What is the Reason Why SSR is Considered the Last Resort?

[5kidsmommy]

It is our home resort and where we stay almost every trip. The rooms are a little small but it's just generally the two of us so that's fine. We love the rooms, we love the grounds and honestly it's not that big and easy to get around. We prefer it over OKW because of the layout. It's go two zero entry pools which are extremely nice. It's quiet. The buses are great. And the ability to walk to DS is fabulous too. But I am fine with people not liking it. They can stick with the busy resorts, we will continue to enjoy our peace at SSR.

 

[muppets3d]

First, the aesthetics. SSR has the undeniable charm of a sprawling, beige apartment complex. The kind where you expect to see a leasing office offering one month free and a free tote bag. It’s less “Disney magic” and more “corporate housing with landscaping.”

Second, the location. Saratoga Springs is technically on Disney property, but spiritually it’s somewhere between Orlando and a rest stop on I-95. It’s far from everything except the nearby shopping mall. If you squint hard enough, you might see a theme park in the distance, but you’ll age a year before you get there.

Which brings us to transportation. Bus-only. No Skyliner. No monorail. Just buses. Loud buses. Buses that hiss, beep, and announce their presence like a foghorn at sea, usually at 6:12 a.m.

And let’s talk about the size. Saratoga Springs is so enormous that navigating it feels like a cross-country expedition. I’m reasonably certain that if you walk from one end to the other, your phone changes time zones. Pack snacks. Alert your family. Update your will.

Other than that, it's a nice place.

Driving up to SSR, you expect to see a banner that says "if you lived here, you'd be home by now - lease now!" on the side of the road.

 

[tx911]

First, the aesthetics. SSR has the undeniable charm of a sprawling, beige apartment complex. The kind where you expect to see a leasing office offering one month free and a free tote bag. It’s less “Disney magic” and more “corporate housing with landscaping.”

Second, the location. Saratoga Springs is technically on Disney property, but spiritually it’s somewhere between Orlando and a rest stop on I-95. It’s far from everything except the nearby shopping mall. If you squint hard enough, you might see a theme park in the distance, but you’ll age a year before you get there.

Which brings us to transportation. Bus-only. No Skyliner. No monorail. Just buses. Loud buses. Buses that hiss, beep, and announce their presence like a foghorn at sea, usually at 6:12 a.m.

And let’s talk about the size. Saratoga Springs is so enormous that navigating it feels like a cross-country expedition. I’m reasonably certain that if you walk from one end to the other, your phone changes time zones. Pack snacks. Alert your family. Update your will.

Other than that, it's a nice place.

The hyperbole is hilarious

Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?

 

[zackiedawg]

I've always enjoyed seeing how Saratoga gets ranked at or near bottom for a vast majority of DVC owners, because it's so completely opposite how I feel. But then I find my Disney travel to be very different in priorities from others, so I expect to often find myself in a minority. I've participated in half a dozen or more 'ranking' threads over the years where you pick best to worst DVC resorts, and responded to many threads about Saratoga Springs being a last-resort resort, and my rankings have been consistent for many years. I only own at Boardwalk since 1996, no other DVCs...Boardwalk is my favorite overall resort, but Saratoga has long been #2...I have even stayed on that site often before I owned DVC and enjoyed it - when it was still the Disney Village Resort.

The sprawling size of the resort has no impact for me - I don't wander around to all the sections of the resort when I stay there - only the main building and the section I'm staying in. In that regard, the walking distances to restaurants, store, busses, etc is no different than any other resort.

Walking to Disney Springs is the biggest perk of the place. Dozens of restaurants, bars, music venues, and entertainment just a short walk away...best food court and restaurant selection considering DS is your food court. You can easily walk to Disney Springs from any section of Saratoga and there are two walkways to get there - one enters by West Side and one at Marketplace side.

Bus transportation doesn't impact me negatively as I am not a rope-dropper - I've never encountered a full bus at the 4th stop (Congress Park where I usually stay). I also often use Disney Springs busses to get around to the theme parks as they're less crowded and run later - since I stay at Congress Park, it's an easy walk back to my villa from the Disney Springs bus stop, and it's a LOT less crowded taking a DS bus back after a long theme park day than standing in the packed lines at the theme park bus stop loading up like cattle and sometimes waiting for the 2nd or 3rd bus to get on board.

Disney Springs bus stop also provides another great perk - ability to go to any other resort in Disney World for food, scenery, bars, etc, and catch a DS bus back as late as 12:30 - 1am, for a walk back to my villa.

