Disney's Saratoga Springs Review

One of my dear Disney friends is Melissa from Rolling with the Magic (Disney on Wheels).  Melissa and I "met" through the Magical Blogorail and I was lucky enough to meet her in person several years ago at Walt Disney World.  I liked her before we met in person and I like her even more since we've met!  Melissa writes about Disney from a very unique perspective as she is a wheelchair user.  She has stayed at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort in the past and was willing to write a review for "A Disney Mom's Thoughts" this week!  Thanks Melissa for this awesome review- one day I hope to stay here! 

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa is a Victorian inspired resort located near Downtown Disney. While is is a DVC resort it's open to anyone. My husband and I rented points and stayed at Saratoga Springs a few years ago and had a really great time. There are of course some cons to the resort but we thought the pros outweighed them.

First, it is a large resort. There are multiple bus stops throughout the resort so if you take Disney transportation you could be on the bus a while just to get around the resort. We drive so we decided not to use the busses during our stay. Since the resort is so large there is plenty of parking though and we never had a problem finding a space near our building. Also, since the resort is so large you could end up being really far away from the main part of the resort. If that is important to you make sure it is noted on your room requests. Since the resort is so close to Downtown Disney there are parts that are close enough for you to walk. There are also two water launches, at the Treehouse Villas and a short walk from the lobby, that have water taxis to Downtown Disney. Once the expansion at Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs) is complete I think staying at Saratoga Springs will be more enticing.

Another pro for us was the dining. There is a table service location, the Turf Club Bar and Grill, which we didn't try but I've heard good things about it. The Artist's Palette is the quick service spot and it is now one of our favorite places on property. Breakfast was always delicious and I really enjoyed the vegetable omelette. My husband still talks about how good the Lobster Club sandwich was. The flatbreads were also really good.

Saratoga Springs has studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom villas. We stayed in a one bedroom and had more than enough room. The decor has changed since we stayed and they have added a few more Disney details which was something I missed during our stay. The rooms were nice but they aren't my favorite.

The Treehouse Villas are also located at Saratoga Springs. They are lifted 10 feet off of the ground and are three bedroom villas surrounded by the forest on the Sassagoula River. I think it would be so much fun to stay in one of these!

photo credit: Darren Wittko via photopin cc

Another pro is that since the resort is so large there are multiple pools to enjoy. The main one is the High Rock Spring pool and is zero entry. It is located near the main lobby and features a 128 foot slide. There are also 2 whirlpool spas and a Donald Duck water play area with a miniature slide for the little ones. The On the Rocks pool bar was nice and has a few snacks but it was also really easy to get to the Artist's Palette.

The Paddock Pool also has a waterside, it's a 146 feet long, and is zero entry. There is also a horse shoe shaped whirl pool spa nearby. The kids water play area has two small slides. And since the pool is farther away from the main area of the resort the Paddock Grill offers more options. In addition there are three quiet pools located at the Treehouse Villas, the Grandstand, and Congress Park. We visited the one at the Grandstand and had a nice relaxing afternoon. It was less crowded than the two main pools and had some nice shaded areas. There was also a pool bar and kids area.

Overall we really enjoyed our stay at Saratoga Springs. It is a large resort but it was also somehow very quiet and peaceful. We ended up hanging out at our room and lot and relaxing, which is not something we typically do on Walt Disney World vacations. I think it's location to the new Disney Springs will make it more appealing.