SoG Relocation FAQ

[DancingBear]

Thought it might be helpful to create this thread and get info on SoG relocation in one place. Please feel free to supplement or correct this info.

SoG will close April 1, 2002 through August, 2003 for construction which will double the number of rooms at SoG.

Those holding existing reservations at SoG, and those making new reservations through SoG during this time period, will be relocated to the North Garden Wing at the Contemporary Resort. It appears that SoG will be taking over all of the approx. 300 rooms in CR's North Garden Wing.

Those with reservations which include the night of March 31, 2002 will be the first relocated to CR. They will be relocated to CR for their entire stay, even if their stay begins before March 31.

SoG has said they are backed up on this process and that those with reservations late in 2002 (poster had ressies in November) shouldn't expect a notification letter until the summer.

Rates for the CR will be the same as for SoG; however, unlike at SoG, 11% taxes will be added.

The guest services ticket office from SoG will be relocated to CR; however, the shops at SoG will NOT be relocated to CR.

Rooms at CR (422 sq. ft.) are somewhat smaller than the huge rooms at SoG (467 sq. ft.) but still among the largest standard rooms at WDW. CR guest rooms feature 2 queen size beds (or one king size bed) and a daybed, table with 2 chairs, armoire, television, nightstand, telephone, key-operated in-room safe, wall mirror, ceiling fan, large bathroom with hair dryer, luggage rack, iron and ironing board.

There are no balconies in the Garden Wing rooms at CR, but ground floor rooms have a patio area. The ground floor patios are shared with the neighboring rooms, except for a few ground floor rooms on the ends of the wings which have a private patio.

[Belle4]

When making a reservation for the resort, how does they know that you are part of the military? What kind of proof do they need when you make the reservation?

[DancingBear]

I don't believe any proof is required at time of reservation, but you'll need some info regarding the military sponsor's rank, status, etc. See the reservation form from SoG's website:

SoG reservation form (http://www.armymwr.com/shades/reservation_form.html)

You WILL need to show appropriate military-issued ID at check-in.

[tinkerbell1967]

Yes, they are very strict on checking the id's. My father had booked a room for my family and one for him. We arrived a few hours before him and they asked for id. Luckily, we had a copy of my dads id so we could get to our room. When he arrived they went throught the whole thing again and we had to show again that we were with him and he had to confirm that he was the sponsor for our room.

[suevee]

You book the rooms under your sponser's social security number. I would assume that your sponser's ss # is in a computer base showing your eligibility.

By the way I think this combining the FAQ for SoG is a great idea. Perhaps people will post their experiences here on returning from CR using the SoG ressies.

[suevee]

Here is the toll free number for SoG ressies 888-593-2242. This was given by the the SoG operator. Thanks

[DancingBear]

There are great pics available at:

Disneypix.com (http://www.disneypix.com/index.htm)

Click on "Resorts" and on "Contemporary"

Click on "In Room 2001-2" for pictures of a North Garden Wing room.

Click on "October 2001" for many pictures including several of and around the North Garden Wing, including the view of Bay Lake and the playground.

Click on "May 2001" for many pictures including a great picture looking down from the Tower onto the North Garden Wing, which shows almost the whole wing and its relationship to Bay Lake.

[suevee]

I just made my ressies for Feb, 2003 yesterday. I was told that SoG will NOT be sending me a confirmation in a few days but the WDW will send me a confirmation just a few months before my trip. Is it common practice for WDW resorts to wait so long to send confirmation? This does make me a little nervous as my trip won't be till next year. Hopefully there will be no mixups.

[Buddiebo]

My husband is the Military person in our family. He informed me yesterday that he might not be able to make our WDW trip in April. Will I (as the spouse) have a problem checking into hotel without him?

[aero99]

A letter from disney months before the trip?!?! That doesn't sound right. My poor friend has been anxiously awaiting her letter. Is there anything she can do to confirm the reservation? (she has another one that she was waiting to cancel until she got her confirmation letter).

