When booking a vacation at Walt Disney World, guests have numerous resorts to select from. In fact, Walt Disney World currently offers five value resorts, four moderate resorts, nine deluxe resorts, and 10 deluxe villa resorts in its current catalog.
Each grouping will offer different pricing and accommodations. For example, the deluxe villa accommodations are located at Disney Vacation Club properties and offer full-size kitchens and multiple bedrooms.
While each resort has its own distinct theming and background, one resort typically gets forgotten in the planning process: Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. This is especially true for Disney Vacation Club members, since this and Old Key West are likely the resorts with the most availability at the seventh-month booking window.
While this will often be the case in the future, given its lack of overall popularity and its location, I will make the case that the “resort of last resorts” for DVC members is worth staying at on your next vacation to Walt Disney World.
Resort Background
This resort is located in the Disney Springs area of the property. Back in the 1970s, this land was actually originally planned to house a living district as part of Lake Buena Vista. While there were homes on this property at first, they were converted into hotel accommodations in the 1980s to coincide with the Walt Disney World Village shopping district, which is now Disney Springs.
In the 1990s, this area would see a major transformation. The 1990s were a monumental time for the Walt Disney Company. Then-CEO Michael Eisner invested heavily in parks and resorts and greenlit several major expansions that still stand today. Some of these include two new theme parks, Disney’s MGM Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. When looking at resorts, this leadership saw the construction of the first wave of DVC properties, such as Old Key West, Disney’s Boardwalk Villas, Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and two off-property resorts, Disney’s Vero Beach and Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort.
However, one of the more unknown projects during this time was the Disney Institute. In February of 1996, the Disney Institute opened, offering guests a unique vacation experience. Instead of spending time with one of the park’s meeting characters and riding the new attractions, guests would use that time to participate in enrichment activities.
Some of these included exercise, gardening, culinary classes, and drawing, among many others. This was a unique experience that offered guests who did not want to be part of the hustle and bustle of a Disney vacation but still wanted to enjoy the Disney experience, especially from a participatory perspective.
However, as expected, a project of this magnitude struggled to connect with the general consumer. When guests think of a Walt Disney World vacation, they do not picture spending all of their time in enrichment classes. Not to say those were not rewarding experiences, but they do not fit the mold of guests’ expectations. With Mickey Mouse and the rest of the Fab Five not present at this location, Disney needed to offer a “quick fix” for this location.
However, with so much infrastructure already in place, Disney needed to find a way to salvage most of it given its prime location, adjacent to Downtown Disney and the recently opened Pleasure Island.
As noted earlier, Disney’s timeshare program, Disney Vacation Club, launched in 1991 and proceeded to be a significant success for the company as tourism to the resort surged. Each of their initial properties was highly popular and generated new revenue for the company, attracting long-term repeat visitors.
Given the success of this timeshare and the vast scale of the former Disney Institute, retrofitting this location into the seventh DVC property was an easy, highly profitable solution. On May 17, 2004, Disney officially opened Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.
The renovated Disney Institute now takes inspiration from a New York-inspired raceway and small town. The actual Saratoga Springs, located in upstate New York, is home to horse-racing venues and draws great inspiration from Victorian art.
Throughout the resort, you can find several nods to this design, including the names of the buildings, the pools, and even the eateries.
Why Stay at Saratoga Springs?
The first significant “pro” that comes to mind is the proximity to Disney Springs. Instead of having to rely on bus or boat transportation to take you to Disney Springs, Saratoga Springs offers a direct walking path to the honorary “fifth gate” of Walt Disney World.
While some sections of the resort are relatively far from the Springs, there is an internal bus loop and boat dock that make traversing the grounds relatively easy. In addition, if you wanted to take the walk from The Grandstand (the farthest section from the Springs), you could.
Disney Springs offers many unique activities and experiences that make it a great option for a non-park day. From several well-regarded eateries like The BOATHOUSE or Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, there is a cuisine for everyone. The close proximity also allows guests to visit the most sought-after locations in the Springs without the need to travel far from their resort.
Being able to walk to the Springs can guarantee you will be near the front of the line at Gideon’s Bakehouse or Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar, two locations that can get pretty busy on peak days and during the holidays.
If you enjoy spending a significant portion of your vacation shopping at the Springs, having your home resort just steps away (especially if you are staying at Congress Park) is a major benefit that many do not consider.
Another major positive of this resort is the tranquility and calm nature of the grounds. At Walt Disney World Resort, the case can be made that Saratoga Springs has some of the most beautiful walking paths in the entire resort collection.
As you walk through the grounds, you will see two primary pools (High Rock Spring Pool and the Paddock Pool) along with several other smaller pools, like the one in the Grandstand. Additionally, guests can enjoy great views of the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course, which is adjacent to the resort.
There are only a few resorts on the property that are as sprawling as Saratoga. This unique design allows guests to feel isolated from the hustle and bustle while still enjoying the Disney bubble. While it may take some effort to get to the parks (more on that later), returning to your resort and feeling as if you are in a quaint, upstate Victorian-themed town is an incredible benefit of the resort.
That brings me to the next point, the quality of the rooms. The rooms underwent a renovation in 2021, which brought many highly requested upgrades, such as a new pull-down Murphy bed and a greater focus on theming.
Throughout the rooms, guests can spot many subtle nods to characters that still make this resort feel like it is in the heart of Walt Disney World, while not containing “in your face” theming.
