This Disney World Resort Is About to Lose One of Its Biggest Perks

Several perks come with staying onsite during a Walt Disney World Resort vacation, among which are close proximity and complimentary transportation to Disney Parks, complimentary parking at Resorts and the theme parks, early theme park entry, and more.

Some of these benefits even extend to hotels that are on Disney property but may not be owned or operated by Disney, like several of the Disney Springs Hotels, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, and Shades of Green, which is part of the Armed Forces Recreation Centers Resorts.

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Complimentary transportation is one of the best benefits of staying at a Disney Resort as it can save time and money when it comes to traveling to and from theme parks and other Resorts. Every Disney Resort offers bus service to some of the Parks, but some Resorts also offer complimentary transportation in the form of the Disney Skyliner, watercraft, and the iconic Walt Disney World Monorail System.

Magic Kingdom area hotels also offer Resort launches for Guests to take boats to and from Disney World’s original Park, but the monorail is often thought to be the most convenient way to arrive at the Park. The Resort monorail line makes stops at the Magic Kingdom, Transportation and Ticket Center, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. But it isn’t just Guests staying at these Resorts who make use of the Resort monorail line…

For eligible Guests, Shades of Green offers arguably the lowest prices for some of Disney World’s largest Guest rooms, all located very close to the Magic Kingdom. Like Disney Resorts, Shades of Green offers onsite restaurants, pools, spas, and more, along with complimentary transportation to the theme parks. Bus transportation is provided directly to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, while routes to the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT drop Guests off at the Transportation and Ticket Center where they can switch to a monorail (or ferry boat for the Magic Kingdom) to reach the Park.

Since the Magic Kingdom bus drops Guests off at the Transportation and Ticket Center rather than directly to the Park, many Guests staying at Shades of Green opt to take a scenic walk from their Resort to the one across the street which has its own monorail access; Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

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The close proximity to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and the opportunity to skip the bus and hop right on the monorail, has been a major perk for Guests staying at Shades of Green for many years. As such, Guests were disappointed to learn that access to the walkway that connects the two Resorts will soon no longer be available.

Shades of Green shared an update to its official Facebook page noting:

Starting Monday, May 1, 2023, the World Drive Expansion Project will begin between Shades of Green and the Grand Floridian Resort. We know that it’s a lovely stroll on the walkway from our hotel to the Polynesian Village Resort unfortunately, it will no longer be accessible. 

The announcement from the Resort, shared in its entirety below, went on to share that additional buses will be added to the Resort’s Transportation and Ticket center route to accommodate more Guests using them.

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As expected, Guests who typically stay at Shades of Green have already expressed disappointment for the change on the Resort’s Facebook page. In addition to the obvious convenience factor of being able to walk to another Resort and enjoy a shorter commute to the Magic Kingdom, Guests on Facebook have pointed out that the walkway and monorail access was easier for those who have children in strollers or adults using ECVs in their travel parties as strollers must be folded on buses, and space on buses is limited to two ECVs.

While some Guests have speculated that the change could be temporary while work is completed on the World Drive Expansion Project, the Resort has not confirmed this and its initial announcement leans toward the walkway removal being a permanent one.