Me personally, see it like this. We go to Disney for the parks. Spending very little time in the room. Basically, to sleep and shower. I think all the rooms at SOG are a great value. Bed, check. Toilet, check. Indoor plumbing, check. Fridge, check. Single serve coffee maker, check. Light and electricity, check. AC, check. Yep…sounds like paradise to me!
I think a lot of people going to Disney agree 100% with you! If I’m honest with myself I don’t need much more than what you listed here. Buttt sometimes Tim says I lean a little on the boujee side 😂 Maybe he’s right but I still love every visit at Shades for more than just the room itself 🥰
@@battlegroundbiscuits lol boujee. Nothing wrong with that. We don’t stay in Roach Coach Inns either. I appreciate the reply, love y’all’s videos. Like the SOG, you all’s videos are a valuable addition to the military/Veteran communities, and a great resource for everyone looking to take advantage of this benefit. I think all of the military resorts are a huge benefit, and am so very thankful that Disney allows us to stay on property. Also that the MWR keeps the rates as reasonable as they do. I guess for me, as long as it’s not just a cot, in a 16 person tent, with make do sheet walls hung up with parachute cord and clothes pins, or a bathroom that I’m not sitting knee to knee and back to back with makes me pretty happy, but I don’t expect the civilian side of my family to feel the same.
You’re first to comment! 😂 Absolutely! We are still spoiled with the price. While I do prefer the double vanity I’ll always be happy paying under $200 for a fireworks view room 🥳 We are so lucky to be able to stay here!
@@battlegroundbiscuits I’m living for the firsts this week 🤣. 100% true. Since we have to fly to get to WDW, it would not be possibly to go as often if we couldn’t stay at SOG. Very lucky for sure!
Thanks for watching! Everyone has their own preferences ☺️ As long as it’s clean I can usually get past an outdated aesthetic for the right price 😂 But if I’m honest with myself I’d almost always prefer something on the boujie side 🤩
Thank you for the video! We stayed in a room exactly like this last week for vacation. It was one of the updated rooms (the bathroom was new and improved). It was a lovely experience. The buffet breakfast was wonderful for our family each morning. We've been here many times over the decades.
Thank you for being a one stop shop for info on Shades! This makes me feel like we got so lucky on our first visit. We had an updated room with pool views and they automatically gave us adjoining rooms with the family we traveled with. Beginners luck? We’re in the planning stages of our 2nd trip this summer, so I guess we’ll see. 😊
Sounds like you got a great room! If you remember the room number you can try to request it again if its available. Or they can find a similar room if they know your preferences. I always ask for a double vanity and we have had good luck with the more updated rooms that way.
@@battlegroundbiscuits after I watched this video, I called Shades and they were able to look up my last reservation, find my last room number, and make a note for a request to be in the same room or similar.
@@LyssaNic Hi can u share the number room an wing??? we are also going an rather a more updated room than this one shown !!!! personally these ceilings scare me !!!!! thanks !!!!
@@JJskiddy oh gosh it was 2 months ago that I called… do you know how many times I’ve slept since then?! 😂 just kidding… veterans don’t sleep! 😂😭😑 I know it was Magnolia wing and if I look at the property map, I believe it was somewhere between 236 - 239. I do think Ashley’s tip to ask for a double vanity is the best tip here! She’s been around this block many more times than I. And really…. How much time are you going to spend in the bathroom? *don’t answer that* 😂 Enjoy your trip!
I love the palm side too! Tim likes the magnolia because it’s closer to the pool 😂 I think that represents us perfectly lol We are usually on opposite ends of all spectrums. But we both agree and love Shades AND we have a trip booked this summer too! Hopefully we can get down there a couple more times this year but they’ll likely be last minute trips.
About to watch the video. Thank you for all your videos on shades of green! The end of this month will be my family’s first trip to DisneyWorld! Your videos were the only ones who extensively covered shades of green, the bx, their shuttles, etc. It was very helpful. We saved a ton on the trip using credit card points and having our tickets paid for by Vettix Heroes wish program. 🎉 Maybe that can be a video idea? I think it’s such a great opportunity for military families, especially post deployment, to get that one lifetime wish. Unfortunately very few military members we know heard of it.
Ohhh I'll have to look into Vettix Heros wish program! I don't think I've ever heard of it but I'll definitely do some diving and add it to my content list. Thank you for sharing that! I hope you have an amazing trip! I'm so glad we were able to help with the videos and truly wish you an absolutely magical vacation!
