On this day in 2004, the first phase of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opened at Walt Disney World. It would be the seventh and largest Disney Vacation Club property to debut. The initial phase was called Congress Park, a reference to the city of Saratoga Springs, New York and its famed thoroughbred horse racetrack. Actress Jodi Benson, known as the voice of Ariel, was on hand at the resort’s opening festivities to sing Disney classics. [20 years ago in 2024]