Would you Upgrade from Saratoga Springs to Beach Club Villas?

[mmbrad02]

Reaching out for some advice from those with experience – we are currently booked in late July for Saratoga Springs Deluxe Studio with the Disney+ free dining option. Our original booking was $5475.89 for reference. If we moved to BCV, it would be $6089.01. Reasons I originally chose SSR resort and some background info….

There is DH, myself, and DD13. I guess you could say we are Deluxe want to be’s – Obviously they are nice, but we do try to spend our money (somewhat) wisely. We have done 1-2 night stays at the Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Animal Kingdom Lodge in conjunction with my husband’s work conferences and cruises. Obviously they are nice. And obviously with WL and AKL, and now Saratoga, we have leaned toward the less expensive options. We wanted to do Deluxe this trip for the extended nights at Epcot and MK, plus we truly like the Deluxe feel (though we have always done Mods on full week trips to save money). Also, we like the regular dining plan so we opted for Deluxe versus staying Value or Mods and upgrading the dining.

Okay now I’m caught up on my thought process for that booking, this is my new dilemma…

While I would like to go to Disney Springs this trip, it is NOT critical that we do so. We haven’t been there since it was Downtown Disney so we are obviously not terribly loyal. DD is into Legos so that would be the biggest draw – but again, maybe being Negative Nellie here, but sometimes DS/DTD just feels like a money pit. So location for SSR isn’t a selling point (bottom line, the price was the selling point). So now I’m dabbling with… heck, we have spent a ton of money already, whats a little more, and should we consider moving to the Beach Club Villas (the next “cheapest” Deluxe that we have not stayed at before).

Reasons it appeals – my DD is a huge Donald and Daisy fan so I would like to get an ADR at Minnie’s Beach Bash breakfast – location would make that very sweet. (In all honesty all the restaurants would work for our palate). I like that it’s better located for Epcot and HS, verses the resort being located well for DS. I’ve only left Epcot to the Boardwalk once and it’s been a while – can you truly walk to Epcot International Gateway comfortably from BCV? Could you walk to HS or is that going to be miserable with all the park walking already? I hear the pool is amazing but honestly we don’t usually book based on the pool – we may or may not use it. If it’s super cool though, I’m sure we would make a point to

Reasons it does not appeal…. Well realistic me says the price difference (it’s $613 more) would cover our Genie+ and Lightning Lane purchases for the week and probably airport parking).

I also don’t know much about either resort rooms. Like if one is updated more recently, space, bed layout, etc. I guess I’m just really looking for the “I would never stay there because scenarios” or the “We loved it there because scenarios”. Or just any opinions really

 

[Melissa Perez]

Nice name first of all!

We typically go 3 times a year; 1 time in MK area, 1 time in boardwalk area and 1 at SSR - we are DVC and GF/SSR are home resorts. Will you be renting a car? We don't, and I notice that we try to lean in to what the hotel area has to offer to find some relaxation on a disney trip (almost sounds like an oxymoron). If the parks are going to be your focus, I would heavily consider beach club. We are not early park people but it was so easy to line up for resort park opening at Epcot/HS without having to factor in 45+ min to catch the bus and such.

With that said - we LOVE SSR because it just has more of a relaxing, where i'd like to retire vibe. I just know we tend to do more pool days, strolls through DS at opening than go go go at the parks

 

[hhisc16]

Reaching out for some advice from those with experience – we are currently booked in late July for Saratoga Springs Deluxe Studio with the Disney+ free dining option. Our original booking was $5475.89 for reference. If we moved to BCV, it would be $6089.01. Reasons I originally chose SSR resort and some background info….

There is DH, myself, and DD13. I guess you could say we are Deluxe want to be’s – Obviously they are nice, but we do try to spend our money (somewhat) wisely. We have done 1-2 night stays at the Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Animal Kingdom Lodge in conjunction with my husband’s work conferences and cruises. Obviously they are nice. And obviously with WL and AKL, and now Saratoga, we have leaned toward the less expensive options. We wanted to do Deluxe this trip for the extended nights at Epcot and MK, plus we truly like the Deluxe feel (though we have always done Mods on full week trips to save money). Also, we like the regular dining plan so we opted for Deluxe versus staying Value or Mods and upgrading the dining.

