Reviews of Saratoga Springs Resort (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by joshwatkins23 Review Date: 08/18/2015
Rating: (1) Not Recommended
If you are looking for a deluxe resort that feels like a moderate resort, than Saratoga Springs is the place for you! We just returned from a stay at Saratoga Springs Aug 8-15. We stayed in a 1-bedroom room via DVC. Our last trip was in 2013 and we stayed at Old Key West. This time we tried Saratoga Springs and boy were we disappointed. I can honestly say that it feels no different than staying at Port Orleans Riverside or any other moderate resorts. The room was very clean and we were pleasantly surprised. We had a great view from our room as well. It was a perfect size for a family of 4 at our home away from home, but that is pretty much all the pros. I read reviews of people complaining about the bussing and just ignored them thinking it was just bad luck. Well, I have to say, the bussing is just awful. We stayed in the Grandstand which is the 1st pick up and drop off. Very convenient when/if a bus comes. We learned very quickly that we have to plan 2 hours of travel time to get to a dining reservation or to a park by a specific time. I've had 12 visits to WDW in my lifetime, 9 as an adult, and never have I experienced such poor transportation issues at a resort (I've stayed at all of the levels from value to deluxe). The entire resort feels like a moderate resort. There is nothing special about it, outside of the spa experience that you can purchase at any time (you don't have to stay at the resort). The bell services and housekeeping crew were wonderful. We did on-line check-in which turned out to be a waste of time as we had a NUMBER of issues that included 3 trips to the front desk in the first 2 hours that I arrived. I love WDW, and can't wait to go back - but I will never stay at Saratoga Springs again, and cannot recommend it to anyone. Despite the awful accommodations, my family still had a magical time....and look forward to our next visit....hopefully real soon.
Pros:
Room cleanlinessCons:
Feels like a moderate resort, Awful bussingReviewed by deb010305 Review Date: 06/24/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
We spent 6 night in a 2 bdr villa in April 2015, using our DVC points.
We requested (and received) a ground floor unit in the Grand Stand section-this area is great because it is quiet, has its own pool, is only a 5-7 minute walk to the main pool, and is the 1st stop for the busses to and from the parks!
Our villa was ready when we arrived and with online check-in and Magic Bands we by-passed the check-in desk and drove right to our building!
Everything was clean and in good shape-except one of the locks on the sliding patio door didn't close properly-a concern since we were on the ground floor. But a call had a maintenance person there within an hour and he fixed it in a few minutes.
This is our third time staying at Saratoga Springs, and we like it because it is beautiful-our villa overlooked the golf course, and it is quiet-at night you could hear crickets chirping.
Pros:
A quiet and peaceful break !Cons:
—Reviewed by Elaine Hammond Review Date: 03/19/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed at Saratoga from March 7-14. Our arrival was delayed 2 days by the snow storm in NJ. Saratoga was very helpful in moving our reservation forward 2 days.
The room (a one bedroom #5714) was in great condition and had a lovely view from the balcony.
We were able to take the bridge over the lake to the food court and that was very nice.
All in all a great experience and I would definitely stay here again.
Another plus was outlets outside the door to plug in our scooters. This was a big help.
Pros:
Beautiful grounds and elevatorsCons:
More selections needed at food courtReviewed by LoriC Review Date: 02/24/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa the week of February 13th in the Springs section of Sarasota Springs. We felt the location was very convenient to all the parks and to Downtown Disney. There is a walkway on either side of the resort and its a quick 10 minute walk to DTD. The food choices were excellent. The Turf Club is a hidden gem. The Springs section was great as you could walk out either way and get to a feature pool with slides. We spent most of our time at high rock pool which had great entertainment for the kids. We were highly satisfied with this resort. We are not DVC members. The two bedroom suite was amazing and gave our family of five enough space for all to enjoy!
Pros:
Convenient, Size of Rooms, PoolsCons:
NoneReviewed by BUBBLES36 Review Date: 01/27/2015
Rating: (8) Recommended
We stayed at Saratoga Springs 1/2-10/2015. We found the resort to be clean, quiet, large, very spread out. We were in the "Carousel" area of the resort, which is about as far away from the restaurants as you can get. It was nice because we were usually the 2nd bus stop when coming back from the parks. But I think if we stayed there again I would request to be in the "Springs" area if possible. We really don't spend much time in our room when at Disney, just need a place to shower and sleep, and Saratoga certainly was sufficient for that. There were 2 adults and 2- 19 yr olds in our room, we had a deluxe studio.
