gppnj
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- Joined
- Jun 6, 2005
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- 918
Hi, everyone.
I don't normally write trip reports. However, I love reading trip reports, and I have a lot to say about my most recent trip to WDW, so I figured I'd write down my thoughts. Warning: This is quite long. And in addition to my first impressions of some other DVC resorts, there's a lot of thoroughly biased enthusiasm for VWL. If that's OK with you, read on...
This was a trip of many firsts for me. This was my first stay at a WDW DVC resort. This was also my first use of points at a DVC resort, as I just became a member this past July. Another major first for me is that I rode Expedition Everest for the first time, though I'm not really going to go into detail here about what I did in the parks. There were more firsts, but I'll mention them as they come up.
The trip started off on quite a bad note. I live in New Jersey, and I was supposed to fly out early on 2/12. I won't go into all the details of everything that happened with all my canceled and rescheduled flights, as that's a story of its own, and there's no need to rehash the ugly details. The bottom line: Originally I was supposed to arrive in Orlando at about 9:00 AM on 2/12, but because of the blizzard, I didn't get there until about 7:00 PM on 2/13.
DVC Member Services was very kind and accommodating, which helped make a bad situation not quite as painful. I wasn't able to be at BWV for the first scheduled night of my stay. As soon as I knew that, I contacted the resort itself and told them. (I couldn't tell Member Services that day because it was a Sunday.) The next day when I called Member Services, they agreed to refund my points for the night of 2/12 because my not showing up was because of something totally beyond my control. Because I was going to get there so late on 2/13, I essentially had lost two park days at the front end of my trip. I decided to try to add on a day at the end, and they were able to find me a room at the very last minute. I'd need to move from BWV to OKW, but that was perfectly fine with me. I was grateful to have anything on such short notice, and I want to try all the resorts eventually anyway.
So anyhow, I showed up at BWV relatively late on 2/13. I had a standard view studio for two nights. After the difficulties I had getting to WDW in the first place, I wish I could say I had an uneventful check-in, but I didn't. The cast member at the front desk wasn't all that friendly to begin with, but then he got even less friendly when he couldn't find my reservation. He kept looking and looking, and I was getting more and more nervous. After not saying anything to me for a while, he said, "You've got a reservation at Wilderness Lodge Villas In October." Huh? Yes, I knew that. However, it's not like I thought that it was October and that BWV was VWL, so I didn't see the point of him mentioning that. He finally found my reservation. Apparently, a pound sign had been tacked on to the end of my last name for some reason, which is why he couldn't find it initially. However, there was then some other problem that had him staring at his computer for a while and then calling over a supervisor and calling someone else on the phone. While all this was happening, instead of reassuring me and explaining to me what was going on, he didn't talk to me at all and just shifted his expression among different variations of a scowl. Ultimately, whatever was wrong got worked out, and I headed to my room.
As I mentioned previously, this was my first stay at a WDW DVC resort. (I stayed at VB for a few nights back in 2000, but that was not on points, as I wasn't a member then, and that's not at WDW.) I was going into this stay a bit nervous because right before the trip I had read a thread on these boards where many posters felt that DVC rooms were not quite up to the same standard as regular WDW deluxe rooms. Reading this got me somewhat paranoid, and I had become a little worried that I might be checking into a shabby, threadbare room. Not having been in a DVC room except for that VB room five or so years ago, I had no idea if my perceptions would match those of those board members.
Fortunately, I'm pleased to report that the room was perfectly fine. My standards as far as rooms go are pretty high, and I was satisfied. There were a few little blemishes here and there, but these were nothing I considered unusual or unacceptable. Moreover, they were also not anything that I haven't found in a regular WDW deluxe room. The one aspect of this that's unfortunate is that except for a small gouge out of the wood of the armoire, every one of those blemishes could have been fixed just by someone going around with some paint and touching up here and there, so it's a shame that wasn't done. Still, as I said, the room was very satisfactory.