The mini fridges in SOG are colder than the beverage coolers in the Disney resorts. Which is good. The only sad part for SOG is not being able to walk to the Polynesian anymore. Thanks disney
Interesting! We will try to stay at a comparable Disney resort soon and note the difference. I have heard they don't have the littler freezer sections though. And, yes, we are sad about the walkway too. But I am excited to see what they do with the area when all of the the construction is finished. I'm holding onto hope that they come up with a new solution to make everyone happy.
You're quite welcome! We have a separate video that we filmed back in April thats all about the walk way closing. I can add that it is indeed still closed and they have removed the sidewalk beyond the guard shack. You are not able to walk beyond that point on foot anymore due to the construction happening that will widen the road. Instead of the old path, we like to suggest taking the Shades bus over to the TTC. From there you'll walk past the security lines and walk over onto the Polynesian property. From the bus drop off to the Great Ceremonial house (where the monorail is) at the Poly is about a casual 15 minute walk. It was about the same distance from the entrance of Shades back when we would walk that path. The only difference now is that you'll need to add that 3 min bus ride over to TTC into your planning. I hope that helps!
Thanks again for another great video! Sent it to one of my good friends who is going to cone with us next trip so they can plot and plan lol see you guys in the next vid
Oh awesome! This is the best time of year for planning too 🥳 I’m planning on creating a few more “planning videos” so hopefully they will be helpful for your friend as well!
I think of all the Disney channels I follow yours is the best. We usually stay in magnolia side, twice so far. after watching your video I'm going to call and request the palm. Never have stayed there. Thanks
I really needed this comment today. Thank you so much for the kind words, truly! And give the Palm side a try and see how it compares to the Magnolia. I think there are pros and cons to both wings but I'm always interested to hear what other people think.
We love Shades and our first visit was in 1997 and it has definitely evolved since then. We were just there in October and December and agree with you that it is showing some wear and tear and IMO could use another update. We fall in a higher category and paid a little over $200 a night and it is still worth it for what you get. I do however periodically see some lower prices at Disney resorts both value and moderate. I wonder if some will try Disney resorts now with all the new promotions though 🤔
I do hope Shades is able to do a few updates to the rooms...more specifically, the bathrooms. It would be nice but like you said, its STILL such a great price its really hard to complain too much. I appreciate that they're always clean! We have never stayed at a value resort but I would love to try sometime to get a true comparison. When we do I'll definitely film it :) There have been some decent promotions so it might be worth looking into.
I have stayed at SOG about 10 times since 1995 and my last trip was this past Sept. I agree with you that a most of the rooms on the Magnolia (original) wing are outdated and could use a lot of TLC if not an entire makeover. But for the price this is still by far the best place to stay. During our Sept. stay we were on the 1st floor directly under where you just were and we made use of Chip & Dales for coffee and breakfast sandwiches (based on a previous video of yours). Since You stayed on that side of the hotel, did you remember my tip to you of parking in the golf course parking lot instead of the parking garage? It makes it very easy to get in and out everyday.
You know what...I DO remember your comment about that! And every single time we go I forget all about it LOL I would love to see a bathroom remodel at Shades...they should start there when the time comes. But like you said, the price is beautiful lol I don't want to complain too much for the sake of sounding unappreciative of all of the other benefits of staying there. It is still by far the best deal around for us. How did you like the breakfast sandwiches at Chip & Dales? I actually just realized there is another Chip & Dales (cafe') over at Saratoga on their golf course too.
Thank you Thank you for request for double vanity updated rooms....sorry to say i am one of those weirdos who get skeeved out with dropped ceilings....guess my phobia after hotel visit yrs ago......we will be going with grandson this May so need to be by pool and will ask for NO DROPPED CEILINGS>.....!!!!!!
Finally planning our first time to Disney with a 5yr old. I don’t know where to begin. I want to travel during one of our 4-day weekends. Is that enough time to do at least two parks? I’ll get the military salute tickets b/c of the price. Shooting for at least Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.
You already have a great plan! I wouldn’t push for too much on your first trip with a little one. Even when you know their personality it can be hard to predict how they’ll do at the theme parks with sensory overload and the heat. 2 park days on a 4 day trip sounds perfect. We have a seasoned 5 year old and she does great in small doses but we can definitely tell when she’s done lol The kingdoms (MK and AK) are excellent for that age too. We have videos with her at both of those parks that you could check out to get an idea of what your daughter might like. I’ll say this…start with where you want to stay and consider your budget along with how close you want to be to Magic Kingdom. Shades is a great option for both of those reasons but sometimes people like to stay off property and drive (if you’ll have a car) If you have your tickets and your lodging those are the biggest decisions. After that it’s just getting your park reservations locked in and budgeting your dining! You’ll have to wait until midnight before your first park day at the earliest to get lightning lanes for the big rides if you want to try for them. Honestly I could type a novel here but I won’t do that to you 😂 I will tell you though that this is exactly the kind of video I want to make in the next week or 2 so stay tuned if you’re interested in something like a step by step first timer video. Hopefully that will help get you started with the planning process!
@@battlegroundbiscuits thank you! I will stay tuned. That is exactly what I need. A step by step plan. I already booked Shades! With my hopper, I can do two parks now and two parks later right?
Our house is divided 😂 I prefer the palm side…there’s just less going on over there and I like the quiet. Tim and Story love the magnolia side because it’s closer to the pool and exchange. So we kind of go back and forth each trip so we’re all happy 😂
We stayed there just last month. Stay up until after 11 at night waiting on the maintenance guy to call the tech so that we could turn our thermostat above 70 on a cold day. Hey SOG, we’re not in the barracks anymore on Uncle Sam’s dime so can we control our own room temp?
Yikes! I think the thermostat has a sensor on the floor by the sliding door. If it senses the door is open it shuts the thermostat off. I've heard it creates problems sometimes if it gets damaged but I imagine being too cold isn't a problem they run into very often in Florida. Usually the other way around. Hopefully you were able to speak to a manager about it taking so long though. You may have been able to ask them to override it so that you could control it instead of the sensor?
Me personally, see it like this. We go to Disney for the parks. Spending very little time in the room. Basically, to sleep and shower. I think all the rooms at SOG are a great value. Bed, check. Toilet, check. Indoor plumbing, check. Fridge, check. Single serve coffee maker, check. Light and electricity, check. AC, check. Yep…sounds like paradise to me!
I think a lot of people going to Disney agree 100% with you! If I’m honest with myself I don’t need much more than what you listed here. Buttt sometimes Tim says I lean a little on the boujee side 😂 Maybe he’s right but I still love every visit at Shades for more than just the room itself 🥰
@@battlegroundbiscuits lol boujee. Nothing wrong with that. We don’t stay in Roach Coach Inns either. I appreciate the reply, love y’all’s videos. Like the SOG, you all’s videos are a valuable addition to the military/Veteran communities, and a great resource for everyone looking to take advantage of this benefit. I think all of the military resorts are a huge benefit, and am so very thankful that Disney allows us to stay on property. Also that the MWR keeps the rates as reasonable as they do. I guess for me, as long as it’s not just a cot, in a 16 person tent, with make do sheet walls hung up with parachute cord and clothes pins, or a bathroom that I’m not sitting knee to knee and back to back with makes me pretty happy, but I don’t expect the civilian side of my family to feel the same.
I clicked on this video so fast! I hadn’t seen the more outdated rooms. I think they are definitely still a good value.
You’re first to comment! 😂
Absolutely! We are still spoiled with the price. While I do prefer the double vanity I’ll always be happy paying under $200 for a fireworks view room 🥳 We are so lucky to be able to stay here!
@@battlegroundbiscuits I’m living for the firsts this week 🤣.
100% true. Since we have to fly to get to WDW, it would not be possibly to go as often if we couldn’t stay at SOG. Very lucky for sure!
@@Momfueledbycoffee is hashtag winning still a thing? 😂 Because you ARE #winning lol
When you said about the bathroom vent, ‘It’s where it needs to be’ and pointed the camera towards the toilet, I hollered! 😂😂😂😂 hilarious!!
😂😂😂😂😂
Thank you for the video. Good information on the bathroom. I am a person who likes clean, updated rooms and bathrooms.
Thanks for watching! Everyone has their own preferences ☺️ As long as it’s clean I can usually get past an outdated aesthetic for the right price 😂 But if I’m honest with myself I’d almost always prefer something on the boujie side 🤩
Thank you for the video! We stayed in a room exactly like this last week for vacation. It was one of the updated rooms (the bathroom was new and improved). It was a lovely experience. The buffet breakfast was wonderful for our family each morning. We've been here many times over the decades.
You're very welcome! It really is such a great value. Hopefully we run into you on one of our trips! If you see us please say hi!
Thank you, as usual video is very informative and helpful.
You’re welcome! Thanks again for watching!! ☺️
AWESOME JOB. THANK YOU.
Thank you for being a one stop shop for info on Shades! This makes me feel like we got so lucky on our first visit. We had an updated room with pool views and they automatically gave us adjoining rooms with the family we traveled with. Beginners luck? We’re in the planning stages of our 2nd trip this summer, so I guess we’ll see. 😊
Sounds like you got a great room! If you remember the room number you can try to request it again if its available. Or they can find a similar room if they know your preferences. I always ask for a double vanity and we have had good luck with the more updated rooms that way.
@@battlegroundbiscuits after I watched this video, I called Shades and they were able to look up my last reservation, find my last room number, and make a note for a request to be in the same room or similar.
@@LyssaNic Hi can u share the number room an wing??? we are also going an rather a more updated room than this one shown !!!! personally these ceilings scare me !!!!! thanks !!!!
@@JJskiddy oh gosh it was 2 months ago that I called… do you know how many times I’ve slept since then?! 😂 just kidding… veterans don’t sleep! 😂😭😑
I know it was Magnolia wing and if I look at the property map, I believe it was somewhere between 236 - 239. I do think Ashley’s tip to ask for a double vanity is the best tip here! She’s been around this block many more times than I. And really…. How much time are you going to spend in the bathroom? *don’t answer that* 😂 Enjoy your trip!
We stayed in a room on Palm side. We had a great stay. I already booked my vacation for this year.
I love the palm side too! Tim likes the magnolia because it’s closer to the pool 😂 I think that represents us perfectly lol We are usually on opposite ends of all spectrums. But we both agree and love Shades AND we have a trip booked this summer too! Hopefully we can get down there a couple more times this year but they’ll likely be last minute trips.
Thanks! Your videos helped! We stayed on the Palm side and your videos helped me booked for a better experience.
About to watch the video. Thank you for all your videos on shades of green! The end of this month will be my family’s first trip to DisneyWorld! Your videos were the only ones who extensively covered shades of green, the bx, their shuttles, etc. It was very helpful. We saved a ton on the trip using credit card points and having our tickets paid for by Vettix Heroes wish program. 🎉 Maybe that can be a video idea? I think it’s such a great opportunity for military families, especially post deployment, to get that one lifetime wish. Unfortunately very few military members we know heard of it.
Ohhh I'll have to look into Vettix Heros wish program! I don't think I've ever heard of it but I'll definitely do some diving and add it to my content list. Thank you for sharing that!
I hope you have an amazing trip! I'm so glad we were able to help with the videos and truly wish you an absolutely magical vacation!
The mini fridges in SOG are colder than the beverage coolers in the Disney resorts. Which is good. The only sad part for SOG is not being able to walk to the Polynesian anymore. Thanks disney
Interesting! We will try to stay at a comparable Disney resort soon and note the difference. I have heard they don't have the littler freezer sections though. And, yes, we are sad about the walkway too. But I am excited to see what they do with the area when all of the the construction is finished. I'm holding onto hope that they come up with a new solution to make everyone happy.
Thanks for the detailed review, can you share any information on walking to the Polynesian, thanks again for the detailed info.
You're quite welcome! We have a separate video that we filmed back in April thats all about the walk way closing. I can add that it is indeed still closed and they have removed the sidewalk beyond the guard shack. You are not able to walk beyond that point on foot anymore due to the construction happening that will widen the road. Instead of the old path, we like to suggest taking the Shades bus over to the TTC. From there you'll walk past the security lines and walk over onto the Polynesian property. From the bus drop off to the Great Ceremonial house (where the monorail is) at the Poly is about a casual 15 minute walk. It was about the same distance from the entrance of Shades back when we would walk that path. The only difference now is that you'll need to add that 3 min bus ride over to TTC into your planning. I hope that helps!
Thanks again for another great video! Sent it to one of my good friends who is going to cone with us next trip so they can plot and plan lol see you guys in the next vid
Oh awesome! This is the best time of year for planning too 🥳 I’m planning on creating a few more “planning videos” so hopefully they will be helpful for your friend as well!
@battlegroundbiscuits I'm sure they would be helpful for us as well! Thank you guys!
I think of all the Disney channels I follow yours is the best. We usually stay in magnolia side, twice so far. after watching your video I'm going to call and request the palm. Never have stayed there.
Thanks
I really needed this comment today. Thank you so much for the kind words, truly! And give the Palm side a try and see how it compares to the Magnolia. I think there are pros and cons to both wings but I'm always interested to hear what other people think.
We love Shades and our first visit was in 1997 and it has definitely evolved since then. We were just there in October and December and agree with you that it is showing some wear and tear and IMO could use another update. We fall in a higher category and paid a little over $200 a night and it is still worth it for what you get. I do however periodically see some lower prices at Disney resorts both value and moderate. I wonder if some will try Disney resorts now with all the new promotions though 🤔
I do hope Shades is able to do a few updates to the rooms...more specifically, the bathrooms. It would be nice but like you said, its STILL such a great price its really hard to complain too much. I appreciate that they're always clean!
We have never stayed at a value resort but I would love to try sometime to get a true comparison. When we do I'll definitely film it :) There have been some decent promotions so it might be worth looking into.
I have stayed at SOG about 10 times since 1995 and my last trip was this past Sept. I agree with you that a most of the rooms on the Magnolia (original) wing are outdated and could use a lot of TLC if not an entire makeover. But for the price this is still by far the best place to stay. During our Sept. stay we were on the 1st floor directly under where you just were and we made use of Chip & Dales for coffee and breakfast sandwiches (based on a previous video of yours). Since You stayed on that side of the hotel, did you remember my tip to you of parking in the golf course parking lot instead of the parking garage? It makes it very easy to get in and out everyday.
You know what...I DO remember your comment about that! And every single time we go I forget all about it LOL
I would love to see a bathroom remodel at Shades...they should start there when the time comes. But like you said, the price is beautiful lol I don't want to complain too much for the sake of sounding unappreciative of all of the other benefits of staying there. It is still by far the best deal around for us.
How did you like the breakfast sandwiches at Chip & Dales? I actually just realized there is another Chip & Dales (cafe') over at Saratoga on their golf course too.
@@battlegroundbiscuits the sandwiches were good.
Thank you Thank you for request for double vanity updated rooms....sorry to say i am one of those weirdos who get skeeved out with dropped ceilings....guess my phobia after hotel visit yrs ago......we will be going with grandson this May so need to be by pool and will ask for NO DROPPED CEILINGS>.....!!!!!!
Hi, where to do I stay for the newer rooms?
We have had good experience asking for a double vanity in the bathroom. Those rooms are usually more updated than the ones in this video :)
Finally planning our first time to Disney with a 5yr old. I don’t know where to begin. I want to travel during one of our 4-day weekends. Is that enough time to do at least two parks? I’ll get the military salute tickets b/c of the price. Shooting for at least Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom.
You already have a great plan! I wouldn’t push for too much on your first trip with a little one. Even when you know their personality it can be hard to predict how they’ll do at the theme parks with sensory overload and the heat. 2 park days on a 4 day trip sounds perfect. We have a seasoned 5 year old and she does great in small doses but we can definitely tell when she’s done lol The kingdoms (MK and AK) are excellent for that age too. We have videos with her at both of those parks that you could check out to get an idea of what your daughter might like.
I’ll say this…start with where you want to stay and consider your budget along with how close you want to be to Magic Kingdom. Shades is a great option for both of those reasons but sometimes people like to stay off property and drive (if you’ll have a car) If you have your tickets and your lodging those are the biggest decisions. After that it’s just getting your park reservations locked in and budgeting your dining! You’ll have to wait until midnight before your first park day at the earliest to get lightning lanes for the big rides if you want to try for them. Honestly I could type a novel here but I won’t do that to you 😂 I will tell you though that this is exactly the kind of video I want to make in the next week or 2 so stay tuned if you’re interested in something like a step by step first timer video. Hopefully that will help get you started with the planning process!
@@battlegroundbiscuits thank you! I will stay tuned. That is exactly what I need. A step by step plan. I already booked Shades! With my hopper, I can do two parks now and two parks later right?
We requested the Palm side because of the parking garage, what side do you guys prefer?
Our house is divided 😂 I prefer the palm side…there’s just less going on over there and I like the quiet. Tim and Story love the magnolia side because it’s closer to the pool and exchange. So we kind of go back and forth each trip so we’re all happy 😂
Oh I like the idea of quiet! Especially after the 13 hour drive to get there.@@battlegroundbiscuits
@@heatherburkhalter2996 definitely! There’s just less traffic in the hallways and it has a more chill vibe. That’s my speed lol
We stayed there just last month. Stay up until after 11 at night waiting on the maintenance guy to call the tech so that we could turn our thermostat above 70 on a cold day. Hey SOG, we’re not in the barracks anymore on Uncle Sam’s dime so can we control our own room temp?
Yikes! I think the thermostat has a sensor on the floor by the sliding door. If it senses the door is open it shuts the thermostat off. I've heard it creates problems sometimes if it gets damaged but I imagine being too cold isn't a problem they run into very often in Florida. Usually the other way around. Hopefully you were able to speak to a manager about it taking so long though. You may have been able to ask them to override it so that you could control it instead of the sensor?
Right after this video, I called to request Palm. We've only ever had Magnolia.
You’ll have to let us know what you think!