Saratoga Disappointed Owner

[disbest]

My family enjoys Disney World. We have gone to Disney each year for the past 4 years. Last year we decided to purchase points at Saratoga Springs. After spending our first vacation there I was disappointed.

The main pool is small and it is lacking a good restaurant. One day the pool was so crowded, it was standing room only. There was no room to swim. We requested either a pool view or a view of downtown Disney when we made our reservations. We were placed in the Paddocks, which is a long walk to the pool. The pool by the Paddocks was very small and was not worth a visit.

Although the room was nice the bus service was very slow. We waited 45 minutes for a bus to take us from Epcot back to Saratoga Resort. Other resorts had 2 to 3 buses stop before one Saratoga bus came to pick us up.

We visited the Beach Club. The Beach Club Pool is excellent and the location is great. You can walk to Epcot. Other Disney resorts are very close. I now understand why there are very few Beach Club resells. The resale value is much better that the other resorts. The current resale value is $97 a point.

You definitely need a car if you stay at Saratoga. It is far from most places in Disney.

It also is difficult to stay at another resort other than your home resort. This year we attempted to make reservations, 7 months in advance at the Beach Club and Board Walk only to be placed on a waiting list. I heard others are running into the same problem.

Overall I think DVC missed something when they designed Saratoga Springs.

I now begin to understand why so many DVC Saratoga members are selling their time share after owning for only a couple of years. I would recommend if you are interested in buying a vacation club it may be worth it to wait for the next DVC. I am hearing rumors that it will open early next year. Hopefully DVC will do a better job with the next resort.

We are hoping that it gets better as they finish phase 3. It definitely needs, better bus service, a larger pool and a good restaurant.

Does anyone know if they plan to make any improvements to this resort before it is completed.

Remember this is just one owners opinion and after seeing other DVC resorts I had high expectations for Saratoga Springs.

 

[artvandelay]

The full service restaraunt is on the way and should open soon. I own at SSR, but have never stayed there. I've heard the same complaint about the pool and was hoping for another 'large' pool with phase 3, but I don't think that's happening.

 

[Daddio]

disbest:

Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. We just bought in October and had our first stay in May. We absolutely loved SSR. The buses were never longer than 15 minutes, no exceptions, and never full as they have been when staying at other resorts.

We had a car so we didn't experience the same "distant" feeling that you did. Having the car allowed us to have a beautiful room looking out onto Downtown Disney and the lake. We were on the dining plan, so, out to a different restaurant every night of our stay. We would never have eaten at SSR even if they had a restaurant.

Although getting into BWV or BC can be difficult at peak times (Food and Wine, Christmas, holidays), I bought so many points that I have rented them out to quite a few different people, with many reservations being made at BWV, BC, VWL and OKW.

Personally, I find it too busy for us over at BC and BWV and the buses take so long to go to the shared resorts. But there you go. It's a matter of personal preference.

I sure hope you next stay is better. Maybe as they build up SSR, things will get better.

 

[disbest]

Pool and Resteraunt

Thank you for your reply.
What was your experience with the size of the pool and resteraunt?

 

[BeachClubVillas]

Sorry to hear about your experience. We own at Beach Club, but stayed at Saratoga last year. We felt the same way you do. I think a lot of the problems will be fixed by the time the resort is finished. We stayed in the Paddock a couple of days after it opened, and bus drivers kept forgetting there were people in the buildings. We once waited over an hour. At that time (last July), there wasn't even an internal bus shuttle running, the cafeteria was only open a few hours a day, and the walkway to DTD was unfinished. I think once the CMs get their "sea legs" and the resort is finished, with the kinks worked out, it will be a nice resort. It is a huge resort though. And it's just getting bigger.

 

[tiggerguy2000]

I also own saratoga Springs with my Beach Club and wilderness lodge Villas.I noticed that the pool would be a problem but I bought for the extended time.Its a good resort if you like being close to downtown disney.I dont see me staying at SSR anytime in the near future and im waiting on the Contemporary Villas to open up in a few years to add to my 500 points that I have already.

tiggerguy

 

[Cinderpals]

I own at BCV and BWV. I bought those because I wanted to stay there for different reasons. I did stay at the SSR but, never made it to the pool or to the restaurant. It does need a larger pool. We've always had a car there too. It's easy access to the grocery store and out to International from SSR. I like staying there near the end of my stay since it's so close to DTD.

 

[disbest]

NO NEW POOL at SARATOGA

I spoke with member services and they said that there were no plans for another large pool. It appears that there is not going to be anything new added by the completition of phase 3.

 

[carolina_yankee]

I now begin to understand why so many DVC Saratoga members are selling their time share after owning for only a couple of years. I would recommend if you are interested in buying a vacation club it may be worth it to wait for the next DVC. I am hearing rumors that it will open early next year. Hopefully DVC will do a better job with the next resort.

