Shades of Green

[FirstNo]

Hi there! I'm not sure how many of you, if any one, remembers me from the old Disney Boards, but I'm discovering it's difficult to help any one with Shades of Green info where the group of us are hanging out now.

I don't see many SoG questions on here so, there may not even be any one here to try and help, but I thought I'd give it a whirl.

For those who don't know me, I work at SoG (the hotel on the Disney property that used to be the Disney Inn and is now used by military/DoD personnel and retirees). I will still have a job, for the time being any way, after the resort closes on Mar 31 for its expansion.

I am not here to promote or advertise the resort. I'm not paid to be here. I'm here on my own time to try and help any one who may need it with a resort I am very familiar with. I'm sure I won't be able to answer some questions. The answers and posts I make are my own views and not those of the hotel (I have to put that in there because of problems with a Disney CM on another board).

And, let me be clear that I am NOT a CM. We are held to the same standards as the CMs are, but the employees are not employed by or work for Disney.

I hope I haven't broken any rules or have been too long winded. We used to vacation at DW when I was growing up and when I was in the military, I used to stay at SoG every Jun. I'm very familiar with the DW property and most of the resorts so, I'm happy to try and help where I can. :)

[lookingforward]

Do you think the transition to the Contemporary will go smoothly. I am a little worried because we had the suite reserved at the SOG and are coming in the very beggining of April. The SOG told us they are getting us a "junior suite" at the CR, but the junior suites at the CR sleep three and we are a party of six. Do you know about that?

[aero99]

Well, first, thank you for offering your help. I feel lucky to be the 2nd one to ask a question. My friend has a reservation for the fall and she hasn't been charged her deposit or received anything in the mail yet (reservation made in January). Is this normal now with the reservations being transfer to the Contemporary? When should she start to worry?

Thanks so much!
Melissa

[sha_lyn]

If I call the 1 800 no. can they book PS's for me? I know SoG has a desk there where you can book PS's . I have a lot of PS's to book and thought this would save me a little $$

[DancingBear]

FirstNo, glad you are here, and glad that you still have a job! It would be great if you would look at this thread:

SoG Relocation FAQ (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=161960)

And let us know if the info there is good regarding the relocation and if there is anything else we should know. There are also a few specific questions there, particularly regarding whether military spouses can check in and use all of the SoG benefits without the military person present (using dependent ID).

[Bob NC]

lookingforward...Check out the PM I sent you about the junior suite.

[DawnCt]

FirstNo, welcome. I do want to say that you were a great help to me a couple of years ago when you called me about the waitlist. Also your advice is excellent. Perhaps you would like to detail some of the changes that will take place at SoG. I do have a question, Why were they not able to maintain occupancy of the existing rooms and keep the resort open during the expansion? Will they be expanding the size of the lobby, etc. Thanks,

[GrammieMame]

I have a reservation for 2 rooms, starting April 2, and haven't received a letter from SOG or a confirmation from CR. I do have a confirmed reservation for SOG. Do I need to worry because I haven't received anything official? I called several times and was told the letter was probably on the way, but that was weeks ago.

[suevee]

just want to be keep in the loop on this thread as I am booked for Feb. 03. Thanks.

[disney4us2002]

Thank you. I am finding this all very confusing. Are we still guests of Shades of Green or are we Contemporary guests? Are you part of the ticket office that will be transferring over to the Contemporary? Will the tickets remain the same, ie: single-day passes, hoppers, Stars & Stripes? We also want to purchase tickets to Medieval Times so I'm hoping all of the same ticket options are available in the relocation.

Carla

[DancingBear]

Originally posted by FirstNo
I don't see many SoG questions on here so, there may not even be any one here to try and help.... :)

Guess you were wrong there! Questions pouring in!

[laurenk]

Thanks for the offer of helping all of us. Twenty of us will be there in November. When will we get a confirmation letter? We are all really nervous about that.

I also wanted to know the answer to Carla's question.