I had a standard view room. Right outside the room was a canal. Although this wasn't as picturesque as a lake or something, it was better to look at than a parking lot, so the view was better than I had expected. The only problem with the view was that beyond the canal was a fairly heavily traveled road. This isn't a problem that's unique to BWV. At one time, Disney isolated its resorts well from traffic and other outside things, and even the least expensive view would be of a garden or something similar. However, sadly this isn't nearly as much of a priority anymore, which leads to roads very close to rooms. This is a shame.
Whenever people mention BWV or BCV, they usually mention the benefit of being able to walk to EPCOT. I finally got to experience this firsthand. I must admit being able to do this was kind of neat. However, I didn't find it to be as much as of a selling point as most people seem to. I think walking to EPCOT is most valuable if I'm not actually planning on spending the day at EPCOT but rather am just popping in for a dining reservation at a World Showcase restaurant. In this case, the International Gateway entrance is ideal. However, if I'm spenidng the whole day at EPCOT, I'd much prefer to enter from the front rather than having to walk to Future World from the then-empty World Showcase.
I've read a lot on these boards about the long hallways at BWV. I checked on the resort map, and my room was two rooms up from the end of the longest hallway, so my walk was just about the longest possible. I didn't really have an issue with the walk. I might have felt differently if I had trouble walking, but fortunately I don't. And obviously, the walk to the room is totally trivial compared with the walking most people do over the course of a day at the parks. I think a lot of it's psychological: After walking around all day, people get to the front door of their resort and think they're done walking, so then the walk to the room seems bad. If we just tell ourselves that we're not really "home" until we're at the front door of the room, then the walk to the room just seems like all the rest of the walking. In any event, I'd gladly take a room at the end of the hall rather than one closer to the elevators because that means there are fewer noisy people walking past my room. Obviously, that's not a BWV-specific problem; every resort has its share of noisy guests. It's a real shame how some parents are so inconsiderate and let their children scream in the halls during times when people might be sleeping. (I'm sure OKW and SSR have this problem to a far lesser degree because there are no halls for people to keep parading through.)
But anyway, in terms of accommodations and location, I was very satisfied with BWV. The staff could have been better, but I didn't really interact with enough cast members to form a fair opinion. There was, however, one other thing that lowered my overall opinion of BWV. This was an intangible thing and something I don't really ever hear others on these boards mention, so apparently it's only an issue for me. When I'm at a resort, I like to feel like the resort is its own little world that's separate from everything else. That's just the kind of atmosphere I most respond to. BWV had the exact opposite of this atmosphere: It felt like it was open to everything. There was the aforementioned road that was clearly visible from my balcony. In addition, people who weren't resort guests could and did stroll past the boardwalk side all day long because that's how it was designed. Moerover, one side of the main pool area at BWV, though fenced in, was open to the view of anyone passing by, so when I sat on a lounge chair for a while, I felt like I was on display. Not that I literally thought that people had nothing better to do than look at me, but I was still somewhat uncomfortable. I guess this is the negative side of being in the middle of things - it makes those same things harder to get away from.
On 2/15, I checked out of BWV and moved to OKW. Although I didn't dislike BWV, I must say I liked OKW a lot better. This was the feeling of isolation I was looking for. OKW really felt like it was its own world. Although apparently some rooms at OKW are close to a road and therefore not as isolated, my balcony looked out onto dense vegetation and was very quiet. I was by myself on this trip, so I didn't need the second bed in my studio, but the layout of the room was still very nice.
Every other thing I experienced at OKW made me like the place more and more. Although the guy who checked me in at BWV left something to be desired in terms of personality, every other cast member at BWV was fine. However, the cast members at OKW were over-the-top nice. One person I met briefly when I checked in even greeted me by name when I ran into her hours later. I was amazed. I ate breakfast at Olivia's twice. I enjoyed my meals there very much, and I thought the prices were pretty fair.
