Over the past several years I have stayed at every Disney resort. I did this so I could take pictures, create videos, and write reviews. Now that I’ve completed this mission, I’m starting the cycle all over again. But since not much changes from year to year, I am not writing completely new reviews. Instead, I’m just reporting on what has changed since my last visit. However, I am taking new pictures and creating all new videos. So far I have revisited Coronado Springs, the All Stars, and Caribbean Beach. Today I’ll be discussing Saratoga Springs.
Actually, it was only a year and a half ago that I stayed at Saratoga Springs and wrote a review so this resort was low on my list for a relook. However, a good friend of mine had some Disney Vacation Club (DVC) points that were expiring and offered them to me at the last minute. (Thank you, David.) With such short notice, Saratoga Springs was the only resort I was able to book for four nights.
After an extensive look around Saratoga Springs, I could see no changes in and about the resort. When I returned home, I went through my pictures from 2013, looking for differences I may have missed during my visit. I’m sure some small things have been altered, but they certainly were not obvious to me. Because I have nothing earth-shattering to report, this article will be about some of the things I experienced during my stay. To see the complete resort review I wrote last year, click here.
Meaning no offense to any of you who have purchased a DVC membership at Saratoga Springs, but this spot is the least popular membership resort located at Walt Disney World. I’m not saying Saratoga Springs is a bad resort. In fact, it’s very nice and worth your consideration when looking for a place to stay. I’m simply saying it is the last DVC to fill its rooms. This is why I was able to get a four day reservation during July with less than a week’s notice.
So what is it that makes Saratoga Springs less popular than the other Disney World DVC’s? Location is a major factor. With the exception of Old Key West and Kidani Village at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, all of the other DVC’s are located convenient to a theme park. This gives them a definite edge over Saratoga Springs. Kidani Village is popular because of the animals outside the rooms and Old Key West is in high demand because it was the first Disney membership resort and the rooms here are significantly larger than at any of the other resorts. After Old Key West was built, Disney decided they could save money by making the rooms smaller in the subsequent DVC resorts. Pity.
Another thing people don’t like about Saratoga Springs is its size. It is huge. And unlike the Caribbean Beach Resort that has a dedicated bus that continually circles that resort, Saratoga Springs does not. Instead, you must catch a theme park bus to travel in one direction around the resort and a Downtown Disney bus to travel in the other direction.
Location and size are the two major failings of Saratoga Springs. But it does have a lot going for it as well. Here are some of the things I like.
First, I enjoy the atmosphere. I think the resort is beautiful. The lakes are lovely and the grounds are lush and well-tended. If you take the time to walk around Saratoga Springs, you’ll discover many lovely spots.
I like the Artist’s Palette Food Court over those at any of the Value or Moderate resorts.
First, I like the menu here. At Artist’s Palette, the chefs try (and succeed) to be a little more upscale with their offerings with dishes like Bistro Buffalo Chicken Panini, Greek Salad with Chicken, Lobster Club Sandwich, and Chicken Spinach Artichoke Flatbread just to name a few.
The food is made fresh with each order. You can easily see the chefs hard at work behind the counter.
And finally, I like the ordering and serving process.
Once you decide on a selection from the overhead menus, you get in line. Here, a friendly cast member will take your order and give you a receipt and a numbered table-tent.
From the ordering station you proceed to a nearby register and pay. It’s also at this station that you order your fountain drinks. Bottled and canned drinks can be obtained at the neighboring refrigerators.
Once you pay, you take your beverages and table tent and find a seat in the adjacent seating area.
Now here is the best part. Once your food is ready, a cast member brings it to your table, piping hot or appropriately chilled. I love this. No longer do I have to wait in line to pay as my food’s temperature tries to approach room ambiance.
Three cheers for Artist’s Palette.
Something I noticed on this most recent trip was an “Allergy Friendly” case. Here guests hungering for a snack can choose from Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bean & Rice Chips, Fudge Brownies, Caramel Corn, and Granola Bars. I’m sure this addition will make a lot of people with special dietary needs very happy.
I like the swimming pools at Saratoga Springs. High Rock Spring Pool is the largest and usually the busiest. It also has a pleasant bar for when you’re in need of an adult beverage or your child needs to refresh their refillable mug.
