SSR Trip Report

[Liljam]

Ok so here is a start to my very random, less than magical (at times) trip report.

5/3 - Checked in at 11:30am to our Grand Villa. It was just as beautiful as I remebered it to be from the DVC tour last year, but that wears off quickly if you ask me, I will never book the GV again because it reminds me TOO much of home. I don't need to leave the Villa to be comfortable or feel like I'm on vacation. I know that in a smaller room, I would care more about spending time away from it. I do think the GV is nice, but I will be honest that it doesn't seem as worth the points as it did when I booked it! I think when I took the tour, we'd been in a King bedroom at POFQ and the GV was so inticing and spacious. It's alright... The decor is great. It's different to go without the traditional mosuekeeping, but I can adjust in the coming trips over the years. After we were wowed by the GV, we (all 8 of us plus an infant) headed to EPCOT. Did all of FW except we didn't get to spend much time in Innoventions or Imagination and the line for Soarin' was 120 minutes as was expected. We decided to head home for the night. My dad and little 13 year old DB took the bus to DTD and hung out before deciding to walk home. They had no idea where the paths were and argued a good 25 minutes on the way home as they walked Broadway to The Grandstand area?! (I hated to tell them they went the wrong way!)

5/4 - My dad woke up with bad chest pains so we stayed in at the villa for most of the morning. Around 11 or 12 n, dad told us he felt horrible with chest pains and he was throwing up and needed to go to the hospital. He refused to let me call 911 and said he could make it to the hospital se we pulled out and followed sings that might as well led us to nowhere! Finally I called 911 while we traveled around the area and they sent us to a fire station (station 52 I think.) The EMTs there were so nice and they treated my dad and transported him to near by Dr Philips hospital. I was highly impressed with the care and service at the hospital and wish our own hospital was as nice. We grabbed dad's personal belongings and headed back home to wait for word of what would happen next. Obviously, we made sure he was ok first. We decided then to go to MK for EMH, and our large group didn't work well together so we learned early on to split up. I was frustrated because I had only been on HM at this time and decided to give up for the night. We watched Wishes with our 3 month old boy right in the middle of FL at the tables. It was a different view and my DH called it our Fireworks Sandwich because we had explosions on both sides! My DS seemed to really enjoy the lights in the sky.

5/5 - We went to DAK and rode EE while we waited for the rest of the family to eat lunch at Rainforest Cafe. We decided to just walk around. Dad was still in the hopsital and was diagnosed with severeal severe stomach ulcers. Yuck! I was feeling a little down about that so we walked over to DTD - I love the path from The Grandstand area, and iot is nicely lit at night too! It's less than 15 minutes from our room at 8241. We went to DQ which was a first for me. I loved it! Totally loved it and could go there every night. I also love HOB so I sat there and had a few drinks while DB played in DQ.

5/6 - We spent most of the day at "home" hanging out and waiting for a call from dad because he would be getting released. At some time after 2pm we made our way to the hospital to pick him up. After we returned, DH watched DS so I could go back to DQ with my dad. We have now walked the DTD West path several times and it is one of my favorite things about SSR.

5/7 - hit Mk and made it through all the rides except those in FL in less than 2 hours total! We were pretty happy that it wasn't crowded and we were able to FP and walk on to everything! Dh and DD then went to DAk but only had 1 hour since they canceled EEMH! They walked right on to EE though!

(adding more in a sec but the internet access seems slightly iffy!)

So far here are a few things I like and dislike:
bus services are a little iffy - could be a bit faster but I think it's more about my luck than anything. It does take 8 minutes for the bus to get from GS area to The Springs so you can make your way there if you just missed the bus at GS.

Artist Pallette has great flatbreads and Chicken Cordon Blue Paninis but it'd be nice to have a burger now and then from CS like those at POFQ... It can also get crowded and the CMs at the CS aren't as friendly as some would expect.

I've found that many guests at SSR are extrememly nice but it seems like many or rather snooty too. I've either gotten nice compliments about my tats or lots of stares and then there are those that seem to give me this look of wonder like - how can you stay HERE??? Ok, maybe it's just me, but I do feel it a little bit. For the most part though, people are nice here.

I love the golf cart trasportation - As we stroll through the paths, it's nice to hear "hey, hop on, where ya going?" from a bell man or CM! We love that they do this!

SSR is awesome if you like DTD. I know that I will always like being at SSR for the closness to DTD and could take trips in the future with only 2 park days and use the other days for DTD! DH wants to try to get in to another DVC resort next time though. He feels that some of the things here are not as speedy or nice as those at POFQ like the food and the buses. Hmm....

