I'm a Navy civilian worker and thus am allowed to stay at the Shades of Green if I so desire. Before our last two trips, we booked SOG but at the last minute DVC members in our family hooked us up with points and I'm sure not going to pass those up! I stayed at SOG back when it was the Disney Inn and I remember it being quite nice. I've talked to people around the base here and most tell me that SOG is a dump, but now that it's renovated, how is it? And how long does the walk to the Polynesian REALLY take? It seems like a great deal if you're able to do it plus you get the monorail close by.
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How is Shades of Green?
- Thread starter golenium
- Start date
WDWHeadBanger
New Member
Ok, my family stays at Shades of Green every summer and has since before it was renovated. Here's the rundown: First let me say that the newly renovated hotel is absolutely GORGEOUS. The lobby area is very nice, as is all of the other parts of the hotel (restaurants, giftshops etc). Also, it is also very nice to be able to buy anything at the hotel and NOT have to pay tax, because it is a military owned facility. The pools are both pretty standard, nothing special, not bad though either. There's a hot tub that has a minimum age of 16 to be in it. For the last bit of good new, the sports bar has pretty good food, is open late, and inexpensive compared to eating inside disney (which dont get me wrong, we love to do). Now for the bad news...
The service at the hotel ranges from mediocre to terrible. Most of the time you wont have any problems at the restaurant though. But if you need somebody to bring something up or have any kind of problem in your room that needs to be taken care of, forget it! We stayed for ten days, called on the first to tell them that our television was broken. It took them 6 days to come up and fix it! Even after repeated calling. Pretty ridiculous, and Disney would never allow that. Also once we got to the bus station, and our bus was there. But there was no driver! My sister hit the door with her shoe and the bus driver jumped up from the back and ran up. The driver was sleeping!! And the hotel did nothing to reassure us when we complained when we got back.
Now, the rooms themselves are very spacious and comfortable. There is a nice balcony (or porch if you are on the ground level) that accompanies each room. And there is also a nice pull-out bed if you have five people. There are two different types of bathrooms from what I can tell, one with the vanity area separate from the shower and toilet (separated by a door). And one with everything in the same place.
As for the walk to the polynesian, its only about 5 minutes, ten at the most. Sometimes you can hitch a ride with a guy in a golf cart up to the road I believe. And there are buses that go to the ticket and transportation center (kind of unreliable though).
Lastly there is a serious lack of disney stuff around the hotel, so if you're used to that Disney feel, you won't really get it at SOG (they've gotten a little better though).
Its a controversial topic with my family, because the hotel itself is so affordable (especially in the summer) and is fairly nice, yet the service can be atrocius at times. Hope this helps
The service at the hotel ranges from mediocre to terrible. Most of the time you wont have any problems at the restaurant though. But if you need somebody to bring something up or have any kind of problem in your room that needs to be taken care of, forget it! We stayed for ten days, called on the first to tell them that our television was broken. It took them 6 days to come up and fix it! Even after repeated calling. Pretty ridiculous, and Disney would never allow that. Also once we got to the bus station, and our bus was there. But there was no driver! My sister hit the door with her shoe and the bus driver jumped up from the back and ran up. The driver was sleeping!! And the hotel did nothing to reassure us when we complained when we got back.
Now, the rooms themselves are very spacious and comfortable. There is a nice balcony (or porch if you are on the ground level) that accompanies each room. And there is also a nice pull-out bed if you have five people. There are two different types of bathrooms from what I can tell, one with the vanity area separate from the shower and toilet (separated by a door). And one with everything in the same place.
As for the walk to the polynesian, its only about 5 minutes, ten at the most. Sometimes you can hitch a ride with a guy in a golf cart up to the road I believe. And there are buses that go to the ticket and transportation center (kind of unreliable though).
Lastly there is a serious lack of disney stuff around the hotel, so if you're used to that Disney feel, you won't really get it at SOG (they've gotten a little better though).
