rhodyrick
Registered: April 2009
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Tue November 17, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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beautiful grounds
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Cons:
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location is out of the way
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Stayed for the weekend of Nov. 6-8 in a studio. The facilities were spotless and ready when we checked in at 2:00 pm. People were very friendly and especially at the bus stop. I'm not sure if it is a new system but a cast member was on a radio requesting buses for people waiting and it seemed to work. We never had a long wait.
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disneymom35
Registered: August 2006
Location: NJ
Posts: 25
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Review Date: Thu November 12, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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rooms, service
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Cons:
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too spread out, little "disney" theming
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On the plus side, I've never stayed at a Disney resort where the cast members are more friendly. We had a 1-bedroom, which I thought was great. It was so nice to have a balcony, kitchen, dishwasher, washer and dryer.
On the down side, this was the most spread out resort I've ever stayed at, and I've stayed at others such as Caribbean Beach and Pop Century. We were in the Paddock. We were far from the bus stop, any pools and forget walking to get a drink or snack, only if you were desperate. The walk to Downtown Disney was nice but long. I'm in good shape, but my feet are still killing me from all the walking.
This is a beautifully landscaped resort with beautiful rooms, but there is also little Disney theming, which is just something we've come to expect.
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Patroclus
Registered: March 2009
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Mon November 9, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Large rooms
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Cons:
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Artist's Palette, Housekeeping
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My partner and I just stayed at Saratoga from Nov 1 to Nov 6. It was our first time at a DVC resort and we were pleasantly surprised. The room was great, with a comfortable bed, a comfortable couch, and a nice balcony.
What nearly killed us was the Artist's Palette (the combination grocery/counter service/gift shop). The place is horribly laid out. It is difficult to get up to the counter to order food, and equally difficult to browse in the grocery area without running into someone. The cashiers we had were uniformly pushy, slow, and rude. I have never seen that before at Disney.
Housekeeping wasn't really a "Con" but be warned: They only do trash & towels. Everything else is your responsibility. When our T&T service was done, our housekeeper accidentally left our door open. The housekeeping manager did apologize for that.
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bethwebb
Registered: October 2009
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Sat October 10, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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great service & felt like home
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Cons:
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not tons of food selections
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Great Resort! It is big, but the transportation inside the resort is timely & efficient to ride to any area of resort. Great service. Felt like we were at home. It was very quiet and peaceful. Got requested building next to bus stop & quiet pool. Would definitely recommend staying in the Grandstand section.
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HappyKitty
Registered: August 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Tue October 6, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great pools, kitchenette, nice landscaping
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Cons:
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sofa bed was uncomfortable for sleeping, very little theming
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We stayed here 9/19 to 9/26, 2009. We had booked at the All-Star Sports and received a free upgrade to a studio at Saratoga Springs. We were at the Grandstand, just a few steps from the bus stop.
For us, the main selling point for the room was the kitchenette. We were able to grab a quick breakfast in the room before heading out to the parks. We brought non-perishable food from home and bought milk (at $3 per half gallon) from the Artist's Palette.
The pools were great. My 5-year-old enjoyed the spraying water play area at the Grandstand. My 8-year-old loved the water slide at the main pool. They had nightly movies poolside. I enjoyed relaxing in the water while watching "Lilo and Stitch".
The sofa bed was horrible for an adult to try to sleep on. It was very hard and uncomfortable. Also, I was surprised that there were no sheets on the bed and I had to find them and make it myself. My kids slept on it with no complaints.
The resort was nicely landscaped, but there was very little theming, Disney or otherwise. Not a reason not to recommend staying here, just a little disappointing.
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lukeandbrookesmom
Registered: October 2006
Location: Wales, Massachusetts
Posts: 19
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Review Date: Mon October 5, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 2
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Small rooms, small pool area, no Disney magic
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We stayed here for the first time on 10/2 and probably won't stay here again unless it's the only place available for a last minute trip - such as this one. We were able to at least get a good annual passholder discount which made it tolerable. There's just no Disney here:( The buildings are boring, the pool is small for a deluxe resort and the quick service food area is really lacking in choices.
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LYNDASHOPDROP
Registered: October 2009
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sun October 4, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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GREAT SPACIOUS ACCOMODATION
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Cons:
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LIMITED TV CHANNEL CHOICE
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We stayed here from 28th August until 11th Sept. There were 3 of us in total and we stayed in the Springs block in a dedicated 2 bedroom apartment. We were staying on the Disney dining plan and as we had booked through Disney UK, we were on a full complimentary cleaning and mousekeeping plan. We arrived about 5pm local time and pretty jetlagged, but check in was very helpful and efficient. We were given directions to our accommodations which were quite close to check in. We did not use Magical Express as we hired a car from MCO.