Behind the pull-down bed, guests can spot a beautiful painting of the “Super Six” sitting outside a Victorian-style house. In addition, to the left, there is a small statue of Mickey playing golf with the resort’s logo printed on the bottom.
These subtle nods have given these rooms so much-needed life and helped bring even more character into the resort.
The final positive about this resort is the improved food. While the cuisine is not often discussed as a major positive of this resort and something to go out of your way for, given that Disney Springs is just a walk away, guests may be pleasantly surprised on their next stay.
Their table-service restaurant, The Turf Club Bar and Grill, recently underwent a menu makeover, bringing much-needed changes to this often-overlooked restaurant. One of these newer items was the Turf Club Burger, which features a signature blend patty, Applewood smoked bacon, New York white cheddar, Saratoga sauce, and even mixed greens from The Land Pavilion at EPCOT.
I’d also recommend visitors try the Salted Caramel Crème Brûlèe for dessert. It has the perfect blend of mocha and caramel and has become my go-to dessert option at this restaurant.
A secret “hack” is that guests do not even need a reservation at the restaurant to enjoy most of the menu. The Turf Club Lounge, located right outside the table-service restaurant, now offers several appetizers from the main menu, like the Onion-Ring Tower and Sweet-and-Spicy Brussels Sprouts, as well as the Turf Club Burger. Similar to those familiar with Steakhouse 71, if the restaurant is crowded or you are not looking for a full sit-down experience, guests can enjoy one of their signature dishes or appetizers in the lounge for a more relaxed setting.
Their primary quick-service restaurant, The Artist’s Palette, also has a few hidden gems, including their Avocado Toast and fresh pizzas baked in a brick oven for those looking for a more casual setting.
The other quick service location is in The Paddock section, The Paddock Grill, which offers burgers, sandwiches, and other classic American fare and is a great spot for those looking for a quick meal on the go.
However, there are reasons this is often deemed the resort of last resorts in the DVC world and overlooked in the entire resort collection, and, for argument’s sake, let’s take a look at a few.
The Flip Side
While the calmness and tranquility of this report are a glowing positive, there is another side to the coin. The major problem with Saratoga Springs is that you are far from the four theme parks.
Unlike “most” Disney Vacation Club or Deluxe Resorts (not including Old Key West and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge), you are not within walking distance or a short transportation ride from any of the four theme parks, which can be a major turnoff for the park-going crowd.
The escape from the hustle and bustle is a significant positive, but the result of that is a major turnoff for visitors. After a long day in the parks, guests want to return to their hotel as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, guests staying at Saratoga Springs will likely have the longest wait, especially if they are the last stop on the bus loop. This leads to another major counterargument to staying here: the internal bus loop.
The vast majority of Disney hotels feature one bus stop (or two if they share one with a nearby resort). However, Saratoga Springs has a hefty five bus stops, which make getting to and back from the parks feel like a journey in itself.
If you are staying in the Congress Park section, you are the first group of guests to board a bus. You would then have to make five more stops before reaching your destination. While you do get the treat of getting dropped off at your building first on the way back home, guests need to bake in another 30-40 minutes of transportation into their schedule.
This can be difficult for families with younger children who may spend only a few hours in the park before returning to their rooms for a break. You may end up spending over an hour of your day on transportation.
Another negative that guests may not consider when staying here is the distance between buildings. When booking a stay using your DVC points, you can choose to stay in a preferred section (Congress Park or The Springs) or a standard section (The Carousel, The Paddock, or The Grandstand). This selection could be the difference between you really enjoying your time at the resort or disliking it, given how far you are from the amenities.
A preferred location will either place you close to the main lobby (The Springs) or Disney Springs (Congress Park). The standard sections vary, but The Carousel or The Grandstand is the farthest from both the lobby and Disney Springs.
Unknowing guests who stay in standard sections could be in for quite a surprise when they are a sizeable distance from the food court, resort store, and front desk.
Final Thoughts – Why this Resort is Still a Hidden Gem
Picking your resort on your next Disney vacation is likely the first step in the planning process. Much thought typically goes into this, as it may dictate your plans for that trip. For most DVC members, this selection can be made as early as 11 months before your vacation, if booking at your home resort.
If you’re planning on attending an After Hours event at EPCOT, it might be beneficial to stay at a resort within walking distance. Have a ticket for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? Then, Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort may be your preferred choice.
However, finding a resort within the Disney bubble that offers a sense of escape from the crowds is often challenging. While you get hit with a massive wave of nostalgia when you step foot into Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, there’s a good chance you bumped into some families on the way in due to its massive popularity, or are simply overwhelmed due to the overcrowded lobby.
Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa offers a perfect blend of Disney with a sense of escape. In the main lobby, you are greeted by several gorgeous paintings of Disney horses for those needing a Disney touch, and there are several calm corners leading up to the food court, themed as a Victorian upstate New York town to relax for those needing a break after a long park day.
Throughout the grounds, guests can enjoy scenic walks past fountains and planters. More importantly, guests can often enjoy these paths on their own and without large groups around them, given the resort’s sprawling nature.
While the location and sometimes frustrating bus loop are negatives worth considering, the next time you book your Disney vacation, consider this resort. Saratoga Springs will provide you with an entirely different experience that most Walt Disney World resorts cannot provide: an escape.