Its a controversial topic with my family, because the hotel itself is so affordable (especially in the summer) and is fairly nice, yet the service can be atrocius at times. Hope this helps
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dumboflyer
Well-Known Member
I've been to SOG twice, albiet not to stay at the hotel. (My father in law is in the reserves and gets tix from SOG.) I would agree that, overall, it's very nice. The two negative observations I've had are 1) it seems deserted. You just don't see many people around at all, even in the lobby. 2) Its design was a little to close to the Wilderness Lodge motif, to the point that it almost feels like a tried-and-missed WL. On a positive note, the second time I went they had many more paintings hanging on the walls and decorations in general, which really made a good difference.
That being said, I've always been a proponent for spending as much of the vacation as possible outside of the room. SOG is definately in a great location, and it's definately the right price. Have a great trip!
That being said, I've always been a proponent for spending as much of the vacation as possible outside of the room. SOG is definately in a great location, and it's definately the right price. Have a great trip!
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Nicole
Well-Known Member
Shades of Green is beautiful since the renovation. We were actually in the "old" section but our room was big and clean and in good shape.
Chris, I didn't know there was a hot tub there...that's been one of my biggest complaints! Where is it?
We haven't stayed at SoG very often because I can stay cheaper onsite with my AP (not at a Deluxe but still on WDW) and I miss the Disney magic. You can just tell you are dealing with employees and not Cast Members. I also was not impressed with the bus service. The last time we were there (March 05) they told us they were going to start charging for parking, even for hotel guests, and even though it's only $3 a day or something, that has kept me away from wanting to go back.
I would not in any case call it a dump (nor would I have called it that pre-renovation when we stayed there in 1997) and will likely stay there in the future. IMO the best thing about SoG is that room rates do not vary by season: you pay the same Christmas week as you do the first weekend in November. So if you are going in the busy season it's even more of a bargain...last year I was quoted $296 per night for the Beach Club the same dates that I paid $117 at SoG during Easter Week.
Chris, I didn't know there was a hot tub there...that's been one of my biggest complaints! Where is it?
We haven't stayed at SoG very often because I can stay cheaper onsite with my AP (not at a Deluxe but still on WDW) and I miss the Disney magic. You can just tell you are dealing with employees and not Cast Members. I also was not impressed with the bus service. The last time we were there (March 05) they told us they were going to start charging for parking, even for hotel guests, and even though it's only $3 a day or something, that has kept me away from wanting to go back.
I would not in any case call it a dump (nor would I have called it that pre-renovation when we stayed there in 1997) and will likely stay there in the future. IMO the best thing about SoG is that room rates do not vary by season: you pay the same Christmas week as you do the first weekend in November. So if you are going in the busy season it's even more of a bargain...last year I was quoted $296 per night for the Beach Club the same dates that I paid $117 at SoG during Easter Week.
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WDWHeadBanger
New Member
The hot tub is next to the second pool (not the mickey pool) on the left if you are standing at the deep end. Hope that helps.
And yes I forgot about the absurd parking fee that they started.
And yes I forgot about the absurd parking fee that they started.
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my wife and I stayed at sog oct 04. It is a nice hotel, but not disney. You have to think price or disney atmosphere. The bus service was not that great and at times not on schedule. Also they do not use the same bus stops as the disney bus. We were dropped off at the rv section of typhoon lagoon and also far parking lot of animal kingdom.:brick: another thing that bothered me was no disney resort tv
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bluefaery
Well-Known Member
I didn't like the bus system either when I stayed there back in September 2004. I didn't have my own transportation then. However they do participate in EMH. Even if you don't stay there you can still buy your park tickets there for a discounted price, that is if you are eligible. Since you are eligible to stay at SOG i don't see why you wouldn't be aloud to purchase tix there also.
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Wow, if they don't have the Disney entertainment on the tv like that Top Attractions show, then it'll be tough for me to stay there as that's literally one of my favorite things about staying on Disney property. This will take some serious thinking if I'm going to stay there!
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Mori Anne
Active Member
- In the Parks
- No
Hi, My family and I stayed at SOG in January. We saw the top ten rides show "don't remember the name" at SOG on the hotel tv a couple times.
My biggest complaint about SOG is how they advertise they are a Disney Resort, yet the buses (AK, MGM, & Downtown Disney) are not really associated with the other resort buses. In addition, they don't really seem to follow a clear schedule.
