I didn’t put what hotel we stayed in, so you didn’t miss it; I figured people would ask if interested–and you did. We wanted to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge, but it was full so we stayed at Saratoga Springs Villas this trip. It’s really a Disney Vacation Club property, but you can book thru Disney as a hotel as well. The hotel is supposed to themed like old-time New York state, but it is very subtle and just looks like a regular hotel. It is on Disney property, so you get access to the Extra Magic Hours. There is bus transportation to the parks and a boat to Downtown Disney. We only used the bus once, as we find driving to the parks is faster (unless you stay in a monorail hotel).

This is a huge property! We didn’t use the hotel amenities at all like the arcade, tennis courts, etc because we spent all our time at the parks, but there was a pool right outside our room and we did enjoy that (and the hot tub!). This wasn’t the main pool with a water slide and all, but it had a water play area for kids and was quite lovely. There are also grills to use and we did see people grilling food one night. We were given a list of activities and there seemed to be games, movies and fun things for the kids all day long, but again we were at the parks.

The grounds were spotless and our room was always cleaned perfectly each day in a timely manner. We always had plenty of towels, soap, etc. Our villa was a studio, so there was a pull out sofa instead of a separate bedroom, but there was plenty of room for all of our stuff and we didn’t feel cramped. The kitchenette (toaster, mini-fridge, microwave, coffemaker) was great to have; we used it each morning to make breakfast.

On our first trip we stayed in a moderate hotel (Riverside) and there is a big difference in the room size, furniture and bathroom fixtures. If you can, stay in a deluxe hotel or one of the Disney Vacation Club properties. Saratoga Springs’ room size was even bigger than a standard deluxe room (like at Animal Kingdom Lodge) because it was a studio villa.

Be warned though: although you are paying Ritz-Carlton prices, this isn’t the Ritz-Carlton. You will not get the same service and neither do the rooms look that nice. It is what it is. If I want a “hotel vacation” I would not go to Disney World, but elsewhere. I say that about all the Disney World hotels, except for Grand Floridian, which is the deluxe of all the hotels. I am staying there one day and when I do, I will be sure to not spend all my time at the parks but enjoy the hotel as well.

I hope that I have helped you; let me know if you have any more questions. I would be happy to answer!

qq..I was doing some skimming so maybe I missed it…what hotel did you stay in?…specific comments on cleanliness…park access…staff…activities…comfort..et al.