Why not SSR?

[alanapapa]

As PP said, if you want the THV at Xmas buy SSR. We own there and have 3 nights at a THV right before NYE and even calling first thing 11 months out we were waitlisted for one day. WL came through a couple months later.

We too know the feeling of long travel, we live is the Seattle Washington area, 2.5 hours to DLR and with few direct flights to Orlando, 8 hours to WDW.

 

[disneygal55]

No... The last time I was there was 1999 and SSR was not even on the map... I'd love to see all the resorts before I decide on a resale, but I'm 5,000 miles and 12 hours away (by plane). WDW will not be an annual destination for us. That's what we have Disneyland and VGC for. Now that the kiddos are old enough for the long haul plane rides we plan on going to WDW every 3rd year. So we plan on banking and borrowing to stay in a 2br (or tree house) for 10 or 11 days during the Christmas breaks. The contract termination dates do matter to me because I do plan on out living them, but even if I don't, my kiddos will.

Thanks all for your insights... I think my mind is made up!

What are you looking for in a resort? For instance we bought AKV because
we love the African theme and LOVE sitting on the balcony with our coffee, watching the giraffes, zebras and ankoli cattle grazing quietly in the savannah. We love BCV because of the sand bottom pool, Beaches and Cream, and being able to walk to Epcot and either walk of take a boat to Epcot. When we owned SSR we had a difficult time booking BCV at 7 months out. If you want to stay at THV at Christmas time then SSR is a good choice. If you want specific resorts at Christmas then you may have a problem at Christmas unless you own there. I truly believe in buy where you really want to stay. If it doesn't really matter to you, then SSR may be the best (value) for your family.

 

[Brian Noble]

It's a big resort, and the pool of potential resale purchasers is finite. And, SSR doesn't have a "hook" in the way that most other resorts have, though with THV it's starting to develop one. But, it is an outstanding value.

 

[DisneySJB]

I agree with a previous post that it is supply and demand. Because SSR is so large, if 1% of the owners decide to sell - that is a much bigger number than 1% of the other resorts. And, with more people selling a competition for prices is created. Basic law of supply and demand. High supply = lower prices.

 

[Debbie Jean]

When I first toured DVC and visited SSR to see the models, I wasn't impressed, so I bought AKV. However, after staying there on developer points, I was highly impressed by the peace and serenity of the resort. I love the condo-style buildings, having my own outdoor entrance. I think after the new pool is completed, we will see SSR's popularity increase.

One of the complaints I have heard is that the resort is too spread out, so if you are in the outskirts, you are far away from everything (food, theme pool). With the new pool in the Paddock section, those complaints will lessen. I know that I would love to stay there again.

New pool complex will also be offering new food option... CS I believe... which will really be a great alternative Can't wait to see how it looks when finished

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

before deciding , i would recommend reading the post about
ssr & the bus problem.

i am really shocked that dvc tolerate those sneaking dtd , & hopping
on ssr buses. it isn't fair to the owners , and unless they had a
ssr id /band, marking guests , they should be denied.

i also think all owners should stand behind the ssr owners in
their efforts to stop this abuse.

 

[CrazyDuck]

before deciding , i would recommend reading the post about
ssr & the bus problem.

i am really shocked that dvc tolerate those sneaking dtd , & hopping
on ssr buses. it isn't fair to the owners , and unless they had a
ssr id /band, marking guests , they should be denied.

i also think all owners should stand behind the ssr owners in
their efforts to stop this abuse.

I did read that entire thread, thanks! That is the kind of information I was hoping to gather... As far as the bus situation goes, they should at least make the riders show a room key to board the bus... Do they pick up and drop off at THV before SSR or after? Just curious....

 

[kikiq]

THV has it's own bus loop that will take you to the Grandstand first to transfer to park buses.