TIA!:)

[LeapYear Debbie]

I'm interested too in what the renovations will consist of. I love the look of SOG now, I would hate for it to change too dramtically. Are they adding another wing or adding more floors to the existing building? I'm already planning a trip in October 2003 so I can see the changes.


Debbie

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by lookingforward
Do you think the transition to the Contemporary will go smoothly. I am a little worried because we had the suite reserved at the SOG and are coming in the very beggining of April. The SOG told us they are getting us a "junior suite" at the CR, but the junior suites at the CR sleep three and we are a party of six. Do you know about that?

Good question. Nothing is perfect so although I wish I could feel confident in telling you that the transition will be trouble-free, I'm sure we'll encounter some problems. My understanding is that Disney has been trying to work with us to make the transition smooth. Actually, I have a staff meeting that I need to leave for shortly and we'll be discussing the transistion more. If I hear any thing that may be helpful to any one, I'll post it here.

Guests who had a suite at SoG, should be getting a jr. suite at the Contemporary which sleeps 8. We took a road trip over there a couple of weeks ago. It's been 3 years since I've stayed in the Contemp and I've never seen a suite so, I appreciated Disney taking the opportunity to show us around.

I like the Contemp but I'm not crazy about the decor. Definitely, not my taste (esp in the suite!), but I think most guests will like what they're getting for the price. The suite had (if I remember right) 2 rooms; the master bedroom with a king bed, tv, bathrooms and sofa sleeper and then the main living area had a queen bed and sofa sleeper and 2 tvs and lots of sitting space (I guess they expect you to entertain <g>). There was a fridge in the one we saw, but I'm not sure if it comes with the suite (IMO, it should) or if it was there in preparation for whichever guest was going to be checking in.

I hope that helped! :)

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by aero99
My friend has a reservation for the fall and she hasn't been charged her deposit or received anything in the mail yet (reservation made in January). Is this normal now with the reservations being transfer to the Contemporary? When should she start to worry?

Thanks so much!
Melissa

Here's the fun part: first, we were told to treat the reservations as normal, which means the deposits were still due within 2 weeks of booking. A few days later, we were told to not accept deposits. Then, 2 weeks after that, we were told to go back to the way things were before. And, tonight at the staff meeting, we were told to stop accepting deposits after tomorrow. Clear as mud, isn't it <g>?

I would tell your friend not to worry. She probably made the reservation during that time frame where we were told to not charge any thing.

At the meeting tonight, we were told that all 10,1 hundred and some reservations are suppose to be sent over to Disney on Sat. Within 4 weeks, guests who have reservations should receive their Disney confirmation letters and, if a deposit was not transferred (from what we had charged or received in the mail from the guests) from us, then Disney will charge the credit card on file or will be expecting a check from the guest.

I would advise you to tell your friend that if she doesn't receive a confirmation letter from Disney by mid Apr, it would be wise to contact us (reservations will be open the entire time the hotel is closed). We were told we should have the Disney confirmation numbers in our system and we can provide that to her as well as making sure Disney received the credit card information. From what we were told, we will not be able to see if Disney has received a deposit from a guest (just as if we booked them in our overflow). We'll have to call over there, but it's better to be safe than sorry. It will be much easier to try and get a room back that was cancelled for non-deposit now, than trying 1 month before the arrival date (as an example). :)

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by aero99
Well, first, thank you for offering your help. I feel lucky to be the 2nd one to ask a question. My friend has a reservation for the fall and she hasn't been charged her deposit or received anything in the mail yet (reservation made in January). Is this normal now with the reservations being transfer to the Contemporary? When should she start to worry?

Thanks so much!
Melissa

I apologize if this come up as a duplicate. It takes forever to upload and I'm not sure if my original response to you actually posted (I've checked a few times and haven't seen it so, I'm trying again!).

When we were told of the change, we were supposed to continue as we always had; deposits due within 2 weeks of booking. A few days later, we were told to take the credit card info (if the guest provided it), but not to take any deposits. Then, 2 weeks later, we were told to go back to accepting deposits. Tonight at the meeting, we were told to not accept any more deposits after tomorrow. Clear as mud, isn't it?

