The *NEW* SWAN & DOLPHIN RESORT Thread ~ April 2009 ~ Please read Post #1!

[NancyIL]

Thanks -- and I'll have no problems getting them to honor that lower price?

I doubt you'll have a problem as long as you don't book a prepaid/non-refundable rate. If you do, book the lower rate and cancel the higher one.

 

[LexiC123]

Justintime, Music City Mama...There are pool slide pics in this post, and lots of really good pics throughout the thread: Swan and Dolphin Picture Thread

 

[marsh0013]

so i'm booked at the dolphin for oct 21-26, but i got a great airfare to arrive on the 20 instead. unfortunately, the dolphin is completely booked, as is the swan. so i was going to book a disney hotel (pop) for the one night, but i want to be sure disney will transfer over my bags from pop to the dolphin. can anyone tell me if this is possible? thanks!

 

[SingingMom]

so i'm booked at the dolphin for oct 21-26, but i got a great airfare to arrive on the 20 instead. unfortunately, the dolphin is completely booked, as is the swan. so i was going to book a disney hotel (pop) for the one night, but i want to be sure disney will transfer over my bags from pop to the dolphin. can anyone tell me if this is possible? thanks!

I am almost certain they will transfer your bags, but what I would suggest is to keep calling the Swan/Dolphin for openings. That happened to me one year - we added a day to the beginning of our trip and the Dolphin was booked. I tried a few days later to add the Swan, and the reservations person said, "sure, I can do that, but wouldn't you rather stay at the Dolphin like the rest of your reservation?" When I told him it was booked, he said, "no, I have an opening now." They seem to have rooms open up more so than the other resorts - possibly because it is a convention location.

Keep trying and good luck!

 

[marsh0013]

thanks singingmom, i definitely plan to keep trying. although, i got a great rate at the bw, and that will give me magical express, so saving half the transportation cost to/from the airport...and i can walk my own bags over from there! but not having to move at all would be worth it...so yeah, gonna keep trying

 

[NancyIL]

so i'm booked at the dolphin for oct 21-26, but i got a great airfare to arrive on the 20 instead. unfortunately, the dolphin is completely booked, as is the swan. so i was going to book a disney hotel (pop) for the one night, but i want to be sure disney will transfer over my bags from pop to the dolphin. can anyone tell me if this is possible? thanks!

There's a HUGE annual convention that takes place Oct. 17-21, 2010 at the Swan/Dolphin (primarily): http://www.gartner.com/technology/symposium/orlando/hotel.jsp. Keep trying, but if rooms do become available, they will probably be very expensive.

 

[marsh0013]

There's a HUGE annual convention that takes place Oct. 17-21, 2010 at the Swan/Dolphin (primarily): http://www.gartner.com/technology/symposium/orlando/hotel.jsp. Keep trying, but if rooms do become available, they will probably be very expensive.

good to know, thanks. i'll probably stick with the boardwalk room that i have for the first night then.

 

[Mrs_In_Mass]

Does anyone have any tips/reviews of in-room dining at the Dolphin? Is the food plastic or edible?

Also, do restaurants like Il Mulino (we love it) deliver to the rooms? Could a person stop in to Il Mulino or Shula's and pick up dinner "to go", i.e. to eat up in their room? Thanks again Disney Dolphin fans...

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Well, we gave in to Disney and cancelled our Dolphin stay. I just couldn't deal with having to pay a resort fee for amenities we weren't going to use, nor paying for parking. For the less we are moving to Pop for 2 additional nights plus free dining.

Maybe someday I will reconsider.

Suzanne

 

[Dan Murphy]

Does anyone have any tips/reviews of in-room dining at the Dolphin? Is the food plastic or edible?

Also, do restaurants like Il Mulino (we love it) deliver to the rooms? Could a person stop in to Il Mulino or Shula's and pick up dinner "to go", i.e. to eat up in their room? Thanks again Disney Dolphin fans...

The room service is excellent!!! And very well presented also. Not sure about the other question.

 

[hookedup]

We are home from 10 nights at the Dolphin (followed by another week in FL) and had a great trip. I think our best meal of the entire trip was at Bluezoo - it was so amazing that we went back a few nights later for round two! We also enjoyed dinner at Shulas and Il Mulino. Thanks for the tip here on restaurant.com - I got some of the $25 certificates for the 80% off deal and used them all! It was great! My ds went to Camp Dolphin 3 times - the first time was for our anniversary dinner but the second two times were his idea because he enjoyed it so much - which was a nice break for me and dh and we went to dinner alone those nights and got two hours at the kids club for free because we ate at one of the signature restaurants. Made good use of our refillable mugs and between the coffee in the morning and the soda later in the day we were down at Picabu a lot. Swam everyday at the grotto and we swam late a few times. I asked one of the pool guys about the hours policy and he said as long as everyone is following the rules and not being rowdy they don't kick you out after nine. We swam after 11:00 one night too!
Our room was great and seemed in good shape - really I have no complaints although I do wish they didn't charge for parking. Looking forward to our next visit!

