Back from SOG

[blondinkaya]

I know it gets really great reviews and both dh and I qualify (he as active duty and me as a GS), so we decided to hop down there for a few days to go to MVMCP and Sea World. I can honestly say ... At least we tried it, but I will not stay at SOG again and refuse to recommend it to others.

The issues really started when I made my ressies. I read that dh and I were the same category (two), so I put it in my name since I had my card handy. According to my confirmation (which I carried down with us), both dh and I are/were considered category two. The confirmation says, "Additional Rate Details: E6-E9, O1-O3, WO1-CW3, GS1-GS10, NF1-NF3, Widows, Medal of Honor Recipients, 100% Disabled Veterans, E1-E5 Sponsored." Dh and I fall within that (I make almost half of what he does without his BAH). The confirmation's pretty clear, right?

Wrong. After hours of driving, when I went to check in, I was told that I was a category three. I showed the front desk my confirmation and was told it was wrong, that I owed the difference between category two and three on my deposit and then for the other night we were there. I asked if I could check in as a spouse and call my dh to come in to confirm his rank (he was waiting in the car with the kids). The lady actually got snippy with me and said that that wasn't about to fly. She said that since she knew I was a GS that she had to charge for the person in the room that falls in the highest category, and that's me. Okay ... I asked for the manager; she came out, looked at my confirmation and told me it was wrong and that I had to pay. Despite what my confirmation says. She made no apologies for it being wrong; in fact, she told me that I must've done something wrong to make it say I was a category two. At that moment, dh came in and told me to go ahead and pay the difference because he just wanted to get into a room. Let me tell you, if that deposit had been refundable, we would've walked away right then and there.

They gave us a lobby level room (I guess that's the new section? It's attached to the parking garage). That was pretty nice, since we were close to our car. We got room #2123. The hair dryer didn't work at all (and it took three calls and a day later to get one that did work), and the retractable feature on the iron was broken (it kept retracting, so dh had to hold the cord out for me while I pressed our clothes). Both nights we were there, we were woken up by kids screaming and running down the hallway (I was told it was quieter at SOG than Pop, but that certainly was not our experience).

Good things about SOG:

• It has a parking garage. But it's $5/day. What if I didn't feel like paying for it? Well ... There's no where else to park. Then, why not just tack on the cost to the price of the room, seeing that it's charged to the room anyway? It just seems kind of odd, like it's their way of nickel and diming you, kwim?
• Fridge in room. We brought some Sunny D's and muffins with us for breakfast. It was nice to have a fridge.
• Queen sized beds.
• In-room coffee maker.
• Balcony. I sat outside to watch the daybreak and drank my coffee while everyone else was still sleeping.

Despite all these pros, I will not be returning to SOG. My negative experiences (especially the rudeness of the front desk staff I dealt with) just outweigh what the resort has going for it. Our very first trip to the World was this past May, and we stayed at Pop and loved it (we were on the DxDP, so all we had to worry about were souvvies and tips). Sure, we didn't have a fridge, coffee maker, or balcony and we had to sleep on full-sized beds, but we definitely felt the Disney magic. That in itself was well worth the sacrifice of not having those extra things offered by SOG. We were immersed in Disney and loved it. We just didn't feel it with SOG. In fact, SOG could've been located anywhere. Seriously. If I didn't see all the WDW signs and whatnot, I could've been staying at a hotel off of I40 in eastern New Mexico for all I knew.

We'll be staying at Pop on the dining plan again next year. At least we can say we tried SOG, but we will not be returning there.

 

[scrapbookinmickeyfan]

I cancelled my reservations for SOG last week and was shocked to find out that it would take 4 - 6 weeks for a credit to show up on my debit card for the deposit I put down. When I asked why it would take that long the lady at reservations said "that's the governement".

 

[DizneyNutz]

To BOTH of you for your service to this country I am sorry SOG was not a Magical Experience, but glad you enjoyed your trip to the World

 

[kaytieeldr]

It has a parking garage. But it's $5/day. What if I didn't feel like paying for it? Well ... There's no where else to park. Then, why not just tack on the cost to the price of the room,

Because not every Guest will have a car, so why should every Guest pay for parking even if they don't, well, park anything?

 

[pcoleman]

I'm sorry you had such a poor experience, I have heard just as bad if not worst about some Disney resorts on this site too. Sometimes things do happen. I recently stayed at POP for first time and even though I really enjoyed the experience I will be returning to SOG. I found the constant Disney stuff at POP almost too much. To each his own. Isn't wonderful that there are so many options to choose from so if you don;t like one resort just try a new one next time.