Looks like your friend made her reservation during that 2 week period where we were taking the info, but not charging. I'm sure she was told her card would be charged because it should be, eventually, by Disney.

We were told that all 10,1hundred and some odd reservations that we have in our system are being sent to Disney over the weekend. Whichever reservations that have crdt crd info should be charged. I would tell your friend that if she doesn't receive a confirmation letter from Disney by mid Apr, to get back in touch with us. We will have to input, by hand, all of the Disney confirmation numbers in our system, but we should have them in there, by that time. We should be able to give her the number and then call Disney and confirm her reservation is guaranteed. Just as with reservations we book in our overflow system, we will not be able to see any monies that have been charged to a credit card or checks received by Disney. That is all on their end, but we're happy to check for her.

I have no doubt that there will be some reservations that are cancelled for non-deposit. The nature of the beast. But, it will be easier to reinstate reservations that can be caught early on than the ones who wait until 2 weeks before their arrival date because they haven't received any thing and are only letting any one know about it now.

The only guests I can really see problems with are those guests who are arriving within the next 6-8 weeks. Everyone from Jun on, should receive their information and/or be able to get back to us quick enough that we can fix any problems with little headache for all concerned. :)

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by sha_lyn
If I call the 1 800 no. can they book PS's for me? I know SoG has a desk there where you can book PS's . I have a lot of PS's to book and thought this would save me a little $$

Nope. We can only book hotel and Budget car rental reservations. Can't do PS or tickets or any of the other fun stuff on the toll free number. Sorry! :(

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by DancingBear
FirstNo, glad you are here, and glad that you still have a job! It would be great if you would look at this thread:

SoG Relocation FAQ (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=161960)

And let us know if the info there is good regarding the relocation and if there is anything else we should know. There are also a few specific questions there, particularly regarding whether military spouses can check in and use all of the SoG benefits without the military person present (using dependent ID).

Thank you!! I'm happy to still have a job since the majority of the employees will be out of one. It's been difficult going to work, knowing most of the people I see won't be around after Apr.

I looked over the FAQ. For the most part, it seems to be fine. There are some little things: SoG is closing on Mar 31. Tonight at our meeting, we found out that the Garden Gallery will be serving breakfast that morning, but will close at 11am. Bus service to the parks will run on first shift only (not sure how long that will be, but I can't imagine they will run past 3pm). So, for those guests who had planned on taking the transportation in the morning to a park and returning to pick up their vehicle later in the day, I don't recommend doing that.

We're getting 300 rms in the North Wing, but we won't have the entire wing. We get the 2nd and 3rd floors and, apprx, 70 rms on the first floor. I also found out tonight that guests who have guaranteed poolside reservations will be guaranteed first floor rooms, facing Bay Lake. I think they said there are 46 of those rooms.

As of this evening, all guests who had guranteed reservation for this year, have had letters from us (explaining the situation), mailed to them. I think they're going to try and have every one else (guests booked in Jan/Feb/Mar 03) mailed out by tomorrow or early next week. Guests in overflow are being notified more slowly. I think they're only up to the Jun guests. This is because all of the envelopes are having to be hand written so, it is a slower process.

The Ticket Office will on the 3rd floor, room 73something soemthing (sorry, I left that paper at work).

I believe all of the rooms will have 2 queens and a sofa sleeper. Originally, I had thought they would be daybeds, but the standard room we were shown had a sofa sleeper. We do have a few rooms (not sure how many) that will have the 1 king and I'm guessing those guests who are booked into our single queen room can expect to be in the single king (but please don't quote me on that!).

On the plus side, Disney doesn't charge for the use of cribs or safe, as SoG does. But, guests who want fridges will have to pay the $10/nt + tax charge.

