What is the Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa?

The Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa (SS) is the 5th Disney Vacation Club resort to be built at Walt Disney World and the 7th DVC Resort overall. Phase I opened May 17, 2004 with 184 vacation homes, the check-in lobby, dining/merchandise areas, the Spa, and boat/bus transportation. Phase II saw the opening of an additional 368 units in 2005. The recently announced Phase III will add another 176 units, bringing the total number of units to 828, making it the largest DVC property to date. Saratoga Springs is located on the grounds of the former Disney Institute overlooking the lakefront district at Downtown Disney.

The Springs are closest to the check in desk, restaurant, store and main pool. Congress Park is closest to Downtown Disney.

The resort is themed in Victorian architecture with the historic influence of horse racing. In fact, the motto for the resort is "Health, History, Horses." The lakeside community recaptures the heyday of upstate New York country retreats in the late 1800s.

The resort consists of studio, one- and two-bedroom, and grand villas. Each of the 12 buildings will have 20 dedicated two-Bedrooms, 24 Lock-off two-Bedrooms, and two Grand Villas. There are 46 Vacation Homes per building.

240 Dedicated 2-Bedroom Vacation Homes
288 2-Bedroom Lock-off Vacation Homes
24 3-Bedroom Grand Villas

Can I rent rooms at Saratoga Springs or do I have to be a member of Disney's Vacation Club (DVC)?

As with all the Disney Vacation Club resorts on property, anyone can rent rooms or suites at Saratoga Springs, subject to availability. You do NOT have to be a member of the DVC.

Where do I check in?

Registration is at The Carriage House. Check-in is at 4 p.m. and check-out is 11 a.m. You will be allowed to check in earlier if your room is ready when you arrive, but based on my experience with other Disney Vacation Club resorts, don't count on it! If your room is not ready, you can leave your bags with Bell Services and go off exploring. You also are given a phone number to call and check if your room is ready (before going all the way back to the resort to find out it's not).

What are the different room options?

The Studio Villas sleep four in a room of 355 square feet. There is one queen-size bed and one full-size sofa bed, one bathroom, a wet bar, small refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker, and a porch or balcony. Laundry facilities located near the pool.

The One-Bedroom Villas are 714 square feet and have a master suite, living room, fully equipped kitchen, and private porch or balcony. They accommodate four adults plus one child under age 3 in a crib. The master suite has a king-size bed and private bath with a whirlpool tub. There is a fully equipped kitchen that includes a coffee maker, dinnerware, pots and pans, microwave, toaster, stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher. There is a stack-style washer and dryer, color cable television with DVD player in living room, queen-size sleeper sofa in living room and a private balcony or porch. The master closet has a small safe for valuables.

The Two-Bedroom Villas  provide a second bedroom with a full bath and two queen-size beds. The two-bedroom villas accommodate eight adults plus one child under age 3 in a crib. The master suite has a king-size bed and private bath with a whirlpool tub. There is a fully equipped kitchen that includes a coffee maker, dinnerware, pots and pans, microwave, toaster, stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher. There is a stack-style washer and dryer, color cable television with DVD player in living room and a private balcony or porch. The master closet has a small safe for valuables.

Some of the two-bedroom villas are dedicated (entities unto themselves) and some are "lockouts" meaning a one-bedroom and a studio are combined for a two-bedroom.

The Grand Villa has two floors and will sleep 12. It is 2,113 square feet. Downstairs is the main entrance, with a king size bed in the master bedroom, one queen-size sofa bed in the living room, TV/DVD with a surround-sound system, two bathrooms (one is a master bathroom with whirlpool tub), full kitchen, dining room and table with 12 chairs, laundry room with stacked washer and dryer. The balcony (upstairs) has the 2nd and 3rd bedroom, both with two queen size beds. Two bathrooms are also located upstairs, one in each bedroom. There is also a private entryway.

Fully accessible rooms are also available. (All accessible rooms are also hearing-impaired ready.) Accessible room features include:

--electrical switches 48" above the floor (including thermostat)
--touch switch lamp
--additional low entrance door viewer
--fire strobes
--hand held shower attachment
--grab bars at toilet
--vanity open below sink (roll under)
--lower countertops/cabinets
--countertop microwave
--roll-in showers
--low threshold at balcony

What are the standard amenities?

Iron and ironing board; television in each bedroom and living room; ceiling fans; fire extinguisher; Graco Pack 'N Play portable crib; hair dryer; coffee maker; microwave; shampoo/conditioner; complexion soap; deodorant soap; drinking glasses; ice bucket; clock radio; wall safe in closet (laptop size); vacuum cleaner; DVD player in living room (except Studios); whirlpool tub (except Studios); closed captioning available on all television sets. A limited number of full-size wooden cribs are available upon request.

