SSR.....why?

[MJ6987]

Oh man. I thought I was narrowing it down. Now SSR is sounding appealing!!

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Oh man. I thought I was narrowing it down. Now SSR is sounding appealing!!

I understand. Choosing a resort was hard!!! If your heart is set on one, then by all means, buy there! Otherwise, weigh the pros/cons of term, maintenance fees, price per point, and what you enjoy most at WDW. Honestly, you could post this about any resort, and people could talk you into/or out of buying there. The room space at every resort is very similar except at OKW. OKW is much larger. So if that's important, that may be a consideration.

As I said, best of luck! It's a tough decision, but a fun one!!!

 

[hakepb]

I think the biggest knock against SSR are people that tried to force their (other resort) vacation style into SSR.
SSR does not have the same amenity list (hotel proximity, "premium" transportation to parks, i.e. boats, foodcourts, "eye candy" obvious to children..) that other resorts may have.
But as other's mentioned, SSR does have a unique amenity package that no other resort can provide! If you plan to take advantage of what SSR can do, you'll probably have a wonderful time!

 

[disneynutz]

Oh man. I thought I was narrowing it down. Now SSR is sounding appealing!!

Do yourself a favor and rent before you buy. Pick the resorts that appeal to you most and stay there during your next vacation.

That way you won't be included with the other members who bought site unseen just because it seemed like a good idea with a discount at the time.

 

[Mississippian]

I tend to be an "SSR basher" because I think the resort is overbuilt and throws the DVC system out of balance, but with that said, if you like to go to spas, and you are not primarily visiting WDW to visit the parks, then you may love it. It's a pretty resort, lots of open area, but does require a lot of walking. Really not what most families with children are wanting to do on a WDW vacation.

I do think Disney decided to sqeeze as much money as they could out of SSR while giving as little as possible in return in comparison to the other resorts. But that's just my opinion.

 

[janni518]

Do yourself a favor and rent before you buy. Pick the resorts that appeal to you most and stay there during your next vacation.

That way you won't be included with the other members who bought site unseen just because it seemed like a good idea with a discount at the time.

We didn't exactly buy "site unseen" but we did appreciate the incentives they were offering. I have been trying to get my dh to buy into DVC since WLV went on sale. I knew if we went home without signing, or if I started making noises about other resorts, it was going to be "Maybe next year" again. I had to "strike while the iron was hot" and buying into SSR while were in Disney got me into DVC. So, I'm a happy camper.

My dh is already talking about adding on so it's all working out fine.

 

[MOMO2DK]

My best friend loves their pedicures!?

 

[MrsNick]

SSR Pros:

-Soundproofed Rooms

-DCL desk

-Lower maintenance fees than the other resorts

-Proximity to DTD (and its resort bus infrastructure). Walk or boat to DTD

-The tricked up Quiet Pool at the Grandstand (it's like a smaller version of a feature pool, and does have an additional water play area and its own bar)

-Its large size means that you have a better chance of snagging a room at busy times, or at the last minute

-2054 expiration

-THE SPA!! And the gym is really nice, too. The gym and spa share the same facility

-Relaxing atmosphere. Theming that is not in-your-face

-Dedicated buses (i.e. you don't share with another resort)

-Turf Club is a pretty good TS!

-I feel like I have more privacy in the condo style DVC's for some reason. Maybe it's just my perception, but I definitely feel this way.

SSR Cons:

-It's a little bit spread out (although if you look at actual distances, it's less spread out than OKW). Depending on your room assignment, you could have a bit of a walk to the Carriage House and Main pool

-No room service.

-Not crazy about Artist Pallette layout. It's a combined CS / gift shop, and the geography gets a little complicated with unorganized lines of people trying to pay for their food or their souvenirs and other lines of people trying to order food.

 

[kikiq]

OKW and SSR are stand alone DVC resorts. We like the layout, the size and the amenities. My DD and DB are marathon runners and enjoy their early morning runs. My DSIL and DN love to ride their bicycles. Lots of community hall activities and choice of pools. It is personal preferences, some folks like the hotel attached DVCs and we like the stand alone resorts.

 

[Rileygirl]

I guess you can add 'treehouse villas' to the SSR charms!

This has been a very educational thread. I thought I had worked out the pros and cons for each resort, but its easy to see that there were many 'charms' of SSR that I had no clue about.

I wish there was a thread about each of the DVC properties like this. It should be compiled somewhere so newbies can look at all the pros from the resort lovers eye.

Overall though, it makes me happy that there are so many different and cool choices for our upcoming DVC vacations. Life is good!