We were on the 3rd floor and although I would have preferred to be on the 4th floor, it was a bit noisy from the apartment above but not too bad. The rooms are fantastic. The space is amazing and the fixtures and fittings are out of this world! I felt like royalty and was treated like royalty. The house keeping dept were very helpful and the mousekeeping team were amazing-nothing was too much trouble and the toiletries were gorgeous! I loved the bathroom, the jacuzzi bath was like something out of Dynasty, the towels were soft and fluffy. I had the most amazing bedroom and a bathroom all to myself. It was heaven. The best holiday I have ever had and the most luxurious place I have ever stayed in. Disney truly is a magical experience.
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BodylikeHercules
Registered: April 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 20
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Review Date: Wed September 16, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Community Hall, Free internet for DVC members
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Cons:
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A. Palette food choices, buses, Mousekeeping
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This was our fifth stay at Saratoga Springs & it will not be our last. We spent our first night in a 1 BR & transfered to a studio for the remainder of our stay (based on DVC availability).
The 1 bedroom was nice & very clean with a great setup with the shower in one room & toilet in a separate room. The only complaint is the internet connection is in the bedroom which would have been better in a living/dining room area of the room. The studio was perfect for our needs. Saratoga Springs has added DVD players to the studio rooms since our last stay at the resort. The studio does not have a desk like the one bedroom which is somewhat inconvenient if you use a laptop computer. Community Hall is great & we watched two movies during our stay, Cars at Community Hall on a rainy night & Sword in the Stone at the pool. We played Table Tennis & colored pictures while washing clothes at the laundry room next door to Community Hall. The quiet pool at the Grandstand is excellent with a play area for kids & a bar for the adults.
The negatives were the buses are an absolute disaster. We only took the bus once as we rented a car for the length of our stay, but it took us almost 25 minutes to get to Downtown Disney the morning of our arrival (the water launch was not running yet). We took the water launch back which was MUCH more pleasant. Artist Pallette leaves lots to be desired & the Mousekeeping is the pits.
Overall SSR has been our favorite place to stay at WDW & this will probably not change anytime in the near future.
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Nicklissa
Registered: September 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 32
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Review Date: Wed September 16, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Size of rooms; clean
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Cons:
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Large/Sprawling; Limited food choices; no "Disney Magic" in the theming
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Our family stayed here for the 3rd time (on free DVC points received when we joined DVC - required to be used at Saratoga) because, let's face it -the price was right (free!). Though the resort is clean and the room sizes certainly spacious - there is just no "Disney Magic" in the theming here for me. The resort is very large and sprawling - walking is not an issue when it's not too hot - but temps reached the high 90's during our 9/12/2009 - 9/18/2009 stay (with "feels like" temps reaching as high as 107!!!) and walking was not fun in the heat. Bus service was fine, everything was fine really - and Saratoga may work for some families - but it's not for us. We bought into Kidani Village/Animal Kingdom Lodge and look forward to being "home" in January 2010.
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wilderness4
Registered: September 2009
Location: Norwell, MA
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Sun September 13, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Pool for toddlers, Great rooms
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Cons:
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Distance to lobby/restaurants & pool, length of bus ride
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We loved Saratoga Springs since it was one of the cheapest vacation club resorts with a kitchen and we needed this with two toddlers. The room was great, kitchen was great and the bathroom was separated into two areas so there was a lot of room. Rooms still had that new resort feel too. The zero entry pool and water play area were worth any of the negatives for our little ones since we did not spend a lot of time in the parks. We also had the opportunity to get a couples massage in the spa which was soooo needed and worth it.
The cons were the long bus ride around the resort as there are so many rooms at this resort it takes awhile to drop all of the guests off. We bought the refillable mugs which was not worth it since it was a complete hassle to get to the lobby/restaurant area every day. I wanted to get my coffee in the morning and we would have to drive to the lobby to get it. The groceries were very expensive so unless you bring your own food or shop off property this was not worth it.
