1st timer where to stay

[KIS]

I am new to this website and new to the WDW. I am exploring options for a 7 day vacation for my daughter who will be 5 when we can travel (my husband's a teacher and refuses to go except during either the last week in April, around 4/24, or during President's week in Feb 2004. We are members of AAA, the Entertainment Club. I know we want to stay onsite. Currently, I am considering reservations at the Swan, Dolphin or the Port Orleans/Riverside.



I am confused about what packages are available at the non-disney resort as compared to the disney-run resort packages available. I know that since my hubby's a teacher, we may well get an excellent rate at the s/d resort with a direct reservation, but I understand that we would have to buy those unlimited type park passes separately. Doesn't it come to about the same amount of money, then?

I would like to books something sooner than later, but when I called last week S/D did not have rates yet for this "teacher status" for 4/24, so I wonder if it will be operative. AAA did not have Disney rates yet for 2004! That makes it hard to get financial fact, compare and decide soon.

I wonder which place(s) have nice pools for kids and how these options compare when it comes to pleasing a kid.

I see they both have dining nearby.

Both seem away from the bustle. Which of these options is closest to Epcot? Which has transportation better, I wonder.

I gather s/d is fancier. I also know that Riverside has a loyal patronage. People come back there.

There are conventions at s/d, correct? Would that be the case during the time I'm considering (we are leaning toward the 4/24 week)? Does that make for more noise and areas closed to the regulars?

Does anyone know how close the French Quarter Resort is to the Riverside Resort? I understand that rennovations are underway at the French Quarter area and wonder if it will create more noise and chaos around the Riverside area. (I hope I got those names right).

As you can see, I have made a dent into exploring. These are alot of questions, but I have got to start somewhere. I hope some of you with experience and familiarity to these locations can help me out a little bit. I'd greatly appreciate it.

thank you in advance.

KIS

 

[bekkiz]

I can help a little.

The Swan/Dolphin is within walkind distance (maybe 10-15 minutes) to Epcot. There is also a boat there. The S/D shares all transportation with the other hotels in the area, the Beach and Yacht Clubs, which can cause some crowding.

There are tons of dining options in this area. Not only do you have the restaurants in the two hotels, but als a myriad of choices at YC/BC and on the Boardwalk.

S/D had two pools. One is more of a lap pool, the other is more enhanced. Other water sports and mini-golf are nearby


Port Orleans Riverside is one of my favorites, only because I LOVE walking around the grounds. It truly is beautiful. Transportation is okay. I never had a wait while staying there, but we go in the off season. It has its own busses beacuse French Quarter will be closed for another year. The boat to Downtown is awesome!

Dining is limited. There is a sitdown that is pretty good for breakfast or lunch. Apparently the food court has some closures, but we only used it for breakfast. However, it is easy to take that lovely boat to DD and choose one of the many restaurants there

There are a number of "quiet" pools at POR, and one larger themed pool. There is also fishing, boat rentals (I'm pretty sure) and other entertainment options (a great piano player at the bar)


I can't help much with date choices, I hope someone else has some insight for you. I would probably choose the last week in april, but that depends on when Easter/Spring Break is. Everyone has the essentially the same days off for Pres. Week. Spring Breaks vary greatly from school to school.

In some seasons you can get a mod for around 80/night. The teacher rate is 129 (I think?). I would imagine you should just keep on it, or use a travel agent like Dreams Unlimited that keeps track of your rate and always looks to find a better deal (I don't think AAA does this)

In terms of packages, it is almost always cheaper to buy things seperatly than together, especially if you get deals on the room. Again, a travel agent who specializes in Disney can help explain the cost breakdown better. Also checkout www.mousesavers.com. Mary has some great articles about packages.

hope this helps somewhat

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Definitely go with the teacher rate at the Swan and Dolphin. Even when you buy your park hopper tickets it's still going to be cheaper than doing a package.

The S/D are NOT away from the hustle and bustle, they are right next to the BWI and YC/BC. There are tons of restaurants, bars, entertainment on the boardwalk, etc, plus you've got the free boat transportation to Epcot and MGM Studios! POR isn't in walking distance to anything and has very limited food choices. It's a nice resort, but not in the same league at the S/D.

Good Luck with your trip planning!

 

[SnackyStacky]

Hi there! I am more than happy to help you via E-Mail as well. Please feel free to drop me a note anytime, and I'm happy to help in any way I can! My address is: snackystacky@hotmail.com


Re: packages

Disney doesn't offer any packages for the Swan/Dolphin, as far as I know. You can go to places online like Expedia.com, or travelocity.com, or your travel agent, and they can put together a package for you for the Swan/Dolphin.