Paddock Pool has the best children’s water-play area. In addition, breakfast and lunch are served here. I’ve enjoyed several alfresco meals at this spot and have appreciated the atmosphere, even though I wasn’t going for a swim. The Paddock Grill is also the only spot at Saratoga Springs where you can get a hamburger.
I like the design of the Backstretch Pool. It has a great children’s splash-n-play area that truly embraces the horserace theme of Saratoga Springs. However, the red and white color scheme can be a little intense for some. This pool also has a refreshment/food bar that is open seasonally.
The Congress Park Pool has by far the quietest atmosphere of the four. This can be attributed to the lack of a splash-n-play area for the kids. This pool also has the most sophisticated atmosphere. Congress Park Pool is the perfect spot for adults who want some peace and quiet.
To see a short movie that highlights these pools, check out the video below.
Under construction is a new footbridge that will connect Saratoga Springs to Downtown Disney. This is part of the Downtown Disney/Disney Springs expansion. When complete, this will add a new element to this resort that will hopefully boost its popularity.
During my visit I stayed in a one-bedroom villa. Overall I like these units and believe a family could be quite happy here. The only change in decor I could find since my last visit was the elimination of the bedspread in favor of the “spa look.” This appears to be standard practice now at all Disney World resorts.
To see a short movie that highlights a one bedroom villa, check out the video below.
I have two stories about my room to share with you. One good and one not so good. Let’s start with the not so good.
The living room couch is a convertible sofa. Because of this, the foundation beneath the cushions is not as good as a foundation found beneath a standard sofa. It has been my experience that hotel convertible sofas are tolerable for seating but not really comfortable. The foundations give out quickly with all the wear and tear they endure.
Well, that was certainly the case in my room. I don’t believe I have ever sat on a more uncomfortable couch. All support beneath the front of the cushions was gone. When I sat down, I sank so low that the wood strip across the front of the sofa cut into my legs. To help alleviate the problem I took two bed pillows and placed them beneath the cushions. This helped some, but the couch was still painful on my legs. Ouch. Disney needs to address this issue.
On the other hand, the bed in the bedroom was more than comfortable for sleeping. No complaints about the mattress.
Now for the good story, however my tale starts out on shaky ground.
Whenever I do a resort review, I open every drawer and cabinet to check for cleanliness and other unexpected surprises. You never know what you might find. The house cleaning staff is supposed to inspect every nook and cranny while cleaning a room, however sometimes things get missed. This is just a fact of life and nothing to get worked up about. If when I enter a room I find a minor issue, I shrug it off and let it go. However, if I find something beyond insignificant, I contact the front desk.
The first thing I do when I arrive at my room is to stash my luggage so I can take “clean” pictures. I want the room to look exactly like it would if you, my readers, were arriving. You don’t want to see my personal belongings. Then I start opening doors, drawers, and cabinets and begin taking pictures.
The rooms at Saratoga Springs have a coffee table positioned in front of the sofa. In order to provide guests with maximum storage, these are also chests that open up.
When I opened this chest, I noticed that the hydraulic hinges were broken. Without these safety devices, the lid could slam shut on someone’s fingers or worse, a child’s head.
This is one of those items that housekeeping could easily miss and I wasn’t concerned about it for the duration of my stay. I had nothing to store and no children to worry about. However, I felt that this issue was important and called the front desk. I wanted to make sure the chest would be attended to before the next guests arrived, who may have children.
In less than 15 minutes, a maintenance man was knocking on my door. He took one look at the problem and told me that he could not fix it in the room and that he’d have to take the chest back to his shop. He went on to tell me that he wouldn’t have a replacement until the following day. I assured him that there were no children present so I didn’t care if it was fixed immediately or not. He agreed to leave the chest for the time being, but informed me that if there had been children in the room, he would have had no choice but to remove it immediately. The chest was swapped out the next day.
I applaud Disney for their proactive safety policy.
As I said at the beginning of this article, not much has changed since my last visit. This makes it difficult for me to come up with original information that I haven’t said before. However, I did re-film the entire resort.
To take a look at all that Saratoga Springs has to offer, check out the following video. Note, the video does contain the swimming pools segment mentioned earlier.