The baby centers in the parks are great and usually not crowded and I feel bad for those who are uneduacted about them!

The FREE internet access keeps going in and out of services and it can be iffy to say the least. It's okay. Nice to be free but it's a hassle too! Also when we tried to connect on 5/4 we had some issues and called TS 2 times and when it still wasn't fixed when we returned, we called again and the log of our convo had been erased and they showed no one had called from our room since November... go figure!

 

[vicki_c]

Thanks for the report - sorry about your dad's problems - hope he's doing a little better now.

I can't wait for our first trip home to SSR in June, even if it's only for 2 days (with 2 at VWL - why? just because it was available!).

 

[Cyndibear]

I hope your Dad's doing better! It kinda stinks when someone is not feeling well on a vacation. Nice to hear he got great care.

It took me a while to get used to not having mousekeeping every day. Now I like it. I'm not always having to make sure everything's put away or out of sight every day. Really, the only thing I miss is not having the bed made, but I'm getting used to that too.

Sorry to hear about the not so friendly people at SSR. We felt like we were treated like that when we went to Flying Fish recently. Our server was horrible to us and the table next to us was getting his undivided attention. We felt like he thought that we could not afford to eat there. We just brushed it off and left him a cheap tip, we just couldn't afford a bigger one!!!

Cyndi

 

[luna99]

wow, thanks for the report and I'm so sorry about your dad.... my mother got sick once on a family trip and we had to take her to the hospital in Celebration. It just plain sucks getting sick so far from home and especially on vacation. I hope your dad is all better now!

was this your first trip as a DVC'r? for some reason I'm thinking it is but maybe I'm wrong. So, how do you feel about SSR in general? That sucks btw about feeling like people were looking at you funny with your tats... but don't worry about it! You wouldn't want to be friends with those kinds of people anyway you know?

thanks again!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Glad your dad is doing better, but what a bummer to have to spend your vacation in the hospital!

I suspect you might be misinterpreting how folks feel about tatoos though. Most people with tatoos get noticed no matter where they are, and I always thought that was the reason people got them, so I think you might have been a bit sensitive and misinterpreting the looks. Tatoos are so common anymore.

 

[Starr W.]

Sorry to hear about your Dad. Is he feeling better now?

As for bus service, I've had to wait at VWL and BCV also. At VWL we had a "run" of Epcot buses. It was great for us as that was where we were going but for the rest of the crowd, "Geez, it's the 3rd Epcot bus in a row." And this was last year in early May.

I've thought people at SSR were really nice, always get a conversation going at the bus stop. At VWL, it was funny because being dropped off, we were usually the only people heading towards the villas. Though did meet a couple of other families at the quiet pool, we banded together because we kept getting the "looks" from a couple about the kids. Why weren't we in the main pool and why are your kids not in school.

At BCV, we met a nice English family during the tedious wait for a AK bus. Found out do not go to AK, when there are late EMH at MK. It was packed.

I don't think we'd ever take a group, we tried my "flakey" sister and that was a disaster. DSIL has been hinting to DH about using points, I would have one of those "relatives don't understand DVC cancellation rules" threads going. Her family is not good at planning 2 minutes in advance, let alone 11/7 months for DVC.

 

[alldiz]

Wow 1st DVC trip and already in a GV

Hope your dad is doing OK.....stinks to have medical emergencies on Vacation.

I hope the rest of your trip is magical. I also love POFQ....but I thought SSR was definately better. More "deluxey"
Kerri

 

[Liljam]

I'm back to real home again.

So, yes this was my first trip as a DVCer and I think now that it's over, I have a few things "under my belt" for next time. It really wasn't horrible at all, and SSR is a beautiful resort, but it was dealing with dad's illness and the few minor things that made it a little less magical. I do think the crowds were slightly elevated from last year too and many couldn't speak a lick of English. Some CMs were even less than happy.