Honestly we are SSR owners and have had the good fortune in the last 2 years to make multiple trips to our home resort. We haven't experienced any of the bus issues that others talk about. We have gone in May, June, July, August, October November and December ( not all in the same year) but spread out between June 09 and Nov 10. I guess it's just good bus karma, we don't expect bad bus times so I'm guessing we don't bring on the bad bus waits. My Dad 84 years old had to wait 45 minutes from the MK to SSR in August 08. We time all our bus waits just to see how long we wait...haven't waited longer than 15 minutes. Our 2 longest bus waits were at BWV going to the MK in Aug 09 (waited 45 min) and OKW going to Epcot May 10(another 45 min wait but not the bus systems fault). On all of our SSR stays, we have seen a CM at the Springs with a clipboard monitoring the buses and several times at the Grandstand and Congress Park. I wanted to put my 2 cents in on the bus situation from our recent experiences.

 

[hbehrman]

Have only owned DVC for less than a year and I'm already planning on adding on points for somewhere in WDW. I have been looking at resales and am baffled by the prices. Why is SSR so cheap? SSR has:
- a contract end date of 2054 (longer than most)
- some of the lowest MF's
- tree house villas
- walking distance to DTD
- it's reselling in the mid $60's

Resale rates seem like a great deal... Not trying to start a flame war... I just haven't been to WDW since 1999 so I'm not too familiar with the World, and It seems like I'm missing something!

Additionally it has:
- on site Spa
- Golf course
- closer to offsite shopping (esp grocery store)
- closer to other Orlando tourist destinations (i.e Universal, Sea World,e tc)

 

[cheezNE1]

I love the SSR, nice and quiet, homely feel... but i love BLT even more. It's just so convenient walking to MK with kids and the fireworks by the balcony is breath taking.

 

[Stinger5]

Just got back from my first DVC stay and it was at SSR. Although i was trying to change my res leading up to the trip, my family couldn't have been happier! The resort was quiet, had great views(right on LBV golf course) and our kids loved the pools.

Although SSR is not near any parks, the bus drive was relatively quick. The bus stops were spread around the resort so you never had to walk very far to get to a bus stop. I was travelling with 3 young children(DD4, DD1, and another 3yr old) and we had no problems with Dis transportation. I would not hesitate to stay there again.

I would agree with El's earlier post- there is no need to have SSR as a home resort based on availability, but if you are shopping based on cost it is the best value. If you prefer to walk to some parks, you won't want to stay at SSR.

My fam chose to buy in at BCV solely because we like it the best and want the priority booking. However, we were very pleased at SSR and I think that the resort is better than most people give it credit for.

 

[rutgers1]

I am under the impression that a "shanty town" themed resort would be a major hit if it was a walk to a theme park. SSR is beautiful, but it gets hurt for two things:
1) not close to a theme park
2) big...spread out....more like a condo community than a resort

I think Disney gambled that being close to a golf course and having a spa would make it a success. I figure they thought the proximity to DTD would make it attractive to the older crowd, too. However, if it weren't so huge, I think they would have been right. A resort of that size would be a hit if it were right next to a theme park. However, in its current location, it is only super attractive to a small select group. I'm not sure what they were thinking.

I am an SSR owner. I like the resort, but I don't love it. I would much rather stay at an Epcot resort. To me, you can't beat walking to Epcot and Hollywood Studios from Beach Club and Boardwalk.

SSR has potential -- but they really need some major upgrades, not just a new pool. For example, I think they would have hit a home run if they continued the Saratoga theme and had an actual pasture with horses. Perhaps they could have had a section with a racetrack theme and boardwalk style games and attractions (small stuff, just enough to give it a little life). Maybe they could have extended the resort feel with more amenities, like a running track. Given the appeal to adults, it should have been a major "high class" resort. They didn't hit the mark.