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Disney Mom
Registered: September 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Tue September 8, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Beautiful, Relaxing and Easy Access to Downtown Disney
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Cons:
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We stayed at SSR from 7/16 to 7/24/09. This was the second time since we purchased in 2005. We are a family of six. This year we also brought my niece. My children are ages 22, 20, 19 and 15. We stayed in Congress Park in a 2 bedroom villa. It was immaculate. The staff was very helpful. I sent a box full of groceries from home (since we didn't have a car and wanted certain items that we couldn't order on Disney's grocery list). It was delivered to us and was told that they could not accept any tips for this service. SS is a beautiful resort. The grounds are very clean and peaceful. When we go to the parks we open and close them so the days we don't go, this is a wonderful place to relax at. We were on the Dining Plan so when we were not at the parks, we walked to DD and ate at either Wolfgang Puck Express or Earl of Sandwich. Both were excellent and were counter service meals. Since my children are older, DD was convenient for them. You can't beat the fact that they can walk or take a boat or bus to get there. For dinner we ate at the Polynesian, Grand Floridan, Contemporary, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Downtown Disney. We took the busses to the MK and the monorail to the restaurants. It was my niece's first visit so I wanted her to experience all of Disney. The bus service was great and so were the drivers. We are going back in two years and will be getting a 2 bedroom villa and a studio since my sister and her family of four will be joining us. I am looking forward to sharing this "magical" experience with them. I highly recommend this resort.
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mngopher716
Registered: September 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Thu September 3, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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pools, activities for guests, beautiful grounds, amenities included in room
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Cons:
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depending on your room location, it is a far walk from main builiding
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I got upgraded to SS from Pop Century, and I am soo happy I did! The reviews made me nervous as some guests did not seem to have a good time, I only wish they could have had the service I did 8/27-9/3. The grounds are beautiful and quiet, the pools were never crowded and felt great after a long day in the parks. I also enjoyed the activities they offered for guests like crafts, nightly outdoor movies, and bingo. It made going to the parks hard, because there was so much fun to be had at "home." The cast members were all very nice and accommodating and if your room was far away from the main building you could ask them for a ride in the golf cart. Our room was the grandstand and it is THE best area, a quick walk to the carriage house or boat landing, and is the first stop to be picked up by the buses and first to be dropped off. The pool was right across from our room, and since it didnt have the slide like the other one, it was always empty. I loved being close to DTD and felt the wait was never long for the boats. I would stay in at SS anytime and wouldnt hesitate to recommend it to anyone!
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xrayvision
Registered: August 2009
Posts: 15
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Review Date: Sun August 30, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Beauty of the resort
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Cons:
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This is our DVC home resort. We have experienced all the room types even the grand villa in Dec 2008. We stayed here again in a studio Aug 4-7,2009. Will be back in Sept/Oct 2009 using developer points. Just love the beauty of the grounds. When we drive in, it is such a beautiful place and we always feel "at home" here. Front desk at check in was fantastic as were CM in the gift shop, Artist Palette and Turf Club restaurant. Keep up the good work!!
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Angelb9779
Registered: April 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Tue August 25, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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pool, service, grounds
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Cons:
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food selection at artist palette
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Just got back from a 10 night 11 day stay ar SSR from 8/14-8/24. We purchased Kidani village and had to use our developer points at SSR. Admittedly, when we read the reviews posted we were expecting the worse but figured they were bonus points and we had no choice so we would make the best of it. My husband and I were in a studio in the Springs building and were pleasantly surprised the cast members who couldn't do enough for us from check in to check out, the room was clean and had a great view. We were a 2 min walk to bus stop, pool and food (awesome). We loved the pool. They had so much to do between the slide, a pool party everyday with a DJ, dancing, games, etc. We felt like we were kids again. The buses were great. We never waited more than 10 mins, and the closeness to Downtown Disney was great. I highly recommend the SSR and will be staying here again. It's a great place for kids but also for a couple without kids.
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DVC Fans
Registered: July 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Wed August 5, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Amenities, Staff, Location, Accommodations
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Cons:
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Grocery Prices, Table Service Breakfast
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This well-designed resort offers nearly every conceivable amenity of a world class family resort. The staff is knowledgeable, professional and genuinely interested in providing personalized service. Although this is not one of our home DVC resorts, we have frequented this resort far more than any of the others since the Congress Park section first opened. The internal transportation system is excellent, and the motorcoach and water taxi services have improved significantly. In the past we have enjoyed the availability of a large variety of recreational and dining options at the resort and nearby at Downtown Disney. However, during this most recent 3-night stay during the first week of August, we tried to do as little as possible and found the experience quite refreshing.
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