Shades of Green / POR

[Robindianne]

Hi there.

Has anyone stayed at Shades of Green AND Port Orleans Riverside? Can you tell me what you liked best about each and why? (Or which you liked better and why?) We (DH 54 and me 44) are going in May and can do SOG but did POR in April 2005 and really loved the Disney feel. So now we are trying to decide . . . Help?

Thanks so much.

 

[Junebugwv]

I have stayed at SOG and POFQ so maybe I can make some comparisons.

There are some great advantages to each place, so I'll list my ideas:

SOG has bigger rooms with queen beds, better prices for restaurants, parking garage, good location for MK, nice BX-type store, convenient snack area to grab a quick breakfast on the run, walkway to Poly and the monorail, inexpensive, large laundry facilities.

You know what POR is like. The counter service food is good and the pools at the PO are very nice. The boat to DTD is a plus. The Disney feel is great.

We stayed at SOG in Sept for the 2nd time. We really enjoyed the whole experience. We are going to WDW in Jan. and have 3 nights reserved at POFQ and we're trying to decide where to spend the remaining 5 nights. Was set on WL but I can't get the room size of SOG out of my mind. I really liked it better than I did CR which has large rooms.

What appeals to you? The bed size, pools and eateries might be deciding factors to adults.

 

[nbodyhome]

Shades of Green is a deluxe resort, and POR is a moderate. If you can get Shades for a similar price, take it. We'll be staying there next week, I haven't stayed there since it was the Disney Inn. I loved it then, the rooms were huge - Shades is very well thought of, very highly rated on TripAdvisor and with anyone I've talked to who stays there.

Denise

 

[lookingforward]

We have never stayed at the POR but are frequent SOG guests (about 20 times). We love the SOG and dollar for dollar it is the best deal going. We pay $106 per night and the rooms are huge, clean and well equiped. The hotel was refurbished and reminds me of a ski lodge (in the lobby). It is very centrally located to the Magic Kingdom too.

 

[stm61]

we did a split stay at SOG/POR last Sept. SOG has bigger rooms and is usually a better price. The beds are queens vrs doubles at POR. The food prices and BX are cheaper. You don't share the busses with anyone else. You can walk to Poly for the monorail. While the lobby is beautiful, it's not disney decorated.
What I didn't like: the bus schedule was horrible. One bus ran every 15 min to MK, the other buses ran every hour, but at different times of the hour (one at 20 of, one at the 1/2 hr, one at 10 of, etc). Totally confusing and certain drivers seemed to make it up as they went. We had the Gold Leaf dining plan and could only eat at SOG. It took forever to get back and forth for meals. We had to plan on 1 hr each way for the bus, then 1 hr for the meal itself. THat meant 2X a day we spent 3 hrs on a meal. If you missed your bus you could take the MK bus and catch another bus from there, but during EMH evening hrs you were basically stuck.
POR: you already know the good pts. The only complaints we had were having to share buses with POFQ meant we had to stand on the wkend. Not really a big deal and it was only on the wkend, usually enough people got off at POFQ that we could get a seat after a few stops. The other complaint, and this is really not a complaint, just a comment, was that we spent 1 night in AB 17 before moving to 14. (I think it was 14, it's the closest bldg to the main bldg) The mattresses in 17 were much more comfortable! They felt like pillow top type and the ones in 14 weren't.
Next trip we'll go back to POR unless the price is just to high. Hope some of this made sense!

 

[Robindianne]

Thanks for the thoughts. There are pros and cons for each. I guess I'll have to ponder awhile.

 

[Piglet4Ever]

I thought I'd put in my two cents, DH and I have stayed at POR and loved it, we just stayed at SOG for the first time two weeks ago, we really LOVED it. We stayed in the new part of building and the room was huge we couldn't believe it. The bathroom was awesome, the whole feel of the resort was great. We walked to the Poly just about everyday, took about 10 mins at most. We were worried we'd miss the Dinsey feel, never happend! We are looking forward to our next stay there.

