Just Back from SOG - Any Questions?

[NotTooGoofy]

janeski - there is a hot tub by the smaller pool.

Judy from Boise - you can see most of the fireworks from the garage or out in front of the entrance. Some of the lower exploding shells are blocked by trees.

wickidwitch - they do have a decent sized fitness center and I believe there is no charge to use it. I also believe there is a running trail around the resort that I've seen joggers on as well.

 

[wickidwitch]

Thanks for the quick answers. My daughter and her coach thank you too! Valerie

 

[PrincessaC]

Is there a souviner shop at sog? Kind of like the ones they have at the other resorts?

 

[NotTooGoofy]

Yes, there is a souvenir and grocery shop at SOG. However, I didn't think it had as many Disney-related souvenir items as the Disney resorts. You could walk (10-15 minutes) over to the Polynesian resort and look there if you don't find anything you want to buy at SOG.

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Has anyone stayed in or seen the 2 bedroom suites?

My Mom booked us a 2 br suite at SOG for Dec. She's stayed in a standard room but never in a suite. Does anyone have pictures or a resort map that shows the layout & where they are?

I checked wdwig, Deb's site only shows standard rooms.

 

[Maddle]

We were at SOG from Sept. 15 - 22. The clerk in the AAFES shop told me that they will be expanding their stock as the shelves are installed. I guess they still have growing pains.

We were WAY out in the new wing....it really was a long walk, but after a day, we just adapted to it....but it was odd that we had to take an elevator up to the main floor, then go down the stairs or another elevator to the buses. The nice part was that it was so very quiet, because we were away from the main areas of the resort. (We were facing the golf course.)

It just doesn't get any nicer than SOG. The staff was friendly and considerate, the food was good and reasonably priced, the room was big and beautiful, and the beds were so comfortable. Why didn't someone tell me how great it was?

Honestly, I didn't miss this "Disney Magic" so many people talk about....and it did have that lodge feel, what with the lovely lobby, and the rocks and waterfalls. (I just loved that sound as we were coming and going through the front entrance.) They even had the fireplace going - I thought that was over kill, since it was about 90 degrees outside.

Maddle

PS - Try the Hale Koa sometime - that's nice too.

 

[HollyJoy]

Here's my question... we will be staying at Shades of Green this December; going with my FIL, who's retired military. Are we going to have any problem eating there w/out him with us?

 

[llij]

Originally posted by HollyJoy
Here's my question... we will be staying at Shades of Green this December; going with my FIL, who's retired military. Are we going to have any problem eating there w/out him with us?

Hi Holly,

It looks like we will be at SOG the same time you will be.
I don't remember ever having a problem eating there without the sponsor. In our case, my dad is the retired military person who will be with us on our trip. In the past if we ate without him, we never had any problems. They never asked for id's at the restaurants.

Have a wonderful trip! Your daughters look adorable and I'm sure they will have a blast!

 

[NotTooGoofy]

When I ate at the SOG restaurants a few weeks ago, they did not ask for ID. When you check in with your FIL, you'll be given a SOG ID card that allows you to get on the SOG bus transportation. If anyone should ever ask for ID, that card should be good enough.

 

[HollyJoy]

Originally posted by NotTooGoofy
When I ate at the SOG restaurants a few weeks ago, they did not ask for ID. When you check in with your FIL, you'll be given a SOG ID card that allows you to get on the SOG bus transportation. If anyone should ever ask for ID, that card should be good enough.

Is this also the ID card we'd need to show to ride the WDW tranportation buses?

 

[HollyJoy]

Originally posted by llij
Hi Holly,

It looks like we will be at SOG the same time you will be.
I don't remember ever having a problem eating there without the sponsor. In our case, my dad is the retired military person who will be with us on our trip. In the past if we ate without him, we never had any problems. They never asked for id's at the restaurants.

Have a wonderful trip! Your daughters look adorable and I'm sure they will have a blast!

Well maybe we'll see you there!! Thanks for the info! Do you happen to know if you can mail packages to SOG ahead of time and have them delivered to the room? I really wanted to send a welcome gift to my girls ... and have it be from Mickey.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I don't know, but "gifts of a lifetime" specializes in that service, I think they are a sponser on Deb W's page.
On your transportation question, it is actually your park tickets that entitle you to using the Disney transportation.

 

[llij]

Originally posted by HollyJoy
Well maybe we'll see you there!! Thanks for the info! Do you happen to know if you can mail packages to SOG ahead of time and have them delivered to the room? I really wanted to send a welcome gift to my girls ... and have it be from Mickey.

Hi Holly,

That is a great question! I've never mailed a package to SOG ahead of time. Last year I brought a stash of goodies with me and left them at the door of the hotel room early each morning. Thankfully, the kids believed that they were from Mickey and that he quietly opened the door and put them in the room. I also did have a Gifts of a Lifetime basket waiting for us as well.

