Shades of Green vs. Disney Deluxe Resort Rooms

Shades of Green and Disney Deluxe Resort Rooms Offer Very Different Kinds of Value

Shades of Green and Walt Disney World’s Deluxe Resorts can both give you an excellent place to stay, but this comparison is deliberately much narrower than deciding which resort is better overall.

We’re focusing only on the guest rooms themselves.

If you’re comparing transportation, dining, pools, location, Disney Resort benefits, or the overall resort experience, those are different questions, which I discuss here.

Here, the question is:

Once you close the room door behind you, which gives your family the better place to sleep, get ready, spread out, store your luggage, work, eat, relax, and spend time during the trip?

I’ve stayed at every Walt Disney World Resort except the Fort Wilderness Cabins and the Disney Treehouses, including all eight Disney Deluxe Resort hotels and both room configurations at Shades of Green.

And this comparison is much closer than comparing Shades of Green with Disney’s traditional Moderate rooms.

Shades of Green still gives you more square footage than a standard room at any Disney Deluxe Resort. But the Disney Deluxe rooms answer with stronger interior design, more predictable bathroom layouts, useful furniture, better in-room technology in my experience, and, in some room categories, views that can become part of the room experience itself.

So this is not simply a question of which room is bigger.

It’s a question of how much you value space versus everything Disney can put inside—and immediately outside—the room.

Shades of Green vs. Disney Deluxe Rooms at a Glance

This comparison focuses on the standard hotel rooms at Disney’s eight Deluxe Resort hotels:

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

It does not include Disney Vacation Club Deluxe Studios or Villas, suites, or other specialty accommodations.

That distinction matters because DVC accommodations can have very different layouts, sleeping arrangements, kitchen facilities, bathrooms, and room sizes.

Shades of Green Is Still Bigger, but the Advantage Varies Considerably

Shades of Green’s size advantage is real.

But unlike the comparison with Disney Moderate rooms, it isn’t equally dramatic against every Deluxe Resort.

Shades of Green Standard Rooms are approximately:

• 450 square feet in the Palm Wing
• 480 square feet in the Magnolia Wing

Approximate standard Disney Deluxe hotel-room sizes look like this:

A Shades of Green Room

That table illustrates something worth understanding before you pay Deluxe Resort prices:

The word “Deluxe” does not tell you how large the room will be.

Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge are considerably smaller than Shades of Green. BoardWalk, Beach Club, and Yacht Club begin closing the gap, while Contemporary, Polynesian, and especially Grand Floridian get much closer.

I’ve stayed in all of these resorts, and the differences don’t exist only on a floor plan.

You notice the extra space at Shades of Green when everyone is back in the room together, luggage is open, people are moving around the beds, and someone wants to sit down without being in somebody else’s way.

But square footage alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

How the Room Uses Its Space Matters Almost as Much as the Square Footage

Disney’s Contemporary Resort Room

This is where the Deluxe comparison gets more interesting.

Shades of Green gives you a lot of usable physical room.

There is space around the beds, room for luggage, a seating area at the far end of the room, and much more breathing room than you get in many standard Walt Disney World hotel rooms.

But Disney Deluxe rooms often do a better job of giving parts of that space a specific purpose.

Most have some form of desk or dedicated work surface.

Several room designs also incorporate tables or additional surfaces that can be useful for eating, setting up a laptop, charging electronics, organizing park gear, or simply keeping everything off the beds.

That matters more than it might sound.

If you’re spending a week in the room, eating breakfast before the parks, doing some work during the trip, or bringing back food at night, a useful table or desk can be more valuable than several additional square feet of open floor.

So I would describe this difference this way:

Shades of Green often gives you more space. Disney Deluxe rooms can sometimes do more with the space they have.

Neither approach automatically wins.

It depends on how your family actually uses a hotel room.

Sleeping Five Is Easier to Understand at Shades of Green

Every Shades of Green Standard and Poolside Room sleeps up to five guests.

The basic setup is:

• Two queen beds
• A fold-down sleeper built into the couch

The fifth bed is narrow and shorter than a normal bed.

I’m 6’2″, and when I lie on it, my head and feet firmly touch the armrests.

It works well for a child or smaller guest.

I would not describe it as another adult-size bed.

Disney Deluxe rooms are less consistent.

Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge standard hotel rooms generally accommodate four people in their two-queen configurations.

At several of the other Deluxe Resorts, many standard room configurations can sleep five using two queen beds plus a daybed or other fold-down bed.

