Shades of Green (resort)

Shades of Green is a resort owned by the United States Department of Defense (DOD) on the Walt Disney World Resort property near Orlando, in the city of Bay Lake, Florida. The resort is on the grounds of Walt Disney World, but it is annexed as a military resort. It is one of five Armed Forces Recreation Centers (AFRC) resorts, and a part of the military's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) program. The resort, which was expanded between 2004 and 2006, is self-supporting; it operates from non-appropriated funds, and all profits are put back into it.

Resort details
Shades of Green is located near Magic Kingdom, southwest of the Polynesian Village Resort, however, it is not included on the monorail system. Instead, transportation around Walt Disney World is provided exclusively by a separate fleet of buses, which shuttle guests to and from the Transportation and Ticket Center, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs and the water parks.

The resort's motto, Serving Those Who Serve, reflects its design as a retreat for military personnel of all ranks, their families, and their guests. As guests approach Shades of Green, there are five service flags atop a rock formation with five waterfalls, each a tribute to five of the six branches of military service. Rising above the setting is a larger American flag and a smaller POW/MIA flag.

Shades of Green does not have a pervasive theme like other Disney resorts, with the general decor being that of a modern country club. The resort is in a wooded setting complete with waterfalls and tropical gardens, including a two-story rock formation encircled by the resort's main staircase. It has 586 guest rooms, most of which are standard guest rooms with over 480 sqft of floor space, along with 11 suites that can accommodate up to eight people. There are two lighted tennis courts, two heated swimming pools, a children's pool, a hot tub, a fitness center, an arcade, and laundry facilities.

The resort offers 7,500 sqft of banquet space equipped with audiovisual facilities for events. As a U.S. Military-operated facility, merchandise is sales tax-exempt, and rooms are exempt from hotel tax. The lease mandates compliance with Disney standards.

History
Shades of Green originally opened as a Disney-owned resort known as the Golf Resort in December 1973, with 151 rooms, between the Palm and Magnolia golf courses. It was built of wood and volcanic rock in the style of a country club. Its core building opened in 1971 as a two-story clubhouse for the golf courses and did not have guest rooms. Guest wings were added to the original clubhouse in 1973 to provide overnight accommodations. The Golf Resort had one restaurant, the Magnolia Room (later the Trophy Room), which had a signature dessert called "french fried ice cream." Live entertainment at the Magnolia Room was usually provided by Amos and Charles, a duo of singer-guitarists whose shows were a combination of soft rock, bluegrass, country, and folk music.

The hotel's full-service pro shop offered an instructional program, the Golf Studio, conducted by professionals for players of all ages and playing levels. The Players' Gallery was a large cocktail lounge that overlooked the Magnolia Golf Course. The resort's recreation included two lighted tennis courts and a pool, now the Magnolia Pool, which had three water-spouting columns in its shallow section. There were also two putting greens.

The resort had an occupancy rate of 60–75% for most of the year. To expand its target demographic beyond golfers, it was expanded and renamed The Disney Inn in February 1986. It received an additional 150 rooms, and a new Snow White theme; however, it was still small by Disney standards. The resort described itself as having "the rustic charm of a quiet country inn", with rooms decorated in a bright, airy style. The restaurant was renamed the Garden Gallery and served American cuisine. The lounge was renamed to the Back Porch, and two dining options were also added: The Diamond Mine, a snack bar, and The Sand Trap, a poolside bar. Recreation included the Diamond Mine Arcade, the two pools, jogging, the two tennis courts, and golf on either of the two adjacent championship courses. Rates from the early 1990s for the Disney Inn ranged from $195.00 a night for two queen beds and a sleeper sofa to $500.00 for suites.

In the early 1990s, the Army chose Orlando as the prime location for a continental U.S. resort. On February 1, 1994, the US Department of Defense secured a 100-year lease for the resort, limiting its use to eligible guests under the MWR program. In 1996, the DoD acquired the resort for $43 million due to its success, while Disney retained ownership of the land.