In one sense, I was kind of spoiled at OKW. I did not make any special requests when booking the room, but I wound up in Building 11 right near the pool, store, and restaurant. OKW is a really big place. I'm not sure if I would have liked it as much if I had been way out in the boonies. I don't think that would have been an issue for me, but I won't know for sure until I experience that. But in any event, I was very pleased with OKW. I don't own there. I find it encouraging that that's one of the easier places for non-owners to get a seven-month reservation because I know I will want to stay there again.
Although I only stayed at BWV and OKW (two resorts in three days were more than enough), I did check out all the other WDW DVC resorts. I don't have a lot to say about BCV. It was pretty much what I expected it would be, and it looks like a very nice place to stay. Minor gripe: If they weren't going to paint the outside of the villas the same color as the outside of the main hotel, they could have at least chosen a complementary color. Neither color is bad on its own, but I don't think the two colors look good together.
OK, now it's time for me to gush. I had stayed at the regular part of Wilderness Lodge once shortly after it opened, and I've visited the place many times since then for a meal or to look around. I knew I loved Wilderness Lodge, but I hadn't visited it recently, and I hadn't been there since the DVC part was added. When I arrived at the front of the resort, I instantly remembered why I loved this place so much. I think that Wilderness Lodge is gorgeous. I wasn't sure if the DVC part would blend in with the original building or if it would look like an obvious shoehorned afterthought, but I'm pleased to say that it blends in perfectly. In addition, in terms of theming, the bar at Wilderness Lodge was extraordinarily high, but the DVC designers rose to the challenge and didn't skimp on the theming in the DVC public areas. (I didn't go into any guest rooms.)
My reason for visiting VWL wasn't only because it was another DVC resort I wanted to see. My visit there had special significance to me because this is the resort where I bought. Some of you might remember the story of how I became a DVC member: I bought in this past July. Initially, my guide insisted that all resorts except SSR were "completely sold out." For a while I was going to buy at SSR, but I knew that VWL was what I really wanted. If I had bought at SSR and there was a particular trip where I knew I wanted to try for a seven-month switch to VWL, I'd be constantly stressing about whether such a switch was going to be possible. Moreoever, if I was unsuccessful too many times, I knew I'd become bitter and angry. I didn't want to stay at VWL every time, but when I did want to stay there, I really needed to have a (virtual) guarantee that I'd be able to do so. For me to be fully happy with my DVC membership and to have peace of mind, I really needed to buy at VWL.
Fortunately, because of these boards, I learned that the statement about all the other resorts being "completely sold out" was - to put it bluntly - a lie. I told my guide that I would only buy at VWL, and I would not buy at SSR. When I did this, I suddenly had my choice of VWL contracts, and here I am. (I've even added on at VWL since then.)
I've made a lot of bad decisions in my life. However, when I walked around Wilderness Lodge, I knew that my decision to buy there was the right one for me. I know that the theming isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine, but it could not suit my tastes any more perfectly. Just being there makes me happy. Remember how I said I liked to feel isolated at my resort? At VWL, it's quiet there and surrounded by woods and a big lake. There are so many other things I love: Standing in the middle of the lobby and looking up... Following the stream that starts in the lobby all the way down to Bay Lake... Watching the boats to the Magic Kingom arrive and depart... The list goes on and on. As I walked around and realized that this is where I had bought, I had to admit that I got more than a little teary because I was so happy. Again, I'm not saying that VWL is right for everyone, but without question it is what is right for me. If I had bought somewhere else and then walked around VWL, I would have been filled with regret, but instead I got to feel good, which is a nice thing.
Anyway, I also took a look around SSR. I didn't hate it, but I liked it less than I thought I would based on the photos I've seen of it. On this board, I've read posts from a few different people who described SSR as "suburban sprawl." Unfortunately, they were correct; that's exactly what it looks like. Fortunately, there's hope; it doesn't always have to look that way. I don't know what they do in other parts of the country, but here in New Jersey, when they build a new housing development, the first step is usually to bulldoze everything in sight, including all the trees. This makes new housing developments look terrible because when they're completed, there are houses but nothing else. It isn't until 10 or more years later when the trees start to grow in that these developments stop looking so stark and sterile.