That can give Disney an advantage in the comfort of the fifth bed.

The daybeds found in many Deluxe rooms are more substantial than the little fifth bed at Shades of Green.

But there is another side to that.

At Shades of Green, you do not need to research whether your particular Standard or Poolside Room accommodates five.

They all do.

That simplicity matters when you’re booking for a family of five.

And Shades of Green still gives five people considerably more overall space than several of the Disney Deluxe options.

So I would separate the question into two parts:

• Which makes it easiest to book five people into a standard room? Shades of Green.
• Which may give the fifth person a better bed? Some Disney Deluxe room configurations.

For families with older children or five adults, I would pay particular attention to the actual bed options before choosing either one.

Disney Deluxe Bathrooms Have a Predictability Advantage

Bathroom layout is one of the places where Shades of Green’s two wings matter quite a bit.

And it creates an advantage for Disney that isn’t immediately obvious.

Palm Wing at Shades of Green

The Palm Wing has the Shades of Green bathroom configuration I prefer.

The shower and toilet are enclosed together, while the vanity is outside that room.

You also get two sinks.

For a family of four or five, that works extremely well.

One person can shower or use the toilet while other family members brush their teeth, shave, do makeup, or otherwise get ready.

It is one of the best practical features of the Palm Wing rooms.

Magnolia Wing at Shades of Green

Magnolia uses the older configuration.

There is one sink inside the same room as the toilet and shower/tub.

When someone closes that bathroom door, the sink and mirror effectively go with them.

Magnolia gives you the larger overall room, but I prefer Palm’s bathroom arrangement.

Shades of Green Single Sink Bath on Left, Separate Double Sink on Right

See: Palm Wing vs. Magnolia Wing at Shades of Green: Which Should You Request?

The Problem Is That a Palm Wing Request Is Not Guaranteed

You can request a particular Shades of Green wing.

A request is not a guarantee.

You may ask for Palm because you want the split bathroom and still receive Magnolia.

That changes the comparison with Disney Deluxe rooms.

At most Disney Deluxe Resorts, you know the basic bathroom arrangement when you choose the resort.

Most of the Deluxe rooms use a split arrangement, separating the sink/getting-ready area from at least part of the enclosed bathroom.

The Contemporary and Polynesian are notable exceptions to that general pattern and use a single-room arrangement.

The important point is not that every Disney Deluxe bathroom is better than Palm.

I don’t think they are.

The advantage is predictability.

If bathroom layout matters to your family, you can choose a Disney Deluxe Resort knowing what its normal room configuration looks like.

At Shades of Green, the bathroom you receive depends on which wing you’re assigned.

For two guests, that may be irrelevant.

For four or five people trying to leave for rope drop at the same time, it can matter a lot.

Interior Hallways Are No Longer a Shades of Green Advantage

This is a major difference from comparing Shades of Green with Disney’s Moderate rooms.

Moderate rooms open directly onto exterior walkways.

Their windows also face those same walkways, which means other guests regularly pass directly in front of the room.

Shades of Green avoids that.

You enter from an interior corridor, while the room’s window and sliding door are on the exterior side of the building.

Disney Deluxe Resorts work the same way.

They use interior corridors.

So one of Shades of Green’s strongest room-design advantages over the traditional Moderates disappears in this comparison.

Both Shades of Green and the Disney Deluxe Resorts feel much more like conventional full-service hotel rooms in this respect.

Balconies and Patios Become a Different Kind of Comparison

Every Shades of Green Standard Room has a balcony or patio, and Poolside Rooms have patios.

That is a major advantage when comparing Shades of Green with Disney Moderate rooms, because traditional Moderate rooms do not have private outdoor space attached to the room.

Against the Deluxe Resorts, the question changes.

Most Disney Deluxe hotel rooms also provide a balcony or patio.

So the question is no longer simply:

Do I have private outdoor space?

It becomes:

What can I actually see and experience from that space?

At Shades of Green, you may look over:

• One of the golf courses
• Landscaped resort grounds
• A pool area

Some of those locations can be extremely pleasant.

I especially like the quieter rooms looking toward the golf course.

But room location matters.

A peaceful upper-floor balcony overlooking greenery is a different experience from a ground-floor patio beside a walkway where other guests regularly pass in front of you.

The Disney Deluxe Resorts add another variable:

Some of their views can become one of the main reasons you book the room.

Some Disney Deluxe Views Become Part of the Room Experience

This is technically something outside the walls of the room.