During my stay, I enjoyed dinner one evening at the Turf Club. Check back tomorrow and I’ll give you the rundown of my experience.
That’s it for today.
I agree the resort is beautiful, but carrying your luggage and other items to your villa takes a lot out of you especially when you are cooking for 14 people. The drawers are smaller in the kitchen and the pots and pans aren’t as big as Old Key West. There isn’t an ice maker in the frig and you have to walk to get ice or use the ice trays. I remember when the resort first opened they had luggage carts that you could take to your car, load it up and take it to your room. There was an area by the steps where the luggage carts were kept. Why did they stop using the carts. We also had problems with the sofa. I was so looking forward to this trip especially the All Ears Meet and Greet. The traffic on the way down was horrible. It usually takes me 14 hours to travel down to Florida, this time it took over 20 hours. never made it to the Meet and Greet. Looks like it was a lot of fun. Maybe next time. What is your favorite resort. Would love to know. Have a great evening.
Jack’s Answer:
Although I have stayed at all of the DVCs, I am not a member. Of the DVCs at WDW, I like the Boardwalk best. The fact that the rooms here are not in a separate facility gives this property a big advantage in my book.
Of the standard resorts, I like he Contemporary best. Nothing beats staying in a tower room and having your own private balcony to watch the fireworks.
Hi Jack
What a timely report! My DH and I have owned at SSR since it’s opening ….I believe it was 2003 or maybe early 2004..however, haven’t stayed there for the past 5 years or so. We are going to be in a one bdrm in October when we visit for the F & W Festival. I do agree about the location…which is the main reason we haven’t stayed there much..however, we do think it’s a beautiful resort..as long as you have a car during your visit! We’re thinking ahead to our retirement and plan to purchase quite a few more points during the next few years so we will have enough to spend a minimum of 4 weeks/maximum 6 weeks on property during the winter months. After much thought, we think most of that time will be spent at SSR…primarily since it is so much like a community and for a long term stay it’s perfect.
Hi Jack, Thanks for the update on SSR! I have found over the past 5 years since doing the runDisney races that this Saratoga or OKW are by far the best places to stay for these events transportation and availability wise, in fact I booked a 2 bedroom in November for my family for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend with my AKL points and got double the space at SSR for the same amount of points it would have been at Beach Club or Boardwalk for a one bedroom. Of course, you can argue that you’re farther away from the venue, but it’s nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the events that are going on at times. We stayed here the first time when it first opened on my parent’s DVC membership and were in the Paddock (sans feature pool at that point), and were very impressed. Since then we’ve stayed in Congress Park multiple times and in the Carousel area once. Love the Artist’s Pallette and found the beverage refill station at the Paddock to be a little bit of a walk from the Carousel, but still was convenient enough to walk over, fill up our mugs with coffee or tea in the morning, and hop on a bus to where ever, plus we enjoy taking the boat to Downtown, it’s just so relaxing! It’s also nice to see the grounds and old buildings from The Disney Institute being used constructively and for people’s enjoyment.
The only issue we had was the second year I did the January half marathon, my brother met me and we stayed in a studio on the ground floor around the corner from the Congress Park Pool. It was comfortable, walked out the back door with my suitcase and over to the pool to do laundry, nice walk to the Marketplace and a quick walk over the bridge to the Carriage House. The only real incident that trip was the air conditioning system from the room upstairs was collecting condensation and that started to come down into our room through our air conditioning closet, causing the ceiling to become wet and the carpet to be soaked, but maintenance came and fixed the problem right away, offered to put us in another room, but since we only had one more night stayed put.
I think the “constant availability” is more related to the sheer size of the property than anything else- I mean when you stand at Downtown Disney and look across the river, Saratoga Springs is a HUGE resort! And that view isn’t including the TreeHouse Villas!
We’ve had wonderful stays here and look forward to going back in November!
I read this, trying to psyche myself for an upcoming trip where SS was my only choice if I wanted to be in WDW in October.
I can’t believe they don’t have a bus service with the sheer number of units. It sort of plays the DVC member for a fool that they invested in a property where so much time is spent just getting around or getting to a park.
I’ve enjoyed their restaurants, but when I stay in a resort I rarely eat there….I explore food in the parks and Downtown Disney.