This is the same problem SSR has. I don't know if they got rid of all the trees when preparing to build SSR or if they were all gone already when the property was the Disney Institute, but all those buildings with nothing around them looks really bad. The problem is magnified by the height of the buildings. To fix this, Disney needs to plant lots and lots of fast-growing trees right away. Hopefully these trees will also be ones that can somewhat resemble what might be found in Upstate New York while still being able to thrive in the Florida climate. That's a tall order. But however they do it, they've got to get lots of trees there immediately.
For the most part, the public areas of SSR were very nice, and the addition of a full-service restaurant will make them even better. I think the only potential problem is the main pool. That pool was smaller than it looked in the photos. On a nice day when the resort is full, I think it could get really ugly at that pool in terms of getting a lounge chair. To nip this potential problem in the bud, I think Disney would be wise to build another themed pool in one of the newer areas.
Overall, SSR isn't bad, but I think it could have been better. After a resort goes beyond a certain size, it just becomes too big, and I think this is what happened with SSR. I think it would have been smarter if Disney had used that land to build two resorts that had themes that were complementary but still distinct. Yes, I know that two resorts instead of one would have required a lot more staffing and twice the number of many services, but it's not like Disney still wouldn't have made a lot of money. It might have been slightly less money than just making one big resort, but I think there would have been long-term benefits to keeping each resort at a manageable size.
Anyway, based on staying at two WDW DVC resorts and looking around the other three, here's how they rank for me:
1. VWL (of course)
2. OKW
3. BCV
4. BWV
5. SSR
The only resort I couldn't see myself staying at is SSR because if I was looking for that kind of environment, I could get it at OKW, where I like the place better and it costs fewer points. However, if for some reason for a particular trip I had no choice but to stay at SSR, I certainly wouldn't mind staying there.
My next DVC trip is to HHI in May. I'm looking forward to that.
Thanks for reading.
I don't normally write trip reports. However, I love reading trip reports, and I have a lot to say about my most recent trip to WDW, so I figured I'd write down my thoughts. Warning: This is quite long. And in addition to my first impressions of some other DVC resorts, there's a lot of thoroughly biased enthusiasm for VWL. If that's OK with you, read on...
This was a trip of many firsts for me. This was my first stay at a WDW DVC resort. This was also my first use of points at a DVC resort, as I just became a member this past July. Another major first for me is that I rode Expedition Everest for the first time, though I'm not really going to go into detail here about what I did in the parks. There were more firsts, but I'll mention them as they come up.
The trip started off on quite a bad note. I live in New Jersey, and I was supposed to fly out early on 2/12. I won't go into all the details of everything that happened with all my canceled and rescheduled flights, as that's a story of its own, and there's no need to rehash the ugly details. The bottom line: Originally I was supposed to arrive in Orlando at about 9:00 AM on 2/12, but because of the blizzard, I didn't get there until about 7:00 PM on 2/13.
DVC Member Services was very kind and accommodating, which helped make a bad situation not quite as painful. I wasn't able to be at BWV for the first scheduled night of my stay. As soon as I knew that, I contacted the resort itself and told them. (I couldn't tell Member Services that day because it was a Sunday.) The next day when I called Member Services, they agreed to refund my points for the night of 2/12 because my not showing up was because of something totally beyond my control. Because I was going to get there so late on 2/13, I essentially had lost two park days at the front end of my trip. I decided to try to add on a day at the end, and they were able to find me a room at the very last minute. I'd need to move from BWV to OKW, but that was perfectly fine with me. I was grateful to have anything on such short notice, and I want to try all the resorts eventually anyway.
