Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa

My family and I just got back from our vacation in FL (Feb15-18 '08). We stayed at a 2-bdr villa in Saratoga Springs resort. The amenities are great and we were truly having a magical experience up until we had a nightmare incident. My 2 sons (ages 6 and 8) were swimming in the High Rock Springs pool when my younger son after going through the slide panicked and was gasping for air. Good thing my older son was right behind him and tried to get him. He cried for help and I immediately went to their rescue. All this was happening right in FRONT of the lifeguard ON DUTY. He was talking to someone before, during and after the entire incident!!! My husband had to tell him that our sons were already drowning and he didn't even know it! We spoke to the Recreation Manager and he even defended the guy! That maybe he was talking to one of the guest. Unbelievable! So don't trust the lifeguards on duty if you want to keep your children safe in their pool. My older son was traumatized by this incident and we keep telling him that he did a brave thing by saving his younger brother.

I last stayed at a Disney resort 10 years ago and I am shocked to see how it has changed for the worse. I found on this visit trash in the room from the previous guest and the towels were dirty. Internet access was an additional $10/day. The bed was extremely small and uncomfortable. The pullout couch was hard as a rock. Throughout the complex I could see spiderwebs, trash, broken sconces, scratched doors, dead bugs in the hallway for three days... Even the children noticed that it did not feel like Disney. The food court was dirty and the food was overpriced. The restaurant on the other hand was very good, pricey but worth the money. Most of the Disney employees were grouchy and seemed unhappy to be there. Their rhetorical "Have a Magical Day" answer to everything seemed forced at best, almost cynical. Some employees did not even bother to acknowledge the customers. My next time in Orlando will be spend in a non-Disney resort.

Stayed for 3 days in March of 2007.

The rooms were nice, the view was above average, and the costs were descent. Only 2 bad things were that my son got sick from the main pool at Saratoga Springs and the wait for the doctor at 8:00 at night was almost 4 hours long! I told Disney about my son's problem and of course they found nothing wrong with the pool, even though it took them 3 months later to tell me!

If any other family has a person in their group that gets out of the pool and instantly suffers from a nagging cough, laryngitis, and a sore throat, beware! Outside of the pool, I give this resort a 7.