Re: rates

Don't worry about the Swan/Dolphin closing. They're not going to. They just don't release rates this soon. I know it's hard, but there are ways to get historical rates for the time period you're going. It's not the best way, but it'll give you an idea.

Re: pools

I really can't help you too much with the pools. I can tell you though that families tend to prefer the Disney hotels for kid-friendly pools.

Re: dining

At the Swan/Dolphin, your dining options are ENDLESS. You have not only the restaurants at the swan dolphin, but the Boardwalk, as well as the Yacht/Beach Clubs, and all of the restaurants in Epcot's Worldshowcase. No shortage of dining options when staying in the Epcot resort area.

Re: location and transportation

You're in a MUCH better location at the Swan/Dolphin. Port Orleans is kind of far removed from everything. You have a boat to get to Downtown Disney, but that takes a good 20 minutes or so. Other than that, it's just busses. At the Swan/Dolphin, you're about a 20 minute walk from Epcot, MGM, an even shorter walk to the boardwalk, there's boat transportation to those parks if you don't feel like walking, and as I said before, you're a lot closer to a LOT more food options. If you want better location and transportation, stick with the Swan/Dolphin.

Re: customer loyalty

People also rave about the Swan/Dolphin. These two hotels also have their fair share of repeat customers. I personally haven't stayed there, but everything I've seen of them, read about them, and heard personal accounts of them says that they are indeed wonderful hotels.

Re: conventioneers

I'm really not too sure about conventions. I'm gathering that since your husband is a teacher, the week of 4/24 next year falls around Easter? That's a very crowded time regardless. I think you'll be dealing more with other tourists, than with business folks. And because of this, I doubt that things will be closed off.

Re: French Quarter rehab

While the Riverside, and French Quarter are sister resorts, you will not be bothered with construction noise if you choose to stay at Riverside. And yes, you got the names right! French Quarter is having the renovations done. Riverside is the one that will remain open.

As I said, I'd LOVE to help you further, so please feel free to E-Mail me!

 

[SnackyStacky]

Geez, in the time it took to write that, two other replies were posted!! Hope it all helps!

 

[KIS]

Dear "bekkiz", Erika and Dan,

I want to thank you for taking the time to reply to my inquiry.

It was most helpful.

I appreciate the suggestions about finding a s/d package as well as some actual leads for that sort of search. I will look into all the ones you mentioned and may be even find some other ones to share here.

Who is "Mary" at "mousesavers"? I found that website but can't recall such articles by someone called Mary.

About the conventions: I had read a couple of places, but can't recall where that the s/d housed many a convention and that they were more geared to that than tourist. But, regardless, like one of you said, 4/24 is a busy time anyway.

We are leaning toward 4/24 over the Pres week because it's warmer and there are more variations with spring break than with President's Day week. The woman I spoke with briefly at Disney had mentioned that during Pres week there is the Daytona race crowd in town as well. (Does that help anyone to hear?)

I never heard of this Dreams Unlimited adjusting the deals as they go on your behalf. I'm rather new to this scene, like I said. Is that mode of operation for real? How does it work? Which forum can I use on this site to explore how to utilize that suggestion. I don't want to go off the topic here.

My husband has a feeling that the teacher's rate will prove our best option. You guys confirmed his initial thinking.

In fact, you all sound so positive about the s/d, I'd almost think you did PR for them. That's a joke, I hope you know. I am assuming that this is an open format, even if I recall seeing the s/d sponsorship of this area.

Anyway, thanks so much for your help.

Karen

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Mary is the owner/operator of the mousesavers website. So anything you see written there is by her.

If you want to learn more about dreams unlimited I would advise going to their website and checking it out. Many many people here at the DIS use them for booking WDW reservations. They are experts.

As far as doing "PR" for the S/D I'm laughing at that because I've never even stayed there! But since your husband is a teacher I think it's the best deal. And a better choice than POR.

Good Luck!

 

[f7prez]

Having been to WDW at just about every time of the year; Feb., April, July, August, Sept., Dec. I would say that April is a bout the best for nice weather. The temperatures are in the 80's and has one of the lowest amounts of rain fall.

The S/D is tops on our list for resorts and we are partial to the Dolphin. The pools are great and they serve food and drinks pool side. With the Yacht and Beach club as well as the Boardwalk all within walking distance you have a great area to explore, eat and play.

Epcot and MGM are a short boat ride away and you would be centrally located to everything else WDW has to offer. Click the link below to see an overview of WDW and you can see where all the resorts are located.

The deluxe corner rooms at the Dolphin offer the best views of the area.