I find the grounds to be incredibly peaceful and lush - lakes, trees, wildlife - I just got back from the 2nd week of December staying at Saratoga - and I often spent an hour or two in the early morning bird-watching (tons of species), there were 2 dozen wild turkeys roaming the golf courses, kingfishers, herons, egrets, cormorants, and limpkin hunting by the lake, and plenty of migrating and wintering songbirds in all the trees around the resort buildings. I took the boat over to Port Orleans Riverside for dinner and to see Yehaa Bob, I had great meals at 3 different restaurants in Disney Springs, listened to a great musician at Raglan Road, walked over to Disney Springs for desserts and cocktails.

Comments about the rooms being smaller I suspect is related to Studios - I have rarely stayed in a studio there, as I tend to get bedrooms. The rooms are nicely refurbed, and are as large and well laid out as most other 1-bedrooms except OKW which are bigger than all.

I love that all buildings have elevators and 3 separate staircases - I love 2nd floor requests as I can get all my luggage and stuff up via elevator, but get a room near the end of a wing and just use the end stairs to get in and out of my room. Most of the time, I'm at Congress Park and my room view is usually of Disney Springs across the lake - lovely, scenic, and great for people watching with the sidewalks heading into DS and the boats going by.

Comments about there being no theming strike me funny - the horse theme is very strong and the buildings have theming with the round stair porticos and barned roofs - unlike most recent tower resorts which have all the theming of a Marriott or Hilton tower in any city. Walking the grounds there are lots of references to the real Saratoga Springs, and horse racing, at the pools and the main building.

As others have said, I'm OK with it being low on many people's lists - I can almost always score a room at Saratoga even on short planning. So nice to be able to get your 2nd favorite choice even only a month out!

 

[Girlstar30]

First, the aesthetics. SSR has the undeniable charm of a sprawling, beige apartment complex. The kind where you expect to see a leasing office offering one month free and a free tote bag. It’s less “Disney magic” and more “corporate housing with landscaping.”

Second, the location. Saratoga Springs is technically on Disney property, but spiritually it’s somewhere between Orlando and a rest stop on I-95. It’s far from everything except the nearby shopping mall. If you squint hard enough, you might see a theme park in the distance, but you’ll age a year before you get there.

Which brings us to transportation. Bus-only. No Skyliner. No monorail. Just buses. Loud buses. Buses that hiss, beep, and announce their presence like a foghorn at sea, usually at 6:12 a.m.

And let’s talk about the size. Saratoga Springs is so enormous that navigating it feels like a cross-country expedition. I’m reasonably certain that if you walk from one end to the other, your phone changes time zones. Pack snacks. Alert your family. Update your will.

Other than that, it's a nice place.

Ive lived in apartment complexes way worse than this so this is very luxury apartment to me No free month included and $330 hoa with one sad pool amenity

It does take forever to walk back and forth its true. We spent about 2 hours exploring and made it probably halfway thru, from DS to lobby, but that was taking our time exploring each pool and stuff as well

 

[tx911]

Ive lived in apartment complexes way worse than this so this is very luxury apartment to me No free month included and $330 hoa with one sad pool amenity

It does take forever to walk back and forth its true. We spent about 2 hours exploring and made it probably halfway thru, from DS to lobby, but that was taking our time exploring each pool and stuff as well

Personally, I like walking for Niles and Niles and Niles.

 

[Girlstar30]

I've always enjoyed seeing how Saratoga gets ranked at or near bottom for a vast majority of DVC owners, because it's so completely opposite how I feel. But then I find my Disney travel to be very different in priorities from others, so I expect to often find myself in a minority. I've participated in half a dozen or more 'ranking' threads over the years where you pick best to worst DVC resorts, and responded to many threads about Saratoga Springs being a last-resort resort, and my rankings have been consistent for many years. I only own at Boardwalk since 1996, no other DVCs...Boardwalk is my favorite overall resort, but Saratoga has long been #2...I have even stayed on that site often before I owned DVC and enjoyed it - when it was still the Disney Village Resort.

The sprawling size of the resort has no impact for me - I don't wander around to all the sections of the resort when I stay there - only the main building and the section I'm staying in. In that regard, the walking distances to restaurants, store, busses, etc is no different than any other resort.

Walking to Disney Springs is the biggest perk of the place. Dozens of restaurants, bars, music venues, and entertainment just a short walk away...best food court and restaurant selection considering DS is your food court. You can easily walk to Disney Springs from any section of Saratoga and there are two walkways to get there - one enters by West Side and one at Marketplace side.

Bus transportation doesn't impact me negatively as I am not a rope-dropper - I've never encountered a full bus at the 4th stop (Congress Park where I usually stay). I also often use Disney Springs busses to get around to the theme parks as they're less crowded and run later - since I stay at Congress Park, it's an easy walk back to my villa from the Disney Springs bus stop, and it's a LOT less crowded taking a DS bus back after a long theme park day than standing in the packed lines at the theme park bus stop loading up like cattle and sometimes waiting for the 2nd or 3rd bus to get on board.

