Shades of Green Review

[Disneyfun]

Hello all,

Just got back from a very last minute trip to WDW to join my sister-in-law and niece at Shades of Green. I was pretty excited as I had never been to this resort previously and wanted to explore.

It saddens me to say that I think that I set the bar way to high.

I was told that Shades of Green is in the deluxe category by a nice young lady over the phone before we flew down. I was invisioning something like WL in it's ammenities. They do have all the pools, hot tub, sundry store, small (albeit, understaffed and no frills) counter-service restaurant, and 2 restaurants.

The restaurants were in the same price category as what could be found in the parks, so we opted to eat there instead of coming back to the resort.

The sundry store was nice, but had the feeling of a spiffed up 7-11. The staff was very nice, but I was expecting a little more in theming and better merchandise...I'm spoiled I guess.

What caught me by surprise was that although Shades of Green guests are elligible for EMH, that is where the Disney perks ended (aside from package delivery and discounted tickets and special ticket packages - aka Salute tixs). Shades of Green is not supported on the DME so one must either rent a car or hire a driver - both of which were the same price for a group of our size (5 adults and an infant). The only other economical travel option from Orlando International was the Mears Shuttle, which has a nasty reputation of never being on time IF they come at all to pick you up.

Transportation to and from Shades of Green consisted of only a handful of busses that were operated by Shades of Green. The drivers were very friendly and safe. The schedule was awful for all routes except to the TTA, which ran every 20 minutes. All other routes (HS, DTD, and AK) ran on the hour! We did a lot of walking to and from the Poly as a result. The walk is not bad if you are in shape, but is about a half mile with no places to stop or rest which was not good for my mother who had to rent a scooter at the parks to make it through the day.

The rooms were the same size as the WL villa rooms with a divided bath (bath and toilet in one part and sinks in the other). Our room had a small balcony that overlooked the garden, which was very nice. The room came standard with a small fridge which held about 4 20oz sodas, 6-8 water bottles, a block of ham, and a block of sliced cheese - at which point, it was hard to shut! :) There was also an inroom safe. Unfortutnately, it was to small to fit my DW's lap top, so that got left out each day. The beds were 2 queen size and were quite comfortable.

The front desk staff were very nice and eager to help in all interactions that I had with them. They did seem understaffed there as each call to the front desk, when it didn't ring busy, took between 8-15 rings to be answered. Once answered, they had all the information and assistance that I needed.

Parking is in a controlled parking garage, which is very nice when you get to enjoy those FL rainstorms in the afternoon. They do, however charge a $5/day fee for parking. I found this a bit excessive since they are not part of DME, which means that most families will be traveling by car to the resort. I thought it one of those ticky-tack charges and unfortunate that our military families have to pay this.

Parking for the parks was only supposed to be free at the MK, but we found out that when we drove to all of the others, that the CM's at the gates just waved us through when we identified our selves as guests at SoG. We took this as a lucky break and didn't count on it each time we drove to the parks.

Pricing for the resort was good when compared to the pricing for deluxe categories. My brother (E-5 in the Air Force) qualified for the lowest rates on the rooms which was $93 (cat 1 pricing) for the first and $117 (cat 2 pricing) for the second room. However, when I took into account that the decor and ammenities were not really a deluxe level, that we had to rent a car and pay for parking, and the lack of bus options while at the resort, I found the price to be excessive when compared with WDW resort.

To wrap up, although the staff was very nice and helpful (all except the housekeeping lady that barged in on my wife early on the morning of our check out asking when we would be out :mad: ), I could not recommend this resort knowing all the benefits that are available at WDW resorts. My recommendations would be to find a value for half the rate when they are on sale or simply book a moderate. Even if you pay a little bit more for the room, you will more than make it up on the transportation charges.

[Goes4FastPass]

...Pricing for the resort was good when compared to the pricing for deluxe categories. My brother (E-5 in the Air Force) qualified for the lowest rates on the rooms which was $93 (cat 1 pricing) for the first and $117 (cat 2 pricing) for the second room. However, when I took into account that the decor and ammenities were not really a deluxe level, that we had to rent a car and pay for parking, and the lack of bus options while at the resort, I found the price to be excessive when compared with WDW resort...

