SSR - Initial Observations

[slappy magoo]

I disagree strongly. You might have four or five units on your floor at Old Key West (less if they're two bedroom units), while your corridor at somewhere like AKL has hundreds of rooms side-by-side. AKL is my favorite resort but idiot children sprinting through the hallways at midnight is a huge turn-off.

As I wrote, YMMV. I can't monitor the world (though I did submit my application and I'm eagerly awaiting a job interview) but I know I tried to keep my family on the hush-hush when we walked through the halls of BLT last two times we stayed there, and I saw plenty of other people try to keep their kids from being loud in those same hallways, and I just never seem to notice anyone saying "keep it down" in the walkways when we stayed at SSR.

Also (and again, it's anecdotal) it seems when we stayed at SSR, lots of people assumed "anywhere outside" was the designated smoking areas, so people would just step out their door for a smoke and/or a chat. Talking outside your room might make your conversation a little less noisy for your sleeping kids but it makes it significantly more noisy for your neighbors.

I remember we stayed a week at VWL, and our room was alllllll the way at the end of the unit (it was our honeymoon, I think they wanted to afford us maximum privacy, wink wink). Sure, it was a trek and a half, but I did point out to my wife one night it also means the only people who have occasion to walk down this far are people staying across from us. So we actually experienced hardly any noise, just extra exhaustion.

From the walk.

No, really.

 

[RedDad]

I know the Unofficial Guide did a study a while back (the results might be different now than when I read that particular edition), and determined most of the WDW resorts with exterior walkways were better soundproofed than the rooms with interior walkways. The reason being the weather-proofing. Since the interior walkways have air conditioning throughout, there's not as much weatherproofing on the door because all the cool air is circulating throughout the same giant interior. Whereas the rooms in resorts with exterior walkways, they try to insulate around the doors and windows more to keep the cold air in the room, and it's that insulation that buffers the sound outside.

Of course, the flip side to that is that you're more likely to encounter noisy situations outdoors than in an interior corridor. YMMV, but it seems most people make an effort to be quiet in the interior hallways to and from their rooms, saving their volume for the elevators and the lobby or common areas.

This has been our experience for the most part. Loud families running and shouting in the hallways at night can be heard VERY easily in some of the deluxe resorts - particularly BC and AKL. On the other hand, we had issues with exterior noise - and noise from the adjacent rooms - when staying at Pop and AS. POR was fairly quiet.

The biggest advantage IMO to the interior corridors is the ability to walk to your room in the AC.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

This has been our experience for the most part. Loud families running and shouting in the hallways at night can be heard VERY easily in some of the deluxe resorts - particularly BC and AKL. On the other hand, we had issues with exterior noise - and noise from the adjacent rooms - when staying at Pop and AS. POR was fairly quiet.

I always wonder about exterior noise vis-a-vis pool view rooms. Those rooms actually cost extra and I can't imagine why. I'd pay extra not to have a pool view. Who are those rooms for?

The biggest advantage IMO to the interior corridors is the ability to walk to your room in the AC.

Or in the rain.

 

[worldfanatic]

I know very few visitors are similar.
But for me, at WDW....
Deluxe = Balcony.
I spend a ton of time out on that baby, relaxing, drinking coffee, cocktails, etc..

As much as I love other Disney properties with great grounds (like Port Orleans & Coronado Springs), their lack of balconies keeps me staying @ Deluxe/DVC.

 

[bethymouse]

We loved SSR! It is a DVC resort. We stayed in a Studio room on the 1st floor in the Paddock area. We had our own pool w/ a slide, a quick service area to fill up our cups, and the bus stop was right there! Of course it was a walk to the main pool and also the table service restaurant ( The Turf Club-awesome food and service-hidden gem). We actually walked to Downtown Disney. It was a trek, but a beautiful walk! We also took the boat to DTD. Very nice! Do some research on the area you'd like to stay in, and I believe you'll feel like it is a deluxe experience.

