Mouse Extra

Today, I thought we would take a break from the news and rumors and take a closer look at a Disney World resort.  The Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa has been on the radar of Disney World vacationers quite a bit recently, thanks to sales from the Disney Vacation Club and construction over at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.  Many people are being offered rooms at Saratoga Springs so let’s talk about this resort and give those of you who have never been there a better idea of what to expect.

Saratoga Springs has a lot going for it.  The rooms are terrific and the grounds are beautiful.  The buildings are bright and very inviting and walking around the paths that snake between then is a quiet and relaxing experience.  The landscaping is typically well done and blends perfectly with the bridges, fountains and streams that fit naturally into the layout.

The theme is a subtle nod to the deep horseracing history that is so much a part of the fabric in Saratoga Springs, New York.   There are statues and paintings of thoroughbreds throughout the grounds, but the new pool area pictured below is perhaps a bit less subtle in this theme. 

The main pool, located just off the lobby is called the High Rock Spring Pool, pictured below.  In my opinion it is one of the finest such areas in all of Disney World’s Resorts.  The rock work is gorgeous and the slide is a lot of fun.  The entire area is upbeat and vibrant. 

The Saratoga Springs is a Vacation Club resort and therefore the room choices are somewhat expansive.  You can get a typical studio room, which includes a small kitchenette area with a sink and refrigerator, or you may choose larger villas with one, two, or three bedrooms.  The villas offer full kitchens.  Depending on the price available at the time of booking, this can be a great value for larger parties.  There is plenty of space in these rooms and the full kitchen allows you to have a meal or two without going out, this is especially good for light breakfasts.

One problem with Saratoga Springs, and one I truly hope this work out, is the dining and drinking options.  They are not good at all.  The sit-down restaurant, the Turf Club Bar and Grill, is not a bar at all so don’t expect to go here for a drink.  The food is okay, but limited and pricey.  The “food court” area is called the Artist’s Palette and it also disappoints.  The food is always good, but this is not a food court by any means.  There is only one station and the menu only has a few items available.  Luckily, Downtown Disney is just a short boat ride away, or even in walking distance from some of the outer buildings. 

Though I have never been, I am told the spa at the resort is top-notch.  Keep this in mind as well.  I know many people who stay at Saratoga for just this reason.

Another issue here is that this resort is so big that it becomes critical that you request a room location that suites your needs.  If you want to be near the lobby and the boat to Downtown you need to ask for the proper area for your room or you will be waiting for a bus like everywhere else in Disney World.  However, the outer buildings are very quiet, which may be appealing as well.

Nothing is perfect, and that applies to the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.  But the place is beautiful and well located.  If it fits your budget, it is worth a try.

There are few bad things one can say about any of Disney’s deluxe resort offerings, and the Beach Club is no exception to this rule.   This wonderful place delivers everything you can ask for, and even some things you may not expect with few flaws worth mentioning. 

Situated along Crescent Lake and across from the Boardwalk, the Beach Club is a resort hotel with a separate building containing Disney Vacation Club villas.   It is attached to the Yacht Club, and is similar in many ways, but it does have a unique feel.  It has all of what you would expect out of a deluxe resort, including suites, great atmosphere and the price tag to go along with it.   It’s is expensive enough to price people out of staying here, but if you can afford it, it is a terrific option.

For me, nothing beats the location.  The lake is gorgeous, with the view of the Boardwalk and all the other amazing sites in the area.   But most important, it is only steps from one of my favorite watering holes anywhere, not just in Walt Disney World.  Walk out of the resort, turn to your left, and before you know it the Rose and Crown stands before you beckoning you to come in.   From some rooms, you can walk out onto your balcony and listen to the sounds of the British Invasion and Off Kilter playing.

My favorite deluxe resort on Disney property is the Boardwalk, but the Beach Club comes close.  Where it fails to stack up is in dining options.   The Cape May Café offers a marginal character breakfast, and average dinner.  But Beaches and Cream, the terrific ice cream parlor between the two resorts, is a fine offering for lunch and a light supper.   But once again location comes to the rescue.  With all the great spots in walking distance, at the Yacht Club and Boardwalk not to mention Epcot, the lack of a great restaurant on the resort’s premises is significantly diminished.

Stormalong Bay is the pool the joins the Yacht and Beach Clubs together.  It is the best resort pool on Disney property, no questions asked.   It is truly an attraction onto itself.  With its winding river layout, terrific details, and white sand bottom, this is the only pool that can keep me out of the parks.