SOG is an extraordinary value. Cheaper tickets, no tax, the list of advantages is long. You must really be fond of the decor at WDW resorts.

[Melanie]

Thanks for your review. I think the resort is very nice, a great deal for the price (especially those who qualify in the lower categories), and a very nice perk for our military members. I guess we're used to 'spiffed up 7-11s' since the store at SoG is a lot like 7 day stores/shoppettes found on military bases around the world. ;) And SoG is indeed in the deluxe category, since it used to be such when it was actually run as a Disney resort (Disney Inn). The rooms and bathrooms are large!

I do enjoy WDW resorts a lot as well, but would never recommend a value over Shades of Green. But to each their own, and I'm glad you got the chance to try it out. :)

[Disneyfun]

SOG is an extraordinary value. Cheaper tickets, no tax, the list of advantages is long. You must really be fond of the decor at WDW resorts.

Not sure where the values you are referring to. Not trying to flame, just generally interested in your thoughts. I found that the difference between the gate prices and the discounted tixs in the same category at SoG were only about $5 or so apart. Now the Salute package that they are running right now is a great deal, but so were the 5 day park hoppers that my friend got for about $220 at the MWR office in Ft. Meade.
I would agree that no sales tax is nice, but if you were to add up the sales tax that you spend in your resort, I don't think that it would add up to much, but that may just be me as I tend to not spend much money in any of the resorts that I have stayed at - maybe a shirt or a couple of small trinkets.

I will admit that I am REALLY fond of some of the WDW resorts' decors, but I am more fond of a great deal. I just didn't feel that the extra money that one would have to spend to stay at SoG grants you the biggest bang for your buck. My brother qualified for the lowest rate that SoG has and I just don't believe that we received the same type of service and benefits that we would have at a Mod or Value resort. I know that we spent around $400 extra than what we would have spent had we stayed in a Moderate, which, aside from the size of the room, I think is the closest comparison to SoG - i.e. Port Oleans Riverside or French Quarter.

We did like the resort, I just think that one can do better, especially on the pay grade that E-1 through 5 receive. Now, if they put SoG on DME and on the WDW bus route, I could be swayed in my overall opinion.

[Disneyfun]

... I guess we're used to 'spiffed up 7-11s' since the store at SoG is a lot like 7 day stores/shoppettes found on military bases around the world. ;)

I hope you didn't take any offense to "spiffed up 7-11" statement, I just couldn't think of anything else to use as a visual discription that would be known to most individuals. I would agree with you that it is very similar to the 7 day store on our base near my home (Ft. Meade), which in my humble opinion, just isn't the same as going into some of the same sundry stores like at Boardwalk or WL.

As I mentioned above, I do think that the resort is nice, especially the garden area behind the main lobby. It just needs that extra Disney magic for me to put it up on the same level as the 3 other Deluxe resorts that are close enough to throw a stick at. :-)

I would love to see them take the theming more towards the exclusive theming that you would see in the club houses in the most prestigiuos golf courses in the world. Something along the same level that the Yacht Club has done!

[gueli]

Arent hotel taxes something like 21% ?
Thanks for your opinion of SoG.
:mickey:

[Disneyfun]

Hotel taxes in FL are pretty steep, but I don't remember just how mucht they are as my CC wasn't on the bill this time.
I don't know if SoG charges the hotel tax or not as this tax helps FL not have to charge their residents Income Tax.

[pcoleman]

I have found that people either realllllly like the Disney themes are they can do without. Not much in between. I personally love SOG. I have always been able to save money. I have friends who always seem to find better deals at other resorts. Isn't great that there are so many options, something for everyone.

