SOG? Disney Magic?

[DG-12]

I held out last time we were at WDW for a Disney resort because I wasn't sure that SOG would "feel" the same way. For people who have stayed there- did you feel like it was missing Disney magic? I saw the pictures and the new resort looks beautiful but the rates have gone up too. Just trying to decide for our next trip.
Thanks,
Dana

 

[jeankeri]

I will be staying there for half of our next trip (family is meeting us and cannot swing the $ for Poly). I love the new pix, and the restaurants that will be there. What I also love is that it is a quick walk up the road to view the water pagent/ fireworks from the Poly (can also rent marina boats there too). My DS8 is not too impressed with the lack of pool slide, but we can always go to the water parks. The slide was always turned off at 8pm at the Poly, so when we returned from the parks it was only the pool
anyway. Also- the room size is a plus, and I believe each has a fridge. You can't beat the price, even if it has gone up a bit. I'm getting more excited about it every day.

 

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by DG-12
I held out last time we were at WDW for a Disney resort because I wasn't sure that SOG would "feel" the same way. For people who have stayed there- did you feel like it was missing Disney magic? I saw the pictures and the new resort looks beautiful but the rates have gone up too. Just trying to decide for our next trip.
Thanks,
Dana

IMO, if you are looking for the Disney feel, then you need to stay at a Disney owned and operated resort. As someone who has stayed at both many times, SoG has never had that 'magic' feeling the Disney operated resorts do.

That stated, when I worked there, I had numerous guests that told me our employees were just as great, if not better, than the CMs (I never believed it but if it made the guests happy....). I've read numerous reports on different boards that talk of the same thing.

Disney can't come close to matching, or beating, the price for what you get for the standard/pool view rooms.

So, it boils down to what's more important to you: if it's saving money - then stay at SoG. If money isn't an object and you just have to have that magical feeling (as many others do) - then stay at a Disney operated resort.

 

[Maridw]

I have stayed there a few times and I personally think that the "Disney Magic" carries over to SoG if you really want it too.

We have found great rates at Disney Value resorts that are comparable if not better than SoG. But we have booked SoG for October. My DD & I went and took pics of the new resort and when DH saw them decided to make another trip this year.

From what I have read, all rooms have a frig now. All the employees at SoG have alway been great. We have never had a problem.

I guess you could say "Disney Magic" is what you make it.

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Originally posted by DG-12
I held out last time we were at WDW for a Disney resort because I wasn't sure that SOG would "feel" the same way. For people who have stayed there- did you feel like it was missing Disney magic? I saw the pictures and the new resort looks beautiful but the rates have gone up too. Just trying to decide for our next trip.
Thanks,
Dana

SOG PLUSSES: Less expensive, nice for the price, close to the Poly and the monorail, etc.

SOG NEGATIVES: Nope, no Disney magic. And the "B" bus is awful, takes waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy too much time to get to all its stops.

 

[DG-12]

Thank you for all your responses! I still am undecided and I'll tell you why. With our AP we had a rate of $94 at PO-R last year. That was just about $20 more/night. It's not that money is no object- because it is- but since my husband only likes these trips every few years I try to get the most Disney I can to hold me over for awhile (yea, I know, don't laugh).

One more question: Can you walk from SOG to Poly to use the monorail and restaurants?

Thanks,
Dana

 

[MikeL1515]

from what I read on other posts, it is a ten minute walk to the poly.

 

[Doodlebug939]

I am in the same boat as you. We have a reservation for November at the SOG but I am worried about the buses because I have small children and I cant image waiting and waiting for the buses to show up. When we stayed at the the Contemporary we would just jump on the monorail.

So the buses are my big concern. And when I read on allears it mentioned that they charge you now for refrigerators. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[caseywirth]

I would stay at SOG! It's beautiful and as at any resort, it what you make of your time there. I've also been to many(and I do mean a lot) of disney forums. Almost every person and report of SOG has been rated very high. I personally have never had a problem with SOG and I love it there. It's the only resort I go to(yes, I have been to other onsite resorts!) It's just my favorite. No, you don't have pictures of mickey or other disney characters, but I still get the Disney feeling. I mean If you have been at the parks all day, you get that "Disney Feeling" and either it stays with you all day or your not getting it anyway!! The rooms are huge, you get a free refrigerator now, you have a balcony, for a low price( compared to the other resorts) you can get a good meal. It's just a great resort!! Does it seem like I'm trying to convert you yet?!!lol

 

[caseywirth]

Originally posted by Doodlebug939
I am in the same boat as you. We have a reservation for November at the SOG but I am worried about the buses because I have small children and I cant image waiting and waiting for the buses to show up. When we stayed at the the Contemporary we would just jump on the monorail.