Pros:
Clean, quiet, points paid were very reasonable.Cons:
Very large resort, we were very far from the Concierge building/ restaurantsReviewed by kbw45 Review Date: 01/24/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
My husband, son and I stayed here from 12/19-12/22/14. This was our first DVC stay as new DVC members, and this was the only DVC resort available when we made the reservation 3 months before our stay. That said, we would have chosen this resort anyway, since we were coming down for a relaxing weekend away from the parks, except for one evening at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.
We weren't sure what to expect after reading some of the reviews about this resort on All Ears and other sites, but our experience far exceeded our expectations. We requested a room in Congress Park because we planned to spend quite a bit of time in Downtown Disney, and I requested VIP cleaning for allergies. Those were our only requests, and we were given room 1812 in Congress Park, a studio overlooking Fulton's Crab House in DTD. It was perfect. The room was spotless and the decor recently updated. We were very close to the bus stop and the Congress Park quiet pool. We had a gorgeous view of DTD from our 4th floor studio. Aside from wanting another extra blanket in the room, we had everything we needed. The studio layout was spacious, and we liked having the sink separate from the tub/shower area, which allowed two people to get ready at once. Also, the rooms are quiet. We did not hear anything from neighboring rooms. These were the quietest rooms we have had in 10 stays on property at every level of resort.
The resort is spread out, and this may be an issue for some, but our room was only a pleasant 5-minute walk to the Springs area with restaurants, the main pool, the spa, and other amenities. We have walked farther when staying at some value and moderate resorts. The bus stop was just a few hundred feet away. Most importantly, we were only a quick 10-minute walk from DTD using the new boardwalk, which was very convenient for shopping and dining.
We ate breakfast each day at the Artist's Palette counter service restaurant. We loved the Dale Chihuly-style light fixtures and the abstract paintings in the dining area. The food was good - among the better CS food we have had, and typically priced for WDW. Breakfast items were made to order. The adjoining gift/sundry shop was fairly small for a deluxe resort, but adequate.
We did not have the opportunity to try the Turf Club, but the menu looked quite appealing, and we plan to dine there during our next visit.
The Rock Springs (main) pool was beautifully themed but a little chilly (daytime temps were in the low 70s). The quiet pool in the Congress Park section was warmer, and we spent quite a bit of time there. There are whirlpools/hot tubs at the quiet pools as well as at the main pool.
I was able to book a same day pedicure at Senses Spa at Saratoga Springs, and it was a marvelous experience. I would stay at this resort again just for the spa.
We did Online Check-in prior to our arrival, so our resort check-in was quick and smooth. All of the cast members we encountered during our stay were welcoming and friendly. Checkout was equally seamless.
We enjoyed the theming at Saratoga Springs. It does not scream Disney like many other resorts, but there are hidden Mickeys everywhere and little touches of Disney magic if you look for them. We enjoyed the equestrian theme, from the carriage outside of the Carriage House (main building) to the jockey silks lining the walls of the Turf Club and adjacent hallway, to the sketches of some of the most beloved horses from Disney animated films on the walls of the Carriage House, to the throw pillows and artwork in our room. The grounds and buildings are beautiful, and the resort has an elegant, peaceful, northern resort feel to it. Since we live in Florida, we didn't want to feel like we were in Florida, so we were pleased.
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In addition, the holiday decorations in the Carriage House and spa were quite lovely - especially the large Christmas tree in the Carriage House. Swags of holiday greenery in the walkways added to the festive atmosphere. A visit from Mickey Mouse in the Carriage House lobby one morning, along with carolers, was a real treat.
We used the buses to go to MVMCP. We waited 5 minutes for a bus to the Magic Kingdom just before 5pm, and we waited less than 10 minutes for a return bus to the resort. Buses were full, but we expected this the weekend before Christmas, and it was not an issue for us. Although full, they were not crammed or uncomfortable. Riding to multiple bus stops within the resort only took a few minutes and so was not an issue for us. We stay on property so we do not have to drive. The convenience of not having to drive more than outweighs the slight inconvenience of multiple bus stops. We do not have unrealistic expectations for bus transportation, and we have always encountered shorter than expected waits. The ride to the MK took about 20 minutes. For reference, the Congress Park bus stop is the second to the last stop when leaving for the parks (the Springs/main area is the last), so when going to a park, there is only one stop after Congress Park before leaving the resort.
