AKL changing to SOG... will I be disappointed?

[zakatak]

Our November trip (AKL) might be switched to SOG (MIL & FIL might come, he is retired Military). We love AKL and everything about it, from the theming to the "Disney Magic". Will I be disappointed in SOG? Will it be too "offsite ish" (new word )? In other words, will it be too Military and Not Disney?

On the website it states that they can do Early Entry and have bus service to all the parks.

I just have been looking forward to AKL and the Sunrise Safari and am worried now. Although the cost is better , I just don't want to be "out of the Magic".

Thanks for any insight from those who have stayed at SOG before!

Karen

 

[dandave]

zakatak , I loved my stay at SOg in '97. The rooms were huge, the buffet dinner was very good, and everyone was *so* polite. (A very nice gentleman absolutely insisted upon giving up his seat to me, a woman with a small child, on the SOG bus).
My DH was then in the active army guard, and I was a dependent. I took my young son and my sister on a stay at SOG. It did not feel "military" at all to me. The view from the balcony was lovely, and it was very peaceful.
I honestly cannot say whether or not I would have loved the resort so much at the time, if I had previously stayed in some of the WDW deluxes. The theming was kind of "resort casual", closely resembling the BWV, BC, or Dolphin rooms in feel.
It is certainly nothing at all like AKL. I too was hoping to stay at AKL in May, but I really never thought too much about SOG. I figured that it would be booked. DH is DOD now, and I had him call to check on a reservation. He got the entire reservation. For the price, $101, I don't see how we could turn it down. I paid around $330 w/tax per night, AP rate, for a concierge room at AKL a few years ago in May.
That is a huge per night savings. I still may try to get a couple of nights at AKL, but the majority of our vacation will be at SOG. For the price, size of the rooms, etc, SOG is a huge bargain.

 

[SB in KY]

The location is nice, and everything at SOG will be brand new in March. While it won't be nearly as themed as AKL I bet SOG will be lovely. You might want to think about spending the last 2 nights at AKL concierge and doing the sunrise safari...kind of a compromise. I am really looking forward to hearing about the "new" SOG in a few weeks.

 

[Sleepy]

Not sure what you mean by "too military". We never got the feeling it was a military resort other than the fact the pressed coin machine was military themed coins and you have to show your military ID to purchase stuff in the gift shop and to purchase park tickets and sometimes they require it to get on the SOG bus *heads up on this*. Everything else was normal unless you happened to run into someone you knew...and it HAS happened to us before

 

[zakatak]

Will we get ID to show on the busses since we are with Military people or can we not use the busses at all? We can't shop in their stores? Oh man... this is looking bad...

Could we get Military Guest IDs? Will that work? Otherwise, AKL here I come!

Karen

 

[TinkKel]

Is Shades of Green "too Military"? If you have to ask, it probably will be, to your taste.

Personally, I am looking forward to my stay. There is a sense of family and comraderie that you get from staying around military that I really like. Everyone is approachable, and eager to share where they are stationed, or from...and will do anything to help each other.

To be on the safe side, I would keep my reservations to AKL, until you know for sure that your in-laws are going, otherwise you will not be able to stay there anyway.

I think you'd be pleasantly surprised how much you'd like the atmosphere there, even if it isn't as "Disney-ish" as the other resorts. Either way, good luck, and enjoy your stay!

 

[kadaten]

Originally posted by zakatak
Will we get ID to show on the busses since we are with Military people or can we not use the busses at all? We can't shop in their stores? Oh man... this is looking bad...

Could we get Military Guest IDs? Will that work? Otherwise, AKL here I come!

Karen

You show your *room key* to get on the bus, not military ID. Since each military member can reserve up to 3 rooms, there's no way every one in the party will have an ID!

As for shopping in the store, it's considered on gov't property and therefore tax-free, so only DOD authorized shoppers are allowed, although several posters have said the only things they couldn't purchase were alcohol and tobacco products. Even so...no problem, just have MIL or FIL show ID and purchase it!

I stayed at SOG several times before they closed for rehab, and have stayed at CBR, CSR, POR, POFQ, and AKL, as well as several off-site places. For my money and experiences, SOG is every bit as on-property as any Disney hotel, and just happens to be a much better deal! SOG used to be a Disney resort (sometimes known as the golf resort or Disney Inn) and was considered a Deluxe resort due to size of room, amenities, etc. MY DH and I like staying on property so much that we will never stay off-site, unless it's a free trip and we haven't been able to talk our traveling companions into on-site accomodations (like our friends with a time-share). SOG never is off-site for us. We ever remarked to each other the first few times we stayed there that we think they must send their employees to Disney CM school, because they were just as eager to please!! We've since stayed at another Army Recreation location in Germany, though, and found them to be just as wonderful, so it seems Disney isn't the only one that knows how to treat it's guest!

As for magic.... It's still very close to the parks. Still convenient. If you're looking for over-the-top decor, you might be better off at one of the values, but we always found it to be very comfortable and very tastefully appointed. We had beautiful views overlooking the golf courses...very nice and restful....great way to take in that first morning cup of coffee, watching the sun rise over the grounds. BONUS at SOG--nowhere near as crowded as any Disney resort! (at least it didn't used to be with only 288 rooms...but they're still only up to 586 I think...so how crowded could it get?) We often had the pool to ourselves, loved the sportsbar on site, and were just so happy to stay there! No, there won't be a Sunrise Safari, so maybe do AKL concierge a few nights if you have to do that this trip, but I'd at least give it a shot! After all, just think what you can do with all the money you'd save! (DH has hinted that if we stay SOG rather than trying AKL concierge for the first time on our next trip that we could afford that extra-long backstage tour that's like $200 per person!! Still thinking, on my part... But if we stay SOG and don't do tour, we can come back even sooner!!)

Good luck with decisions...and have a great time no matter where you stay!
Katie

 

[Jynohn]

When DH and I were planning our honeymoon at SOG, I had the same concerns about it being "too military." We decided to go for it however because it's the only way we would have been able to afford to stay onsite at the time for 10 nights.

We're so glad we made the decision to stay there. From the very first time I called and the attendant answered the phone "It's a beautiful day at Shades of Green!" (my DH and I still say that to each other when we're having a bad day ) until the moment we checked out, our stay was perfect. Not for a minute did it feel too military or like we were too far away from the action.

If you don't mind not having Mickey soaps or a Mickey wake up call, I don't think you'll notice much of a difference between SOG and the "official" onsite hotels. In fact, we stayed at the Contemporary this past month due to SOG's construction and we enjoyed our past trips at SOG much more.

We're really looking forward to our next trip there and we're so glad that we have this benefit that we can stay at such a beautiful hotel for such a reasonable price. If you're lucky enough to be eligible to stay there, I suggest you give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised

Have fun!