Ssr - love it or NOT and why?

[abarnes64]

Hi all,

We are purchasing a resale at some point soon and the best value seems to be in SSR and AKV. We loved AKV and do not mind the fact that it is remote. Kids love it too. Haven't been to SSR yet but it looks beautiful and many folks seem to love it!

Would anyone mind sharing with me likes, dislikes, pros and cons about the resort? We are a family of 4- my kiddos are little (2 and 4).

TIA

 

[suz_cute]

We love SSR. Love the proximity to DTD, the grounds are beautiful, the rooms are well appointed. The pool and splash areas are very nice, and the setup at Artists Palette has always worked for us. We have always lucked out with room location, and it never seems to be over booked. Never had bus issues there either, though we do tend to travel at off peak times such as fall and winter. I hope you make the right decision for your family.

 

[Dean]

Hi all,

We are purchasing a resale at some point soon and the best value seems to be in SSR and AKV. We loved AKV and do not mind the fact that it is remote. Kids love it too. Haven't been to SSR yet but it looks beautiful and many folks seem to love it!

Would anyone mind sharing with me likes, dislikes, pros and cons about the resort? We are a family of 4- my kiddos are little (2 and 4).

TIA

It's a personal decision but it's difficult not to like any of the DVC resorts though we all have our comparative preferences. SSR is a much better long term value than AKV due to up front differences but mostly dues over time. Unless you're focused on the value rooms or concierge, SSR is likely the better choice. You should be able to get into AKV most times for the non specialized villas and in reality, if you bought SSR you'd save enough money to miss the value rooms for the AKV stays unless that were the only villa type you stayed in almost very trip. However, it might be best to at least see there resort and villas to be sure you'd be OK if you couldn't get anything else. You'll likely have others tell you about the Kidani 1 BR with 2 baths but I don't see that as applicable since I believe you can get those consistently at 7 months out. I do believe SSR is best done with a car though it's not as important as OKW and it's really not much different than AKV in that regard anyway.

 

[PoohsFan1]

It's a personal decision but it's difficult not to like any of the DVC resorts though we all have our comparative preferences. SSR is a much better long term value than AKV due to up front differences but mostly dues over time. Unless you're focused on the value rooms or concierge, SSR is likely the better choice. You should be able to get into AKV most times for the non specialized villas and in reality, if you bought SSR you'd save enough money to miss the value rooms for the AKV stays unless that were the only villa type you stayed in almost very trip. However, it might be best to at least see there resort and villas to be sure you'd be OK if you couldn't get anything else. You'll likely have others tell you about the Kidani 1 BR with 2 baths but I don't see that as applicable since I believe you can get those consistently at 7 months out. I do believe SSR is best done with a car though it's not as important as OKW and it's really not much different than AKV in that regard anyway.

I agree , your decision is going to be based on personal choice. SSR is one of our home resorts and we really love our stays there, so we may be a bit biased. We bought into SSR because like you, it was a better value for the money (we bought direct) and we have not regretted our decision ever since. It's funny though, when we did buy into SSR, we bought without ever staying there so DH was kind of hesitant about it....this was only an add on, our other home resort is BLT, so he wanted to buy at SSR for the points, not for staying there. However, we decided to try it out the next year and really fell in love with the resort. It has such pretty grounds and the price points for the different villa sizes are very reasonable. We loved it so much that when we stayed there in October paid a visit to our guide (was checking out the new VGF models) and we decided to add on there again . My suggestion is if you aren't sure about the resort, you should stay there sometime and do sort of a test drive so you can see for yourself. Good luck deciding.

 

[MinnieGi]

I am personally a non-SSR lover. As others have said it is a personal decision. We only stayed one week there and while it was okay, it is just not our personal favorite at all. We like the "hotel" DVC's better. We own at BWV.

Would add that I have waitlisted for AKV twice and have never gotten in! We have stayed cash at AKL years ago and loved it. Would really like to stay at AKV! And yes I waitlist on the exact day our 7 month timeframe begins.

I personally would stay or visit somewhere before I bought points there just to make sure you really do like it. We have had several waitlists not come through and thank goodness we really like BWV and its location!

 

[Disney On The Bayou]

Pluses...

Very nice grounds

Very nice pools

Artist Pallet is a great QS restaurant

Located with LBV Golf Course

Great Spa

Near DDT

We enjoy fishing in the ponds, yes it's not sanctioned

Ability to book Treehouse Villas

Very nice and affordable 3 Bdr

Low point values compared to other DVC resorts

Minuses...

Busses, multiple stops can get aggravating

No room service

No interior access to rooms

Parking, yes this can be a challenge

Usually able to book last minute, meaning it's one of the most available resorts, so owning there really isn't meaningful in terms of having 11 month priority

Overall I agree with Dean, giving the choice between the two resorts, I would go with SSR for the value. Price to acquire and lower maintenance dues.

