Saratoga Bottom of The Barrell......

PoohsGang

New Member
Original Poster
Well we beat the Northeast snow and arrived yesterday to cool temperatures (still better than the foot plus of snow hammering NH at the moment) staying on Developer points. We checked in got our studio in Congress park later in the day, upon arriving to room we noticed the run down condition, carpet worn through to the cement floor. We shrugged it off met some friends and went on with our day and evening. We came back to room last night and noticed more mess the baseboards were so dusty you could right your name on them. I opened the couch as we have a friend coming down on Wednesday (female) we discovered that the couch was broken and required both of us to stand on it to get it closed. Then my wife heads to the bathroom which we then find that the door doesnt close it gets within about an inch then wont go further, as you can imagine we are not fond of sitting on the throne with the door open especially with a guest staying with us. I called front desk they said they would upgrade us to a 1 bedroom later today, we will see what that room is like. I don't understand how such a young resort can be so run down, our home resort is BCV and also BLT I would expect the BCV resort to be in the condition Saratoga is due to the age, all I can think is that they used cheaper materials/furnishings in Saratoga. I have to say it is the bottom of the Barrel as far as DVC Resorts are, the whole place is no better than a Motel 6. We hope to get a better room in better condition as I have been bragging to our friend that is coming down about how nice the DVC Resorts are, I'm now embarrased to show her the resort she is staying in. Saratoga 1 word DISGUSTING!:(
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
Interesting - we had the opposite experience.

We were in a studio at SSR in May 2008 and it was immaculate.
We were in the Springs, 4th floor.

Even my 5yo son commented on how awesomely clean and nice the room was.

I hope you get moved to a better room.
 

TikiGod

Member
Odd…. We stayed on developer points in mid February and had a beautiful one bedroom villa in the Carousel section. Hopefully your upgrade is much better.
 

fairetails

New Member
Sometimes you just have an isolated bad experience. We were there in may 2008 and LOVED it. I've stayed in all the luxory resorts on property so I'm kind of a snob. I can honestly say, I think you just got a fluke room. They should make it up to you, but I assure you SSR is really a nice place to stay. I just stayed at BCV in Nov and I thought it was not as clean and well kept as SSR. Hope you have a better trip!
 

pilka214

Active Member
I have to differently,

My home resort is Saratoga and i have stayed there now probably 5 or 6 times and never had a bad experience, with the rooms at least. it, in my books, is a wonderful resort with a nice location and a very relaxing theme.
 

DebS

New Member
TU for posting I'll be staying away from CP next time. I do hope your next room is in better condition. My home resort is BWV but I've stayed at SSR about many times. I usually stay in the Grandstand never stayed in Congress Park. Grandstand has been very nice. My only major complaint is over the bus wait time. It's terrible:mad:
 

Pumbas Nakasak

Heading for the great escape.
I too thought it was run down and tatty funnily enough we were also in Congress Park. Has to be one of the poorest looking rooms weve had at Disney. being our home resort we will be there again this year unless I can get in somewhere else.
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
SSR is my home as well. Never had a problem with it before.

I'll be there the end of March, so I get yet another look at it.

-dave
 

PoohsGang

New Member
Original Poster
We got our new room , a wonderful 1 bedroom upgrade great location at Congress Park, although the upgrade was nice. We love the new room size location, still don't understand why everything is so run down carpet is worn through in all the major path areas (entry way, paths to bathrooms) , dryer sounds like a frieght train. (but still nice to have we just turn it on as we leave the room)If this was my home resort I would have to wonder what the annual dues actually pay for. I guess we expect too much. The bus service is terrible and the place is empty as far as guests. We have been taking cabs as it seems all we do is wait only to encounter full buses. (Again CMS say the place is less than 65% booked) Well that said, they did make good. Unfortunately we would never stay here again (even if they paid us too) Just doesn't feel like a Disney Resort, it feels like we are staying in a run down Gated Community. I still cant understand how such a young resort( calling it a resort is being generous) can be so worn and beat up. We will stick with our beat up BCVilla (even in the condition BCV is its in beteer shape and much older than Saratoga) and soon New BLTower in the future.