I sort of dread getting stuck in a far away building…. I have registered my room placement request (AND in all my 21 years of membership I have never gotten the location I have requested so that’s why I am in fear right now)
Here’s hoping it works out….
Sorry Jack, but congress park pool has not
changed, the first picture looks like the old
paddock pool before major change.
We have been members for several years and the
pool at congress park has always been like the
picture you are saying shows enlargement.
Jack’s Comment:
You are absolutely correct. A picture of the old Paddock Pool got mixed in with my Congress Park pictures. I have corrected the mistake. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi Jack,
I was lucky enough to stay in the Grandstand section of SSR on my first stay there. It is the first bus stop, and the rooms are very close to the bus stop. Since it is the first stop for the parks, I always had a seat on the bus and did not mind the ride through the resort. When I was there in May 2013, SSR was one of the resorts that had top priority for the buses. They sometimes keep an extra bus on property, in case one of the buses fills up before picking up guests at every stop.
I am a DVC member and my home bases is OKW. I love OKW for the peaceful scenery and SSR has this also, but with smaller rooms. However, each building at SSR has an elevator, unlike OKW.
One of my new favorites is to take the hot air balloon ride at Downtown Disney and see just how large both OKW and SSR really are. With all the construction at Downtown Disney are they still offering this?
Thanks for the great review. I live in upstate New York just outside of Saratoga Springs and agree that the theming is a bit bland. It doesn’t quite capture the real Saratoga. The grounds are very nice but there could be many more touches of Saratoga to create that feel of being transported elsewhere, similar to what I feel like in OKW or my home resort Kidani. We first stayed at SSR when we bought into DVC in 2009 and they were offering a bonus of an additional years points to be used only at Saratoga. We were anxious to visit and had a great time. We’ve since been back twice, when SSR was the only place we could get a reservation and enjoyed it as well. It’s not my favorite resort but, unlike the real Saratoga, there’s never any snow in winter so we will never turn it down!
The things that people hate about this resort is exactly what I love. I love that it is not close to any park. There is so much excitement at the parks, it’s also loud. It is so nice to come back to a quiet, calming resort. I love that it’s next to downtown, I walk there some days and grab breakfast at earl of sandwhich or wolfgang. Then at dinner time there are all those extra options to choose from all within walking distance. I also love sitting in the rocking chairs by the lake in the congress park area. I watch the boats go by listen to the music coming from downtown. After staying at Saratoga I have stayed at old key west and pop century. But I always miss SSR and I go back. There’s no place like home right?
Thanks for the timely review. We are very excited to stay at SS very soon. My 2 year old granddaughter will be with us. We will be in a 2 bedroom villa. Do you have suggestions on a good location to request for us. We plan to use our own vehicle for transport, so we wont need to be near a bus stop. She loves water/playgrounds. We have never stayed there before and you have given us reinforcement that we have made a good selection! Thanks
Jack’s Answer:
I think the pool at the Paddock section is best for toddlers, followed by the one in the Grandstand section.
If you’re looking for a more adult venue, check out Congress Park. The rocking chairs overlooking Downtown Disney are wonderful.
SS is our home resort. It is huge, and never seems crowded and that’s exactly what we like the most. Since there’s lots of availability we always request a room near the pool and main lobby and never have an issue. The Turf club has fantastic food and atmosphere – one of the best resort restaurants we’ve eaten at.
Something else that may be crimping this resort’s popularity: as beautiful as Saratoga Springs is, it’s also a little bland.
It doesn’t have quite the whimsy or “fun” feel of the Board Walk, Beach Club or AKL Vacation Club resorts, and you don’t really feel like you’ve been transported to someplace exotic or unique. (My wife compared it to a retirement community–albeit, a very nice one!) It’s not as high energy, and the mood is more relaxed and laid-back.
Some of us LIKE that, but it might not be to everyone’s taste, especially if you have young kids.
Animal Kingdom Lodge may be far from the parks but the bus system is by far the fastest because they only stop at kidani than go directly to the parks. I’m just saying people should not look at that like its a bad thing. Honestly I think the AKL buses blow any of the monorail resorts out of the water when it comes to transportation using the bus. I thought BLT buses take way too long stopping at multiple resorts and multiple parks all in the same route.