THE nice thing is that the TTC is right behind the Poly. We always walked to the Poly and hopped the Monerail right to MK & Epcot. The walk is about 1 1/2 city blocks, maybe 2 city blocks, away from the main door of the hotel. It is a sidewalk. It takes 5 minutes 14 seconds to walk (we timed it... don't ask me why). We also were pushing two strollers. You might even be able to see the "gators". We always just walked to the Poly or the TTC. It wasn't that hot out, and it was a great "calming" quiet walk to Disney Parks & back to the hotel.
The food is not bad at all at SOG. It was quite inexpensive. The Garden Grill was decent. The buffet was nice. The Pub is where my family ate after coming back from the Parks. Typical sandwich and appitizer menu. If you have kids, make sure you ask for the "wikki Stiks" They are fun wax sticks that my kids loved messing with.
The TV internet is a joke. Hard to see the screen and make out what the o-so distorted screen is displaying.
We needed service twice, once to fix our internet tv, the other to reset our safe code. Both times the people came fast.
Roomservice was alright. They dropped of the food, than called back 45 minutes later to find out why we didn't put our cart in the hall yet.. We thought that was a little wierd considering they called past midnight.... That was a little rude. They could have waited until the next morning to get the cart. Food was good and hot though when it came.
The other guests are the hotel are the typical military personalities. You know, easy to talk too, you feel that you have known them all your life... After all they are OUR military family. It made the bus rides fun. So, that is nice. There aren't alot of disney things in the hotel, but it was nice because it gave us a mental break from the Disney High.
The pools are nice. They are heated. They also have boats that you can drive (not riding boats, but those remote steering ones), and I think cars too.
Hope this helps...
O, The hotel is not dumpy in anyway. They kept everything clean and the housekeeping did a great job. The "gift" shop was a joke really. Overpriced military stuff and very little disney stuff. They have more of the food, and travel items we all tend to forget. There is a section of clothing items, and when we were there in JAN they sold strollers for 17 or maybe 19. They are the umbrella strollers. That was pretty reasonable.
AND, Be sure to try their homemade Ice Cream. YUMMY!!!!!!!
My biggest complaint about SOG is how they advertise they are a Disney Resort, yet the buses (AK, MGM, & Downtown Disney) are not really associated with the other resort buses. In addition, they don't really seem to follow a clear schedule.
THE nice thing is that the TTC is right behind the Poly. We always walked to the Poly and hopped the Monerail right to MK & Epcot. The walk is about 1 1/2 city blocks, maybe 2 city blocks, away from the main door of the hotel. It is a sidewalk. It takes 5 minutes 14 seconds to walk (we timed it... don't ask me why). We also were pushing two strollers. You might even be able to see the "gators". We always just walked to the Poly or the TTC. It wasn't that hot out, and it was a great "calming" quiet walk to Disney Parks & back to the hotel.
The food is not bad at all at SOG. It was quite inexpensive. The Garden Grill was decent. The buffet was nice. The Pub is where my family ate after coming back from the Parks. Typical sandwich and appitizer menu. If you have kids, make sure you ask for the "wikki Stiks" They are fun wax sticks that my kids loved messing with.
The TV internet is a joke. Hard to see the screen and make out what the o-so distorted screen is displaying.
We needed service twice, once to fix our internet tv, the other to reset our safe code. Both times the people came fast.
Roomservice was alright. They dropped of the food, than called back 45 minutes later to find out why we didn't put our cart in the hall yet.. We thought that was a little wierd considering they called past midnight.... That was a little rude. They could have waited until the next morning to get the cart. Food was good and hot though when it came.
The other guests are the hotel are the typical military personalities. You know, easy to talk too, you feel that you have known them all your life... After all they are OUR military family. It made the bus rides fun. So, that is nice. There aren't alot of disney things in the hotel, but it was nice because it gave us a mental break from the Disney High.
The pools are nice. They are heated. They also have boats that you can drive (not riding boats, but those remote steering ones), and I think cars too.
Hope this helps...
