Saratoga Springs Resort Review

Entrance to Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Invoking the ideals of horse racing in upstate New York, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World is a lovely villa property, part of the Disney Vacation Club. Consisting of studios as well as 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom villas, these are great options for larger parties or even those who just want an option that feels less like a hotel room and more like a home!

Stay in a Disney Deluxe Villa with just-like-home amenities like a kitchen, washer, dryer and separate bedrooms. 1- and 2-Bedroom Villas—as well as 3-Bedroom Treehouse Villas—have the following features:

  • A full kitchen, so you can prepare meals and snacks from the comfort of your villa

  • Spacious living and dining areas where your family can share quality time together, play games, and chill out,

  • Separate bedrooms that offer space, privacy and tranquility – so it’s easy to rest, relax and recharge your spirit after each exhilarating vacation day

  • A washer and dryer, so you can pack lightly and avoid airline baggage fees or just travel home with clean laundry!

Treehouse Villas also feature private decks and charcoal grills. These unique accommodations are elevated 10 feet off the ground and nestled amid lush forest—so you’ll be surrounded by the beauty of nature. Want to know more about Saratoga Springs Resort? Click here: Saratoga Springs Resort

On a recent trip, as a party of six, we stayed at Saratoga Springs in a 2-bedroom villa. This was only my second time staying here and my first time in a 2-bedroom villa at any property! We were in the Paddock area which was very convenient to Disney Springs and not too far to Congress Park where you can find the main pool, front desk, and dining. Paddock has its own lovely pool and a nearby bus stop.

We were on the fourth floor, and it was very quiet. We made use of the washer and dryer, and our party even spread out a bit to use the two Murphy bed options in the living room.

As with any Disney World property, there are some definitely pros and cons to this property. Remember these are just my personal opinion, so what I don’t love may not be a big deal to you at all!

I want to talk through a few of aspects I didn’t love first before ending with things I DID love! So, first, what I found to be the drawbacks of this property: 

Bus Stops… there’s a lot of bus stops! This wasn’t a big deal for us when going to the parks, but i was when returning from the parks. If I was to stay here again, I would likely rent a car or simply rely more on Uber or Lyft. After one trip where it took us nearly an hour to get to our villa from Magic Kingdom, I only used Lyft to return to the room! 

(Pro Tip: Use Lyft over Uber at this property! You can enter your specific section, and the driver will drop you right at the entrance to your building!)

Large Footprint: It’s a really spread out property. We were fortunate to be fairly near The Springs with the dining, front desk, shop and main pool, but some of the other sections would not have been at all convenient for dining purposes.

Buses only to the parks. That’s not really a negative, but with multiple bus stops, your bus could arrive at your stop already full or take a long time before even leaving the property to head to the parks.

OK…that’s not bad for negatives, huh? Next some pros!

Proximity to Disney Springs: This is a huge pro in my opinion. If you enjoy spending time at Disney Springs, you can’t get much closer! There’s a boat that will take you to the dock near Rainforest Cafe, but it’s also easy to walk if you’re in the Paddock or Congress Hall areas.

Villa Size & Amenities: If you enjoy cooking on your vacation, like to do breakfast in the room, or have a member of your part with allergies where you might need to store or prep some food, this is a great option. With a fully equipped kitchen, you can cook to your heart’s content—or simply store cold foods in your fridge, make a full pot of coffee, etc. There’s even a dishwasher! If you’re traveling with little people who are messy (or adults who are messy!) or like to travel home with clean laundry, the in room washer and dryer are lovely. These are small stackable units, so you can’t do huge loads, but laundry detergent and a laundry basket is included!

Dining: There are both a quick service restaurant, Artist Palette, and a table service restaurant, Turf Club, here. We only had an opportunity to eat at Artist Palette one day for lunch, but I was very impressed with the meal quality. Unlike some other locations, you order your meal at the register and it’s prepared fresh. A Cast Member brought the meal to our table. My chicken and rice dish was absolutely delicious!

Pools: There are so many pools here! The main feature pool is in The Springs area near the dining and front desk. This is where you’ll find the pool entertainment like games and such. The other pools are considered quiet pools, but they were still rather sizable lovely pools—some with slides!

Would I stay here again? Absolutely! One member of our party had a car, and it made a huge difference to our days so I’d absolutely suggest a car or utilizing ride share (Lyft in particular). Even from the check in area to your villa could be a long-haul; they do have some golf carts, and they will happily deliver your luggage for you if you arrive without a personal or rental vehicle.

Memory Maker

Don’t you love those silly pictures taken on the rides, or can you stare of that precious picture
over and over of your kids meeting Mickey for the first time?

Disney offers a magical addition to your package called “Memory Maker” that captures all of
those moments to relive over and over again.

One question that all Upon A Star Agents get asked about often is, “What is Memory Maker
and is it worth it?” For those of you who have never been, or who haven't been in sometime,
Memory Maker is essentially an enhanced version of the PhotoPass service.

Memory Maker includes every picture that is taken in the park as a digital download. This is
much more convenient than the old PhotoPass CD -- especially since many newer computers
don't even have CD/DVD drives as a standard option. Now when we say every picture, we mean
every picture -- even the on-ride photos! We know where every on-ride camera is, and usually
plan to do something funny when we know a photo is going to be snapped.