We appreciated being able to park right in front of our building, which made for easy loading/unloading of luggage. It also made it easy to jump in the car for drives to Fantasia Gardens (about 10 minutes away) and Wilderness Lodge for dinner (15-20 minutes). Epcot and Hollywood Studios are only about 10 minutes from the resort by car.
In summary, we had a fabulous, relaxing stay in a beautiful resort in a very convenient location. Although our home resort is the Grand Floridian, we can already tell that staying there will be a challenge because we do not usually plan our vacations 11 months ahead of time, and their villas book quickly. We plan to return to Sarasota Springs for years to come.
Pros:
Beautiful, peaceful, quiet rooms, close to Downtown DisneyCons:
None for usReviewed by jdetrick Review Date: 12/13/2014
Rating: (8) Recommended
I liked Saratoga Springs more than I expected. Yes, it's huge and stopping at five bus stops within the resort got old. However, it's close to Downtown Disney, Epcot and the Studios, and not too far from the Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom, so bus rides weren't horribly long. I've heard about waits for buses, but we did not experience that at all. I don't think we ever waited more than 10 minutes, either at the resort or at a park coming back. Still, while the resort was nice, it's missing the amazing theming that resorts like the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge or Polynesian have. Also, the on site dining was lackluster.
Pros:
Centrally locatedCons:
Very big!Reviewed by chall0789 Review Date: 11/06/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We just returned from a 4 night stay at Saratoga Springs Resort. We have never been disappointed with this resort. We were in a two bedroom villa which was clean and newly refurnished. We enjoy the proximity to Downtown Disney and we especially liked the new boardwalk which makes it even closer.
We enjoyed renting bikes and riding through the Treehouse Villas and Old Key West Resort before taking the bikes to Downtown Disney.
Our children enjoyed the campfire in the evenings where they were given marshmallows to roast. It would have been great if the store would have sold graham crackers so that they could have made s'mores.
My husband and I visited the gym almost every morning. It is probably the best equipped gym we've used.
This is just a great resort and we truly feel at home here.
Pros:
Close to DTD and a Beautiful ResortCons:
NoneReviewed by mommom Review Date: 08/30/2014
Rating: (9) Recommended
had 2 villas - each was a 2bedroom - traveling with 14 - 6 teenagers - 1 year old - 87 yr old - 6 Adults - the resort was clean and very quiet. I did the cooking in the 1 villa. housekeeping brought me all the pots I needed.
the teenagers complain about the 2nd bathroom being too dark but loved the all the space on the vanity.
the kids used both the main and quiet pool near our villa. they thought the main pool was too loud and noisy.
our villa was near Downtown Disney which was nice. we used the walkway and didn't have to worry about parking the cars.
the frig doesn't have an ice maker - had to walk to get ice or use the ice tray in the freezer which took awhile to make
Housekeeping did stop by on our check out day to ask what time we would be leaving - trying to feed everyone and pack everything up, I felt like they were trying to get us out of the villa. They stopped by both villas. I did the early check-in and on that I stated I would be out by 10:30 AM. I didn't need someone knocking on my door at 7:30 to find out what time I thought I would be gone. A better way is to give housekeeping a call when you are leaving the room. We were out by 9:30am .
Old Key West is still my home but Saratoga Springs was nice to visit.
Pros:
quietness of the resortCons:
nothing to help you with your luggage and the sofa needs to be replaceReviewed by thenardier1500 Review Date: 06/14/2014
Rating: (4) Recommended
We decided relatively last minute to take a 4 day, Memorial Day weekend trip. By 'relatively last minute', I mean that we booked the middle of February. When I went online to look, Saratoga Springs was the only DVC resort with any availability. So we took what we could get.
I stayed here before, back in 2010, and while I remember that it is a huge, sprawling resort, it really impacted us this time. We had 2 studios in the Paddock area. The walk from out room to the Carriage House/Artist Pallette was roughly a mile round trip. Not so much with that. Besides that, the bus service, as it is everywhere around WDW, was as inconsistent as ever. I almost prefer to just cab it from resort to resort than screw around waiting for the busses.
The room was nice, and well kept, so no issues there. The Paddock pool was also very nice, and much more convenient to us than the main pool.
All in all, while it is a nice resort, it's definitely down on the bottom of the list for me when it comes to DVC resorts.