So to continue -
5/8 - We went to DHS and rode RNRC one more time while my dad watched Ryder. Dad had been up at dawn to be in the parks and had done everything at least twice by now even though he'd been in the hospital for those few days. My DH and I hadn't really planned to do everything this year because we were just going with the flow of a 3 month old baby! Ryder was a trooper though for sure and never had a melt down except before the ride started on EEA. He didn't like the loud rides so we just avoided them and barely took him on any others. At DHS though, my DH and family went to LMA while my DB13 went to watch the Jedi Training show - he loved it, and I did too! We had ADR for 50's PTC but I just wasn't really up for it and decided I wanted a burger instead. Went to Backlot Express and got a double burger and the extra bun I requested was only $0.69 which was a good deal! After lunch, as we were heading out, we saw a girl CM and a guy CM sort of complaining or bickering or something which surprised us. So many CMs have been grouchy this year. We decided to head back to SSR. Later, we went back to HOB and I got The Elwood one more time because I love it. My mom hates the food there and we've finally concluded that if I love a restaurant, she doesn't and VV. Oh well. Then we shopped. We all really just love DTD so again, it's a good thing being this close to it from SSR!

Oh I forgot to mention - the reason we went to DTD is because when everyone went to wait for a DHS bus, they stood for over 40 minutes and figured they would just go see Fantasmic another night. I didn't know how to use the house phone because on the 30 plus minute wait days I tried to pick it up to call out on it, but didn't know who to call since it's just regular numbers on a phone. Oh well. Bus drivers have been less happy this trip too. Did I say that already?

5/9 We met dad at EPCOT and he'd already rode Soarin' 3 time by standing in line and FP it! We grabbed our own FPs for Soarin' and went to grab some drinks in WS until our time to ride. By now, I was so happy to have spent time with my dad and enjoyed taking pics and just walking around. I also got a photo with Alice which is a big plus for me. After Soarin', I went home to enjoy a last night at SSR while my DH and family headed out for Fantasmic. I enjoyed walking around the paths with him and reflecting on our vacation. I realize that it may not sound so great in my TR but it was really a wonderful time. I have been able to see things from a different perspective this time around. We did see a snake by the elevator to our room and it made me really cautious while walking the paths, EWW!!! I took pics of things like the snake, the movie at the pool and our room so people can see for themselves.

I didn't re read my TR above but here are some more things I have learned:

Smiles are truly international! One man did keep looking at my tattoos and pointing to my arm and smiling and nodding. I thought it was sweet- he was about 70 years old too. And other people would smile and nod at the baby and try to say cute or pretty or awww to let us know they liked him.

There seemed to be grumpier CMs and many of them could hardly understand English either. At one pin location, my DB13 asked if she had any Alice in Wonderland pins and she finally said after lots of thought "Ah, Alice Magic Kingdom, no here."

The food at AP is really good, but the service is not so friendly. But, I blame that more on the disorganization and the confusion of the DDP more than anything else. I prefer POFQ food and layout. Someone even commented "as much thought as WDW can put in to parks and resorts, you think they'd know how to properly build a food service!"

I've decided next trip, we will get 4 day PH with WP&M option and we will hang out at the resort and DTD next time. I love the parks, but I've decided I like just sitting on a bench as I watch the people move around me. I like seeing people react. I don't care so much about getting every ride in on a trip because I know I'll return again. I wish I had more time to spend at SSR doing things like the bead making or ceramics or watching the movie at the pool. I knew this stuff existed before hand, but I didn't think I would be so interested.

So all in all, SSR is amazing, I'm glad it's our home resort. Even if things went wrong, it's hard to not have fun at WDW. I believe that the buses and the CS at AP could have been overlooked on my part, because I'm not usually impatient or a complainer, but everyone else in my family was pretty vocal about the services. My parents often said that "for the price of this DVC thing, you'd think they'd have better service!" ETA: It doesn't matter how much I TRY to educate my parents on DVC they still wonder about the cost! But they sure loved the GV!!!

As for the looks we got... I can usually tell when people are looking at my tattoos just to look, but even my DH said there was several times he felt like he was being looked at in a snobby way. Some people wouldn't even say hi or good evening as they passed by us on a path, and i thought it was just a common thing to do. One woman at a bus even said to the guy behind her "This bus goes to Saratoga Springs they must just be following you or something" and gave us a snub look. That's when I said "No, were heading home for the night to our villa, thanks." As the week went on though, I did see people that appeared to be free parkers at DTD more than resort guests as I saw many of them walking the GS path back to DTD loaded with WDW packages and they also looked touristy like us. I go all our with Disney gear while I'm there so I began to wonder if people thought we were just using the buses instead of staying at the resort. ETA - I guess the people walking to DTD could have been resort guests who parked there, but it DOES appear fishy and now I feel bad for being a bit judgmental too, lol! Darn, karma! No seriously, it was just weird sometimes.

