Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa is one of those “hidden gems” amongst the Disney Resorts. Saratoga Springs offers guests a “home away from home”, and has so many fun, family friendly amenities! I’m going to share with why our family really enjoys Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa!
General Overview of Saratoga Springs
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa is one of the original Disney Vacation Club properties. This means it houses studios up to Grand Villa accommodations for guests. There are no “standard rooms”, like you find at a regular Disney Resort. The entire property is composed of villas. This ranges from a studio to a 3-Bedroom Treehouse Villa. Yes, they have treehouses! So cool! The Studios are the most basic set up, with a kitchenette and no washer/dryer. The villas and treehouses have fully equipped kitchens and a full washer/dryer set.
Also, Saratoga Springs is located in the Disney Springs area. So guests can access Disney Springs by a walking path or via a water taxi. Currently, water taxis to and from Disney Springs are not operating for guests due to limited operations.
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa is considered a “Deluxe Villa” property amongst the Walt Disney World Resorts. It houses two “feature pools”, as well as several “quiet pools”, and provides Bus Transportation to the Disney theme parks.
Why Your Family will Love Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
There is a housing option for everyone. The Deluxe Studios are perfect for a smaller family. These have a queen bed and a sleeper sofa. They also have a small kitchenette, which makes it very convenient to prepare small meals during your stay!
The One and Two Bedroom Villas are amazingly spacious. I love, love, love the set up of the villas. In a two-bedroom, off of the entryway is a full bathroom, and a bedroom with two queen beds. On the other side is the living room with a pull down Murphy bed from the wall, and a single pull down under the television. There is a TV, a fully equipped kitchen with full size appliances, and the small laundry area. Continuing on to the other side of the living space is another full bathroom and a master bedroom with a king size bed.
There is SO much room! The One-Bedroom Villas are set up very much the same way. The main difference is you have just the master bedroom, with the king bed. And the One-Bedroom Villas have a split bath. So one side is a bath tub, sink, and closet. The other side, with its separate door, is a toilet, shower, and sink. There is still plenty of space, but not two FULL bathrooms.
The boat or walkway to Disney Springs is very convenient. Visiting Disney Springs on a “non park day”, or on arrival day, is a fun way to immerse yourself in the Disney magic. Staying at Saratoga Springs gives you easy access to A LOT of dining options at Disney Springs. It is very easy to get there….you can take a bus, a boat {when they are operating} or walk. The walking path is probably most convenient to those in the Springs area of the resort. We chose to take a Disney motorcoach to Disney Springs, and that worked out really well!
Having a kitchen or kitchenette on vacation is nice. Now, that is coming from a girl who does not like to cook on vacation. Who also at the same time does not like to feed her kids junk and processed foods for an entire week either. So what is the happy medium? With Amazon Prime Now, or local Orlando grocers who will deliver to the resorts, it’s so easy to get non perishable foods and snacks right to you at the resort. On our two stays at Saratoga, we planned at least one meal a day in our villa. If the space is there to prep food, I like to use it. It’s also a huge moneysaver!
When traveling with older kids, the extra space is amazing. As our children have grown, we are finding the need for space more important when traveling. The amount of sleeping space, and lounging space with the living area in the villas, is perfect. When traveling with littles, it’s so easy to put them down to bed or a nap in a bedroom, and have full use of the living area as well. Spreading out on vacation makes everyone happier for sure!
Saratoga Springs is actually closer to the parks than you think. This was my major concern with staying here. I am spoiled by our stays at the other deluxe resorts with multiple transportation options to the theme parks. So I was not excited to be so “far” from the parks. I was SO wrong! Having stayed in both the Springs and Paddock at Saratoga, I like them equally. I also request a ground floor villa, near transportation. The bus stop was literally a hop skip and jump away. The Springs was toward the middle of the resort, and we had short bus rides everywhere. The buses ran SO well, and surprisingly, Saratoga Springs is very close to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The pools and amenities are great for everyone in your family. Did you know that Saratoga Springs has TWO feature pools? Yes! The High Rock Springs Pool is located near the main area of the resort. It houses a water slide, hot tub, zero entry pool, and this is where you will find the pool “activities”. This area also has a Donal Duck themed splash play area and a small waterslide for littles. Then, the Paddock Pool also has a tall water slide, as well as a zero entry pool AND a splash/play area for young children. Both areas have a pool bar and small restaurant that serves food.
You can also find a nice gift shop, and a decent Quick Service menu at the Artist’s Palette. They also sell larger size food items to stock your villa!
Overall, our times at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort have been awesome. I think it is a great option for larger families, traveling with extended family, and anyone who is looking for the conveniences of home on vacation. Have you stayed at Disney’s Saratoga Springs?
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