SHADES OF GREEN at Walt Disney World Resort Information & Questions

[wannabee]

What happens if we arrive before our sponsor. I know we cant check in but can we enter the property? check our bags? have lunch?

 

[GradysDogDad]

Hi Everyone, first post here!

My wife and I are starting to plan a trip with our just-under-2-year-old and grandparents for the last week of April 2023. Our family has access to SOG, but I'm a little concerned about buses and transportation to the parks after doing some reading online about them. The walk to Poly monorail seems pleasant, but I keep thinking it will become one of those things that could become a trudge and detract from the trip.

Are Minnie Vans picking up from SOG again now that they have returned? I searched this thread but only found info from pre-pandemic dates. If they are that seems like an ideal solution for on-demand transportation.

I'm kind of worrying myself into looking at Contemporary at this point to be a short walk or monorail to MK where we will probably spend most of our time. Cost will obviously rise substantially over SOG but I'm the kind of person that if there is something I could have done in advance to avoid a problem it will gnaw at me if I don't take care of it! Thankfully we could afford it but if I am blowing this out of proportion then we would prefer to stay at SOG and save some money.

Basically I'm looking for some reassurance, or words of caution, about getting to and from the parks from SOG with a stroller, youngster and some grandparents in tow. Thanks in advance if you have any inputs!

 

[Ladyfish77]

What happens if we arrive before our sponsor. I know we cant check in but can we enter the property? check our bags? have lunch?

Yes to all. You will tell the gate guard that you are checking in. Your sponsor may have gotten an email that they can provide you saying you are staying at the resort (we got this for our guests we sponsored but it was several years ago, so not sure on current procedure). They will ask you for ID at the gate and provide you with a visitor pass for your vehicle. You can drop your bags at bell services then park in the garage. You can check out the pool, restaurants, etc.

 

[Ladyfish77]

My wife and I are starting to plan a trip with our just-under-2-year-old and grandparents for the last week of April 2023. Our family has access to SOG, but I'm a little concerned about buses and transportation to the parks after doing some reading online about them. The walk to Poly monorail seems pleasant, but I keep thinking it will become one of those things that could become a trudge and detract from the trip.

I do think you are worrying too much! I haven't stayed in the last year but we never had issues with the busses. The good thing about them is they run on a schedule. You will always know when to expect the bus, which makes planning easy. If heading to parks first thing in the morning, get to bus waiting area early since that's when busses may fill up. Otherwise It's generally not a problem. You can also walk to the Poly if you want. I have walked to the Poly and spent more time waiting for the bus than I would have if I had just stayed at SoG and waited. I will mention that at Disney Springs the Shades bus drops at the far end of DS. When we were finished up we would head to the resort busses if we were closer to them and then just grab the Poly bus then walk back to Shades if we didn't want to walk all the way to the other side of DS to wait for the Shades bus.

I'm not sure about the Minnie vans, but you can call an uber/lyft from Shades of Green, so that's an option also. I think you'll enjoy Shades. It is a wonderful resort and it will be so much less expensive than the Contemporary.

Also, you can take advantage of the "Shady Shuttle" which is a large golf cart that you can get to take you to the end of the property (about 1/2 of the walk to the Poly). I've heard you can also call them to pick you up at that location on your return, but I've never done that so you would need to ask at bell services if they offer that.

 

[wannabee]

I do think you are worrying too much! I haven't stayed in the last year but we never had issues with the busses. The good thing about them is they run on a schedule. You will always know when to expect the bus, which makes planning easy. If heading to parks first thing in the morning, get to bus waiting area early since that's when busses may fill up. Otherwise It's generally not a problem. You can also walk to the Poly if you want. I have walked to the Poly and spent more time waiting for the bus than I would have if I had just stayed at SoG and waited. I will mention that at Disney Springs the Shades bus drops at the far end of DS. When we were finished up we would head to the resort busses if we were closer to them and then just grab the Poly bus then walk back to Shades if we didn't want to walk all the way to the other side of DS to wait for the Shades bus.

I'm not sure about the Minnie vans, but you can call an uber/lyft from Shades of Green, so that's an option also. I think you'll enjoy Shades. It is a wonderful resort and it will be so much less expensive than the Contemporary.

Also, you can take advantage of the "Shady Shuttle" which is a large golf cart that you can get to take you to the end of the property (about 1/2 of the walk to the Poly). I've heard you can also call them to pick you up at that location on your return, but I've never done that so you would need to ask at bell services if they offer that.

So much great info. Thank you!!

 

[GradysDogDad]

I do think you are worrying too much! I haven't stayed in the last year but we never had issues with the busses. The good thing about them is they run on a schedule. You will always know when to expect the bus, which makes planning easy. If heading to parks first thing in the morning, get to bus waiting area early since that's when busses may fill up. Otherwise It's generally not a problem. You can also walk to the Poly if you want. I have walked to the Poly and spent more time waiting for the bus than I would have if I had just stayed at SoG and waited. I will mention that at Disney Springs the Shades bus drops at the far end of DS. When we were finished up we would head to the resort busses if we were closer to them and then just grab the Poly bus then walk back to Shades if we didn't want to walk all the way to the other side of DS to wait for the Shades bus.

I'm not sure about the Minnie vans, but you can call an uber/lyft from Shades of Green, so that's an option also. I think you'll enjoy Shades. It is a wonderful resort and it will be so much less expensive than the Contemporary.

Also, you can take advantage of the "Shady Shuttle" which is a large golf cart that you can get to take you to the end of the property (about 1/2 of the walk to the Poly). I've heard you can also call them to pick you up at that location on your return, but I've never done that so you would need to ask at bell services if they offer that.

Thank you for your reply! This is very helpful information, appreciate it!

 

[BigBlueWho]

Did you get the refunds without issue? I hope all was smooth. It takes a few days but I don't recall it being more than 10 days. Unless they're currently short staffed?

I ended up emailing customer support after 14 days. They said it was a computer issue, and refunded 2 deposits and applied the third towards my actual reservation. I knew something was off.

 

[BigBlueWho]

Hi Everyone, first post here!

My wife and I are starting to plan a trip with our just-under-2-year-old and grandparents for the last week of April 2023. Our family has access to SOG, but I'm a little concerned about buses and transportation to the parks after doing some reading online about them. The walk to Poly monorail seems pleasant, but I keep thinking it will become one of those things that could become a trudge and detract from the trip.

Are Minnie Vans picking up from SOG again now that they have returned? I searched this thread but only found info from pre-pandemic dates. If they are that seems like an ideal solution for on-demand transportation.

I'm kind of worrying myself into looking at Contemporary at this point to be a short walk or monorail to MK where we will probably spend most of our time. Cost will obviously rise substantially over SOG but I'm the kind of person that if there is something I could have done in advance to avoid a problem it will gnaw at me if I don't take care of it! Thankfully we could afford it but if I am blowing this out of proportion then we would prefer to stay at SOG and save some money.

Basically I'm looking for some reassurance, or words of caution, about getting to and from the parks from SOG with a stroller, youngster and some grandparents in tow. Thanks in advance if you have any inputs!

Not sure about SoG, but we did request one when we left Epcot and it never showed up. We ended up having to go back through security in order to catch the monorail.

 

[BigBlueWho]

Im sorry @BigBlueWho , i just saw this post. For some reason I missed it (along with a few other posts after it) and it just popped up for me after I just replied in this thread.

It was great, thank you so much! . DD and I go back in a few weeks for MNSSHP, can't wait. Hoping to see harmonius this time. Our Guardians VQ ended up being at the same time in June.

What day are you going? We will be there for Halloween!

 

[Specter]

I do think you are worrying too much! I haven't stayed in the last year but we never had issues with the busses. The good thing about them is they run on a schedule. You will always know when to expect the bus, which makes planning easy. If heading to parks first thing in the morning, get to bus waiting area early since that's when busses may fill up. Otherwise It's generally not a problem. You can also walk to the Poly if you want. I have walked to the Poly and spent more time waiting for the bus than I would have if I had just stayed at SoG and waited. I will mention that at Disney Springs the Shades bus drops at the far end of DS. When we were finished up we would head to the resort busses if we were closer to them and then just grab the Poly bus then walk back to Shades if we didn't want to walk all the way to the other side of DS to wait for the Shades bus.

I'm not sure about the Minnie vans, but you can call an uber/lyft from Shades of Green, so that's an option also. I think you'll enjoy Shades. It is a wonderful resort and it will be so much less expensive than the Contemporary.

Also, you can take advantage of the "Shady Shuttle" which is a large golf cart that you can get to take you to the end of the property (about 1/2 of the walk to the Poly). I've heard you can also call them to pick you up at that location on your return, but I've never done that so you would need to ask at bell services if they offer that.

FWIW, we were at SOG in March this year and generally speaking, the busses were very reliable. There were a few times where they departed a few minutes early from either the hotel or from the destination (we were actually super lucky not to miss it when we went to DS one day), but generally speaking they were right on schedule.

Minnie Vans were not available on that trip but we have used them in the past and always enjoyed them, though they are a little pricey for what they are. But if you need a car seat like we do then they are very hard to beat.

