As a vet I am eligible to stay there January and September. Anyone stay there and willing to share their thoughts? Comparable to Disney owned Deluxe resorts?
We stayed there twice before and wouldn’t stay anywhere else. I can’t compare it to other Disney resorts as we haven’t stayed in any others. The price is unbeatable and the rooms are refurbished. The rooms are bigger at SOG and it is a quick walk to either Poly or TTC for transportation if you don’t want to use the SOG transportation. It is quiet there and a nice break from the chaos of the parks. We had a standard room and it overlooked the golf course. There isn’t any Disney theming if you are wanting that. SOG transportation can be both good and bad. It’s scheduled every hour so you know when a bus is coming/leaving, but it is usually packed first thing in the morning. We used it a time or two, but mainly walked to Poly or TTC as it was a beautiful walk. Parking was $7 a night at SOG, but doesn’t include parking at the parks which is extra. The small exchange has a few necessities and very good priced liquor/beer. If you have any specific questions I would be happy to help.
Thanks General. Helpful feedback. We’re considering it for a trip next January. Can’t beat the price. I think I could deal with the transportation issues and rely mainly on Lyft/Uber or walk to Poly/TTC as you suggest.
How did you find the dining and pool areas? I’ve read mixed things about the dining but pool areas and rooms seem nice.
The pool area looked nice and I don’t remember seeing a ton of people. I believe they have 2 pools, but we didn’t have a resort day so we never used them. We passed by them to eat at the sports bar right next to the pool. It was standard sports bar food and was acceptable; nothing fancy, but decent fast food type choices. It seemed like a good value for “Disney food” though. We had breakfast at the Express Cafe one morning and it was a nice selection and also a good value. Other than that we ate in the parks or in our room. I wouldn’t go to SOG for the food, but it was decent. You can also walk to the Poly for food too if their food appeals to you more.
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We have stayed there numerous times and enjoyed it. The rooms are large (I actually think they are larger than even the deluxe Disney rooms). We typically have walked to the Poly to catch the monorail to MK and Epcot. I think the downsizes are that it lacks Disney theming and the food options are not good. But you can’t bet the price. They do have a coffee bar, ice cream shop and a small gift shop/PX with much better prices than elsewhere on Disney property.
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For a stay at Shades of Green, do you think it makes sense to rent a car for quicker transportation? Or is it just as fast and efficient to walk to TTC/Poly or Uber/Lyft around everywhere? The busses seem like a mixed bag.
We usually rent a car, but we would still walk to the Poly to get to MK. Honestly Uber/Lyft would be cheaper than a rental car.
The buses are non Disney buses and are terribly unreliable in my experience. Its about a 10 minute walk to the Poly from Shades and usually was never a problem. After a long day, however, it was awesome to get a Lyft back to Shades. You do have to show identification every time you enter the premises (by car or bus) so have it ready if you are using a Lyft/Uber.
Also, the discounted tickets through Shades of Green make it too good to pass up. They also get access to the 60 day FP window. We are not a military family, so we have to be “sponsored” by someone who is. If we were military and had access to Shades of Green, we would always stay there.
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Thanks for the reply. As a vet I am eligible to stay during Sept or January. Certainly can’t beat the price. Only things holding me back are (1) lack of Disney theming, (2) mediocre dining options, & (3) inefficient transportation. Although the money saved may more than make up for those drawbacks. #s 2 and 3 can be solved by eating elsewhere and taking Uber/Lyft most places.
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I would book with confidence. There are a few things that you will have to get over about Shades, but you will not be disappointed with the overall trip. Also, you don’t pay taxes on anything at Shades including in the gift shop which includes beer/liquor/wine and they even have a pretty decent collection of Disney items including kids dresses, stuffed animals, suitcases, etc.