Okay now I’m caught up on my thought process for that booking, this is my new dilemma…

While I would like to go to Disney Springs this trip, it is NOT critical that we do so. We haven’t been there since it was Downtown Disney so we are obviously not terribly loyal. DD is into Legos so that would be the biggest draw – but again, maybe being Negative Nellie here, but sometimes DS/DTD just feels like a money pit. So location for SSR isn’t a selling point (bottom line, the price was the selling point). So now I’m dabbling with… heck, we have spent a ton of money already, whats a little more, and should we consider moving to the Beach Club Villas (the next “cheapest” Deluxe that we have not stayed at before).

Reasons it appeals – my DD is a huge Donald and Daisy fan so I would like to get an ADR at Minnie’s Beach Bash breakfast – location would make that very sweet. (In all honesty all the restaurants would work for our palate). I like that it’s better located for Epcot and HS, verses the resort being located well for DS. I’ve only left Epcot to the Boardwalk once and it’s been a while – can you truly walk to Epcot International Gateway comfortably from BCV? Could you walk to HS or is that going to be miserable with all the park walking already? I hear the pool is amazing but honestly we don’t usually book based on the pool – we may or may not use it. If it’s super cool though, I’m sure we would make a point to

Reasons it does not appeal…. Well realistic me says the price difference (it’s $613 more) would cover our Genie+ and Lightning Lane purchases for the week and probably airport parking).

I also don’t know much about either resort rooms. Like if one is updated more recently, space, bed layout, etc. I guess I’m just really looking for the “I would never stay there because scenarios” or the “We loved it there because scenarios”. Or just any opinions really

Both resort rooms were just refurbished and we stayed in both studios last July.
We actually did a split stay between SSR and BCV.
BCV for HS and SSR for DS.

Have you looked at the price of a DVC rental for either resorts?
It may be cheaper than paying cash with Disney.

 

[mmbrad02]

Nice name first of all!

We typically go 3 times a year; 1 time in MK area, 1 time in boardwalk area and 1 at SSR - we are DVC and GF/SSR are home resorts. Will you be renting a car? We don't, and I notice that we try to lean in to what the hotel area has to offer to find some relaxation on a disney trip (almost sounds like an oxymoron). If the parks are going to be your focus, I would heavily consider beach club. We are not early park people but it was so easy to line up for resort park opening at Epcot/HS without having to factor in 45+ min to catch the bus and such.

With that said - we LOVE SSR because it just has more of a relaxing, where i'd like to retire vibe. I just know we tend to do more pool days, strolls through DS at opening than go go go at the parks

As much as I dream of relaxing at Disney, we are Go Go Go people there. While not normally morning folks, we will rise early for openings and then take a break back at the resort in the afternoons before returning in the evenings.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

The only thing I’ll say is based on your previous choices, and someone who had stayed at those deluxes, the beach club will be the least themed and felt the least immersive to me.

Great and beautiful resort but still didn’t feel the full Disney vibe

I’d probably go for beach club though for the extra in your choice.

 

[Chili327]

the price difference (it’s $613 more) would cover our Genie+ and Lightning Lane purchases for the week

I'd say this is the part to make the decision on... $613 divided by 7 is less than $100 per day which you might save if you spend less time at Disney Springs. lol
Yes you can truly (and very easily) walk to IG or DHS.

Have you looked at the price of a DVC rental for either resorts?
It may be cheaper than paying cash with Disney.

^ This!!!

 

[mmbrad02]

Also, no car for us. We will fly and use either Uber or some other form of transport from the airport, and then rely on Disney transportation for the week.

 

[Mle8308]

Did you confirm you would be able to move to the BC with the free dining? The promotion is over and there is a possibility it may not be allowed. If you did call and can do it, I would move. Though the money to be put towards Genie+, especially in hot July, might be a reason to stay at SSR. Good luck with your decision, I don't think you can do wrong with either.

 

[mmbrad02]

Did you confirm you would be able to move to the BC with the free dining? The promotion is over and there is a possibility it may not be allowed. If you did call and can do it, I would move. Though the money to be put towards Genie+, especially in hot July, might be a reason to stay at SSR. Good luck with your decision, I don't think you can do wrong with either.

This is exactly why I hadn't played around with the idea before today. I haven't called but I did chat online and was told that if "Change Reservation" showed up in my MDE, then I could change it, and it does. If I decide to truly change it, I can call to double check.