 

[epcotisbest]

We loved SSR! It is a DVC resort. We stayed in a Studio room on the 1st floor in the Paddock area. We had our own pool w/ a slide, a quick service area to fill up our cups, and the bus stop was right there! Of course it was a walk to the main pool and also the table service restaurant ( The Turf Club-awesome food and service-hidden gem). We actually walked to Downtown Disney. It was a trek, but a beautiful walk! We also took the boat to DTD. Very nice! Do some research on the area you'd like to stay in, and I believe you'll feel like it is a deluxe experience.

I agree. We loved it. We were in the Congress Park section with views of DTD. If outside corridors is a deal breaker for the OP, that is fine. It is his choice and if he likes other places with inside corridors, again his choice. But, that does not make it anything less than a deluxe resort. So Disney classifies these units as DVC Deluxe Villas. The grounds, balconies, pools, restaurants, location, transportation...everything about SSR is deluxe, no matter what someone else calls it. We often stay in condos offsite as well. One of the selling points is being able to park right outside the unit. Inside corridor vs. outside corridor applies when comparing hotel vs. motel I suppose, but comparing SSR to POP...not really a comparison I can make. I like POP just fine too, but I know it in no way compares to SSR.

 

[epcotisbest]

This has been our experience for the most part. Loud families running and shouting in the hallways at night can be heard VERY easily in some of the deluxe resorts - particularly BC and AKL. On the other hand, we had issues with exterior noise - and noise from the adjacent rooms - when staying at Pop and AS. POR was fairly quiet.

The biggest advantage IMO to the interior corridors is the ability to walk to your room in the AC.

Yes, SSR was much quieter than AKL-Kidani, Boardwalk, BC, WL, BLT and others with inside corridors, and way quieter than POP and AOA. Maybe we were just blessed with quieter neighbors while staying at SSR.

 

[slappy magoo]

The biggest advantage IMO to the interior corridors is the ability to walk to your room in the AC.

Or in the rain.

Well depending on the resort and where the bus stops are (or where you were able to park your own car if you're driving), staying at OKW and SSR can be advantageous because you can park close to the building where you're staying, and at least get under cover quickly if not necessarily "indoors." Our first WDW trip as a couple, we stayed at AKL before it was part of DVC. Loved it but we had a car, and did have to wait in the car a few times for storms to pass.

 

[Jon81uk]

Inside corridor vs. outside corridor applies when comparing hotel vs. motel I suppose, but comparing SSR to POP...not really a comparison I can make. I like POP just fine too, but I know it in no way compares to SSR.

I think you can compare SSR and POR though, in my opinion they felt similar as resorts. Both have a boat to DTD, pool with a slide, multiple bus stops, spread out grounds and landscaping etc. Biggest difference are balconies (although we had ground floor at SSR so less noticeable) and of course they have kitchens or kitchenettes. But the overall exterior feel of the resort wasn't too different between POR and SSR (but the theme is different of course).

 

[epcotisbest]

I think you can compare SSR and POR though, in my opinion they felt similar as resorts. Both have a boat to DTD, pool with a slide, multiple bus stops, spread out grounds and landscaping etc. Biggest difference are balconies (although we had ground floor at SSR so less noticeable) and of course they have kitchens or kitchenettes. But the overall exterior feel of the resort wasn't too different between POR and SSR (but the theme is different of course).

Yes, that is a pretty good comparison. Pricewise, POR wins. Location, room with balcony and kitchen, and amenities, SSR wins. I like them both, have stayed at and enjoyed both and will probably return to both at some time in the future.

 

[bcalltimandanna]

SSR is probably the only WDW resort I haven't stayed at. It just looks like an apartment complex to me. We were driving to our DVC tour and backed out as we were driving into SSR because we knew we would end up stuck there as our home resort

 

[bcalltimandanna]

I haven't stayed at the Swan or the Lake Buena Vista area resorts either

 

[smk]

College interns with tablets have been have been at resort bus stops for a couple years. We have found that they are there to provide encouragement ("The bus will be here shortly") rather than actual information. Never once have we witnessed one make contact with someone in transportation (even one morning at WL when we were at the bus stop for 45 minutes before an Epcot bus arrived. Nothing more than, "It should be here soon.") We have seen the interns at POR, POFQ, GF, AKL, Poly and WL.

