What Is There to Do at Saratoga Springs Resort

When you buy into the Disney Vacation Club program, you’re planning to vacation at Walt Disney World frequently. That’s where most of the resorts are, and it’s also home to the most popular theme park in the world, Magic Kingdom. 

Some ironclad laws apply when you visit Disney World as a DVC member. One is that you’ll inevitably stay at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Due to the massive inventory here, it often offers availability later than other properties. 

So, you’ll happily book here on the dates when you were stressed that everything else had sold out. When that happens, you’ll naturally wonder something. What is there to do at Saratoga Springs Resort? Here are some suggestions.

Ace the Trivia Challenge 

You’ll find some obvious recreational activities at Saratoga Springs, but I also want to bring your attention to a few you might not know. For instance, you may know that you can take a daily trivia test at The Artist’s Palette.

The combination restaurant and shop near the hotel lobby posts a chalkboard of daily Disney trivia. Generally, it’s just a question or two about a beloved movie. If you know the answer, don’t be afraid to tell a Cast Member, as they sometimes offer prizes.

What you may not realize is that the High Rock Spring Pool Deck hosts nighttime trivia three days a week. You should check the hotel calendar for exact dates, but it’s a fun way to spend an hour at Disney. You sit by the pool and prove your Disney knowledge. 

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry at Disney Springs 

The following two suggestions are ones that everyone should do during a Saratoga Springs visit. I won’t belabor the point about a Disney Springs visit because you get it.

During the 1970s, Disney built an entire entertainment district on the Walt Disney World campus. Since then, management has reinvented the place multiple times, with Disney Springs the most popular iteration.

You’ll find some of the best restaurants in Central Florida here, and you can buy anything a Disney fan could ever need/want. You can also engage in some unique activities like bowling, going to a Cirque du Soleil show, motorcycle shopping, and watching a movie. 

People never get bored at Disney Springs. Even better, it’s just a short walk or boat ride away from Saratoga Springs. 

Enjoy a Spa Day 

Visiting Saratoga Springs and not using the spa is like never swimming at Stormalong Bay. It may even be worse because Disney didn’t put Stormalong Bay in the hotel’s name, but they did for the spa at Saratoga Springs. 

You’ll understand why the moment you enter Senses Spa, which turns back the clock to the 19th century. Guests experience luxury spa treatments once offered at upstate New York wellness retreats. The hotel offers the following treatments:

• Massage therapies
• Facial treatments
• Body therapies and wraps
• Wet relaxation space with a whirlpool, heated loungers, and a steam room
• A relaxation room

Fans rave about the Cocoa Enzyme Facial here, which strips the antioxidants and enzymes from your skin. You’ll lay down your burdens here and forget the outside world exists during your spa day. 

Play a Round of Golf 

Golfers know to visit Saratoga Springs for one of the best experiences imaginable. The convenience of the nearby golf course is unbeatable. 

That’s because the Friendship Boats to/from Disney Springs stop at Saratoga Springs. Once you exit the boat, you can follow the signs to reach Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course. It’s only about 200 feet from the boat dock.

You’ll find Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Café just around the corner. That’s how you’ll know you’re ready to tee off. As for the course, it’s so good that it has previously hosted PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and USGA events. So, you can feel like a pro whenever you reach the green in two. 

Prove Your Cornhole Prowess 

Are you and your friends way into cornhole? It’s the de facto sport of choice for tailgaters everywhere. You’ll find the boards seemingly everywhere now, and Disney has gotten into the game.

On certain dates, you may participate in the Franklin Square Stakes Cornhole Challenge. Currently, Disney hosts it at 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays, giving guests a chance to prove they’re cornhole aces. Disney even provides a trophy to the winning team! 

Ride the Amphicars 

Courtesy of WDWNT

Since you’ll be visiting Disney Springs anyway, you might as well take advantage of a rare entertainment option. When The BOATHOUSE opened, it needed a hook, a selling point to distinguish it from the other restaurants.

So, the management team came up with a terrific idea. You can ride in an Amphicar! For a modest fee of $125 per car, your captain will take up to three guests on a guided tour of Lake Buena Vista. 

You’ll ride around a car that is also a boat, making you feel like James Bond. It’s a marvelous experience that I highly recommend, but I will warn you that it’s not ideal on extremely sunny days. 

Of course, you may prefer other methods of enjoying the sights at Saratoga Springs and Disney Springs. If so, you can rent bikes and surrey bikes as well. 

Take Your Family to Yoga 

What’s better than a morning yoga session? Why, it’s sprinkling in a bit of Disney storytelling magic during your workout!

On Saturdays at 9 a.m., Saratoga Springs hosts “a story time yoga session inspired by some of your favorite Disney friends!” You’ll find the training at Congress Park at a spot overlooking Disney Springs. 

Disney family yoga provides a serene way to start the day. The only catch is that you’ll miss Rope Drop to do it. DVC members could all use a calm Saturday morning during an extended Disney vacation, though.