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(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, see this.)

PHOTO TOUR OF A STUDIO AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

Note: most spaces at Saratoga Springs have completed a refurb. The material below is about a not-yet-refurbed Studio. For a floor plan and some thoughts on a refurbed Studio, see this.

There’s five room types at Saratoga Springs–Studios, One Bedroom Villas, Two Bedroom Villas (essentially a combination of the first two), Treehouses, and Grand Villas.

This page shows what you’ll find in a Studio.

At the entry you’ll find the closet and bath on one side, and the kitchenette on the other:

The spaciousness at this end of the room allows a connecting door here to a One Bedroom Villa, so that the two spaces together can be rented as a “lock-off” Two Bedroom Villa.  A connecting door at this end allows access to the bath in the Studio from the connecting room without entering the master bedroom.

Here’s the kitchenette…

…and here it is open for business.

Note the mini-fridge, microwave, toaster and coffeemaker. The room comes with the paper plates, plastic utensils and such stacked in the top left.

More of the mini-fridge.

Across the entry hall is the closet, with an iron, ironing board, and safe.  The vacuum cleaner is there because when rooms are let based on DVC points, housekeeping comes only every four days, so you can push the vacuum about in between such visits. If you rent the room for cash, you get daily cleaning like any other hotel room.

Next to the closet is the bath sink…

…and in their own separate space, a tub/shower and toilet.

Deeper in the room on one side you’ll find the TV/dresser combo and a table and chairs.

This side from the back.

The dresser includes open shelving and plenty of drawer space too.

Here’s a closer view of the table and chairs.

On the other side of the room you’ll find a queen bed and a fold-out sofa.

The bed side from the back of the room.

A closer view of the bed.

Note the nice carving on the headboard of the queen.

Between the bed and the couch is this good-sized bedside table with a drawer above and a cabinet below.

The sofa is a little cramped in its space, but has a convenient tray on top of the ottoman, so that the objects combined can serve either as a footstool, chair, or coffee table–a nice touch.

The pillows on the sofa are among the horsey elements of the room, but–at least to me–are too cute to fit in with the style of everything else. .

The sofa folds out to make a bed, which I measured as 75 inches long by 54 inches wide.  It sleeps shorter than that, as there’s an uncomfortable bar at the foot of the bed.  The cushion is four inches deep, but I still found it less comfortable than other similar fold-out beds at Disney World–and I am not picky…

The final feature at this end is a balcony–or, as was the case in my studio, for ground floor rooms a patio.  Note that Saratoga Springs in general cheaps out on balconies (Grand Villas have like one, compared to 4-6 in many Grand Villas elsewhere), so that in “dedicated” Two Bedroom Villas there may be no balcony in their equivalent of this space, the second bedroom.

See the image for an example, where a stacked set of dedicated Two Bedroom Villas a little right of center has just one balcony in the center shared living space.

PHOTO TOUR OF THE LIVING/DINING/KITCHEN SPACE IN ONE AND TWO BEDROOM VILLAS AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

This review continues here.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JULY 26 TO AUGUST 3, 2014

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the image, but organized by park, not by topic.

For more on July 2014 at Walt Disney World, see this.

[Read more →]

OVERVIEW: DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT & SPA FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS

Note: guests at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa are eligible for Disney World’s Early Entry program, and have the ability to pre-book as early as  seven days before check-in Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass rides. They are also eligible for its Extended Evening Hours.

Most room options at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa are wonderful places for returning visitors to Walt Disney World to stay–especially smaller families and those planning a lot of time at Disney Springs.

For typical first-time visitors, I don’t recommend the Disney Vacation Club resorts.

That said, these “DVC” resorts can be a great choice for first time visitors with large families, needing extra sleeping spaces, or looking for a more comfortable place to stay.

Among the Disney Vacation Club resorts for first-time visitors, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa ranks at the bottom of the Disney Vacation Club resorts.

THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB RESORTS

You can have a spectacular visit at any Walt Disney World resort.

However, this site recommends that first time visitors to Walt Disney World avoid the Disney Vacation Club resorts, while noting that these resorts are wonderful for visits after the first.

(You can find extensive detail on the DVC resorts here.)

The recommendation comes from the simple fact that the distinguishing feature of these resorts–extra space and full kitchens–will not be of much value to first-time visitors following one of the itineraries on this site, as they won’t be used much.

However the Disney Vacation Club resorts represent more than 10% of Walt Disney World’s total rooms, and are very appropriate for first time visitors with large families, needing extra sleeping spaces, or looking for a more comfortable place to stay.

Because of this, I’m providing a series of up-to-date reviews as I revisit these resorts.

We’ve stayed at Saratoga Springs eight times, and this review is based on those stays.

DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA

(Note: Spaces at Saratoga Springs are being refurbed, and most of this review covers not-yet refurbed rooms. For more on refurbed rooms at Saratoga Springs, see this. Moreover, this review focuses on the main Saratoga Springs resort, not the Treehouses.  For the Treehouses, see this as well.)