I guess we come across as picky, but at this point spending over $25000.00 in DVC Memberships I do expect a better than Motel 6 experience gues my expectations could be a little high........:veryconfus


On a weather note cool mornings and evenings here, but better than NH.
 

slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
i've been in ssr 2x, both in Congress Park, a studio (8/05) and a 1BR (12/08). While I certainly understand the disappointment many feel about it feeling less Disneyish than other resorts, my rooms & the amenities I've used have never been less than wonderful.
 

Phonedave

Well-Known Member
If the rooms are as described by PG, then I agree.

I have been in SSR numerous times, and I agree it may have a different feel than many are used to. It is sprawling and the busses can take some getting used to - but thats part of the resort.

However, worn carpets worry me. That is a problem. Same goes for overly loud dryers. I mean lets face it, its a staked dryer, its not going to be whisper quiet, but it should also not force you to leave the room.

-dave
 

rabelgirls

New Member
Oh, how I hate to hear this news. We will be staying there in a couple of weeks on rented points and I want this to be a great expierence for my girls. I will be so disappointed if the room is in deplorable condititons.

I am glad they bumped you up to a better room and that it was much better than the original one you had.

Why was the bus system so terrible if the resort was only at 65% compacity? That doesn't make any sense at all.
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
Why was the bus system so terrible if the resort was only at 65% compacity? That doesn't make any sense at all.

Saratoga is a very sprawling resort, if I was to complain about anything from my May 2008 trip to SSR in The Springs section was that the bus ride to anywhere seemed to take forever (I had no problem with overcrowded buses).

It seemed to take forever to travel around the interior of the resort itself to get from one end to the other.
 

PoohsGang

New Member
Original Poster
Oh, how I hate to hear this news. We will be staying there in a couple of weeks on rented points and I want this to be a great expierence for my girls. I will be so disappointed if the room is in deplorable condititons.

I am glad they bumped you up to a better room and that it was much better than the original one you had.

Why was the bus system so terrible if the resort was only at 65% compacity? That doesn't make any sense at all.


Our room is much nicer, just very worn by Disney Standards, the loud dryer isn't a deal breaker we just run it when we leave, they did the best they could for us I don't blame the CMs or Managers for the run down condition of the resort, they didn't theme it (or no theme it I should say) they didn't pick the materials and have no control of the craftmenship that went into building the place. As for the dust you could write your name in on top of TV stand as well as the dust that you could write your name in on the mouldings, that would be a Manager or Housekeeping supervisor I would say that dropped the ball, (we took pictures as I figured half the people on the boards would think we were just extreme complainers. We are not, we expect what we pay for. Almost 25000.00 invested in DVC) Also the fact that the bathroom door would close to within an inch of being closed tight couldnt have gone unoticed as well as the broken couch. We just can't figure why they tried to use the room, or let it slide in that condition. We have been told that Congress Park was open first that may be why it's so run down. I origionally forgot to mention that they asked us to vacate the disgusting room by 8:00am following day so they could fix it and then didn't have another room for us until almost 3:30, so we unpacked, then repacked, had no room almost all yesterday, had to go to bell services to get clothes as it got colder, this was a major inconvienece, this is what developer points got us a weeks stay in a Motel 6 type hotel, this is anything but a resort.
Can't quite figure why buses are so bad, they take a very long time to pick you up and lots of times they are full. We have noticed on our 3rd day now that the bulk of the buses go to Magic Kingdom, this morning they were so packed we decieded to walk to Downtown, then caught a bus to Contemporary and walked th MK. We will probobly do the same for Epcot, grab a downtown bus to Beach Club, then go the back way in Epcot, for Studios we will propbobly hit a Swan and Dolpin Bus then walk to studios, one thing is you will definately walk of the food calories you consume in Saratoga as there is NO QUICK WAY OR SHORT WALK TO ANYPLACE ON SARATOGA PROPERTY. Again we are spoiled with Beach Club, Saratoga definately shortens your trip substantially due to long walks and long waits for buses, I would bet we have lost 2 hours a day in the parks compared to when we stay at BCV, or Contemporary, therefore I guess as previous posters have said it can be relaxing if you don't plan to use the parks to its fullest as you will have plenty of time in Saratoga. (either by choice or not) If downtown Disney is your favorite place to be stay in Congress Park, you can't stay any closer than that. Again they were nice enough to upgrade us, we just know that they couldn't pay us anything to stay here again, I feel the develper point system is terrible, maybe they force you to use Saratoga cause they think it's the Motel 6 of the DVC Properties........(Notice I won't use the word resort, its a large gated community,) no where near the standards that DVC is suppose to live up to.

