Ssr Vs. Okw

[jaimeadk]

We are taking our first trip as new members May 17-22. We will be traveling with a 5, 3, and 5 month old. All that is available in a 2 BR is Old Key West and Saratoga Springs. We are planning to spend quite a bit of time just hanging out and visiting the playgrounds and pools and doing the parks early in the morning and after naptime.
After spending so much money to become a member, I really don't want our first trip to be disappointing.

1. Which resort would make for the best/most impressive/memorable first trip???

2. Both resorts look very spread out. After walking all over the parks, I don't want to have to walk along way with kids that are melting to get to the buses. Can I request to be "near a bus stop"?

3. Can you waitlist for multiple resorts. For example, can I waitlist for this week at VWL, BCV, BWV, and AKV?

Thanks in advance!

 

[DVCMom99]

1st - congrats on becoming a member! we love our membership - best decision we ever made!

I can tell you that I personally would choose OKW vs. Saratoga. I've stayed at both and while both are beautiful and have pools (both have waterslides too), I like the set-up of OKW better. This is just my opinion!
OKW has the largest rooms on Disney property.
I find SSR so huge and spread out. While OKW is big, I find it more manageable.
You definitely can request to be near a bus stop. We do it all the time. I usually request to be near the Old Turtle Pond bus stop at OKW.

I'm not sure about the waitlist question...

Both resorts are wonderful choices and will not disappoint!! They will both give you the experience you are hoping for!
Enjoy your 1st DVC member trip!!!

 

[ChelleinNC]

It's all so personal & subjective. I would have to completely disagree with the PP. We've stayed at both, and while I liked OKW I found it much more difficult to get around. The bus stop was near our villa, but the main pool & restaurants were over 5 minutes away DRIVING and then we still couldn't park close and had to walk another 5 minutes. We never move our car while at SSR but found ourselves driving to Hospitality House all the time at OKW (we were in Turtle Pond area).

OKW rooms are bigger, but SSR is much newer. I prefer the pools at SSR, the main pool is really nice and we love spending the day or evening at the Grandstand pool. As for food, Olivia's at OKW was good but service was "eh". Turf Club at SSR is very good, and we've always had excellent service. I also prefer the CS at SSR. Artist's Palette has a lot of choices and is open all day. We found the menu and hours at OKW's CS to be lacking. My kids are a little old for playgrounds, so I can't comment on that. I can say they got bored at OKW's Community Hall but spend lot's of time at SSR's. The walking at SSR is generally 5-10 minutes from an area to the main area at Carriage House. The walks are very relaxing and scenic.

As for your question about waitlists, yes you can waitlist for multiple resorts. Whichever one becomes available 1st is what you will be switched to. Waitlists are automatic, they will not call to confirm, they'll just make the switch.

Again, it's all very personal and subjective. I can't imagine being so disappointed in any of the resorts as to leave a bad taste or ruin a trip, but some will fit your personality & style more than others. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip no matter where you stay

 

[disneybride96]

No doubt for me it would be SSR. We have stayed at both with my nephews when they were 6 & 3. They hated the main pool at OKW but loved the SSR zero entry pool. The waterslide at SSR was also more to their liking. This year we stayed in the Grandstand section and they loved the Grandstand Pool with the spraying horses and starting gate.

I also like newer vs. larger rooms. Both resorts are large, so that is a toss up.
Dining options...SSR wins again for me. We love love love the Turf Club.

Good luck in your decision and welcome to DVC!

 

[TheBlundells]

We became members last year. SSR is our home resort - chosen on price alone! We stayed there last year and were a little dissappointed. The rooms were fantastic and the boat to DTD was excellent. However, the whole resort felt very concrety (if there is such a word ) Today, we have booked OKW for this Summer. Would be interested in others views on this subject.

 

[goldenears]

We have stayed in a 2BR at both OKW and SSR. I think both have their pros and cons. If you are looking to have a larger room and/or save points, then stay at OKW. If you are looking for a nicer room and don't mind using a few more points, then stay at SSR. We like that SSR is closer to DTD. When we stayed there we were in the Paddock and thought the walk to get to DTD was pretty fast. We used the ferry to get to DTD from OKW and this took 20 min. one way (once you are on the boat).
If you stay at OKW and want to be near the HH, then I would try to get this booking category. We were in an elevator building. I believe it was number 62 and I thought this was even better than the HH area. We were litterally right across from the HH. The next time we stay at SSR, I will request to stay in Congress b/c it is very close to DTD and we like the option of walking there at night.
They are both really nice resorts, I don't think you can go wrong with either one, you just need to decide what is more important to you. If you have any more specific questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[OKW Lover]

Welcome Home!!!

As you might be able to tell by my screen name, we would pick OKW every time. The rooms are so much larger. Also, because the resort is more spread out, you get the feeling of being away from it all. There are several pools around the resort that lend them selves to some quiet time. If you want more activity, there is the main pool.

