Have you heard of Shades of Green?
Shades of Green Resort
No, we’re not talking about different colors of green, we’re talking about the resort at Walt Disney World! Unless you’re part of the Armed Forces, you might not know about this hotel because it’s pretty exclusive. But, today we’re taking you with us around the little-known resort option so you know EVERYTHING before you book your trip!
Booking Information
Let’s kick things off with who exactly can stay at this resort. Shades of Green is an Armed Forces Recreation Center (AFRC) Resort, meaning that it is owned by the United States Department of Defense but located at Walt Disney World. What’s unique about the hotel is that you must be a member of the Armed Forces (or be sponsored by one) to book a stay. The resort is meant to be an affordable option for service members and their families so room rates are on a scale. We were able to check out the resort since one of our team members is an active duty spouse.
Shades of Green Bus Stop
What does that mean exactly? Well, pricing is based off of the military member’s pay grade. So one can expect to pay less if they are just starting out in their military career compared to someone who has worked their way up the ranks.
Shades of Green
This feature is unique only to this resort and is meant to make your vacation to Walt Disney World more affordable if at all possible.
Atmosphere
Though Shades of Green isn’t owned by Disney, the hotel is still up to the standards you might find at any other Disney World resort.
Shades of Green
When you enter the resort area, you’ll be greeted by a guard at the gate who will check your ID before you head in. To the right, you’ll notice the Magnolia and Oak Trail golf courses. Straight ahead, is the main entrance to the resort and guest drop off and loading area.
Shades of Green
Once checked in, you can take a left to park your car in the parking garage (each level in the garage is named after a branch in the military – Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard!) and explore the grounds!
Shades of Green
It’s certainly worth looking around outside because it really is beautiful! It feels a lot liked a well-groomed golf course, but in hotel form!
Shades of Green
Because the resort is located on Disney property and they know you’re headed to the parks, there is complementary transportation.
Shades of Green Bus Stop
Just find the bus stop out front located underneath the guest drop off area!
Lobby
The lobby is located on the second floor of the main building and has tons of nods to history. The lobby invites you to come and stay for a while with lots of seating and a fireplace.
Lobby Seating
If you’re ever staying here, we recommend grabbing a fun photo with the Patriotic Mickey Statue located in the lobby!
Shades of Green Mickey Statue in Lobby
He’s decked out in red, white, and blue, and his yellow feet feature pieces of U.S. history! On one foot is the Declaration of Independence, and the other foot features the Preamble for the U.S. Constitution.
Mickey Statue
The lobby opens up to a large outdoor patio that overlooks the main grounds of the property. And, it’s hard to miss the huge yellow “I AM” on the outside wall of the patio. Don’t just walk past because this decor is actually a big deal!
Shades of Green Patio
It is from the Invictus Games of 2016, which were held at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney World. The Invictus Games are an international sporting competition for armed service personnel men and women who were wounded, injured, or sick during their service.
“I Am” Plaque
Orlando was the host city for the second Invictus Games back in 2016 and many of the athletes stayed here on property at Walt Disney World! It was a huge deal and is why they still keep the logo in place with a plaque underneath!
Dining and Shopping
Walk down the hallway from the lobby and you’ll find the Exchange. The Exchange is basically a general store and everything is tax-free!
Exchange Store
It’s worth stopping in here because it has some exclusive Disney merchandise for service members. You’ll find hats, jackets, polos, and more featuring Mickey Mouse and different branches of the armed forces.
U.S. Coastal Guard Disney Windbreaker
Near the Exchange, you’ll find the Attractions Ticketing Sales office. Stop in here if you need any help throughout your vacation with park tickets to multiple Orlando area attractions including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and more!
Attraction Ticket Sales
If you’re in the mood for a bite to eat, there are quite a few dining options to choose from at the resort. There are two grab-and-go-style cafes in the main building of Shades of Green, including Java Cafe and Express Cafe. Currently only Java Cafe is open, and a great place to grab a coffee, tea, pastry, or ice cream!
Magnolia Wing
More formal dining options include Garden Gallery which is a restaurant that traditionally serves buffet-style meals. Currently, it is functioning as a bistro so you can find grab-and-go meal options and take it back to your room or enjoy it outside.
Garden Gallery Restaurant
The other restaurant at Shades of Green, Mangino’s is currently open with modified hours. Here, you’ll enjoy a sit-down meal for breakfast or dinner.
Mangino’s
Two other dining options are located just a short walk from the main building. Evergreens Bar & Grill is a sports pub-style light eatery located next to the resort’s Mill Pond Pool (more on that later).
Evergreens Bar & Grill
Another counter-service restaurant is actually located on the Magnolia Golf Course near the resort. The Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Deli serves up hot and cold sandwiches and other quick bites to snack on while you’re golfing or swimming in the neighboring resort pool. You’ll also find beer, wine, and other mixed drinks on the menu (and Arnold Palmers, of course!).
Chip n’ Dale Deli
Outdoor Activities
If taking in the beautiful scenery of the resort isn’t enough to keep you busy, there is a lot of outdoor activities around the resort. As we mentioned before, the Magnolia Golf Course is a short walk away. But there are a lot of activities (some that you wouldn’t find at most Disney World hotels) like tennis courts…
Tennis Courts
…an arcade…
Arcade
…ping pong, a pool table, and checkers…
Outdoor Checkers Board
…and even a playground!
Playground at Shades of Green
If you and your family love to swim, there’s a splash pad and two pools! One of the pools is Mickey-shaped…
Splash Pad
…and the other is a zero-entry u-shaped pool called the Magnolia Pool. It is located right next to the Magnolia Golf Course and Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Deli so you can grab a bite to eat, take a dip in the pool, and golf all in one spot — fun! Probably one of the coolest features of the pool is that it is zero-entry on both sides so gone are the days of making a splash.
Magnolia Pool
And, we’ve mentioned golfing enough already but if you’re lucky, you might even get to spot Mickey Mouse in golf cart form!
Mickey Mouse Golf Cart
And that concludes our tour of the Shades of Green Resort! We certainly hope that you learned something about this little-known resort at Walt Disney World. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and we’ll see you next time!
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How neat to get details on this resort! I’m surprised to learn that there’s a place on Disney property that sells tickets to Universal and SeaWorld. I’m going to remember that for future trivia sessions!
Is it only for active members? What if you are already retired from the navy?
You forgot to mention some additional history about Shades of Green. SoG used to be a Disney themed and owned resort. First, it was The Golf Resort, before it became The Disney Inn. The Dept of Defense leased the hotel and property from Disney for 100 years, and it became Shades of Green. The DoD eventually purchased the resort. I believe Disney still owns the land.
Hi, Lorela. It looks like that’s an affirmative. You can check eligibility here.
This was originally a Disney Hotel and You could stay there in the ’80s. I remember the hotel but don’t remember what it was called. It is out past the Grand Floridian somewhere. Then you did not hear about it anymore. Later we learned that it became a hotel for the Military. We stayed at the Polynesian when they still had the luau and when church services were held there on Sunday. There was a sign for the hotel when you left the Polynesian Resort for this Hotel but it was NOT called Shades of Green then.
As a former CM, I remember picking up OT shifts at the front desk when it was the Disney Inn. I loved the resort, it was so small you could really get to know the guests. We would go “cart surfing” down the hallways on the luggage carts! And Snow White would come and read stories in the evening. She was wonderful, she could remember guests she met years ago and would call them by name. Great Disney memories!
Military. Active or retired. Or medically retired. Spouses and those that work for the DoD.
The rooms are bigger than deluxe rooms so you don’t feel crowded.
This is where I ordered my MVMCP tickets. They will fed ex to you the tickets.
I think it is wonderful this opportunity exists for our members of the various forms of service to our country. Thanks for doing this layout of the resort for those who were not aware may have a chance to stay on property. Friends stayed a few years ago and they loved every minute.
You can’t stay there unless you are a Military Family or have a job in the United States government. Mixed message putting this out on Disneyfoodblog. You audience isn’t all Military or Government Employees.
Disabled veterans with a VHIC – Veterans Health Identification Card also can stay here.
Thanks for sharing, Jnoel.
Thank you for sharing, Emily.
It is a fabulous resort we have stayed at many of times. Surprisingly a lot of Military families have no idea you can stay here. Just a 10 min walk to the Polynesian and 15 min walk to tickets and transportation… Be sure to look into the Military Salute tickets too, VERY affordable 4, 5 and 6 day park hopper tickets half the regular price…. They offer the same deal for Universal as well… Disney treats the Military and their family very well…
I’ve always known this resort was on grounds but thoroughly enjoyed seeing what it’s all about. So wonderful that Disney acknowledges the service and sacrifice made by these American heroes.
The resort was called the Disney Golf Hotel in the early/mid 80s. It was the first Disney resort I ever stayed at.
Veterans can stay there also, twice a year bin January and in September. You can see dates on their website.
Thanks for mentioning this resort. It’s a hidden gem. We found out about it though an article like this on one of the other boards, and it’s saved us so much money and stress by staying here. Husband is retired marine, and we can book up to 3 rooms, so we were able to take the extended family in 2019. You can also buy the discounted photo package, and tickets to the other parks etc in the area. It has many of the on site hotel perks, like early entry and early fast pass windows. The walk to the Polynesian monorail station is downhill and lovely in the morning, but a bit of a climb back up in the evening. The buses take you to the transportation center for MK and Epcot, but directly to AK and HS. We weren’t that impressed with the dining options, but we’ve never starved. The rooms are HUGE so having strollers and scooters is easy in the rooms. The place is larger then it looks, and we lost a couple of people last time we stayed there, because of long halls, and odd corners. There are wild animals and birds on the grounds, so an early morning on your balcony watching them through the mist is almost as good as a animal view at AKL.
My husband and I are Active Duty military and this is the only hotel we stay at on Disney. Our family loves it. The rooms are spacious, the grounds are beautiful, and the staff is always helpful and courteous. I know it’s not as fancy and filled with “Disney magic” as some of the other resorts, but they really do a good job of making you feel like you’re part of the Disney experience. Plus the rates cannot be beat. We will forever support SOG
Looks wonderful! Is it only for US military? My son is in the British Royal Air Force. I’m sure he’d love to be able to stay there!
Maria, to my knowledge, it’s only United States military members, but you could reach out to Disney to ask.
Looks like only US eligibility..
https://www.shadesofgreen.org/about-shades-green/eligibility
AJ,
Great job showing our military/DoD resort. You and the team did an excellent article on Shades of Green. We stay here yearly and it’s a huge advantage for us military/DoD to have the resort.
My only comment to add would be Shades of Green guest are allowed to also use any modes of Disney transportation that are available as if we were staying at a Disney resort.
Again fantastic article showing the Shades of Green to far reaching Disney Community!!!
Cheers Rocky
Thanks for this story. I knew about Shades of Green, but am not eligible to stay there, so I really enjoyed learning more about it. To all the service men and women reading this, thank you so much for your service.
I was a longtime DoD civilian employee (currently happily retired) and I’ve spent many vacations at SOG both before and after the huge expansion, as well as while I was still working and after retirement.
This is a great article about the resort, which is a hidden gem.
When the dinning package returns to Disney World can military members that stay at Shade of Green get them.?
My daughter and I visited there to see if we could get discounted park tickets , she is in the RAF but we couldnt ,it is only US military, shame as it would be nice if all military could use it.
Hi, Peggy. Because Shades of Green is a DoD-owned property, it is not eligible for Disney Dining Plan. You may find that the Resort offers other incentives (possibly dining incentives as well), so it’s worth checking into those when you book. Thank you for your service.
When visiting WDW, you CAN NOT plan “too much”. I try to visit any/all WDW-related sites, obviously DFB.
If you are military, active/retired, and you need additional information on Shades of Green, one source I’ve used since 2007 is MilitaryDisneyTips.com, a site managed by Steve Bell, a former CM, and 31-year retired Air Force veteran.
My father used to be in the Army. Would I be able to just shop at the exchange to purchase a gift for him having no military affiliation of my own? In other words, can the general public use the gift shop?
We Love SoG!! As a Disney devotee since 1972, we have stayed at many of the Disney properties. This was always my Father’s favorite since it began as ‘The Golf Resort’ and then the Disney Inn. I am very happy you did this to show this wonderful resort. I try to tell as many people as I can about this resort for Military. We will be here once again, the first week of December and can’t wait to see all the 50th Anniversary celebrations.
Stephanie, my understanding is that you CAN shop even if you are not a guest. There’s a walkway (maybe about a mile walk) from Polynesian if you don’t have transpo.
You DONT have to be a SoG guest, but you DO need your Military ID.
My family has stayed here on all of our Disney trips over the last 25 years and have loved it every time. It’s a great resource for active and retired military families and we are so grateful it’s there. It is really great that Disney treats SOG as a “good neighbor” hotel as well.
Thank you, DFB Guide, for doing this blog post and getting the word out to military families who may not have been aware.
We were going to stay there years ago, before this beautiful redo/expansion. As a DoD civilian, not any govt, has to be DoD, we could get HUGE discounts on rooms on property. and passes and tickets were a lot cheaper. i know as of ayear ago tickets no longer a lot cheaper unless you are active military (maybe retired). but we use our CAC card to go to the store there or sometimes to eat – the restaurants are much more friendly priced and good food. and quieter! Its a lovely place. used to be you could take the bus in to walk around or walk in, dunno if thaats still true. you could not drive in without the CAC tho.
We stayed at this resort when it was the Disney Golf Hotel in 1986. It was nice even then, but at the end of the day it was a little tiring to have to go to the Polynesian and then catch another bus to get back. We were in a section of rooms about as far from the entrance of the resort as you could be, and they backed onto a “natural” area. It wasn’t unusual to find tiny green frogs in the hallway outside our door. Fond memories!
Many thing have changed since 1986. SHADES now has their own fleet of buses, and trust me when I say they run “regularly”. Some buses go to assigned parks; some go to the Transfer Station adjacent to the Polynesian. And ALL passengers are your fellow Shades guests!
My husband is retired Army and we never stayed there because I was afraid we would miss the Disney magic. But after reading this and all the comments I think we will look into it for our next trip! Thank you to everyone for the info and thank you for your service!
For those of you asking about Allied service members, if they have a US DoD CAC (ID card) they are usually able to purchase the same discounted tickets and amenities that US service members can.
For example if you are in the UK RAF and assigned to US Central Command in Tampa, you would get a US CAC and be able to purchase the Military Salute tickets.
To dine at Shades of Green, do you have to have a military ID? We are going in December… the dates were not available for reservations for my daughter and her sailor at SOG. We have 18 in our party, but we would like to go take a look.
@Catherine S – as long as someone in your party has a Military ID they can escort you in and your party can eat there. Have your Sailor call and ask about a dinner reservation since you have a large group.
Great job DFB team for covering this. I just wanted to echo the many positive comments already mentioned. The value of SoG is one of the main reasons our family has been able to enjoy WDW for 20+ years.
Thanks for sharing this little known gem. I’m certain many of your followers will be happy to discover this “affordable” option to staying on property. (You do not quote rates, but I am assuming even the full price rooms are a bargain.)
I don’t understand the readers who chided you for posting this! You make it clear from the beginning that this is a restricted option. I did not even know the AFRC existed, despite having several active and retired military in my family.
It is always gratifying to find ways that our country gives back to service members. I still feel we could always do more, but each little bit counts.
Awesome article as always from the DFB team. From someone that has been there multiple times, just wanted to clarify some items for all:
Eligibility Link:
https://www.shadesofgreen.org/about-shades-green/eligibility
If you still have questions concerning eligibility – you will need to contact SoG direct https://www.shadesofgreen.org/contact-us
NOTE: If you try to contact ‘WDW/Disney’, the CMs really dont know a whole lot about SoG and the Military Discounts that are available – you would be better off contacting SoG staff direct.
Entry on to the property requires either military ID (DOD-ID) or to be escorted by an ‘eligible’ person (see eligibility link above). The front gate (along the main entrance) is manned and they will stop both vehicles and pedestrians alike for proper identification. You will also need identification to purchase tickets, merch, food or the like.
Not that its relavent (to date), but the ONLY drawback(s) to SoG is that the (former) Disney Dining Plan(s) DDPs were/are not offered to SoG guests and the SoG bus transportation was sometimes unreliable/slow.
NOTES/UPDATES: The dining options at SoG are very good and will suit most pallets accordingly (Recommend DFB do an analysis of food options at SoG… I will volunteer to escort you in 😉 – Any excuse to go back is a good one!!!). Transportation has improved over time and YES – you can use Disney Transportation, however, you will need either SOG transportation to/from the resort OR use the approx mile long walking path to/from the POLY. Disney (free) transportation will NOT take you directly to SoG (i.e. Minnie Vans and/or UBER/LYFT can drop you off – but dont forget your ID). We normally either take the SoG bus to the TTC or walk to the POLY (depending on the schedule/days events).
Rooms and Ammenities are above average and very comparable (and sometimes better) than Disney Deluxe Resorts in my opinion. This is a great option if you are eligible to stay here – Strongly Recommended.
Hope this helps
(PS – DFB – Feel free to contact me via e-mail if you want an escort to SoG 😉