I have a confession to make. When I bought into Sartoga Springs, the last thing in the world that I thought I’d use was the spa. My husband and I are commando, non-stop parks kind of people. However, I have had a couple of opportunities to use the spa now and it really is a gem.
My first time at the spa, I had a Swedish massage and pedicure (both with DVC discount). I had just run the Minnie Marathon and was ready for some pampering. I’d been having some issues with one of my legs, so I was hoping that the massage would put me back to normal to finish out my trip.
Now, I know there is a difference between relaxation and therapeutic massage, so I was not sure how much a therapeutic masseuse could help. When I called to schedule the appointment, the informed me that the Swedish massage is the best for a “sports” massage. So, that’s what I went with. Not only is it a great post-race massage, I was very impressed by the knowledge of the masseuse. I informed her of what muscles I was having problems with and she knew exactly what to do. The results were amazing.
After the massage, I had some time until my pedicure. I headed back to the locker room to pamper myself some more. Pampering in the locker room you ask? Yes! The women’s locker room has a hot tub and two saunas. One sauna was normal and the other was eucalyptus. The eucalyptus was heavenly. The hot tub was also very nice.
One of the best parts of the hot tub was meeting a great person. Now, I did not grow up in a house where mom went to the spa. I still feel incredibly spoiled, and a little uncomfortable, when I go to one. Well, that’s one of the great things about a spa on Disney grounds. Most of the time, you will have the love of Disney in common with people. That makes it easy to talk to strangers and really helps your comfort level, if you are a little more inhibited normally.
After my locker room time, I headed up for my pedicure. Again, professional and wonderful. The staff made me feel very comfortable and did a wonderful job. About the only comment I have is that the pedicure room seemed more like a doctor’s office than a spa. I expect a little more Disney and was a bit disappointed with how that room compared to the other areas of the report. Still, that has not stopped me from going again.
Now, after all that pampering, I had more time to wait for some friends to finish. I am not a sit still kind of person, so I had had enough pampering. Now, this is where the Spa at Saratoga Springs beats any other spa hands down. When you are not in the relax and pamper yourself mood, you have another fabulous option. You can head out to the pool! Being the kid at heart that I am, I did 4 trips down the slide before returning to the spa! Where else can you do that? If you’re not up to the slide, you can grab a bite to eat at Artist’s Palette or just people watch by the pool, too.
My first advice to people would be to give yourself as much time as possible. My first time there, I got as much out of the between appointments time as I did the services. The second time, I did not leave myself nearly enough time between or after appointments. Also, I would advise you to just relax and let go, even if you don’t think you’re a “spa” person. Remember, this is still Disney and kids of all ages and backgrounds are welcome.
As a final note, if you didn’t squeeze in spa services when planning your trip, you can still use your Disney Vacation Club member ID card to go in the locker room. A little time in the hot tub or one of the saunas is probably just what your body needs after intense park time.
You can find a list of their services, pricing, and contact information here: www.relaxedyet.com
