No Saratoga Springs Visit Is Complete Without

Every Disney Vacation Club resort comes with its own idiosyncrasies. Some hotel visits are more straightforward, while others require a bit of exploration and even some trial-and-error. Thankfully, one of DVC’s largest resorts is relatively straightforward, with a few must-dos for guests. That’s why I think no Saratoga Springs visit is complete without these activities…

Boat Hopping

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will wow you with its size. When you first visit, you may feel a bit overwhelmed until you quickly get your bearings. After that, you’ll quickly recognize the benefits of the spacious campus. 

For starters, part of the resort is by the water. For your convenience, Disney has set up a boat system to transport you to various locations, most notably Disney Springs. However, frequent Saratoga Springs guests know that they can Boat Hop to other Disney resorts. Even better, some of them aren’t part of the DVC catalog, which opens up a variety of new entertainment options. 

Saratoga Springs resides on the Sassagoula River Cruise line, which also takes guests to the twin resorts at Disney’s Port Orleans and Disney’s Old Key West Resort. This route also includes the Treehouse Villas as well, making it vital to many DVC members. 

The best part of Boat Hopping is that vacationers can do things like watch Yehaa Bob Jackson perform at Port Orleans Riverside or dine at Olivia’s. These options are just a boat ride away, making them easily accessible. Plus, the boat ride itself provides tranquility and a panoramic backdrop. 

Recreational Activities

This is a blanket statement, but let’s drill down to the main ones. When you stay at Saratoga Springs, there’s a decent chance that you’re there for the golf. Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course skirts the hotel campus, so much so that I once got lost at the hotel and almost walked straight into someone’s drive. I don’t know whether he would have gotten a mulligan, but it wouldn’t have been great for either of us. 

Seriously, Disney recently renovated the majestic golf course, adding entirely new surfaces to nine of the greens. And it was already a course good enough to host PGA Tour tournaments before then. So, it’s an incredible amenity for DVC members.

Even those who don’t like golf still inevitably participate in recreational activities at Saratoga Springs. There are pools in every district of the hotel campus, many of which have pool bars as well. So, they’re ideal hangout spots during downtime away from the parks. 

Saratoga Springs also hosts a pair of tennis courts that are quite popular, partially because they’re clay, a rarity in the south. DVC members watch the French Open and think, “I could do that!” Then, they get their white tennis outfits muddy and realize hard courts are better. It’s a good time had by all, though. 

A Visit to Artist’s Palette

Here’s one that will feel familiar to everybody. At some point, all guests at Saratoga Springs realize they forgot something or need something. So, they visit the hotel’s general store, Artist’s Palette.

The experience can be a bit befuddling since it’s in the same building as the hotel lobby, and the first thing many visitors see is the restaurant seating. It can be a bit disorienting at first, but like the hotel campus itself, you get used to it fast. 

From that moment forward, you will fall in love with this area and use it frequently, maybe even obsessively. The convenience of Artist’s Palette cannot be beat. The spacious shop section sells plenty of merchandise, including a significant amount of apparel and children’s toys. Meanwhile, the restaurant’s deep menu ensures that you’ll have something different to eat at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Walking to Disney Springs 

Realistically, the main reason why you’re picking Saratoga Springs is one of two things. Either it’s the final Walt Disney World resort with availability, something that happens a lot, or you plan to spend plenty of time at Disney Springs. 

One of the secrets of the DVC program is that after you’ve visited Walt Disney World numerous times, you’ve seen and done it all at the parks. Sure, Disney does a lovely job of keeping everything fresh, but it doesn’t feel necessary to spend 12 straight hours at a theme park. 

Over time, we gradually become bigger fans of shopping, dining, and drinking during our vacation. That makes Disney Springs a premier destination during a DVC vacation. I mean, it should be anyway for even the most casual tourists. For longtime members, a trip to Disney Springs is absolutely essential, though. 

Those of us who are most emphatic about the entertainment complex choose Preferred rooms at Saratoga Springs. We do that so that we can walk across the bridge and be at Disney Springs in less than ten minutes. It’s one of the best parts of staying at Saratoga Springs. 

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