How Do Disney World Resorts Compare To Shades of Green In Price?

Planning a Disney World vacation is a big undertaking!

One of the biggest decisions, price-wise, that you’ll have to make during your Walt Disney World vacation planning will be where to stay.

Should you stay at a Disney World Resort using the Disney Armed Forces Salute, or at Shades of Green, the Military Owned and Operated Resort on Walt Disney World property?

There are many factors that will influence your decision. Factors such as ambiance, being immersed in the Disney experience 24/7, convenience/Disney benefits, transportation, and most of all, price.

This post will mostly focus on price, but I’ll explain some of these other factors as we go along, as some of them do affect your final price.

(Updated with Disney 2026 prices and Shades of Green’s FY25 and FY26 prices)

Price Comparison Charts

I’ve put together these price comparison charts to give you a good visual representation of how Shades of Green’s rates compare to Disney’s Moderate and Value Resorts.

The charts are based on Shades of Green’s standard rates. While Shades of Green does offer discounted rates and packages at various times of the year, I have not taken these into account because once released, Shades of Green constantly changes the dates, offerings, and prices of their discounts and cancels them, all with no notice!

• Find Your Shades of Green Price Category and Regular Room Rate
• Check For Shades of Green Discounts (Note: during the reopening period after the virus shutdown, there are no discounts)

The charts below are based upon:

• Disney’s 2026 Armed Forces Salute discounted rates*. The Salute discounts are:
  • Disney Value Resorts – Up to 15% Off Rack Rates most of the year and 20% off during the summer
  • Disney Moderate Resorts – Up to 20% Off Rack Rates most of the year and 25% off during the summer
• Shades of Green’s FY 2026 and FY 2027 rates
• Standard Rooms at both Resorts

*Note, starting in 2018, the Disney Armed Forces Salute room discount rates are not a set 30 or 35 percent off. They are “up to” the 30 or 35 percent off. See more details on this practice. This means that depending on your dates, you might receive a lower discount amount; the only way to know what your price will be is to call (or have your Travel Agent do it for you).

Our charts show how much Disney’s prices fluctuate during the week and emphasize that Monday through Wednesday night stays are preferred for the best savings at Walt Disney World’s Resorts.

While Shades of Green’s standard prices are the same every day of the year, Disney’s pricing year is divided into many different price seasons.

You will see that Disney prices go way up on 18 December when the 2026 Armed Forces Salute ends.

Disney rates shown are plus tax with the full Disney Armed Forces Salute room discount applied. There is no tax on Shades of Green’s rates.

Shades of Green’s rates go up on 1 October with the next fiscal year’s rates.

Daily Rate Charts

Here we show 2 different charts, the first indicating the maximum Disney Armed Forces Salute discounted rates that you could get (you may not always get these rates), and the second showing no discount at all for the Disney World rates, just for comparison.

These charts show how Disney’s rates fluctuate not only by season but by day as well. Friday and Saturday nights are almost always the most expensive, and Thursday and Sunday are at an intermediate rate much of the year. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and sometimes Thursday and Sunday are the cheapest.

These charts are most applicable to shorter stays. You can see the spikes in Disney prices for the higher-priced days of the week and high plateaus when the Salute discounts are not available.

The color code for the charts below:

• Red – Disney Moderate
• Blue – Disney Value
• Teal – Shades of Green – Category 3
• Purple – Shades of Green – Category 2
• Green – Shades of Green – Category 1

Here is what the Salute discount chart shows for the indicated Shades of Green Price Categories:

Shades of Green’s Category 1 Guests – Shades of Green is comparable to the Disney Value Resorts except when the Salute is not offered during Spring Break, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (green line vs blue line). Shades of Green is always cheaper than the Moderate Resorts (green line vs red line)

Shades of Green’s Category 2 Guests – Shades of Green is more expensive than the Values except for Spring Break and Christmas (purple line vs blue line). For the Moderates, Cat 2 is cheaper except mid-week in January (purple line vs red line).

Shades of Green’s Category 3 Guests  – Shades of Green is more expensive than the Values except for Spring Break and Christmas (Teal vs blue line). Disney Moderates are more expensive except in January, February, and summer (Teal vs red line).

Below we show the same chart, this time without any discount, military or otherwise, just to show the difference.

If no discount is available, Shades of Green is always cheaper than the moderates. When compared to the Values, Shades of Green is cheaper on weekends for Category 2 & 3 and still cheaper most of the year for Category 1!

Weekly Rate Chart

On this chart, I show the average room price for a Monday to Sunday stay. This is how Disney will show your room price, averaged for your stay length.

When you put in your dates to get a quote from Disney, each night of your trip often has a different price. Disney shows you the average of all nights.

This method smooths out the spikes and averages the weekly highs and lows, and is easier to make a comparison. This is because while there might be a couple of nights of your trip where you would pay way more with Disney, the rest of the cheaper nights at Disney can make Disney cheaper overall.

This chart is more applicable for those with longer stays at Disney World.

This first one shows the maximum Disney Armed Forces Salute discount applied.

And again, here I show the undiscounted rates below.

Other Factors That Affect Price and Scheduling

Airport Transportation

Those staying at Shades of Green and Disney Resorts must obtain their transportation at their own cost.

For Airport Transportation, check out the Walt Disney World Airport Transportation section of my Transportation Overview Page.

For those driving to their Disney World Vacation, Parking is not free!

Resort Parking

As of 10 January 2023, Walt Disney World Resorts do not charge a nightly parking fee.

Those staying at Shades of Green will to pay $17 per night to park their car at Shades of Green. (Valet Parking is currently Unavailable)

Theme Park Parking

Theme park Parking is free for Walt Disney World Resort Guests.

Those staying at Shades of Green will pay $35 per day to park at Disney World’s parks. You can take both Shades of Green’s and Disney’s free transportation service instead of driving to the parks, though.

You’ll need to factor these extra costs into your overall Shades of Green cost estimate if applicable.

 Disney Amenities

Early Entry & Extended Evening Hours

Since October 2021, Disney Resort guests, including Shades of Green guests, have been eligible for the new Early Entry & Extended Evening Hours that replaced Extra Magic Hours.

All guests, including Shades of Green guests, may enter every Disney theme park early. Disney Deluxe guests and Shades of Green guests may stay late on select days at select Walt Disney World theme parks.

• Early Entry
• Extended Evening Hours

Lightning Lane

All guests can participate in Disney Lightning Lane Single Pass and Multi Pass in-app purchases. Guests staying at Shades of Green, all Disney Resorts, and the Swan and Dolphin Resorts can make Lightning Lane Single Pass and Multi Pass selections and purchase their Individual Lightning Lane attractions up to 7 days before their visit, while others will have to wait until 3 days prior.

Disney Lightning Lane Single Pass and Multi Pass Information

Guests staying at Disney Deluxes, Shades of Green, and the Swan and Dolphin Resorts can purchase Disney Lightning Lane Premier Pass, while those staying elsewhere cannot.

Disney Lightning Lane Premier Pass Information

Charge to your room privileges – Disney resort guests at all Disney locations, Shades of Green guests, only at Shades of Green.

Magic Bands – Shades of Green Guests will not receive the ability to purchase discounted Magic Bands as part of their reservation (only Disney Resort guests do). You may buy your own from the Disney Store or a WDW gift shop after arrival. Shades guests may then use their bands for their theme park admission and PhotoPass, but not for room keys or room charges.

Details

The Disney Resorts quoted are standard view rooms (the cheapest) at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s All-Star Music.

The Caribbean is a typically priced Moderate. All-Star Music is representative of the All-Stars, Pop Century is a little more expensive, and Art of Animation is much more expensive.

Price quotes for Disney resorts were obtained from the disneyworld.com website, the applicable maximum Disney Armed Forces Salute discount was subtracted, and then hotel taxes were added back in (12.5% at all Disney resorts except the All-Stars, which would be 13.5%).

The Moderates are fairly similar in price, with about a $10-30 a night variance. The Fort Wilderness Cabins, which also fall under the Moderate Discounts, are quite a bit more.

The Value Resorts have three different price levels: the All Stars are the cheapest, followed by Pop Century, and then Art of Animation Suites. The Art of Animation Little Mermaid rooms are not eligible for the Disney Armed Forces Salute room discounts.

 Wrapping It Up

These charts are not meant to be used to figure your actual costs, but rather as a visual guide to how Disney World’s fluctuating resort prices relate to Shades of Green’s constant rates at different times of the year.

They also just show the cost of the room, with no extra charges.

You will need to do a cost comparison, including all charges for your dates, to see what will be cheaper for you.

Here is another great comparison Post:

Is There Any Reason to Choose a Disney Hotel over Shades of Green?

See our posts on how the 3 Disney Resort categories compare to Shades of Green in all respects:

• Shades of Green – Disney Value Resort Comparison
• Shades of Green – Disney Moderate Resort Comparison
• Shades of Green – Disney Deluxe Resort Comparison

You can see what other military families think about Shades of Green in our Shades of Green Survey Results.

See these Posts and Pages to learn more about Disney’s Resorts:

• Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort Categories and Room Types
• Walt Disney World Resorts
• Walt Disney World Room View Categories – Do They Matter at Value and Moderate Resorts?
• Walt Disney World Resort Guest Benefits
• Walt Disney World Resort Theming

Call Disney or my recommended travel agent, Ears of Experience for a Disney Resort quote or for more information.

Kudos to my friend Dave from yourfirstvisit.net for the inspiration for these charts. His numerous, fantastic and very through ones cover many aspects of non-military discounted prices and better yet, both crowds and when to go to Disney World.

If you are planning a Disney World Vacation, when will it be? Let us know in the comments section below!

Disney Resorts vs. Shades of Green — Price FAQ

Is Shades of Green usually cheaper than a Disney Resort with the Armed Forces Salute?

It depends on your Shades of Green category, dates, and day of the week. Disney’s rates swing by season and weekdays vs. weekends, while Shades of Green stays flat year-round (except for any limited promos). In the charts on this page, you’ll see Category 1 is often comparable to Disney Values, while Categories 2–3 can be higher than Values but competitive with Moderates—especially when weekend spikes or blackout periods push Disney rates up.

Do I pay hotel tax at Shades of Green?

No. Shades of Green room rates are tax-exempt. Disney resort rates are subject to hotel tax, even after the Armed Forces Salute discount is applied.

When do Shades of Green rates change?

Shades of Green updates rates each fiscal year on October 1 (FY26: Oct 1, 2025–Sept 30, 2026; FY27: Oct 1, 2026–Sept 30, 2027). The tables on this page show both sets.

How do Disney’s price swings work?

Disney splits the year into numerous price “seasons” and also varies the cost by day of the week. Fridays/Saturdays often cost more; Mon–Wed are frequently the lowest. That’s why your Disney quote shows an average per-night price over your stay.

What changed for 2025/2026 in your comparisons?

The charts use Disney’s 2025 Armed Forces Salute maximum discounts (Value up to 15% most of the year and 20% in summer; Moderate up to 20% most of the year and 25% in summer) and Shades of Green FY25/FY26 published rates. You’ll also see where Disney rates jump after the Salute window ends in December.

Are Shades of Green discounts included in these charts?

No. Because Shades of Green’s promos can shift dates/terms frequently, the visuals here compare against standard Shades rates for a consistent, apples-to-apples view.

How do parking costs affect the total?

Disney resort guests currently don’t pay nightly resort parking and get free theme park parking. Shades of Green guests pay for parking at Shades and will pay the current theme park parking rate if they drive to the parks. If you plan to drive, add those line items to your comparison.

Do Shades of Green guests get Early Entry and Extended Evening Hours like Disney Deluxe guests?

Yes. Shades guests are eligible for Early Entry at all parks and Extended Evening Hours on select nights, similar to Disney Deluxe benefits. That can influence the value of your stay, even if the nightly room rate is lower or higher.

What about Lightning Lane timing for Shades of Green vs. Disney Resorts?

Shades of Green guests can make Disney Lightning Lane Single Pass and Multi Pass selections—and purchase Individual Lightning Lanes—on the earlier timeline offered to on-site guests. This can shift value toward Shades even when a Disney Value/Moderate looks close on price.

Is there a simple way to decide which is cheaper for my dates?

Use the page’s charts to understand seasonal patterns, then price your exact dates: (1) a Disney Value/Moderate with Salute applied (including tax) and (2) your Shades category for the same nights. Add in parking and any transportation differences. For longer trips, compare the weekly averages; for short stays, pay attention to weekend spikes.

Can I stack Disney room discounts with the Armed Forces Salute?

No. Disney room offers don’t stack; you’ll use the single best eligible discount. That’s another reason actual calls/quotes matter—percentages are “up to,” not guaranteed.

Does my Shades of Green category change the math a lot?

Yes. Category 1 often undercuts or matches Disney Values; Categories 2–3 compare more to Moderates. Check your category, then the FY25/FY26 table above for your exact nightly rate.

---

---