Saratoga Springs vs Wilderness Lodge

[VGCgroupie]

I cant imagine doing a split stay with a baby. So much stuff to pack up and move and then most of your stuff you may need is in limbo between checkout/checkin. Personally staying 1 resort even if it is a far away one like Saratoga to me is more convenient than a split stay.

 

[FSU Girl]

I cant imagine doing a split stay with a baby. So much stuff to pack up and move and then most of your stuff you may need is in limbo between checkout/checkin. Personally staying 1 resort even if it is a far away one like Saratoga to me is more convenient than a split stay.

We don’t mind split stays we did them a bunch when our first was a baby. Not having the second until late in the afternoon will be annoying. We got a great rate at the riviera that wasn’t available the whole week so not letting that go

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

I'll not say anything bad about WL - I love it - always been one of my favorite themed resorts and still is.

But I'll add some comments on Saratoga since it seems most find negative aspects about it but I think some of it may be situational and depend on you.

First - as far as convenience for food options - I find Saratoga to be one of the top 2 resorts - this of course depends on your aversion to walking a bit - but with Disney Springs right next door, especially when staying in Congress Park section, that essentially becomes your food court...dozens of restaurants and quick serves of every type and from Congress Park the walk into the heart of DIsney Springs is not too different from the walk inside Saratoga from the farthest buildings to the main building.

Second - again if walking isn't too big a deal, when traveling back to your resort for mid-day breaks, three parks offer another option - when leaving the park, walk to the nearby resort (from MK, you can walk to Contemporary, boat to GF or Poly - from Epcot, you can walk to Beach/Boardwalk - from DHS you can walk to Boardwalk), then catch a Disney Springs bus...then you can walk back to Saratoga. Again, this is most convenient staying in Congress Park, and the walk from the DS bus stop to Congress Park is 1/2 mile. I'm a walker so again this may not be convenient to everyone - if you don't mind walking, this can make SSR much more convenient than it's often portrayed.

We purchased @ SSR specifically for the option of dining @ Disney Springs. We are able to walk and don't mind doing do. Also own @ BCV and love being able to walk to all the Crescent Lake eateries.

 

[andyDVC]

I've done Saratoga with my kids when they were around 3 and 1. That bus ride back can be pretty rough with two beat little ones—so much so that they're now 3 and 5, and we try to stay on the monorail for the most part. We bought at GF and are having a real love affair with the Poly lately. Of course, as I write this, we have an upcoming trip in November with some friends and are staying at Saratoga because we need a 2BR, though we are still wait-listed at WL.

Saratoga is pretty spread out, whereas if you are at WL, you stay in a much more traditional hotel. The trade-off is that you get a bit more space and quiet at Saratoga. But if it is a rainy morning and you need to get a coffee from QS you'll be outside when you leave your door at Saratoga.

If your family is pretty get up and go, and you plan to go to MK on those couple of days, then I think the boat ride and shorter bus ride to WL are certainly worth it. Not to mention, WL in the fall and winter is pretty magical, with the big fireplace and the tree, on top of being a truly great resort. The theming and vibe are top five on property. I will be ecstatic if our waitlist comes through for November.

$700 is quite a bit of money, though, I must say.

 

[FSU Girl]

I've done Saratoga with my kids when they were around 3 and 1. That bus ride back can be pretty rough with two beat little ones—so much so that they're now 3 and 5, and we try to stay on the monorail for the most part. We bought at GF and are having a real love affair with the Poly lately. Of course, as I write this, we have an upcoming trip in November with some friends and are staying at Saratoga because we need a 2BR, though we are still wait-listed at WL.

Saratoga is pretty spread out, whereas if you are at WL, you stay in a much more traditional hotel. The trade-off is that you get a bit more space and quiet at Saratoga. But if it is a rainy morning and you need to get a coffee from QS you'll be outside when you leave your door at Saratoga.

If your family is pretty get up and go, and you plan to go to MK on those couple of days, then I think the boat ride and shorter bus ride to WL are certainly worth it. Not to mention, WL in the fall and winter is pretty magical, with the big fireplace and the tree, on top of being a truly great resort. The theming and vibe are top five on property. I will be ecstatic if our waitlist comes through for November.

$700 is quite a bit of money, though, I must say.

We decided to stick with wilderness lodge. It is a lot of money but we decided to go with convenience. I feel like if it wasn’t my baby’s first birthday I’d be a little more practical, but I want it to be magical and as stress free as we can get