SSR Lovers and Owners Part 2

[mamaprincess]

We are nearly at the 3,700 post cut off on the last thread so it's time to continue the love on a new thread. Thanks everyone for answering questions on the previous lovers thread, sharing your wonderful SSR experiences and of course your amazing pictures of our gorgeous Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa some of which can be found on this page. Don't miss the links below the pictures full of information about and more photos of SSR. Please make yourselves at home and enjoy some pixie dust while you wait impatiently for your next trip!

SSR Owners and Lovers Part 1
Tons more photos.
A neat SSR promo video.
Treehouse tour video.
Amazing Downtown Disney Photos.
Walt Disney World's Site SSR info.
SSR Spa information.
Artist Palette breakfast menu.
Artist Palette lunch/dinner menu.
Turf Club lunch menu.
Turf Club dinner menu.
Turf Club kid's menu.

 

[my3princes]

I had to follow you to the new thread.

 

[mamaprincess]

Hey my3princes! Welcome home! It got to crowded in our old home. SSR has lots of lovers! I've got a trip coming up (not soon enough) and I am so restless about it which makes it a great time to ogle pics of SSR and obsess.

 

[AirGoofy]

Great way to start the new thread.

Here is a link to the 1st thread: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1329308

Courtesy of BirdsofPreyDave.

Your top 10 questions answered. Click here. http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=45536553&postcount=2084

The Grandstand

• Fairly large section with 4 buildings
  • Buildings are clustered around a cul-de-sac, so the section is not too spread out
  • Con: If driving, making the left turn out of the resort's main entrance can sometimes be challenging.
• Pro: Not too far of a walk to the carriage house
• Pro: Not too far of a walk to the High Rock Spring Pool
• Pro: Not too far from Golf Course and Pro Shop
• Pro: Quiet pool
  • Pro: Kid's splash area
  • Pro: Full-service bar at the pool
  • Pro: Drink refill station (Sodas only)
  • Pro: Community BBQ Area with grills and tables
  • Pro: Laundry facility
• Transportation:
  • Bus
    • Pro: First stop on the theme park route
      • First ones onto the empty buses during morning "rush hour"
      • First ones off the bus at night when you're tired and want to get back to your room and go to bed
    • Pro or Con: The bus stop is very close to 1 building, pretty close to another, and moderately close to the other 2. (You need to cross the parking lot to get to the bus stop from the two farthest buildings.)
  • Boat
    • Pro: Not too far of a walk to the boat dock. (Walk behind the Carriage House instead of through it.)
• Views:
  • Golf Course
  • Wooded Areas
  • Small lake w/ fountain

Carousel

• Smallest section of the resort with only two buildings
  • Con: Some say it feels remote and separated from the rest of the resort
  • Pro: Very quiet
  • Pro: Closest section to the resort's main entrance for easy in and out if you have a car
• Con: Long walk to Carriage House
• Con: Long walk to High Rock Spring Pool
• Con: No quiet pool
• Con: No laundry facility
• Transportation:
  • Bus
    • Con: Bus stop is actually across the street in the Paddock Section
    • Con: Moderately far from both buildings
• Views:
  • Small lake w/ fountain

The Paddock

• Largest section of the resort. The Paddock's 5 buildings are laid out in a line, and stretch practically from one side of the resort to the other.
  • Con: Be careful with requests because of the Paddock's size. When requesting to be in the Paddock thinking you'll be close to the Paddock Pool, you may find yourself closer to Carousel or Congress Park
• Pro or Con: Potentially Long walk to Carriage House. (Two Paddock buildings are very close to the bridge, and the Carriage House is not a long walk. Other buildings are farther from the bridge and involve a longer walk.)
• Pro or Con: Potentially Long walk to High Rock Spring Pool (for buildings not close to the bridge)
• Pro: Paddock Pool
  • Pro: Lifeguard protected
  • Pro: Daily activities
  • Pro: Water Slide
  • Pro: Kid's splash zone with small water slides
  • Pro: Paddock Pool Grill
    • Quick service restaurant
    • Hot and Cold drink refill station
    • Limited bottled alcohol
  • Pro:Laundry facility
• Transportation:
  • Bus
    • Paddock buildings are actually served by three different bus stops
      • Paddock
      • Carousel
      • Congress Park
    • Pro: Each building is very close to fairly close to one of these stops
    • Con: Getting to the Congress Park bus stop from the Southern-most Paddock building(s) requires crossing a street
• Views:
  • Lake w/ fountain
  • Bridge

Congress Park

• Fairly large section of the resort with 4 buildings
  • Buildings are clustered pretty tightly, so the section isn't too spread out
• Con: Long walk to Carriage House
• Con: Long walk to High Rock Spring Pool
• Pro: Quiet pool
  • Pro: Playground
  • Pro: Community BBQ Area with grills and tables
  • Pro: Laundry facility
• Pro: Short walk to Downtown Disney Marketplace
• Transportation:
  • Bus
    • Pro: All four buildings are fairly close to the bus stop
• Views:
  • Downtown Disney

The Springs

• Relatively small section of the resort with 3 buildings
  • Original part of the resort when it was part of the Disney Institute
  • These buildings are the oldest at the resort, but with refurbishments really don't look any different than rooms in other sections
• Pro: Closest section to the Carriage House
  • Artist's Palette
    • Quick Service Restaurant for meals and snacks
    • Store for groceries, snacks, and souvenirs
    • Drink refill station with sodas and hot beverages
    • Open late
  • Turf Club Restaurant and Lounge
  • Front Desk
• Pro: Closest section to High Rock Spring pool
  • Main pool / Lifeguard protected
  • Daily pool activities
  • Large water slide and smaller kiddie water slide
  • Location of Arcade and Community Hall
  • Full service bar and drink refill station (sodas only)
  • Fire pit for nightly marshmallow roasting
  • Close to tennis and shuffleboard courts
  • Laundry facility
• Con: No quiet pool for this section.
• Pro: Closest section to golf course and Pro Shop
• Transportation:
  • Bus
    • Pro: Two buildings are very close to bus stop, one is pretty close.
    • Con: Bus stop used as transfer point for Tree House Villa guests and is also the stop for those heading to/from the Carriage House and High Rock Spring pool. This means there's higher-than-normal traffic at this stop.
    • Con: Last stop on theme park route. During crowded times of year, buses may be standing-room-only or completely full when they arrive at this stop. (This usually only happens during peak transportation hours near park openings.)
  • Boat
    • Pro: Very close to the boat dock, which is behind the Carriage House
• Views:
  • Small Lake w/ Fountains

 

[mamaprincess]

Great way to start the new thread. I will add the link to the last thread and my signature as well. Not sure if I posted in the last thread, but we added on another 25 points at SSR. Now, we can do two trips each year.

Thanks Airgoofy for linking to this thread in the previous one. Welcome home!

 

[brandip22]

Yay! I leave in ONE WEEK!! WOOOHOOOO! We also did an add on a couple of days ago so we can either go twice or stay in a 2Br each year. I keep checking for my points to show up, I'm so excited! Signing paperwork when we get down there!

 

[mikron2]

We own at SSR and love everything about it. Good location, quite and I love the lake view and walking to down town Disney.

 

[DutchsMommy]

Going home in about 5 months and can't wait. It's funny, we've stayed in alot of resorts on property, but DS still loves SSR and it's always his first choice when I ask where he wants to stay next!

 

[Silver Queen]

Leaving tomorrow morning for SSR, can't sleep so here I am!

 

[kikiq]

Thanks for keeping the SSR Lovers thread refreshed and current!!! Love your pictures. Only 91 days until our SSR trip!!!

 

[tjhsr]

we just got back wed. and had a great time. spent most of our time at the quiet pool at CP. only spent a few hrs at the parks over 5 days. and most of that was for dining. no rides at all. and going back in oct. Had a really good meal at the Turf Club. 16 trips to SSR and counting Also spent 5 days at VB a great resort but theres no place like home

 

[snowhyte]

I have never been to SSR, but have become an SSR lover just by reading the original thread and looking at pictures over the last month. I can't wait to stay here someday!

 

[franandaj]

I'll subscribe by posting a few of my photobucket images. We've been hopping around, though stayed at the THV in Jan, but can't wait to get back to just the regular old SSR Villas. Unfortunately it won't be until like a year and half from now. Luckily we live about 15 miles or 25 minutes from our other home the VCG! So we can experience the magic there while we wait to return to the other magic!

This was our accesible THV, I thought it was the coolest!

I have more pictures, but this was what I had on photobucket!

 

[RLRDA]

Joining the new thread ~

 

[mamaprincess]

Wow franandaj beautiful pics! Whenever you get more on photobucket, please share them here.

Welcome home everyone!

 

[Disneymanic]

DW and I went on our first stay Home last Dec. We were on our first trip by ourselves since our honeymoon in 1974. We had done a previous trip with 11 people to Boardwalk but now we were coming Home. Not knowing what the resort was like, I was a little worried that DW would not like SSR. Well, we both loved it. We stayed in Congress Park and had a great view of Cirque de Solei. It was peaceful and beautiful. We are both eagerly anticipating our next trip.

 

[AirGoofy]

I'll subscribe by posting a few of my photobucket images. We've been hopping around, though stayed at the THV in Jan, but can't wait to get back to just the regular old SSR Villas.

Great treehouse pics. We would like to stay in the THV, but as a family of four, not sure if I can justify using the points. Maybe when the dds (8,5) are older. In the meantime, we'll just enjoy the view from the posted pics and the boat as we float down the river.

Well, we both loved it. We stayed in Congress Park and had a great view of Cirque de Solei. It was peaceful and beautiful. We are both eagerly anticipating our next trip.

Glad you had a great trip. The view at CP is something special.

 

[my3princes]

We'll be in the THV's in just about 60 days. While we're there we are having a gathering for family and friends, it looks like about 30 people. How big are the charcoal grills? How much charcoal will we need to pick up? Thanks for your help.

 

[Doingitagain]

We'll be in the THV's in just about 60 days. While we're there we are having a gathering for family and friends, it looks like about 30 people. How big are the charcoal grills? How much charcoal will we need to pick up? Thanks for your help.

They are not very big, smaller than the one we have at home. We haven't used them, so I can't tell you how much exactly fits on them. I would plan on having appetizers and then doing multiple shifts on the grill if you have 30 people.

 

[mecllap]

That selection of beautiful photos is a great way to start the thread. Here's an overview of SSR from the CIF balloon:

and a view of the balloon from our Paddock room balcony: