Disney_1derland
<font color=teal>Enjoys helping to make DISney Mag
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2003
- Messages
- 3,279
We were at SOG from 11/4-11/13. Many of you read my nervous posts and I was SO concerned about having made a bad choice by choosing SOG.
From the moment we entered the property, I knew I had made the right choice. The grounds are unbelievable, the atmosphere is wonderful and there is much magic to be had!
At check in it took them a few minutes to find us connecting rooms. Their computer system incorrectly had rooms labeled as connecting which did not actually connect. They finally offered us a handicap room connected to a normal room which we gladly took though we did tell them that if anyone else should actually need the handicap room we would be glad to move. She assured us that wouldn't be a problem since they had several available.
We were in 5101 & 5102, top floor, new section right off the elevator lobby. The rooms are beautiful, huge and well laid out. Once inside the rooms you could hardly hear a sound from outside and only occasionally heard a loud person in the hallway. Very good soundproofing.
Our location was perfect for us and we enjoyed the walk to the pool/restaurants. Not far at all. The kiddie pool and playground were a welcome diversion for the kids and we all enjoyed the hot tub and pool.
The first day our rooms were not coded as occupied and therefore housekeeping missed us. When we called about 8pm, they immediately sent up 2 housekeepers per room who swiftly cleaned and replaced and were gone in about 5 minutes. They were very pleasant.
Also, arrival night the a/c in my parents room did not seem to be working. We called for maintenance and in about 10 minutes they arrived and in about 2 more minutes they had fixed the problem and all was well. A note about the heat/air you *must* make sure that your sliding door is firmly shut so the sensor will allow the air to turn on/off. My parents sensor was malfunctioning which is what caused the problem.
Our rooms were cleaned every day by 2pm and we had the most amazing housekeeper! She even did the Disney things like towel sculptures/decorating the room with our kids toys, etc. She was a hoot and we made sure to contact management about her and they were swift to recognize her work and she was very touched that we cared enough to say something good to her manager. Her name was Ivonne so if you get her, you can know you're going to get great service. On the two days she was going to be off she warned us and we left the girls a note that said "Tinkerbell will be in Neverland for the next two days but will have many surprises for you when she returns!" So for two days, no cutesy stuff, but efficient housekeeping service nonetheless and when Ivonne returned she made up for lost time! My girls think Tink came to play in the rooms while we were out and you should have seen their faces!
We ate at the Garden Grill and it was enjoyable, not elaborate but certainly acceptable. We also used the Express Cafe quite a bit. Absolutely make sure to stop and get a sandwich at some point, the homemade ciabatta bread is to die for! Also, try the canolli, it's a wonderful treat!
The women at Guest Services are friendly and helpful, the gentleman in the ticket office is funny and the front desk staff range from pleasant to grumpy. The Aafes staff are notorious gossipers so it seems, so you're sure to get an earful about how awful their coworkers are, it seems we did everytime we went in there. They weren't complaining to us, just to each other while waiting on us.
The one problem we had was getting a late check out. We were told it would be no problem but they could not set it up until after midnight the day we needed the late checkout for. That morning we went down to request it and were refused saying they only give a limited amount out and they had already given those. It was a 1/2 day charge for late check out. We were willing to pay it but they didn't have anymore left by the time we got down there. Should you need a late checkout I would be sure to call right after midnight. It was a long day between 11am and our 3pm pickup especially for my handicapped father and two young girls.
Oh yes, the busses! The bus service is wonderful. Be sure that you check the schedule posted down in the express cafe each day as it is subject to change (they did not tell us this). Bus A goes to the TTC and runs every 15 minutes. There are two B busses, one to MGM/AK (every half hour) and one to TL/DtD(once per hour) We found that it was easier to get to the Marketplace at DtD by taking a walk up to the Poly and taking their busses. During the day the SOG bus drops you way off the Cirque side of DtD but after 545pm it drops/picks up at Fulton's. If you are intending to get the bus to MGM/AK arrive early in the morning and get in line or expect to have to stand, this is the only crowded bus we ever experienced and every time we took it, we had a hard time getting our party of 7 including one wheelchair on the bus.
Last thing...the hotel information guide is on the TV, this includes room service menus, hotel info etc. We didn't discover it until day 4 and nothing was said to us at check in.
