Saratoga Springs or Old Key West?

[Mrs Bus Driver]

Hi sometime in the next few years I will buy into DVC. Most likely around 150pts. I have spent a lot of time comparing the different resorts, reading and looking at pictures (daydreaming :cloud9:). IMHO all the resorts have their pluses but I have noticed that prices for SS are comparable to OKW. My question is this since SS has the longer contract why doesn't it cost more? I have read that some people don't like it but they love OKW. When I do buy it will be one of these 2 so I would like honest opinions why you do or don't like either of these resorts.
Thanks :mickey:

[dlpmikki]

OKW is prettier and has bigger rooms - the one beds are awesome!

SSR is closer to downtown disney and that is a plus for some folks but OKW originals (like me) think they are close enough.

[vizsla]

I have not stayed at SSR but have visited the resort and still prefer our Home Resort which is OKW. We love OKW and will always be happy there. Reasons we like OKW is because the rooms are larger than all the other DVC Resorts, the resort is spread out so you are not right on top of each other (it is set-up like its own little community), and it is a resort that gives that laid back feeling.

One thing I can suggest is that since it is a few years off till you make your purchase, you want to search the Internet for sites that have DVC Points for rent, and if you have the opportunity to rent some points at each location for a short stay it may help you make your decision easier.

[MinnieMommie]

My home resort is SSR and I love it there. OKW is really nice and I only hear good things from people who stay there. The feel at each resort is different and I agree that if you have an opportunity you should visit both before purchasing. My family are big DD fans so we like being able to have such a short walk there from SSR. The longer contract was another piece of the decision making process for us. You can not go wrong with either resort and in the end it will come down to your personal taste. :mickey:

[RedPanda]

We are OKW owners of long-standing and are still very happy with our choice. The ambience is quiet and relaxing. The rooms are exceptionally spacious and beautifully furnished. It really feels like home to us! You can park outside your building if you have a car. It is a series of little "neighborhoods" that is quite charming. :cloud9:

SSR is lovely and in a great location. However, it is a huge resort and we have found during our visits there that the bus service can be an issue. That may not be a deal-breaker for you, though. The villas themselves are smaller than at OKW - as are all the other DVC resorts. I think you will really notice the difference. You will be quite close to DTD at SSR, a real plus in terms of shopping and dining.

Both are terrific resorts. I am biased in favor of my home resort, but they both have much to recommend them. Once you stay at both, your favorite will emerge. Go with your heart!

[epceddie]

My wife and I are DVC members at OKW, but we stayed at SSR on our honeymoon in October and loved it.
We had a beautiful 1BR with a Downtown Disney view. You could see the Cirque du Soleil tent sitting on the bed and we loved our second-floor balcony.
There was a quiet pool nearby right on the water and we enjoyed it much more than the main pool. We had the pool all to ourselves a couple of days and there were only a couple of people there on the weekends.
We're waitlisted for a studio at OKW or SSR in October and we've already booked at 1BR at OKW for a trip in January with two friends.
We love OKW for the big rooms, Olivia's and the nice pool, but SSR also has its good points.
I really don't think you can go wrong at either resort.
It's Disney, have a ball!!!!!!!

[Aero]

We own at SSR, and are going to OKW in a week. I'll try to get back to you with my thoughts afterward. I do love SSR, tho.

It seems like if you're buying resale you'd get a lot more years out of SSR than OKW, since an OKW resale could have burned up 15 years already.

- Aero

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

SSR is our Home resort and we love everything about it. The decor, the location, the theming, the grounds are all perfect for us. The bus service was great during our last stay. We are really happy with our decision to go with SSR.

My husband and I stayed at OKW in June for 2 nights. We had a few issues (one quite major) that did not make our stay pleasant. But, we might give it a try again in the future. I know most people love OKW. We just felt that is wasn't as "fresh" as SSR. The grounds at OKW are gorgeous. The whole resort has a great atmosphere. It just wasn't for us.

Good luck either way. You really can't go wrong with any of the DVC resorts in my opinion.

[crazykids]

I've stayed in a studio at both SSR & OKW (my home resort is AKV). OKW was a little bigger, but I didn't think it was a huge diference. I really enjoyed my stay at SSR, we stayed in The Springs section, so we weren't very far from the restaurants, main pool, etc. I wouldn't want to stay in any other section at SSR because it is a huge resort & I like being close to the main lobby area. We had no issue with busses at either resort. I'd choose SSR for the contract life alone. You will still have a very good chance staying at OKW on short notice even if you don't own there.

[Sharon1026]

You can't go wrong with either, but I think you will get more years out of your contract if you sign up with SSR. Plus, SSR is much newer. The wear and tear is starting to show at some of the other resorts - OKW and Boardwalk in particular.

