fine line between putting on a good show and just throwing dollars out the window with only about 40 guest rooms in use.

 

[Kris517]

I have to agree with you. We just got back from a 5 day stay there and it was brutal with no shade by the pool. We pulled up some lounge chairs near the arcade bldg tables to get any shade we could. I did like the pool design too.

We were not thrilled with Artists Palette. Yes I know we were there for the "soft opening" but it was so small. The store is small, the food area small and there are virtually no tables outside to eat at. No food service at the pool bar either. I did not like having to be by the pool, get dressed so I could go inside Artists palette, get the food and carry it all the way down the stairs back to the table.

 

[stacy6552]

wow, what a bummer for you. The whole big deal about AP is the made-to-order counter service. We didnt have any trouble getting them to change menu items for us.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Hmmm. Lots of differing opinions - so what's one more?

We stayed at SSR for 6 nights, and utilized AP at least four different times - and always had a pleasant experience.

Menu - yah, it ain't Starlight Ray's Cosmic Cafe; the menu isn't all deep-fried. But the food was great, and we thought the dozen or two items available more than met our needs. I can see how someone with a couple of 7YOs might have trouble - but I bet that they refine their offerings as customer requests come in.

Size. This confuses me - I thought it was big! Two or three sections of tables - plus the lounge connecting AP with CH has comfy couches! And there's a whole outdoor patio right down the corridor (access via the gift shop exit or the Turf Club); we enjoyed one breakfast out there.

Service. Color me even more confused. We heard people asking for chef salads without the cheese, flatbread/pizza special requests and other 'deviations' - and the AP kitchen staff made them happen quickly and cheerfully. The place was so quiet that any guest got almost overwhelmed with CMs trying to please.

Pool food service. Having to carry food all the way from AP to HRS; I'm sorry, but ::hee hee hee:: tjkraz is right, only one building is open - once more buildings are open, maybe they'll have some staff to do the carrying.


The safest bet is to assume that AP is a work in progress. As a newbie DVCer, I have no idea how many people at a DVC-only resort actually buy meals from the food-court - and how many will stay and eat them there instead of simply going to your villa. And despite the fact that it isn't 'right there', the dining options of DTD are potent competition to any SSR eateries.

 

[happyrebster]

Another differing point of view: I could not have been more thrilled to see that Artist's Palette was breaking from the old "all we serve is mac n cheese and hamburgers" mold. Why not accomodate a variety of adult tastes and styles once in a while? That said, as other folks have noted above, some kids options were available on the menu and that was fine. They could hardly do without them. But, after a long day in the parks, sniffing nothing but popcorn and churros all day, it sure was nice to come back home to some chicken and artichoke flatbread. I really really appreciated that. I thought it was completely lovely.

Agree with you that pool will be a bit more pleasant once the neighboring trees are a bit larger. Didn't miss not having food by the pool, though. I think a bar is plenty.