 

[Mle8308]

This is exactly why I hadn't played around with the idea before today. I haven't called but I did chat online and was told that if "Change Reservation" showed up in my MDE, then I could change it, and it does. If I decide to truly change it, I can call to double check.

I would definitely call to have the change made if you decide to do it. Chat is not always the most accurate, unfortunately...

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Weighing in with some feedback, take it fwiw, while both SSR and BCV are both deluxe resorts, they're very different in property size, location and feel and I think SSR is more akin to being similar to OKW. Large,sprawling DVC centric resorts geared towards larger groups wanting more of a vacation rental feel, not a hotel room. SSR is very large, spread out resort with a bus loop that consists of 4 or 5 sections for pick ups. It's not the end of the world but it loses it's luster after a few days. I do like the newly renovated rooms at SSR, they're very modern and pretty but for the amount of time we spend at the resort vs out and about and at the parks, we would rather pay a bit more for location/convenience and additional dining options. I've not stayed at BC since it's been updated but I'm sure it's very nice too.

$600 price difference is nothing to sneeze at but the location of BC is so much more enjoyable which in some weird way to me would be "worth" that difference. We have loved all our stays at the Epcot area resorts for the convenience to the parks and the overall location. We also take pretty short trips to WDW so if we're there for 3-4 days, we have limited time and don't want to mess with sitting on a bus if we can avoid it.

I also have teen girls and they tend to get a bit whiny the 3rd day in of walking to the parks but the boat definitely saves the day. You can easily walk from the villas to IG and hit up the other epcot area resorts for food and atmosphere. And grab the skyliner from EP over to DHS. You can boat to the other Ep resorts, to DHS and easily catch the bus to MK/AK. I think we're also deluxe wannabees and we don't often do deluxe but when we do, it's a deal of some kind and we often will do swan and dolphin for the deluxe amenities with a mod price. I am a big proponent of convenient park transportation and alternative options so for my money, I'd choose any of the epcot/crescent lake resorts every time over SSR if the price was not insanely more.

DTB just did a review comparing SSR and OKW, this has some helpful info on SSR that you may find informative
https://www.disneytouristblog.com/saratoga-springs-old-key-west-comparison/

 

[Ensusieasm]

Very easy and quick to walk to Epcot international gateway from Beach Club.
Walking to HS is quite a bit longer especially after a hot day in the park. But you can take a leisurely boat ride from HS to Beach Club.

 

[Marthasor]

Reaching out for some advice from those with experience – we are currently booked in late July for Saratoga Springs Deluxe Studio with the Disney+ free dining option. Our original booking was $5475.89 for reference. If we moved to BCV, it would be $6089.01. Reasons I originally chose SSR resort and some background info….

There is DH, myself, and DD13. I guess you could say we are Deluxe want to be’s – Obviously they are nice, but we do try to spend our money (somewhat) wisely. We have done 1-2 night stays at the Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Animal Kingdom Lodge in conjunction with my husband’s work conferences and cruises. Obviously they are nice. And obviously with WL and AKL, and now Saratoga, we have leaned toward the less expensive options. We wanted to do Deluxe this trip for the extended nights at Epcot and MK, plus we truly like the Deluxe feel (though we have always done Mods on full week trips to save money). Also, we like the regular dining plan so we opted for Deluxe versus staying Value or Mods and upgrading the dining.

Okay now I’m caught up on my thought process for that booking, this is my new dilemma…

While I would like to go to Disney Springs this trip, it is NOT critical that we do so. We haven’t been there since it was Downtown Disney so we are obviously not terribly loyal. DD is into Legos so that would be the biggest draw – but again, maybe being Negative Nellie here, but sometimes DS/DTD just feels like a money pit. So location for SSR isn’t a selling point (bottom line, the price was the selling point). So now I’m dabbling with… heck, we have spent a ton of money already, whats a little more, and should we consider moving to the Beach Club Villas (the next “cheapest” Deluxe that we have not stayed at before).

Reasons it appeals – my DD is a huge Donald and Daisy fan so I would like to get an ADR at Minnie’s Beach Bash breakfast – location would make that very sweet. (In all honesty all the restaurants would work for our palate). I like that it’s better located for Epcot and HS, verses the resort being located well for DS. I’ve only left Epcot to the Boardwalk once and it’s been a while – can you truly walk to Epcot International Gateway comfortably from BCV? Could you walk to HS or is that going to be miserable with all the park walking already? I hear the pool is amazing but honestly we don’t usually book based on the pool – we may or may not use it. If it’s super cool though, I’m sure we would make a point to

Reasons it does not appeal…. Well realistic me says the price difference (it’s $613 more) would cover our Genie+ and Lightning Lane purchases for the week and probably airport parking).