 

[Silver Queen]

SSR is our home resort. When we purchased in April '08 we were a little hesitant because we weren't completely taken in by the ambiance (it seemed pretty big) and because we live 20 miles from the real Saratoga. To make a long story short we're very happy with our purchase and SSR. We've stayed there four times and have come to truly appreciate the serenity of the resort and the decor of the villas. Since we purchased we have also stayed at OKW, AKL (Kidani), VWL and will be staying at BWV in January. We enjoyed those resorts, but have come to love our SSR and what it has to offer in terms of availability, lower MF, and relaxation. We have also never had any issues with the bus service there.

 

[deerislemaine]

We just purchased resale at SSR. We hadn't been to WDW since the late 70s until this past April (2010). We stayed in a 2BR at OKW, and we loved it. We decided to buy at SSR because it had a condo feel and was quite. We liked OKW just as well (we toured SSR and some other resorts). Our family (3 kids and grandparents who will visit us) wanted larger rooms and a place away from the parks. I also wanted to be near a golf course.

For us it seemed like a great fit. We'll either stay at OKW or SSR on most of our trips (if not all of them). We wanted the extra years at SSR and the lower membership dues. We are talking about a tree house stay for next New Years (2012), and that's probably the only time that we'll need to book at 11 months.

As others have said, it comes down to personal preference. For our family, the price with loaded points in the contract was the right option.

 

[kikiq]

Maybe they could have extended the resort feel with more amenities, like a running track.

Why a running track? We are SSR owners and love it the way it is. One of the reasons we bought was because of the running paths for the runners in our family.

 

[Dean]

The price differential has always been there though it's a little more exaggerated right now. It comes down to demand of the resort which stems from location and desirability. I'm sure the total numbers of points and contracts for sale also has an impact. I agree that SSR resale likely represents the best value for those looking to travel routinely to WDW. I think the trade offs are minor and the benefits of owning at that location as simply an in into the system are fairly high. Ultimately to me it comes down to overall price/cost when looking at it from that direction. Thus, if one could get a resort with more inherent value at the same proportional price, that could be even better. Put another way since that seemed a little convoluted, SSR is the best value but ONLY because of the combo of price, WDW 11 mo window and expiration. And while some will hold the dues of BLT as a counter balance, I personally don't think the difference in dues will persist long term.

 

[Brian Noble]

big...spread out....more like a condo community than a resort

This is an eye of the beholder thing. I happen to like condo-style layouts more than hotel-style ones. A better sense of privacy, and a calmer/quieter environment.

 

[littlestar]

We actually changed our minds about SSR after time went by. When we first joined DVC in early 2002 I only wanted to stay at the "hotel" attached DVC's - BWV, VWL, and BCV. But as I've gotten older and the kids have left the nest, I like the calmer feel of OKW and SSR with the golf courses and walking areas.

I enjoy peace and quiet at my resort and the hotel style DVC's just don't deliver that. My other favorite non DVC resort in Orlando is Marriott's Cypress Harbour and I like it because it's so peaceful.

We sold our BWV and VWL points and bought SSR with the longer ending date. I would have bought either OKW or SSR points but at the time the SSR points were the best deal with the longer ending date.

I would be happy staying at SSR every trip. But I would miss my stays at OKW so I hope Disney doesn't limit booking between resorts. I think SSR is a terrific bargain at the resale prices I'm seeing.

 

[rutgers1]

Why a running track? We are SSR owners and love it the way it is. One of the reasons we bought was because of the running paths for the runners in our family.

There is a running path? I couldn't find it when I was there. I ended up running on the street, which was tough when a bus would go by and I'd have to dive onto the grass.

 

[LIFERBABE]

There is a running path? I couldn't find it when I was there. I ended up running on the street, which was tough when a bus would go by and I'd have to dive onto the grass.

We walk all the time at SSR. I love the scenery and not running in circles. All the paths are connected. You can run through DTD and to OKW. All the sections of SSR connect with very little crossing os streets. I ve never had to run/walk in the road and we normally get 3 miles in without circling. SSR is very popular with marathoners also. AP serves a carb dinner the night before the race and it was crowded. They were running all over the resort.