Wait! Do I Actually Love This? – My Surprising DVC Resort Stay Experiences

Posted:  DVC Rentals Resorts

If you’ve ever planned a Disney trip, you know that the Mouse offers a LOT of choices when it comes to resort options! There are different themes, price points, locations, and more, making it easy to find something that suits your personal wants and needs. This is important because not every resort will be everyone’s cup of tea!

Building exteriors of Disney’s Beach Club Villas are seen under a blue sky with a walkway between two buildings. The building on the left is blue and white and the DVC villa building on the right is pastel green and white.

While I’m always willing to stay just about anywhere if it means I get to be at Disney, like everyone else, I have favorite and not-so-favorite resorts based on my personal preferences. As I keep working towards my goal of staying at all of the resorts, however, a few have truly surprised me, and not all have been what I expected! 

The pastel yellow, green and red brick entry into a building in the Grandstand section of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa is seen under a blue sky. There are green trees on either side of the entry as well as a green bench.

Let’s start with Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. When I first started here at David’s almost a decade ago, I was familiar with a lot of the resorts but had never stayed at a DVC location before. As we learned about the different resorts during training, I’ll be honest, I thought Saratoga seemed…fine….but maybe a little boring? It was at the bottom of my wish list. There was just nothing about it that really stood out to me  – until I stayed there, that is!

The pastel yellow, blue, and green buildings of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa are seen on green landscaping as its exterior is reflected in the body of water on the resort grounds under a blue sky.

I had planned a trip for December, which, as many of you know, is a super popular time to visit Walt Disney World. When I decided to try and add an extra night to my stay at the last minute, of course, the resort I’d previously booked was no longer available. Saratoga to the rescue! I booked a one-night stay and figured it would allow me to check it out, but I wouldn’t be “stuck” there the entire time. Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong about just how lovely Saratoga Springs is!

A planter full of red flowers is seen in front of the equestrian statue with horse and jockey outside the Carriage House at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa under a sunny sky.

I absolutely fell in love with Saratoga in just one night! The resort immediately felt homey and warm, and as someone who struggles to relax on vacation, the tranquil vibe was exactly what I needed. 

The pastel green, pink, and beige buildings of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa are seen under a blue sky. The resort’s green lawns are also seen with Disney Springs visible across the water in the distance. 

We spent the day strolling around the resort, enjoying a leisurely boat ride to Disney Springs, and relaxing in our cozy little villa. Sitting out on the balcony that night, listening to the music drifting across the breeze as the lights from Disney Springs sparkled on the water’s reflection, is one of my favorite memories from that trip. We also met some of the friendliest fellow guests ever and some of the sweetest and most helpful Cast Members, too! 

The lights of Disney Springs sparkle on the left as the warm glow of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa light up the right side of the photo across the water. In the distance of the night’s sky, theme park fireworks of green and blue are seen.

Since then, Saratoga Springs has become my frequent home away from home at WDW. I have stayed there 10 times since and eagerly await my next journey back to the resort I never thought I would have such a love affair with! I will shout from the rooftops about how much of an underrated gem it is to anyone who will listen! Those who love it LOVE it, and there are a million reasons why! If you haven’t yet stayed here, don’t be afraid to give it a try! Like me, you might just end up with a new addition to your favorites list and years’ worth of magical memories after staying there again and again!

Soft green and yellow resort buildings housing amenities are seen under a sunny sky. The circular tallest portion of the corner building has the resort’s horse racing logo on it, as well as “Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, A Disney Vacation Club Resort” written in black lettering.

Speaking of personal preferences, I have never been too jazzed about staying anywhere with the words “campground” or “campsite” in its name. I’m a city girl through and through, and I typically spend far more time in shopping malls than I do in, say, a forest. But then, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort became part of the DVC family, and I had the chance to stay there in a One Bedroom Cabin for a work trip. 

The brown and wooden exterior of a One Bedroom Cabin at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is seen. There is a wooden staircase leading up to it and a deck with seating.

Let me tell you, these Cabins are BEAUTIFUL, and the resort may look rustic, but it is pristinely kept in tiptop shape. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill dusty campground; this is a DISNEY resort full of fun activities, charm, and, perhaps most importantly, sparkling clean facilities! For usually-indoors girlies like me who still want to see all the beauty of the outdoors without “roughing it” or sleeping in a tent on a traditional camping trip, this is the place for you!

