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Saratoga Disappointed Owner
- Thread starter disbest
- Start date
lawyergirl77
Active Member
We'll be heading over to BWI (not BWV) next Monday, so I can't really compare any other DVC Resort to this one. Sorry!! :wave:disbest said:
Magic Maker
New Member
Wow, you are really doing a DVC Member type vacation. Are you considering going to the Open House?
patelaine1953
New Member
My husband and I own points at BWV. We've stayed there once. I don't particularly like a queen bed (we have a king at home) and find it a little crowded after having room to move. A one-bedroom would give us the bed size but costs more points. I love staying at OKW (we've stayed there 3 times in a year and a half) because the studios have 2 queen beds rather than one and a double sleeper sofa. It cost us the least amount of points and staying there allows us to make 2 four or five day trips a year. We use our points wisely and usually go during a lower season. I would just as soon not go during the dead of summer. Too HOT!!! I'll stay home and roast in NE (it does get very humid here). I love being able to use my points for more than one vacation a year. Next year we'll do a spring trip to WDW and then a fall trip to HHIR (we've never been to SC either). In a couple of year I'd like to try using my points outside of Disney. I have a friend who has gone to Lake George, NY and Mont Tremblant, Quebec. She also gave her points to her nephew for a honeymoon trip to Hawaii last year. She only has 200 points (not excessive) but enough for her and her family (husband and 3 kids).
darthjohnny
Active Member
disbest said: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.
How did you visit Stormalong Bay? I know DVC memebers can visit other resorts pools, but they can't go to Stormalong Bay. I do know Saratoga Springs has the smallest rooms for all DVC resorts. Sometimes that happens with the buses. Their schedule can get screwed up.
Emerald Rose
Member
Sorry to hear of your experience. We love SSR and have enjoyed our stays there tremendously. I think it would be a great idea for you to share your experience with guest relations. Perhaps they can pass your comments along to the appropriate parties and then the plans could be reconsidered since the final phases are not complete yet. I think another themed pool is a great idea. Please keep us informed should you get any news!
Emerald Rose said:Sorry to hear of your experience. We love SSR and have enjoyed our stays there tremendously. I think it would be a great idea for you to share your experience with guest relations. Perhaps they can pass your comments along to the appropriate parties and then the plans could be reconsidered since the final phases are not complete yet. I think another themed pool is a great idea. Please keep us informed should you get any news!
I did call and they said that there are no plans for a second theme pool.
darthjohnny
Active Member
disbest said:
Oh okay.
vonpluto
Well-Known Member
Perhaps not a theme pool, but, this from the latest DVC Vacation Magic:
" Two of the new buildings,rising up near the Resort’s main
entrance along DisneyVacation Club Way,will comprise a
section called The Carousel.The other four buildings,located in
the area formerly occupied by the FairwayVillas,will be known
as The Grandstand.
It’s there that Members and Guests will find a 2,490-square-
foot,racetrack-themed leisure pool,a 1,257-square-foot interac-
tive water area and a 118-square-foot pool.The area also will
include restrooms,laundry facilities,the Backstretch Bar and a
barbeque pavilion (a second barbeque pavilion
will be located in The Carousel section). "
This issue is not in the mail yet, but can be viewed at the members site.
Thank you for the update. It appears that Phase III will bring some nice enhancements to SSR. I am looking forward to my trip this fall. I hope some of the construction will be complete as planned.
Magic Maker
New Member
I was quite excited when I heard of the plans.
Magic Maker
New Member
:wave: Hi..we just bought into SSR 9/06 and we were told something total different which I hope was true. The Disney tour/salesman told us that phase 3 (which opens Nov. 2006) would have a main pool with the theme of racing (horse racing) and would have the slides and other things the other main pool has so SSR is supposed to have 2 main pools. The restaurant part we were told wasn't going to happen yet, but maybe when phase 4 happens next year. Now I am really confused :veryconfu because of what I have read and been told.
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
Well stay "@ home" next summer if we cant get into Wilderness Lodge. Having walked around this trip I think its looking in much better shape but Im still not keen on the location.
Trying to make up my mind!
We stayed at SSR last year and were somewhat disappointed, although I love DW so much that "disappointed" is overkill for me. Our home resort is BWV and we have stayed at OKW. I loved the size of the rooms at OKW and felt a bit squeezed at SSR. We had a car so the distance was not a problem except getting to the pool. Still, it was not on my list of resorts where I would buy a membership.
I have been considering buying more points on the secondary market but just received a notice that SSR point prices have been reduced to $82. This means I could get many added years for the same price as a good deal at another resort. What has been your experiences in getting good rooms when you have to wait for the 7 month window? Thanks for your help!
We stayed at SSR last year and were somewhat disappointed, although I love DW so much that "disappointed" is overkill for me. Our home resort is BWV and we have stayed at OKW. I loved the size of the rooms at OKW and felt a bit squeezed at SSR. We had a car so the distance was not a problem except getting to the pool. Still, it was not on my list of resorts where I would buy a membership.
I have been considering buying more points on the secondary market but just received a notice that SSR point prices have been reduced to $82. This means I could get many added years for the same price as a good deal at another resort. What has been your experiences in getting good rooms when you have to wait for the 7 month window? Thanks for your help!
It has become more and more difficult to book within the 7 month window. We tried to book the BCV within the 7 month window but were put on a waiting list.
It seems that the number of resales for SSR has increased. Could they all be disappointed owners?
Also, with the recent announcement of AKL DVC, this will probably cause more SSR owners to sell and move on up to a priemer resort. We are considering doing the same, but the resale market doesn't look good for SSR at this time.
Getting back to the 7 month window option, I recommend buying where you plan to frequent the most. People will always want to stay at the priemer resorts.
dixiegirl
Well-Known Member
we are allso new dvc members as of 9/22 of this year . just a question, every time i try and say play around with trying to book(trying to get a quote is more like it) with saratoga on the disney site it always redirects me to another resort other than saratoga..why is this..is it already so booked up or just available to dvc members...? any info would be helpful.