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

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

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

One Bedroom Villas at Saratoga Springs include a king master bedroom, an extended bath accessible from both the bedroom and the living area, and a living area with a kitchen/dining/seating area including a fold-out couch that sleeps two.

Two Bedroom Villas essentially add a Studio (see the prior page of this review) to sleep 8. Neither the dining nor the seating area can fit a group of eight…

The entry has a a connecting door to a Studio.

Beyond the entry, the opening to the bath and master bedroom area is on one side…

…and the kitchen on the other.

The kitchen has all the basics, but like other DVC one and two bedroom villas of this particular design (BoardWalk, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge), it is cramped. The earliest (Old Key West) and more recent (Jambo, Kidani, Bay Lake Tower, Grand Floridian) DVC villa offerings all have much better kitchens.

These kitchens come stocked with all standard prep, cooking, and serving gear.

Deeper in the room one side has a TV/dresser, easy chair, and a breakfast bar snuggled up to the kitchen.

The dresser has two large drawers, enough storage for the two people this room sleeps.

The easy chair.

The other side of the room has a dining table across from the kitchen, and a couch deeper in the room.

This side from the back.

It’s hard to fit more than four at the dining table.

The living room seats three to four on the couch and chair.

The coffee table opens to reveal more storage. A storage ottoman with a tray–like in the studio–would have made the room more livable, as the ottoman could be used for seating too.

The sofa unfolds into a bed that I measured as 60 inches by 75 inches–a little smaller than a queen.  It has a four inch deep cushion and is so-so.

Outside you’ll find a balcony or patio.

The room has some cute details–like this lamp…

…and this wall art. It is, I assume, of painters of the Hudson River school working on vistas near the real Saratoga Springs…but maybe not!

A little easier to establish is this wall art, reminiscent of Saratoga Race Course.

PHOTO TOUR OF THE BATH AND MASTER BEDROOM IN ONE AND TWO BEDROOM VILLAS AT DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT

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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

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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

This review continues here.

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