 

[rahrah]

One of the reasons we like SSR is because of the various Disney dinning packages. We hate them. If you do the dining package you have to make ADRs way in advance of your trip, and you practically have to design your stay around where you are going to eat.

My wife never knows what she wants to eat until a few hours before dinner.

Most of the restaurants at DTD are not on the dinning plan. For the most part you can just walk in around 5:00 and get seated right away. This works well for us as we are early birds at the parks.

Also the nicest quite pool in all of WDW is at Congress Park.

All we need to do now is learn how to play golf.

 

[ChelleinNC]

All we need to do now is learn how to play golf.

The golfing is fantastic!!! (even if you're not --believe me, I know )

 

[Madi100]

We bought SSR with the intent of never staying there. When we couldn't get a room at 7 months out for what we wanted, we stayed at SSR, and we LOVE it! I suggested to DH about trying for a different resort this time (stayed in SSR 3 times), and he said no. He loves SSR. We love the quietness. We love the closeness to DTD. Often times at night we will just walk over to DTD and walk around. There is always something going on. We rely on transportation, and it's great to be able to walk to DTD and grab a bus to whatever resort we want to visit.

 

[MrsNick]

We bought SSR with the intent of never staying there. When we couldn't get a room at 7 months out for what we wanted, we stayed at SSR, and we LOVE it! I suggested to DH about trying for a different resort this time (stayed in SSR 3 times), and he said no. He loves SSR. We love the quietness. We love the closeness to DTD. Often times at night we will just walk over to DTD and walk around. There is always something going on. We rely on transportation, and it's great to be able to walk to DTD and grab a bus to whatever resort we want to visit.

I know what you mean! When we stay at WDW I have to pry DH away from SSR with incentives like staying at Yacht Club Concierge level, or he won't do it!

 

[tgj]

I think way too many people buy into DVC based on their current situation. "We have a 4yo and a 5yo so we want to be close to MK or SAB."

However, we bought with the idea that we would be using DVC for many years, even after the kids are not vacationing with us any more.

SSR is, to me, the best DVC for adults. The Spa, DTD, the golf, the walking trails, the quiet, the exercise facilities, the healthy alternatives at the counter service.

To us, it is a health and fitness, adult oriented resort but with plenty for kids to do also. Our son loves it there, but we think we will love it too, many years from now. It's not a resort for everyone - we love walking, so the distance (1/4 mile, etc) is a benefit for us. It's a getaway, whether you go to the parks or not.

SSR is a resort you can grow with.

 

[hakepb]

SSR is a resort you can grow with.

And as just announced, quite literally you can grow into the new "Treehouse villas" at SSR!

 

[3DisneyKids]

For us, SSR feels most like a "home away from home" than any other DVC resort. We like the condo styling. We like having our car right out front (when we choose to rent). The have THE BEST gym facility not just on property, but of any resort we have ever stayed at. The SPA was written up in Conde Nast as one of the best SPAs in the country.

We are not park commandos. We like to hang out and relax. We like to workout or go for a run while on vacation (crazy to some, I know... ). When we do go to the parks for the day, we like to come back and feel like we are "home" (which is the whole idea behind DVC as a whole, right?) and SSR just has more of that then any other resort for us.

 

[5forDiz]

.....So, SSR owners (or others) what am I missing? Why would I buy into SSR? I am not "having a go" at SSR I am just curious why people picked it. I'm sure I have overlooked something obvious.

Thanks,
Matthew

Well its official, now we can add Tree House Villas at SSR into the mix !!!

 

[Mtnman44]

Yes I'd like to also add "TreeHouse Villas!!!!!" to my list of pros. If those are priced anywhere near a 2BR, those are going to go fast at 11 months!

 

[dznymom1]

Sometimes a resort just feels right! When I first read about SSV and even when I took a ride through it when it first opened, I was not impressed. However, when I booked a last minute trip and it was the only thing available, I went expecting to be underwhelmed. Well, it was quite the opposite! I love the theming (yes, it is themed - lol), the pools at Grandstand and Congress Park, Turf Club, peace and quiet, and so much more. Can't wait to try the Treehouses, although I may have to actually buy some points at SSV to ensure that!

It's funny, when BCV was announced I jumped on it and started the process to add on. I was positive it would be the best DVC of all. Well, lucky for me, I stayed there just before signing on the dotted line. I just didn't like it so cancelled that contract and added on at BWV instead!

I guess the point is, you never really know which resort is best for you until you try it on for size. That said, we bought DVC OKW sight unseen back in 1992 and it has been a GREAT FIT for all these years!