When designing the Beach Club, Imagineers were attempting to recreate an Atlantic beach front resort.  They certainly didn’t achieve the same level of themeing like they did at the Wilderness Lodge or Polynesian.  What resulted was more of an ambience than a recreation.   But it has a character all its own.

Let’s take a minute and talk about the moderate resort widely regarded as the best at Walt Disney World; Port Orleans French Quarter.  Within this tear of resorts on property, nothing beats it.

Set in old New Orleans, the resort is perfectly laid out.  Unlike some of the gigantic, sprawling properties that have been built at Disney World, this one is intimate and small, yet very fun.  You are never too far from the pool, buses, food court, or lobby.  There is even a wonderful boat launch that takes you to Downtown Disney that’s never too far from your room.

The theme is done to perfection at Port Orleans French Quarter.  The wonderful Mardi Gras inspired decorations, buildings, street signs and horticulture all blend perfectly into each other for a very immersive experience.  The paths and trim are delivered with a look that makes you think they’ve been there since Napoleonic years, but without the rust.  As a tribute to the real thing, this resort does an authentic job.

The rooms are similar to other moderate resorts, but these are just a touch more inviting.  The dual sinks and wonderfully dark furniture add an element of class to this resort.  There are Standard View rooms, code for “asphalt view”, along with garden views and water views.  Some of the water view rooms are situated along the Sassagoula River.  You pay more for views of the river, but it is a very nice touch and delivers probably the most romantic room in all the moderate resorts.

As far as amenities go, the French Quarter is adequate.  There is a food court called the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory, but no sit down restaurant anymore, as it closed a few years back.  There is, however a nice little bar called Scat Cat’s that can be lots of fun.  There is only one bus stop, which is never far away, but you do share it with the Port Orleans Riverside so it can get crowded.  As I mentioned before, however, there is a great little boat launch that takes you to Downtown Disney.  The ride is a nice one, taking you by the old Treehouse Villas.  There’s also a nice pool, with a fun slide for the little ones, and an accompanying pool bar.

Of all the moderate resorts, I find Port Orleans French Quarter to be my first choice.  What sets Disney resorts apart from the rest, to me at least, is the immersive themes.  This resort accomplishes that better than any other moderate and even gets close to the level of some deluxe resorts.

Old Key West is a pioneer in Disney vacationing. It was the first resort dedicated solely to that growing community of Disney Vacation clubbers. Since then, Disney has constructed the sprawl of Saratoga Springs and added vacation club areas to the Beach Club, the Wilderness Lodge, and coming soon, the Animal Kingdom Lodge. But before you non-DVCers move on to a different article, be advised that even nonmembers can book a room at Old Key West especially during the off-season.

photo courtesy of Mouse Planet.  Click on the photo for Mouse Planet’s photo tour of Old Key Wesy

The resort is supposed to elicit the feeling that you are in the Keys. The place is surrounded by vegetation. The buildings are relatively low and of the clapboard style. Everything is laid back. A waterway snakes through the complex ending at the main public area with waterside restaurants and the gift shop. The shop itself is typical of DVC resorts in that kitchen fillers are alongside the typical t-shirts. The food choices, however, are not typical. One big problem for the resort is that there is no food court. Many of the larger resorts have them, but here, you only have a small dockside counter service with a limited selection. There is also Olivia’s Cafe, a sit down place with a Southern and Caribbean cuisine with items like crab cakes, jerk chicken, and conch chowder. As you can guess, there are key lime dessert items available.

As with any resort, there are good things and bad. On the plus side, the rooms are spacious allowing for large families to stay together. We comfortably fit 7 adults and a toddler. The kitchen allows you to eat home to save a few extra bucks for souvenirs. At the dock, a water taxi provides transportation to Downtown Disney. Its a peaceful, pleasant trip. The bus service to the parks is fair and you don’t share with any other resort (a big plus to me).

photo courtesy of Mouse Planet.  Click on the photo for Mouse Planet’s photo tour of Old Key Wesy

Besides the aforementioned food court problem, there are a few other drawbacks. Some people would enjoy the quieter aspect of the resort, but others will be looking for something to do. There isn’t much. Like I said, there is a pleasant boat trip to the Downtown area, but it takes some time including a stop at Saratoga Springs. The place is huge so try to stay near the Hospitality House so you can walk over to the shop, the boat rentals, and the food.

