Saratoga Springs Resort Reviews - Disney Reviews and Ratings

Author

Ericshow

Registered: February 2010
Posts: 21

Review Date: Sat February 27, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Large rooms, quiet location, reat pool, proximity to DD
Cons:	Farther away, lacking in theme

Stayed at SSR in Feb of 2007. Yes that was a few years ago, but we were thrilled and may stay again in Oct. The rooms give allot of space and are perfect for multiple groups of adults/children. For example it worked great for 2 adults, 2 children and the grandparents. We know have a third child and it would still be great.

Dont let the large size scare you, it seemed fine to us, and we stayed closer to the main pool (which is great). Also, the spa is wonderful!!

Click here to Send this user a Private Message

JEThompson99

Registered: February 2010
Posts: 10

Review Date: Mon February 8, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Good location and nice at home touch
Cons:

This place is most beautiful. I would rather stay here than at the Grand Floridian (in all it's overpriced glory). It has equestrian decor about it and is right across a lake from Downtown Disney. The bus will get you to any park in relatively short time. If you're looking just to get away without the Theme parks, this a perfect place to say. Looking for similar experience, but a better location for the parks, stay at Boardwalk.

PrincessV

Registered: July 2006
Posts: 6531

Review Date: Mon January 18, 2010

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	quiet, lovely break from the action, great pools
Cons:	easier with a car

my DVC Home; I love the place! Beautiful grounds, well-appointed and clean rooms, and so peaceful. : Posted via eTicket

Ms. WDW

Registered: August 2000
Posts: 2163

Review Date: Tue October 13, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Congress Park is a great section at SSR
Cons:	Room 1645 should NOT be classified as a DTD View anymore.

Room 1645 in Congress Park had been classified as a room with a DTD View since it opened. However, now, you cannot see anything out of the windows due to the overgrown trees. During our last stay in this room, which was in all fairness 2 years ago, you had an absolutely beautiful view of the quiet pool and DTD. Now, unfortunately, due to the overgrown trees and shrubs surrounding the pool you see nothing put pine needles and bushes.

I still love this location and would request this room again. But if you think you're going to see DTD think again; you're not. I am contacting SSR directly to discuss the "re-classification" so new members are not disappointed.

bbrnca

Registered: June 2006
Posts: 234

Review Date: Wed August 12, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	the quietness
Cons:	not much

We stayed in the Treehouse Villas from July24-29 and found the Treehouses to be very beautiful inside. when u first get to the Treehouses your really not sure what your in for but once you open the front door it is totally unbelievable. the only drawback is that unless u have a car your pretty much stuck onsite if foul weather appears... the boat to SSR adn DTD is very relaxing... the bus service had to be almost every 10 min all day long even though they say longer never waited more then 10 min at the most. transfer to park buses was simple enough... the walk to SSR main resort was a nice 10 min. walk. even at night it is lit along the pathway... always some sort of wildlife making noises sort of makes you feel your in the wild. I would definatly recommend this resort to anyone... book early as there is only 60 Villas and during our stay they were booked solid....

zinkfamily

Registered: June 2009
Posts: 12

Review Date: Mon August 10, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	2 bedrooms, washer/dryer, full sized fridge, big bathroom
Cons:	a lot of money for a room you only wash, change and sleep

We loved our 1st Disney trip for my family. SSR is a very open and expansive resort.
From the time we drove up we felt very special and welcome. We arrived in the early afternoon so our room wasn't ready but we were able to use the txt/audio message service.
We loved the 2 bedroom condo. It feels like you never left your home which is its charm and usefullness.
We loved having a full sized fridge so we could eat b4 we went to the parks.
We also loved being able to clean our clothes during the trip.
The downside is that with all the amenities it's still difficult to justify the price.
Also our room was on the backside of the property so we didn't use the pool.
My mother needed to rest from the parks since she is 65 and she felt somewhat trapped in the room because it was too far to walk to the pool.
The SSR property allows their guests a beautiful respite from all the glitz and glam of Disney. The references to Disney and the characters is very subdued.
I would stay here again but I think you might be able to get a lil better bang for your buck at other properties.

minniemimi52

Registered: June 2009
Posts: 35

Review Date: Sun July 26, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	comfortable rooms, great pool, great location
Cons:	travel time within the resort

We just returned from a week's stay at SSR in a one bedroom. Our room was on the third floor in The Springs -- right across from the pool and close to the bus stop.

