When planning a trip to Walt Disney World, you will have a very difficult, but necessary choice to make. Where to stay? Some see this as a simple choice as all you need is a bed to lie your head and place to freshen up but it should go farther than that. The Disney Imagineers have gone to great lengths to create resort environments that go far beyond a bed and bathroom. Now, don’t get me wrong. If all you want is a pillow and a water closet there are many good hotels outside of Disney property but if you want to fully experience the magic than you have to stay onsite.

There are so many uniquely themed resorts to choose from. They range from Value, Moderate and Deluxe accommodations. As the names imply they also range in prices. The more you are willing to pay, the more you get. What I mean by more is, more spacious rooms, more accommodations, more features and more benefits. In coming blogs, we will try to hit them all!

For today, let’s go to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR). Why start there? Well, simple, I just got back from a long weekend staying there. Makes sense to start there. Anyway, to give a disclaimer, this is my home resort. I am a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member. (We’ll hit the pros and cons of membership in a later blog) I stay at this resort more than any other as it always seems to have availability.

Saratoga is the 5th DVC resort built on Disney property and the 7th overall. SSR is the largest DVC hotel on WDW property in regards to rooms. There are 18 buildings which hold various size rooms that range from studios, one bedroom, two bedrooms and up to three bedroom grand villas. The studios are 355 sq. ft., and the grand villas are a whopping 2113 sq. ft. in size! This resort has accommodations for any size family.

The style is themed after the Upstate NY horse racing town of Saratoga Springs in the late 1800’s. The architecture is more reminiscent of the Victorian age with the pastel color palette to match. The grounds look exactly like you’d expect upstate NY town to look like during that era in history. The grounds are spread out and include lakes, walkways, wooden bridges, pools and even a golf course. The landscaping is lush with green trees, lawns and bushes. See the attached pics, and you’ll get the picture, literally.

The main pool is large and is themed as if it was a lake. A great side and children’s water area complete the look. Of course, there are a few quiet pools on property. At the same location, you’ll find the main building which houses the check-in area, gift shop, table service and a counter service restaurant. Both eating venues are very good.

I could go on and on about Saratoga Springs but for the sake of space I’ll stop here. I will delve into restaurants in later blogs so we’ll be back to SSR. Anyway, if you have any questions or want to share your thoughts, please leave a comment!

-Hi, I’m Alan, and I’m a Disney addict