Staying at Saratoga Springs this Oct. never been can anyone tell me the pros and cons and also about the buses
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we are staying at Saratoga Springs
- Thread starter sammysmom225
- Start date
bethymouse
Well-Known Member
Pros:
Many opportunities for activities at the resort ( pools, walking to Disney Springs, tennis..you name it).
Many choices for areas to stay ( my favorite is The Paddock...has refillable mug station, quick service restaurant, close bus station, and a great slide plus kid splash zone area)
Turf Club Restaurant is a hidden gem in WDW. Great food and service. Nice bar with pool tables.
Boat to Disney Springs
Cons:
If you don't like bus transportation to the parks, then you won't like it ( but the bus transportation still isn't that bad... it does stop at all 5 areas of the resort).
It is a DVC resort ( which sometimes people don't like.... and the age of the resort 2004... but it still is a well-maintained beautiful resort IMHO).
Not a very "Disney" themed resort ( some people feel this way about Old Key West also).
Many opportunities for activities at the resort ( pools, walking to Disney Springs, tennis..you name it).
Many choices for areas to stay ( my favorite is The Paddock...has refillable mug station, quick service restaurant, close bus station, and a great slide plus kid splash zone area)
Turf Club Restaurant is a hidden gem in WDW. Great food and service. Nice bar with pool tables.
Boat to Disney Springs
Cons:
If you don't like bus transportation to the parks, then you won't like it ( but the bus transportation still isn't that bad... it does stop at all 5 areas of the resort).
It is a DVC resort ( which sometimes people don't like.... and the age of the resort 2004... but it still is a well-maintained beautiful resort IMHO).
Not a very "Disney" themed resort ( some people feel this way about Old Key West also).
Rob562
Well-Known Member
If you don't need to be near a feature pool with a slide/splash area, I suggest the Grandstand section, specifically either of the 8000-numbered buildings. They're right next to a quiet pool with a snack bar (only open a few hours each day, though). Short walk to the main building. Right by the Grandstand bus stop, which is the first stop on the route to the theme parks. So in the morning when you're full of energy the loop around the property won't be as big of a deal, and at night when you're tired and just want to get back to the room, the bus stop is the first one.
And if you walk over to the main building for breakfast, you can get the bus at the Springs bus stop, which is the final stop on the loop.
The first time we were at SSR we stayed in the Paddock 4500 building. It was one building away from the theme pool on that side, but a bit of a walk to the main building. But the best part of that one was that the Carousel bus stop was right outside the building, which is the second stop on the route. We were back in our rooms less than a minute after getting off the bus.
-Rob
And if you walk over to the main building for breakfast, you can get the bus at the Springs bus stop, which is the final stop on the loop.
The first time we were at SSR we stayed in the Paddock 4500 building. It was one building away from the theme pool on that side, but a bit of a walk to the main building. But the best part of that one was that the Carousel bus stop was right outside the building, which is the second stop on the route. We were back in our rooms less than a minute after getting off the bus.
-Rob
Hands down, best fitness center of all the DVC resorts that have one....
Unlike most DVC resorts, other than OKW, rooms open to outside, not an interior hallway. It is a big resort, but beautiful, well themed and the proximity to Disney Springs is a great advantage - you can either walk, take a boat or ride the bus (which is a 5 minute ride from the last SSR bus stop). And unlike OKW, if your room is on the top floor, there is an elevator.
We've stayed both in Springs and Congress Park (closest to Disney Springs) areas. Both rooms were no more than a 3-4 minute walk to the corresponding bus stop. It is a big resort, so it takes a bit for the buses to visit all the stops in the resort before leaving for a park. Sometimes the wait for a bus is longer than typical for a park (think Disney Springs at dinner time). But that's true at just about every Disney resort, excluding the monorail resorts, during peak times of day.
Since it is a large resort (and for some reason, DVC members don't like it), there are usually rooms available. We booked late for Thanksgiving and it was the only resort that had any 1 bedroom rooms available. It isn't as decorated for the holidays as say GF or WL, but we enjoyed our stay and the ability to park close to our room, unlike the other DVC resorts (other than OKW).
I wouldn't hesitate to stay again, depending on what I will be doing during that particular WDW trip. Wouldn't be convenient for events like runDisney races, which what most of my trips are for now.
Unlike most DVC resorts, other than OKW, rooms open to outside, not an interior hallway. It is a big resort, but beautiful, well themed and the proximity to Disney Springs is a great advantage - you can either walk, take a boat or ride the bus (which is a 5 minute ride from the last SSR bus stop). And unlike OKW, if your room is on the top floor, there is an elevator.
We've stayed both in Springs and Congress Park (closest to Disney Springs) areas. Both rooms were no more than a 3-4 minute walk to the corresponding bus stop. It is a big resort, so it takes a bit for the buses to visit all the stops in the resort before leaving for a park. Sometimes the wait for a bus is longer than typical for a park (think Disney Springs at dinner time). But that's true at just about every Disney resort, excluding the monorail resorts, during peak times of day.
Since it is a large resort (and for some reason, DVC members don't like it), there are usually rooms available. We booked late for Thanksgiving and it was the only resort that had any 1 bedroom rooms available. It isn't as decorated for the holidays as say GF or WL, but we enjoyed our stay and the ability to park close to our room, unlike the other DVC resorts (other than OKW).
I wouldn't hesitate to stay again, depending on what I will be doing during that particular WDW trip. Wouldn't be convenient for events like runDisney races, which what most of my trips are for now.