Oh yeah, and we saw one of the Club Cars tipped over and someone being transported in an ambulance. I loved riding on them, but some drivers are a slight bit faster than you would hope for them to be!

I'll post pics soon though of the villa, the snake, the movies and whatever else. Thanks for reading and if anyone has questions, I'd be happy to try to help!

 

[dbprimeaux]

Sorry to hear about you father....Sometimes the trips can be overwhelming. Our last trip - we just took is "easy." We hung out at DTD often, took our time getting ready in the mornings, came back to SSR for naps during the day, etc... We love SSR!! Sorry the people weren't so friendly... I don't get the part about "your tattoos???"
Happy Mother's Day

 

[toocherie]

I'll post pics soon though of the villa, the snake, the movies and whatever else. Thanks for reading and if anyone has questions, I'd be happy to try to help!

Snake? at SSR? my worst nightmare come true . . . . . .

 

[Liljam]

We love SSR!! Sorry the people weren't so friendly... I don't get the part about "your tattoos???"
Happy Mother's Day

Thanks! The tattoo thing... I just mention it because we got some really noticeable snubs like the once over stare and then the nose in the air sort of thing. Usually people DO look at my arms and smile when I notice them looking or even ask me a question about them. I expect people to look at my arms (lotus flower on one side and sparrows, star and maple leaves on the other) but I just got the impression that some people will snubbing us. BUT for every one person that stuck a nose up, there was a family full of kind and happy people. I just always try to smile to everyone and say good morning in passing. Oh well.... !

Also, another thought that came up - on SEVERAL I mean SEVERAL occasions, we actually saw people pick up their child filled strollers and load them on to the buses. Most of the time, the bus driver did not object. And we did see several people with large strollers like the comfy Graco I left at home because it's a space hog. I was just totally thrown off by the drivers allowing people to utilize this much space when there was standing room only a few of the times. I'm sure there will be other things I remember along the way though! I'm getting ready to post some photos on photobucket soon so I'll post the link here so y'all can view them!

I even have one of the snake - my dad had to get it away from the elevator before I passed out from panic !

 

[herewegodisney]

Hi Leslee,
We just stayed in the Grandstand section in a studio last week. It was our first DVC stay. We really enjoyed the resort but had some of the same issues that you guys did.

I agree that the buses were slow. We waited over 1/2 an hour for an MK bus while 3 Epcot buses, 2 AK buses, 2 DTD buses passed by. My husband mentioned it to the driver and he gave some crabby response. Add the other stops around the resort and it took almost an hour to get there. I felt like there were more snobby folks, too. Compared to ASMovies where we spent a night before moving to SSR, guests just seemed less friendly. I have an ankle tattoo but I'm not sure if that caused anyone to snub us. I liked the food court but we only ate there one day because of the lack of variety.

The rooms were nice, the pools were great, I liked the general location. I wish I had made time to walk to DTD. I really planned on doing it but just didn't fit it in. We were there for 6 days and only did 3 in the parks. I think next time we'll spend half of the days or less in the parks.

I hope your dad is feeling better. My dad struggled a lot with stomach ulcers until he has an emergency surgery. That was a tough time.

Are you planning another DVC trip soon?

 

[herewegodisney]

I meant to mention that we saw lots of folks waiting for DTD buses at the Grandstand stop and the parking at DTD was really, really full- especially with cars with Florida plates, which I thought was strange for a weekday morning. I didn't put it together though that people were maybe using it for free parking.

 

[Liljam]

Heya Herewegodisney!

Lol, I wonder if we ran in to each other? My pics are up on photobucket now. http://s141.photobucket.com/albums/r42/liljam7/Disney%2008/
See if you recognize me !

I'm not planning on going back again until Dec. 09 when Ryder is a little older, and we used so many points for the GV too! The path to DTD is awesome and I encourage anyone using the Grandstand/Springs area to try it out! It was really one of the highlights.

I am glad that I'm not alone in feeling like CMs were slightly unhappy (the bus driver) or that I'm not the only one that felt a little snubbed. It sucks but oddly enough it's not something to ruin the trip! There's a pic of the snake there too in my photobucket album! I must say I was slightly afraid to walk alone for the rest of the stay! Yikes!

 

[luna99]

hey great pictures! Ryder is just adoreable!!! I didn't see the snake picture though maybe I just missed it.. it's too early in the morning right now!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

CUTE pictures!!! The tuxedo onesie had me LOL. He's a dolly!

Thanks for sharing the good and bad with us. I hope your Dad is feeling better.