[buzznwoodysmom]

I've never seen what the big fuss over buying tickets at SOG. We've never saved that much money on the tickets, plus if you aren't staying at SOG and want the dining plan you have to get your tickets as part of your package. The only discount I can see on the tickets at SOG is that there is no tax charged. Here is an example of a one day ticket: SOG price $77.50 (total since no tax), WDW price $75.00 (actally $2.50 cheaper before tax) WDW price after tax $79.88. These prices were taken from Disneyworld's and SOG websites. Now as you get tickets with more days you do indeed save more money on taxes, but I don't understand why everyone thinks there is a price cut in addition to no tax.

We've stayed at SOG twice. Both times were for just one night. The first time we went to the parks while there and used their aweful bus service. We ended up having to walk to the Poly to catch the bus we wanted as it had just left and we ended up at the park more than 30 mintues sooner than the bus would have come back for its next trip to the park. When we travel with our kids we just never know what is going to come up last minute and its hard to make sure we are at the bus stop on time, which is no big deal if we are at any other WDW resort because the busses come more frequently, but at SOG if you miss your bus by one minute you've got to wait an hour for the next bus or find a different mode of transportation. For our family its just not worth it. The savings aren't so great that it makes up for the other short comings of the resort. My husband is a captain so we don't get rock bottom pricing anymore. The second time we stayed at SOG it was only because we arrived a day before our reservation at Coronado started. We arrived at around midnight, got a good nights rest and checked out early the next morning. If we'd ever stay at SOG again it would probably be just because we need a place to stay for an extra night at the beginning or end of the trip. I am glad that many people do like SOG, and I am sure for some it ends up being quiet a deal. The rooms we stayed in were huge which is a plus if you have 5 people or a baby in a crib.

That's why I think WDW is so great. There is definitely something for everyone.

[djbinding]

Remember, SOG rooms accomodate 6! No moderate can offer that. For my family of 5, I'm looking forward to not putting one kid on the floor(Trundle Bed) at POR, which is the only moderate to accomodate 5. I'm looking forward to paying normal prices at the 7 day store, instead of the inflated Disney prices.

As far as dining goes, where on Disney property are you going to get a kids meal for under $5 bucks????? Seeing that Disney considers an adult over 9 years old, I won't have to pay $30 for my 10 and 12 year old to finish half a plate.

I guess it's what make of it that counts. I'll be arriving on Tuesday for a week. I'l be looking for the Person in the MK who can turn the thermostat up to around 85 degrees. OK i'm dreaming. But it's OK to dream.:mickey:

[goofy78]

interesting to see the reviews here on SoG. i am planning on a trip next year on the DCL but if we don't do the cruise thing i was considering SoG. for my money i want convenience when on vacation and for me that is in transportation. it doesn't sound like SoG offers convenient transportation. does anyone else have a different opinion on this or have other positive experiences at SoG?

[indymom]

We have stayed at SOG several times and have never had problems with transportation. The buses are on a schedule. Every 15 minutes to and from TTC and I believe every hour to DHS and AK. If we found we were not going to get to the AK or DHS bus on time, we would catch a bus to a monorail resort and go to TTC and catch that bus. No problem. The times we have stayed there, the buses have stuck to the schedule and were pretty reliable. You just have to plan ahead and be there on time. :mickey: We have found SOG to be a very nice, quiet place to stay. We have stayed at other Disney resorts as well. GF, Poly, CBR, CR and will be staying at POR next. We have had great stays at each and we "go with the flow" with transportation. There are good and bad with each.

[jonahbear2006]

wow. I dont want to stay there now. well, i didnt really want to anyways, but my mom suggested this since my dad is a veteran and I thought it sounded too good to be true to get a low rate like they offered. I wouldn't give up ease in Disney. It takes me, training in the gym for weeks before we leave, working hard in order to keep up with the kids and not get tired at the theme parks, park pounding, after all that I want to be right there at my hotel with no transportation issues or waiting, so for me, someplace to walk home or one short trip is the best. That leaves GF, Contemp, Poly, FW, WL, BW, BC and YC. I think I will stick to those.

