Travel Report: Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Well friends, if you’ve been following along on my social media accounts, you know that our family recently returned from another wonderful Disney vacation. While we were there, I spent most of my time just enjoying my family and soaking up every last bit of magic. For the next few weeks, I’ll be bringing you a more detailed look at the things we experienced. If you haven’t watched them yet, so far I’ve posted a room tour from Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - Riverside, where we spent the first night of our vacation, and one from Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, where we spent the next three nights before boarding the Disney Dream for a four-night sailing out of Port Canaveral. You can see the videos on my Facebook and Instagram accounts. In short: I’ve got a lot to share with you!
A view of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa from the boat to Disney Springs
For today though, we’re going to focus on my abiding love for Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. This resort was the seventh addition to the Disney Vacation Club family of resorts, and opened in May of 2004 to mixed reviews. At this point in Disney history, it had become abundantly clear that Disney’s answer to timeshare-style vacationing, the Disney Vacation Club (DVC), was an unqualified success. As Disney looked to grow their collection of DVC resorts, they decided to redevelop the land near Disney Springs that formerly housed the Disney Institute. The Disney Institute Resort opened in February of 1996, offering Guests a new type of vacation, complete with more than 80 hands-on programs covering a wide variety of topics. It was “edutainment” at its finest. The Institute took over some previous resort developments Disney had been offering since 1975, including my childhood fascination: The Treehouse Villas.
As a child, my family spent a part of almost every year at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - Riverside (formerly known as Dixie Landings). On many a leisurely boat ride to Downtown Disney, I would notice these little two-story octagonal houses with floor-to-ceiling windows, nestled alongside the Sassagoula River and think “I want to live there!” These existing accommodations would offer students of the Institute a comfortable home-base for when they weren’t attending classes, visiting the spa, or enjoying shows at the indoor theater, cinema, or outdoor amphitheater.
Sadly, the Institute concept didn’t really catch on, and ultimately Disney decided to shutter the program in 2002, in favor of the already-proven DVC concept. Shortly thereafter, construction began on what is now Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, which repurposed some of the existing infrastructure (like the theater where Disney Cast Members still rehearse), in addition to building all-new accommodations. The Disney Institute does still exist today as a corporate development program, wherein Disney uses their own success as a model for other companies to emulate and learn from, but its physical home next to Disney Springs is now just a memory.
The former Disney Institute theater, currently used as a rehearsal space
When the resort opened in 2004, I immediately liked the aesthetic. The buildings were elegant, the grounds were meticulously manicured, and the rooms featured an understated but cheerful color palette. So, you might be surprised to learn that I didn’t actually get to stay there until the fall of 2011. I mentioned earlier that the resort opened to mixed reviews: Guests felt that it was nice, but ultimately too big, and too far away from the theme parks. As a result, my family was hesitant to try it out. Fortunately, precisely because the resort was so big, we were able to get a relatively last-minute reservation for fall break in 2011, to visit Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We were traveling with a large group, and decided to all dress as the cast of Peter Pan. The party was, as always, a delight. I dressed as a mermaid (from Mermaid Lagoon), and as we were entering the park a (probably overtired) mother informed me that I was “the most beautiful mermaid” she’d ever seen. I couldn’t find a picture, so you’ll have to take her word for it. We stayed in a 1 Bedroom Villa in the Paddock section of the resort (room number 6541). It was on the ground floor, with a lovely view of the lake and a fountain. It was another fantastic vacation, and from there we were taken in by the charm of the resort. The large scale allows for meandering walks through the beautiful landscape, and the distance from the theme parks means that it’s a quiet place to relax and unwind.
Since then, I have stayed at Saratoga Springs another 8 times. Each time has been a positive experience, and each time I’d be content to stay longer if they’d let me. I won’t bore you with the details of each visit, but here are some memories that are especially dear to me.
Playing in the lobby on little buddy’s first Disney trip in 2013
In August of 2013, we brought our oldest child for his first Walt Disney World visit. I got in just a little bit of trouble with his grandparents, who had already planned his “first visit” for a week in October. But, I was a little over a year into my travel agent journey, and I got a discount I couldn’t pass up. So, off we went for a three night stay in room 8523, which is a ground floor Studio in the Grandstand section of the resort. It has a beautiful view of the golf course, with an arched stone patio, and it’s just a few steps from the Grandstand pool. I’ll never forget the joy we felt watching him experience the Magic Kingdom for the first time. The Grandstand became our preferred place to stay, partly because of these sweet memories, but also because it’s an easy walk up to the lobby, restaurants, and boat launch for Disney Springs.
Posing on our patio in room 8523
We would often revisit Saratoga Springs for a night or two at the beginning of a longer stay, just to extend our time in Walt Disney World if we were able, but in 2017 we booked a week’s vacation with our three children. I had dubbed 2017 “the worst year ever,” and we were getting out of town to lick our wounds. Life just gave us one gut punch after another that year, and I was anxiously preparing for a surgery when we got back. We needed a vacation, and this was one I’ll treasure forever. The kids were 4, 3, and 1 at the time; and on our last night we attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (see, I really do love it!) dressed as the cast of Frozen. The kids had napped earlier in the day, so when midnight came and the park closed, we were still riding Dumbo. The Cast Members let us go around a second time without going through the line, and we were flying high (figuratively speaking; in reality we were only about 17 feet off the ground). When we exited the ride, the kids asked what we were going to do next, and they were dismayed to learn that the party was over and the park was closed. I think they could have partied all night long. It had been a restorative week for all of us: one of those vacations when my heart wanted to rewind to the beginning and do it all over again.
Anna, Olaf, Elsa, Sven, and Kristoff meet Rapunzel at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in 2017
We’d next return in May of 2019, after an out-of-state move, with our rainbow baby in tow. Life had found its footing again, and we were happy to be visiting Walt Disney World with my parents and my brother and sister-in-law. We spent our first two nights in a Treehouse Villa, and my inner child was just tickled pink to finally experience that. Of course, my literal children were pretty thrilled too — it had bunk beds! Having stayed there, I think I’d still like to live in one if given the opportunity (Disney, you know where to find me). I loved the high ceilings and sweeping views, complemented by the woodsy stone floors and furnishings, and we could still easily access the amenities of the rest of the resort just a short walk away.
A look at the updated lobby from our most recent stay
Most recently, we spent three nights spread into four Deluxe Studios in the Grandstand section of the resort. Our party included my parents, my brother and sister-in-law, and my aunt (my mom’s sister). The resort had been renovated since our last visit, and I am so pleased with the changes they’ve made. The Murphy bed is a great improvement over the old sleeper sofas, and our kids loved the Disney artwork above it. They’ve moved from having carpeted floors to hard surfaces, and from shower curtains to glass doors, and the Danny Tanner in me heartily approves of these changes. It looks and feels very clean and elegant. We watched a thunderstorm from our balcony, visited Disney Springs, had two very full theme park days, and enjoyed being back in a place that holds so many of our fondest memories. I don’t know when we’ll be back again, but I’m already looking forward to it.
When there's a smile in your heart, there's no better time to start. Think of all the joy you'll find, when you leave the world behind and bid your cares goodbye. —Peter Pan
Nine years after his first visit, we still love Saratoga Springs
