SteveandRae
Registered: October 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Mon December 19, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Proximity to DTD
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Cons:
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Very large resort
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We stayed at SSR in late Nov into the first couple of days in Dec. I think we were lucky to be placed in the Congress Park section, nice view of DTD and an easy walk over to it. Good food options at the Turf Club and Artist's Palette plus the dining options at DTD.
Room was comfortable and quiet. Staff was extremely helpful and courteous. Pools looked wonderful but weather was too chilly to use them. Spa looked great when we went in to check it out. Cannot wait to return, we really enjoyed our stay there.
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TiggerGal
Registered: November 2011
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Sun November 13, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Clean, quiet, excellent Bell Services and Front Desk Staff
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Cons:
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DVC studio not stocked/restocked, mattress needs replacing
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This is the second time my husband and I have stayed at Saratoga Springs, our “home resort”. We last stayed there three years ago having used our DVC points in the meantime to stay at Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Hilton Head Resort.
We're veterans of about 50 trips to the World, and when we planned this trip a year ago, we didn't have the DVC points for Saturday at Saratoga and we were going to rent a car. Our itinerary included spending our first night (Saturday 11/5) at All Star Movies. We were going to drive and take our luggage to Saratoga on Sunday 11/6.
Things changed when I had surgery on my foot and ankle about three months prior to the trip. We had to re-think the trip for someone with mobility issues and limited stamina. We cancelled the rental car and rented an ECV from Walker which was delivered to the hotel where we stayed our first night (All Star Movies). We arranged with Movies to move our luggage to Saratoga. We couldn't get a studio at Saratoga with a wheel-in shower but they said they could provide a shower bench.
After a day at Hollywood Studios on Sunday, we went to Saratoga with me in my scooter. The Front Desk staff handled our special requests right away (the shower bench, “real” dishware and cutlery were delivered to our studio within the hour.) Bell Services couldn't do enough – one of the staff drove the scooter and another put our luggage in a cart and drove us and the luggage to the room. (Kudos to the staff who got our luggage from Movies to Saratoga, too!)
We were in Carousel with a view of the carousel and several fountains. The room was clean and very quiet. All furnishings were in good repair, the air conditioning and ceiling fan were effective and quiet. The mattress was squeaky, though, and had a divot in the middle; my husband and I kept meeting in the middle!
Because we don't like using paper plates and plastic spoons, we always request “real” dishes, bowls and cutlery. This was a good thing because the typical studio stocking wasn't done – there were four paper bowls, one paper plate and no cutlery. Additionally there was only one extra roll of toilet paper and one extra box of tissues.
When trash and towel day arrived, the towels were replaced but NO additional paper products (paper plates, bowls, toilet paper, tissues) or bathroom amenities (shampoo, soap, etc.) were re-stocked. This was a little surprising as this is one of the services we've come to expect – and is listed as what to expect - on trash and towel day!
We had no issues with the Disney buses unlike three years ago when we spent an inordinate amount of time waiting (30 and 40 minute waits were commonplace then.) We'd written to Disney at that time to voice our concerns, and were very glad to see things have improved. We waited no longer than 15 to 20 minutes for a bus, often much less.
The afternoon before checkout, we called Bell Services to ask about getting the scooter to them for Walker to pick up the next day and about taking us and our bags to Magical Express; we had to leave on the 6:30 am Saturday bus! We were finished with the scooter and they sent someone right out to get it. They said they'd come for us and our luggage at 6:00 the next morning and they were right on time.
All in all, we were very happy with our stay there and look forward to going back. Yes, the theming there isn't up to Disney's usual standards but in general the service on this trip outweighed the theme's blandness and the lack of Mousekeeping restocking.
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jessicahs
Registered: October 2008
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 18
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Review Date: Wed November 9, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 5
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Pros:
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Proximity to Downtown Disney, slight improvement in Artist's Palate
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Cons:
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everything else
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This is my least favorite DVC resort (and I've stayed at all of them except BC and VB). It has no Disney magic whatsoever. It is too large to navigate. In fact, when we decided to try to walk back from DD on our first night, we actually got lost wandering around the resort. We were in a 1 BR for 2 nights (10/27 & 10/28/11) in the Carousel building. The rooms are showing wear and tear and are in need of upgrades. Also the room was TINY compared to our other rooms this trip (at BLT and AK - Kidani). Artist's Palate is slightly improved by the food being delivered to your table but it's still a limited selection with a weird set up. Even though it's comforting to know I will always be able to get a room at SS, I hope to continue to stay at the other resorts. Sorry!
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Mindy
Registered: May 2010
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Tue November 8, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Gorgeous Room, very clean
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Cons:
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A little too large for convenience
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Just returned from a stay in a 2 bedroom villa at Saratoga Springs from Nov 3-6. 5 adults, 1 small child (3).
We arrived early for check in (around noon) and our room was ready, we were in the Carousel building, right off the main entrance, but very far from the main building and pools.
The room was spotless upon arrival, everything was in perfect working order, the view from the balcony was pleasant, overlooking a canal, some trees and the Cirque du Soleil building. You could hear bus noise from the road behind our building IF the balcony door was open.
We found the resort nice, fairly kid friendly, plenty of room for the 6 of us; the kitchen was super convenient, and we felt it was a much better value over all than our usual plan of getting 2 rooms at a deluxe.
The bus service to the parks, which is much maligned in many reviews, was fine for us, we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus at any time. (but this can vary wildly from trip to trip)
Couple of negatives, mousekeeping, we booked this through Disney reservations and are not DVC members, so we had mousekeeping every day. The second day, mousekeeping did not arrive until almost 4pm, by this time we were in the room with a napping toddler, so we just had towels dropped off. We should have probably called for early cleaning, but the next day it was done before we headed back to the hotel, so it may have been a fluke.
Lastly, it wasn't too big of an inconvenience for us because we used our kitchen and had a car, but the carousel building we were in was extremely far from the main building of the hotel. It was kind of a hassle to have to get in the car every time we needed something from the store.
Cannot say anything about the onsite dining, as we didn't use it.
All in all, very nice value, beautiful resort, nice rooms, we really enjoyed our stay, would stay here again.
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chall0789
Registered: October 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 19
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Review Date: Tue November 8, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Two Big Pools, The Gym and Close to Downtown Disney
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Cons:
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None
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We stayed at the resort for 9 nights starting October 28th. The employees are so friendly, helpful and go out of their way to make you feel special. If you happen to visit on Halloween, the resort has some great activities all day long, including trick or treating in the evening. My kids had so much fun they didn't even miss the Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom.
The resort is well maintained and clean. Our children really enjoyed the new pool and slide located at the Paddocks. My husband and I enjoy the large well-equipped gym and used it everyday.
This year our room was not as well maintained as in the past. The second bedroom looked like it had hosted some pretty rough guests. For example, there were knobs on the closet doors that were coming off and multiple, small holes in one of the wooden headboards and dresser, that looked like a pin had been stuck in them over and over again. None of these were immediately obvious, so it was no surprise that mousekeeping hadn't seen the issues. It's sad that guests don't feel the need to be more respectful of the property. I mentioned these things to the resort staff and I am confident that they will be repaired.
Overall, it was a wonderful stay and we can't wait to return to this resort.
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jasmine0201
Registered: October 2006
Location: Bel Air, Maryland
Posts: 14
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Review Date: Sun November 6, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Clean room, helpfull hotel staff
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Cons:
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none
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We had stayed at the S.S. in the month of October 2011 for five days. The quick registration online was nice. Our room was clean and we had a nice view of the lake. The food court was crowded at times. So we found a nice spot in the rear of the building, to sit and eat.
Also, if anyone had ever stayed at the Vero Beach resort. That too, was very nice and not crowded.
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winnie77
Registered: February 2007
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Wed November 2, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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close to downtown
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Cons:
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none
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Love, love, love this resort. Went from 10/6-10/13 with another adult and 2 13 year old boys and was in the Congress Park section. I love how close it is to Downtown Disney (walking distance)If you have meal reservations @ other resorts, it is so nice to be able to walk to DTD find the bus stop for the resort you are going to and ride a bus there. You have all of the perks of Disney and there are touches of Disney but when you are there you sometimes feel like you are not at Disney which is nice too after a day at the park. I would stay at this resort and not go to the parks at all. Yes, the resort is large but I think they all are. I was in a 2 bedroom unit and there was plenty of space for all of us. This resort is wonderful.
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jdnwebster
Registered: November 2009
Posts: 39
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Review Date: Sat October 15, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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nice pools, can walk to DTD, good food selections
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Cons:
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room smelled musty and was constantly damp
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I'm on the fence about staying here again. We enjoyed being able to walk to DTD, had much fun at the pool and ate at both the quick service and table service places. All of these were very positive. But our room seemed to be damp-to the point that I would check the back of my pants to make sure they didn't "show" wet. Even on the days that had very little humidity, our room was damp with a funky smell. We just kept the fan on, room cool and used our usual air freshener. All that combined seemed to help. I would be willing to give it a try again.
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Sean418
Registered: November 2009
Location: Bellport,NY
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Tue September 27, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Wonderful setting. Beutiful room, Pools,
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Cons:
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Housekeeping a little rush rush on last day.
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I just returned from Saratoga Springs after spending 6 days there. I have stayed here in the past so this is a 2011 update . I guess. Like the resort and the one bedroom was excellent. I had my own car so I did not have to rely on Disney Transportation. The new pool at the Paddock is excellent. Enjoyed movie night on Saturday . WEnt to the Turf Club on my first night. It was busy. Food was ok. I think its a little overpriced for what you get. Driving in Saratoga Springs was easy. My only real complaint was "Mousekeeping" on the last day. Check out is suppose to be by 11AM, yet I received a knock on the door at 8:30 looking to clean the room. I told them that I am not ready and to come back after 9:30. Not the first time I have had this happen. Other than that . A 10.
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Rocket4D
Registered: October 2010
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Thu September 22, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Nice rooms, grounds
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Cons:
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Pre-fab feel, no pixie dust
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Stayed 9/19 - 9/23 (checking out tomorrow). The rooms themselves are quite nice, and the grounds are beautiful and well-maintained, but there's a cookie-cutter feel to Saratoga Springs that I haven't so much at any other DVC properties. For instance, the "hallways" in the buildings have concrete walls. They really are echo chambers, magnifying the sounds of our neighbors comings and goings. And although they're not exactly exterior, the halls are open to the elements and so all the room doors seem more exterior than interior. Think Pop Century.
Honestly, Saratoga Springs feels more like a Value Resort than a DVC property. That being said, we did enjoy our visit, but we'll be staying at other properties from now on.
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tink18
Registered: September 2011
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Thu September 15, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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lots of space, beautiful grounds
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Cons:
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Stayed in a two bedroom villa in congress park for two weeks in August. With four of us, there was plenty of room. Mousekeeping were brilliant (as we paid "cash" we had it every day). We didn't use the pools but they looked good. The pool at Congress Park was closed at the time we went. If staying at Congress Park or the Paddock, you should use the exit/entrance right next to DTD as it is much quicker. It was just a short walk to the main hall to refill mugs or get food.