 

[thompsonsstation2dis]

I cancelled my reservations for SOG last week and was shocked to find out that it would take 4 - 6 weeks for a credit to show up on my debit card for the deposit I put down. When I asked why it would take that long the lady at reservations said "that's the governement".

It doesn't actually take that long. I cancelled and had my credit in just a few days.

 

[tinkerbellybutton]

We stayed there for one night to try it out once at the end of our stay at WL and we did not like SoG either. The employees we encountered were just aweful and we didn't like the way the bus service ran. Another problem I have with SoG is their pricing. I understand that the higher you rank the more your pay is therefor you have "more money" to pay for a vacation. However, I feel it is like punishing those who have dedicated so much time to the military. Its like saying the longer you give of yourself to our country the more you have to pay to take a vacation here. I think everyone should pay the same price, after all we are all getting the same kind of room/level of service. Sorry for the rant, but this place just burns me up.

 

[lookingforward]

My husband served 26 years in the USMC as since we live in Florida we have stayed at the Shades countless times. I enjoy the resort but tend to agree with your assessment of the staff there. First, they are not disney-esqe employees. I much prefer the happy customer oriented service that is disney's trademark. The rooms at the SOG are large (it used to be the Disney Inn) but the older section is worn out a bit.

Personally I feel that the rank oriented price schedule is fair and appropriate. I would hate to see a young enlisted servicemember paying the same amount as a senior officer. All the service hotels (Hale Koa/New Sanno) are based on the military rank/GS pay structure. It gives young families a chance to vacation that would not normally be available to them on a small military salary. Even at the highest rate of $125 or so dollars it is still quite a bargain. I just stayed at the All Star Music Family suites for $205 per night and LOVED it. It was much more fun than the suites available at the shades for $250. The difference....the disney touch. Of course many of my military friends want to escape disney when they leave the parks...its a personal preference!

 

[cocowum]

Despite all these pros, I will not be returning to SOG. My negative experiences (especially the rudeness of the front desk staff I dealt with) just outweigh what the resort has going for it. Our very first trip to the World was this past May, and we stayed at Pop and loved it (we were on the DxDP, so all we had to worry about were souvvies and tips). Sure, we didn't have a fridge, coffee maker, or balcony and we had to sleep on full-sized beds, but we definitely felt the Disney magic. That in itself was well worth the sacrifice of not having those extra things offered by SOG. We were immersed in Disney and loved it. We just didn't feel it with SOG. In fact, SOG could've been located anywhere. Seriously. If I didn't see all the WDW signs and whatnot, I could've been staying at a hotel off of I40 in eastern New Mexico for all I knew.

We'll be staying at Pop on the dining plan again next year. At least we can say we tried SOG, but we will not be returning there.

I agree with you 100%! I tried SOG once and that was enough!

 

[kaytieeldr]

However, I feel it is like punishing those who have dedicated so much time to the military. Its like saying the longer you give of yourself to our country the more you have to pay to take a vacation here. I think everyone should pay the same price

But if you look at it from a glass-half-full perspective, the pricing structure subsidizes service people who earn less, not punishes people who earn more.

I enjoy the resort but tend to agree with your assessment of the staff there. First, they are not disney-esqe employees.

Nobody's most likely going to like this response but... they're NOT Disney employees. They're government employees.

 

[blondinkaya]

Because not every Guest will have a car, so why should every Guest pay for parking even if they don't, well, park anything?

If they rolled the cost into the rate, then there would be no parking fee (or there would be a fee for everyone, depending on how you look at it). We didn't pay a fee to park at Pop. Could it be because they didn't have one or that it was rolled into everyone's room rate? SOG could always just eliminate it, too ...

I do agree with the way the rates are stratified. I just wish they'd pay attention to what the website says and not make the guest feel bad if it says something different. It wouldn't have been so bad if someone had said something like, "Wow, that's not right. It looks like you fell through the cracks. I'm really sorry, but we do need to charge you as a category three." Yeah, I would have still been disappointed that they didn't honor what my printed confirmation says. But the fact that I was accused of doctoring my paperwork was totally unacceptable, whether by a Disney employee or NAF or GS.

Another thing ... I know everyone's different, but the way my dh and I have operated over the past 14+ years (and I was active duty for 3 years prior to our getting married, so I understand being a military member) is that our downtime (i.e., off-duty time) is family time. We don't live, breathe, and eat military. I think that may have played a factor as to why I didn't much care for SOG. It has that government feel. When we were at Pop, work and duty never crossed my mind once, nor did it dh's. We were lost in the moment with our children and each other. It's not often that we can "escape" our professions' responsibilities and it felt really, really nice. I just don't see that happening at SOG.