On our trip this March we were there with my dad who is a disabled veteran (and the sponsor for our room) and we made use of the Shady Shuttle multiple times. Had it just been DW, DD, and myself we would have let someone else use it but since it could hold 4 (with DD on a lap) and the driver we did avail ourselves when my parents were already requesting it. I can also confirm that if they are available they will come meet you at the edge of the SOG property which is indeed about half of the walk. That said, the shuttle was entirely out of service for multiple days at the end of our last trip but hopefully they have that fixed by now.

Also, the breakfast buffet was open when we went in March and was a consistent hit with everyone.

We have been fortunate enough to stay at SOG several times over the years and have always enjoyed it. That said, I don't know if it is due to things being a bit different post Covid or what but we did find our room in particular to be a bit more run down than we remembered them in the past. While in no way a deal breaker we just felt like the room we were in needed a refurb. Even the towels were getting a little threadbare and frayed. I still really enjoy the resort, the property, and think that if you have access to it that it is an incredible value, but a little TLC would go a long way.

 

[Leigh L]

What day are you going? We will be there for Halloween!

We leave September 7th! Attending the 11 Sept party, we are staying at SOG for this trip

Halloween sounds so fun!
Also, glad to hear you got your deposits resolved.

 

[Neverbeast]

Where do smokers go on the resort?

 

[BigBlueWho]

We leave September 7th! Attending the 11 Sept party, we are staying at SOG for this trip

Halloween sounds so fun!
Also, glad to hear you got your deposits resolved.

Thank you; I did. And: awesome!!! I hope you and your family have a blast on your trip!

 

[GradysDogDad]

FWIW, we were at SOG in March this year and generally speaking, the busses were very reliable. There were a few times where they departed a few minutes early from either the hotel or from the destination (we were actually super lucky not to miss it when we went to DS one day), but generally speaking they were right on schedule.

Minnie Vans were not available on that trip but we have used them in the past and always enjoyed them, though they are a little pricey for what they are. But if you need a car seat like we do then they are very hard to beat.

On our trip this March we were there with my dad who is a disabled veteran (and the sponsor for our room) and we made use of the Shady Shuttle multiple times. Had it just been DW, DD, and myself we would have let someone else use it but since it could hold 4 (with DD on a lap) and the driver we did avail ourselves when my parents were already requesting it. I can also confirm that if they are available they will come meet you at the edge of the SOG property which is indeed about half of the walk. That said, the shuttle was entirely out of service for multiple days at the end of our last trip but hopefully they have that fixed by now.

Also, the breakfast buffet was open when we went in March and was a consistent hit with everyone.

We have been fortunate enough to stay at SOG several times over the years and have always enjoyed it. That said, I don't know if it is due to things being a bit different post Covid or what but we did find our room in particular to be a bit more run down than we remembered them in the past. While in no way a deal breaker we just felt like the room we were in needed a refurb. Even the towels were getting a little threadbare and frayed. I still really enjoy the resort, the property, and think that if you have access to it that it is an incredible value, but a little TLC would go a long way.

Thank you for the additional perspective and detailed response, I'm still waffling a little bit on the decision but all the replies so far have been very helpful.

 

[McMonsters]

Where do smokers go on the resort?

I believe there is an area in the middle of the resort by the pond/gazebo area. I remember taking note of it, I’m an former smoker so I still notice the areas that allow it.

 

[Neverbeast]

I believe there is an area in the middle of the resort by the pond/gazebo area. I remember taking note of it, I’m an former smoker so I still notice the areas that allow it.

My brother vapes. but he had some intensely convoluted plan to walk to the poly parking lot every time? He won’t just ask my step dad because then he’d have to admit he vapes and it will be A Thing… this is a much more reasonable plan for him. Thank you. (I’m going to remind him that if you’re that embarrassed of something you probably know it’s wrong to do. He’s 37 )

 

[stiebermom]

Shipping packages from SOG
Everyone, if I come prepared with a prepaid box, and a paid USPS label, would it be easy to mail a package from SOG? Is there a mail drop someone that accepts packages? Thanks.

 

[abbyandangel]

We leave September 7th! Attending the 11 Sept party, we are staying at SOG for this trip

Halloween sounds so fun!
Also, glad to hear you got your deposits resolved.

We are at SOG at the same time and attending the same party.

 

[Leigh L]

We are at SOG at the same time and attending the same party.

It's coming close! So exciting!
I'm hoping the party isn't too busy. One of the few that hasn't sold out yet, (although I guess it's probably going to be announced shortly after I typed this )

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

Getting this error message for our stay. It shows our resort reservation on the main screen, but this is what I get when I click on it.

Question — we’re arriving early and plan to do early entry at MK before checkin into SoG. How do I prove to the CM we’re staying at SoG when I’m getting this error message?