All in all, Old Key West is a nice play to stay especially if you’re the kind of person who wants peace and quiet after a long day at the theme parks. If you want to continue the action or plan to eat a lot at the resort, I would suggest you go elsewhere

today’s resort review is by Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

The Pop Century Resort is the latest in the collection of “value” resorts offered at Walt Disney World.  It is an enormous and sprawling collection of buildings themed in much the same over-the-top gaudy manner as the All-Star resorts, with huge lettering on the buildings and oversized statues spread throughout the grounds.   The point to the “value” level is to allow guest who could normally not afford to stay on property to be “in the bubble”.  I only wish that this resort would deliver a bit more quality.

I understand one should not expect the Grand Floridian here, but one should expect quality and service at a high standard.   At the Pop Century the standard is certainly not terrible, but it can also not be confused with the type of standard other Disney accommodations have been known for.

The rooms are clean and large enough to be comfortable.  This means less to some and more to others.   Many Disney World guests spend a very small amount of time in their room, instead using every hour possible in the parks.  If you are one of these folks, and the room is nothing more than a bed and a shower, the Pop Century is adequate. 

One issue is that the walls are very thin to be sure.  The best example comes from my most recent trip to the Pop Century earlier this year.   On our first morning, we were awoken by the most enthusiastic version of “Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho a Pirate’s Life for Me” that one can possibly sing.  It was so loud that my wife thought it was me singing in the shower.   It was not.  It was the gentleman next store, or maybe somewhere down the hall, and he wasn’t singing all that loud, but it seemed as though he were lying next to me.

The food court is also not bad at all.  In fact, it is better than some offered at the higher priced “moderate” resorts.   It’s loud, crowded and the waits can be long, but that’s true of food courts in general.  The variety here is decent and the food quality is up to Disney’s standards for such things.   The problem is what is coming in the future.  The Pop Century is slated to expand, and you can see the new buildings going up.  When this expansion is opened, how crowded will the food court get?  In fact, how crowded will the entire hotel get?   It already seems to be getting overwhelmed all too quickly. 

For example, on the same trip as the infamous singing walls, our check-in was a complete nightmare.   It was a Friday in November, not an overly busy season, and we waited on line to check in for almost 45 minutes!  Just about every desk was used, so it was not a staffing issue.   There were just too many people checking-in for the front desk to physically handle it.  To make matters worse, when we had to check-out because of an accounting error the line was just as long.   Can you imagine waiting this long to check into any hotel, no less a Disney hotel?

Having said all that, one can not deny the benefits of staying on property.  There are many hotels off-site that offer similar rates, but if the priority is to be in the Mouse 24-7, then the Pop Century is at least a clean and decent option.   But that is all it really is.

Today’s Mouse Hospitality is written by Mike, a contributing writer to Mouse Extra.

I like the Caribbean Beach Resort (”CBR”), I really do. I think its the best of the moderate resorts, although I maybe in the minority on that one. Port Orleans has many fans. Maybe it has something to do with me going there for my honeymoon, but I liked the place before that. Oh, I know its getting old. And I know the sit down restaurant stinks on ice. But still it’s a great place to stay.

photo provided by mouseplanet.com

For starters, the theming is top notch. The music, the colors, the cabana bar are all fun. I watched the Yanks beat the Padres in Game 2 in 1998 at that bar. The food court is average, but so are most. As I said, the sit down is bad, but so are all the moderates.

If you do stay there, I would stay at Aruba. Its perfectly situated in my eyes. For starters, it’s a short walk to the Custom House where check-in is, as well as the food court, restaurant, cabana bar and shop. The walk is across a small lake over a little island populated by tropical bird exhibits. Very charming. However, you are far enough away from the noise to be peaceful. The resort is huge and some “islands” can be quite a trek to the main house.

photo provided by mouseplanet.com

Transportation is an issue for many I know. I like the bus system from CBR. For one thing, it’s so big that it stops at no other resort. Here’s where Aruba comes in handy again. You are the middle stop which, to me, is the best. You never stuck on the bus too long, but there’s usually a seat except on the busiest of days at opening/closing.

Listen, The CBR can’t compare in quality to the Grand Floridian or the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but it sure beats them in price. For the money, it’s a nice play to stay. What else do you want?