I also don’t know much about either resort rooms. Like if one is updated more recently, space, bed layout, etc. I guess I’m just really looking for the “I would never stay there because scenarios” or the “We loved it there because scenarios”. Or just any opinions really

If it's in your budget, I would make the switch in a heartbeat. BCV is one of the best located resorts in all of WDW, IMHO. You are right next to the EP IG entrance and the Skyliner station. The BCV building is also super close to the BC lobby, QS and the bus stop. Especially in the heat of July, any steps you can save will be helpful. If you decide you want to go to a pool, the BCV quiet pool is right off the BCV lobby - super convenient. As PP's have mentioned, both resorts have been refurbished recently (BCV more recently than SSR). We have stayed at BCV countless times (last in December 2023) and we always love it. I stayed at SSR last year and, while it's lovely, it's REALLY large and very spread out. If you aren't staying in a preferred building, be prepared for long walks to the lobby, QS, etc. BCV will make your days getting to EP and DHS so easy. If you are looking for a really relaxing trip and you don't care how far away you are from the parks, SSR is a nice choice. BCV puts you in the middle of the action and makes park touring much more convenient. I would make the switch!

 

[elvispursley]

I’d do BC just to avoid that horrible internal bus situation. We’ve stayed at SSR and love it! However, we rented a car. We did not find the food great at SSR and if we had the option of switching to BC, we would! Much better location and only one bus stop (although sometimes shares with YC). But only you know your finances and whether paying more is worth it.

 

[mmbrad02]

UPDATE - We changed to BCV! I have to admit that other than actually paying the difference, I am soooo excited! I was watching videos last night on the quickest walk to Epcot and the new decor and I feel like I've had a renewed energy about this trip. I was excited to go this summer and SSR looks very nice but the size did have me kind of spooked - and we have done that internal bus system with CS before (twice) and I agree with what was said above - it's doable but gets old!

 

[SwanVT2]

UPDATE - We changed to BCV! I have to admit that other than actually paying the difference, I am soooo excited! I was watching videos last night on the quickest walk to Epcot and the new decor and I feel like I've had a renewed energy about this trip. I was excited to go this summer and SSR looks very nice but the size did have me kind of spooked - and we have done that internal bus system with CS before (twice) and I agree with what was said above - it's doable but gets old!

You will like the pool! I am planning our Feb 2025 trip and was thinking of splurging from our usual SSR to BCV for that pool, only to find out it will be closed then for refurbishment !What a shame!

 

[purple figment]

the quickest walk to Epcot

After you exit the main entrance from the Villas, walk a short distance and you'll see an opening on your left. Follow that walkway around the edge of the building and you'll come to the walkway towards Epcot. It's the shortest walk to Epcot.

If it's hot and you want to maximize AC, walk to the Beach Club Marketplace, make a left and head to the quiet pool and exit to the walkway near there.

 

[disney-inspired]

I didn't have to read through your whole post before replying an emphatic - YES!
But only if you can keep the free dining.

I LOVE Beach Club and the villa were recently renovated. It's such a lovely resort and being so close to Epcot is such a huge perk.
When are you going b/c I know BC is due for a pool refurb and will be closed Jan - May 2025. That could impact your stay if you plan on enjoying the awesome Stormalong Bay.

 

[kimmar067]

UPDATE - We changed to BCV! I have to admit that other than actually paying the difference, I am soooo excited! I was watching videos last night on the quickest walk to Epcot and the new decor and I feel like I've had a renewed energy about this trip. I was excited to go this summer and SSR looks very nice but the size did have me kind of spooked - and we have done that internal bus system with CS before (twice) and I agree with what was said above - it's doable but gets old!

....I agree with your decision! While I do like SSR, you cannot beat the location of the BCV....double-check though - I thought I had read somewhere that Stormalong Bay will be undergoing renovations, so you might want to look for info about that.

 

[WestieChic04]

I like SSR for the relaxed, quiet vibe for non park days. Beach club is nice based on location to the parks. Guess it depends on what the priority is of the trip. We frequently go back to SSR for the price and to decompress.