I like the idea of mailing something b/c it saves room in your luggage! My mom needs to call SOG this week so I can have her check and I'll pm you with the answer.

 

[NotTooGoofy]

hollyjoy - SOG has its own bus transportation. One bus takes you to the Ticket and Transportation Center where you can hop on the monorail to MK and Epcot and the other bus takes you to MGM and AK. Your SOG ID card lets you on these busses vs. the WDW busses. You can probably ride the WDW busses as they usually don't ask for IDs.

 

[HollyJoy]

THanks!

 

[ppony]

My turn!

I'm rather excited since I didn't realize you ddin't ahve to be active duty.
SOOO....
My questions:
Even though it doesn't have that same Disney feel and magic, would you still consider it much better than any of the value resorts? I have ressies there but Queen beds and a more spacious room with some peace and quiet would be VERY nice! I've heard the values get quite noisey! We're still going to stay at AKL for 3 nights at the end of our stay though so we'll get some of the Disney resort magic.

Then: Do you have to pay for parking at the parks since it's not a Disney owned resort? But neither is the Dolphin or Swan...so I was wondering!

Can you make all the PS's or ther things I can't think of right now that are usually reserved for Disney resort guests as early as they do?

Does pool view mean golf course view too? or just POOL view. I was wondering what standard views meant.

So how about the food there? What are the breakfasts and dinners like? LOADED question but had to ask.

I'll be doing my research but had to ask questions as I thought of them or I know I'd lose this thread's loaction!

THANKS to all!

 

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by ppony
My turn!

I'm rather excited since I didn't realize you ddin't ahve to be active duty.
SOOO....
My questions:
Even though it doesn't have that same Disney feel and magic, would you still consider it much better than any of the value resorts? I have ressies there but Queen beds and a more spacious room with some peace and quiet would be VERY nice! I've heard the values get quite noisey! We're still going to stay at AKL for 3 nights at the end of our stay though so we'll get some of the Disney resort magic. My goodness.....YES YES YES!!!!! Run away and don't look back!


Then: Do you have to pay for parking at the parks since it's not a Disney owned resort? But neither is the Dolphin or Swan...so I was wondering! No, you shouldn't have to and if an unknowing CM tries to make you, put your foot down and refuse to pay.


Can you make all the PS's or ther things I can't think of right now that are usually reserved for Disney resort guests as early as they do? Yes


Does pool view mean golf course view too? or just POOL view. I was wondering what standard views meant. No, pool view means a view of the pool. Standard view can mean a view of any thing else. There may be a room or two by the quiet pool where you'll be able to see a little of the golf course, but it's not something I would count on. Unless things have changed, you could still have a 'pool view' but not pay the extra money for it by being on the 2nd or 3rd floors facing the pool. For whatever reason, management didn't feel that should have been an extra charge as the ground floor/pool view rooms became.



So how about the food there? What are the breakfasts and dinners like? LOADED question but had to ask. I never cared for the food as a guest and, numerous times, the food there made me sick as an employee. While breakfast isn't bad, I'd still rather go over to Fort Wilderness and have a great breakfast over there (it's the cheapest Disney restaurant for breakfast). I never had dinner because I was always underwhelmed with the food. I've read mixed responses on it. I think it's a matter of what you like (I'm the first to admit I'm a very picky eater).


I'll be doing my research but had to ask questions as I thought of them or I know I'd lose this thread's loaction!

THANKS to all!

 

[NotTooGoofy]

Here's another view on the food - I ate at the buffets a few weeks ago and found the food pretty good. I had much to choose and I left pretty full. To me it was one of the best values at WDW.

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Hollyjoy & llij,

We'll all be there the same time!
My Mom (retired Army, also named Jill) booked 8 of us into a 2 bedroom suite at SOG. We could only get til the 9th, so I surprised my family with 2 extra days at CSR. (For whatever reason, we couldn't get the suite for the whole week.) It'll be my Mom, my BIL & his 14 yo & 15 yo boys, my DH, DD 16, DS 18 and me. ~I was looking at Zurgswife's official list and you two are going to the MVMCP the same night~ My family was originally going to do the party on Dec 7th but wound up booking the 9th.

Re: WDW Transportation & ID questions
I've stayed at ASMovies and GF and have never been asked to show a ticket or id to ride the resort monorail, the bus or the resort boat.

ppony:The only PS I've made for this trip is for O'Hana's our first Saturday night. WDW Dine will make PS for you no matter where you are staying. We usually stay offsite and I've made PS arrangements many times before.

My Mother has stayed at SOG before and said she ate the breakfast buffet every day:
So I'd say that 2 votes for the buffet at The Garden restaurant.

 

[ppony]

FirstNo, that was hilarous! Here's me running as fast as I can away from the value resorts then! Hey, it's the best icon I could find!

What we'll be doing I think for food the is making the PS's for the palces we know we want to go to and then punt ofr the others, maybe trying SoG food but not locking ourselves into it.

And THANKS for all that info. Perfect, it answered a lot!