Saratoga Springs thoughts/opinions

[mac41099]

We just got our vacation confirmed for December 2-9 at Saratoga Springs. We will be in a 1 bed villa.

I know a lot about most of the resorts, but this is one that I don't know too much about. I know it is right by DTD and is new within the last few years, but other than that, that is it.

So, I was just wondering what your thoughts are of the place, what about the restaurants, ammenities, activities, etc.

I guess it won't matter too much if there is a lot of negatives because we can't change our reservations, but I'm just curious on your thoughts/opinions (both positive & negative).

Either way, we'll have a blast being in Disney, but please indulge me. :lol:

Thanks

 

[phichi17]

The villas are very nice, and the location to DTD is great, but for me I don't feel like I am in Disney when I am there. It doesn't have that "magic" that some of the other DVC resorts have, IMO.

 

[DisneyPhD]

We own at VWL, but our favorite DVC is BCV because of the location and theme.

However we have stayed at SSR twice and really liked it. It is big, so when you book last min it is the most likely DVC resort to have room.

My DD loves the pool. It has a little slide for the wee ones too, along with a Donald splash area. The CM there are friendly and do activities at the pool like at OKW and Vero beach. The zero entry is very nice. While we all like BCV the best, I think my DD (will be 6 next week) really likes SSR a lot.

The store is rather small, not a lot of choices in it. The food there is good though. I have not ate at the sit down place.

It has a playground across the lake that is very nice.

Your location makes a big difference. We have stayed at the springs or the carriage house (same place) and are very happy with that. It is near the main pool.

Have a good time. We will be back there for one night May 10th after our DCL trip on the Wonder.

 

[gatordoc]

We stayed there in December, and really enjoyed it. We specifically requested a room in the Congress Park area to be close to Downtown Disney. The room was nicely appointed, the view was great, and the walk to DD quite pleasant. No problems with noise. Bus service was fine, except for one day when the driver seemed to get lost and we ended up making a big circle through OKW (didn't stop - just went in, around, and out again). I agree that's it's perhaps not quite as Disney themed as some other locations, but it was a nice romantic stay for my wife and me.

 

[Blonde Princess]

We are members at Beach Club. We have stayed at SSR several times. Just a word of advice. I don't know if the new pool area will be open by December. So, if you are travelling with children and will utilize the pool I would call and request a Villa in either of the Springs Buildings. They are directly across the street from the Pool, Food Court, Store and REstaurant area. You may also want that location if you don't have kids and like to go to the pool. If you are a Downtown Disney Fan or want to be farther away from the central hub of the resort, then request Congress Park. It has a good view of DTD, has a pathway to DTD for walking and a nice quiet pool.

Enjoy.

 

[bgraham34]

My brother in law is staying there this upcoming weekend. They are looking forward to it. I can post info on what they though.

 

[Hakunamatata]

We bought our DVC points at SSR. I have stayed there twice, my wife three times. At first, I wasnt impressed with the theming of the resort. The more I stay, the more I really like it. My wife is from Syracuse and she says that it is well themed to the actual Saratoga Springs. One of the reasons that people dont care for it I believe is the fact that it is so big, you dont get the intense theming like at WLV, BWV, or OKW. It is more wide open. However, it does have a very relaxing atmosphere to it.

Some have expressed that SSR dining options are weak. I would argue that being a 15 minute walk to DDT and all the eating options there, SSR doesnt need a whole lot of dining.

 

[fizzle75]

My wife and I went to a DVC presentation there in April of last year and toured the resort. It is very nice but it definitely seems to be lacking that Disney "magic" but we ended up buying into the DVC there. They are supposed to have the best Spa on property. We booked a "sorta" last minute vacation for this April,we knew that at the last minute our only options as far as DVC resorts would be Old Key West and Saratoga and we were really hoping for Old key West but, alas, they are booked solid during the week we are going so we had to settle for Saratoga. I know it is a very nice resort and I'm sure we will LIKE it but I just don't foresee us LOVING it like we do AKL or WL,nonetheless I know we will have a great time. It will be neat to be that close to Downtown Disney. We always try to schedule a day at Downtown Disney but always end up losing it to our desire to spend more time in the parks maybe this trip since we will be so close we will get in more Downtown Disney time.