[MonoMan]

Thank you for sharing your opinions on SOG.
We qualify to stay there, but after ten years of staying at the WL, GF, BC and the Poly, I have been afraid to try SOG because I think we might be disappointed in the Disney Magic we've gotten used to. All the information provided in these posts really helps.

[donnah77]

Thanks for sharing your review of SOG. I'm sorry to hear that it wasn't a favorite for you. We have stayed 3 years in a row and will be going back this spring. We have always had a great experience there! The rooms are significantly larger than value or moderate, and its quiet. I appreciate the smaller scale of the resort as well - only 550 or so rooms, compared to the 1500+ of some moderates, so less crowds. The restaurants are decent and affordable. The no tax deal really does save a good deal of money as it is on everything - room, food, tickets, etc. I find the AAFES store to be well stocked and well priced and do more of my themed shopping in the parks anyway. We rented a car our first year concerned about reviews we had read regarding the buses. Honestly, we only drove it to the hotel and then back to the airport at the end of the week, haven't rented since. The buses are punctual and worked well for us. And the kids love the little things - the Mickey statue and Disney movies in the lobby, fish pond, little motor boats, ice cream shop, the kids meals at Evergreens, the stairs thru the grotto and waterfalls, the ducks and turkeys outside the patio door... We are looking forward to our next visit and heartily recommend it to those who haven't had a chance to visit yet! :thumbsup:

[mudpuppysmom]

Sorry to hear you didn't really like you stay.

At first mention, I thought too that it would not be a nice place -- most accommodations and military are not well, um.....most of the time they aren't real nice. I took the plunge though letting DH have "his way" and we stayed there when he came back from first deployment. We stayed in both the new and older rooms and besides the decor the rooms are more than suitable size wise. We had a pool view room (which cost us an extra $10), but it was nice to have when DS #1 (3 at the time) was younger (he's all of six now!!).

Yes, the place is not all Disney'ed up....but if you can get past that the place is on par with a deluxe Disney resort. To interject....we stayed at AKL in December and the first night there we stayed at SOG.....our room at Shades was much larger than our savannah view room at AKL! SOG had two queen beds, a table with four chairs, long dresser, fridge "cupboard" queen size sleeper sofa, AND room to walk around......at AKL you really can't walk around much in your room without knocking in the beds plus you have an armoir, not a long dresser. The bathrroms at SOG are a bit larger too, but not by much.

The restaurants are sufficient, not fantastic though.

The bus service is really not good -- I'll really fight that one b/c we have tried the busses several times and they just don't work for us.

The staff is about what Disney staff is like these days....no one goes overboard anymore if you ask me. We had a lot of trouble at AKL in December with the girl checking us in, and really no one was overly helpful...the lady at the DVC counter was very bothered by our very existence it seemed!!

Anyway, looking at the resort outwardly it is a nice place to stay. Even when you start to nitpick it still is a nice place with some flaws, but I think you can find that anwywere.

When DH cannot go with us I actually like to stay at SOG. People there are friendly but not intrusive. Once we were checking out and I was dragging our luggage to the car and have a bit of trouble in the elevator and a very nice older man helped me the rest of the way to the car.....I told him I just needed the suitcase turned around, but he insisted on helping and his wife told me to let him......you don't find that at Disney hotels....at least I haven't.....people just look past you. But that is my opinion.

I still think that giving SOG a try is worth it.

[Genie1953]

Our daughter and her family stayed at SOG about a year ago right after her husband returned from deployment to Iraq. They absolutely loved it. She said they didn't have an issue with the buses at all, but they did, on occasion, walk to a neighboring resort (5 minute walk) and caught the bus or the tram from there. They will most likely stay there again whenever they go back. You know, on a side note...I can never figure out why Dept of Defense employees qualify to stay there but employees of Veteran's Affairs and the National Cemetery Service do not. I say this because that is where my husband and I work and we do take care of the retired military and also their final resting places. I wonder if that rule will ever change?

[Yvette]

Just thought I'd put in my :twocents:

You will get two completely different opinions on SOG, much like staying at say one of the DTD hotels.