F7 Prez

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/maps/WDW_OVERVIEW_INTL.jpg

 

[buckeye]

My husband and I are both teachers and we LOVE the Swan. I wanted to tell you how wonderful both the pool and the location are. The pool is huge, with beautiful landscaping, a large waterfall, and a fun slide. There is also a quiet pool with an outside bar next to it. The location cannot be beat because you can get to Epcot and MGM by walking or taking a short, pleasant boatride. Good luck with your decision!

 

[XStAnt]

The info you have on Swan/Dolphin and POR/FQ from others is accurate. Both are wonderful resorts, and you will be happy with either one.

Keep in mind, you are not really comparing apples to apples here. POR is a moderate resort. S/D is a deluxe resort.

As a deluxe resort S/D rooms will be larger, the hotel will be closer to a theme park, and there will be more dining options available. They also have interior doors to the rooms.

As a moderate, POR will have smaller rooms (but not too small) and will be a more spread out resort. You will have to go outside to another building to get meals, go to front desk, go to gift shop, etc. It is farther from the parks, requiring a longer bus ride (it only has bus transportation). It will have fewer food options: only a very nice and large food court and one sit down restaurant.

This is not meant to be a negative for POR. I have stayed there before and loved it. It is a beautiful resort with beautiful grounds. It's very relaxing. It has everything you need for a great stay, and then some. I only wished to show you the differences between a deluxe and a moderate resort.

Even with the teacher rate at S/D, you could probably get a cheaper rate at POR if there is a discount code. Keep an eye on mousesavers.com and this site for info on discount codes. You will then have to decide whether the amenities/location of a deluxe is worth the extra money to you.

You can't go wrong with either resort.

 

[padisneylover]

Just to let you know you can book a package through AAA at the Swan and Dolphin which includes the Silver Package.

 

[Ven]

Everything I have read, and even Birnbaums 2003 says that one of the most busiest times of the year is during President's week.
I would avoid it...but that is just me.

 

[harleyquinn]

You've got some great advice here, but I wanted to throw a few more considerations in.

I am currently in almost the same situation as you. My DF & I will be going for our honeymoon in August. I had thought we would be going S/D for sure since he is a teacher, but then the Fairy Tale Package came out and changed everything! I will save more than $1000 by staying at POR over the Swan, because of it. I know that the Swan is a deluxe, but for the price I couldn't refuse. Plus the S/D don't have very much theming which could be good or bad. This is my first trip to disney ever and I really want the whole disney experience.

Just keep your options open. You can book at S/D and then cancel if something else comes up.

All in all, without a good deal for POR I would go with the Swan right now. Bear in mind that the Swan has just been renovated so it's currently $144 instead of $129. But they have heavenly beds.

Read the Swan/Dolphin thread and post there. They are really helpful. You can learn about Starwood points and everything that way. go to www.swandolphin.com too. It's really great!

Sarah

 

[KIS]

Just to update those of you who offered me some advice.

I can't believe how generous you all have been in your responses to my inquiry.

Travelocity, AAA told me that it's too early for them to have a s/d rate. Dreams Unlimited referred me to a site named something like "Sunset Dreams Unlimited" because they book s/d packages. They told me that they had difficulty doing it at this time. (I guess that's the same response as the other travel agencies).

The s/d website that Sarah posted actually gave me a quote, however.

So, I'm thinking of doing what Sarah did and booking the s/d directly with the teacher discount. If I learn the cancellation policy (does anyone know it?) and some package deal comes through for POR, then I can cancel and save just like she did. (That $1000 should come in handy to you as a newlywed!)

XStAnt, the comparison was helpful because it only reinforced the above logic. Unless we get a discount code for POR or some deal later on, the s/d seems like a better deal for our money.

Mouseavers seems like a place for information on a few ends!

Where does the site that we're on offer coude information? I htought it was taboo to share codes. Did I miss something when I registered?

The Dreams Unlimited quoted me $2310 for POR with the nicer view at this point. What do you think?

Right now the transportation and location advantages of s/d seem worth it to me.

President's Day is now out. Like Ven, I hear it's one of the busiest times.

padisneylover, AAA doesn't handle the teacher's discounts. As I recall, they did not provide the silver meal plan at s/d. May be that's not correct.

It might be cheaper to go more on our own for meals, unless AAA sells the meal packages separately.

f7prez, So happy to hear your April weather report. Tell me, how do you get a deluxe corner roorm at the dolphin?

Here's the next question to ask: swan or dolphin? Swan's newly renovated. Dolphin has these corner rooms. Swan is smaller. Don't these two hotels allow guests to use any pool, the health club, any restaurant, etc? What between them is not shared, in other words?