I still think it belongs in a room comparison.

Why?

Because you can experience it without leaving the room or its attached balcony.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna View Room

Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna View

Animal Kingdom Lodge is the clearest example.

A Savanna View room lets you look out from your room or balcony and see the animals on the savanna.

That isn’t simply a pleasant hotel view.

It can become part of how you spend time in the room.

You can get up in the morning, open the curtain, step onto the balcony, and watch giraffes and other animals without going anywhere.

I particularly like the interior design of the Animal Kingdom Lodge rooms, even though they’re among the smaller Disney Deluxe rooms.

Add the right savanna view, and the room can deliver an experience that square-footage comparisons completely miss.

Contemporary Theme Park View

The Contemporary offers another kind of room experience.

A Theme Park View puts Magic Kingdom outside the room.

You can see the park from inside or from the balcony, and depending on the room and conditions, that can include the nighttime environment and fireworks.

Again, Shades of Green may give you considerably more room.

But it cannot reproduce that.

Other Deluxe Views Matter Too

Grand Floridian and Polynesian rooms can look toward Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom.

The EPCOT-area Deluxe Resorts can offer Crescent Lake, BoardWalk, garden, or pool views.

Not every Deluxe view is spectacular, and the best ones normally come with a higher room-category price.

So I would not compare a basic Shades of Green Standard Room with an expensive Disney premium-view room as though they cost the same.

But when you’re judging the room experience itself, the view belongs in the discussion.

A golf-course view can be relaxing.

Watching animals or looking across at Magic Kingdom can be something more.

Disney Deluxe Rooms Often Give You Better Work and Dining Surfaces

One thing that became obvious when I looked across the current Deluxe-room designs is how often Disney gives you a real desk, table, or similar usable surface.

That is worth more credit than it usually gets.

A desk can become:

• A workspace
• A breakfast table
• A charging station
• A place for park bags and electronics
• A surface for takeout food
• A place to organize the next day’s plans

Some Disney room furniture even incorporates additional pull-out or nested table surfaces.

Shades of Green gives you a lot of floor space and a seating area, but it doesn’t always give that space the same amount of dedicated work or eating surface.

If you’re the kind of traveler who spends almost no waking time in the room, none of this may matter.

If you work during vacation—as I do—or spend meaningful downtime in the room, it does.

This is another example of why usable room design can matter as much as the number printed on a square-footage chart.

Disney Deluxe Rooms Bring More of the Resort Into the Room

Shades of Green rooms are large, comfortable, and practical.

They feel much more like conventional hotel rooms, and the room itself does not constantly remind you that you’re staying at Walt Disney World.

Disney Deluxe rooms do a better job of making the room feel connected to both Disney and the specific resort.

That can include:

• Resort-specific interior design
• Disney artwork and design details
• Hidden Mickeys
• Disney information on the television
• Park and property information
• Disney entertainment options
• Hey Disney! room integration
• A stronger overall connection between the room and the resort’s theme

I don’t think all Disney room designs are equally successful.

But two Deluxe rooms I particularly like are the Contemporary and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The Contemporary’s current room design works well with the resort’s modern architecture, and I like the overall look and feel.

Animal Kingdom Lodge gives me a completely different experience, with design that feels tied to the Lodge—and potentially the savanna right outside.

Those rooms are good examples of why I would never say:

Shades of Green is bigger, therefore Shades of Green has the better room.

That’s too simplistic.

Wi-Fi and In-Room Technology Favor Disney in My Experience

Both Shades of Green and the Disney Deluxe Resorts provide complimentary Wi-Fi.

My experience with the two is not equal.

In-room Wi-Fi at Shades of Green has been a recurring weakness for me.

I’ve had better performance in Disney Resort rooms.

That matters if you:

• Work during the trip
• Upload photos or video
• Stream entertainment
• Use several devices at once
• Rely heavily on Disney apps and online planning tools

The Disney rooms also have the advantage in overall in-room technology and integration.

I would not select an expensive Deluxe Resort just because its Wi-Fi is better.

But when we’re comparing the rooms themselves, Disney has the advantage here.

Most Basic Room Amenities Are Fairly Similar

Once you get beyond the major room-design differences, both Shades of Green and the Disney Deluxe hotel rooms provide the everyday amenities most travelers expect.

Depending on the specific room, those generally include things such as:

• Mini-fridge
• Coffee maker
• In-room safe
• Hair dryer
• Iron and ironing board
• Television
• Complimentary Wi-Fi

So I would not make this decision based on the basic amenity checklist.

