The Victorian inspired theme is simple, and elegant which some people have mistakenly called boring. Disney doesn't do boring. They just do their themes right. Anyone who has been to the racing town of Saratoga Springs, NY cannot deny how perfectly Disney has captured the look and feel of the town. The horse theme is carried throughout the resort but does not feel like a dude ranch (We'll leave that to Fort Wilderness Resort).
Oh, and the view... The middle image below is the view from our villa's balcony. We were located in the Congress Park area and had a view of the water as well as Downtown Disney. It was also a nice quick walk from our room to the Market Place which was awesome for us since the parks closed fairly early most nights we were there that trip.
The other two images above are from the lobby. They had a framed photo of every horse from an animated Disney film. It was a very nice touch that brought the Disney feel back into the resort.
The resort is HUGE. It is sprawling really. It is like a world unto itself to be honest with you. It is located right on one of Disney's numerous golf courses, boasts it's own spa, and has several themed pools and slides. The dining is also top notch. I could definitely see someone staying at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa and never touching foot in a theme park during the trip. (I say someone rather than myself b/c let's face it, I don't think I could enter the state of Florida without visiting the Magic Kingdom let alone stay on property and not visit Mr. Mickey Mouse)
Have you ever stayed at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa? What was your favorite part of the resort?
I stayed at Saratoga Springs this past October (2011) before a Disney Cruise. I was very disappointed in our room--but loved our view. I had previously stayed at Coronado Springs and at Port Orleans Riverside twice before. I did love the walk to Downtown Disney---but I found Saratoga Springs to be lacking in elegance, character and 'special' treats that the other resorts had. It seemed as if the buildings were were slapped up to quickly sell to DVC buyers. I'm not a DVC member-- but stayed because I was lucky to get an amazing castmember discount. I was just happy that we didn't have to stay a whole week there--and only stayed for a few days before we headed off to the Eastern Caribbean. Mad4mky :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that you didn't have a great experience. I actually thought that our one bedroom villa was one of the best maintained rooms we have stayed in on property.
ReplyDeleteWe stayed 8 days and I would have gladly stayed 8 months.
The only complaint I could have made was the scratches in the table but that has more to do with the way people treat hotel rooms than the room itself.
I definitely understand what you mean about about the lack of... let's say Disney magic compared to other resorts. I have to disagree about the lack of elegance and character however because I think that's what the resort was all about, understated elegance and upscale small town charm.
But! It's okay to disagree. That's what is so awesome about the Walt Disney World Resort, there is a hotel/resort designed for everyone and what one person loves another might hate and that's okay.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience! I love to hear from different experiences. :-)