While DVC may announce a new resort soon, I doubt very seriously it will be open early next year. There's no construction that I'm aware of on WDW property that could be a dvc resort in hiding. If they're building one elsewhere, then it's not at WDW so what's the point (for a WDW visit)?

SSR clearly isn't finished. As with any resort, it will have its plusses and minuses. We like it, and we were disappointed with Boardwalk Villas. Time of year also makes a difference. On April 29, the pool seemed empty and the buses were efficient. You were there over a Memorial Day week, though I'm sure that indicates what summer would be like. We'll give it another spin Thanksgiving weekend and the following week. I guess that will give us a chance to see how they live up to expectations.

Dirk

 

[disbest]

Construction Contemporary

I read on another board that construction already began at the contemporary. Also, it was rumored in the past that DVC received approval for another DVC at the Contemporary and it would be called the Contemporary Villas.

 

[carolina_yankee]

I read on another board that construction already began at the contemporary. Also, it was rumored in the past that DVC received approval for another DVC at the Contemporary and it would be called the Contemporary Villas.

There is construction at the contemporary, in the South Wing, but everyone is calling it a refurbishment. No one has said that it's for DVC - doesn't mean it isn't but all that rumors on the internet have focused either on conversion of the North Wing (where nothing has yet be done), or construciton of a whole additional wing north of the North Wing. I fully suspect the South Wing is really still going to be hotel rooms, though they have done some major gutting from what I've seen from the monorail.

At any rate, I'm convinced more DVCs are in the pipeline, I just don't believe another one will suddenly open in 2007 and say "stay here now!" I would imagine there has to be some pre-selling of several months to a year or so to make it financially viable, too. Could be wrong.

Several reliable internet sources on several boards/newsgroups have said there are tentative plans for DVC resorts at most of the WDW resorts. AKL and Contemporary are highest on the rumor mill, while Hawaii seems to be highest on the DVC member wish list.

Dirk

 

[disbest]

New Resteraunt

Thank you for the reply.

I also heard that they are building another resteraunt at SSR. When you were staying at SSR, were they working on a new resteraunt?

 

[carolina_yankee]

Thank you for the reply.

I also heard that they are building another resteraunt at SSR. When you were staying at SSR, were they working on a new resteraunt?

Yes - they're expanding the Turf Club into a full restaurant. Even now, they offer a limited menu of burgers, grilled salmon BLT, and some other items. I'm not sure how broad the menu wil be, but I think most people agree this is the one true weakness of the resort for many people.

I imagine they have to time these things, too. DVC probably doesn't want a big restaurant until there's enough units open to justify the expense. It looks like Phase III will have the most rooms, so that will certainly increase demand for food options. I hope whatever they settle on will develop as good a reputation as Olivia's at Old Key West.

I don't know what Phase III will mean for the pool. They'll surely add a quiet pool or two, but I can't say that will reduce the load on the themed pool. However, SSR's pool is bigger than Wilderness Lodge. I suspect it's not too far off from Boardwalk Villas in size. BC/YC are the clear winners here, but they're unique. No other resort has that kind of themed pool experience.

At least there are plenty of restaurants to draw from at Downtown Disney and they are easy to get to, but still a hike if you don't have a car.

Dirk

 

[tiggerguy2000]

They have plenty of room to put Villas at the location slated for the Persian resort that never happened or expanding after the wing rooms.I think it will happen and the cost per point will jump big-time because of the prime location.

This is just my opinion so what are your thoughts?
Price point jump up to about $125.00 a point is what I heard from Disney friends and opening still a few years away.
They think it will be the fastest sell-out ever for a time-share

tiggerguy

 

[disbest]

Persian resort Location

I am not familar with the Persian Resort location. Where is the site located?

I think if it is a prime location it will probably require more points per day than the other DVC's.

 

[carolina_yankee]

They have plenty of room to put Villas at the location slated for the Persian resort that never happened or expanding after the wing rooms.I think it will happen and the cost per point will jump big-time because of the prime location.

This is just my opinion so what are your thoughts?
Price point jump up to about $125.00 a point is what I heard from Disney friends and opening still a few years away.
They think it will be the fastest sell-out ever for a time-share

tiggerguy

I have to wonder about that. Would the resort really be on the monorail? They'd have to put a fourth resort stop on the line if they built anywhere else rather than converting the North Wing of the CR. Even bulding on CR property would make it quite a hike to the CR monorail stop. So, I'm not sure the appeal would be any more than, say, BCV or BWV.

I could see a true monorail resort costing more points per night, but not much more per point. Imagine how unhappy someone would be who spent $125 per point and couldn't get in one year (due to waiting until 7 months or so or their desired dates were already sold out), so they had to stay at SSR, which would have been $101 per point.