The meaningful differences are: space, sleeping arrangements, bathroom design, furniture, private outdoor space, views, Disney integration, and technology.

There is also an important distinction to keep in mind when researching Disney Deluxe Resorts online: Disney Deluxe Resort hotel rooms and Disney Vacation Club Deluxe Villas are not the same thing.

A DVC Studio or Villa may include a microwave, kitchenette, pull-down beds, or entirely different room layouts.

Those accommodations are outside the scope of this comparison.

“Deluxe” Does Not Necessarily Mean a Bigger Room

Disney’s resort category describes the entire resort, not simply the size or quality of the guest room.

That’s why Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge can be Deluxe Resorts while still having standard rooms that are substantially smaller than Shades of Green.

At the other end of the category, Grand Floridian comes much closer to Shades of Green in room size.

You’re paying for much more than square footage when you book a Disney Deluxe Resort.

That can include location, transportation, restaurants, pools, architecture, recreation, and Disney Resort benefits.

Those things may absolutely justify the price for your vacation.

But they are outside this particular comparison.

If I’m looking only at what I get after I close the room door, I don’t automatically assume that “Deluxe” means “better room.”

Price Can Make the Room-Level Value Difference Huge

Price matters even though this is a room comparison.

Shades of Green and Disney price their rooms very differently.

Shades of Green uses military rate categories and pay grades. Rates remain relatively stable during the applicable fiscal year, and Shades of Green room charges are tax-exempt.

Disney Deluxe Resorts use variable pricing based on your dates, room category, day of the week, view, and whatever discounts may be available.

That can create some very different value equations.

A Shades of Green Standard Room can give you considerably more space than several Disney Deluxe rooms for a fraction of what Disney may charge.

For someone judging primarily by physical room space, that’s extremely hard for Disney to overcome.

But price isn’t always the only value measure.

Suppose what you really want is an Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna View.

You aren’t simply buying a hotel room.

You’re paying to sit on the balcony and watch animals.

Or perhaps you want a Contemporary Theme Park View because looking at Magic Kingdom from your room is part of the vacation you want.

In those cases, the more expensive room can still have value even though Shades of Green gives you more space for much less money.

An applicable Disney Armed Forces Salute room discount can also narrow the price difference significantly when discounted Deluxe inventory is available.

For a broader look at the numbers, see How Shades of Green Prices Compare with Disney Resort Hotels.

So I would compare the actual rates for your dates rather than assuming either:

“Shades of Green is always the better value.”

or

“A Disney Deluxe room must be worth more because it’s Deluxe.”

The answer depends on what you are actually paying for.

Which Room Is Better for Your Family?

There isn’t one answer for every military family.

The decision becomes clearer when you think about what you expect the room itself to do for you.

Choose a Shades of Green Room If…

Shades of Green is probably the stronger room choice if your priorities include:

• Maximum room space
• A guaranteed standard-room capacity of five
• Several adults or older children sharing the room
• More space for luggage
• Longer stays
• Spending significant time in the room
• Getting the most physical room for your money
• A balcony or patio without paying for a premium view category
• A more conventional, less Disney-focused room environment

For sheer physical room, Shades of Green remains very hard to beat.

Even several Disney Deluxe Resorts give you substantially less space.

Choose a Disney Deluxe Resort Room If…

A Disney Deluxe room becomes more compelling if you prioritize:

• Interior design and room atmosphere
• A known bathroom configuration
• A more comfortable fifth bed at resorts that accommodate five
• Dedicated desk, work, or dining surfaces
• Stronger Wi-Fi in my experience
• Disney’s in-room technology and information
• Resort-specific design
• A specific room view that matters to your vacation
• A room that feels more connected to the Disney Resort you’re staying in

For a couple or family of four, giving up some square footage may be an easy trade if those features matter more.

Pay Particular Attention to the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian If Space Matters

If you like the size of Shades of Green but want a Disney Deluxe room, I would look particularly closely at:

• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Their standard rooms come closest to Shades of Green in overall size.

You still give up some square footage, but the difference is nothing like moving from Shades of Green into an Animal Kingdom Lodge or Wilderness Lodge room.

Animal Kingdom Lodge Is the Best Example of Why Size Isn’t Everything

Animal Kingdom Lodge sits at the opposite end of this comparison.

Its standard rooms are among the smallest in the Deluxe category.

Yet it is one of the Disney Deluxe rooms I personally like the most.

The interior design works for me.

And if you add a Savanna View, the experience outside the glass can matter far more than the missing square footage.

That makes Animal Kingdom Lodge a particularly good example of why comparing hotel rooms solely by size can give you the wrong answer.

How I’d Choose Based Only on the Room

If I’m removing transportation, dining, pools, theme-park access, resort amenities, and everything else from the decision, I’d think about it this way:

• Family of five prioritizing room space: Shades of Green
• Several adults sharing one room: Shades of Green
• Long stay with lots of luggage: Shades of Green
• Best physical space for the money: Shades of Green
• Disney room design I personally like most: Contemporary and Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Closest Deluxe competitor in physical size: Grand Floridian
• Most distinctive room experience: Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna View
• Most distinctive park-view experience: Contemporary Theme Park View
• Family wanting a specific, known bathroom configuration: Disney Deluxe
• Traveler who needs a desk/work surface and stronger in-room connectivity: Disney Deluxe

If you forced me to choose one room for most eligible military families strictly on practicality and value, I’d still lean toward Shades of Green.

But this is a much closer decision than Shades of Green versus a traditional Disney Moderate room.

Once you get into the larger Disney Deluxe rooms—or a room with a view you really want—Disney gives you reasons to choose it that have nothing to do with whether the room is larger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Shades of Green rooms bigger than Disney Deluxe Resort rooms?

Yes. Shades of Green Standard Rooms are larger than the standard hotel rooms at the Disney Deluxe Resorts, although the difference varies considerably by resort. Grand Floridian comes closest to Shades of Green in overall room size.

Which Disney Deluxe Resort has the largest standard hotel rooms?

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has some of the largest standard hotel rooms in the Disney Deluxe category. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Contemporary Resort are also among the larger options.

Which is better for a family of five: Shades of Green or a Disney Deluxe room?

Shades of Green is one of the easiest choices for a family of five because every Standard and Poolside Room sleeps five and provides considerably more space than many Disney Deluxe rooms. Several Disney Deluxe Resorts also offer standard room configurations for five, often with a larger fifth bed, so the best choice depends on whether overall room space or the fifth bed matters more to your family.

Do Shades of Green rooms have better bathrooms than Disney Deluxe rooms?

It depends on which Shades of Green wing you receive. Palm Wing rooms have an excellent split arrangement with a separate double-sink vanity, while Magnolia Wing rooms have one sink inside the bathroom with the shower and toilet. You can request a Shades of Green wing, but the request is not guaranteed. At a Disney Deluxe Resort, you know the basic bathroom configuration when you choose the resort.

Do Disney Deluxe Resort rooms have balconies or patios?

Most standard Disney Deluxe hotel rooms include a balcony or patio, although the size and configuration can vary by resort and room location. Some Deluxe room categories also offer premium views such as the savanna at Animal Kingdom Lodge or Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary.

Are Disney Vacation Club Deluxe Studios included in this comparison?

No. This comparison focuses on standard hotel rooms at Disney’s eight Deluxe Resort hotels. DVC Deluxe Studios and Villas can have different room sizes, beds, kitchen facilities, and layouts.

Is Shades of Green cheaper than a Disney Deluxe Resort room?

In many cases, substantially so. Shades of Green uses military rate categories with tax-exempt room charges, while Disney Deluxe pricing varies by date, resort, room category, and view. An available Disney military room discount can reduce the difference, so compare the actual rates available for your travel dates.

Bottom Line

Shades of Green still gives eligible military families something unusual at Walt Disney World:

A genuinely large standard hotel room at a military-focused price.

Most Disney Deluxe Resort rooms cannot match Shades of Green for sheer space.

But this comparison is not as simple as saying that the bigger room wins.

Disney Deluxe rooms can answer with better use of space, more predictable bathroom layouts, useful desks and tables, stronger in-room technology, resort-specific interior design, and views that can become part of the experience of staying in the room.

That’s why I would make this decision based on what you actually want from the room.

If your priorities are space, practicality, and room-level value, Shades of Green remains extremely difficult to beat.

If you’re willing to give up some space for design, functionality, Disney integration, or a room view you genuinely want to experience, a Disney Deluxe room can absolutely be the better choice.

And unlike the comparison with Disney’s Moderate rooms, I don’t think there is one obvious winner here.

Shades of Green gives you more room. Disney Deluxe Resorts give you more ways for the room itself to become part of the vacation.