Welcome Back, Wes!
Thank you so much for visiting us again hEAR at the Disney Parks Moms Panel and asking this great Military Walt Disney World Resort vacation planning question! I'm an Air Force wife and I stayed at Shades of Green for the first time this last November, so I'm so excited to assist you with this question today!
While technically located on the Walt Disney World Resort property,
Shades of Green is not an official Walt Disney World Resort Hotel. I'm
linking a Map of Disney's Polynesian Village Resort; if you move the map to the right just a bit, you'll see 'Magnolia Palm Road' on the left side of your screen marked in yellow that loops to a building and parking lot. That's Shades, and it's technically about a 10-15 minute walk to The Poly.
I hadn't stayed at Shades before last year because I honestly love all of the included perks available to only those who book an official Disney-owned
Disney Resort Hotel. Perks such as every person in each reservation receives a
Magic Band, the complimentary transportation from and back to the Orlando International Airport via
Disney's Magical Express motorcoach, and even a handy way to pre-pay for most of your meals and snacks by purchasing a
Disney Dining Plan.
However, after that trip I might be an every visit Shades of Green convert. The rooms are huge, the on-site dining options are really budget friendly, and the bus transportation to Disney's four Theme Parks is top notch - the driver checks IDs to make sure you're either a registered guest of the resort or a Military Member/Dependent!! You'll also be happy to know that Shades DOES participate in both
Extra Magic Hours and 60 Day
FastPass+ reservations. There's a lot of value built in at this resort. And don't forget that every friend of Mickey, no matter where they stay, is welcome to use the complimentary
Resort and Theme Park Transportation to get around, as well as
Mobile Food and Beverage Ordering.
Wes I would love to answer any more Disney Military or Shades of Green questions you might have. And don't forget that in addition to special
U.S. Military Pricing on 4, 5 and 6-Day Disney Park Hopper Theme Park Tickets and
special Military rates at Disney Resort Hotels, there's also a special Military price and rule twist on
Disney's Memory Maker Product!
I hope this helped to clEAR things up a bit, and We'll See You Real Soon!
~Kristen