So anyhow, I showed up at BWV relatively late on 2/13. I had a standard view studio for two nights. After the difficulties I had getting to WDW in the first place, I wish I could say I had an uneventful check-in, but I didn't. The cast member at the front desk wasn't all that friendly to begin with, but then he got even less friendly when he couldn't find my reservation. He kept looking and looking, and I was getting more and more nervous. After not saying anything to me for a while, he said, "You've got a reservation at Wilderness Lodge Villas In October." Huh? Yes, I knew that. However, it's not like I thought that it was October and that BWV was VWL, so I didn't see the point of him mentioning that. He finally found my reservation. Apparently, a pound sign had been tacked on to the end of my last name for some reason, which is why he couldn't find it initially. However, there was then some other problem that had him staring at his computer for a while and then calling over a supervisor and calling someone else on the phone. While all this was happening, instead of reassuring me and explaining to me what was going on, he didn't talk to me at all and just shifted his expression among different variations of a scowl. Ultimately, whatever was wrong got worked out, and I headed to my room.
As I mentioned previously, this was my first stay at a WDW DVC resort. (I stayed at VB for a few nights back in 2000, but that was not on points, as I wasn't a member then, and that's not at WDW.) I was going into this stay a bit nervous because right before the trip I had read a thread on these boards where many posters felt that DVC rooms were not quite up to the same standard as regular WDW deluxe rooms. Reading this got me somewhat paranoid, and I had become a little worried that I might be checking into a shabby, threadbare room. Not having been in a DVC room except for that VB room five or so years ago, I had no idea if my perceptions would match those of those board members.
Fortunately, I'm pleased to report that the room was perfectly fine. My standards as far as rooms go are pretty high, and I was satisfied. There were a few little blemishes here and there, but these were nothing I considered unusual or unacceptable. Moreover, they were also not anything that I haven't found in a regular WDW deluxe room. The one aspect of this that's unfortunate is that except for a small gouge out of the wood of the armoire, every one of those blemishes could have been fixed just by someone going around with some paint and touching up here and there, so it's a shame that wasn't done. Still, as I said, the room was very satisfactory.
I had a standard view room. Right outside the room was a canal. Although this wasn't as picturesque as a lake or something, it was better to look at than a parking lot, so the view was better than I had expected. The only problem with the view was that beyond the canal was a fairly heavily traveled road. This isn't a problem that's unique to BWV. At one time, Disney isolated its resorts well from traffic and other outside things, and even the least expensive view would be of a garden or something similar. However, sadly this isn't nearly as much of a priority anymore, which leads to roads very close to rooms. This is a shame.
Whenever people mention BWV or BCV, they usually mention the benefit of being able to walk to EPCOT. I finally got to experience this firsthand. I must admit being able to do this was kind of neat. However, I didn't find it to be as much as of a selling point as most people seem to. I think walking to EPCOT is most valuable if I'm not actually planning on spending the day at EPCOT but rather am just popping in for a dining reservation at a World Showcase restaurant. In this case, the International Gateway entrance is ideal. However, if I'm spenidng the whole day at EPCOT, I'd much prefer to enter from the front rather than having to walk to Future World from the then-empty World Showcase.
I've read a lot on these boards about the long hallways at BWV. I checked on the resort map, and my room was two rooms up from the end of the longest hallway, so my walk was just about the longest possible. I didn't really have an issue with the walk. I might have felt differently if I had trouble walking, but fortunately I don't. And obviously, the walk to the room is totally trivial compared with the walking most people do over the course of a day at the parks. I think a lot of it's psychological: After walking around all day, people get to the front door of their resort and think they're done walking, so then the walk to the room seems bad. If we just tell ourselves that we're not really "home" until we're at the front door of the room, then the walk to the room just seems like all the rest of the walking. In any event, I'd gladly take a room at the end of the hall rather than one closer to the elevators because that means there are fewer noisy people walking past my room. Obviously, that's not a BWV-specific problem; every resort has its share of noisy guests. It's a real shame how some parents are so inconsiderate and let their children scream in the halls during times when people might be sleeping. (I'm sure OKW and SSR have this problem to a far lesser degree because there are no halls for people to keep parading through.)
