Two weeks ago, you may recall that I mentioned that I rented points for our stay at Saratoga Springs from a DVC owner. The price for the point rental for the room was much less at $700 for the 5 nights versus the cost of over $1800 if we booked through Disney.com with an annual pass discount for the same room type, days, etc! Last week, I detailed the accommodations found in the Studio rooms at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa. Today, I wanted to give you some insight into my family’s personal review of the DVC rental at Saratoga Springs.
Our room was very clean when we arrived. We were very impressed with the accommodations. The room seemed to have everything we would need. I began to wonder if I had made the right decision when I pulled out the couch to put my son to bed and found that the bed was not made with sheets. I went to the closet and found the sheets, both flat type sheets. I made the bed, which consists of 3 sections of foam mattresses. When my son first laid on the bed, he said, “Mom, this bed is not too soft. Maybe if we put a blanket under, it will be better.” I sat on the matress and found that he was right. The bed was hard, like a bad sleep cot (bad being the emphasized word). Being the mom that I am, I put him in bed with my husband and slept on the sofa bed.
I had not really understood that we would not have room servicing until check-in. This means that if you want new towels, sheets, etc. you must call to request them. Let me say that at home, I am the “unpopular” one that requests that we make the beds daily. But when on vacation, I am a bit lazier and want someone (anyone) to make it for me. With the DVC properties, there is no such thing. You want the bed made, you have to be the maker… Unless you want to pay $30 for servicing.
That is not to say that you never get your room serviced, but my understanding is that the service is available on day 4 at no charge for the stay. During this service, we received more plasticware in the kitchen area and beds made as if you had requested roll-down service. I suspect that our towels were changed. I also believe that if we had had cups in the sink needing cleaning, we would have received clean cups. (However, I had already cleaned them and had them sitting out to dry.)
We did not spend any time at Saratoga Springs Resort other than in the room. (I know, poor research.) My family, as always, simply spent all of our time in the parks. I will not be staying at Saratoga again. I would rather stay at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort instead (believe it or not after my family’s last experience there!) The rooms at the CBR are much larger and are cleaned regularly. Call me lazy, but please make up my bed while I am on vacation!
Contributed by: Natalie H. (NDM #268). Natalie is the Disney Driven Life’s resident resort expert and creator of Meet the Magic!
Natalie grew up in Nashville, TN. Married with one son, she lives on a farm. As if this weren’t enough to keep her on her toes, Natalie also works around the clock due to being self-employed .
Natalie often travels to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, giving her a vast knowledge of the Disney Resorts which she shares in her posts on The Disney Driven Life. She loves the research on the resorts and appreciates input for these articles as well.
In recent trips, Natalie has begun making a habit of meeting people while in the parks. This habit inspired her personal website, Meet the Magic, http://meetthemagic.com. This site helps her connect to others as well as hold space for Disney fans to post information about their Disney related sites. Her goal with this venture is to help people to “Meet the Magic” of their choice.
Thanks Natalie, Yes, daily maid servicing is optional at DVC resorts due to members desire to keep maintenance fees low. Studio rooms at Saratoga Springs are actually about 25% larger than the rooms at CBR based on information in the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.
if you pay cash at Saratoga Springs you get daily housekeeping just like at any other Disney resort. If you rent points, you get the same service that DVC members get. The person you rented from should have explained that to you.