Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa is the largest DVC resort. With several sections and numerous buildings, there’s a lot to learn about each section if you aren’t familiar with the resort. If you are new to Saratoga Springs, here are some pros and cons to each section of the resort.
The Springs
Pros
There are lots of pros to staying at The Springs! The Springs is closest to the Carriage House, which is where the lobby and many of the amenities are located. Among these amenities is Artist’s Palette, the quick service restaurant. It’s also where you will also find the drink refill station and a selection of groceries, snacks, and souvenirs. You are close enough to Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Cafe at the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course for another quick service option for breakfast and lunch. If you prefer table service dining, you’ll also find the Turf Club and its lounge here as well.
The Springs is close to lots of recreational activities, such as the High Rock Spring Pool, the zero-entry feature pool at Saratoga Springs. This is where you’ll find the pool activities like relays and trivia, two whirlpool spas, a 128-foot-long water slide, the Donald Duck play area, and a kiddie water slide. There’s also the On the Rocks pool bar at the High Rock Spring Pool. It offers drinks, sandwiches, and salads.
Nearby, you’ll find The Health Club, Horsing Around Rentals, Community Hall, Win, Place or Show Arcade, tennis courts, shuffleboard courts, and the campfire in the DVC Courtyard where you can roast marshmallows at night. Golfers will appreciate that The Springs is close to the Lake Buena Vista Golf course while shoppers and foodies will like that the ferry boat to Disney Springs stops just behind the Carriage House.
Lastly, guests who stay in the Deluxe Studios have convenient access to a laundry location at The Springs.
Cons
The Springs is the last bus stop before buses head to the theme parks. If you’re traveling during peak times like park opening, the bus may be really full with standing room only, or it can be completely full. This bus stop is also very popular since guests from other sections of the resort use it to travel to and from the Carriage House.
As a Preferred section of the resort, it costs more points to stay at The Springs. Depending on the room type and time of year, that can be a difference of anywhere from 1 to 15 points per night, which can make a difference over the length of your stay.
Congress Park
Pros
The biggest pro to Congress Park is that it is the closest section to Disney Springs and all its restaurants and shops. In fact, you can take a walking path, which will lead you to the Marketplace section of Disney Springs. Some of the villas here have a beautiful view of Disney Springs too.
In terms of amenities, guests in Congress Park will enjoy the leisure pool, barbecue grilling area, and playground. This section has four buildings, but none of them are very far from the bus stop, which is the second to last stop on the way to the theme parks. Congress Park also has its own laundry facility for guests staying in the Deluxe Studios.
Cons
Being closest to Disney Springs, Congress Park is also further from the Carriage House and the High Rock Spring Pool.
Like The Springs, Congress Park is a Preferred section of Saratoga Springs, so the point values are slightly higher. To the point misers out there, this is a definite con.
The Paddock
Pros
With five buildings, the Paddock is the largest section of Saratoga Springs. It has its own zero-entry feature pool, The Paddock Pool, which has poolside activities, a 146-foot-long water slide, a horseshoe-shaped whirlpool spa, and a kid’s aquatic play area with a miniature slide. There’s also the Paddock Grill pool bar, which offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as a drink refill station.
Like some of the other sections, the Paddock has its own laundry facility. Some of the Paddock buildings are relatively close to the walkway to Disney Springs, and others aren’t too far from the Carriage House, thanks to the bridge between the Paddock and Springs sections.
Cons
Since the Paddock is so large, depending on where you are located within the section, it could be a longer walk to the Carriage House and its amenities. With the Reedy Creek Fire Department across from the Paddock, some guests report hearing sirens from time to time.
The Carousel
Pros
The Carousel only has two buildings, so it is more compact than the other sections and tends to be quiet. There’s not a ton of amenities within The Carousel, but there is a barbecue grilling area with tables.
Cons
The Carousel is far from the Carriage House and High Rock Spring Pool. It also lacks its own pool and laundry facility.
The Grandstand
Pros
As you can see from the resort map, the Grandstand is not too far from the Carriage House, the ferry boat dock, and Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. It also has its own leisure pool with a whirlpool spa, splash pad, barbecue grilling area, and the Backstretch Pool Bar. The pool bar has sandwiches, ice cream bars, and beverages as well as a drink refill station. The Grandstand is the first stop on the bus route, so this makes it easier to get a seat. It’s also the first stop on the way back from the parks, which is a relief after a long day.
Cons
Although in a convenient location, the Backstretch Pool Bar is only open seasonally, so it is often closed. Also, being the first stop on the bus route can have its cons. Although you are more likely to get an empty bus with plenty of seats, you also have to loop around the whole resort before heading out to the theme parks.
Treehouse Villas
Pros
The Treehouse Villas are in their own section of the resort. This part is more secluded and offers more privacy than the rest of the resort. Each Treehouse Villa has a spot for a vehicle, so you can park right in front of your villa. The Treehouse Villas have their own leisure pool and whirlpool spa in the South loop of the section.
Cons
Being a separate section of the resort, the Treehouse Villas can feel far away from the amenities at the Carriage House. To take the bus to the theme parks, you have to first take a bus to the Carriage House and the transfer to a theme park bus, which can be pretty cumbersome and time-consuming. Some guests prefer to walk from the Treehouse Villas to the Grandstand and catch a theme park bus from there instead to cut down on travel time.
Despite being able to park in front of your Treehouse Villa, you can only fit one vehicle. If you have any additional vehicles, they have to be parked in the main area of the resort.
If you’ve stayed at Saratoga Springs before, which is your favorite section of the resort and why? Comment below!
We prefer the Grandstand area. If you can get the building closest to the Carriage House (rooms 8501-8836), as noted, it is a very short walk to the Carriage House and boat dock. It is the first bus stop, which virtually assures you a seat in the morning on your way to the parks.. Yes, the bus then has to go to the other areas before leaving the resort, but it is not unusual to skip the last couple stops because the bus is full. And it is the first bus stop on the return trip, which is nice when you’re wiped out and just want to get back to your room as soon as you can.
Congress Park and The Paddock are my Favorite!!! We always stay in either.
We stayed at SSR exactly once at Congress Park. Handy access to Disney Springs was nice. The 1bdrm villa very nice. However the outside entrance made mornings and late evenings noisy with returning families. Under no circumstances would I EVER stay at SSR again without a car. If you typically drive to WDW (we don’t), then SSR could be the resort for you.
We stayed at Saratoga Springs last year and while we loved the rooms, we didn’t really like our location. We ended up with a room at the Carousel. It was such a far walk to everything. If we stay there again, our preference would be to stay in the Congress Park area.
We have been at Sarstoga since it opened. This is our DVC home resort. We love it there. Our favorite is Granstand because of the first on and first off the bus, it’s very quiet and has it’s own pool and snack when it’s open and refill station.
The only downside is the snack bar not being open more.
We love Congress Park because we love walking to the Springs. But we love Paddock as well and usually request it to save points. We enjoy the Paddock pool and I am 55 and still do the slide all day long. Lol. I’ve been DVC for 17 years. We bought in Saratoga as it was being built.
I will say this, there is only one pro the rooms are nice, and the rest is a con its to lager, the quick service shuts down when it rains. The bus system is one hot f***ing mess, the hallways to the rooms are on the outside. So after a long day sweating in the parks then you will have a long walk to your building and sweaty walk down the hallway to your room. If you have a problem with anything in your room you have to call them from your room and they show up in a golf cart. If your magic bands don’t work getting in your room you got to find phone on the wall and call and wait and wait.