For some of the questions I saw below the FAQ:

For proof, we were told tonight that Disney is supposed to be sending some people from their Front Desk to our FD to observe how we check in the guests and what we ask to see. Apparently, they are going to try and remember to ask for the ID cards and double check the pay grades to ensure people are eligible to stay and are being charged the appropriate rate. I don't recommend any one trying to beat the system. I'm sure Disney will tell their FD CMs to call us with any questions. Just as if they were staying at SoG, if a sponsor is arriving after their guests, they will need to fax the Disney front desk with a copy of their military/DoD ID card and that nifty statement we always ask them to write. But, no one has bothered to give us their FD fax number so.....we can't give it to the guests. I'm sure once we have enough guests asking us for it, they'll remember to give it to us <g>.

The info JLazz received from the agent she spoke with was a little off (if I read it correctly). The sponsor (the actual military/DoD member or retireee) does NOT need to be present. However, a dependent, with a VALID dependent ID card, does. The military member's SSN will be on the dependent's ID card. This is how grandma can bring the sponsor's kids to DW without either parent being there. The kids (as long as they're at least 10, I believe that's the magic age) have a dependent ID card which will verify all of the info that was on the reservation. Another example, is the dependent husband shows up before the military wife. He can check in, without his sponsor, as long as he shows his dependent ID card and a photo ID. The only time we need to see a pay stub is if the member is DoD. This is because most DoD ID cards do not reflect their pay grade (as a military ID card does) and we need to verify that for the rate. :)

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by DawnCt
FirstNo, welcome. I do want to say that you were a great help to me a couple of years ago when you called me about the waitlist. Also your advice is excellent. Perhaps you would like to detail some of the changes that will take place at SoG. I do have a question, Why were they not able to maintain occupancy of the existing rooms and keep the resort open during the expansion? Will they be expanding the size of the lobby, etc. Thanks,

It's great to see a familiar face!! Hi, Dawn!!! As always, you're welcome and I'm glad I could help.

They haven't let us know too much, as far as the expansion is concerned, but I'll pass along with I remember and know. Some thing should be on the website about the expansion within the week. IMO, this is something that should have happened from the first day we were telling the guests. I even sat down and typed something up for the website, but I don't know if some, or any of it, will be used. I'll have to wait and see when it's finally up. But, we are going to try and get some artist renderings of the new hotel on the site. It will probably take a few weeks, but I think it will be great for the guests to see some pics.

We will have a 5 story (I think) parking garage. The new section of the hotel will vary from 4-5 stories and include 10 new suites. I've heard we were doubling the number of rooms so, that would put us at 574, but then I've also heard we'll have 600 rooms. So, I think it's safe to say we'll have any where from 550-610 rooms, total.

As for restaurants, the concept I had heard was a "hub" concept. You would walk into the main eating area and there would be other restaurants branched off from that hub, offering different dining options. These other areas could also be rented out for meetings and parties. I've also heard talk of an Italian Restaurant as well as an American (steak, burgers, etc) one, but haven't heard any thing beyond that. I think Evergreens will still be around, but they want to have covered walkways from the hotel to the restaurant. With the rainy and dangerous weather in the summertime, they want the guests to be able to safely walk from their rooms out to the restaurant.

What is currently the lobby area will be come a bar. In fact, the whole front desk will be the bar.

To my knowledge, they will not be adding any more pools (which I think is a mistake, but they may not have the room). I don't know if we will still have tennis courts once it's all done, but I hardly ever see the courts in use.

I don't know if the current 287 rooms will be redone. They were all just remodeled within the past year and a half or so. I haven't heard one way or the other. But, by the time guests come back, all of the rooms should be set up with Internet Access that is accessed through the TV (some of the rooms have it now).

As for the reason of the closure, there were a few. I received a letter from General Taguba (the BIG boss) explaining the closure. As you can imagine, the union is none too happy about what's going on and are complaining about it. The General sent the letter to someone higher up in the union than our people are, as well as sending it to all of the employees. Apparently, when they added on to the Hale Koa (SoG's sister resort in Hawaii), they had numerous guest complaints concerning the noise and dust the building was causing. SoG has a contract with Disney concerning the upkeep and appearance of our hotel and what kind of experience the guest can expect. Neither one of these would be able to be maintained. And, most importantly, from a safety standpoint, it just wasn't a good idea to keep the resort open. The majority of our guests are families. Kids are curious by nature and we know parents can't watch them constantly. The General was afraid a child would be injured, or worse, during the constuction. Last but not least, without guests and few employees about, the work should be able to be completed 7 months sooner than originally projected. So, instead of a reopening in early to mid 2004, we should be able to reopen 3/4 of the way into 2003. :)

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by GrammieMame
I have a reservation for 2 rooms, starting April 2, and haven't received a letter from SOG or a confirmation from CR. I do have a confirmed reservation for SOG. Do I need to worry because I haven't received anything official? I called several times and was told the letter was probably on the way, but that was weeks ago.

When did you make the reservations? By now, you should have received the information from us telling you about the closing. I know that reservations in Mar (that were crossing over into Apr) and some reservations in Apr have all ready been transferred to Disney. Arriving Apr 2, yours should have been in there.

If it were me and MY vacation, I'd be calling. I won't tell you to worry, but I know I'd like some reassurance (along with a name if any thing goes wrong) that my reservations truly are guaranteed and I'm good to go. Unfortunately, your reservations are some of those in that bad transition period. I'm not surprised you haven't received a Disney confirmation, but I would still feel better double checking on it, if they were mine.

Monday is the worst day of the week to try calling so, if you can, I'd recommend trying tomorrow (Fri). It's been a lot slower this week than it has since the beginning of the year. To give you an idea of 'slower' there's only been, on average, 7-20 people on hold instead of 25-40. But, there have been times when there have only been a few people on hold so, the wait times haven't been bad. But, in reality, I'd plan on holding 15-25 minutes. :(

[madge]

Hi Noel,

no questions, just a big HI!

actually, I do have a question (big surprise, LOL)--how's the waitlist situation looking for may (or any other months, for that matter)? are we in line for CR roms if they become available or will we be offered overflow?

[dizneycc]

First No-Thanks for all the great information! We have been wondering how they were going to expand. We are still on the wait list for late April 2002. Should we be hearing something soon? I didn't know if I should have a backup plan.
Thanks again!

:D

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by disney4us2002
Thank you. I am finding this all very confusing. Are we still guests of Shades of Green or are we Contemporary guests? Are you part of the ticket office that will be transferring over to the Contemporary? Will the tickets remain the same, ie: single-day passes, hoppers, Stars & Stripes? We also want to purchase tickets to Medieval Times so I'm hoping all of the same ticket options are available in the relocation.

Carla

Frankly Carla, I find it confusing myself. The lack of info we get doesn't help, but your questions are pretty easy (thank you!!! <BG>).

You are a Disney guest because you will be staying in a Disney resort. Yes, we booked you, but it's no different than if we had booked you for the Poly in our overflow. You would still be a Disney guest, but because you booked through us, you would have to go back through us for any changes or cancellations.

I work in reservations, but the ticket office is moving over there, along with our ticket agents. I also found out tonight that guests will still be able to come to SoG to play golf (that should be interesting) and can make their golfing reservations through the ticket office in the North Wing. I can't believe they will get to keep the same ticket office number, but we haven't been given a new number for them. The office will open on Mar 25 (date is subject to change), but the SoG office will still be open. Once we close on the 31st, the ticket office in the North Wing will be completely open (I believe we were told they would only have 1 ticket machine for that first week and the other one or 2 will be moved over once SoG closes). Hope that helped! :)

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by DancingBear


Guess you were wrong there! Questions pouring in!

Good!! I was a little worried no one would write ANY THING...LOL. I feel better now! :D

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by laurenk
Thanks for the offer of helping all of us. Twenty of us will be there in November. When will we get a confirmation letter? We are all really nervous about that.

I also wanted to know the answer to Carla's question.

TIA!:)

If you don't receive all of the confirmation letters (for however many reservations you have) by mid Apr, I'd recommened contacting us just so we can verify there aren't any problems. :)

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by LeapYear Debbie
I'm interested too in what the renovations will consist of. I love the look of SOG now, I would hate for it to change too dramtically. Are they adding another wing or adding more floors to the existing building? I'm already planning a trip in October 2003 so I can see the changes.


