As others have said,the prices and amenities of Shades of Green can be beaten elsewhere- but not on Disney property itself. If you value being near the monorail, having access to early and late hours at the park, good bus service, covered parking, and security, this is the place for you. As far as walking , go look at the Polynesian. It's a lot farther from their outlying buildings to the lobby or your car.
I stayed at Shades the last week in October when there were lots of activities for children- trick or treating, face painting, a balloon man- Plus the children's buffet at breakfast and dinner.There was a pumpkin decorating contest in the lobby. Pumpkins were decorated by the various staff departments and the public voted for their favorites My sister who was visiting me, liked the pumpkins so much she came back another day and voted again..My room was clean; the towels new; and there was a small refrigerator. I pre-ordered my tickets for the parks and they were waiting for me at the desk when I arrived. I do wish they had real soap and shampoo and that the lighting in the bathroom was better.I really liked the breakfast buffet. I have stayed at this hotel many times and always felt safe and enjoyed it. As far as the cost, they often have specials including the breakfast buffet for less than the usual price of a room. The room charge also varies according to the service member's rank.

Hotel: Our connecting rooms had views of the golf course. The 2012 military promotional tickets are an amazing deal and our fall package room rates were unbeatable. The mattress and pillows were not comfortable but the rooms are large enough to sleep a family of six. Lights were out in bathroom. The food is unexceptional but budget friendly. If you are the average family, you will find it to be a good value. If you have discriminating taste, you will want to eat elsewhere but bring extra money.

Transportation: Catch monorail from Polynesian 10 min walk from Shades of Green. You will spend a lot of time on bus or monorail so study most direct routes. If you use SOG bus be sure you know the schedule. I called the operator at SOG for the next pickup at Hollywood Studios and according to the operator; the bus was due any minute. I waited ½ hr. in the cold dark for the bus. Guest service should know the schedule but that’s SOG service. I used my IPhone to look up the bus schedule on the SOG website. Don’t bother; there is no schedule on SOG website? A simple PDF would be easy to post. In addition, the monthly calendar and a section on tips from guests would be good to post. FYI SOG

Disneyworld vs. Disneyland: If you are new to Disneyworld and familiar with Disneyland, you have to readjust your thinking. To say Shades of Green is in the Disney Park is a misnomer. The distance between parks is MILES! You have to think in terms of it being in the same city.Our two sons 25 & 29 prefer the nostalgia and layout of Disneyland, CA and the Disney hotels.

Summary: Overall, the average military family or retiree will find SOG to be a great value. If you are budget mined then, off-season is the best time to go for weather, low crowds and cost. If you are super cheap you could take the Polynesian bus from airport and 10 min walk to SOG. I found a car rental for less than the shuttle to and from the airport.I did not use Alamo at the hotel but rentalcars.com because it was cheaper. We stopped at a Wal-Mart on the way back to the airport that had TONS of Disney t-shirts and souvenirs for half the price. This may be a good stop for those with lots of kids on a budget.
If you have stayed at Disney hotels, you will be disappointed. Nobody does it better than Disney. My husband and I agree but would definitely come back to Shades of Green again-without the boys next time.

Never, ever again will I go near this place. First, the hotel itself is built like a Labyrinth, My room was so far from my car it was insane and no transport cart for your items. There was no fridge or microwave/fridge in the room...come on, even the cheapest motel out there has a microwave or a fridge in room. The room was so dated, carpet was gross, bathroom was yuck. This place just need to be renovated, like all the rooms need to be renovated if they are like mine; it just is not worth $98 or $5 for parking. I have stayed at Navy lodges and Air Force lodges and they are just wonderful. Army....welll, refer to above. I stayed here one night then checked into Holiday Inn Express where the amenities are far better and the room was cheap and exceptionally clean.

A military hotel/resort on Disney property - how fabulous! It is reasonably priced, convenient, has transport to attractions - just about everything you need for a visit. There is a shoppette sized BX but it is being expanded for Spring '13. If I had to critique anything, first, the decor - it looked more like a ski lodge - similar feel to Edelweiss in Garmisch. The decor sure isn't much of a complaint - but, my big complaint was the breakfast buffet - yuck. It had powdered eggs, runny grits, weak coffee. It sure wasn't worth the 12.95 we paid. BUT....there was a separate buffet for the little ones! THAT was wonderful. Thank you! We'll definitely stay here again.