This Disney Deluxe Villa resort features a theme wordily described by Disney as recalling an “1880s, Victorian, upstate New York lakeside retreat” amid “pastoral landscapes, formal gardens, bubbling springs, and natural surroundings.” Saratoga Springs comprises 1,260 studio and one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas across the lake from Downtown Disney. Housed in 12 buildings, most accommodations are of recent vintage, while the fitness center, check-in building, and spa are retooled vestiges of the erstwhile Disney Institute. An adjacent 60-unit DDV complex, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, opened in 2009.

The fitness center is by far the best at Walt Disney World, and in 2007 the spa was named one of the top five resort spas in North America and the Caribbean by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Surrounded on three sides by golf courses, Saratoga Springs is the only Disney-owned resort that affords direct access to the links (the military-only Shades of Green also provides golf on-property).

The main pool is the resort’s focal point. Called High Rock Spring, it tumbles over boulders into a clear, free-form heated pool. A waterslide winds among the rocks, two whirlpool spas, and an interactive wet-play area for children. Two quiet pools serve villas far from the main pool. One of these is scheduled for a major expansion in 2011, tripling its size and adding a 140-foot waterslide, children’s play area, and quick-service-dining location. Other recreational features include tennis courts, playgrounds, and paths for jogging, walking, and biking. Disney buses provide transportation to the theme parks. Downtown Disney is accessible by boat or by foot from some accommodations.

Furnishings and soft goods in the villas and studios are less whimsical and a little more upscale and masculine than in other Disney resorts. Chairs, sofas, and tables are quite substantial, perhaps a little too large for the rooms they inhabit. The overall effect, however, is sophisticated and restful. A Gulf Shores, Alabama, family, however, takes a slight exception to the restful part, writing:

Saratoga Springs Resort was beautiful, comfortable, and exactly what we needed for our family of five. It was VERY quiet..except for the toilets. When you flushed, it sounded like the space shuttle launching. I was always afraid of what might get sucked down in there from the surrounding room! A father of three from Temecula, California, was also sold on Saratoga Springs: We really liked Saratoga Springs. There was so much to do there for the kids between the pool and the community hall that they wanted to skip the parks one day, so we just spent the day at the resort.

A couple from Peru, Indiana, takes a more critical tack:

Saratoga Springs is our least favorite resort. We didn’t enjoy the theming, and unless you have a car, getting around by the bus system is a real hassle. The food court is very small for the size of the resort, and the food is expensive for what you get. We were very surprised by the menu items at the food court, which were nothing close to basic foods. Also, the checkout process was very slow, and our room seemed smaller than comparable rooms at BoardWalk Villas and O ld Key West. O verall, our stay at Saratoga didn’t give us that Disney feeling we usually experience while staying at other WDW resorts, but rather the feeling we normally get when we stay off-property— like staying at a high-priced apartment complex.

Cartersville, Georgia, reader echoes the previous complaint about bus service:

No matter what time we attempted to leave a park for Saratoga Springs, there were no buses. Forty-five minutes was the norm. The cab business is booming, which is a shame. We loved Saratoga Springs, but why pay the premium when we ended up driving or taking cabs so as not to waste 2–3 hours per day?

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?
Hotel Definitely (+/- since 2010)
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa 76% + (7%)
Average for WDW hotels 74% (+3%)
Average for off-site hotels 79% (+10%)
Average for vacation homes & condos 95% (N/A)

Would you stay at this hotel again?
Hotel Definitely (+/- since 2010)
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa 90% + (13%)
Average for WDW hotels 90% (+1%)
Average for off-site hotels 94% (+5%)
Average for vacation homes & condos 100% (N/A)

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Good (and Not-So-Good) Rooms at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

This resort’s sprawling size puts some of its best rooms very far away from the main lobby, restaurants, and shops. If you don’t have a car, the best rooms are those in The Springs, numbered 3101– 3436 and 3501–3836. Ask for a room toward the northeast side of these buildings (away from the lobby), as the southwest rooms border a well-traveled road. Avoid Rooms 4101 through 4436 in Building 14; a pedestrian walkway runs behind the patios of this building and gets a lot of use early in the morning from guests headed to breakfast.

If you’ve got a car or you don’t mind a couple of extra furlongs’ walk to the lobby, Rooms 1101–1436 and 2501–2836 in Congress Park offer quietness, a view of Downtown Disney, and a relatively short walk to the bus stop. Also good are Rooms 4501–4826, 6101– 6436, and 6501–6836 in The Paddock. Avoid rooms on the northeast side of the 5101–5435 building of The Paddock, as well as the northwest side of the 5501–5836 building; these border a swimming pool and bus stop.

In addition to being quiet, Rooms 1101–1436 of Congress Park and Rooms 6101–6436 and 6501–6836 of The Paddock afford the closest walks to Downtown Disney shops, restaurants, and entertainment.

Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths Weaknesses
Extremely nice studio rooms and villas Traffic congestion at resort's southeast exit
Lushly landscaped setting Small living areas and villas
Best fitness center at WDW Distance of some accommodations from dining and services
Convenient self-parking Limited dining options
Close to Downtown Disney No character meals
Best spa at Walt Disney World Most distant of all Disney resorts from the theme parks
Golf on-property Theme and atmosphere not very kid-friendly
Hiking, jogging, water recreation
Excellent themed swimming complex

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa Dining

Commuting Times to the Parks
Park Commuting Time
Magic Kingdom 15 minutes
Epcot 9 minutes
Animal Kingdom 18 minutes
Disney's Hollywood Studios 15 minutes