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience.

On this basis, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa comes at the bottom of the Disney Vacation Club resorts. (See this for resort rankings.)

This review of Saratoga Springs has eight pages:

• The overview page you are on now
• Theming and accommodations at Saratoga Springs
• Refurbed rooms at Saratoga Springs
• A three page photo tour of a Studio and a One Bedroom Villa (the two combined being a Two Bedroom Villa):
  • Photo tour of a Studio
  • Photo tour of the Living/Dining/Kitchen Space in One and Two Bedroom Villas at Saratoga Springs
  • Photo tour of the Bath and Master Bedroom in One and Two Bedroom Villas at Saratoga Springs
• Amenities at Saratoga Springs
• Dining at Saratoga Springs
• The Pools at Saratoga Springs

KID APPEAL AND CONVENIENCE AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA

Kid Appeal. While quite charming to adults, Saratoga Springs has no real kid appeal compared to alternatives like the Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

It has some great pools…and that’s about it. For more on theming at Saratoga Springs, see this, and for more on the pools at Saratoga Springs, see this.

Convenience. Saratoga Springs is not as isolated as it is sometimes described to be–it’s not far from Epcot, for example, and right next door to the great dining at Disney Springs. That said, its distance, sprawling layout, and multiple bus stops make it the least convenient of the Walt Disney World resorts.

Transport to all Disney World Destinations except Disney Springs is via bus.

You can walk to Disney Springs from the Congress Park area, or take a boat there from the Springs area. Internal buses will take you to either area.

OTHER DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA

Saratoga Springs has a number of very strong positives.

First is value for money.  While rooms are small compared to many other Disney Vacation Club resort options, it is typically among the lowest cost options of all the DVC resorts. There’s an overview of accommodations at Saratoga Springs here, and a photo tour of its principal room types starts here.

A second positive of Saratoga Springs–one that it shares with Old Key West–is that because of the “single-sided” building layout that both of these resorts have, there are no bad views.

Accommodations buildings at Saratoga Springs are spread among fairways and water, giving great vistas and fine views.

Third, the resort is the closest of all of the Walt Disney World resorts to Disney Springs, and the only one from which one can walk to it. Boat service to Disney Springs is also available.

Fourth, it contains the best spa at Walt Disney World–a spa commonly ranked among the top five resort spas in the country.

Fifth, the start of Lake Buena Vista golf course is on property–handy for golfers. The image is of the Treehouse Villas across a fairway.

Finally it has a couple of great pools–the main themed pool, High Rock Spring pool, near the Springs section, and the best second-best pool at Walt Disney World, the Paddock pool in the Paddock Section.  More on the pools at Saratoga Springs is here.

Saratoga Springs also has some distinctive negatives.

It is quite sprawling.

As a result, only a few buildings–specifically those in the Springs and a few in the Grandstand sections–are a quick walk to the main pool, shops, and restaurant, and many–specifically those in the Carousel, Congress Park, and Treehouses sections–are quite a hike. (See below for a map.)

Dining is thin for a resort that can fit so many people.  See this for more on dining at Saratoga Springs.

Furnishings and finishes are nice but overfill the small rooms.

In particular, the living areas in the one and two-bedroom villas are so small that if the couch is unfolded for use as a bed, the rest of the room becomes near unusable.  This area is also woefully small for the eight people that two bedroom villas can hold.

Other DVC options are more kid appealing, more convenient, more livable…or all three! There’s an overview of accommodations at Saratoga Springs here, and a photo tour of its principal room types starts here.

BEST AND WORST ROOMS AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA

Because of its size, and the scattering of its building areas in a 200+ acre space, there is a real difference in the convenience of the buildings.

The Springs buildings are the most convenient–closest to the main pool, restaurant, and spa.  The nearer buildings in the Grandstand area are your next best choice, and after that those Paddock buildings that are near the footbridge that connects them to the Springs area. See the map.

Ask for a second story or higher room in the Springs buildings, or if unavailable, the Grandstand or Paddock buildings. (Second floor or higher so that you get a balcony, rather than a patio.)

Avoid all the Carousel area–remarkably distant, and abutting a road with substantial bus traffic to Disney Springs.

Most should also avoid the Congress Park area, also distant.  Congress Park does have a wonderful view of Disney Springs. For returning visitors interested in the wonderful new dining at Disney Springs, Congress Park is within the easiest walking distance of it.

The Treehouses are so far, and so different, that they would be another resort if there were not only 60 of them.

Because of this, they have their own review here.

BEST FOR:

Families seeking a bit of extra privacy or more beds, families looking for a more comfortable place to stay, families with a car (so they can overcome the inconvenience and sprawl of the resort), families interested in the spa or Downtown Disney.