Debbie

The whole front of the hotel will be different. From the artist rendering I've seen, it's a BIG improvement and, hopefully, should help with the conjestion of traffic and guests trying to board/disembark the buses.

It will be another wing that is added. 4-5 stories high, but renovations will be done in the original building, at least in the currently lobby area, garden gallery, AAFES store and employee entrance areas. Other than that, I'm not sure what changes will happen to the current building. :)

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by madge
Hi Noel,

no questions, just a big HI!

actually, I do have a question (big surprise, LOL)--how's the waitlist situation looking for may (or any other months, for that matter)? are we in line for CR roms if they become available or will we be offered overflow?

[COLOR=blue]Wow! Someone actually EXCITED to see me <VBG>!!!

As for the wait lists, they're hurting. We've been busy. Extremely, butt kicking type of busy. When it gets like that, the lists suffer. I'm hoping that once Easter is over with, things will calm back down and we can start hitting the lists more.

I've done very little calling because of how busy it's been. My boss and her boss, primarily, have been the ones calling guests for Mar. The lists for Apr through the first part of Aug were put on hold while we figured out just how many rooms we had available. Starting next week, Apr will begin to be contacted for the first time in months (it's all ready highlighted, we're just waiting for the mass reservations transfer on Sat).

Supposedly, we've hired someone who, after she's done with her training, will be working on Saturdays to help with the wait list. So, we'll have her, me, and the girl who used to check the confirmations (there won't be any confirmations for her in the next 2 weeks), she knows how to do the wait list and she'll be helping on Saturdays as well as coming out once during the week to call guests from like 5-9pm. It will be slow going, at first, but it's always this way, every year. We struggle with the wait lists until the volume dies down and then we pick it back up again. The fun see-saw effect <g>.

Every one on the list is on the list for a room at the Contemp. For guests currently on the lists, just like before, we won't offer overflow unless you let us know you no longer wish to be on the list and would like to be assisted with a room else where. Unless they change the rules yet again (and it always seems like I'm the last to know), new rule is we do not have to force you to go on the list, if you don't want to. We can assist you with a reservation in our overflow, even if the list is open. That rule will probably change once we can start booking for our own resort later in this year. However, we cannot have you on our list, or booked at the Contemp/SoG, and have made you a reservation in overflow for the same time frame. :)/COLOR]

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by dizneycc
First No-Thanks for all the great information! We have been wondering how they were going to expand. We are still on the wait list for late April 2002. Should we be hearing something soon? I didn't know if I should have a backup plan.
Thanks again!

:D

Welcome!! I just wrote to Madge that we have a lot of people to call off the Apr wait list and we should start with that next week. The list will continue to be called and we'll get as many people in as we can.

If the vacation is important to you (some guests live close by and can come at any time), you should ALWAYS have a backup plan. I've always told my guests that. The only thing I recommend is that you should be aware of the cancellation policy of which hotel you've booked yourself into since we can, and do, call all the way up until the day before arrival.

Hope you get that call soon!! :)

[cunwdw]

Firstno, Thank You for sharing all of this valuable information.

My question is a little different. In the past when we have stayed at the CR in the garden wings, I have always requested and received a room in the north wing. If Shades of green is relocating all of their guest to the CR north wing and occupying 300 rooms... I can't imagine that will leave much space left over for us Non-military types. Do you have any insight as to how the CR will handle this? I am worried about being "relocated" to the south wing. I don't think that I would enjoy having to stay in the south wing.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Tom

[madge]

:) thanks, noel.....I just wasn't sure if we were on the WL for the contemporary or not and now I do. it great to "see" you here--is this going to be your home for a while? trying to keep up with the fortress is exhausting, LOL.

thanks for the great info, as always!

BTW--when have I never been not glad to hear from you? <g>

[DancingBear]

Thanks so much for the info!

Since you mentioned golf, does that mean that SoG guests will still get a golf discount? Do you know the details on this (how far ahead you can call, who you call, etc.)

