Transportation to Shades of Green

[coldasice880]

Next time I go to Disney I will be flying for the first time. I am military so I usually pick up my tickets from Shades of Green. It's usually pretty easy but that's because I have a car and am able to drive over. Next time I won't have a car. So questions is is there an easy way to get from say Pop Century to Shades of Green? Or is it worth it to just spend the extra $150 dollars it will cost me for regular tickets to avoid the headache of having to get from SoG?

 

[BrittanyRose428]

I think the easiest way with Disney transportation would be to get a bus to any park from Pop Century and from that park get a bus to Shades of Green.

 

[coldasice880]

As far as I know Shades of Green doesn't provide transportation to and from the Parks. It's not a regular Disney resort like Pop.

 

[Nemo14]

According to Allears, there is bus transportation, but you must be a SoG guest to use it.

SoG has two bus schedules. Bus loading and unloading is located on the lower level below the lobby. There is an elevator to the Bus Stop located outside the lobby in the Port Cochere.

Shades of Green room key is required to ride these buses.

Check upon arrival for the Extra Magic Hour bus scheule.Bus A
* Departs Shades of Green every 15 minutes starting at 0800.
* Departs the Ticket Transportation Center every 15 minutes
* On this route you will get to the Magic Kingdom or Epcot (Via monorail), and to the Downtown Disney Resort area via bus from space 26 which runs every half hour until 2300.
* Drop off locations for Downtown Disney are either at the Wyndham Palace Resort or the Hilton Resort.
* The last bus will depart the Ticket Transportation Center 2 hours and 15 minutes after the Magic Kingdom closes.

Bus B
* Departs Shades of Green every half hour starting at 0800 to Disney's Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach and Disney's Hollywood Studios.
* Departs Animal Kingdom 15 minutes and 45 minutes after each hour (Space #7)
* Departs Blizzard Beach 30 minutes after the hour and at the top of the hour (Space #1)
* Departs Disney's Hollywood Studios 45 minutes and 15 minutes after the hour (Space #6).
* The last bus for Animal Kingdom and the Studios will be 2 hours and 15 minutes after each park closes. The last bus for Blizzard Beach will be 2 hours after the park closes.


You may enter the gates however with a military ID, so probably taking a taxi would be your best bet. Either that or call from Pop and ask them how you could get there.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Are you buying the 4 day salute tickets? If so, you can buy them at your local ITT on base, Downtown Disney or at any of the park gates.

 

[virginia844]

We have stayed at the Shades several times and will be there again this December. We love everything about the resort EXCEPT the bus service !! The schedule they post is pretty much a laugh! Extremely frustrating and poorly planned has been our opinion !!!

 

[coldasice880]

Are you buying the 4 day salute tickets? If so, you can buy them at your local ITT on base, Downtown Disney or at any of the park gates.

No because the 4 day tickets won't cover what I want to do. I need 6 day waterpark tickets. I can save $150 by going through SoG but it may not be worth it from what I'm reading here.

 

[Rob562]

A free option would be to get to the Polynesian (if coming from Pop, transfer via the Magic Kingdom) and then walk over to Shades of Green. There are sidewalks the entire way. I estimate the walk to be just under 1/2 mile lobby-to-lobby.

Exit the Polynesian lobby out the front door toward the parking lot. Immediately turn right and follow the monorail beam until you come to the sidewalk that curves under it and out to the roadway. From there the sidewalk leads you across Floridian Way (not sure if there's a traffic light with pedestrian signals or not, so be careful) and straight in to Shades of Green.

-Rob

 

[BrittanyRose428]

Even though the bus transportation is technically for Shades of Green guests its not like they're going to check if you actually stay there before you get on the bus. And I'm sure it's not something thats abused very often by people who aren't staying there, I don't think it'd be a problem :shrug: but walking from the Polynesian would work just as well, its like a 5 minute walk, if that.

 

[stlbobby]

Even though the bus transportation is technically for Shades of Green guests its not like they're going to check if you actually stay there before you get on the bus. And I'm sure it's not something thats abused very often by people who aren't staying there, I don't think it'd be a problem :shrug: but walking from the Polynesian would work just as well, its like a 5 minute walk, if that.

These are your best options. I'm military too, but I've never used the SoG buses. I've been told that unlike regular Disney buses they do monitor who rides, but if you show your CAC and tell them why you are going I assume they'd give you a ride. If not go to the Poly and take the short walk.

