Disney World is a magical place however we all know that the price of the magic isn’t the most budget friendly. The cost of a family Disney trip has increased significantly over the last couple of years putting it out of reach for many. We all are looking for ways to save a few dollars. Shades of Green Resort at Disney World is an option for the families of the Armed Forces.
If you are a member of the Armed Forces, there are benefits that you can use to allow that Disney World trip to be more economical. There are travel benefits for our brave Armed Forces members through the ARFC (Armed Forces Recreation Centers).
If you are a member of the Armed Forces, we recommend staying at the Shades of Green Resort in Lake Buena Vista. This resort is a part of the Armed Forces Recreation Centers and is available to members of the Armed Forces at a fraction of the cost of other Disney World resorts. There are eligibility requirements to stay at this resort so validate your eligibility before booking your reservation.
Shades of Green although it isn’t considered to be a Disney resort it is as close as you can get. The resort doesn’t have the typical Disney character feel so if that is what you are looking for this may not be the resort for you. The Disney feel is a bit more subdued with a Mickey statue in the lobby which is great for photos and Disney movies playing in the lobby. It doesn’t have the schedule of events for guests as many of the Disney resorts do but we are seeking the best value for our hard earned dollar.
Shades of Green is located between the Magnolia and Palm Golf course near the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian resorts. It is a half a mile stroll to the Polynesian placing in the Magic Kingdom resort area. This resort is in a prime location and although it isn’t over the top Disney themed, if that is what you are seeking it is only steps away.
SHADES OF GREEN BENEFITS
Budget Friendly Nightly Price
Shades of Green at Disney World room rates are the lowest around while still being essentially considered on Disney property. The rates are based on the Armed Forces category that the member is in from a CAT 1 to a CAT III. The standard room rate starts at $163 a night for a CAT I. The current rates are in the chart below. The Armed Forces member may reserve up to 3 rooms for family members however the Armed Forces Member must be staying during the same period and check-in their guests at they are ultimately responsible and are the sponsor for the guests. Note in the policies below that if the Armed Forces guest is a CAT I and they are sponsoring, the sponsored rooms will be charged at the Category II rate.
Room Size Is Unlike Any Other
We have stayed at several Disney World Resorts including Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Caribbean, and the Contemporary and none of them compare to the size of the rooms that you get at Shades of Green. The standard rooms boast a whopping 450 square feet. The rooms have enough room to fit a pack n’play, strollers, scooters, and all the luggage you want to bring. The rooms at a minimum have two queen beds and a single sofa bed. You don’t get the Disney decor but you can’t beat the size of the rooms. The rooms come with a mini refrigerator and a single cup coffee maker as well.
Disney World Deluxe Hotel Benefits
Shades of Green is treated as though it is a Disney World Deluxe Resort. Disney thanks the military in various ways and this is one of them. There are some very important benefits to being considered a Disney Deluxe Resort. The Disney Deluxe Resort guests are allowed to enter the park 30 minutes before the parks actually open to the public. Early entry isn’t only for Deluxe Resort guests but all guests staying at a Disney hotel or selected “other” hotels. Shades is captured in the select “other” hotels. Another benefit is the extended evening hours at Epcot and Magic Kingdom for Deluxe resorts guests only and select “other” hotels and, yes Shades of Green guests get to enjoy the extended hours. It is highly recommended that you use these extended hours . It allows for more opportunity to get on those popular rides that you may not of had the opportunity to during the busy day times. This is a tremendous perk to staying at Shades.
Although Disney Magic Bands are not able to open your room doors at Shades of Green since as we mentioned it isn’t owned by Disney. You can link your park tickets to your magic bands. This makes entering the parks much smoother and easier. There is no need to keep track of all of the cards, pull them out and try to figure out which one belongs to which member of your family. You simply go on to the My Disney Experience app and enter in the information on the back of the tickets that you have and they are connected. If you have any problems with this, simply give Disney Customer Service a call and they can help you out as well.
Since you are also considered to be staying at a select “other” resort, you also have access to the Individual Lightening Lane at 7am. You can ultimately make your Individual Lightening Lane selections for these particular park experiences at 7am, where other park guests are unable to make a selection until the park opens. This is an incredible advantage for those high demand rides such as Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot, Avatar at Animal Kingsdom, Star Wars Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom. These rides always have an extended wait time and the 7am option provides an advantage to planning your day.
These are some of the benefits of staying at Shades of Green in addition to the price per night.
Location, Location, Location
Shades of Green Resort at Disney World is located in the Magic Kingdom Resort area near the Grand Floridian and the Polynesian. It sits on the Magnolia and Palm golf courses. If you have the benefit of a view of the golf courses don’t be surprised if you wake up to deer, turkey’s, and other wildlife walking through the greens.
It is a short half a mile walk to the Polynesian Resort. If you don’t want to walk, no problem there are buses that run from the hotel every 20 minutes to the Ticket and Transportation Center. We however, love to grab our morning drinks and take a nice walk over to the Polynesian and grab the Monorail. The Resort Monorail circles the Magic Kingdom resorts and also has a stop at Magic Kingdom and Ticket and Transportation Center which makes it very convenient. From the Polynesian, you will stop at the Grand Floridian, then Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary, Ticket and Transportation Center, and then back to the Polynesian. You can even walk a little further if you like to the Ticket and Transportation Center if want to continue to enjoy your walk.
The Monorails make it very easy to get to the Magic Kingdom and to Epcot which is another reason we love to stay here. We also love walking down to the Polynesian and grabbing a Kona coffee, a Dole Whip, or breakfast at the Kona Cafe. You will see the signs along the sidewalks pointing you in the direction of Shades of Green or to the main Polynesian house as it is very common for the Shades of Green guests to walk down to the Polynesian.
Budget Friendly Dining
You can’t beat the price of dining at the Shades of Green. There are multiple options depending on what you are looking for. We have tried them all and they have never disappointed.
Garden Gallery has a huge breakfast buffet every morning which includes an omelet station, pancakes, waffles, and a kids buffet. In the evening there is a make your own pizza, pasta dish, or a fried rice as part of their takeout. You will find the prices very reasonable for the offerings you receive. They are open for Breakfast from 7am-11am daily, and for the Marketplace Takeout 5pm – 11pm Daily.
Mangino’s is a full service restaurant that serves steaks and Italian dishes. The food is delicious and you can’t beat the price. It is open from 5pm -10pm.
Evergreens is a family friendly sports bar next to the Mill Pond Pool area. This is a great place to grab something to eat and sit by the pool or grab a beer and watch the sports game on the multiple TV’s inside. There is a video gaming area with pool tables for kids and adults. Evergreens is open from 11am – 11pm Daily.
Express Cafe is a great place for the on-the-go options for breakfast and lunch. It is located next to the bus stops in the lower section of the hotel. It has some of your typical grab and go items and you can even order sandwiches to take to the park so you don’t have to spend a ridiculous amount at the parks. It is open 7am to 2pm daily.
Java Cafe is located in the main lobby and serves Starbucks coffee from 6am to 11pm daily. It also serves gelato which the kids and adults alike all love on a hot Florida day.
The Exchange – On Site Store
Those that are in the Armed Forces are aware of the concept of the Exchange but for those that don’t know the Exchange is the mini store. You are able to pick up Disney gifts, snacks, sunscreen, items you may have forgotten, alcohol and all sorts of items. We have used the exchange for so many things such as rain ponchos, tylenol, blister bandaids when those new shoes weren’t worn in enough, a bottle of wine to decompress on our balcony at night. The items are all reasonably priced and not excessively marked up as they would be at a Disney resort.
Recreation Facilities
Pools – There are two main pools at Shades of Green at Disney World: Magnolia Pool and Hot Tub and the Mill Pond Pool. The Magnolia Pool is located in a quieter area on the right hand side of the building in the Magnolia Wing. There is a hot tub also located at this facility. The Mill Pond Pool is a “Mickey” themed pool with a waterslide, and splash pad. It is located in the Magnolia Wing as well but is located further in the back of the bulding next to Evergreens.
Fitness Center is located on the 1st floor next to Mangino’s and is open 24 hours, 7 days a week with a room key.
Playground is located next to the Magnolia Pool as well to keep those little ones busy.
Of course there is also Golf as Shades is located between two world class PGA golf courses. All military personnel receive a 15% discount off of the standard tee time pricing.
Bus Service
As with all Disney hotels, Shades of Green offers bus shuttle services as well. The bus stop is located in the lower section of the hotel on the first floor next to the Express Cafe. The buses run to the Ticket and Transportation Center, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs, and Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. The schedule changes every week depending on the park schedules. You can find the schedule here.
Recommendations
Shades of Green at Disney World allows you to book 365 days in advance. The resort fills up fast so we highly recommend that if you are planning a trip to Disney World you book your stay as far in advance as possible especially if you are looking for a specific room in a specific section of the resort.
Disney offers discounted tickets for the Armed Forces so we recommend you take a look at the Shades of Green ticket price list to purchase what makes sense for your family, website. Disney has provided Promotional Tickets as well as Magic Your Way tickets so make sure to check out both and see what aligns with your trip.
Make sure to check your eligibility.
And most important Have Fun!