The resort was renamed Shades of Green, which refers to the colors of the US military's war-fighting uniforms. The resort temporarily closed on April 1, 2002, for the demolition of the original building and the construction of a brand-new building, designed by KBJ Architects. During the construction, guests were able to stay at Disney's Contemporary Resort at Shades of Green daily rates. The resort reopened nearly two years later, on March 31, 2004, with 586 guest rooms.

The new resort has more guest room options, meeting space, fine dining, and guest amenities. The renovation remodeled the guest rooms in the Magnolia Wing, doubled the number of guest rooms, added ten family suites, additional dining options, 7500 sqft of meeting facilities, a fitness center, and a multi-level, 500-space parking garage.

Walt Disney World privileges
Shades of Green guests have full transportation to most Walt Disney World theme parks with Shades of Green wrapped buses provided by Escot Bus Lines. The resort offers direct bus transportation to Disney's Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios theme parks, but not to the Magic Kingdom or Epcot. Guests traveling to the latter two theme parks may take a bus to the Transportation and Ticket Center and transfer to the monorail there. There is also bus transportation offered to Disney Springs and to either of the Walt Disney World water parks (Disney's Blizzard Beach and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon).

Shades of Green is considered a Disney-owned resort for purposes of Extra Magic Hours at the theme parks. However, due to its ownership by the Department of Defense, it does not have certain amenities that are exclusive to other Disney-owned resorts. Room charging off the Shades of Green property is not available, and resort guests are not eligible for the Disney Dining Plan. Shades of Green guests are required to pay for daily parking at Disney World's theme parks if they drive their car. Shades of Green also did not participate in the now discontinued Magical Express program.

Eligible guests may purchase discounted admission tickets for the Walt Disney World Resort parks and other Orlando-area parks and activities at the Shades of Green Attraction and Ticket Sales Office, which is located on the lobby level. A Military Identification Card or a Department of Defense Identification Card must be presented at the time of purchase. Most of these tickets may be used by any person; the only restriction is that the purchaser be one of the eligible persons listed below. It is not required that otherwise eligible parkgoers be staying at the resort in order to benefit from the ticket discounts.

As of December 2017, Shades of Green guests are now able to link their reservations to the My Disney Experience page on the Disney website.

Eligible guests
Because Shades of Green is an AFRC resort, it is not open to the general public. Reservations may be made only by:


 * Current Active-component members of the United States Armed Forces
 * Current Reserve and National Guard members
 * Retired from active component, Reserves, and National Guard with or without pay (gray area)
 * Honorably discharged veterans with 100% Disabled Veterans (DAV) service-connected disability certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
 * Recipients of the Medal of Honor
 * Current and retired civilian employees of the Department of Defense (DoD) and Coast Guard (CG)
 * Recipients of the Purple Heart
 * Former prisoners of war
 * Veterans with VA-documented service-connected disability ratings
 * Primary family caregivers of veterans, as designated under the VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers

People who do not meet these eligibility requirements may stay at Shades of Green while on vacation with an eligible sponsor.

"Salute To Our Veterans" is a program that started in 2010, which allows all military veterans who have received an honorable discharge (verified by current DD Form 214) the opportunity to vacation at Shades of Green during January and September.

The Shades of Green Survivors’ Family Program is a program for eligible family members who have suffered a loss of a sponsor in the event of an Active-Duty death regardless of the cause (combat, accident, suicide or illness) and also may be uniformed personnel.

In line with the Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act 2018, in January 2020, Department of Defense/Army regulations were changed to include Purple Heart recipients, former POWs, and disabled veterans and/or their caregivers. Caregivers must be identified as such by their local VA Office of Community Care, while veterans may use their Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) or HEC form H623A to prove their status.

Room rates are adjusted on a sliding scale, with prices increasing with rank and pay grade.

Golf
Shades of Green is enveloped by two PGA Championship golf courses, Disney's Palm and Magnolia. Additionally, the resort features the nine-hole Oak Trail, a par-36 layout with holes ranging from 132 to 517 yards. Driving ranges and putting greens are also provided.