So the buses are my big concern. And when I read on allears it mentioned that they charge you now for refrigerators. Can anyone confirm this?

I trully thing people are trying to sway you to the disney resorts!lol I have never had to wait and wait for the buses to show up. I have a small child too, and I have been to SOG many times and have never had a problem!! The refrigerators are free!

 

[javaj]

We've never stayed at SOG but we visited last month to buy APs. The resort looked absolutely beautiful!

With that said, we'd prefer to stay on Disney property as long as we can get reasonable AP or overflow rates. We like CR the best, and as long as we can get a CR rate under $200, then we will stay there. Plus, unless there are no discounts available, moderates are usually cheaper than the SOG $97 rate.

However, I think our preference is more about transportation, not "Disney magic" (we love that too of course). We like Disney transportation better (i.e. getting dropped off at MK instead of TTC, less waits for buses, etc).

If we couldn't find discounts and we ended up staying at SOG, it would still be WDW and I'm sure it'd be great.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[FirstNo]

Originally posted by Doodlebug939
I am in the same boat as you. We have a reservation for November at the SOG but I am worried about the buses because I have small children and I cant image waiting and waiting for the buses to show up. When we stayed at the the Contemporary we would just jump on the monorail.

So the buses are my big concern. And when I read on allears it mentioned that they charge you now for refrigerators. Can anyone confirm this?

SoG always charged for fridges. Now, I believe the cost of the fridge is all ready in the room rate due to the fact that all the rooms have them.

 

[AirForceRocks]

When we're able to get a mod for the same price or even slightly more than SoG, we take the Disney owned resort. SoG is indeed beautiful, but for us, it just doesn't have the "Disney feel" that we enjoy so much at the other onsite hotels.

 

[Barbday62]

Im not sure what people mean by "Disney Magic" I read about it all the time. I have stayed at the Contemporary once and the Beach Club twice including Consierge once and I still dont know what "Disney Magic" is when people say that. I guess I expected to see little pictures of Mickey on the Wall paper maybe a Mickey shapped bath tub or sink. I expected the bed spread to have disney pictures. This is what I conjure up in my mind when I hear the words Disney Magic. FOr me I loved the hotels I stayed at and as you see I did the Beach Club a second time so obviously the Magic must have been there for me or at least be worth going over and over.

I will be at the SOG in August and I cant wait to see what its like. To me Magic is what I make of it and maybe there isnt a Donald Duck shapped handle on the sink But Im sure it will be grand just being so close to all the parks "Where the magic really lies for me"

I do like the idea of SOG doent add tax which I find to substantially increase the price quote at other resorts I have stayed at.

Barb

 

[kadaten]

Originally posted by Barbday62
I do like the idea of SOG doent add tax which I find to substantially increase the price quote at other resorts I have stayed at.

To the tune of 11.5 or 12% depending on which hotel you're in! I think that's a nice, additional savings

 

[AirForceRocks]

Im not sure what people mean by "Disney Magic" I read about it all the time.

It's most probably different for everyone, so it's difficult to really define it. But for us, when we are WDW, we want to feel that we are in a completely different world. We want beautiful decor in a well themed and well thought out resort. We want the little details that make a vacation special. When we return to our resort, we want to feel that we are still in the middle of WDW. And for us, that is lacking at SoG.

It was a gorgeous resort when we stayed there 6 years ago, and I'm sure that it's even better now - I would never tell someone that they shouldn't stay there. But though it is lovely, it isn't really different, in terms of decor and theme, than a well appointed Holiday Inn. And there's nothing wrong with that, but if we can get a mod at the same or lower price with AP or FL resident, we choose that over SoG. If we couldn't get good rates at a WDW resort, we wouldn't hesitate a second to stay at SoG, but it wouldn't be our first choice.

But that's our family, and everyone has different things that make a vacation magical.

 

[SeaShelley]

For our family, Disney Magic isn't a place, but an overall feeling. It's the look your child's face the first time they see the castle or get a hug from Mickey. It's goosebumps from the Hall of Presidents, laughter during a parade, screams in the Haunted Mansion and a full belly after breakfast at Tony's. It's tears of joy when 3 generations walk through the gates of the MK hand in hand.

We stayed at the SOG back in 1999 and have plans to go back again in October 2005. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back and see all the renovations. We don't look for our hotel to provide any magic, just a clean, comfortable room with a nice pool. I'll make my own magic thanks!

 

[AirForceRocks]

For our family, Disney Magic isn't a place, but an overall feeling.

Same for us - and we don't have that "overall feeling" when we're at SoG, but that's our family. For other families, it's completely different.