Thanks!
Melissa

[disney4us2002]

buddiebo, I think you should call SoG and ask them specifically. I had trouble checking in one time as dh was arriving later--I had to wait for him as did my in-laws as all the reservations must be in the 'eligible' person's name. Also, w/o your dh you may have trouble purchasing the discount tickets. Better call to be safe.

C

[disney4us2002]

Buddiebo, here is the quote from SoG reservations,

"Sponsored guests must be accompanied by the Military/DoD sponsor at check-in and throughout the entire stay. "

Definitely double check. A wife of military may be different than me as wife of DoD civillian, but check if he can't go. That's not the kind of thing you want to find out as you're in the lobby.

C-

[jlazz]

buddiebo - i was on hold w/SOG when I saw your post. I asked the rep if my dh had a change of plans, could the kids and I still go. She put me on hold to check, and said that as long as I had his military id, his paystub, and my own id (she said drivers license would be fine) that *yes* we could still stay there.

I would suggest that you call as well and see if you get the same answer. I remember asking the question last year when I we were going, and I could have sworn they told me then that my dh would have to be with us in order for us to stay.

Good luck.

:-)

Jackie

[suevee]

If your husband is active duty military I believe you can get in on your ID card. Last year I checked myself and my family in on my ID. Check it out. It may have changed since 9/11. But I can use any of the other parks and rec activities based on my ID, so I don't know why this would be different. Dod people may be in a different situation.

[Buddiebo]

Thank you for all your helpful replies! I will try calling SOG to make sure that I can stay there without my husband.

Anymore insight into this will be helpful, as I think the SOG number is hard to get thru on. I tried several times today and it was busy.

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Does anyone know if those that pay the $10 extra will get water side? Can others request this or will standard view be parking lot side?

[suevee]

I did request a water view and pay the extra $10. I would think that would probably be 1st floor bay view, but not sure.

[jlazz]

Question - I will be travelling w/2 kids ages 4 and 6. I'm guessing a bay view is farthest from the tower and the monorail. Is it worth requesting a bay view? Where is the pool - is it the near the bay? Would it be a good idea to request a room near the pool?

Thanks!

:-)

Jackie

[DancingBear]

jlazz--see this map (from the DIS Home Page) for an idea of where things are in relation to the tower and Bay Lake:

Contemporary Resort Map (http://www.disneyinfo.com/resortmaps/contempmap.jpg)

Also look at the pictures referenced in my earlier post on this thread, particularly the overhead views of the North Garden Wing. Many rooms on the North side of the Wing will have views of a portion of Bay Lake, but those on the far end of the Wing are directly along Bay Lake.

Reports on the DIS are that even these rooms on the far end of the Wing are less of a hike than the walk to the main building at the moderate resorts.

[DancingBear]

SoG had recently begun charging an extra $10 for "poolside" rooms, first floor poolside.

I talked to SoG reservations today, and this is what they said about how this will be treated at CR:

"If you have a poolside reservation, they will attempt to honor this at CR. If they cannot accomodate this, you will not be charged the additional $10/night."

I asked her what this means exactly, since none of the rooms at CR's North Garden Wing are what I would call "poolside"--the pool is across the courtyard area, closer to the South Garden Wing, but she didn't have any more details.

Remember, this designation was "poolside", not "water view" as at the Disney Resorts, which includes views of pools or of ponds and lakes.

Guessing here, but maybe the "poolside" rooms at CR will be the ground floor patio rooms on the south side of the North Garden Wing, which would be the closest to the pool.

[0506]

Does anyone have a copy of the concept map? Are they re-doing the whole hotel or just adding a new section? And where is it going??

Thanks

[jlazz]

I was told when I called SOG yesterday that the $10 poolside rooms would be bay view instead of poolside. I talked to her about upping the room to a bay view for $10 and she said that the rooms all have a view of the room, and she more or less suggested that I save the money. What do y'all think? I did request a first floor room. we'll see what happens with that.

:-)

Jackie

[AF Brenda]

In reference to whether or not a military spouse can get the discount if the spouse is not there, this is from the Disney press release:

If active members of the U.S. military are unable to come to the Walt Disney World Resort during "Disney's Armed Forces Salute," their spouses will be eligible to purchase the special offer tickets one time during the offer period for up to five family members and friends (including the spouse) at a 50 percent discount. The special offer tickets must be used within seven days after they are purchased. Each spouse may only purchase up to five special offer tickets for admission to the Walt Disney World theme parks.

[DancingBear]

FYI, a poster on another thread says that they have just received their relocation notification letter from SoG for a mid-May arrival date. Notice included info on the expansion, including concept art. Apparently theming is to remain the same.

My Dad asked me to ask whether golf discounts would still be available to SoG guests after the relocation. I asked a SoG reservation agent last week, and she said she didn't know, but that they weren't even sure the golf courses (Palm and Magnolia) would remain open, since they are impacted by the expansion.

It is hard for me to believe WDW would close these two golf courses, particularly given that the Magnolia is used for the PGA tournament in October, but I'm just passing on this information.

[sha_lyn]

Here is the some info from the letter from SoG

the new expansion will include:

a multi level parking structure
spacious lobby
banquet facilities
10 suites
290 additional rooms (bringing the total ot 587)
an Italian resturant
a family style resturant


The architecture, interior design and landscaping will enhance the exsiting facility
the letter also says that the ticket office will be in room 7346 at the comtemporary and will include that area dicount attraction tickets, SoG merchandise and information on the expansion



there is no mention of the size of hte new rooms or the possibility of the golf courses closing.

It is hard to tell anything about hte structure form the concept drawing. It includes the landscaping around the building. It is very pretty and looks in keeping with the style of the resort now.

[DancingBear]

Thanks Sha_Lyn for the info. According to the resort map on the DIS:

Contemporary Resort Map (http://www.disneyinfo.com/resortmaps/contempmap.jpg)

it appears that room 7346 is on the third floor in the first portion of the North Garden Wing.

Would you want to be in an adjacent room? Currently the hours for SoG's ticket office are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Something to keep in mind.

[Girls Scout Leader]

Ok, stupid question to beat all this into my head..
we are considering taking up an offer of friends of ours to use SoG, and the reduced park tickets. He is retired military but it's his spouse that's going with us. Does this qualify? I rea;ize there is a limit of three rooms, but is there a limit on park tickets? We are considering Length of Stay equivilents. But all this won' be until it reopens anyway.

[sha_lyn]

I believe the limit on tickets is 15 but Iam not certain. I thought anyoen wiht an ID includign a spouse ID qualified but after reading some of the above post cocerning taking copies of the military members ID I'm not so certain.

[Girls Scout Leader]

15 would make sense....3 rooms max, 5 people per room max = 15 ! But I'm worried about his spouce being the one with us instead of him. She has millitary dependent ID. Hope this works. Hate to have to sleep in the bushes because they won't let us have the roooms!!

[Belle4]

I sent in a request for a week of reservations last week. I have not heard anything from them about it. How will I know if the reservation has been accepted? If I don't get the week I want then I am going to make other plans. How long will it take them? I read somewhere that they won't tell me until a few months before, but I need to know to make reservations for airlines as well as taking the time off of work. Any suggestions?

[Steve TLT]

Belle4, I have always just called SOG reservations, you have to wait a while on hold but you can talk to the reservationist as they punch your request into the computer. You can also make any special requests at that time, they will take your credit card number for the required one night deposit and give you a conformation number. I would just give them a call and tell them you sent your request in online but hadn't heard anything yet.

SOG
Phone 407-824-3400
Fax 407-824-3460
For Reservations
Phone 888-593-2242
Fax 407-824-3665

enjoy your trip

Steve

[GrammieMame]

Our stay at SOG starts April 1, and we still don't have any official indication from them of the change to CR. I talked to them the other day and they said not to worry, as long as I have my SOG reservation number I'm OK, but it bothers me not to have something showing that I'm booked at CR. Do you think I might have a problem?

[DancingBear]

You shouldn't have a problem, but I can understand your concern. Seems like you should have received your letter, or at least maybe they could send you one at your request.