Has anyone stayed at SOG lately?

[cassie]

My granddaughter is in the Nationel Guard and wants to go to WDW. The last time she was there was when she was 8, and she knows how much I love Disney and go nearly every year.

I need to know what the SOG is like, and should we stay there or a Disney resort? What about tickets and where do you get them?

Can you take Magical Express to the resort?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Mousemommy1]

My granddaughter is in the Nationel Guard and wants to go to WDW. The last time she was there was when she was 8, and she knows how much I love Disney and go nearly every year.

I need to know what the SOG is like, and should we stay there or a Disney resort? What about tickets and where do you get them?

Can you take Magical Express to the resort?

Thanks for any help.

The only question I can answer is that no, you cannot use ME for SOG. You can not get a dining plan either if staying at SOG, if that's important to you. Quite honestly, the mil discounts for on site are quite generous. You may want to stay on site.

Oh, and you can get tickets at SOG I believe...I've never done it, but I know you don't have to pay taxes on them. . If you are getting any type of military ticket, you should see if your daughter can get them at her local MWR office. We got a great deal on annual passes through ours. Hope that helps!

 

[stm61]

1) SOG is considered a deluxe and has some of the largest rooms on site. It's right across from the Poly, within walking distance if you want to use their transportation. It's not owned by WDW, so you can't get the dining plan and it's not decorated like a Disney resort.
2) should you stay there can only be decided by you, everyone has different likes and wants different things in a hotel room. Room rates are based on rank, check the shadesofgreen.org site to see what your granddaughter would pay. The buses don't run as frequently as Disney buses do, but you can always walk to Poly. Buses to TTC run more frequently, so you could always switch to a park bus there.
3) your granddaughter can buy tickets at SOG or, if she lives close to an active duty base, she can buy them there. Check the prices of the 4-day salute tickets that must be used by the end of Sept. and the prices of the Stars and Striped length of stay tickets. The Stars and Stripes tickets can only be bought at SOG.
4) nope, no Magical Express. You have to get yourself to the resort and back to the airport.

Personally, I'm not thrilled by the bus schedule. We always seem to just miss the one we want and the next one isn't coming for an hour. The food there isn't great either. I read recent reports that said it was pretty bad, but I haven't eaten there in at least 5 years so I can't say personally.

Check the website, they've got some great discount prices for various times of the year. My rank puts me in the 2nd pay tier and I'm paying $73 per night for Sept. Oh, they charge $5 per night to park your car and I don't think you get free parking in the parks if you drive anymore.

 

[stm61]

sorry, double post

 

[harmsja]

We stayed there in August of 2009.
Rooms were very large and spacious.
Food was ok, and you do not pay tax for anything on site. Our kids did tire of the buffet, though.
We were not impressed with the pool. It was very far to get to, and the water was hot! (maybe due to Aug weather?). Absolutely no theming or slide either. We much prefer a Disney resort for the pool.
Bus service was not that bad. The only drawback was that most times it dropped you off in the middle of a parking lot far from the front gate. Can be for a long walk.

I would recommend taking advantage of the 40% discount for any on-site Disney hotel instead. That is a great deal. Plus, you get Magical express free as well. There is something more magical with staying at an actual Disney hotel.

 

[jac1976]

We are taking advantage of the special to stay there in September for our first time as well. We thought about staying in a Disney resort (as a PP, maybe something more magical) but the size of the rooms put us over the edge. There is no Magical Express service, and a car from the airport (company recommended by SOG) is $60 one way.

As for tickets, I would suggest that your granddaughter purchase them through ITT. If she doesn't have access to an ITT near her, then she can buy them at Shades of Green (she will need her military ID to access the resort.) If you go before the end of September, you can buy a 4 day park hopper pass for $136- a HUGE savings off of the regular price.