 

[Dean]

Personally I think for many it's still better to buy in to SSR even if they don't particularly like it but it depends on the other variables and preferences.

 

[PAcpl]

I think SSR is beautiful and as a PP pointed out it would be hard to dislike any DVC resort. But for us, SSR is just too big. I rather be in a smaller resort that is a little easier to manage.

 

[LisaS]

DH and I like themed hotels. We have visited SSR a few times but have never stayed there. We both thought the grounds were pretty but neither of us liked the horse racing theme. Overall we thought the resort was too large and felt like an apartment complex. We don't spend much time at DTD so that wasn't a draw for us either.

SSR was the only resort being actively marketed at the time we bought but we wanted an Epcot resort and opted for BWV and have never regretted it. The last several years we've been going in Oct for F&W and the 11-month booking advantage for either Standard View or Boardwalk View rooms has been worth the higher dues.

We also own small add ons at VWL and AKV. We rarely need our booking advantage there since we rarely stay at VWL in Dec or book Club Level at AKV so SSR points might serve us just as well much of the time and would have saved us some money. However, I like booking 11 months in advance and knowing we'll be staying where we want to be so if I had it to do over again, I would still buy where I wanted to stay and not SSR. I'm not a gambler when it comes to my vacation.

 

[abarnes64]

Many good points and thank you all for sharing! I don't like camping and I wonder of this may be an issue as I have read some other posts on SSR and I have heard ppl refer to "the tree house villas make it feel sort of like camping"

I do think that light be fun once , but other than that I think I'd prefer AKV. I have just started to look into BWV, as that might be an option also. I do really like GF but the $ of the points and points required for 1 bdrm and 2 bdrm are alot!

 

[abarnes64]

Many good points and thank you all for sharing! I don't like camping and I wonder of this may be an issue as I have read some other posts on SSR and I have heard ppl refer to "the tree house villas make it feel sort of like camping"

I do think that light be fun once , but other than that I think I'd prefer AKV. I have just started to look into BWV, as that might be an option also. I do really like GF but the $ of the points and points required for 1 bdrm and 2 bdrm are alot!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Many good points and thank you all for sharing! I don't like camping and I wonder of this may be an issue as I have read some other posts on SSR and I have heard ppl refer to "the tree house villas make it feel sort of like camping"

I do think that light be fun once , but other than that I think I'd prefer AKV. I have just started to look into BWV, as that might be an option also. I do really like GF but the $ of the points and points required for 1 bdrm and 2 bdrm are alot!

The Treehouses are only one small section of SSR - really quite minor compared to the size of the rest of the resort and nothing of the rest is at all like camping.

We have enjoyed our stays at SSR and looking back from a financial point probably would have been fine just purchasing there. We do tend to prefer the villas that are attached to hotels so that's where we did purchase. Between AKV and SSR I do prefer AKV - love that atmosphere, will always go to AK but rarely DTD so the SSR location is not a plus to us in that regard and I think the bus service at AKV is quite good.

 

[DreamerWDW]

Personally SSR falls at the bottom of my list. I've stayed in nearly every WDW DVC (except VGF, soon tho!). SSR has multiple bus stops and I just prefer the resorts with hotels as part of the property. DTD isn't a big draw for us either. The theming is just "ok", but we prefer others.

It's not that I'd never stay there again. It's just that I prefer the other resorts.

 

[mrsgoose8]

not been to SSR yet..
but I've seen some of your other posts. We bought in at AKV and we visited in January. We LOVED it and know our kids (also 4 and 2!!) will love it too. yes the MFs are higher, but as long as you aren't buying thousands of points, it's not too bad.... and none of us know if any of them will go up in the future and how much!!

It's nice to have the home resort advantage for sure-- we were able to get that "sweet week" in December that everyone speaks of-- in a value one bedroom, thus saving us from having to borrow any points from 2015! (That sweet week made even sweeter because it will be the last time we can go to Disney with our "free" 2 year old. He will turn 3 on that trip! What a celebration that will be!

 

[DMKEDM]

Huge SSR fans here--altho as a family, we're equally fans of AKV. We love both resorts.

Personally, I prefer SSR over AKV (altho I do love AKV)...I'm a walker and SSR is a walker's paradise...I also really like being able to walk over to DTD--to catch buses to other resorts as well as to eat or shop there.

I also like one silly little feature in the studios (our most usual villa size): they have a wall hanging in the front "hall" where you can hang jackets, ponchos, etc. If you've ever come into any other studio w/a wet jacket (or pool cover-up or poncho), you'll know how tricky it can be to find a place (that's totally convenient) to hang the wet garment -- I just love that wall hanger w/pegs--enough that on occasion it is for that reason alone I choose to book at SSR!