I've stayed at both and had a nice time. I have NEVER had a problem with bus service at ssr... it's always been very timely and there's never been a seating problem.

[DVC_dad]

We own at BWV, SSR, BCV, and OKW.

Bottom line. OKW is (not just a little) larger room size. SSR is even smaller than BWV but the pool is kind of neat and its close to DTD.

OKW is 100% sold so you may have to get that one resasle or get on a wait list.

Of the two OKW vs. SSR I would choose OKW every time easily. Of course we have 7 (yes seven) children, so naturally room size is an important aspect for us.

[Ian]

We've stayed at both more than once and we own at SSR.

I would hands-down go with Saratoga. First and foremost, you're going to get at least a decade's more ownership for roughly the same money. Secondly, Saratoga is a brand new resort and feels it as compared to OKW which, IMO, feels very aged and run-down.

But more importantly, a contract at SSR will get you the ability to book at the 11 month window for the new Treehouse Villas. However, on the downside, I suspect that's going to drive prices for SSR contracts up.

Another plus for SSR (if you consider it a plus) is that you'll probably be able to buy direct from Disney, since they'll be selling more SSR points now that they're adding on the treehouses.

[Aurora]

Ditto everything Ian said, and....


My question is this since SS has the longer contract why doesn't it cost more?

Because you're not technically purchasing a particular resort (even though it's your home resort), you're purchasing points in a Vacation Club. So there is a point price vs. a resort price.

SSR resale prices on the market right now are about what SSR owners paid for them, because the resort is only a few years old. OKW owners, however, bought their points in the 1990s, and those who are selling are making out because their purchase price was far below the price that Disney will buy back the points using its right of first refusal.

That's why you will see OKW prices at "about" the same on the resale market as SSR. (OKW prices actually are a little lower on average.)

[dlpmikki]

SSR resale prices on the market right now are about what SSR owners paid for them, because the resort is only a few years old. OKW owners, however, bought their points in the 1990s, and those who are selling are making out because their purchase price was far below the price that Disney will buy back the points using its right of first refusal.

That's why you will see OKW prices at about the same on the resale market as SSR.

That plus there are probably more SSR owners than all the other resorts put together. This means that if the same percentage sell as other resorts there will be more on the market and that can drive prices down. They are also very close location wise to OKW so that could lead to similar prices.

OKW finish dates are also worth checking on as they offered a 15 year extension to owners. If you buy from DVC you will get the extra years. If you buy from a member you need to find out if they extended or not.

OKW is now almost 17 years old and I think it looks pretty darn good for that. It did look a bit better when it first opened but if I compare how it looked then and SSR when it first opened then my long term money would be on OKW. OK, it is on OKW as I bought back then (yes at a bargain $51), but I have seen it age gracefully and I am not sure all those concrete outdoor corridors at SSR will age as gracefully. There are some people who like SSR but there are probably more people who have bought there and never stayed there and never want to unless a last resort.

[DVC_dad]

There are some people who like SSR but there are probably more people who have bought there and never stayed there and never want to unless a last resort.

No offense to the opposing opinions, but this would describe me to a T. I have stayed there twice and only then because it was a last minute unplanned trip and there was an avilable 2 BR.

Keep in mind, MY opinion is probably NOT the "norm" as I place a personal premium on room size and the ability to walk right out the front door to my vehicle. (With 7 kids, we don't usually take the bus or boats.)

As for aging, I don't think over time (say 10 years from now) there is going to be much difference in appearance. You have to consider, most of these rooms are occupied MOST of the time. Maintenence is at best an absolute nightmare, but they do a fantastic job IMHO.

REALLY you can't go wrong at either place but the extra years you get at SSR is hard to beat unless you could buy extended membership at the same price on a resale for OKW.

I would suggest you take a trip, rent points from someone and stay a couple nights at each resort.

[pianobabe]

My husband and I stayed at OKW in June for 2 nights. We had a few issues (one quite major) that did not make our stay pleasant. ... The grounds at OKW are gorgeous. The whole resort has a great atmosphere.
My husband and I just recently got back from a stay at OKW and we too had some problems. I agree that the resort is beautiful. If we hadn't of had the problems, we may have enjoyed it. It really put a damper on our stay. We will stay at another DVC in the future, but we will not stay at OKW again.
We checked into OKW on Sunday and we were scheduled to go on Monday to sign papers to join DVC. We cancelled the appointment.

