SHADES OF GREEN at Walt Disney World Resort Information & Questions

It has been a few years since we have stayed at SOG. Do all of the upper floors in the Palm Wing have balconies? Is that something we need to request ahead of time? We have a standard room, not a pool view. Anyone have a favorite room to request?

Thanks!

All rooms at SOG have either a balcony or patio (1st floor).
 
Yes on the fast pass. I was not able to book the 180+ this year for dining. It showed me what reservations were available on MDE but would t let me make them. I called and the Cast Members couldn’t book them either. So either I hit a glitch, or we don’t qualify for the early dining reservation.

It made getting Ohanas super hard for us.

You obviously had the same issue a lot of people have had, including me. I had to call Disney IT (support) and they were able to fix the glitch so I could make my 180+10, although I couldn't do it the first couple of days due to the glitch so I missed out on a couple of restaurants I wanted, but I'm still tracking those. There's a FB page where this has been discussed.
 
Does anyone know which airlines Shades can check the baggage for? We are flying back on Frontier and want to make sure we still get the free baggage (typically you have to do this at the airport with Frontier).
Not certain if there are specific airlines and would not want to say any airline at MCO if that is not truly the case, I'm not familiar if Frontier does things differently. Maybe possible to get this information if contacting SOG via phone/email? We flew Southwest.
 
Wanted to bump this thread for what I think is a good reason.
I ordered my tickets earlier this week and they called today (Saturday) to complete the transaction. They should be shipped to me on Monday. They should arrive by the end of the week.
I mentioned to the Tickets person that there is a lot of good discussion here about SOG. They are fairly new and had no idea this existed. Hopefully they come over the DisBoards and find this thread!
 


Does anyone know if I can call and make payments to my Shades of Green reservation? I paid my deposit when I booked, but I am wanting to pay an additional night about every two weeks when I get paid from my little part time job. This way the room would be paid in full before we arrive.
 
Does anyone know if I can call and make payments to my Shades of Green reservation? I paid my deposit when I booked, but I am wanting to pay an additional night about every two weeks when I get paid from my little part time job. This way the room would be paid in full before we arrive.
We were emailed a form when we inquired about paying off our last visit prior to going. I filled out emailed form, and mailed with partial cc#, they called me and I paid off at once by card. A few years ago, I did something similar but made payments by personal check on occasion until balance paid down, they emailed us a form, I printed and sent with checks until paid off.
 
We’re considering a first time stay at shades in sept of 2020. Taking my brother and his family who have never been to Disney and I’m wondering if there’s enough Disney magic to make them fall in love the way we have? I’m asking you all because you stay there and love it lol. Between us we have 5 little kids, and the lack of theming is going to be a big change for me after staying at AoA and Coronado in the past. Does not being able to charge to magic bands or have the dining plan ever bother you? Are there magical perks I’m not considering that will make their stay amazing?

Our alternative option would be Pop if that helps for context.

Help me fall in love with Shades!
 


We’re considering a first time stay at shades in sept of 2020. Taking my brother and his family who have never been to Disney and I’m wondering if there’s enough Disney magic to make them fall in love the way we have? I’m asking you all because you stay there and love it lol. Between us we have 5 little kids, and the lack of theming is going to be a big change for me after staying at AoA and Coronado in the past. Does not being able to charge to magic bands or have the dining plan ever bother you? Are there magical perks I’m not considering that will make their stay amazing?

Our alternative option would be Pop if that helps for context.

Help me fall in love with Shades!

It’s not in your face Disney at all, and we like that. They have a great PX, our booking includes the Buffett every morning and saves a bunch of money. If you feel like you need a ton of Mickey to make it magical I don’t think it is the place for you.

We love the huge rooms, no tax, PX, pools, breakfast buffet, and every room has a view. You have a patio or balcony. You see animals all the time. You can walk to he Poly. And I like that it is calm after a long day at the parks.

We aren’t dining plan people and the charging thing doesn’t bother me.
 
We’re considering a first time stay at shades in sept of 2020. Taking my brother and his family who have never been to Disney and I’m wondering if there’s enough Disney magic to make them fall in love the way we have? I’m asking you all because you stay there and love it lol. Between us we have 5 little kids, and the lack of theming is going to be a big change for me after staying at AoA and Coronado in the past. Does not being able to charge to magic bands or have the dining plan ever bother you? Are there magical perks I’m not considering that will make their stay amazing?

Our alternative option would be Pop if that helps for context.

Help me fall in love with Shades!

Have to agree with the PP. We really appreciate the break from Disney theming and hype when we stay at SOG. The rooms, and bathrooms are quite large compared to say CRS, and you will love the extra space. Starbucks is in the lobby, and they also sell excellent ice cream. The pools are great, and they have a nice splash area for the little ones. The location cannot be beat, as you are in walking distance to the monorail with access to three great Disney resorts. We get all the Disney magic we need at the parks. When we return to SOG after a long park day it's like coming home, and we enjoy relaxing by the fireplace in the lobby in the evening. Oh, and one more thing to love...it's a smaller resort so it's much easier to get around.
 