We loved SOG and I hope you will to!
From the moment we entered the property, I knew I had made the right choice. The grounds are unbelievable, the atmosphere is wonderful and there is much magic to be had!
At check in it took them a few minutes to find us connecting rooms. Their computer system incorrectly had rooms labeled as connecting which did not actually connect. They finally offered us a handicap room connected to a normal room which we gladly took though we did tell them that if anyone else should actually need the handicap room we would be glad to move. She assured us that wouldn't be a problem since they had several available.
We were in 5101 & 5102, top floor, new section right off the elevator lobby. The rooms are beautiful, huge and well laid out. Once inside the rooms you could hardly hear a sound from outside and only occasionally heard a loud person in the hallway. Very good soundproofing.
Our location was perfect for us and we enjoyed the walk to the pool/restaurants. Not far at all. The kiddie pool and playground were a welcome diversion for the kids and we all enjoyed the hot tub and pool.
The first day our rooms were not coded as occupied and therefore housekeeping missed us. When we called about 8pm, they immediately sent up 2 housekeepers per room who swiftly cleaned and replaced and were gone in about 5 minutes. They were very pleasant.
Also, arrival night the a/c in my parents room did not seem to be working. We called for maintenance and in about 10 minutes they arrived and in about 2 more minutes they had fixed the problem and all was well. A note about the heat/air you *must* make sure that your sliding door is firmly shut so the sensor will allow the air to turn on/off. My parents sensor was malfunctioning which is what caused the problem.
Our rooms were cleaned every day by 2pm and we had the most amazing housekeeper! She even did the Disney things like towel sculptures/decorating the room with our kids toys, etc. She was a hoot and we made sure to contact management about her and they were swift to recognize her work and she was very touched that we cared enough to say something good to her manager. Her name was Ivonne so if you get her, you can know you're going to get great service. On the two days she was going to be off she warned us and we left the girls a note that said "Tinkerbell will be in Neverland for the next two days but will have many surprises for you when she returns!" So for two days, no cutesy stuff, but efficient housekeeping service nonetheless and when Ivonne returned she made up for lost time! My girls think Tink came to play in the rooms while we were out and you should have seen their faces!
We ate at the Garden Grill and it was enjoyable, not elaborate but certainly acceptable. We also used the Express Cafe quite a bit. Absolutely make sure to stop and get a sandwich at some point, the homemade ciabatta bread is to die for! Also, try the canolli, it's a wonderful treat!
The women at Guest Services are friendly and helpful, the gentleman in the ticket office is funny and the front desk staff range from pleasant to grumpy. The Aafes staff are notorious gossipers so it seems, so you're sure to get an earful about how awful their coworkers are, it seems we did everytime we went in there. They weren't complaining to us, just to each other while waiting on us.
The one problem we had was getting a late check out. We were told it would be no problem but they could not set it up until after midnight the day we needed the late checkout for. That morning we went down to request it and were refused saying they only give a limited amount out and they had already given those. It was a 1/2 day charge for late check out. We were willing to pay it but they didn't have anymore left by the time we got down there. Should you need a late checkout I would be sure to call right after midnight. It was a long day between 11am and our 3pm pickup especially for my handicapped father and two young girls.
Oh yes, the busses! The bus service is wonderful. Be sure that you check the schedule posted down in the express cafe each day as it is subject to change (they did not tell us this). Bus A goes to the TTC and runs every 15 minutes. There are two B busses, one to MGM/AK (every half hour) and one to TL/DtD(once per hour) We found that it was easier to get to the Marketplace at DtD by taking a walk up to the Poly and taking their busses. During the day the SOG bus drops you way off the Cirque side of DtD but after 545pm it drops/picks up at Fulton's. If you are intending to get the bus to MGM/AK arrive early in the morning and get in line or expect to have to stand, this is the only crowded bus we ever experienced and every time we took it, we had a hard time getting our party of 7 including one wheelchair on the bus.
Last thing...the hotel information guide is on the TV, this includes room service menus, hotel info etc. We didn't discover it until day 4 and nothing was said to us at check in.
We loved SOG and I hope you will to!
I will be there shortly and like you, I am a little nervous about it. We tend to go comando style so I don't anticipate spending much time in the room. 