This is all extremely helpful, thank you so much. As you said, if there was more info on the website it would help keep the call volume down from those concerned about all of the unofficial information they are hearing.

[DawnCt]

Thanks Noel. The renovations at the Hale Koa were wonderful, its a great resort with the best beach on Waikiki. We also love the Kilauea Military Lodge on the BI. Shades of Green will be terrific when it is done. Regarding the pool size. Wilderness Lodge is a very large hotel but considering the number of rooms, the pool isn't that large. SoG may end up being okay. Time will tell.

[laurenk]

FirstNo- Thanks for answering all of our questions so promptly, and with such detail! I really appreciate you doing this for all of us.:)

[GrammieMame]

I'm the guy that has the reservation starting April 2 but hasn't received a letter yet. Coincidentally, I had a phone message yesterday that the letter had been returned. I called today and they (sho' nuff) had the wrong address and said they would get the letter out immediately.

At some point will I be able to call either the CR directly or the main Disney reservation number and be assured that I have a confirmed CR reservation? When will they have this information, and which one to call. We have 7 people coming, Easter week, and I sure would sleep better if I knew for sure that everything was OK.

You are so kind to try & relieve all our anxieties. Thanks.

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by cunwdw
Firstno, Thank You for sharing all of this valuable information.

My question is a little different. In the past when we have stayed at the CR in the garden wings, I have always requested and received a room in the north wing. If Shades of green is relocating all of their guest to the CR north wing and occupying 300 rooms... I can't imagine that will leave much space left over for us Non-military types. Do you have any insight as to how the CR will handle this? I am worried about being "relocated" to the south wing. I don't think that I would enjoy having to stay in the south wing.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Tom

I'm sorry, but I don't think you'll like my answer. With 300 rooms, yes, we will be taking up the majority of the wing. I can't imagine there will be more than 60 rooms left, if that many, for Disney's guests. I'm surprised we were given the North Wing since it's closer to the MK, but I'm guessing we got it because that wing is non-smoking and that's what our resort was.

The one thing I can say is just like we tell our guests, all requests are just that; requests. I know Disney is the same way and although you may request the North Wing, it's not a guarantee. On the bright side, you can bet that the majority of the guests Disney deals with don't think to request any thing, other than maybe non-smoking. I've discovered in my dealings with guests, many of them don't even realize they can ask for their heart's desire. They just figure they'll take what they can get and they're happy they have a room at all. That improves your chances of getting what you'd like.

Best bet is to call the Contemp and let them know how you feel, but I'm going to guess they'll remind you that they'll do their best to honor as many requests from all of their guests, as they can, but you can't be guaranteed what you'd like. Sorry!! :(

BTW, is my sig line too much? I don't want to cause any problems so if there's too much in there or the graphic needs to go, PLEASE let me know!!! And for the person who mentioned they sent me a private message (I'm sorry, I don't remember the name), I checked but didn't see one from any one. So, I'm not ignoring you!!

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by madge
:) thanks, noel.....I just wasn't sure if we were on the WL for the contemporary or not and now I do. it great to "see" you here--is this going to be your home for a while? trying to keep up with the fortress is exhausting, LOL.

thanks for the great info, as always!

BTW--when have I never been not glad to hear from you? <g>

I can't keep up with them on Yahoo. It's too much. I'm still on the Delphi site, for the few that remain there, but it's a private site and I can't get the SoG info out to people there. Since going back to the 'other' Disney Boards is not an option for as long as certain people 'over there' remain in charge, I needed to find a new home where the info could be used.

Of course, you're welcome to direct any one 'over there' that I'm now here and I'm happy to try and answer their questions.

I had checked out these boards previously and thought they would make a good new home. I can get the info out and, hopefully, help some people out. If it saves just one person from waiting 30 minutes on the phone only to be told "we're sold out, have a nice day!" then I've done some good. :D

[DancingBear]

Your sig line and your responses are sterling! No problems here!

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by DancingBear
Thanks so much for the info!