I look forward to your responses and to updating you on my call to s/d and to AAA as well as my search for codes at mousesavers.

Best to you all.


Karen

 

[XStAnt]

Karen,

I agree the Swan/Dolphin with the teacher discount is probably a much better deal unless POR has a good discount. However, POR can often go for as low as $85-95/night (room only) with a discount code. Of course, that depends on when you go and if Disney issues a discount code.

As far as choosing between Swan and Dolphin, keep in mind the Swan is now $144/ night for the teacher rate, while the Dolphin if still $129/night. However, the Dolphin may increase in the near future as they complete their renovations. Others here can give you better advice as to the advantages of each one.

Both Swan and Dolphin share the same pool and other amenities. I don't know of anything that is not shared between the two resorts.

The price you were quoted for POR seems high for 7 days for two adults and one child. I realize it is probably rack rate. I'm assuming it also includes UPH tickets. You might find it is cheaper to buy Park Hopper Plus passes. Unused days and plus options never expire. A five day PHP comes with 2 plus options for BB, TL or PI. It's usually perfect for a seven day vacation (although only gives you 5 park days). The 6 day PHP has 3 pluses, and the 7 day PHP has 4 plus options. Price out the cost of a room only with a PHP ticket and compare it to the cost you were quoted with the UPH. Mousesavers.com has a breakdown of the prices for each ticket. Also check out www.wdwig.com.

I've also found it's cheaper to buy your own meals than use the Silver plan. I believe it costs somewhere around $65/day more for each adult (If I'm wrong someone will correct me). If you're not going to average spending that much for lunch and dinner each day it is not worth the money. If you're going to have a big, sit down lunch and dinner every day it may be worth it. And some people like the convienence of not having to worry about the cost of meals while on vacation.

I recommend buying at least one guide book to help you plan. The three most popular discussed on the DIS (in no particular oder) are: The Unofficial Guide, Birnbaum's Official Guide, and Passporter.

There are many excellent websites for information as well. I found the best sites are this one (www.wdwinfo.com), www.mousesavers.com, and www.wdwig.com. There are many others and I hope I haven't offended anyone by not mentioning them.

Good luck planning and feel free to ask many more questions.

 

[KIS]

Dear Disboard consultants,

Here's what I'm doing. That Mousesavers website really gave me some great ideas.

My husband and I are waiting until Dolphin/Swan have rates posted for Teachers in April. Currently, there are such rates online, but then there's less opportunities for future modification of a reservation if it's booked for s/d via online. Between that news and the news that Mary had on Mousesavers that the Riverside might have an area undergoing renovations as well as the definite renovations underway at the French Quarter, I figured it would be best to have something reserved at Riverside that I can later modify. So, following the Mousesaver tip, I reserved Riverside with the COR at WDW so that I can have the flexibility as well as not pay for the more of a park pass than my family can use.

Next, I will check on if the Dreams Unlimited can quote me a lower rate for the same deal and/or use the AAA discount. I don't know which will be lower, of course, at this point. Any guesses?

I learned that the AAA rates do not come out for another couple weeks or so. I hope to apply the AAA discount to the FOR "room only" reservation and then, just sit back and hold on for a deal with the Riverside or a better rate at the s/d once the hotel rates for teachers are posted.

So, I have arrived at the following question: Can anyone tell me if folks are allowed to hold two reservations at once? Could I hold one for the Riverside and Swan and then decide once the deals start coming in which one to drop?

 

[KIS]

Thanks XStAnt for all your advise. The POR is during what's called a "regular" period. It is the rack rate on a "room only" waterview.

I sure hope there's a package that lowers the rate. Otherwise, I've got the AAA discount.

Today, my hairstylist was telling me about her trips to WDW and how the S/D was quite adult-oriented when she went in 2000. She thinks our 5 year old will be happier at POR than at S/D. Any opinion on that?

I will check out the other website you mentioned. I will let you know how it goes.

KIS

 

[KIS]

I just wanted you to know about this information.

I called s/d today and learned that there is going to be no teacher's discount on s/d the week of 4/24/04 because there's a major conference taking place there. The woman quoted me $303 per night. That's a little too steep for me so it's PORiverside for sure.

Unless someone knows something I don't know.

KIS

p.s May be this should be a new thread.

 

[KIS]

We got the teacher discount, so it will be the dolphin. Thanks for your help.

KIS

 

[swilphil]

KIS--How did you get the teacher rate after originally being told you couldn't get it? Inquiring minds want to know! I've seen speculation that the Dolphin won't have the rate when the renovations are finished, which I would think will be in 6 months.

We just stayed at the Dolphin and loved it, so did our 3 year old. I would love to go back and use our Starwood points for another stay.