Normally, we would never buy these photos after stepping off of the ride, though, opting to
spend our money on other souvenirs; but with Memory Maker, we have the luxury of reliving
each and every funny moment.

There are also lots of photo opportunities as you walk around each park. Go ahead snap that
picture in front of Cinderella Castle, or over by the Epcot Spaceship Earth icon, even below the
Hollywood Tower of Terror, or in front of the Tree of Life. There are so many photo ops to be
had.

Don’t forget to ask about extra magic shots! The fun shows up when you look at the photos on
your My Disney Experience account. There are also amazing on-ride videos!

When you pre-purchase Memory Maker at least 3 days before you arrive, you only pay $169 (as of the date of this post) and you could end up with 100s of photos to share. What a great way to create memories with your family!

Contact your Upon A Star Agent for more information about Memory Maker and how to add it to your Walt Disney World Resort package!

Co-authored by Valerie Robbins & Patti Stewart

Dining at Maria and Enzo's

If you've followed along on any Upon A Star adventures or social media accounts, you probably know that Disney Springs is a rapidly changing and rapidly growing place! In fact, it was recently listed in a travel blog as one of the top 20 places to visit -- and I couldn't agree more!

On our recent trip in January, Brady & I ventured with our friends down to Disney Springs several times - after all, a foodie's gotta eat!

Maria and Enzo's is one of the newest eateries. It's themed - stick with me here - like an airport! The back story is that Maria and Enzo had a small bakery in the airport, but when it closed, they converted the whole thing into a dream restaurant (with the help of the owner of the Edison next door - but that's another blog post!). 

As you might imagine, this restaurant serves Italian food. The views are fantastic -- overlooking the water -- and the food I had was wonderful.  I loved the whole look and feel. There were travel & aviation posters lining the walls, and the room had an open and airy feel.

In addition to the main seating area, there is also a "First Class Lounge". There are no outside views, but it does have tablecloths! Due to the diners, i couldn't snag a picture of those tables.

But let's talk about the real star here - the FOOD.  I love Italian food! And I really enjoyed everything! The menu is somewhat limited, but very good. The first picture was our appetizer, the Arancini di Carne (fried rice stuffed with meat ragù, peas and mozzerella).  For my entree, I had the Busiate con Granchio (spiral pasta with lump crab meat) -- it tasted fresh and was so delicious! Brady had the Rigatoni, and our friends had the Spaghetti. Desserts were the Cannoli and the Sicilian Ricotta layered sponge cake.

All four of us were impressed with our food - and with our server! Martina was amazing - be sure to request her table when you go!

In terms of pricing, you are definitely going to pay over $20 per entree. Disney Dining Plans are not yet accepted; but for me, I don't mind paying for a great meal every now and again.

Want to try it for yourself? Let your Upon A Star agent know that Maria and Enzo's is a must on your next trip -- we will set it all up for you. 

Buon Apetito! 

12 Days of Christmas: Day 11! ✨Frozen Ever After Sparkling Dessert Party✨

Reserve VIP seating for your family with a super fun way to experience Epcot’s Illuminations: Reflections of Earth nightly spectacular! 

First, you’ll have special seating with perfect views of the fireworks. Second, indulge in “Frozen” themed desserts & drinks while surrounded by a wonderland of themed decorations. Nibble on Living Rock Crispy Bonbons, Anna’s Blue Velvet Cupcakes, Duke of Weselton’s Cheese Fondue & much more! Sip on lemonade, punch or “melted snow” and then after the grand finale, you’ll be led to the Norway pavilion for a ride on the Frozen Ever After attraction!

Contact your Upon a Star Agent to add this special event to your Disney package!

 

Explore World Showcase with Remy's Ratatouille Hide and Squeak!

It's now October, and Epcot's Food & Wine Festival is in full swing! Brady and I had the opportunity to swing by a couple of weeks ago, and as always, the offerings are fabulous! Something that is done each year is Remy's Hide & Squeak, which is essentially a World Showcase scavenger hunt. I've always been curious, so this year, I figured I'd give it a go!

First, you need to pick up your materials.  These are available for $5.99 (plus tax) at locations in Future World and at Traders in World Showcase. Watch for the sandwich boards advertising that you can purchase a map at that location.

The storyline of your hunt is that Remy is trying to find the ingredients for his famous Ratatouille... and you need to help! Here are your materials:

Map and Stickers for Remy's Ratatouille Hide & Squeak

As you spot Remy in each country, place the sticker with the ingredient he's holding on your map!  When you're finished, you return your map to one of the purchase locations to choose a prize! Don't worry - you get to keep the map, too. 

Now one twist I experienced was that I did this hunt 2 days after Irma roared through Florida. As such, Remy was moved inside to safety.  Normally he's visible outdoors in each location; during my stay, though, we found need to search inside each pavilion, which was a fun challenge!

Once I successfully completed my mission, I returned my map and got to select from one of 4 Remy-themed keychains.  Here's the one I picked - isn't it cute?!

My prize!

Ready to help Remy? There's still time to get down to Food & Wine Festival this year! Contact one of our amazing agents for more information!