Well Starbucks in the lobby is actually a big draw for me and will make my brother happy too. Do you little ones appreciate the down time/theming break too or is that more of an adult selling point?
 
Well Starbucks in the lobby is actually a big draw for me and will make my brother happy too. Do you little ones appreciate the down time/theming break too or is that more of an adult selling point?
We spend most of our time at the parks so I don’t think they miss it. Last time we went my son played in the splash pad for hours and had a blast! I like that it’s calm when we get back after the parks so the kids can settle. It really is a pretty hotel. We enjoy having a view of the gardens or golf course. We have never stayed in the pool view rooms so maybe it is a bit more active over there.
 
We’re considering a first time stay at shades in sept of 2020. Taking my brother and his family who have never been to Disney and I’m wondering if there’s enough Disney magic to make them fall in love the way we have? I’m asking you all because you stay there and love it lol. Between us we have 5 little kids, and the lack of theming is going to be a big change for me after staying at AoA and Coronado in the past. Does not being able to charge to magic bands or have the dining plan ever bother you? Are there magical perks I’m not considering that will make their stay amazing?

Our alternative option would be Pop if that helps for context.

Help me fall in love with Shades!
I find the dining plan just adds another layer of stress, trying to manage credits and make sure we eat at the right place. No thanks! We just use mobile ordering on our phones 75% of the time, so easy!
Shades is so quiet and calm, a nice break from the parks. I hear that a lot of the other resorts are much louder.
Lastly, I love the little Starbucks kiosk at Shades, never a long wait.
 
We’re considering a first time stay at shades in sept of 2020. Taking my brother and his family who have never been to Disney and I’m wondering if there’s enough Disney magic to make them fall in love the way we have? I’m asking you all because you stay there and love it lol. Between us we have 5 little kids, and the lack of theming is going to be a big change for me after staying at AoA and Coronado in the past. Does not being able to charge to magic bands or have the dining plan ever bother you? Are there magical perks I’m not considering that will make their stay amazing?

Our alternative option would be Pop if that helps for context.

Help me fall in love with Shades!

We are SOG people, even after staying at places like Caribbean Beach... we always regret not staying at Shades. The rooms are huge, the grounds are beautiful, no tax, walk to the monorail, cheaper food options, and so on. You are getting SO much for the price, IMO. In fact, we've had a room booked at Beach Club for our upcoming September trip, and availability FINALLY opened up at SOG, and we just changed our reservation. Its not for everyone, but for us, its home!
 
We’re considering a first time stay at shades in sept of 2020. Taking my brother and his family who have never been to Disney and I’m wondering if there’s enough Disney magic to make them fall in love the way we have? I’m asking you all because you stay there and love it lol. Between us we have 5 little kids, and the lack of theming is going to be a big change for me after staying at AoA and Coronado in the past. Does not being able to charge to magic bands or have the dining plan ever bother you? Are there magical perks I’m not considering that will make their stay amazing?

Our alternative option would be Pop if that helps for context.

Help me fall in love with Shades!

The PP are spot on!! I love SOG, and biggest standard rooms on property, probably the least crazy/loud resort, and LOCATION! It cannot be beat. The Starbucks is so much less expensive ;) and handy. My kids have loved pool days and the views are amazing. MagicBands if you have them (or want to buy them) will still work in the parks, and can be handy. I never charge to my room anyway, I'd rather keep track, or let my kids pay with a gift card if they have one.

*ETA* SOG does run specials sometimes that include breakfast / other meals. That might be something to look into if you're wanting to have some "on-site" dining plans.
The Disney Dining Plan IMO is truly not worth the money in almost every case, and my family prefers to pack food/eat one meal "out" per day and save $$ so we'd rather spend the time in the parks or the pool and not at a lot of restaurants. Mobile ordering FTW as PP said! Especially with the bigger groups. My husband and I have 5 kids and anywhere we can save is amazing.

Pop is our go-to if we don't do Shades. We've been toying with the idea of purchasing DVC for a few years and honestly one reason we haven't is because we love Shades so much. One thing that's a "downside" is that we can't do laundry in our rooms or cook (DVC "upside") but we've made it work and it's worth the money!

I recently brought a friend for a one night pre-cruise stay at SOG. She's been to almost every resort at WDW and said SOG was in her top 2. If you want to read my further thoughts please do! https://notclub33.com/blog/2019/07/03/shades-of-green-how-military-vets-save-at-walt-disney-world/
 
The PP are spot on!! I love SOG, and biggest standard rooms on property, probably the least crazy/loud resort, and LOCATION! It cannot be beat. The Starbucks is so much less expensive ;) and handy. My kids have loved pool days and the views are amazing. MagicBands if you have them (or want to buy them) will still work in the parks, and can be handy. I never charge to my room anyway, I'd rather keep track, or let my kids pay with a gift card if they have one.