 

[lotsofboys]

I think our best meal of the entire trip was at Bluezoo - it was so amazing that we went back a few nights later for round two! We also enjoyed dinner at Shulas and Il Mulino. Thanks for the tip here on restaurant.com - I got some of the $25 certificates for the 80% off deal and used them all!

We spent 8 nights at the Dolphin 6/22-30 and I knew there was something I really wanted to post when we returned. Thanks for reminding me hookedup! It was that we too used the restaurant.com $25 gift certificates (paid $2 each for Bluezoo and Il Mulino) with no problem at all. Bluezoo was our favorite as well, be sure to ask for the Bluereef menu, it is fixed price $25 three course meal, choose from three appetizers, three entrees and a dessert sampler. We have DSs 13, 17 & 17 and it isn't easy to fill them up especially after a day in the parks, no one was more surprised than me when we had to ask for the dessert plate to go because everyone was too full from dinner! The only thing we didn't do was ask for the AAA discount because they graciously let us use the restaurant.com certificate even though no discounts were supposed to be allowed. We did use AAA at Picabu and the Fountain which we ate at 4 or 5 times.

Also wanted to thank the person who posted the air conditioning override, it worked perfectly although surprisingly, even with 95 degree days we kept the room around 70 or it would get too cold.

Had an alcove room with a view of Epcot Illuminations, this was our first stay so I can't say if it was renovated but it has a flat screen TV and heavenly beds and a refrigerator so I'm guessing it was.

One of the best parts of the trip? Erick Olson, the magician who entertains in the lobby of the Dolphin. We had an hour wait after checkout before our van picked us up and he came over to perform some magic, outstanding!

One last thing, we got back to the room early one night, around 9:30pm and the boys wanted to swim, DH said no it is after 9:00, I told them what I read on here and sent them on their way, no problems at all. On Saturday night they went down again and it was Dive-in movie night, they were playing Enchanted.

That's all I can think of for now, thanks everyone for all your helpful comments and suggestions!

 

[SingingMom]

We are home from 10 nights at the Dolphin (followed by another week in FL) and had a great trip. I think our best meal of the entire trip was at Bluezoo - it was so amazing that we went back a few nights later for round two! We also enjoyed dinner at Shulas and Il Mulino. Thanks for the tip here on restaurant.com - I got some of the $25 certificates for the 80% off deal and used them all! It was great! My ds went to Camp Dolphin 3 times - the first time was for our anniversary dinner but the second two times were his idea because he enjoyed it so much - which was a nice break for me and dh and we went to dinner alone those nights and got two hours at the kids club for free because we ate at one of the signature restaurants. Made good use of our refillable mugs and between the coffee in the morning and the soda later in the day we were down at Picabu a lot. Swam everyday at the grotto and we swam late a few times. I asked one of the pool guys about the hours policy and he said as long as everyone is following the rules and not being rowdy they don't kick you out after nine. We swam after 11:00 one night too!
Our room was great and seemed in good shape - really I have no complaints although I do wish they didn't charge for parking. Looking forward to our next visit!

So happy you had a great experience!!!

One last thing, we got back to the room early one night, around 9:30pm and the boys wanted to swim, DH said no it is after 9:00, I told them what I read on here and sent them on their way, no problems at all. On Saturday night they went down again and it was Dive-in movie night, they were playing Enchanted.

That's all I can think of for now, thanks everyone for all your helpful comments and suggestions!

Five years ago, I asked the front desk rep when the pool closed and he said, "It really doesn't - lifeguards are there at the posted hours, but you can swim at your own risk any time, as long as you are quiet and not being disruptive." I thought that was terrific. Not that we swim most nights anyway (even with the pool in the backyard, we tend to stop swimming when the sun goes down) but it is nice to know the option was there on those terribly humid nights. This trip DD and I dipped in around 9:30 pm, just to cool off before helping DH pack for our next morning departure. I made sure I had big ziplocs to pack wet clothing!

 

[weheartdisney]

I have a few questions. I'm sorry I haven't had time to read the thread, but need to make a reservation today if we are going to add on to our Disney vacation.

Should we request a room in the Swan or the Dolphin? What is the difference?

When I called the reservation line, I was told there is character dining at Gulliver's Grill. I can't find it when I go to the Dining Tab on their website. Anyone eaten there and can tell me more about it?

With 2 boys (ages 7 and 2), which other restaurants do you recommend?

Also, what is the price to park? Is it per day or one sum for your entire stay?

Thanks so much!! If we end up staying here, it will be our first time at the S/D. My oldest son is so excited by looking at the pictures of it.

 

[SingingMom]

I have a few questions. I'm sorry I haven't had time to read the thread, but need to make a reservation today if we are going to add on to our Disney vacation.

Should we request a room in the Swan or the Dolphin? What is the difference?

When I called the reservation line, I was told there is character dining at Gulliver's Grill. I can't find it when I go to the Dining Tab on their website. Anyone eaten there and can tell me more about it?

With 2 boys (ages 7 and 2), which other restaurants do you recommend?

Also, what is the price to park? Is it per day or one sum for your entire stay?

