Interesting Facts about Saratoga Springs

When you go to Walt Disney World, the last thing you want is to feel like you’re going to school. EPCOT learned this the hard way as many of its infotainment attractions required a multigenerational reboot.

So, you wouldn’t expect a DVC favorite to reside on the site of a learning institute. Fans of Disney trivia know the truth, though. Let’s talk about a few interesting facts about Saratoga Springs, including its origin story. 

The Disney Institute Died So That…

During the 1990s, then-CEO Michael Eisner embarked on several daring initiatives at The Walt Disney Company. He dubbed the era the Decade of Disney to underscore its significance. 

Alas, unexpected budget shortfalls forced changes to several projects, Eisner faced a swath of negative headlines. In an extreme example, a critic denounced Disneyland Paris as a “cultural Chernobyl.” Domestically, Disney’s Animal Kingdom suffered such dramatic cuts that we’re still awaiting Beastly Kingdom to this day.

Perhaps Eisner’s most ambitious premise was the Disney Institute, which technically still exists. The current iteration works nothing like Eisner had intended, though, a recurring trend of the Disney Decade. 

Disney’s CEO envisioned a “learning on vacation” experience. Eisner tried to sell tourists on the idea of taking classes while visiting Walt Disney World. He believed that hyper-efficient businesspeople would relish the idea of improving themselves on vacation. 

Before you scoff at the idea, I’ll add that a successful version of this premise already exists. Eisner based the idea on the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. This educational institution turned 150 years old in 2024. So, the idea isn’t new.

Alas, people don’t visit Walt Disney World to learn. We want to ride stuff and then eat, drink, and be merry. A bit of shopping would be nice, too. The Disney Institute didn’t offer much of that, although it did sell merchandise. 

Of course, the big mistake with the Disney Institute, other than the core concept itself, was the price. Disney charged guests $582 to $1,986 per person, depending on how  long they stayed and how many classes they took. In 2026 dollars, that’s $1,204-$4,110 per night. So, we’re talking about Deluxe Villa pricing…and Disney assigned everyone homework. 

Also, remember that the price was per person, akin to how DVC handles Disney Cruise Line bookings. Thus, the cost was really as much as $8,220…per night. Can you believe the Disney Institute failed?

Saratoga Springs Could Live 

In September 2002, the embattled Eisner, who was engaged in a battle with Walt Disney’s nephew at the time, admitted defeat. Disney threw in the towel on the campus portion of the Disney Institute. All that remained afterward is a very good book I highly recommend called Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service. 

The closure left Disney with a massive parcel of developed land but no good plans for it. So, DVC called dibs in requesting a new resort. Believe it or not, this decision wasn’t easy due to the massive scale of the campus. The place we now know as Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa covers 65 acres. Disney California Adventure, an entire theme park, is just 72 acres. 

Do you know who isn’t surprised by this fact? DVC members who have stayed here. We all know that Saratoga Springs covers a sweeping amount of territory, which is why Disney has carved it into specific sections. 

At first, the construction crew repurposed the existing hotel rooms to make them DVC Villas and Studios. The first phase consisted of only 184 units when it debuted in 2004. By that point, Disney had already pot-committed to the project, though.

The company simultaneously announced another 644 units during the grand opening. Just think about how wild that is. DVC introduced members to 184 units while saying, “Oh, and more than three times as many are coming soon!” 

At that point, it was clear that DVC planned to make Saratoga Springs an inventory sponge for members. The sheer volume of hotel rooms available here reinforces how effectively Disney has used the space. 

The Hotel Continues a Theme 

I sometimes obsess about the existence of Tri-Circle-D Ranch due to what it represents. When Imagineers plotted Walt Disney World, they wanted it to be the vacation capital of the western hemisphere. 

To achieve that goal, Disney offered more than just a theme park. The company took ideas from other popular tourist destinations – like dude ranches – and added them on the WDW campus. Disney’s BoardWalk exists for a similar reason. It’s the way families from a bygone era spent their holidays. 

When the Disney Institute closed, the company’s strategists made a similar choice. Disney looked 350 miles east of Chautauqua for inspiration. 

You may not know this, but Saratoga Springs has remained an iconic tourist destination for nearly 200 years now. Seriously. In 1832, the Saratoga and Schenectady Railroad provided a path for people on the East Coast to visit the springs at Saratoga, which they did. 

Over time, the town developed a secondary reputation for its horse racing. Disney drew inspiration from both ideas in creating an expansive hotel campus. When you walk the length of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, you cannot help but notice all the horse-based theme, but its titular spa pays tribute to Saratoga Springs, New York, as well. It’s a different kind of spa, of course, but Disney purposefully added that element as a nod to 19th-century tourism.

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