Thank you all for being nice to me, even though my opinion of the resort so many people love is less than stellar. We all have had different experiences, and I love reading about all of them (especially the positive ones--they reflect the writers' happiness). I just wish mine had been good.

 

[wdwrich]

Sorry about your experience. Ours was just the opposite. After staying at Disney resorts for many years, we tried SOG on our last visit and found it to be wonderful. We'll be staying there again on our next trip.

 

[DizzyFORDisney]

Wow - we are staying there for one night next month.....hope it goes smoothly.

We'll only be there about 12 hours - can't imagine it'll be that bad! Driving straight from PA, crashing at SOG, and then getting up early the next morning and checking in at the POLY!!!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

It's unfortuante the changes made at SoG. We stayed there 11 years ago. The staff could not have been more polite and we paid nothing to park our 2 cars there for a week and we didn't have that "military feeling" at all.

We personally found it to be too quiet and did not have the Disney feel that we desired, so we never returned. When we were there it is beautiful and quiet, I am sure it was perfect for some people, but we like the hustle and bustle of the All Star resorts.

Too bad of the changes, it sounds disapointing.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If they rolled the cost into the rate, then there would be no parking fee (or there would be a fee for everyone, depending on how you look at it). We didn't pay a fee to park at Pop. Could it be because they didn't have one or that it was rolled into everyone's room rate? SOG could always just eliminate it, too ...

Well, it's much more likely that Pop Century doesn't have a parking fee because - like all the other Disney-owned resorts - it is owned and operated by Disney, while Shade of Green is owned (well, long-term leased) and operated by the Department of Defense. It's equivalent to the Dolphin and Swan, which charge about $10 per day to park in an open lot. They're on Disney property, the Guests get all* the perks of staying onsite - but they make their own decisions regarding additional fees.

*Okay, fine - except Magical Express and having purchases sent to the hotel.

 

[CapeCod95]

When you look at the overall picture, the SOG cannot be beat. Yes, I agree that the front desk doesn't have the same approach that the disney staff has at the disney resorts but the resort itself, the fantastic discounts and the location by far outweigh the negatives of the place. I really have no problem paying $125/night with no taxes. The accomodations are comparable to a Disney deluxe. You will not be able to stay at the Wildnerness Lodge (a resort I like to compare the SOG to) for that price and the SOG rooms are a lot larger. The way I look at it the $5/day parking is offset ten fold by the other costs savings you get the SOG: Tell me where on Disney property you can get a $2 beer at a restaurant? I did at Evergreens last week. I bought a disney fleece at the PX for $28 (no tax) same one at the park $40.

I just completed a survey for SOG that they sent me from my stay. I really dinged them on the bus service. I think they really need to have the buses run more often. If you don't time those buses just right, it can be long wait.

God Bless America and I always enjoy seeing the military families enjoying the pools and facilities at the SOG.

 

[sparkyboy]

thanks to both you and your husband for your service. I'm sorry that your experience at SOG was not magical and that your next trip to the World will be sprinkled with pixie dust.

 

[hildarumpole]

I just completed a survey for SOG that they sent me from my stay. I really dinged them on the bus service. I think they really need to have the buses run more often. If you don't time those buses just right, it can be long wait.

I submitted a survey complaining about the buses also after our last visit. They should run more often at park closings, rather than hourly. I also complained about the rudeness of some of the drivers. A couple of weeks after I sent in my survey I received a very gracious letter from the resort manager. He thanked me for my input, apologized for the bus drivers and said he would contact the bus company about improving the drivers' attitudes. He also said they couldn't do anything about the schedule, because of cost restrictions and their contract with the transportation provider.

Sorry the OP didn't have a positive experience at SOG. We haven't encountered any problems with staff or noise.

 

[Poohbear5]

We just booked SOG for next spring after comparing price wise to Wilderness Lodge (buy 4/get 3 free). On a 10 day stay at SOG (for 2), we'll still save about $1000 over the deal at WL.

This will be our first time at SOG, hope we have better luck!
We currently have a poolside room booked at $135, would it be a big hassle to change to the cheaper room on an upper floor?

Sorry to hear the OP hassle at the front desk, that puts a damper on the vacation from the start..

 

[CapeCod95]

We currently have a poolside room booked at $135, would it be a big hassle to change to the cheaper room on an upper floor?

Hi - I'm sure you can call the resservation desk and switch that easily. If you made the resservation online you can modify the room online.

If you have a poolside room you'll love it. You'll have a sliding door with a concrete patio and you can walk right over to the pool. I think it's worth the extra $10/day if you plan on swimming once a day or more.

Enjoy your trip.