SHADES OF GREEN at Walt Disney World Resort Information & Questions

[wlvsfnz]

Hi everyone. My husband and I are taking our first trip to SOG at the end of December. It's a last big thing before he gets deployed. We have already booked our room at SOG, but still I would like some info on the place. You can only tell so much by photos on the web. A few things I wanted to know about is the transportation. Is it just easier to walk to the Polynesian and take the buses from there? How is the food there?

I think we'll rent a car when the time comes closer that we'll just pick up at the airport in Orlando, but how is the parking at the resort? Do you have to pay?, I know some places charge. This is also my husbands first time to WDW and I want him to have a great time. Staying at SOG is wayyyy cheaper than staying at an "actual" WDW resort.

Any info that any of you have would be so helpful. I just want this trip to go smoothly and I want us to be able to enjoy our last vacation before his trip over the pond. Thank you all in advance!

I just made my reservations for SOG last week and was told that the price for the parking garage is $5 a day and it was even on our confirmation notice. This is our 4th time staying at SOG and we have always found the buses to be ok as long as you watch the schedules. As for the food, we do the breakfast buffet at the Garden Gallery. It's not bad, considering you really can't screw up breakfast. Hope you and your husband have a great time!

 

[Kmhamrick]

Thank you for the great and helpful info. I've stayed at other Disney resorts before and just wasn't sure how this would measure up. We're both excited and from what I've read, I sure we'll have a great time! Can't wait to get to Disney...December, hurry up!

 

[tcp0421]

Thank you for the great and helpful info. I've stayed at other Disney resorts before and just wasn't sure how this would measure up. We're both excited and from what I've read, I sure we'll have a great time! Can't wait to get to Disney...December, hurry up!

Its great you are doing wdw before he gets deployed. We did this one year right before my dh was deployed. You will like SOG it is very nice. We were just there this past October. The rooms are nice and spacious and clean. It is a huge hotel I was shoked how big it was. I didn't realize it until we started walking around. The difference is that you don't get that Disney feeling while there. We had breakfast and dinner at the buffet. My family thought it was pretty good. Oh...the butter they have for the waffles....mmmmm so yummy. Lol the parking is $5.00 a day.

 

[lilsk8nmac]

Hi everyone. My husband and I are taking our first trip to SOG at the end of December. It's a last big thing before he gets deployed. We have already booked our room at SOG, but still I would like some info on the place. You can only tell so much by photos on the web. A few things I wanted to know about is the transportation. Is it just easier to walk to the Polynesian and take the buses from there? How is the food there?

I think we'll rent a car when the time comes closer that we'll just pick up at the airport in Orlando, but how is the parking at the resort? Do you have to pay?, I know some places charge. This is also my husbands first time to WDW and I want him to have a great time. Staying at SOG is wayyyy cheaper than staying at an "actual" WDW resort.

Any info that any of you have would be so helpful. I just want this trip to go smoothly and I want us to be able to enjoy our last vacation before his trip over the pond. Thank you all in advance!

To get to the MK or EPCOT it's easier to just go to the front entrance of the resort and ask the bellhops if you could take the Shady Shuttle to the end of property so you can walk to the Polynesian. From there you just hop the monorail straight to the MK or if you are going to EPCOT the monorail will loop to the TTC and you just walk across and hop the EPCOT monorail line. That's what we did when we were there in August. I hope you have a good time!
Edited to add: at night and for EMH you will have to catch a bus back to the resort from the TTC. They dont run the monorails from an hour after the parks reg. closing hours.

 

[DisneyDreamer0610]

I'm confused, my husband is 100% disabled and the price rate that is on the website is like $105-135/night. how are people posting 7 days for like $350? Did I miss something?

(sorry I'm new to this!)

 

[wahmtexas]

what is the best way to get from AOA to SOG and back?

 

[deannaf87]

We just booked our SOG stay March 17-23, 2013 for $76/night!!!

Can't beat that!

 

[lilsk8nmac]

what is the best way to get from AOA to SOG and back?

You should could either go to the Poly and take the monorail to the MK and pick up a AOA bus from there and then do the same thing back. Or go to the TTC and take the monorail or ferry across to MK and pick up the bus there to AOA, then you'd have to take the AOA bus back to the MK and then get back to the TTC to get the SOG bus back to the resort.

 

[tcp0421]

We were just at SOG in October. When we wanted to go somewhere we would have someone from SOG take us to the end if the property and we would walk to poly then a monorail to Epcot or MK or to ttc. Coming back same way but it never failed every time we got lucky enough to get a bus as it was pulling into SOG as we were ready to cross from the poly.

 

[MomToPirate&Princess]

We've never had problems getting to the parks using the bus schedule, but on our last trip there were several cases where we just missed the SOG bus at AK, HS, or Water Parks. Then we're torn as to what is a quicker option back - a TTC bus, a Poly bus, wait for the next SOG bus. What do you think is quicker?

 

[buffettgirl]

We've never had problems getting to the parks using the bus schedule, but on our last trip there were several cases where we just missed the SOG bus at AK, HS, or Water Parks. Then we're torn as to what is a quicker option back - a TTC bus, a Poly bus, wait for the next SOG bus. What do you think is quicker?

We usually pick whatever comes first in the Poly/TTC bus queue area. Unless you're really close to the next SOG pickup time, then you'll always get an other TTC bus quicker. Once at TTC a SOG bus is never more than 15 min away.

We'd take a Poly bus if we still had plenty of energy to walk back from Poly.

 

[WDW 3]

My hubbys only issue with the shady shuttle is tipping for the ride having correct bills. Keep that in mind.

 

[buffettgirl]

My hubbys only issue with the shady shuttle is tipping for the ride having correct bills. Keep that in mind.

yes, that's why we try to walk if we can, not that we're THAT cheap but it could add up if we did it two trips a day for a week.

 

[deannaf87]

If we do the "pre order" for salute tickets to be picked up at SoG, do we pay sales tax?

 

[Gizmo4]

Deanna - Nope.

We were just there in Sept. and loved it. The buses were easy as long as you know their schedule... a walk from the Poly is nice during the evening (at least it is in warm Sept - one of the only times I wasn't all sweaty, yuck). We ate at the Garden Gallery buffet one night and the food was ok... but it was one of my kids' favorite memories. It was carnival night and they had caramel apples, cotton candy, a balloon artist... they had a ball. We can't wait to go back.

 

[minijeanie]

If we do the "pre order" for salute tickets to be picked up at SoG, do we pay sales tax?

Nope: One price that is it. Great deal!

 

[WDW 3]

yes, that's why we try to walk if we can, not that we're THAT cheap but it could add up if we did it two trips a day for a week.

We only walked it in the evening. It's really nice at night when it's cooling off. Very relaxing at the end of the day.

 

[basilb]

30 days!!!!

That is all.

 

[deannaf87]

Nope: One price that is it. Great deal!

Awesome! I was going to buy them at the MWR here, but that'd be one less thing I have to keep track of during our road trip.

 

[jusero]

We were just there in Sept. and loved it.

We are planning on going next September, probably towards the end of the month so we can get the Halloween decorations and party. Did you find the crowds higher because of the free meal plans? We are trying to avoid the crowds if at all possible.

Thanks!!!!