We did notice one CM get on the phone or hand held walkie talkie and get a bus routed to the resort we were at. I like the CM being around, even if the buses did not come earlier than we thought they should. I felt like I was being heard, especially since we had complained about waiting a few days before. We usually have a car with us too, this year we may not. We are considering flying due to health issues, too much time in the car and vacation would be over for me!

 

[MRGEFF]

I disagree strongly. You might have four or five units on your floor at Old Key West (less if they're two bedroom units), while your corridor at somewhere like AKL has hundreds of rooms side-by-side. AKL is my favorite resort but idiot children sprinting through the hallways at midnight is a huge turn-off.

Amen to that. Sometimes the kiddos are very loud and there doesn't seem to be any adult supervision. I know their excited, we all are being in WDW, but how about a little consideration for fellow vacationers?

 

[Tom P.]

You can define it any way you choose. I choose to define it like this....
Deluxe = Hotel = Interior corridors
Moderate = Motel = Exterior corridors

You do realize that Art of Animation has interior corridors for all but the Little Mermaid wing, right? And while AoA is a very nice resort, I don't think anyone is going to argue that is is a deluxe because it's corridors are inside. Just not seeing how interior vs. exterior corridors makes THAT much of a difference as to whether or not a resort is a deluxe.

 

[RoadTrip]

We have been here for 3 days/2 nights already. There are a few things I would like to point out for anyone interested in staying here to be aware of and my thoughts on the resort.

Before taking too much of this as negative, they may seem negative, but for us they are not. We absolutely love the resort, love the amenities, and love the proximity to DtD. We would definitely stay here again with similar deals that we received for this stay.

1. Room Buildings: The buildings are not really "deluxe" buildings. The corridors are open air. I call this a glorified moderate building. The doors open to a corridor wall and not to the public.
2. Amenities: SSR has all of the amenities of a Deluxe resort. The counter service and store are very small for a resort of this size. I assume the other places at some of the other pools help offset this. The close proximity to DtD also helps offset this. This is not an issue for us, but something others may have issue with.
3. Buses: I despise the Disney bus system in general. SSR has not changed that belief either. We are in the Grandstand building room 8203. There are literally only 5-6 rooms closer to the bus stop than ours. Our car is only about 100 feet from the bus stop. We tried the bus system 3 times now. The CM asks where we are headed and we let him know. After 10-15 minutes of no bus, we get up to go to our car. He asks why we are leaving. I tell him in the amount of time waiting, we could already be at the park.

I agree with most of the OP's observations, but have a different reaction to some of them. To me the inside/outside corridor issue doesn't make much difference. Although an air-conditioned hallway is nice, I've found the rooms with outside corridors to be quieter. I've always enjoyed SSR (and OKW) for the quiet, laid-back feel of the resort. I also appreciated that when opened, SSR had a higher level of finishes and furnishings than had been used in the prior DVC Resorts. It has one of the best pools at WDW as well as one of only two spas (the other is at Grand Floridian). The food service, especially counter service, is never extensive at DVC Resorts. SSR actually has more than several of the others. With the Turf Club they have one of the best table service restaurants of any stand-alone DVC Resort. The bus situation is what it is at WDW, but SSR is really no worse than other resorts using primarily buses. The worst part is not always the wait, but not knowing how long it will be. I hear Disney is currently testing a smart phone app that would let guests check a real-time estimate of when the next bus for their destination would arrive. I think that would be a big plus.

 

[Michael Shiels]

My wife and I are staying at SSR for the first time in December and w are extremely excited. This is our first Deluxe resort and the proximity to DTD is a huge incentive. This feed has giving me good insight into what to expect lightly regarding the resort. We do plan to have dinner our first night at the Turf Club! Looking forward to this trip and resort. Thanks all!