Magic Kingdom Water Transportation: Ferryboats, Resort Boats, and How to Use Them Magic Kingdom is situated next to two bodies of water, the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, and boats have been part of getting around this part of Walt Disney World since the resort opened. Today, guests can cross Seven Seas Lagoon on […]
Shades of Green Salute to Our Veterans: January & September Stays for Non-Retired Veterans
What Is Shades of Green’s Salute to Our Veterans Program? If you served in the U.S. military, received an honorable discharge, and did not retire, you can stay at Shades of Green during January and September through the Salute to Our Veterans program. Shades of Green has offered special access for honorably discharged non-retired veterans […]
What Happens to Your Disney Vacation When Military Leave or Orders Change?
Military families have one vacation-planning problem that most Disney advice barely addresses. You can plan everything correctly, get the resort you want, buy your military tickets, make your dining reservations, and then have the entire trip disrupted by something completely outside your control. Leave gets canceled Orders change A deployment moves A TDY appears PCS […]
Should You Wait for a Disney Cruise Military Rate? We Analyzed the Data
The Question Military Families Actually Need Answered! You have found the Disney cruise you want. The ship is right, the dates work with your leave schedule, and the itinerary looks perfect. But should you book it now—or wait and hope Disney Cruise Line releases a military rate? That is a much harder question than simply […]
Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act: Disney Discounts and Shades of Green
What the Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act Means for Disney Planning The Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 expanded access to military Morale, Welfare, and Recreation benefits for certain veterans and caregivers beginning January 1, 2020. The law was included in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal […]
Should You Take a Resort Day at Disney World? Yes — Here’s Why
When a Resort Day Makes Sense If your Walt Disney World vacation is long enough to spare the park day, I think taking a full resort day is one of the best things you can do. That does not mean every trip needs one. If you have four park days and want to experience all […]
Shades of Green’s Shifting Military Discounts
Why Shades of Green Discounts Keep Changing If you have followed Shades of Green discounts for any length of time, you may have noticed something unusual: an offer that looks one way when it is announced can look very different a few months later. The discount percentage can change. The available dates can shrink. A […]
How to Feed a Family at Shades of Green Without a Kitchen
You Don’t Need a Kitchen to Save Money on Food at Shades of Green One of the easiest ways to spend less on a Walt Disney World vacation is to avoid buying every breakfast, snack, drink, and meal from Disney. That sounds straightforward until you look at your Shades of Green room. A Standard or […]
Shades of Green vs. Disney Deluxe Resorts: Which Is Better?
by Shades of Green and Disney’s Deluxe Resorts can both give military families a premium Walt Disney World stay—but they deliver that value in very different ways. For eligible military families, the decision isn’t simply whether Shades of Green is cheaper or whether a Disney Deluxe Resort is more luxurious. Shades of Green gives you […]
Shades of Green vs. Disney Value Resorts: Which Is Better?
Shades of Green and Disney’s Value Resorts can both be smart choices for military families—but they solve very different vacation problems. This may be the most price-sensitive comparison in the Shades of Green – Disney Resort series. Unlike the Moderate and Deluxe comparisons, there are times when a Disney Value Resort can cost less than […]
Sponsoring Guests at Shades of Green
Eligible Shades of Green guests can sponsor rooms for family and friends who could not otherwise stay at the military resort. This is one of the most useful—and sometimes misunderstood—benefits of staying at Shades of Green. You do not have to limit your Walt Disney World vacation group to people who are independently eligible for […]
Shades of Green Walt Disney World’s Military Resort Room Rates
Shades of Green room rates are based on your military pay grade or status—not on when you visit. That makes Shades of Green pricing very different from Disney-owned resorts. Disney Resort prices can change dramatically based on the season, day of the week, demand, and room type. Shades of Green sets its regular room rates […]
Walt Disney World Resort Activities: What You Can Do Without Going to the Parks
You can fill an entire Walt Disney World day without ever entering a theme park. A resort day can be much more than sleeping late and sitting by the pool. Walt Disney World Resort hotels offer outdoor movies, campfires, recreation programs, live entertainment, animal experiences, boating, fishing, crafts, horseback riding, specialty classes, and other activities […]
History of Disney’s Armed Forces Salute
Disney’s Armed Forces Salute has become such a familiar military benefit that it’s easy to assume it has always existed. It hasn’t. The special military tickets and resort discounts that thousands of military families use today grew out of a series of temporary promotions created during very different moments in Disney and military history. Some […]
Disney Planning Terms Explained (Without the Confusion)
Planning a Disney vacation can sometimes feel like learning another language. Someone tells you to rope drop EPCOT, make your ADRs at 60+10, buy LLMP, check the blockout dates on your AFS ticket, and maybe take the Monorail from the TTC. If you’re new to Disney planning, you might reasonably wonder what any of that […]
Shades of Green vs. Disney Moderate Resorts: Which Is Better?
