Thanks for stopping by planDisney, Jennifer! It's great to see you hEAR!
Jennifer, earlier this summer I stayed at
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa in the preferred section and I'm so happy to share my experience. There are definitely benefits to being in either section, but in order to make a request, I would encourage you to think about your priorities.
When I visited, I requested our villa to be in the Congress Park section. I knew that we had planned dinner at
Disney Springs one evening, lunch a separate day and the quick access to the walking path was high on our priority list. The
bus to the theme parks does pick up at the Congress Park stop
prior to the The Springs stop, so that is an added benefit of this section.
The Springs section, however, is the closest to the feature pool and The Artist's Palette (
where you'd refill your refillable mug). Jennifer, every morning I woke up and walked from our villa in the Congress Park section to The Artist's Palette to grab a coffee. The walk took me approximately 7 minutes and early in the day it was pleasant. Because my kids weren't with me on this trip, it was easy for me to walk over at my leisure, but if you have little ones, that certainly would be a considering factor.
Jennifer, while I can't provide a definitive answer on which section is the best fit for your family, I hope this has given you some factors to consider as you're making decisions for your upcoming trip. I hope you'll come back and see us hEAR at planDisney with any additional questions. We love stretching our Fairy Godmother wings and helping guests create their own Magical trips.
Lauren