Disney Springs bus stop also provides another great perk - ability to go to any other resort in Disney World for food, scenery, bars, etc, and catch a DS bus back as late as 12:30 - 1am, for a walk back to my villa.

I find the grounds to be incredibly peaceful and lush - lakes, trees, wildlife - I just got back from the 2nd week of December staying at Saratoga - and I often spent an hour or two in the early morning bird-watching (tons of species), there were 2 dozen wild turkeys roaming the golf courses, kingfishers, herons, egrets, cormorants, and limpkin hunting by the lake, and plenty of migrating and wintering songbirds in all the trees around the resort buildings. I took the boat over to Port Orleans Riverside for dinner and to see Yehaa Bob, I had great meals at 3 different restaurants in Disney Springs, listened to a great musician at Raglan Road, walked over to Disney Springs for desserts and cocktails.

Comments about the rooms being smaller I suspect is related to Studios - I have rarely stayed in a studio there, as I tend to get bedrooms. The rooms are nicely refurbed, and are as large and well laid out as most other 1-bedrooms except OKW which are bigger than all.

I love that all buildings have elevators and 3 separate staircases - I love 2nd floor requests as I can get all my luggage and stuff up via elevator, but get a room near the end of a wing and just use the end stairs to get in and out of my room. Most of the time, I'm at Congress Park and my room view is usually of Disney Springs across the lake - lovely, scenic, and great for people watching with the sidewalks heading into DS and the boats going by.

Comments about there being no theming strike me funny - the horse theme is very strong and the buildings have theming with the round stair porticos and barned roofs - unlike most recent tower resorts which have all the theming of a Marriott or Hilton tower in any city. Walking the grounds there are lots of references to the real Saratoga Springs, and horse racing, at the pools and the main building.

As others have said, I'm OK with it being low on many people's lists - I can almost always score a room at Saratoga even on short planning. So nice to be able to get your 2nd favorite choice even only a month out!

Wow Disney Village resort?? Did it have the horse theme? I def have to look that up!

Like you we also enjoy bird watching and found the grounds to be incredibly peaceful and lush. Ive never seen an apartment complex this nice so I dont think about that at all

Also we are not rope droppers, huge crowds bother us so much so that we literally drove an hour and a half to a theme park a couple of days ago without realizing kids were still on winter break and when we saw how many people were entering, we opted to grab lunch nearby instead and leave Ive been going to Disney parks my entire life, I am in no rush to be there so soon, I just love the Disney bubble and environment. Watching a couple shows, listening to live music and not going on one ride is perfectly acceptable to us!

We also enoy golfing and the proximity to the golf courses being so close is appealing to us! My wife said if they allowed golf carts around SSR she probably wouldnt want to stay anywhere else

Good tip with the DS buses and opens up even more dining options, we love that!

 

[Girlstar30]

Personally, I like walking for Niles and Niles and Niles.

Thats why you'd rather be at jungle cruise in the am than my SSR!

 

[Leight19]

Walking to Disney Springs is the biggest perk of the place. Dozens of restaurants, bars, music venues, and entertainment just a short walk away...best food court and restaurant selection considering DS is your food court. You can easily walk to Disney Springs from any section of Saratoga and there are two walkways to get there - one enters by West Side and one at Marketplace side.

I’m going to be staying ssr in two weeks so was wondering if you can elaborate on the two walk ways. I was only aware of the pathway to marketplace side; how do I get to the one that goes to west side?

 

[Girlstar30]

I’m going to be staying ssr in two weeks so was wondering if you can elaborate on the two walk ways. I was only aware of the pathway to marketplace side; how do I get to the one that goes to west side?

Which is the side that the buses pick up from?

 

[zackiedawg]

The West Side path starts right where the Saratoga boat dock is. Walk around to the right of the boat dock and there's a wood bridge that provides access to the golf course for the carts, but you can walk across it too - then turn left and follow the sidewalk around the lake. You used to be able to enter right where Cirque Du Soleil and HOB are, but due to security changes, they route you around the Cirque building now so you come in from the parking lot side...when leaving to head back to Saratoga, you exit between Cirque and HOB.

The busses are closer to the Marketplace side - though are accessible from both. The Disney Springs bus stop is across from the lake - but when walking from the Marketplace side, you head towards Rainforest, cross the central bridge, then walk straight ahead past the Poutine place, turn right and walk a few hundred feet to the tunnel out to the busses.