The bedroom of a DVC Cabin at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. There is a queen bed with twin bunk beds next to it. Above each bed is nature-themed artwork featuring Chip ‘n’ Dale.

I truly couldn’t believe how deeply I fell in love with Fort Wilderness! I knew the Cabins themselves would be great, but I did not expect to enjoy some of the other aspects of the resort as much as I did. For a girl who was well-known for fibbing about being sick to get out of Girl Scout camp as a kid, it was genuinely shocking to find myself sad about leaving the resort to go to the parks! 

The dark brown log-cabin style exterior of the reception area at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is seen under a sunny sky, surrounded by green foliage.

Zipping around on our little green golf cart (which, heads up, does require an additional fee), visiting the Tri-Circle-D Ranch to see the ponies, listening to the calming sounds of the crickets and birds settling in the trees in the evening, and sitting by the campfire roasting marshmallows under the moon with Chip’ n’ Dale leading a sing-along was in a word, awesome! 

A black, white, and grey horse named Samson is seen in a stall inside the Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.

Chip ‘n’ Dale and their cowboy friend perform a campfire sing-along on a stage made from an old-fashioned covered wagon at night at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.

As I wasn’t much of a summer camp kid, I never really understood why that experience was so beloved by those who did go. I get it now! Fort Wilderness is like if Disney ran a magical summer camp for kids of all ages! It was fun, relaxing, and stress-free and both my inner child and outer adult had a wonderful time trying something new!

A road winds between the DVC Cabins and pine forest around the grounds at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort as the sun rises in the distance.

Finally, let’s talk about Disney’s Beach Club Villas! This was the very first Disney resort I ever visited as a kid, back in the early 90s. My family took an afternoon ice cream break at Beach Club to escape the heat and crowds at EPCOT during our summer vacation. For me, it was love at first sight, and I proclaimed to my mother that I would be staying there someday.

Guests enjoy the different pool areas at Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Beach Club Villas under a blue sky as the blue and white resort buildings are seen in the background.

It took a little longer for it to happen than I hoped! I was about 10 at the time of that first visit in the 90s, and I was just a few days shy of my 36th birthday when I finally checked into the Beach Club for my dream stay. I approached the front desk to check in with tears of joy in my eyes as I crossed a life goal off my list. It might sound dramatic, but it’s true! I will admit, though, in my mind, I was a little worried that after dreaming about it for so long, staying at the Beach Club Villas for real wouldn’t live up to the hype I had built up in my head.

A green lawn and paved pathway lead to the entry into Disney’s Beach Club Villas, as the dawn sky brightens over the blue and white resort building.

Oh boy, was I worried for nothing! It absolutely lived up to the hype and MORE! 

A walkway surrounding by green foliage leads to the mint green and white building that houses the DVC rooms at Disney’s Beach Club Villas. In front of the entry door is a statue of the Little Mermaid sitting on a brown rock with a sign reading “Disney Vacation Club” on it.

Finally, staying at my dream resort after decades of wishing for it was incredible. That trip remains one of my favorites ever! I’ve had the chance to stay at the Beach Club multiple times since then, and from the sweet, elegant, and whimsical theme to the water park-style pool area of Stormalong Bay, I still love it all! The only criticism I’ve ever been able to come up with for this resort is that the Studios don’t have a full-length mirror! 

A Deluxe Studio Resort View at Disney’s Beach Club Villas. The room is decorated with soft blues and accents and artwork featuring Donald and Daisy Duck.

After visiting many of the other DVC resorts, I wondered if my ranking might change, but after all these years, Beach Club retains its number one spot on my list.

The blue and white exterior of Disney’s Beach Club Villas is seen as the sun begins rising under an early-dawn sky. The lampposts are still lit and there is a large planter with yellow, white, and pink flowers in front of the entrance doors.

 

As I keep working to cross each and every Disney resort off my wish list someday, I’m sure there will be more surprises to come in the future! I can’t wait to see what wonderful, unexpected magic will pop up next!

A Mickey Mouse head shaped out of green moss and foliage sits atop a floral display in the lobby of Disney’s Beach Club Villas. There is also a starfish, with pink roses, and other white flowers in the arrangement.

 

~Stacy 

 

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