O, The hotel is not dumpy in anyway. They kept everything clean and the housekeeping did a great job. The "gift" shop was a joke really. Overpriced military stuff and very little disney stuff. They have more of the food, and travel items we all tend to forget. There is a section of clothing items, and when we were there in JAN they sold strollers for 17 or maybe 19. They are the umbrella strollers. That was pretty reasonable.
AND, Be sure to try their homemade Ice Cream. YUMMY!!!!!!!
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brertigger
Member
What is a rough example schedule that the SOG buses run (like every hour on the hour)?
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Ms. Tinkerbell
Member
We just came back 3 days ago from SOG and we thought it was a great stay. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The busses were always on time...and their stops weren't far to get to at all, very close to whichever area we were being taken too. We didn't have any long waits for anyone when we needed assistance and the couple of times we had to call the front desk, we were helped immediately (ie. extra towels, etc.) no major or minor problems at all.
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VeRTiGo91
New Member
shades
We stayed at the SOG about 3 weeks ago, and we would definitely stay there again.
The rooms are definitely spacious, but they had a ceiling fan hanging pretty low by the doors to the balcony. Needless to say, my head met it very often!:dazzle: We never had a problem with room service. Food was delivered hot and quick, and the pancakes must have beeen an inch thick!! The only problems we had was with housekeeping. Sometimes they would want to change the sheets in our room when our kids (4 and almost 2) would be taking a power nap before we went back out. Then they would get upset of they had to come back later in the evening. And to unglog our toilet. :king:Sorry guys! The sports bar was cool, but the pizza was nothing to write home about. Tasted like something from 7-11. But it was hot. The buffet style dinners were good, but seemed that they needed help seating people. Every night is a theme night. Usually have prime rib on Sundays and Wednesdays...which we missed both times.
The AAFES store carries alot of supplies and sundries you might need, and the workers there are very friendly. The lobby is beautiful, and very inviting, like a den. Although we had an issue with one of the photographers taking pictures of families. She totally ignored us and talked to some other lady who wasn't even talking about WDW or anything. Another photographer apologized and took care of us.
They give you a bus schedule in your check in pamphlet, complete with arrival/departure times. We never had any issues with the transportation.
The pools are very nice and inviting, and there is tennis, an arcade I never got to go to
, a small gym, the 2 large pools. There is nothing better than a dip in the water after a day at WDW!
This was our first trip to WDW, (albeit my first experience on a plane!)and we we are planning on returning in 2008. And we will probably be staying at SOG again!
V
We stayed at the SOG about 3 weeks ago, and we would definitely stay there again.
The rooms are definitely spacious, but they had a ceiling fan hanging pretty low by the doors to the balcony. Needless to say, my head met it very often!:dazzle: We never had a problem with room service. Food was delivered hot and quick, and the pancakes must have beeen an inch thick!! The only problems we had was with housekeeping. Sometimes they would want to change the sheets in our room when our kids (4 and almost 2) would be taking a power nap before we went back out. Then they would get upset of they had to come back later in the evening. And to unglog our toilet. :king:Sorry guys! The sports bar was cool, but the pizza was nothing to write home about. Tasted like something from 7-11. But it was hot. The buffet style dinners were good, but seemed that they needed help seating people. Every night is a theme night. Usually have prime rib on Sundays and Wednesdays...which we missed both times.
The AAFES store carries alot of supplies and sundries you might need, and the workers there are very friendly. The lobby is beautiful, and very inviting, like a den. Although we had an issue with one of the photographers taking pictures of families. She totally ignored us and talked to some other lady who wasn't even talking about WDW or anything. Another photographer apologized and took care of us.
They give you a bus schedule in your check in pamphlet, complete with arrival/departure times. We never had any issues with the transportation.
The pools are very nice and inviting, and there is tennis, an arcade I never got to go to
, a small gym, the 2 large pools. There is nothing better than a dip in the water after a day at WDW!This was our first trip to WDW, (albeit my first experience on a plane!)and we we are planning on returning in 2008. And we will probably be staying at SOG again!
V
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blairsville
New Member
I saw the February bus schedule. It listed MK as every 15 minutes. But Animal Kingdom as every hour.
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