The biggest and most important part to planning your Disney
vacation is deciding where to stay!
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There are a ton of options for lodging in and around Disney.
I personally recommend staying on property. When you stay on property you never
have to drive or pay for parking! Every Disney resort has transportation to the
theme parks, Downtown Disney area, and the water parks. Disney resorts also
offer the Magical Express, which is a shuttle from the Orlando International
Airport to all of the Disney Resorts.
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There are also many options off property, but if you want to
stay off property, do your research to see which off property hotels offer
shuttles to the parks.
My vote is always for on property and Disney has done an
amazing job of making sure there is a resort that works for every family’s
budget.
Staying on property for me means staying in the magic that
is Disney. Seriously everything on property is amazingly decorated, even the
street signs. When you are on Disney property it feels like you are in a whole
other world and that feeling for me just can’t be beat.
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So let’s break down resort options! In the Walt Disney World
Resort, you will find three different types of resorts:
Value Resorts- Start at 85 a night.
Moderate Resorts- Start at 162 a night
Deluxe Resorts- Start at 284 a night.
Prices for the Disney resorts change with the season. They
are typically cheaper in the off season. They also offer discounts for military
members, Florida residents, and AARP members.
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To check out each Disney Resort and their specials please
click here!
Now let’s focus on our military families!
There is an amazing military resort on Disney property,
which until a few years ago I had no idea even existed. It is called Shades of
Green and its located extremely close to the Magic Kingdom. It’s actually on
the same street as Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian!
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Besides the fact that it is on Disney property, there are a
ton of other great things about this resort that make it a great option for
military families who are visiting Walt Disney World.
First off, Shades of Green is comparable to the Disney Deluxe
Resorts! How is that so, you may be wondering. Well because it used to be a
Disney Deluxe Resort. In the early 90s the building that is now Shades of
Green, was the Disney Golf Resort, which seems appropriate because it sits on
one of the two golf courses in the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney sold the
property to a military organization in 1994.
Although Shades of Green is comparable to the Disney Deluxe
Resorts, the prices are not. The room rates at Shades of Green are based on rank, so that they are affordable for all income levels. You can find the complete
list of rates and ranks here!
Shades of Green is also beautiful, look at that water fall:
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There are a few things that are important to know before you
decide if Shades of Green is right for your military family.
Shades of Green is not owned by Walt Disney World, therefore, guests of Shades of Green are not eligible for the Disney Dinning Plan, Magic
Bands, or the Magical Express.
They have their own buses that travel to the parks, but they
are not the same as the Disney transportation; however, they are free to use and
go to all four parks, the water parks, and Downtown Disney. They run every 30 minutes;
you are given a bus schedule upon your arrival.
Even though Shades of Green is not considered a Walt Disney
World Resort, guests are still able to attend the Extra Magic Hours in the parks;
you just have to show your room key when entering the park.
My husband and I have stayed at Shades of Green twice and
are heading there again at the end of November.
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| This adorable patriotic Mickey lives in the lobby of Shades of Green. He's a very popular photo spot! |
Each time we have stayed we have had a wonderful experience. Most of the staff are former military and they are extremely polite. They really
go out of their way to make sure your stay is magical.
To learn more about Shades of Green and their vacation specials,check out their website:
shadesofgreen.org.
Happy Planning,
Jess