The bed was comfortable and the pullout sofa for our 3 year old was also comfortable -- much more comfortable than most hide-a-beds. The kitchen was equipped fine for us. We did some cooking. The only inconvenience was there was no can opener, but a call to housekeeping brought us one within 10 minutes.

This time we had a car with us which was a great asset. We were able to drive to the parks. Boy was it faster than the buses most days!

The resort has the Disney touch, but it also feels like home (no wonder DVC uses that slogan!). We felt like we were in a small community, very unlike staying at one of the "regular" resorts. We are new DVC members (1 year) and this was our second stay. We feel like we really do have a second home and look forward to our next stay.

ckquan

Registered: March 2009
Posts: 50

Review Date: Wed July 8, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Close to Downtown Disney
Cons:	Very spread out

I like how Saratoga Springs is walking distance to Downtown Disney. However the property is very spread out. If you want to be near the main swimming pool area, then try to book a room in the buildings near there. The Artist Palette is well stocked. They have some yummy and healthy food options such as sandwiches and salads. DH and I also got to enjoy the community hall. We played different games and had a relaxing and enjoyed time there. Lastly, I got a really good massage at this resort.

irunnoft

Registered: July 2008
Posts: 701

Review Date: Sat July 4, 2009

Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 5

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	ummm....it's Disney property?
Cons:	condo style resort, spread out like a moderate, bus NIGHTMARE!

We recently stayed at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort on DVC developer points. We booked an 8 night stay in a Studio room. Prior to arriving at SSR, I checked in online, which, for the most part, was quite easy. One comment about online check in is that there is no real place to make requests. The only requests that I could make for my room would be either A) close to transportation or B) ground floor. I chose ground floor, but decided to make further requests in person when I physically checked in. The process couldn't have been easier! I will always use this in the future! I requested that we stay in the Congress Park section and that we have a view of the Downtown Disney area. We kind of got both requests granted. We did get a room in the Congress Park section and we had a somewhat obstructed view of the Downtown Disney area. Our view was more of the archway leading into the quiet pool and then beyond that was Downtown Disney, but mostly our view was of trees.
Choice of locations in Saratoga Springs is CRITICAL! This resort is huge and spread out - much like Coronado Springs, except I believe this resort is actually larger. Some sections of SSR can be a haul from the main pool and main building that houses the Quick Service location, Artist Palette along with the store. I looked at a map and thought that Congress Park would be ideal because it was the section next to the main building, but yet it still had a quiet pool and a walkway to Downtown Disney. In the winter or during cooler, less humid months, this section would be ideal. However, during our stay, Orlando was breaking records with heat indexes. There was no way we even attempted to walk from our section to the main pool or to Artist Palette. We also never used the walkway to Downtown Disney. In fact, the entire time we were there, I never saw anybody use that walkway. We wound up driving every time we needed to refill drink mugs (think Nescrapfe in the morning) or to use the main pool. In this regard, having the quiet pool just steps away from our room was fantastic. The main pool was usually busier and noisier, so the quiet pool was used with greater regularity.
The buildings and our room were very clean. I also noticed that Artist Palette, even though it would get quite hectic and crazy, stayed VERY clean. That was a huge plus that we sadly couldn't say about the Mara at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Also, the food at AP was quite good. I liked the food offered here better than the food at any of the Deluxe resort Quick Service locations we've been to thus far. I didn't try breakfast there, but the lunch and dinner was good. Again, I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here if I wasn't staying on property, but if you happen to be at the resort, it's great in a pinch.
The main pool is pretty standard for a Deluxe resort. There are a few waterfalls, but nothing fancy. It is a free form pool with the requisite water slide. The slide is similar to what you would find at Animal Kingdom Jambo House or Wilderness Lodge. Nothing fancy, but the kids seem to love it. The one day we used the main pool, it was so warm it literally felt like a hot tub. I know the sun and recent high temperatures probably heated all the pools, but this was noticeably hot. We never swam in that pool again. In fact, we left it and went almost immediately to the quiet pool in Congress Park and it actually felt refreshing and like a pool should. It was comfortable - not hot!
The bus situation was less than desirable. The busses make about five internal stops before they leave the resort to -- the Treehouse Villas. Seriously! It took forever to get on the road towards the theme park, so we just drove ourselves after that. Be advised that you will need to factor about 40 - 60 minutes for travel time if you plan to use the bus. Driving our own car allowed us to leave at about 7:30am-7:40am to make it to any given Extra Magic Hour park at 8:00am. That seemed pretty good as opposed to having to wait at the bus stop at 7:00am!
I couldn't help but draw comparisons between SSR and Coronado Springs. Both seem to be sprawling and large. Some rooms could be a hike away from the pool or main building. There are many internal bus stops if you use the Disney Bus system. Also, there are no internal corridors. One of the things I love about the Deluxe resorts are internal corridors. These are great for those frequent afternoon lightning and rain storms. It's no fun to have to run outside in the rain to a main building just to get something to eat, wash clothes or go to the game room. I personally do not care for the "condo-style" of this deluxe resort.
I will say that there were some definite benefits to staying at a DVC room. I liked the increased room size and some of the features of the studio room were great. I loved the larger refrigerator, the microwave, the toaster and coffee maker. However, I absolutely HATED the fold away bed. This room, like almost all Studio rooms, had a queen bed and a queen sleeper. The sleeper bed, which I was lucky enough to sleep on, was terrible. The mattress was about as thick as a Ritz cracker and there was a metal bar that ran down the center of it when it was unfolded. The bar made it impossible to sleep in the middle because you would roll to one side or the other - also, metal bars aren't notorious for comfort anyhow. Suffice it to say that it was actually more comfortable to sleep on the bed in it's couch form, even though my legs hung over the arms. Even though we are only a family of three, a one bedroom or two bedroom is the only way to go with a DVC resort. So the Studio room had some definite benefits over a regular room, but it also had some drawbacks - namely the sleeper bed.
All in all, I would recommend this resort to somebody who likes the moderate level resorts. I would not pay or use DVC points to stay here. I hate the condo style resort. I also don't like the sprawling layout of most moderate resorts. I prefer the enclosed internal hallways and the layout of the traditional deluxe resort.
One thing I forgot to mention, when it rained, the hallways in our buildings became like little lakes. There were huge puddles of water even though we were on the second floor. For whatever reason, there were always towels thrown down in the hallways and "Wet Floor" signs everywhere. You literally couldn't go down a hallway without having to move a "Wet Floor" sign out of the way. Seriously!

spaddy

Registered: November 2006
Posts: 3008

Review Date: Wed June 10, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Relaxing, close to Downtown Disney
Cons:	Far from parks,

SSR is one of our favorite resorts. I really enjoy how quiet the rooms are here. I also like the walking the grounds. The main pool is zero entry and the toddler slide is great for the 5 and under set. You can see the entire pool from several spots, so that is nice if you have more than one child. The Grandstand pool is also nice for the water spray guns.

brookelizabeth

Registered: July 2006
Posts: 5216

Review Date: Wed June 10, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Beautiful views of the river and downtown Disney, quiet and calm, a very nice main pool
Cons:	Walking distance between buildings, bus service

We stayed in a 1 bedroom in the Congress Park section of Saratoga Springs, and for one night in a Studio. The 1 bedroom did show some wear, but the Studio was incredibly fresh. Both provided beautiful views. We loved walking along the river, walking to Downtown Disney, taking the boat to Downtown Disney and to Old Key West, using the great children's playground and using the pool and hot tubs. We did not like the walk from Congress Park to the Carriage House main building. We had to do that walk many times, and it became annoying. However, we would stay here again with this knowledge and just plan better on not going to the main building very often or at all. Our Studio, #1301 had one of the best views on property according to our Bell Man. Every Cast Member we interacted with was extremly nice and helpful as well!

bsusanmb

Registered: July 2004
Posts: 1818

Review Date: Sun June 7, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	beautiful grounds, quiet, pools, close to DTD
Cons:	none

I love SSR. This is one of my home resorts. I find it bright, cheery, airy, and I love the large open spaces, and grounds. We have stayed in one bedroom 6 times and the rooms are always quiet...which is important to me.

Tinkalink

Registered: March 2007
Posts: 148

Review Date: Wed June 3, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Quiet,spread out resort
Cons:	everything is not as accessible as other resorts

Saratoga Springs does a good job of emulating an upstate New York resort. It's a campus of alot of four story buildings surrounded by endless green foilage and big stretches of pastures. This grand retreat can be a blessing or a curse depending on how you picture your stay at Disney. If you are looking for a laid back relaxing vacation of quiet walks, privacy and some hub of activity, this is a great place. If you are on a mission, with a plan to visit everything and anything Disney has to offer, or wasn't planning on doing much walking outside the parks, this place might put a kink in your plans. Transportation to any destination, besides Downtown Disney, requires a bus or car. The buses can be aggravating if you don't start out early, or are looking for a specific park.
We stayed in a one bedroom at Congress Park. We took the water taxi and walked to Downtown Disney. The pool there is a generic pool,(except for the squirting frogs) but it is quiet and my kids loved it. High Rocks pool has a good water slide and a fountain walk that my kids enjoyed also, but it's the main pool and it gets CROWDED. Still it's great for sun bathing and the afternoon activities make for good fun. The Artist's Palette serves excellent food. Kids love the Mickey Waffles, I enjoy the flatbread pizzas. I wish the serving area was set up different- they take one order at a time. As for the Turf Club, we could care less because Downtown Disney has so many great restaurants and its across the lake!
The front desk is great, the people are extremely friendly and helpful. While my husband was checking us in a CM named Diane can over and interacted with my girls giving them books and stickers and asking them all kinds of questions. It really helped me out and made the girls' day.
We love Saratoga Springs because it really has the best of both worlds. With planning we can jump on a bus or ferry and experience all that Disney World has to offer and at the end of the day we can quietly relax and go take a dip. You can have your cake and eat it too at Saratoga Springs.

Tinkalink

Registered: March 2007
Posts: 148

Review Date: Wed June 3, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Quiet,spread out resort
Cons:	everything is not as accessible as other resorts

guynwdm

Registered: August 2007
Posts: 261

Review Date: Wed June 3, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Location to DTD, quietness, exceptional cast members at checkin desk
Cons:	some rooms far from food, small dining options, poor spa service

I stayed in a studio in the paddock section for 11 nights. I enjoyed the quietness of the resort and based on the area I picked it was an easy walk across the bridge to the pool, spa, and dining. I do find the dining choices limited compared to the other DVC options (only one sit down dining). I found the check in to be very quick (no waiting in the last 3 visits to check in) The concerige service was excellent in getting dining reservations and arranging things to ship home. I found several cast members trying to connect and go above and beyond. The most disappointing aspect is the spa, the expense, broken equipment, friendliness of the staff were well below the Disney standard (spa is run by a third party company) The workout facility was very nice. There are much better spa facilities on property.

SheenaXena21

Registered: February 2005
Posts: 1061

Review Date: Tue May 19, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Grandstand was quiet, nice rooms
Cons:	distance from parks

We stayed in a one bedroom, and it was huge! We were plesantly suprised! We were in the Grandstand section. It was the first off, first on for the bus. And that was great!

The grounds were beautiful. We didn't really explore the resort. It does feel like you kind of far away from everything, but overall was a great resort.

The bus system wasn't as bad as some others I've used. Never waited over 25 minutes.

But we had no problems and would stay here again.

TheBlundells

Registered: January 2008
Posts: 123

Review Date: Tue May 12, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	The boat trip to Downtown Disney
Cons:	Having to walk through the parking lot to get to the main building or main pool

We are DVC owners at Saratoga Springs. We stayed in the Grandstand section of the resort, in a 2 bed villa. The accommodation is beautifully decorated with plenty of space for us (4 adults and 2 children).
The nearest pool for us didn�t have a slide (a must for our kids), so we walked to the main pool. Having stayed in many on site resorts we were disappointed with the pool area. For us it lacked a theme.
We had a car so getting about wasn�t an issue for us.

tinkbutt

Registered: March 2008
Posts: 2227

Review Date: Fri May 8, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	quiet and very scenic.
Cons:	you might have to wait a little while for a bus

Saratoga Springs was my first DVC resort. I loved it. our room was just far enough away from the pool so we didn't hear any loud noise but was close to two bus stops. We did have a bit of internet trouble, we had to call the front desk several days to access the internet. But, they always took care of the situation right away.
The food court could use some more variety. If your mobility is a little restricted the resort is spread out, so I would ask for a room that is close to a bus stop.

jonmcguire

Registered: March 2007
Posts: 23

Review Date: Thu May 7, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Relaxing resort away from noise
Cons:	Not on a park

We own at SSR. I love this resort. I find it extremely relaxing to be on property while being a little away. Still deluxe accomodations though.

Artist Palette has great food.
Short walk to Downtown Disney
On site golf

We love the Grandstand area

oilheadbob

Registered: May 2008
Posts: 44

Review Date: Thu May 7, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	great rooms
Cons:	can be a loooong walk to the bus stop or store

Our first stay there as DVC members. Really liked the resort. Nice rooms, good foodcourt and store. Nice grounds, good transportation options, bus or boat to DTD.

mikeandkarla

Registered: February 2007
Posts: 1048

Review Date: Wed May 6, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	landscaping, decor,
Cons:	large resort, bus transportation

We stayed at SSR in December 2007. Standard DVC sized rooms and balcony. Very nice resort with superb lanscaping and room decor. A lot of walking trails and a golf course. Walking distance to DTD and they also offer boat transportation. Nice feature pool with slide, state of the art spa, work out room, Artist Palette CS, Turf Club TS. The one downside of SSR is definitely the size. 5 or 6 bus stops within the resort means over crowded buses and it adds an extra 15 minutes to get to the parks because of all the stops. Not my first choice of DVC, but will stay there again.

jamnut24

Registered: March 2006
Posts: 72

Review Date: Mon May 4, 2009

Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 4

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Proximity to downtown disney.
Cons:	Distance to parks, potential distance to pool.

This property consist of several building that are very spread out so you can be in for quite a walk to the pool or dining options. There are several bus stops to choose from so your walk to the bus stop should not be bad but this also means that there will be several stops for you going to the parks before you ever leave Saratoga Springs property.

oakmanner

Registered: October 2006
Posts: 1407

Review Date: Sun May 3, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Deluxe multi bedroom villas
Cons:	Large and spread out

We own at SSR and love it. Close to DTD and a golf course on site. Beautiful grounds and landscaping.

airman

Registered: October 2006
Posts: 308

Review Date: Sun May 3, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Quite, clean, nice decoration, close to DTD
Cons:	large if staying at one of the outer buildings

Saratoga is our home resort and love it. I know it's large, but that helps keep the noise level down. I like the themeing, everything doesn't have to have bright colors and scream "DISNEY". The quite pools are nice and the main pool is pretty cool. We stayed at VWL in Feb and found we missed being close to DTD, especially during the season when the parks close early. My only real complaint is dining. The Artist Point is good, but very slow. I'm a food court person and would like to see something like PO French Quarter.

little1kry

Registered: April 2008
Posts: 216

Review Date: Sun May 3, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	beautiful property, close to DTD
Cons:	large property

We stayed as SS in July 2008 as non-DVC members. The resort was beautiful and impeccably clean. Our two bedroom suite was great - loved the kitchen, large bathroom and washer and dryer (which came in handy with a 4-yr old in our party). The food court had a lot of choices and was large enough to never be too crowded, even in the summer. The proximity to DTD was great and we made the walk to and from there numerous times. While the resort is large and walking times can be long, it was no problem for us as we walk everywhere anyway. Bus stops are numerous, though, so you're never too far from one regardless of which building you're in. We look forward to staying here again.

clombardi

Registered: May 2005
Posts: 1336

Review Date: Sat May 2, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	proximity to DTD, room decor, pools
Cons:	lack of shade

We really enjoyed our stay in a one bedroom villa in the Grandstand section. The Grandstand pool area was fantastic, escpecially for small children as there is a water play area near the pool. The main pool was terric as well but it really lacked shaded areas. The counter service restaurant, Artist's Pallette, is excellent but a bit small for the resort. We really enjoy the sit down restaurant Turf Club, as well.

sacinatl

Registered: February 2009
Posts: 19

Review Date: Fri May 1, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Close to Downtown Disney
Cons:	Can be a hike to the Main pool area

We have stayed at SSR twice now. Both times were in studios. The rooms were very nice and big enough for a family of four to confortably stay for a week. Although the place is spread out, both our stays were very close to bus stops with just a very short walk to the stop. Once however, we were pretty far away from the main pool area, and it was a hike to get over to the restaurant in the mornings for breakfast and coffee. The counter service restaurant (The Artists Palette) is a nice place to grab a quick meal. I can not however recommend The Turf Club Bar and Grill. We have eaten there both times that we stayed at SSR and was very un-impressed with the food either time. The pool here is nice and has a gradual slope entrance on one side of it. Small children can play in this shallow area very easily. The water slide is a lot of fun for the older kids.

jimmiej

Registered: January 2000
Posts: 8000

Review Date: Thu April 30, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	beautiful resort, very friendly CMs
Cons:	spotty bus service, pool uninspiring

SSR was last on my list when renting points from a DVC owner. Because I was only two weeks out, I had no choice. I was pleasantly surprised! Our studio room was VERY nice. We had a nice view of the grounds from our balcony.

This is a geographically large resort. We had a 10 minute walk to The Carriage House and pool area.

One morning, we waited 45 minutes for a MK bus. We were late for AM EMH.

I was a little disappointed with the pool. I expected more from a deluxe resort. I thought it was small and the theming was uninspired.

All in all, I would stay here again.

Carolinagal

Registered: July 2002
Posts: 346

Review Date: Thu April 30, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Beautiful resort, great theming
Cons:	Very spread out - when raining, can be miserable

We stayed at the SSR when it first opened and were very impressed at the size and amenities in the room. While we are not DVC members, we did book a room there at the last minute due to changes in travel plans.

The resort grounds are gorgeous and entirely within the theme of the horse country grand resorts. However, the resort does not feel at all like Disney - which is why we stay on Disney property. (It was fine for a curmudgeon in our group who can handle Disney in small doses).

The bus service was within easy walking distance down sunny paths that were well-lit at night. However, a Florida thunderstorm made that same trek a nightmare later during our stay.

We only tried the snack bar and were impressed with the food. The pool area is lovely and seems very inviting.

I would recommend SSR as a nice alternative to those who would like to go to WDW but don't necessarily want all Mickey, all the time.

yitbos96bb

Registered: November 2005
Posts: 1857

Review Date: Wed April 29, 2009

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Beautiful Resort, Parts are Close to DTD, Lots of availability
Cons:	Needs better restaurants, Some undesirable locations, buses,

SSR is a beautiful resort that is a little too big. If you can get a room close to the main hall or with a Downtown Disney View, it can be very enjoyable. Even a room close to DTD is nice. Some of the areas are just way out there and the buses are not reliable enough to depend on to get you to the main building. Turf Club was a disappointment: SSR NEEDS a better TS restaurant as well as a Signature Dining Experience.