WORST FOR:

Families looking for a kid-appealing or convenient resort; families without a car, families that mean to fit more than six people into one of its Two-Bedroom Villas.

THEMING AND ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

This review continues here!

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A deal for discounted rooms at Walt Disney World for much of the fall of 2014 is now out.

It covers “most” nights October 4 through November 25, and November 29 through December 23, 2014, and needs to be booked by October 3.

Which resorts are in the deal isn’t clear yet, but for those which are participating, expect discounts of

• 15% at value resorts
• 20% at moderates
• 30% at deluxes and DVC resorts

Moreover, if you book your visit through my friends at Destinations in Florida, you get a copy of my book The Easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit for free while supplies last! Request a quote from them via this link!

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(For the first page of this review of the Treehouse Villas, click here.)

THE MASTER BEDROOM AND BATH AT THE TREEHOUSE VILLAS

The master bedroom in the Treehouse Villas has a queen bed–smaller than the kings in other DVC master bedrooms.

Here’s another view of the queen. Note the fun headboard…

…and the tables on either side, with a drawer above and shelf below.

On the wall between the living room and bedroom you’ll find this dresser…

…with four smallish-drawers.

The wall across from the foot of the bed has a bench with a coat rack above, and a desk with a 54 inch TV above.

The bench includes this large drawer.

Near the door to the bath you’ll find this closet–there’s plenty of storage both in this room and in the Treehouse overall. (The lower clothes rod makes the closet more accessible. Standard rooms have a higher one.)

The master bath layouts vary quite  a bit between accessible and standard rooms. First I’ll show a standard bath.

The master bath opens from the back of the bedroom. It offers this sink and large counter, with storage underneath.

Note the fun sculpting of the faucet–one of many little design touches in the Treehouses that add add to their woodsy charm.

In a drawer under the sink you’ll find a hair dryer.

Beyond is a glassed-in whirlpool bath, with, unusually…

…a shower before the bath in the same glassed-in space.

The toilet has its own separate space.

Accessible master baths have a different layout other than the sink, and the sink has a cutout rather than storage shelves below. The toilet is in the area where in a standard room you’d find the tub and shower…

And vice versa, except in an accessible room you get a tub/shower combo.

THE BACK BEDROOMS AND BATH AT THE TREEHOUSE VILLAS

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(For the first page of this review of the Treehouse Villas, click here.)

PHOTO TOUR OF THE LIVING DINING KITCHEN SPACE OF THE TREEHOUSE VILLAS

The Treehouse Villas are oddly shaped and one story off the ground. As a result, they have an unusual floor plan.

You enter past the barbecue grill up to the deck via stairs–some Treehouses with ramps are also available, for those who need the access assistance.

The deck is quite large–the table there easily seats six, with additional chairs taken out from inside.

The door from the deck opens into the expansive dining/kitchen/living space. Note the woodsy decor.

Immediately on the right at the entry you’ll find this closet–one of four in the space.

A closer view of the large safe in this closet–my book is six inches by nine inches.

Next is the dining table.

Bigger than those in any other DVC resort, it seats six with ease, and seven if three on the bench have slender hips.

Deeper in the room are three upholstered chairs.

A closer view of the couch and larger chair.

This space from the back, by the master bedroom.

The TV in front of the couch is 42 inches–smaller than the 54 inch TVs you’ll find in the bedrooms, because it has to fit in the kitchen counter.  The viewing angle of the TV is fine from the couch, less so from the two chairs.

The couch folds out into a bed that I measured as within an inch of 5 feet wide by 78+ inches long, with a good 5 inch deep cushion.

The larger chair next to the couch folds out into a bed that’s narrow at about 28 inches wide but 77 inches long with a 5 inch deep cushion.

There’s nothing in this space that functions as a dresser for those sleeping in it. There’s the large entry closet noted above, but it has no drawers.  However, for most groups there will be excess space in the drawers in the two back bedrooms that can be used.  You may also be able to create space in the kitchen cabinets, but there’s not as lot of excess in these.

The kitchen includes a breakfast counter with three stools…

…and on the other side of it a sink and prep area. My latest Treehouse room was an accessible room, so in other Treehouses you’ll find the sink cabinet flush all the way down rather than inset like this one, and the trash cans in a cabinet. Note the toaster and coffeemaker.

A closer view of the coffeemaker.

Across from the sink you’ll find a range and microwave. Note the barbecue tools to the right of the stove, for use on the outdoor grill. Non-accessible rooms will have the microwave hung above the range.

Next to them is a full fridge/freezer–above is from one of my other Treehouses…

…and this one, with the freezer below, from the accessible Treehouse.

As with all DVC villas, these kitchens come with all of the basics you’ll need to prep, cook and serve the number of people these rooms will sleep–here’s a couple of photos of just some of the stuff it comes with:

THE MASTER BEDROOM AND BATH AT THE TREEHOUSE VILLAS

This review continues here!

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