[tundramom]

We just returned from our first and probably last OKW stay. Just a little background : DH and I are 45 and very physically active with a 13 y/o DD. We found OKW not only run " run down" as another poster stated but down right dirty. The front door (supposed to be a pretty blue) was absolutely grimey, the bathroom had cobwebs on the lights, no working fan, the lights switch had so much gunk on it you literally could scrape it off with your fingernail and it rolled:ack: and a broken off switch to boot. The drawer in the vanity was full of hair, again:ack::sick::ack: The sidewalk to our stairwell had the same trash the entire 5 nights of our stay just to name a few specific issues. The resort was very noisy IMHO. We found the lack of sidewalks to be an issue and the fact that you have to get ice at the bus stops? Give me a break. Everyone talks about how large SSR is, well we had to walk further to get to the bus stops at OKW than we've ever had to at SSR, not to mention that the layout was confusing. At SSR the paths are "inside" the building complex and lead to central locations, at OKW you literally have to walk in the parking lots to get to the occasional sidewalk that you get to inhale bus fumes from as you trek to the bus stop.
Our bottom line, if you need bigger rooms, spend a lot of time at the resort, and are carefree about your time/ like "laid back style" then by all means pick OKW. The studio was significantly larger than SSR. The pool area pretty, and it is defnitely laid back- on the way back from EPCOT 2 nights ago the entire bus was singing "Wasting away again in Margaritaville" and the crowd was definitely older.
If you want the extra use years, like the convenience of walking to DTD (and are fit enough to do it), like being outdoors with nature (we like to look for the otters but last year saw a gator instead), and don't mind a little more hustle and bustle then SSR is for you. Good luck either way:mickey:

[Ian]

Tundramom, your experience mirrors ours pretty closely. That's just about how I felt about OKW after our stay and it was somewhat compounded by a moderately-to-seriously incompetent front desk staff.

Outside of the lower point costs (which are more than warranted, IMO), I can't see why I'd ever stay at OKW again. Maybe if nothing else is available.

[Mackflava99]

I have stayed at neither OKW or SSR- Though i own at SSR, we have always stayed at other places...

My good friend LOVES OKW- he and his family go every year and really love the seclusion- they feel like its their own bungalo.

As for SSR - i have a sister who owns there and she loves it and raves about it-

The treehouses will be a real incentive, but i agree with some people above ( Ian etc) SSR is the better value-
My point is- i own at SSR and i am positive that OKW has availability if i need it, so you'd get the best of both worlds for a longer time...

[moonlightgraham22]

As previous posters have mentioned, our last visit to OKW was a little disappointing from a cleanliness and deferred maintenance aspect. We have visited OKW 5 times on II exchanges and always enjoyed it. On our last visit in May, however, our 10-month old while crawling around the 1br unit would come up with palms and knees just absolutely black with filth. Also, the bathrooms needed a good deep cleaning and chipped and pealing paint here and there just left us less than impressed.

That's why when I just recently purchased DVC points I picked SSR even though never having stayed there. Also, we do spend a lot of time at DTD and while OKW is close, I like the ability to walk back to SSR rather then mess with cars/buses or boats.

Finally, I like to run in the early morning and really enjoy the paved trail that connects SSR to OKW and have always run from one to the other and with DTD "still asleep" across the lake those runs were always a peaceful highlight to my trips.
Tom

[ElenitaB]

Tom, welcome to INTERCOT!

I don't own at either OKW or SSR; our home resort is VWL. However, I've stayed at both OKW and SSR. I love OKW... it has a charming layout and an out-of-the-way feel to it. It was our very first DVC stay and since then we've stayed at the resort four times.

We visited SSR in February because we couldn't book anywhere else. Based on that stay, I'll now say that if I had a choice of SSR or staying home, I'd stay home. I found the lack of signage (and sidewalks), the incredibly small studio villa, the disinterest of the front desk staff, and the HORRID bus service (I'm sorry but there's no excuse for a 50 minute wait for a bus to MK) to be deterrents to our ever staying at SSR again. Which is fine... because as my dad used to say when we'd crinkle our noses at what was being offered for dinner, "more for the rest of us."

[dephenn]

I've stayed at both resorts and found the staff to be very friendly at both places. The only issue I had with OKW was the door leading to the balcony would not secure. I did call and request to get it fixed, but they never did show up to fix it. We were there 6 nights and thought that would have been a priority since it was a security issue. Other then that the room was fine. We did wait over 45 min for a bus to MK witch made us late for our ADR, luckily they still got us in.
As far as SSR in my opinion I think the the resort may be to big for the house keeping staff. When we show up there were no cups for coffee, or water, or rinsing after brushing our teeth. Plus the pull out sofa was broken. They did at least show up and fix it asap, but it took about 1.5 hours to fix. The night manager was great about it and reimburse me 150 dollars on our DD plan for the inconvenience. There were also small things I found left behind from the previous guest that should have been picked up or vacuumed up by house keeping.
All that aside I would still choose SSR if the price per point was the same because of the length of the contract.