Since you mentioned golf, does that mean that SoG guests will still get a golf discount? Do you know the details on this (how far ahead you can call, who you call, etc.)

This is all extremely helpful, thank you so much. As you said, if there was more info on the website it would help keep the call volume down from those concerned about all of the unofficial information they are hearing.

I have no clue about the golf. We (reservations) never handled it so, I can't give you any info on it. Someone asked the question last night if guests will still be able to play golf. The answer was 'yes' and then it was asked where would they need to go/call to make tee times. We were told that they would be able to do that in the 'new' ticket office in the North Wing. Nothing else about it was mentioned. I imagine that golf times will be taken from both places (ticket office in the North Wing and the concierge at SoG) from 3/25 through 3/30. Then, starting on the 31st, they'll only take them from the Wing, but that's just a guess.

And don't get me started on the website <g>. :)

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by GrammieMame
At some point will I be able to call either the CR directly or the main Disney reservation number and be assured that I have a confirmed CR reservation? When will they have this information, and which one to call. We have 7 people coming, Easter week, and I sure would sleep better if I knew for sure that everything was OK.


Supposedly, we'll be inputting all of the Disney confirmation numbers for our guests' reservations, starting next week. But, with over 10,000 and having to do it by hand, it's goig to be slow going. Common sense would say they would start inputting them based on priority (Apr before May, May before Jun, etc), but common sense isn't always how they prefer to do thing <bg>.

If I were you, I'd probably wait until Wed. Give them some time to try and get something in the computer. Call and let them know your situation. If we aren't showing your Disney confirmation numbers, we should, by that time, be able to contact someone at Disney and get that/those confirmation number(s) for you. I would be sure to ask whichever agent you speak with to double check the info with Disney (deposits on file, etc). You shouldn't have to ask that, but again, it's a common sense thing and some of the agents aren't the brightest bulbs in the pack. It's not that they would intentionally leave out any info, but we have some kids, literally, working and they haven't been in the position where they were the ones spending lots of $$ on a vacation and need to know that EVERY THING is ok. I'm sure your ressys are fine, but like you, I'd like to see it in writing. And, if I can't do that, then I'd like the name of the person I'm dealing, date and time I spoke to them and found out EXACTLY what is on my reservations in Disney's system. :)

[Liz Kushner]

My husband is 100% disabled and has an ID card, however, I nor any of my children do not have any ID's that back that up. Will that be a problem if he is not with us - does that mean I can only stay at Sog (or CR) when he's with me?

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by Liz Kushner
My husband is 100% disabled and has an ID card, however, I nor any of my children do not have any ID's that back that up. Will that be a problem if he is not with us - does that mean I can only stay at Sog (or CR) when he's with me?


Good question. I *thought* you all should have ID cards, but maybe you (and they) aren't entitled to the special benefits on your own. I'm just not sure.

This is one of those questions for the front desk. I would *assume* that as long as you faxed a copy of his ID card, front and back, to the front desk, along with a statement from him stating something like: "SSG John Jones is allowing his wife, Mary Jones and his 2 children; Michael and Susan Jones, to stay from May1-May 5. I accept responsibility for their stay." Some thing along those lines. Bringing a copy of those same items with you when you check in isn't a bad idea and definitely have photo ID.

But, to be certain, I'd recommend calling SoG direct at 407-824-3400 and ask to speak to the Front Desk. They'll be able to tell you exactly what you'll need to bring and what would be best to fax ahead of time to help ensure there won't be any problem. :)

[Kat]

We are going April 22-April 29th. We wanted to make some room requests. Should we do this now through SOG or should we contact the Contemporary once we have our confirmation numbers?

[buzzandwoodysmom]

We are staying at SOG for the first time starting next saturday the 16th. Are there any things with the conversion that might affect our stay??? Also, does SOG accept personal checks for anything? Rooms, tickets, souveniers, or even just for cash???? Thanks for all your help!! This is also a little off this subject, but has anyone in the National Guard had any luck getting the Military Salute price with out Active Orders in hand?? I heard Disney was going to change the rules for this special.

Thanks again:cool: