We just returned from our 2-bedroom at SSR and loved it.
However, We've spent more time at OKW than any other Disney Property.
You really can't go wrong with either but here is our breakdown:
SSR
We liked how quiet it was. By far the quietest resort we've ever been to. It was filled to capacity when we were there and we never heard another soul from inside our room unless the sliding door was open to the balcony.
Everything is new which is nice. Last year we stayed at OKW and got a room that was in need of an update. All the furniture was dinged or dented and the DVD player didn't work. However, we still loved it! You won't have this issue at SSR as everything is darn near brand new. Feels like you just moved into a brand new house with all brand new furniture.
Proximity to DD. This is hard to beat but we drove there anyway. Yes, the Earl of Sandwich DOES rule!
The grounds at SSR are the newest Disney has and are landscaped to near perfection. It is so beautiful to just walk around this resort. You really feel special when staying here.
Everyone complains about bus service but we used it two days and never waited longer than 15 minutes for our bus to arrive. This could have been luck also.
If you request Congress Park, you are very close to DD and may have a view out your balcony of lake, Pleasure Island and so forth. However, we found we never spent any time out there so it won't be a factor for us on future vacations.
It's just a little bit closer to Gooding's grocery store which we go to a lot to stock the shelves.
We prefer the small pools at SSR over the small pools at OKW. We generally rotate back and forth between the main pool and one of the small pools while on vacation. The SSR small pools are really beautiful and quiet. The Congress Park small pool has a gorgeous view of DD & PI. You REALLY feel like you're on vacation while swimming here.
OKW
Nice Big Rooms! The biggest at Disney. However, how much room do you need? You have the same amount of ROOMS, it's just each room is bigger. A 2-Bdr at OKW is 1300 sq ft vs 1000 at SSR.
Nice Big Balcony! If you like to spend time on your balcony, the OKW balconies are huge!
I prefer the Golf Course views from the balconies at OKW. I enjoy sitting out there sipping coffee and watching and listening to the golfers.
We prefer the main pool at OKW because less people use it. The SSR main pool was packed every day. We also like the sand at OKW for the kids to play in.
The bus service at OKW was horrible. Every time we've used it here it takes forever to get anywhere. We made the horrible mistake of using it for AK one time. Never again! AK is a long ways away and the bus stops at Blizzard Beach first! By the time you make all the stops around OKW, 10 minutes has passed by the time you leave the resort. Add in the 20 minute wait for the bus, the stop at BB, and the distance to AK and it could take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to get there.
A little bit closer to Epcot, AK, and MGM if you drive to these parks. 5 minutes is a big deal to our family
At OKW, you get a full size set of washer/dryer. At SSR, they use the small ones where the dryer is OVER the washer. It worked for us but is a little smaller.
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The cool thing about OKW is you can always get in there. Our waitlist for OKW always gets fullfilled.
We are trying to visit as many resorts as possible and since we've never stayed at our home resort (SSR), we went there this year and loved it.
If you rent a car, it really doesn't matter
where you stay. If you're using Disney Transportation, then a lot more things come into play.
Dont worry though. No matter which resort you choose, you'll have a great time. If I were you, I'd probably take SSR just because you've never been there. It will be one more you can
check off your list.
Have fun! MDF
, the theme that is, not the same space 