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Disney Mom
Registered: September 2009
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Fri September 2, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Beautiful Grounds and Easy Access to Downtown Disney
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Cons:
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More Buses to Parks
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We stayed at Saratoga Springs from 8/16 to 8/23. We are a family of six plus we brought my sister's family which consists of four. We had a two-bedroom villa and two studios. Since our children are young adults having four bathrooms worked out well. I love having the choice of a boat (which is very enjoyable), a walking trail or a bus to Downtown Disney. The grounds are beautiful and it is a very relaxing resort. After being at the parks all day this is definintely a nice place to go back to. The new Paddock Pool was definitely needed since Saratoga is so big. The large slide was a lot of fun for adults. My husband and I used the Spa for the first time and we would definitely go back. Some people have said that this resort lacks the Disney feeling. Knowing that I am on Disney property and that I can get to the parks by hopping on the bus makes this place magical for me. I love that the DVC properties all have different themes and Saratoga's theme is perfect for me.
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fluffy30
Registered: September 2010
Posts: 58
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Review Date: Tue August 9, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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location, early check-in, great staff,
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Cons:
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crowded pools, Turf Club
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Stayed here July 31 - Aug 7 in 2 bedroom with 3 adults and 3 kids. Stayed in Grandstands in 2009 and requested Congress Park this time. Really loved the walk to DTD and close to playground for our 2 yr old twins but the quiet pool in this location was closed so we had to walk to Springs or Paddock sections to swim. Not only was it a far walk with 3 kids and all the stuff we had to lug with us but the pools were very crowded as we were there during the hottest time of the year. You would think pool maintenance would be scheduled during less busy times. The Paddock pool was great and has the best(except Beach Club) area for toddlers. The unit was clean and well stocked, the grounds are beautiful and all staff we encountered were pleasant and helpful. Only other negative we experience was the Turf Club at lunch one day. The food there is just okay but had an issue with dessert which was an apple crisp served so hot that I burnt my mouth. I knew the dish was hot but when I tried a tiny bit of the food it was so hot I couldn't believe it. Five minutes later we got our server back and the dish was still so hot that nobody could touch it. Manager comped us the gratuities as we were on the dinning plan but really should have given us a free meal as I suffered for the rest of the day. Didn't eat at Artist Pallette but purchased a few things at the shop which was well stocked. Would stay here again but not eat at Turf Club as there are much better places in DTD or the parks.
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SillyGoofymom0105
Registered: May 2011
Location: NJ
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sat August 6, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Ambiance, Location, great for family with or without children
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Cons:
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None
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We've stayed at this resort many times as its my DVC home resort and we LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! The relaxing ambiance, cheerful staff, and fun activities for everyone keeps us coming back. Ive read in previous reviews some of the rooms seem "tired" and I do agree, however the rooms have always been clean when Ive stayed at SSR. Only once did we have a bathroom door that didn't lock but that didn't bother us..we're family its nothing my husband hasn't seen.
Ive also read complaints about the walking distance at this resort. I have to disagree....the whole resort showcases beautiful water fountains, pathways to DD, and many choices to keep you and your family busy on rainy days or relaxing poolside on sunny days.
The resort has one sit down restaurant..the Turf Club..which is def a diamond in the rough...great food choices at great prices. On the other hand the quick service area " The Artists Pallette" is not a favorite...the poor selection of food choices should really be updated.
My family and I are going back to WDW and to SSR in the next few months and we couldn't be more excited.
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fawn0818
Registered: May 2009
Location: Alburtis, PA
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Wed July 13, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Rooms are large and decor is okay
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Cons:
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The layout of the properties is to spead out.
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We stayed as DVC members July 2nd to the July 6th. We were in the Carousel building in a one bedroom. The negative is you have a very far walk to anything. Closest bus stop was like 1/4 mile away and the Paddock pool was the closest, but since it was the next day after the grand opening, there was no room to sit or even put your things down. We had to go the pool near The Stand and that was like a 1/2 mile from the Carousel. We felt tired before the day even began. Had to have maintenance come for the washer as it banged and it still banged after they left.
I would recommend this place if you didn't have kids and wanted to just relax, play golf, or spa treatments. I would not come back with my two daughters ages 8 and 6 as it was too much for them. We did get to move to Boardwalk from July 6th to the 9th and had a much better time there. Please see that review.
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