 

[Kmango]

If I were you, I'd go with SSR for one simple reason -- elevators. SSR has them, OKW doesn't. You can always request a ground floor room, but there are no guarantees and the odds are against you. With the ages of your kids, I assume you'll have strollers and such, and you're not going to want to schlep them up and down several flights of stairs.

 

[OKW Lover]

If I were you, I'd go with SSR for one simple reason -- elevators. SSR has them, OKW doesn't. You can always request a ground floor room, but there are no guarantees and the odds are against you. With the ages of your kids, I assume you'll have strollers and such, and you're not going to want to schlep them up and down several flights of stairs.

Just to clarify this point - three of the buildings (62, 63 & 64) at OKW do have elevators. Your odds of getting a ground floor unit at OKW are pretty good since more than 1/3rd of the rooms are ground floor rooms so its pretty easy to honor that request.

 

[Deb & Bill]

SSR is very nice, BUT there is nothing in WDW like the porch at an OKW one bedroom or larger villa. Almost like a complete extra room. If you've stayed at another resort and had a balcony, be prepared for a real treat.

We've stayed all over OKW and never were far from a bus stop. Just a short walk from the bus stop to nearly any villa. And if you are further away from the Hospitality House, you can hop any bus over to it because it is the last stop for every bus leaving the resort. And to get back you can either hop the Internal bus (also DTD bus) since it stops both first and last at the HH. Or walk over to the Peninsular Road bus stop and go from there.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I think that SSR offers more for the children regarding pool facilities.

Bobbi

 

[Buckeye Fan]

I love both resorts, so it's a tough call for me. Yes, the resorts are spread out, but if you've ever stayed at a value, it's a similar feel. I enjoy walking (even when I had little ones), and if the weather was bad, I just hopped a bus to the Hospitality House. However, with your kids' ages and your vacation plans, I would opt for SSR.

SSR has a zero entry pool, so you'll be able to sit in a chair at the water's edge while your kids play. If you do reserve at SSR, I would request either the springs or Congress Park. Both will put you right beside the main pool, and you'll be within a 5 - 10 minute walk of DTD. It's not a guaranteed booking category, but I'd make the request. Tell them you have really young children and want to be close to the main pool.

The other thing I think SSR has going for it is the food. OKW has Olivia's, which I really enjoy (especially for breakfast). However their fast service is out by the pool (hotdogs, burgers, and deli sandwiches). So, the only inside dining option is Olivia's. Both the sit down and fast service (Turf Club and Artist's Palette) are inside. It's a little pricey, but I think Turf Club is one of the best restaurants on Disney's property. Artist's Palette has flat bread pizzas, soups, salads, sandwiches, etc. The other thing about SSR is you're within 5 minutes of everything at DTD (Earl of Sandwich is YUMMY if you're in the mood for subs!!!). At OKW, you have to take a boat and you catch the boat from the Hospitality House. Each boat holds 10 - 12 people, so depending on the time, there's sometimes a wait. Not bad, though.

For this trip, I would pick the amenities, proximity to DTD and zero entry pool over the room space. JMHO.

Hope you guys have a WONDERFUL visit no matter where you stay!!! I prefer the relaxed, condo feel, so both of these resorts are top on my list!

HOME!!!

 

[jaimeadk]

Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to reply!! I know it is an effort to answer all the newbie questions but I really appreciate it. It is info you can't get from any guidebook and exactly what I needed.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

You're very welcome! Glad we could help you make an informed decision. Have a wonderful stay (regardless where you reserve).

 

[iloveokw]

Of course you can tell by my "name" I prefer OKW. But I did want to point out to you that the resorts you listed to maybe waitlist at have alot longer to walk in the hallways and thru lobbies than OKW. Especially after a long day at the parks. If you have a car you can park right in front of your building at OKW - we LOVE that. Just my two cents.

 

[pickles]

I love OKW and own there, however you have younger kids and the zero entry pool at SSR will be more useful for you if you are planning to spend time at the resort.

The OKW slide is my fav of them all, but when I land in the pool I can stand up, your babies probably can't.

I can;t comment on traveling around the resort I have always been lucky at OKW and been near the front, and I have never stayed at SSR

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Of course you can tell by my "name" I prefer OKW. But I did want to point out to you that the resorts you listed to maybe waitlist at have alot longer to walk in the hallways and thru lobbies than OKW. Especially after a long day at the parks. If you have a car you can park right in front of your building at OKW - we LOVE that. Just my two cents.

I do love OKW. After this summer (with the exception of BLT, HHI and GCV), we will have made the DVC rounds. I just recently told my husband that I need an OKW fix. We haven't been since December 2006, and it's about time!!! I'm telling you, the South Point and Congress Park sections of OKW/SSR are calling my name!

 

[aes74]

I really love them both but for different reasons (I do lean a bit towards SSR though as being my fave). Here's the fun thing...you get to try them both out and see what you love!!!