We are going to be staying here in November. Will the walkway from near the Congress section be open? My spouse needs a ecv to get around and I thought that this section would be the best for him so we would have easy access to Downtown Disney. How is parking at the resort? Can you park fairly close? Do they have elevators or do we need to request a first floor room. I am a little concerned with the construction traffic and getting to the parks. We like to drive unless we are going to the Magic Kingdom. Also, does anybody know if the boat can handle an ECV?
Jack’s Answer:
1. The bridge from the Congress Park section of Saratoga Springs is open. I walked across it yesterday.
2. There is sufficient parking at Saratoga Springs.
3. All of the Saratoga Springs buildings have elevators.
4. The roads around Downtown Disney are congested now that they have reduced the flow of traffic from three lanes each way to two. Other than that, there are no other traffic problems.
5. To my knowledge, the only “transportation” boats that cannot handle ECVs are the small boats on Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon.
Hi Jack- Lucky you to spend 4 days at our favorite (and home) DVC resort. Anytime we stay at another DVC location, we wish we were back at Saratoga Springs. I always feel crowded at other resorts. I love the wide open spaces and beautiful greenery. I suspect the reason this is the last to sell out is because it has so many units. Walking to Downtown Disney is a plus also. Mo one should ever hesitate to book at SSR- it is a fantastic place!
Hi Jack.
Its interesting you had some troubles with your room at Saratoga Springs as my family stayed there last October during Food & Wine and also had issues.
I’m sad to say that when we checked into our 2 bedroom (without the lock off) room we found the place had not be properly cleaned. Dusty, dirty shelves were everywhere, the bathroom floor in the master had not been completely vacuumed, and the second bedroom chest was completely missing a drawer.
Needless to say we were disappointed in the state of the room. We ahve stayed at Disney resorts many times over the past 20 years at all price levels and though we have had some minor issues, we had never experienced this kind of problem before. I immediately called housekeeping and explained the situation. They apologized and the next day did a full clean of the room rather than wait for the standard DVC midweek clean.
I’m happy to report that all issues were addressed and they apologized for the trouble but it was certainly disappointing to arrive for vacation only to find the room in that condition.
Hopefully this is not a common occurrance at the resort (despite one other comment to the contrary) and they did address it to our satisfaction in a timely manner. I also found it was very pretty and despite the less than prime location, its still fairly centrally located and we never had to experience long bus rides like those you will find going to Magic Kingdom from Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Thanks for your updates. I’m always interested in seeing your take on things down at the World.
-Bryan
Hi Jack:
This is very timely as my family is planning a WDW trip next spring, and are thinking about staying at SSR or OKW. I was wondering how the construction is going at Downtown Disney and how this would affect our stays at these hotels? Should we postpone staying here until the construction is further along?
Thank you,
Jack’s Answer:
Old Key West is not a problem. Feel free to stay there.
I stayed in the Congress Park section of Saratoga Springs and I could definitely hear the construction at Downtown Disney during the day. If you choose to stay there, request the Carousel section as it is furthest away from the noise.
We’re DVC members and SSR is our home resort. We’ve been pleased with it each time we have stayed. It’s a great place to unwind after a day at the parks. You have Disney service adn ambience, without the intensity of decor like other resorts sometimes have.
Hi Jack –
Reading this blog and re-reading your original history lesson, it seems that this patch of ground has always been a problem for Disney in one way or another. Hopefully Saratoga Springs will evolve and improve so that it is not “The Last Resort” for most vacationers.
– Jeff
Hello Jack!
First off a big THANK YOU for writing these articles. As a DVC member that owns points at SSR. I have to say that I absolutely love this resort. The main draw for me is the size. when I bought my points. I did so because of the fact I knew booking here would be for the most part with out a headache. And so far no issues there. Now as for house keeping checking every nook and cranny. I have only had one issue( well 3 all at one time) during a trip a few years ago. And the issues were fixed without question and in a very timely manner. Thanks for the pics of the Congress Park pool. I only stay in this building because of the proximity to DTD. And we use this pool all the time. I know this pool can be quiet. But it can also get crowded on those HOT Florida days. So the added size is a nice bonus. I was a little surprised by the Paddock being the only place to get a burger. Did Turf Club stop selling them? I had one there the last time I ate at the Turf Club in 2010. I washed it down with a nice cold Saratoga Ale. It was pretty good. Just surprised by that. Now the last comment for my novel here. Thank you for the different perspective on The Artist’s Pallet. I have only looked at this place as another Disney quick service. But after looking at it from your view. I have a new found respect for this place. I normally skip this restaurant. But I think another trip with a fresh view is in order. Thanks again for all that you do on ALLEARS!
