Ever stay at Shades of Green Resort on Walt Disney World property? Is this the best MWR site for families?

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 21:47:15 -0500

http://www.shadesofgreen.org/

Shades of Green Resort on WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort official website is the only Armed Forces...

The only Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) located in the continental U.S. Shades of GreenÂ on WALT DISNEY WORLDÂ Resort is a military resort serving the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves, Retirees, Military Community

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 22 at 2015 9:47 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 21:47:54 -0500

Good question. I will be trying this out in the future.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Nov 22 at 2015 9:54 PM

COL Jon Thompson — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 21:54:36 -0500

I took my kids there in 2009 when I returned from Iraq. It is a very nice resort, right on the Disney properties and has bus service to get to all of the parks and other attractions. I had a free park pass since I was coming off of active duty orders and was able to get discounted passes for my children. The facilities are really nice and it really does cater to the military. If you are going to Disney World and qualify to go there, I recommend it. Make sure you call well in advance to get your reservations.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Nov 22 at 2015 10:42 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 22:42:07 -0500

Is it open to veterans, or just AD and retired?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 23 at 2015 2:01 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 02:01:43 -0500

I stayed there shortly before deploying to Africa in 2013. As a person who has been to Disney many times, I can say: depends.
What SOG is:
A great value - you will be hard pressed to find a more inexpensive place to stay anywhere in Orlando, much less on the WDW grounds. Discounts to attractions really add up too.
Convenient - it is very near the Magic Kingdom; the monorail to Epcot and the Magic Kingdom is across the street at the Polynesian Resort. Making the connection to the bus depot can get you anywhere else in WDW in about a half-hour. This is quite a perk, as you can pay a lot for a rental car and parking isn't cheap either.
This resort was formerly the WDW Golf Resort, and the two TPC courses are adjacent to the hotel.

What SOG isn't:
It isn't the nicest place to stay, comparatively. In order to give you the value it does, they have to cut corners somewhere, and there is a noticeable amount of maintenance issues. In their defense, there was a major renovation underway when I was there that may have addressed some of this. Compared to other properties on the WDW grounds though, there is a significant drop off.
They aren't going to wow you with their service, in my mind because of the economics of running an inexpensive resort. Disney Resorts pretty much overwhelm you with unnaturally friendly people who aren't allowed to say "I don't know" in answer to a question. Be prepared for really long lines to get tickets. Getting there early is not optional.

At the end of the day, I would go there again, if only for the exceptional value. If you want to make your pilgrimage to see Mickey on a budget, it is a great option.

Response by CW4 Guy Butler made Nov 23 at 2015 6:27 AM

CW4 Guy Butler — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 06:27:20 -0500

It depends. As 1SG Private RallyPoint Member said, it's convenient for transportation and is close to the Magic Kingdom. On the other hand, since it's not an official Disney resort, the dining plan is not available. (disclaimer: I've stayed on Disney properties and SOG. SOG is great for events - we had our daughter's wedding there and were able to get rooms for both extended families at a decent rate)

We normally stay at a value like Pop Century and use SOG for the tickets and shoppette.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Nov 23 at 2015 9:51 AM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 09:51:11 -0500

I haven't visited all, or even most, MWR sites, but....
I found Shades of Green to be quite awesome when I went (2005). It was the right combination of price, service, convenience (having the shuttles was great - No car!!), and low key. Unlike other resorts I've been to, you get a military class of people there - which means that they keep their partying to the partying areas.

Should I go back to the area, it would be my first choice again.