 

[coldasice880]

Thanks guys. Doesn't seem to difficult. Appreciate the advice.

 

[CrazyForDisney]

First of all, Shades DOES provide bus transportation to and from all of the Disney parks. It is not operated by Disney, but it is treated just like a Disney resort. If you stay there you get to participate in Extra Magic Hours as well. The only thing they don't provide is transportation to and from the airport like Magical Express.

We stay at SOG every year. You do NOT need to show your room ID card to ride the bus. We have NEVER been asked to show ours and we have never seen anyone else asked to show their card.

You can go to the TTC and take a SOG bus to the resort OR walk over to the Poly and then follow the path over to SOG. It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk over to SOG from the Poly depending on how fast you walk. When you walk on to SOG property you will have to pass the little building the security guard stays in where the cars enter/exit the property but you shouldn't be asked for any ID - at least we have never been asked when we go to or from SOG to Poly. SOG has security cameras EVERYWHERE so they are watching you even if you don't think they are.

As far as tickets, just remember you WILL have to show your military ID in order to get the military discount no matter where you decide to buy them. I'm not aware of any place you can buy tickets with the military discount other than SOG but that doesn't mean you can't - I'm just not aware of any place since we always get ours at Shades. But I do think it is going to be a lot easier to get over there than it seems...and it is definitely worth it to save $150.

 

[BUZZCRUSH]

We stayed at POR one year because SOG was full. So we were in the same boat without a car and needing to get to SOG to buy tix. We explained our situation to one of the staff who suggested we go "golfing" at the course which is conveniently located at the SOG. The POR provided a free taxi ride for my husband to "golf". The driver dropped him off at the lobby with a wink and patiently waited while he checked out the facility. He went in, bought the tix and went back to POR in the same taxi. He was gone a very short time.

 

[a2grafix]

Next time I go to Disney I will be flying for the first time. I am military so I usually pick up my tickets from Shades of Green. It's usually pretty easy but that's because I have a car and am able to drive over. Next time I won't have a car. So questions is is there an easy way to get from say Pop Century to Shades of Green? Or is it worth it to just spend the extra $150 dollars it will cost me for regular tickets to avoid the headache of having to get from SoG?

Yeah ... what Rob said ^^.

Easiest way is to take a Disney bus from Pop Century to the Transportation and Ticket Center. From there, walk across the TTC toward the Polynesian, walk through the Poly and through the Great Ceremonial House, walk through the front lower lobby underneath the monorail, take a sharp right at the bellhop stand, across the parking lot and follow the winding trail across the street to Shades of Green.

Now, if you are coming from Orlando International, I suggest taking roundtrip Mears shuttle (for $34). They drop you off at Shades.

Good luck and enjoy your leave.

 

[a2grafix]

These are your best options. I'm military too, but I've never used the SoG buses. I've been told that unlike regular Disney buses they do monitor who rides, but if you show your CAC and tell them why you are going I assume they'd give you a ride. If not go to the Poly and take the short walk.

One of the last times I visited WDW in August 2008, I ended several of my evenings at Pleasure Island and the Adventurers Club. Anyway, the only buses operating at the time was the Disney buses.

On one rare occasion, and it was raining, I was let off at the end of the Polynesian driveway apron, and I had to walk across the street along the golf course and into Shades. That was a cool experience. No vehicles at 0245 except for a bus and walking along a very quiet street.

 

[flynnibus]

just buy your tickets locally before you go. you should be able to get them through your local recreation office on your base.. possibly via phone. can't be specific since you didn't post what service/etc you are.

we can buy them on the naval station at the MWR office.. or buy them onsite in Disney.

 

[WDW 3]

We have stayed at the Shades several times and will be there again this December. We love everything about the resort EXCEPT the bus service !! The schedule they post is pretty much a laugh! Extremely frustrating and poorly planned has been our opinion !!!

I totally disagree!!! Prompt and you can always use any Disney bus if you don't like the Shades schdule. Lots of ways to get around Disney World.

We stayed at POFQ a couple years ago and got our tickets at Shades. We took the first bus from FQ and it went to EPCOT. Got on the monorail to the TTC took the Shades bus from there and bought our tickets. We took the Shades bus to DTD for the evening.