Jack’s Answer:
The Paddock Grill is the only place at Saratoga Springs that sells burgers. I think they stopped selling them at the Turf Club when they went to serving dinner only.
Hey Jack
I have stayed at Saratoga Springs only once and was pleased with my stay. I loved being able to walk to downtown disney and not have to worry about taking a bus with all of my souvenirs. I also loved the restaurants there. Can’t wait for your next blog and as always keep up the great work.
Hi Jack! Thanks for a great review! Sometimes, we like to visit WDW and skip the parks in favor of a more relaxed trip (this may be the case next April). It’s nice to just stay at a Disney resort and indulge in everything it has to offer, like the restaurants, bars and lounges, and pools. This seems to be one of those resorts…The grounds look lovely, and the next restaurant I want to try is the Turf Club (which, I plan on booking for our next trip). 🙂
Thanks Jack – I love all your blogs & reviews.
Im glad that most people don’t like the resort, because that works in my favor!!
The 2 things I Love about Saratoga Springs are it’s location and size.
The size means; as a couple with no kids we can wonder around the resort without running into many little ones. There are lots of quiet and peaceful areas we can stroll around while enjoying each others company.
When we stay we usually request a room in the least crowded building, typically that’s in Congress Park and not too far from the quiet pool.
Also on many previous stays I have seen an Internal Resort Shuttle, taking people to all bus stops including the Treehouse Villas, as we haven’t stayed there this year – i can’t say its still running.
As far as the location goes, as long time DVC members being close to Downtown Disney is really convenient, we love the waterfront walk to Downtown. The view along the waterfront from the Resort of Downtown is really beautiful at dusk. Since we have visited WDW many times over we enjoy getting the Bus Transportation from downtown and head to the Resorts to explore them or have lunch/dinner. Not having to go to a Park and hoping buses and deal with crowds is a plus.
Just FYI – there are 2 walkways to get to Downtown from the Resort, the first is the waterfront walkway by Congress Park, (where they are putting a new bridge) and the second is the Golf Path by the Turf Club. The first takes you to the Marketplace and the second takes you to Westside – La Nouba both walks take about 15mins.
Jack’s Comment:
You are correct. There are two walkways. I completely forgot about the Golf Path. I have stayed at Saratoga Springs three times, always in Congress Park. So the idea of taking the Golf Path never occurs to me. But if you’re staying over in the Grandstand section, this makes perfect sense.
An internal resort shuttle could be a seasonal service that is only offered during busy times. But when I asked at the front desk, this was never mentioned. Just the resort and Downtown Disney buses.
Good Morning Jack!
I think the two main reasons you touched upon, are why rooms seem to always be available there – even at short notice. The first, it is not adjacent to any park and requires transportation to any and all parks. The other, the lack of inner transportation at the resort itself.
The new walking bridge to downtown will help give people easy access to shopping, dining, and activities, which should help draw more people.
When our men were boys, the biggest drawback for us was having the kids walk from the room to either the main pool or the main building for food/shopping etc. Once they were older it wasn’t as much an issue, though they still they preferred other resorts where things were closer.
The good news, is my wife and I decided just the other day to book our a trip for our anniversary next month and only Saratoga was an option where we wouldn’t have to either switch rooms, and/or resorts during the stay.
The rooms there are like all DVC rooms and the pools and food are good there. So we do not mind staying there.
I know in the past when we stayed in the Treehouse Villas, they would, at the end of the stay – send a golf cart on steroids to pick us all up and our luggage and take us back to the main building.
Perhaps if they had several of these for each section either running regularly or on-call as needed, it would make life a little easier in getting around.
So your blog was good timing for us to get a refresher on the resort as we haven’t stayed there in the last 2 years… so many thanx for doing the review just for us!!! (chuckle!)
-Dan