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A review of Shades of Green Resort

A review of Shades of Green Resort

This is a guest post from Ashley Ziegler (follow her on Tumblr). Prices and some information have been updated since this review was originally published. Here’s Ashley…

If you’ve never heard of the Shades of Green Resort, I don’t blame you. It’s rarely talked about in the Disney community, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a hidden gem.

Shades of Green is the only Armed Forces Recreation Center in the continental U.S., which means that the resort is available to U.S. military members and their families, as well as some other government employees (check eligibility).

Let’s take a look…

An overview

Located just across Floridian Way from the Polynesian Villages Resort, it’s in a great location for being a non-Deluxe resort.

shades of green resort

Not only is the location great, but the resort is beautiful as well.

Located on two PGA golf courses, the Magnolia and Palm offer an amazing setting for the rest that the Shades of Green Resort has to offer. Anyone can golf at these courses, but they do offer reduced rates for military members.

If you’re not into golf, there’s an on-site spa that looks relaxing before even entering it. I’ve never experienced any of the treatments at the Magnolia Spa, but I’m always kind of tempted. Their prices aren’t terrible and the foot treatments always sound heavenly after a long day at the parks.

(Note from Shannon: the spa also has “Princess Makeovers”  which include a bun or braid, a tiara, makeup and glitter and “Pirate Clubs” which includes beard makeup, a bandana, eye patch and pirate earring. The current price as of January 2019 is $30 for the Princess Makeover and $20 for the Pirate one which is far less expensive than the ones available on-site.)

Dining options

If you are not into golfing or relaxing at the spa, I’m going to assume that you eat at some point each day. For those who need some sustenance, Shades of Green has lots dining options plus room service.

  • Java Café is in the lobby and offers Starbucks drinks, pastries, and soft serve ice cream. My family likes to grab a muffin on our way to the parks and an ice cream as an afternoon or evening snack.
  • Express Café is another super convenient option located just before you exit the building to get to the bus stops. They feature a lot of options for breakfast and lunch, and they even offer box lunches that you can order a day in advance so that you can pick them up the next morning before you head to your destination.
  • Next is Mangino’s, which my family has dined in. It’s very casual but elegant as well. Everything we ate there was great and I would recommend it to anyone staying at the resort.
  • Garden Gallery, Evergreen’s, and On the Greens are the three places I haven’t tried. However, the Garden Gallery breakfast buffet is extremely appealing, especially for the price. Adults (ages 12+) are just $13.95, children 5-11 are $7.95, children 2-4 are $2.95, and children under 4 are free. Despite the fact that this buffet doesn’t feature Disney characters, the difference in cost might just distract from the lack of entertainment. Evergreen’s and On the Greens are each located near the two pools on property.

For more information on the dining options (including menus), check the Shades of Green dining info.

The rooms at the Shades of Green Resort

The rooms at this resort are huge considering their low price. Standard rooms (and standard rooms with a poolside view) are never more than $150 per night and are over 400 square feet.

Magnolia Suites are $284 per night, Junior Suites are $299 per night, Family Suites are $329 per night and Palm Suites are $449 per night. (These are the advertised room rates for Jan. 2019. Be sure to check current room rates.)

Some of these suites can sleep up to 8, which is a huge benefit given the associated cost and compared to what you could be paying by staying on property.

While there isn’t any overwhelming theming like at some of the Disney-owned resorts, the rooms are neutral and pleasant to stay in. I would describe them as understated but beautiful in their own right.

Here’s a short room tour I filmed on our last trip…

On-site benefits – what you do and don’t get

The Shades of Green Resort is technically an off-site resort and due to this, guests here do not get:

  • use of Magical Express buses to get to and from the airport (info on the airport shuttle is below)
  • Free MagicBands (though they can be purchased)

However, Shades of Green guests do get to make use of Extra Magic Hours.

Transportation options

If you’re looking for transportation as a resort benefit, Shades of Green has their own buses that travel to and from the Disney parks. Buses to the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) depart every 20 minutes – note that this is the only provided transportation to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, as they indicate you should board the monorail from the TTC to get to each of those parks.

(Note from Shannon: you can also walk to The Polynesian and use their transportation, including the monorail. Check out all the transportation options for Shades of Green on the WDW Prep Navigator.)

Buses to the other parks, water parks, and Disney Springs depart every hour on the half hour but be sure to check the current bus schedule as times may change. These are a great option for transportation and really came in handy for my family when driving to Disney Springs is a little bit of a nightmare. 

They also provide transportation to SeaWorld and Universal Studios for an extra cost with an advanced reservation.

One downside to staying at Shades of Green is that Magical Express doesn’t go to this resort. They do have an agreement for reduced airport shuttle rates through SunState Transportation.

See the ShadesofGreen.org transportation page for more info, including shuttle prices.

Park ticket discounts

I’m obviously saving the best for last. A HUGE – and I’m talking HUGE – benefit to staying at Shades of Green is the reduced price of park tickets. Because of this resort’s military benefits, it acts like a military base in that there is no tax. This reduces the prices of tickets a great deal.

They have a wide range of tickets you can purchase. I assume it’s the same options you can buy at any Disney ticket window, but one of the best deals is the 4-day + hopper Military Salute pass for $241 as of January 2019. According to the Disney site, this same ticket would be $475.31.

My family buys our annual passes through Shades of Green for a huge savings, just based on the lack of taxes applied. They also sell Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Blue Man Group tickets as well.

*****************

If I had to rate this resort on a scale from 1-10, it would get a solid 9.5. The location is great, the staff is helpful and welcoming, I’ve never seen a room rate above $140/night, and the guests themselves are always polite and courteous. If you’re able, I would highly recommend booking a stay at Shades of Green.

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Shannon Albert
Click here to cancel reply.

Danielle

Thursday 4th of March 2021

What room number were you in?

PegP

Wednesday 20th of March 2019

Please be advised that standard resort rooms don't cap at $150. Room rates are based on the military service member's rank. If you are an officer, your standard room rate will be higher than $150.

Patti

Wednesday 18th of July 2018

Which section should you try to stay in for the closest walk to the Polynesian??

Sara

Thursday 10th of May 2018

We are headed to SoG in less than two weeks and thought I should spread the word that guests now have the benefit of making FP+ reservations 60 days in advance! I know for a fact as I made all of our reservations myself back in March exactly 60 days out. Such an exciting addition for SoG guests!

[email protected]

Sunday 21st of May 2017

The express cafe food is stale by the Bus stop is horrible and expensive. Hold out for some place else, a shame that the Shades of Green Management allows this nonsense!