 

[Brendita]

Just back from SOG 10/29 - 11/3 Loved everything about the resort except the transportation.
Mostly used the Polylesion for transportation.
The rooms are huge.
Resturants were very nice.
Never stayed @ POR.
Did stay @ POFQ 11/3 - 11/5.
Wish we would have stayed longer.
Really loved this little resort.
Will be returning in 2006 for a longer stay.
The theme, room, resturants were all great.
Checked in @ 1:00 P.M had a room all ready for us.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

SOG does not get ME transportation, but for the cost different per night, you can rent a car. if transportation is an issue, the car might come in handy during the trip as well.

 

[Robindianne]

Holy cow. I didn't realize the transportation was such an issue. We don't want a car - stayed 11 nights last year w/out one and the peace was wonderful! And, we were really looking forward to ME. OK, that clinches it for us I think. Disney feel, ME, no need for car: plenty of reason to go to POR.

Thanks again for all the helpful information all of you.
Robin

 

[bdcp]

There's no need for a car at SOG. We just returned last week and we walked to and from the Poly and caught the monorail or bus most days. We walked to the TTC on Epcot day and caught that monorail there. But, the bus service at SOG is fine and we used it to go to AK. It's always on schedule. For the money (we paid $116/night), it's great. Could we afford the Poly or elsewhere? Sure, but why waste our money when we can use it for other things. SOG has very large, comfortable, quiet rooms. I've stayed at CBR before and for the life of me I don't get what people mean by the "disney" feel. (we get our fix in the parks) It just makes common sense to stay at SOG when compared to other Disney resorts. Consider the fact there are only like 550 rooms there versus how many at POFQ? We never moved our car and never have on any of our 3 trips. It takes all of 15 minutes from our room to walk to the Poly.

 

[xterratri]

People keep mentioning the walk to the Poly from SOG and it would be no problem with just myself(the sponsor), my sis, and mom, but I plan on taking Grandma next Aug too. She's in her mid-70s with double knee replacements. She has a treadmill at home that she walks on but we've been getting a wheelchair at the parks.(taken her twice before, third trip coming up in ~24 days) Is the Poly walk going to be too much? I had actually kind of planned on getting a rental car anyway due to no ME.

BTW, my sis and I stayed at POR in the AB section in July and loved it. The room was plenty big for 2 people and we really liked how it was decorated, the grounds, Boatwright's, and we even walked down to FQ a couple of times. We are staying there again Marathon weekend with our Mom. I can't make any comparisons to SOG because our first trip there will be next Aug after a TDY. We've also stayed at ASMo and OKW. We enjoyed value for our first 2 trips as we didn't know any better but our first DVC stay at OKW spoiled us and now I would only book value for just a night or 2 and I would actually go moderate if I can get an AP rate. The big factors are the QUIET and the bus crowding.

 

[shades]

We stay at SOG twice a year. The rooms are larger than any other Disney "standard" rooms in their deluxe/moderate/& value hotels. The rooms are about 40-50 sq ft larger than a room at the Poly or Contemporary hotels. I believe the SOG standard rooms are 420-480 sq ft. The rooms have 2 queen beds and a sofa bed that flips over (rather than out like a regular sofa bed) and makes out to be a very comfortable twin bed.

The staff is great - no complaints what so ever. While we never returned to our room to find towels shaped like animals - we did find snowmen made out of towels - complete with "sticky" eyes & nose;o) The food at the 3 resturaunts is only so-so, in my opinion. The exception is dessert at Manginos - which is great for an evening snack. We call & order and then go pick up a to-go order and eat it in our room.

Transporation - SOG has their own buses and they do not run as frequently as Disney buses. We always have a rental car and usually drive to the parks except when we go to the MK and then we walk across the street to the Poly and take the monorail. If our family separates for the day, we use Disney buses/monorail and go to the Poly and walk across the street to Shades. During the mornings, sometimes you can catch a golf cart shuttle at the SOG and they will drive you to the end of the SOG drive so you can walk across to the Poly. It saves you a few steps;o) The golf cart doesn't run all day - just depends on how busy the bell staff is at the time. The downside to SOG transportation is that it doesn't run as frequently; however, it is possible to take Disney transporation if you can walk to the Polynesian. What you save in $$ for your room, the quality of the room for the $$ you spend, and having a cheap BX in the hotel to buy snacks, sodas, OTC meds (somebody always ends up getting sick in my group;o), makes it the number 1 place to stay, IMO

 

[Robindianne]

SOG does sound nice. We went there to buy our stars and stripes tickets last year and saw a bit of the grounds. The bus driver who took us there did magic tricks for us w/a cool magic velvet tophat. Well, we must decide pretty soon. Expect to go May 4th. Wahoooooo!