It is a pretty resort with many amenities that you would fine at a nicer Hilton. It also has the only Mickey Mouse shaped pool on the property. The restaurants are adequate as well as the AFEES store. My husband loves it and now stays there twice a year for business (he is a golfer as well).

Now, would I stay there for a vacation? Not if I can help it, for much the same reason I don't stay at say the Doubletree Suites in DTD. Are the rooms larger than the largest Deluxe room? Yes. Do the rooms themselves offer a few more amenities than a Deluxe room? Yes.

Is it Disney? No. There's a certain elusive quality (feeling, ambiance, theming, etc., take your pick) that the Disney resorts have that SOG lacks. Hard to define. When I can walk from my room at the Poly and jump on the Monorail to Magic Kingdom.....or walk from World Showcase to my room at the Beach CLub, BWI, Yacht Club.....you can't compare the total immersion that you get from these resorts. :cloud9: The theming doesn't end until you leave for the airport.

For me, it's worth the extra money.

For you? Only you can answer that.

[wdwfansince75]

As one who has taken advantage of the value of Shades of Green, and who has also stuffed our large family into 4 rooms at a moderate, for about 50 % more than we would have spent for the much larger, and better equipted rooms at SoG, SoG is what it is....a relative outstanding value for military families to have a vacation at WDW at a reasonable price.

For those of us who have a choice, to stay there or to stay in a Disney Deluxe resort, it does become purely a personal choice. And, yes, DW does prefer the CR....but our vacations to the CR would be without kids and grandkids. (Yeah, they do "pay their own way"....with varying levels of support from Bank of MoM and Dad).....And we did do a split stay one year....but we do spend time in the rooms, and on the patio, sharing our days....

But SoG is not only for us...it is for our friends, a family of 5, with a husband in the Reserves, returning home yesterday after 4 months in Afghanstan....His third activation and deployment in the last 4 years....Their vacation of a lifetime was a stay at SoG....They could not have had such a vacation without SoG.....And among military families, they are more typical than atypical....

SoG or a WDW resort is a choice for some of us....but for those for whom it was really intended, their choice is SoG or nothing. To paraphase....don't judge, until you have marched a klick (or so) in their boots....

[ILuvPiglet]

Dh and I had our 3rd stay at SOG this past Nov. We love it and are going back for our 4th stay next Nov. We have stayed at POR and CR in the past and enjoyed both, but SOG is our favorite. This yr with the special deals going on for the military we thought about trying out a Disney hotel again, but after pricing them out SOG was still the best deal for us. We do rent a car every yr to get us to and from the airport (I don't like relying on outside parties to get me to the ariport on time) we drive to DTD and offsite for dinners, but we use the buses and monorail for travel to the parks. We really enjoy walking over to the Poly to catch the monorail to MK and to resort hop. We don't feel a loss of the "magic" when we are at the hotel , the staff has always been great to us the other hotel guests have always been super friendly and we think the feeling of the resort is great. But to each his own. :mickey:

[indymom]

We just returned from an all too brief stay at SOG...husband had business in Tampa so made a quick trip to Disney! :thumbsup: We were at SOG for 2 nights and had a very nice stay as always. We were in the old section and the rooms there look their age but they seemed to be rehabbing rooms on the floor below us so hopefully that will spruce things up! We found the staff to be friendly and as always the other guests were friendly as well. Again, we had no issue with the bus service. We like the fact that they come on a schedule and in our experience they follow that schedule pretty precisely. We have always found them to be reliable. They also had new buses since the last time we stayed. They were nice. We did some resort hopping this time. We went to POR and CBR. We used Disney buses to get to these resorts and while we didn't have too long of waits, you are never really sure when a bus for your resort or a bus to the parks will show up. I know when the bus at SOG will be there and plan accordingly. We are planning a stay at POR in November and have stayed at Poly, CR, GF, and CBR in the past. We have had good stays at all. SOG is a wonderful perk for those who serve or have served! :mickey: