Help with budgeting for 2 families and military discount?

mself145

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jun 26, 2014
I am planning a trip for next year in November. My Dh, myself, our dd (6yo) and my mil, and fil will be joining us. My fil is active Air Force reserves and honorable discharged marines (15+ years). He has offered to get tickets for us on base and we pay him back.

We are very close so being together I The Parks is not a problem, having him show his If is not an issue either as he is proud to show it wherever we go.

We are planning on getting 2 rooms. I was planning on pop century but was wondering is “shades of green” or if renting dvc points might be cheaper? We are going to be staying 5 nights. This will be our first trip going all together. Any tips will be appreciated. I need to know how much to save and plan for and what would be the best route.
(Edited i made a mistake and typed retired marine when it should have been honorable discharge. Sorry for the confusion)
 
Last edited:
If comparing prices, you should initially compare apples to apples i.e. Pop Century is a 'value' resort whereas Shades of Green is considered a 'moderate' and DVC is 'deluxe' so naturally you will find they vary greatly in price. Shades of Green does have family suites if you do not want to rent 2 separate rooms and DVC is similar to any timeshare condo where you can also get away with one rental for your family based on comfort level of staying with each other. Pricing will also depend on when you are going as holidays will be more expensive. Remember Shades of Green does not charge all the FL sales and tourism taxes since it is technically a military facility. Hope this helps and have fun planning your trip!
 
I am planning a trip for next year in November. My Dh, myself, our dd (6yo) and my mil, and fil will be joining us. My fil is active Air Force reserves and retired marines. He has offered to get tickets for us on base and we pay him back.

We are very close so being together I The Parks is not a problem, having him show his If is not an issue either as he is proud to show it wherever we go.

We are planning on getting 2 rooms. I was planning on pop century but was wondering is “shades of green” or if renting dvc points might be cheaper? We are going to be staying 5 nights. This will be our first trip going all together. Any tips will be appreciated. I need to know how much to save and plan for and what would be the best route.

SoG over Pop any day!!! I have never stayed in DVC, but that would be the more expensive option.

SoG also offers a small number of suites. They book fast. The standard rooms also book fast. I would recommend booking now and if you decide to stay elsewhere. Can canx up to 30-days out.

SoG sofa has a fold down single bed as well
So the rooms sleep 5 (within fire code). I have stayed at SoG with six when my youngest was still small Enough to sleep between me and her dad.
 
The mil discount for Pop rooms is about 30 percent off.
The extra cost of SoG can vary by season. Be sure to look up the proper rank of the mil person to determine cost.

Each has pro's and con's (If my info is not accurate, someone please correct me)
Pop- can be less expensive, smaller rooms, great buses, free parking in the parks, definite Disney bubble atmosphere.
SoG- large rooms, relaxed atmosphere, predictable bus schedule, distant bus stops compared to Disney Resorts at the actual parks, you have to pay to park in the parks. Can cost more per night than a value, but your priorities may allow for that.

Neither location is a loser, each place will provide a memorable stay.
 


Never stayed at SOG, stayed at Pop for our first Disney trip and our kids loved it, honestly they are happy at any Disney resort. For us on-site was the least expensive route, the Magical express made things so much easier. They are all great choices, it really all depends on your budget.
 
Sounds like SoG may be our budget moderate and Pop may be our value on a budget choice. Sounds like we can’t make a bad choice here. I am leaning towards the theming of pop and to be close to art of animation for my 6 year old, but the quiet and relaxed atmosphere of SOG May never make me want to leave. Lol.

I only considered dvc points as a cousin said it is “So much cheaper to rent points” I’ve never done it, so I had to ask the experts.
 
Being as I've stayed in SoG and Pop if I had the choice now if my husband was still active duty, I'd pick SoG without hesitation! I LOVED Pop, but SoG and it's proximity to MK was quite nice!
 


Sounds like SoG may be our budget moderate and Pop may be our value on a budget choice. Sounds like we can’t make a bad choice here. I am leaning towards the theming of pop and to be close to art of animation for my 6 year old, but the quiet and relaxed atmosphere of SOG May never make me want to leave. Lol.

I only considered dvc points as a cousin said it is “So much cheaper to rent points” I’ve never done it, so I had to ask the experts.
If Deluxe is your budget, than renting DVC points is cheaper, but you can't modify.
 
The mil discount for Pop rooms is about 30 percent off.
The extra cost of SoG can vary by season. Be sure to look up the proper rank of the mil person to determine cost.

Each has pro's and con's (If my info is not accurate, someone please correct me)
Pop- can be less expensive, smaller rooms, great buses, free parking in the parks, definite Disney bubble atmosphere.
SoG- large rooms, relaxed atmosphere, predictable bus schedule, distant bus stops compared to Disney Resorts at the actual parks, you have to pay to park in the parks. Can cost more per night than a value, but your priorities may allow for that.

Neither location is a loser, each place will provide a memorable stay.

SoG prices doesn’t change by season. The only rate factoring is military rank and room type (standard vs junior suite). You have to pass through the Magic Kingdom parking booth to get to SoG, but you just tell them you are staying at SoG, and you don’t pay the parking fee. From SoG, you can easily take the monorail from the Poly.

She didn’t mention the car/parking situation.

Pop, you run the risk of being there with large groups (Cheer, soccer, band, etc).
 
SoG prices doesn’t change by season. The only rate factoring is military rank and room type (standard vs junior suite). You have to pass through the Magic Kingdom parking booth to get to SoG, but you just tell them you are staying at SoG, and you don’t pay the parking fee. From SoG, you can easily take the monorail from the Poly.

She didn’t mention the car/parking situation.

Pop, you run the risk of being there with large groups (Cheer, soccer, band, etc).

I was not clear about price difference, sorry about that............

Pop prices vary widely from weekend to weekdays, peak season to value season. That was the variable I was trying to point out with Pop vs SoG.
Also, SoG does often have reduced rates for fall.

So...........you have to literally do an exact stay date comparison to determine which location costs more or less.

edit: found a link for seasonal specials..........
https://www.shadesofgreen.org/accommodations/special-offers/monthly-specials
 
Last edited:
Deluxe definitely isn’t in. Our budget.

Thanks for the link..
we will be driving to Disney, so we will need to park our vehicle. I heard that SoG does have busses available to the parks as well but it’s a bit more of a walk?
 
I heard that SoG does have busses available to the parks as well but it’s a bit more of a walk?

Yes.........the walk is longer than to a WDW resort bus stop, and about the same as having to walk to the handicapped parking area for cars.
If it is a hot season you may want to use an umbrella as sun shade since you will be standing out in the open. BUT.....SoG buses operate with military precision, so the arrive/depart times are very predictable.
 
Yes.........the walk is longer than to a WDW resort bus stop, and about the same as having to walk to the handicapped parking area for cars.
If it is a hot season you may want to use an umbrella as sun shade since you will be standing out in the open. BUT.....SoG buses operate with military precision, so the arrive/depart times are very predictable.


That is ABSOLUTE truth!
 
I am planning a trip for next year in November. My Dh, myself, our dd (6yo) and my mil, and fil will be joining us. My fil is active Air Force reserves and retired marines. He has offered to get tickets for us on base and we pay him back.

We are very close so being together I The Parks is not a problem, having him show his If is not an issue either as he is proud to show it wherever we go.

We are planning on getting 2 rooms. I was planning on pop century but was wondering is “shades of green” or if renting dvc points might be cheaper? We are going to be staying 5 nights. This will be our first trip going all together. Any tips will be appreciated. I need to know how much to save and plan for and what would be the best route.

Never heard of someone retiring from one branch of the service than go to another branch in the reserves. Tell your Fil SEMPER FI. I thank him for his long service serving our great country.
 
Never heard of someone retiring from one branch of the service than go to another branch in the reserves. Tell your Fil SEMPER FI. I thank him for his long service serving our great country.

I’m sorry. I misspoke. He is former marine, honorable discharge, I want to say 15+years? He did do tours in desert storm. He wanted to retire marine, but they said he is now too old to re-Inlist. So he is active air force reserves as they will honor time served and they took him in no questions. He is the most fit and honorable person I know.
 
We have stayed at many Disney resorts over the years, but SOG cannot be beat for location and value. True, no Disney theming, but it is a peaceful, laidback resort that can be a welcome break from the parks. Another thing to consider; Disney budget and moderate resorts are very spread out. Depending on your room location, you may have a long hike to your room from the lobby, or bus stop. The SOG bus pulls right up to the lower level of the resort which is great especially when it's pouring rain, or you are exhausted. I also love the fact that the Poly is within walking distance!
 
When factoring the cost, don't forget to factor in any military room discounts available. We've secured a great rate for this summer at POP with our military discount.
 
Never heard of someone retiring from one branch of the service than go to another branch in the reserves. Tell your Fil SEMPER FI. I thank him for his long service serving our great country.
60ish percent of reservists are prior service in one branch or another-although the only time retiree's go back is if they are recalled

SoG is awesome-we loved it -you need to decide what you want in the way of themeing and compare prices. I generally will choose an AFRC over a regular hotel if its an option be cause of all the perks like onsite PX and ticket office-and in Hawaii food and shows..
 
Personally, I almost always go Pop over Shades when given the option - especially with the nice new reno the Pop rooms got. My personal experience at Shades has been very early housekeeping vacuuming and waking me up, doors that do not effectively block out excited screams in the hallway in the early morning, and food I'd rather not have more of.

That said, the location and the ability to walk to the Polynesian monorail is fantastic. I also enjoy everything being under one roof. I've stayed for peak seasons when onsite rooms have much higher comparative prices and saved a good deal. Shades will probably be cheaper, but it can depend based on season. Parking at the resort is also less expensive at Shades.
 
Don't get attached to a resort until you actually call and find out availability with the military discount for your trip dates. I have used the military discount over 10 times and Pop has NEVER been available with the discount. So, you may not even get that option when you call. The discounts are pretty random and especially if you need 2 rooms, may not have any at resorts you want.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top