We like variety...we only stay at the same resort twice in a row if there's an availability issue, but our three favorites are BCV, SSR and AKV...

Yes, SSR is big (so is AKV, in a different sort of way), but once you get to know the grounds you'll find "short cuts" (across the oval instead of around it) such that absolutely nothing is more than a 7-10 minute stroll from the Carriage House...so you don't ever have to ride the bus through the entire 5-stop loop unless you feel like doing so...

As for AKV, it's unique and it's lovely and it's packed with things to do and I love it--but its one negative is a very big negative for me--I feel "trapped" there...you cannot walk (safely) out of the grounds...there's no space on the road (or sidewalks or shoulders) for a walker when a car or bus comes in or goes out...as noted, I'm a walker...I'll go out for a five-mile hike for exercise (yes, even at Disney!) and at AKV that means walking the same path back and forth 8-10 times because there's just nowhere else to walk...at SSR it's easy to take all the byways and loops and get my hike in, or I can walk over to DTD and around, or even out of Disney altogether and "into the neighborhood"...that's a big issue for me. Probably less of one for a family w/two pre-schoolers, tho!

In any event, I don't think you need to own at either SSR or AKV for the 11-month advantage (unless you want a treehouse villas--which is sure not like camping to me--those villas are in a heavily wooded area (which I love), but the villas are modern and sleek and wonderful and so far from "camping" that it actually made me laugh to read it!--or the concierge or value villas at AKV)...I think AKV may even be more available than OKW (but I might be wrong about that)...but both are usually pretty available at 7 months out...
SSR, because it's so big, is usually the last resort to fill up...so neither is a good choice if you're looking to maximize an 11-month owners' advantage...

Good luck with your choice!

 

[Buzzsgramma]

First off our home resort since 2000 is BWV...i usually have to book it far in advance especially if i want a SV to save on points..
We love our BWV....but this is about SSR...

Sometimes on last minute trips maybe 2 or 3 mths out there is always room at SSR...DH and I usually stay in a studio but have rented 2bdrm when some family members come...

We have stayed often the last years at SSR..mostly the Springs section,this time we are in the Grandstand and what a fun pool there is there and snack bar..

The grounds are lovely and golf course nearby..DH loves this..the Turf Club restaurant CS is great and Artist Palette food court in inviting ...

Without going into detail I will say that the SERVICE at SSR is incredible...if you have a need or request they will do their best to make it happen...

 

[Mflaherty]

I think buying into ssr is the best value by far. I wish I bought there because I never seem to be able to book a trip 7-11 months out anyway. I bought at boardwalk villas hoping to take advantage of the standard view rooms (lower point) but those need to be booked at the 11 month window. Way too far in advance for me. So I now realize I would have been better off buying more points than buying at a resort to take advantage of those low point room options (ex-value at akv). Also because when I search availability on short notice (2-6 months in advance) one bedrooms in many resorts tend to have availability over studios which seem to go quick. So basically it would have been more in my favor to go with more points at SSR. And FYI animal kingdom seems to have good availability most of the time and definitely at the 7 month window. Buy at SSR- you never have to stay there and you will save yourself money. a wise financial decision and a membership to the happiest place on earth. Sounds like a win win to me. Good luck!

 

[twinsouvenirs]

We bought there for the price, but love the resort. I love love love the pools and the walking distance to DTD--it really feels like a standalone resort. We were very impressed with the service and I loved our view. We will be happy there although we plan to try all the resorts at least once first

 

[JessLCH]

We stayed at SSR over Thanksgiving week 2012 on rented points, before we bought in. It is my least favorite DVC resort that I have stayed at. The first room we were given had a very strong moldy/ mildewy smell and we insisted on being moved. the second room was only marginally better. there were no other rooms so they agreed to do a deep clean and change filters which really just masked the moldy smell for a day or two. My kids have asthma. My son coughed the whole week and used his inhaler regularly (which he normally only needs when he is very ill). I think the problem is that the rooms open to the outdoor Florida humidity and don't have air conditioned interior hallways like many other properties, so the rooms get too much moisture. Other than the musty room, I liked the peacefulness of the property. Bus transportation was just ok. The resort theme was forgettable and it is my kids' least favorite. I won't go back because of the mildew/mold.

 

[JessLCH]

Stayed at SSR Thanksgiving week 2012...problems with two different musty/mildewy rooms and I have asthmatic kids. the rooms open to the outdoor FLA humidity. I prefer interior air conditioned halls to avoid this problem. Bus service was so so. Themeing is forgettable. My kids did not like SSR much. I won't stay there again because of the mildewy rooms. Just returned from Kidani and LOVED the themeing, rooms and thought the bus transportation was excellent. Would choose AKV over SSR every time.