My fellow store manager at the grocery store where I work is also a DVC member at Saratoga and he won't stay anywhere else, he loves it.

Just out of curiosity, I know that the Turf Club has been remodeled into the Turf Club Bar and Grille, is it any good? I read about it in one of the DVC magazines but it isn't listed in the Birnbaum guide or the Ultimate guide. What do they serve there.

One definite plus for us regarding staying at Saratoga is that we will be close to one of our favorite restaurants...Raglan Road.

I hope you have a great trip!:wave: I will try my best to post a trip report when I get back in late April and let you know what we thought of the place.

 

[mac41099]

Thanks for the input.

Like I said, I'm sure we'll have a great time no matter what. I like the fact that we will be so close to DTD. In the past, we've had to rush to make it to DTD and when we are there, we don't have that much time.

I'll have to call ahead of time to request the area of the resort that we want. Might choose the closest to DTD, which someone said is Congress Park.

 

[dvcnut39]

We own at VWL, but our favorite DVC is BCV because of the location and theme.

However we have stayed at SSR twice and really liked it. It is big, so when you book last min it is the most likely DVC resort to have room.

Other than the fact that we own at BCV and that we've only stayed at SSR once, I would have to say "ditto" to DisneyPhD. We stayed there from 3-11DEC05 and really enjoyed ourselves. We only booked it because it was kind of a last minute trip (5 months out). We really wanted to stay at BCV, VWL, BWV, or OKW, but we would have to split up our stays so we "settle on" SSR. As I stated earlier, we really enjoyed the resort. We did have some groceries delivered to our room on our first day so we really didn't mind the short walk to DTD.

Hopefully this helps and have a great trip!

 

[mac41099]

I would really rather stay at BCV or BWV everytime due to the walking convenience to both Epcot and MGM. However, I want to stay at all the DVC resorts at least once. So far, we've only stayed at BWV and loved it. I'm assuming I would like BCV just as much. Once we hit all 7 DVC resorts (I'm including AKL and Contemporary), then we'll probably settle on BCV or BWV every year.

 

[slappy magoo]

Stayed there in August of 05. I can see people's points as far as it seeming to lack that Disney "jenny say qua" and I felt the walkways of each building seemed kinda lackluster, more like a retirement village (or an institute, which is what SSR kinda sorta used to be, The Disney Institute). But the rooms themselves are very nice, the grounds are lovely (even at that time, when they were even farther away from completion than they are now). At the time, I felt that the lack of a sit-down restaurant was a negative, and I'm glad they managed to get one together (though I hope it feels like a real restaurant and not something thrown together the way the sit-down restaurant in Carribbean Beach resort feels). I also liked the Turf Club the way it was, as a fairly "grown up" sort of bar, a nice respite from the noise and activitity across the way at DTD. But the proximity to DTD is also a nice touch, with two walkways and the ferry service. One thing I'd do differently is either ask for a room closer to the center (pool, food court, etc), or a room closer to the walkway to Pleasure Island. We were all the way on the other side of the resort (and I mean ALLLLL the way over, the resort grounds are ginormous), a 10-minute walk to the Downtown Disney Marketplace, but that meant a much much longer walk to get to PI, which is where we preferred to be. Though I want to try all the different DVC resorts, I'd stay at SSR again in a heartbeat with nary a peep of complaint.

 

[mac41099]

Where does the ferry boat drop you off at DTD?

So, which is easier/quicker, the ferry boat to DTD or walking to DTD? I guess it depends on where on resort you are staying. We have 2 small children with a stroller, but never afraid of a walk.

 

[slappy magoo]

Where does the ferry boat drop you off at DTD?

So, which is easier/quicker, the ferry boat to DTD or walking to DTD? I guess it depends on where on resort you are staying. We have 2 small children with a stroller, but never afraid of a walk.

"Quicker" would also depend on how long you have to wait at the dock for the ferry, if there's a ferry waiting, if there's a long line in front of you, etc. I believe a walk from the main building to Pleasure Island is about 15 mins.