*ETA* SOG does run specials sometimes that include breakfast / other meals. That might be something to look into if you're wanting to have some "on-site" dining plans.
The Disney Dining Plan IMO is truly not worth the money in almost every case, and my family prefers to pack food/eat one meal "out" per day and save $$ so we'd rather spend the time in the parks or the pool and not at a lot of restaurants. Mobile ordering FTW as PP said! Especially with the bigger groups. My husband and I have 5 kids and anywhere we can save is amazing.

Pop is our go-to if we don't do Shades. We've been toying with the idea of purchasing DVC for a few years and honestly one reason we haven't is because we love Shades so much. One thing that's a "downside" is that we can't do laundry in our rooms or cook (DVC "upside") but we've made it work and it's worth the money!

I recently brought a friend for a one night pre-cruise stay at SOG. She's been to almost every resort at WDW and said SOG was in her top 2. If you want to read my further thoughts please do! https://notclub33.com/blog/2019/07/03/shades-of-green-how-military-vets-save-at-walt-disney-world/

We have sponsored family and friends over the years, and they all ask to go back to SOG! I know some complain about the SOG transportation because they don't operate on Disney's schedule , but we've found the SOG bus to be very reliable. You can always walk over to the Poly to use Disney transportation if it's not your cup of tea, and then of course there is always Uber, or the Minnie Van. Just to expand on Disney transportation glitches for those who may not know; there are times when we have had significant waits for the bus at the Poly, especially on morning EMH days for DHS, and AK, so that is something to consider. We have also run into resort monorail issues when going to the MK. It is pretty cheap to take a taxi/Uber to the Contemporary from SOG, go through security on the walkway, and it's a short walk to the MK. It is pretty nice that there are so many transportation options at SOG!
 
The PP are spot on!! I love SOG, and biggest standard rooms on property, probably the least crazy/loud resort, and LOCATION! It cannot be beat. The Starbucks is so much less expensive ;) and handy. My kids have loved pool days and the views are amazing. MagicBands if you have them (or want to buy them) will still work in the parks, and can be handy. I never charge to my room anyway, I'd rather keep track, or let my kids pay with a gift card if they have one.

*ETA* SOG does run specials sometimes that include breakfast / other meals. That might be something to look into if you're wanting to have some "on-site" dining plans.
The Disney Dining Plan IMO is truly not worth the money in almost every case, and my family prefers to pack food/eat one meal "out" per day and save $$ so we'd rather spend the time in the parks or the pool and not at a lot of restaurants. Mobile ordering FTW as PP said! Especially with the bigger groups. My husband and I have 5 kids and anywhere we can save is amazing.

Pop is our go-to if we don't do Shades. We've been toying with the idea of purchasing DVC for a few years and honestly one reason we haven't is because we love Shades so much. One thing that's a "downside" is that we can't do laundry in our rooms or cook (DVC "upside") but we've made it work and it's worth the money!

I recently brought a friend for a one night pre-cruise stay at SOG. She's been to almost every resort at WDW and said SOG was in her top 2. If you want to read my further thoughts please do! https://notclub33.com/blog/2019/07/03/shades-of-green-how-military-vets-save-at-walt-disney-world/

This was SO helpful- I love your blog and the pictures help me imagine it better!
Feeling much more confident that this will be a great trip. Thank you everyone!!!
 
This was SO helpful- I love your blog and the pictures help me imagine it better!
Feeling much more confident that this will be a great trip. Thank you everyone!!!
Thank you so much!:lovestruc
I hope you have a phenomenal time planning and enjoying your time with your family!
 
It's been several years since we've stayed at Shades of Green - we're going in November and I'm so excited. I know the Disney resorts bell services will transfer luggage to SOG - does SOG have bell services and can they transfer luggage to Disney resorts? We're bookending our trip w/Disney resorts so this would be helpful.

Also, we'd like to put in a room request to be closer to the splash pool for our toddler. Any downside to this? Just a request and we won't be terribly disappointed if it's not granted :)
 
It's been several years since we've stayed at Shades of Green - we're going in November and I'm so excited. I know the Disney resorts bell services will transfer luggage to SOG - does SOG have bell services and can they transfer luggage to Disney resorts? We're bookending our trip w/Disney resorts so this would be helpful.

Also, we'd like to put in a room request to be closer to the splash pool for our toddler. Any downside to this? Just a request and we won't be terribly disappointed if it's not granted :)

Not sure about the luggage transfer, but I'm sure someone will chime in with an answer for you. Although they will not guarantee room requests, SOG is very good about making it happen. They recently renovated the Magnolia Wing and if you request a first floor room on the splash pad side, you will have easy access to the pool from your patio.
 

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