But anyway, in terms of accommodations and location, I was very satisfied with BWV. The staff could have been better, but I didn't really interact with enough cast members to form a fair opinion. There was, however, one other thing that lowered my overall opinion of BWV. This was an intangible thing and something I don't really ever hear others on these boards mention, so apparently it's only an issue for me. When I'm at a resort, I like to feel like the resort is its own little world that's separate from everything else. That's just the kind of atmosphere I most respond to. BWV had the exact opposite of this atmosphere: It felt like it was open to everything. There was the aforementioned road that was clearly visible from my balcony. In addition, people who weren't resort guests could and did stroll past the boardwalk side all day long because that's how it was designed. Moerover, one side of the main pool area at BWV, though fenced in, was open to the view of anyone passing by, so when I sat on a lounge chair for a while, I felt like I was on display. Not that I literally thought that people had nothing better to do than look at me, but I was still somewhat uncomfortable. I guess this is the negative side of being in the middle of things - it makes those same things harder to get away from.
On 2/15, I checked out of BWV and moved to OKW. Although I didn't dislike BWV, I must say I liked OKW a lot better. This was the feeling of isolation I was looking for. OKW really felt like it was its own world. Although apparently some rooms at OKW are close to a road and therefore not as isolated, my balcony looked out onto dense vegetation and was very quiet. I was by myself on this trip, so I didn't need the second bed in my studio, but the layout of the room was still very nice.
Every other thing I experienced at OKW made me like the place more and more. Although the guy who checked me in at BWV left something to be desired in terms of personality, every other cast member at BWV was fine. However, the cast members at OKW were over-the-top nice. One person I met briefly when I checked in even greeted me by name when I ran into her hours later. I was amazed. I ate breakfast at Olivia's twice. I enjoyed my meals there very much, and I thought the prices were pretty fair.
In one sense, I was kind of spoiled at OKW. I did not make any special requests when booking the room, but I wound up in Building 11 right near the pool, store, and restaurant. OKW is a really big place. I'm not sure if I would have liked it as much if I had been way out in the boonies. I don't think that would have been an issue for me, but I won't know for sure until I experience that. But in any event, I was very pleased with OKW. I don't own there. I find it encouraging that that's one of the easier places for non-owners to get a seven-month reservation because I know I will want to stay there again.
Although I only stayed at BWV and OKW (two resorts in three days were more than enough), I did check out all the other WDW DVC resorts. I don't have a lot to say about BCV. It was pretty much what I expected it would be, and it looks like a very nice place to stay. Minor gripe: If they weren't going to paint the outside of the villas the same color as the outside of the main hotel, they could have at least chosen a complementary color. Neither color is bad on its own, but I don't think the two colors look good together.
OK, now it's time for me to gush. I had stayed at the regular part of Wilderness Lodge once shortly after it opened, and I've visited the place many times since then for a meal or to look around. I knew I loved Wilderness Lodge, but I hadn't visited it recently, and I hadn't been there since the DVC part was added. When I arrived at the front of the resort, I instantly remembered why I loved this place so much. I think that Wilderness Lodge is gorgeous. I wasn't sure if the DVC part would blend in with the original building or if it would look like an obvious shoehorned afterthought, but I'm pleased to say that it blends in perfectly. In addition, in terms of theming, the bar at Wilderness Lodge was extraordinarily high, but the DVC designers rose to the challenge and didn't skimp on the theming in the DVC public areas. (I didn't go into any guest rooms.)
My reason for visiting VWL wasn't only because it was another DVC resort I wanted to see. My visit there had special significance to me because this is the resort where I bought. Some of you might remember the story of how I became a DVC member: I bought in this past July. Initially, my guide insisted that all resorts except SSR were "completely sold out." For a while I was going to buy at SSR, but I knew that VWL was what I really wanted. If I had bought at SSR and there was a particular trip where I knew I wanted to try for a seven-month switch to VWL, I'd be constantly stressing about whether such a switch was going to be possible. Moreoever, if I was unsuccessful too many times, I knew I'd become bitter and angry. I didn't want to stay at VWL every time, but when I did want to stay there, I really needed to have a (virtual) guarantee that I'd be able to do so. For me to be fully happy with my DVC membership and to have peace of mind, I really needed to buy at VWL.
