Walt Disney World SWAN, DOLPHIN & SWAN RESERVE RESORTS Information & Questions

[hsmamato2]

Ok...opinions please? I would like to plan for a trip possibly December or January....wwyd? I'll be avoiding crowded times....just wanting to try planning something that'll (hopefully) be able to happen by next year (ish)

 

[mickey916]

Best part about booking with points...5th night is free. So 4 costs the same as 5. I try to find the 50k nights instead of the 60

Really? Great to know...might cause a rework of the plan but a free night would be great! so the 220,000 if I understand correctly is the total for the 4 and it looks like I probably got a couple 60K and 50K to come up with that total...like I said they were bogus dates anyhow I was just playing around to see if we even had enough points to do it at all. Another question what if we were short points, can you book one night and pay for it and then the rest on points? (assuming that would negate the free night of course)...

 

[mickey916]

Here I am being a pain again. I looked at the same dates for this year Sun-Fri that we plan on staying next year, is it safe to assume it would be the same amount of points next year or that not a reasonable assumption? Also are the resort fees covered by the points or do we need to pay $35/day in addition?

 

[CJN]

Here I am being a pain again. I looked at the same dates for this year Sun-Fri that we plan on staying next year, is it safe to assume it would be the same amount of points next year or that not a reasonable assumption? Also are the resort fees covered by the points or do we need to pay $35/day in addition?

The points per night can change. Just this morning my dates for November dropped from 60000/night to 50000. I was able to modify the reservation as was described above and the saved points were immediately rebanked into my account.

Points don’t cover the daily fee so you’ll still have cash cost. It will show how much when you book the reservation.

and P.S. You’re not being a pain

 

[mickey916]

The points per night can change. Just this morning my dates for November dropped from 60000/night to 50000. I was able to modify the reservation as was described above and the saved points were immediately rebanked into my account.

Points don’t cover the daily fee so you’ll still have cash cost. It will show how much when you book the reservation.

and P.S. You’re not being a pain

Thank you so much!...So I could still keep doing the daily check...now I just have to wait for May 29th to arrive so I can actually book something...I'm so very excited and thank everyone for their help on these boards. First of all, I had no idea my husband even had any points (he thought they had expired) and not only that it looks like he has enough to cover 4 nights with the 5th night free...he mentions often how expensive Disney is so I'm trying my best to get as many discounts as possible...with my Disney Visa reward, I'm hoping to get the food covered too..

 

[MarBee]

Really? Great to know...might cause a rework of the plan but a free night would be great! so the 220,000 if I understand correctly is the total for the 4 and it looks like I probably got a couple 60K and 50K to come up with that total...like I said they were bogus dates anyhow I was just playing around to see if we even had enough points to do it at all. Another question what if we were short points, can you book one night and pay for it and then the rest on points? (assuming that would negate the free night of course)...

You absolutely can pay cash for some nights and points for the others. However, I believe you won’t get the fifth night free bonus that way. I’m not 100% sure about the free night though so maybe someone can double check me.

 

[tigertides]

Keep in mind, the value of a redeeming Marriott points comes with the nasty resort fee. This is not negotiable, and something that Hyatt and Hilton does not charge. Unless you are redeeming the fifth night free, sometimes it is better to pay cash. For example, if you only need four nights, it comes out to roughly $1100.

We only Have enough points for (3) nights and our total cost will be almost $500(!!!) for 1 night (points + cash option) for 4 nights

 

[mickey916]

Keep in mind, the value of a redeeming Marriott points comes with the nasty resort fee. This is not negotiable, and something that Hyatt and Hilton does not charge. Unless you are redeeming the fifth night free, sometimes it is better to pay cash. For example, if you only need four nights, it comes out to roughly $1100.

We only Have enough points for (3) nights and our total cost will be almost $500(!!!) for 1 night (points + cash option) for 4 nights

Thanks! I'll be sure to check the math. Hopefully we have enough for 4 nights with the 5th free and then only have to worry about the resort fees. Won't be able to actually look until the end of May...

 

[rafiki]

Just another confirmation that modifying your reservation in the Bonvoy app is extremely easy. After reading the prior posts, I went into the app and checked and modified our 8 night reservation for next November to save $115. Took less than 3 minutes.

 

[LSUmiss]

I’ve asked this before on here but now can’t find the answer. Someone recommended a car service from mco that has car seats & it was free to add them. I can’t remember the name now of find the post!

 

[Best Aunt]

I’ve asked this before on here but now can’t find the answer. Someone recommended a car service from mco that has car seats & it was free to add them. I can’t remember the name now of find the post!

The car services which are mentioned the most are:
www.FLTours.com
www.TiffanyTowncar.com
Someone named Tony Hinds who does not have a website

I don't know about the car seat info, but you probably would want to confirm directly with the company before booking anyway.

 

[hsmamato2]

You absolutely can pay cash for some nights and points for the others. However, I believe you won’t get the fifth night free bonus that way. I’m not 100% sure about the free night though so maybe someone can double check me.

and I've never seen any dates when I wanted to go that allowed cash+points. (I wish) Is 5th night free with cash+points too?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Someone named Tony Hinds who does not have a website

www.disboards.com/threads/tony-hinds-transportation.3784242/

https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/airport-to-universal-transportation.961102/

 

[LSUmiss]

The car services which are mentioned the most are:
www.FLTours.com
www.TiffanyTowncar.com
Someone named Tony Hinds who does not have a website

I don't know about the car seat info, but you probably would want to confirm directly with the company before booking anyway.

Thank you! It was FL tours

 

[GADisneyDad14]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1383908344251916289

https://twitter.com/x/status/1383908714143379469

 

[Jillfo]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1383908344251916289

https://twitter.com/x/status/1383908714143379469

I'm here now and can confirm the plywood is gone.

 

[foilec01]

1st time visitor and staying at the Swan next month. I assume it’s good measure to try and book any dining ahead of time at the hotel? But I’m at a loss at where this is done? Do you just call the restaurant directly? Or do only the signature restaurants take reservations? I didn’t see any online booking options. Right now looking at garden grove and the fountain. Thanks!!

 

[SMRT-1]

1st time visitor and staying at the Swan next month. I assume it’s good measure to try and book any dining ahead of time at the hotel? But I’m at a loss at where this is done? Do you just call the restaurant directly? Or do only the signature restaurants take reservations? I didn’t see any online booking options. Right now looking at garden grove and the fountain. Thanks!!

As a semi-"on property" resort, you can book many Swan/Dolphin restaurant ADRs through My Disney Experience just like you would any other Disney dining. But since the Swan Dolphin restaurants aren't restricted to just Disney reservations, people have also had luck using OpenTable to make reservations.

 

[dznylvr68]

1st time visitor and staying at the Swan next month. I assume it’s good measure to try and book any dining ahead of time at the hotel? But I’m at a loss at where this is done? Do you just call the restaurant directly? Or do only the signature restaurants take reservations? I didn’t see any online booking options. Right now looking at garden grove and the fountain. Thanks!!

Sometimes Open Table is a better option than MDE for S/D restaurant reservations. I was unable to book Shula’s through MDE but had no problems getting a Sat night res at 6:45p on Open Table

 

[travellovingirl]

Just back from a stay at the dolphin. Was looking at flexible dates feb-March 2022. Any recommendations on when to book for best price? We just paid $155/night, lowest rate I found for 2022 was $280 and up! Any suggestions or thoughts on booking timeframes? Or is the 2022 rate more typical for this property, with an expected increase in demand?

thanks!