 

[jcolvin5]

I've always enjoyed seeing how Saratoga gets ranked at or near bottom for a vast majority of DVC owners, because it's so completely opposite how I feel. But then I find my Disney travel to be very different in priorities from others, so I expect to often find myself in a minority. I've participated in half a dozen or more 'ranking' threads over the years where you pick best to worst DVC resorts, and responded to many threads about Saratoga Springs being a last-resort resort, and my rankings have been consistent for many years. I only own at Boardwalk since 1996, no other DVCs...Boardwalk is my favorite overall resort, but Saratoga has long been #2...I have even stayed on that site often before I owned DVC and enjoyed it - when it was still the Disney Village Resort.

This is incredible and why DVC is truly amazing! Really appreciate you sharing your experiences at SSR.

After our upcoming Feb BWV stay, OKW and SSR will be the only WDW resorts we have yet to experience. When we do get there, I'll be looking at it through the prism of this review.

 

[VGCgroupie]

First, the aesthetics. SSR has the undeniable charm of a sprawling, beige apartment complex. The kind where you expect to see a leasing office offering one month free and a free tote bag. It’s less “Disney magic” and more “corporate housing with landscaping.”

Second, the location. Saratoga Springs is technically on Disney property, but spiritually it’s somewhere between Orlando and a rest stop on I-95. It’s far from everything except the nearby shopping mall. If you squint hard enough, you might see a theme park in the distance, but you’ll age a year before you get there.

Which brings us to transportation. Bus-only. No Skyliner. No monorail. Just buses. Loud buses. Buses that hiss, beep, and announce their presence like a foghorn at sea, usually at 6:12 a.m.

And let’s talk about the size. Saratoga Springs is so enormous that navigating it feels like a cross-country expedition. I’m reasonably certain that if you walk from one end to the other, your phone changes time zones. Pack snacks. Alert your family. Update your will.

Other than that, it's a nice place.

Comment of the day. Im a lil stressed this am and I needed this laugh.

 

[Girlstar30]

Comment of the day. Im a lil stressed this am and I needed this laugh.

I appreciate the creativity

 

[VGCgroupie]

I appreciate the creativity

I was hoping for a mention of the ice box that are the buses. I appreciate a good AC but

 

[Girlstar30]

I was hoping for a mention of the ice box that are the buses. I appreciate a good AC but

I was wearing snow jacket in December for that and the boats. I cannot believe that people wear shorts

 

[Girlstar30]

I also wear my.snow jacket to yak and yeti and a few other select places

 

[Simba's Mom]

First, the aesthetics. SSR has the undeniable charm of a sprawling, beige apartment complex. The kind where you expect to see a leasing office offering one month free and a free tote bag. It’s less “Disney magic” and more “corporate housing with landscaping.”

Second, the location. Saratoga Springs is technically on Disney property, but spiritually it’s somewhere between Orlando and a rest stop on I-95. It’s far from everything except the nearby shopping mall. If you squint hard enough, you might see a theme park in the distance, but you’ll age a year before you get there.

Which brings us to transportation. Bus-only. No Skyliner. No monorail. Just buses. Loud buses. Buses that hiss, beep, and announce their presence like a foghorn at sea, usually at 6:12 a.m.

And let’s talk about the size. Saratoga Springs is so enormous that navigating it feels like a cross-country expedition. I’m reasonably certain that if you walk from one end to the other, your phone changes time zones. Pack snacks. Alert your family. Update your will.

Other than that, it's a nice place.

Gee, I was thinking of staying there-now I'm not so sure. Although when I walked over from Disney Springs one day to do some bird watching, I did get lost on the way to the main building, so I can't totally disagree.

 

[zackiedawg]

Fun side fact on theming at SSR - there are many design elements and homages throughout the grounds to the real Saratoga Springs, NY - the fountain in Congress Park section is a direct copy of one in NY, the round staircases and tower points of the villa buildings was inspired by a famous Victorian mansion's design in NY, the lobby that you check into is designed to mimic the shape of the famous carousel in NY, the color palette, and all the section names and pool names are inspired by the city in NY, the pool bar buildings are designed like the Racecourse entrance, the horse statue at the main building is also a copy of one at the Racecourse. And just the general foliage, park spaces, lakes and ponds are reminiscent of that NY town.

Saratoga Springs NY has another famous connection to Disney - the Main Street train stations were designed just like the 1871 Saratoga Springs NY train station!

 

[Wedgeout]

It’s all about the availability. There is enough inventory that most likely when doing a short notice trip, SSR will pop up as available in at least one category, each room size. (Except tree house which can become popular)…especially if they design the refurb to a Tarzan theming. Oh yeah someone could get a huge promotion if they came up with this before I did..Tree House..Tarzan!