Fortunately, because of these boards, I learned that the statement about all the other resorts being "completely sold out" was - to put it bluntly - a lie. I told my guide that I would only buy at VWL, and I would not buy at SSR. When I did this, I suddenly had my choice of VWL contracts, and here I am. (I've even added on at VWL since then.)
I've made a lot of bad decisions in my life. However, when I walked around Wilderness Lodge, I knew that my decision to buy there was the right one for me. I know that the theming isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine, but it could not suit my tastes any more perfectly. Just being there makes me happy. Remember how I said I liked to feel isolated at my resort? At VWL, it's quiet there and surrounded by woods and a big lake. There are so many other things I love: Standing in the middle of the lobby and looking up... Following the stream that starts in the lobby all the way down to Bay Lake... Watching the boats to the Magic Kingom arrive and depart... The list goes on and on. As I walked around and realized that this is where I had bought, I had to admit that I got more than a little teary because I was so happy. Again, I'm not saying that VWL is right for everyone, but without question it is what is right for me. If I had bought somewhere else and then walked around VWL, I would have been filled with regret, but instead I got to feel good, which is a nice thing.
Anyway, I also took a look around SSR. I didn't hate it, but I liked it less than I thought I would based on the photos I've seen of it. On this board, I've read posts from a few different people who described SSR as "suburban sprawl." Unfortunately, they were correct; that's exactly what it looks like. Fortunately, there's hope; it doesn't always have to look that way. I don't know what they do in other parts of the country, but here in New Jersey, when they build a new housing development, the first step is usually to bulldoze everything in sight, including all the trees. This makes new housing developments look terrible because when they're completed, there are houses but nothing else. It isn't until 10 or more years later when the trees start to grow in that these developments stop looking so stark and sterile.
This is the same problem SSR has. I don't know if they got rid of all the trees when preparing to build SSR or if they were all gone already when the property was the Disney Institute, but all those buildings with nothing around them looks really bad. The problem is magnified by the height of the buildings. To fix this, Disney needs to plant lots and lots of fast-growing trees right away. Hopefully these trees will also be ones that can somewhat resemble what might be found in Upstate New York while still being able to thrive in the Florida climate. That's a tall order. But however they do it, they've got to get lots of trees there immediately.
For the most part, the public areas of SSR were very nice, and the addition of a full-service restaurant will make them even better. I think the only potential problem is the main pool. That pool was smaller than it looked in the photos. On a nice day when the resort is full, I think it could get really ugly at that pool in terms of getting a lounge chair. To nip this potential problem in the bud, I think Disney would be wise to build another themed pool in one of the newer areas.
Overall, SSR isn't bad, but I think it could have been better. After a resort goes beyond a certain size, it just becomes too big, and I think this is what happened with SSR. I think it would have been smarter if Disney had used that land to build two resorts that had themes that were complementary but still distinct. Yes, I know that two resorts instead of one would have required a lot more staffing and twice the number of many services, but it's not like Disney still wouldn't have made a lot of money. It might have been slightly less money than just making one big resort, but I think there would have been long-term benefits to keeping each resort at a manageable size.
Anyway, based on staying at two WDW DVC resorts and looking around the other three, here's how they rank for me:
1. VWL (of course)
2. OKW
3. BCV
4. BWV
5. SSR
The only resort I couldn't see myself staying at is SSR because if I was looking for that kind of environment, I could get it at OKW, where I like the place better and it costs fewer points. However, if for some reason for a particular trip I had no choice but to stay at SSR, I certainly wouldn't mind staying there.
My next DVC trip is to HHI in May. I'm looking forward to that.
Thanks for reading.
With 