 

[princesspiglet]

We are pondering this exact same decision! I love the look of POR and would stay there in a heartbeat if my DH wasn't military. I still haven't made a decision about it yet though. We will have our DD4 with us and the trundle bed at POR sounds great for her, but there is no guarentee we will receive it (expecially since we are going over Thanksgiving). I am also concerned about not being able to do the dining plan if staying st SOG. However, the good side to that is we are not locked in to only so many TS or CS meals per trip. We tend to eat alot of TS meals and not alot of CS. Plus, I wanted to do ME and not rent a car...so I will have to get transportation to SOG from the airport which will cost about $100.

Where do you plan on spending most of your time? I think we will be at MK alot with a 4 year old and we plan on attending MVMCP, the Princess Tea at GF and a special birthday dinner at 1900 Park Fare, so SOG would be more convenient for those.

My only problem is missing that "Disney" feel that everyone talks about. I know we will probably get enough of it at the parks though!

Good luck with your decision! I am sure both will be wonderful whatever you decide.

 

[shades]

I don't believe you can do the "Disney" dining plan if you are staying in the SOG. You may want to call SOG guest services &/or reservations (888)593-2242 and get some answers to your questions to help you decide where to stay. I would think the money you save by staying in the SOG, you wouldn't need the Disney dining plan?? You will still be able to book reservations for the places you want to eat without it - right? We haven't ever used the dining plan package - but, we don't eat table service for every meal and we don't eat appetizers, either. We rarely get desserts because the meal portions are so large, we are too full. We aren't breakfast eaters, either - more like breakfast snackers -so we buy donuts & stuff at a grocery store and eat in our room while we are getting ready to go to a park. Then we eat one counter & one table service meal each day - alternating on days depending on where we have table service meals reserved. Anyway - my point is that the cost between the 2 hotels (consider tax/fees into your calculation) and you may even be able to eat 2 table service meals each day and still save money. Do you have reservations for SOG yet? It may be difficult to get them for Christmas if you don't already have them. If they tell you they are only selling rooms as a package deal (with meals), tell them you can't afford (whether you can or not;o) that and ask if they can please sell you a room without the package. I did this last year and the resv. agent talked to her supervisor and they sold the room to me without the dining package (which, by the way is for dining in SOG rest only. Includes breakfast buffet everyday & one dinner meal during your stay and you will pay approx $100 extra per day for this "deal").

As far as missing out on that Disney "feeling" - we don't feel that at all. Especially if you spend a lot of your day at the park - I'd rather have a nice, spacious room to relax in than a cramped room of a hotel they may have a fancy Disney swimming pool. We have 3 female teenagers - and they have been going to SOG since they were 8ish and they all LOVE it there. Besides, I would think twice about the trundle for your 4yr old. I've been told it is very small (they recommend for kids age 9-10/younger - and it is like a box on the floor with a mattress. I would much rather put my kid in a comfortable bed that isn't on a hotel room floor (ick;o)....

 

[stm61]

you can't get the disney dining plan at SOG, just the Gold Leaf dining one that SOG offers. It did save us money on food, I think it was $356 for 4 days meals. Park meals usually cost us (2 adults, 12 yr old who eats more then I do, and two 6 yr olds) over $100 each for sit down, and that's without alcoholic drinks. We brought things to eat breakfast in the rm and got lunch and dinner most days on the dining plan. It was a major problem getting to the restaurants before they stopped serving. If we had a car I don't think it would of been that bad but we used the buses. Walking to the Poly wasn't an option.

We didn't miss the Disney feeling either after spending all day in a park. We were never in the rm enough to notice the extra space. We also stayed at POR this yr. Ds12 slept on the trundle with no complaints. He's about 5' and fit fine but he wouldn't be able to next yr. He's a drama king and we definately would of heard about it if he was uncomfortable! We also had one of the dd6's on an inflatable twin on the floor since she kicks and noone wanted to sleep with her. The floor was vacuumed every day and we checked each night before we put the bed down.