Dirk

 

[wannabeMickey]

Follow up question

disbest:
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. We just bought in October and had our first stay in May. We absolutely loved SSR. The buses were never longer than 15 minutes, no exceptions, and never full as they have been when staying at other resorts.

We had a car so we didn't experience the same "distant" feeling that you did. Having the car allowed us to have a beautiful room looking out onto Downtown Disney and the lake. We were on the dining plan, so, out to a different restaurant every night of our stay. We would never have eaten at SSR even if they had a restaurant.

Although getting into BWV or BC can be difficult at peak times (Food and Wine, Christmas, holidays), I bought so many points that I have rented them out to quite a few different people, with many reservations being made at BWV, BC, VWL and OKW.

Personally, I find it too busy for us over at BC and BWV and the buses take so long to go to the shared resorts. But there you go. It's a matter of personal preference.

I sure hope you next stay is better. Maybe as they build up SSR, things will get better.

How did having a car allow you to get the room looking out onto Downtown Disney ?

 

[slappy magoo]

I think what Daddio meant was, since they had a car, there wasn't an overwhelming need/desire to be close to the main buildingor any of the bus stops, so they could have their pick of locations.

When my fiancee & I stayed at SSR, we were also on the lake, and we also rented a car. The only time it was a pain the keister was when we wanted refills on our mugs. In fact, if I could make any request, perhaps even more than a full-service restaurant, it would be for there to perhaps be snack bars near the pools where you could buy a pretzel or popcorn and refill your mug.

A full-service restaurant will definitely make SSR seem like a nicer place to stay, but meanwhile, remember that you're a short ride (or depending on your room location, a short walk) away from the West Side or the Marketplace. One night, my fiancee wasn't feeling well (too much sun on Scottish skin is baaaad news). I was less than a 10 minute walk away from the Marketplace. Walked over, picked up some takout from Emeril's and we spent the night in. It would've taken longer to get to the restaurant at SSR's main house, and then we would have had fewer food options. And of course, you can always make your own dinner if you have a full kitchen, and if you're into that sort of thing on vacation.
(no offense to the people who factor in making some of their own meals into their vacation budget, or who genuinely enjoy home cooked meals. I understand a few of you still exist. )

 

[disbest]

I think what Daddio meant was, since they had a car, there wasn't an overwhelming need/desire to be close to the main buildingor any of the bus stops, so they could have their pick of locations.

When my fiancee & I stayed at SSR, we were also on the lake, and we also rented a car. The only time it was a pain the keister was when we wanted refills on our mugs. In fact, if I could make any request, perhaps even more than a full-service restaurant, it would be for there to perhaps be snack bars near the pools where you could buy a pretzel or popcorn and refill your mug.

A full-service restaurant will definitely make SSR seem like a nicer place to stay, but meanwhile, remember that you're a short ride (or depending on your room location, a short walk) away from the West Side or the Marketplace. One night, my fiancee wasn't feeling well (too much sun on Scottish skin is baaaad news). I was less than a 10 minute walk away from the Marketplace. Walked over, picked up some takout from Emeril's and we spent the night in. It would've taken longer to get to the restaurant at SSR's main house, and then we would have had fewer food options. And of course, you can always make your own dinner if you have a full kitchen, and if you're into that sort of thing on vacation.
(no offense to the people who factor in making some of their own meals into their vacation budget, or who genuinely enjoy home cooked meals. I understand a few of you still exist. )

When we booked our room last year we requested a view DD. At check-in they told us that room assignments are based on what is available at the time of check-in. We ended up staying at the Paddock, which is at the far end of the resort. As more people continue to buy at SSR, I would have to believe it will become more and more difficult to get a choice room. There are not that many rooms that have a view of DD.

Since we stayed at the Paddock, it is a much longer walk to DD. If you are looking for something quick to eat DD is not that close. We waited 15 minutes for the Ferry to pick us up and the walked seemed longer. Also, when we were there DD was crowded and most restaurants had a wait. I would recommend if you plan to eat at DD you get a reservation.

I agree that they need something by the pool where you can get a hamburger or a pretzel. We were not happy with AP. I did not like there menu or food. We only ate there once.

I do believe SSR needs a bigger pool. It will only become more crowded when they finish Phase 3.

I would like to know why there are so many SSR resales. Are there that many disappointed owners? Why are these people willing to sell their points at a discount?

 

[CSUFSteve]

We are staying at SSR on the trip dates in my sig below - at the AP rate. I had taken a tour of the property before when I was considering DVC membership and really liked it. I'm excited to be staying there but was a little shocked they were able to offer AP rates for it. We requested a Downtown Disney lake view but who knows if I'll get that since I'd assume they give preference to DVC members.

Anyway, I may revisit the DVC membership in the next few years. If they opened up one at Contemporary I'd think about it. I hate Contemporary but love the location. Hopefully the DVC units there would be nicer than the Contemporary itself.