Amenities available upon request (no charge) include: bed boards; bed rails; full size cribs; extra portable cribs; down pillows; high chairs; electric mixer; booster seat; shower seat and toilet seat for disabled; smoke detector and telephone for hearing impaired; electric adapters; hand lotion; and tea bags and decaf coffee. Rollaway beds are not available.

All rooms have High Speed Internet Access (HSIA). The Ethernet cable is located in the closet. To activate, make sure you have a credit card on file at the front desk, then follow the posted instructions.

What are the room prices?

Below are tables of room rates. Annual Passholders can sometimes get discounts on rooms, depending on season and availability.  January and September are good months to try for discounts.  Tax is not included in the prices.

2009 RATES

(Resort Tax Not Included)

What about Dining and Shopping?

Artist's Palette is the eatery, grocery, and market. It is located in the Carriage House and offers counter service dining, snacks, and merchandise. It is open from 7:00 a.m. to 11 p.m.

There are both prepackaged (ready to go) and fresh-made foods, including salads, soups, sandwiches, pizza and pasta, grab 'n go family size portions of lasagna, meat loaf, etc. You can either take food back to your villa, sit in the indoor seating area (which accommodates 124), or grab and go pool-side. Also available are bakery items and heartier evening specials.

Merchandise items include: Men's and women's resort wear, logo merchandise, grocery items (including milk, juice and soda, snack items, cereal, beer, wine, liquor), character merchandise, plush toys, books, magazines, newspapers, infant supplies, jewelry, sundries, film.

You can also rent DVDs and obtain your packages delivered from the parks.

The Turf Club Bar and Grill is a table service restaurant with seating inside and out. It is located near Artist's Palette and features a billiard table, casual seating and large screen TV.

Click HERE for menus.

What is the High Rock Spring Pool like?

It starts with gurgling water that cascades down the rock work and into the free form swimming pool. There is a slide with twists and turns through the rock work, which passes under a bridge and then empties into the pool. There are two whirlpool spas.

On the Rocks Pool Bar serves beverages only, and the refillable mug is honored here.

There is a children's themed interactive wet play area with pop-jet fountains.

"Quiet" leisure pools are also available at the resort near the clusters of resort room buildings.

What other things might I want to know?

The Spa at Disney's Saratoga Springs offers a full range of services in the tradition of the healing spas found in upstate New York, from facials and massages to manicures and pedicures. There is also a fully equipped fitness center. You can call the Spa to arrange for an in-room massage.

Win, Place or Show is the arcade, located near the main themed pool, and it's open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Horsing Around Rentals, located at the lower end of the High Rock Spring pool, rents bikes and surrey bikes, as well as tennis, basketball and shuffleboard equipment. Its hours are generally 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but are subject to change seasonally.

Rental Prices (sales tax not included) as of 6/04 are:

Bicycles per 60 minutes - Guest: $7.51 Member: $6.80
Bicycle per day - Guest: $20.65 Member: $18.68
2-Seat Surrey per 30 minutes - Guest: $16.90 Member: $15.28
4-Seat Surrey per 30 minutes - Guest: $20.65 Member: $18.68

NOTE: Must be 18 years old to rent and drive surrey bikes; must have legal guardian 18 or older to sign waiver for bike rentals.

Information about Fishing Excursion, Specialty Cruises, Water Sports and additional recreation offerings is also available at Horsing Around rentals.

Tennis courts are located near the Carriage House and are open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Playgrounds are located near the quiet, or leisure pools. There is a barbecue area at Congress Park.

Walkway to Downtown Disney - The walkway to Downtown Disney from Saratoga Springs is now open. It's about a 10-minute walk.

The Ferry Dock is located behind the Carriage House. Go past the Turf Club and out through the patio, then down the stairs or ramp. The Ferry runs on the half-hour until about 11:30 p.m. and runs from Saratoga Springs to Old Key West then to Downtown Disney's Marketplace and West Side docks.

The ferry runs on a one-hour schedule from 11:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. then switches to a 30-minute schedule until 11:15 p.m. Note: Schedule will change to 30-minute before 4:15 p.m. and 15-minute afterwards starting midsummer.

The Ferry will NOT run if lightning has been sighted within five miles, so plan accordingly. There is also bus service to Downtown Disney, as an alternative.

Where is Saratoga Springs Located?

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
1960 Broadway
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

To get to Saratoga Springs from the Orlando airports, visit our Driving Directions page HERE.

Phone: 407-827-1100 (8-293-1100)
Fax: (407) 827-1151
Room Reservations: 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7639)