Weather update: starting to feel a little more like March 72 lots of Sun!
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
As for the dust you could write your name in on top of TV stand as well as the dust that you could write your name in on the mouldings, that would be a Manager or Housekeeping supervisor I would say that dropped the ball, (we took pictures as I figured half the people on the boards would think we were just extreme complainers.

Please do the right thing and bring this to the attention of resort management and give them a chance to correct it, if not for you, for future guests.

If you just making these posts, and post these photos to prove your point, without speaking to management while you are there, you aren't doing yourself or Disney any good - and more people would consider you extreme complainers than not.
 

PoohsGang

New Member
Original Poster
Please do the right thing and bring this to the attention of resort management and give them a chance to correct it, if not for you, for future guests.

If you just making these posts, and post these photos to prove your point, without speaking to management while you are there, you aren't doing yourself or Disney any good - and more people would consider you extreme complainers than not.


Perhaps you should read the thread again, we did complain, we did show management, therefore they upgraded us, I don't think you have read or understood the original post as well as any of the replies I have made, management has been wonderful again it's not there fault the building is run down as I said for the condition of the room, it can only be assumed its housekeeping and a housekeeping supervisor/manager that dropped the ball. Again read the whold post as well as my responses perhaps that will clear up your confusion.
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
Perhaps you should read the thread again, we did complain, we did show management, therefore they upgraded us, I don't think you have read or understood the original post as well as any of the replies I have made, management has been wonderful again it's not there fault the building is run down as I said for the condition of the room, it can only be assumed its housekeeping and a housekeeping supervisor/manager that dropped the ball. Again read the whold post as well as my responses perhaps that will clear up your confusion.

I read all of your posts, twice.

You said "I called front desk they said they would upgrade us to a 1 bedroom later today, we will see what that room is like."
 

PoohsGang

New Member
Original Poster
I read all of your posts, twice.

You said "I called front desk they said they would upgrade us to a 1 bedroom later today, we will see what that room is like."

Sorry DisneyJoe didnt think after what I wrote anyone would think I just called up and asked for an upgrade, well you got me there. Lets see I'll try to clear this up for you, now stay with me ok? I'll try my best, everything I said before the part about being upgraded I told them, the condition of the room etc was all spelled out and shown to them. I didnt even ask to be moved or upgraded just to have the room cleaned and a new couch as well as bathroom door fixed, (you still with me?) they decieded to upgrade/move us. I apoligise for not being so clear and hope this is a satisfactory explanation for you. Hope you understand that we really aren't complainers, somehow I feel you will still find something to critisize me for. This is where just thread will go downhill........All I did was post what happened to us not anyone else follow me still Joe? We just wanted what we booked a clean studio in a DVC resort that pretty much sums it up we wanted a nice studio in a nice DVC resort, we didn't get that without having to be incovienenced for 2 days.
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
My apologies. After reading many many many posts on this and other boards, and seeing posts where people come home and complain about how bad their stay was without them ever contacting management, and asking for the email address or phone number of guest services, perhaps I am a little over sensitized to these threads.

Thanks for your explanation. I hope you have a great trip.
 

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