Shades of Green and Disney’s Moderate Resorts can land surprisingly close together in price, but they deliver very different Walt Disney World vacations. For military families, the decision isn’t simply whether Shades of Green is cheaper or whether a Disney Resort is more “Disney.” Shades of Green gives you much larger rooms, stable military pricing, […]
Shades of Green Rooms vs. Disney Moderate Resort Rooms: Which Is Better for Your Family?
Shades of Green and the Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts can both be excellent choices for a Disney vacation, but the rooms themselves offer very different experiences. In this comparison, we’re focusing specifically on what you get once you step inside the room. If you’re trying to decide between the resorts as a whole—including transportation, […]
When Is a Minnie Van Actually Worth the Money at Disney World?
Minnie Vans are one of the most expensive ways to get around Walt Disney World. Disney transportation is free, and an Uber or Lyft will usually cost considerably less for the same drive. Even so, we use Minnie Vans on almost every Disney World trip. The key is that we don’t use them for every […]
Where to Find the Star Wars Coke Bottles in Galaxy’s Edge
The Star Wars Coke Bottles Are Part Drink, Part Souvenir Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is filled with tiny details designed to make Black Spire Outpost feel like a real place rather than a themed land inside a theme park. Even Coca-Cola got the Star Wars treatment. Instead of ordinary plastic soda […]
Disneyland vs. Disney World Military Tickets: Every Difference
Disneyland and Walt Disney World both offer excellent military ticket discounts, and many of the ticket names sound familiar on both coasts. But knowing how military tickets work at Walt Disney World does not mean you know how they work at Disneyland—and vice versa. The two resorts use separate military ticket systems. Ticket lengths, pricing […]
How Many Days Do You Really Need at Disney World?
My Disney World Trip-Length Recommendations If this is your first Walt Disney World vacation and you have the time and budget, I recommend planning about 7 nights, with 5 park days and at least 1 down day. Can you visit all four Walt Disney World theme parks in four days? Absolutely. Would I recommend doing […]
Disney World Fireworks Cruise Review: Our Magic Kingdom Experience
Our Disney World Fireworks Cruise Experience After more than 50 years of visiting Walt Disney World, I’ve watched Magic Kingdom fireworks from a lot of different places. I’ve watched from various spots inside the park, from the surrounding resorts, and from other locations around Seven Seas Lagoon. Even from Shades of Green. But in November […]
Airport Luggage Transfer Service Returns to Disney World in a Limited Fashion
Disney’s Airport Luggage Transfer Pilot Expands to American and United Airlines at Value Resorts Disney’s Airport Luggage Transfer pilot program at Walt Disney World has expanded beyond Southwest Airlines. As of May 19, 2026, eligible guests flying Southwest, American Airlines, or United Airlines can use the service at Disney’s Value Resorts for select domestic flights […]
Luggage Transfer Returns to Disney Value Resorts With Full Round-Trip Service
Disney Airport Luggage Transfer: How to Send Your Bags Between MCO and Your Disney Resort Disney’s Airport Luggage Transfer service can take one of the biggest hassles out of flying to Walt Disney World: dealing with your checked luggage. Guests staying at participating Disney Resorts Collection hotels and flying on eligible domestic flights through Orlando […]
The Military Family’s Guide to Resort Hopping from Shades of Green
One of our favorite non-park activities at Walt Disney World is resort hopping. You do not need a park ticket to enjoy many of Disney’s best restaurants, beautiful lobbies, unique gift shops, seasonal decorations, waterfront walks, and resort atmospheres. Some families build an entire afternoon or evening around visiting a Disney resort, having dinner, exploring […]