Thanks so much!! If we end up staying here, it will be our first time at the S/D. My oldest son is so excited by looking at the pictures of it.

With ages 7 and 2, I would recommend the Dolphin over the Swan. Camp Dolphin is available, the Fountain ice cream shop, and Picabu's is open 24 hours a day. You will be a tad bit closer to the pools, too, and the swan boats if you'd like to take a float around the lake. The Dolphin just has more "hustle & bustle". I personally view the Swan as a quainter, couple like resort. Again, this is personal opinon

Dan recently quoted parking prices as $11 a day.

Read through this thread when you have time - LOTS of good info!

 

[Music City Mama]

We are home from 10 nights at the Dolphin (followed by another week in FL) and had a great trip. I think our best meal of the entire trip was at Bluezoo - it was so amazing that we went back a few nights later for round two! We also enjoyed dinner at Shulas and Il Mulino. Thanks for the tip here on restaurant.com - I got some of the $25 certificates for the 80% off deal and used them all! It was great! My ds went to Camp Dolphin 3 times - the first time was for our anniversary dinner but the second two times were his idea because he enjoyed it so much - which was a nice break for me and dh and we went to dinner alone those nights and got two hours at the kids club for free because we ate at one of the signature restaurants. Made good use of our refillable mugs and between the coffee in the morning and the soda later in the day we were down at Picabu a lot. Swam everyday at the grotto and we swam late a few times. I asked one of the pool guys about the hours policy and he said as long as everyone is following the rules and not being rowdy they don't kick you out after nine. We swam after 11:00 one night too!
Our room was great and seemed in good shape - really I have no complaints although I do wish they didn't charge for parking. Looking forward to our next visit!

Sounds like you had a great trip! Can you tell me more about the refillable mugs there? How much do they cost? On Disney's QSDP we each had one as part of the plan. Can I just buy two (vs. four) and we share as needed?

We spent 8 nights at the Dolphin 6/22-30 and I knew there was something I really wanted to post when we returned. Thanks for reminding me hookedup! It was that we too used the restaurant.com $25 gift certificates (paid $2 each for Bluezoo and Il Mulino) with no problem at all. Bluezoo was our favorite as well, be sure to ask for the Bluereef menu, it is fixed price $25 three course meal, choose from three appetizers, three entrees and a dessert sampler. We have DSs 13, 17 & 17 and it isn't easy to fill them up especially after a day in the parks, no one was more surprised than me when we had to ask for the dessert plate to go because everyone was too full from dinner! The only thing we didn't do was ask for the AAA discount because they graciously let us use the restaurant.com certificate even though no discounts were supposed to be allowed. We did use AAA at Picabu and the Fountain which we ate at 4 or 5 times.

Wow, that sounds like an awesome deal!! Was that a special thing they had going on while you were there or do you know if they always offer that?

Some more food/beverage questions:

1. Starbucks is not only served at the hotel, but in the rooms too, correct?
2. From looking at the menus, the prices seem considerably more than I was used to paying at the moderate food courts. Is Picabu the quick-service/counter-service restaurant? Are they good-sized portions that you could conceivably share or not?
3. Lastly, what kind of discount do you get at restaurants with your AAA card and which restaurants accept it? Is that only a special promotion going on now or is it usually that way?

TIA!

 

[SingingMom]

Sounds like you had a great trip! Can you tell me more about the refillable mugs there? How much do they cost? On Disney's QSDP we each had one as part of the plan. Can I just buy two (vs. four) and we share as needed?



Wow, that sounds like an awesome deal!! Was that a special thing they had going on while you were there or do you know if they always offer that?

Some more food/beverage questions:

1. Starbucks is not only served at the hotel, but in the rooms too, correct?
2. From looking at the menus, the prices seem considerably more than I was used to paying at the moderate food courts. Is Picabu the quick-service/counter-service restaurant? Are they good-sized portions that you could conceivably share or not?
3. Lastly, what kind of discount do you get at restaurants with your AAA card and which restaurants accept it? Is that only a special promotion going on now or is it usually that way?

TIA!

1. Yes, Starbucks is the coffee for the inroom coffee maker
2. Which menus were you viewing? bluezoo, Il Mulino, and Shula's are all signature restaurants - not moderate food court type. Fresh, The Fountain, and Picabus are more reasonably priced.
3 .AAA is accepted at Fresh, The Fountain, and Picabu's (which is the quick service/counter service restaurant). You just have to remember to ask - nothing is posted to remind you of the available discount.

 

[IB4cruise]

I am interested in staying in the Dolphin triangle, facing the lake? What room category is that area? Can you directly book the triangle, or do you simply request it. I appreciate any help regarding how would you go about booking it? I assume the views would be quite good.

Thanks!

 

[BusyMom2Three]

Lastly, what kind of discount do you get at restaurants with your AAA card and which restaurants accept it? Is that only a special promotion going on now or is it usually that way?

I read on S&D's website that you get 20% off on non-signature dining.

 

[diskids2]

I was looking at some aerial maps of the epcot resort area and was wondering...how do you walk to espn from the dolphin?