Getting to Swan/Dolphin from MCO

[bellepearle]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this or not. We'll be at BWV Oct 13-20. Our friends are staying at the Swan Oct 16-20. From what I've read DME doesn't go to the Swan or Dolphin. Would they be able to somehow take the DME to the Boardwalk and then just walk over to the Swan carrying their luggage with them? They're willing to do that if it means they don't have to rent a car or take a car service. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[bdklein]

I don't believe so. Perhaps you can add them to your reservation for one night, but it will cost some money and maybe not worth it.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Would they be able to somehow take the DME to the Boardwalk and then just walk over to the Swan carrying their luggage with them?

To use Disney's Magical Express (DME), it's necessary to be on a reservation for a Disney-owned resort hotel at Walt Disney World.

I see that you're staying at BoardWalk Villas. How many people? What kind of villa?

Let's suppose you're a family of 4 staying in a 2-bedroom villa, which officially has a capacity of 8. Now let's suppose your friends are also a family of 4. The dates of their Swan reservation fall within the dates of your BoardWalk Villas reservation. You could add them to your reservation as registered guests "staying" in your villa. They could use DME. They could even use the pools at the BoardWalk. Their villa key cards can be made without allowing room charges. You would be within the occupancy limits, so you're within the rules. (A registered guest is not required to sleep in the room.)

Your friends could be on your reservation for your whole stay. If it's a DVC reservation, there's no charge for extra guests, even adult guests. There's just an occupancy limit. And you need to provide the names of all guests that will be registered guests for that DVC villa. (All this assumes you're not using the Disney Dining Plan or any other paid Disney service that applies to everyone on the reservation).

The DME system is sophisticated enough to allow guests on the same reservation to arrive on different flights, even on different days, as long as the arrivals are within the reservation dates. So if you're using DME on October 13 and they're using DME on October 16, it's not a problem for DME.

HOWEVER... if the math of total guests vs. maximum allowed occupancy does not work out, then this is not an option.

 

[goofy4tink]

If you put them on your BWV reservation, sure. Otherwise, no. You have to be listed on an active WDW resort reservation if you want to use DME. They can take the Mears shuttle to S/D...I believe it's about $35 pp, r/t. A car service will run about $115 plus tip.

 

[Best Aunt]

But can they be listed on two resies at once (their own Swan resie and OP's BWV resie)?

I think you can't be on two CRO reservations at once. I assume that's so you can't be hogging the rooms. For example, if somebody can't make up their mind, they book Contemporary and Beach Club and then cancel one of those reservations 6 days before the trip.

If that's correct, I don't know if you can be on one CRO reservation and one DVC member reservation at the same time.

 

[Carriemel]

Here's the great thing about that - the S/D aren't Disney Hotels - I am 99% sure that they wouldn't be on 2 "Disney" reservations at the same time.

 

[bellepearle]

I don't believe so. Perhaps you can add them to your reservation for one night, but it will cost some money and maybe not worth it.

Thanks but I don't think they want to stay with us.

 

[bellepearle]

To use Disney's Magical Express (DME), it's necessary to be on a reservation for a Disney-owned resort hotel at Walt Disney World.

I see that you're staying at BoardWalk Villas. How many people? What kind of villa?

Let's suppose you're a family of 4 staying in a 2-bedroom villa, which officially has a capacity of 8. Now let's suppose your friends are also a family of 4. The dates of their Swan reservation fall within the dates of your BoardWalk Villas reservation. You could add them to your reservation as registered guests "staying" in your villa. They could use DME. They could even use the pools at the BoardWalk. Their villa key cards can be made without allowing room charges. You would be within the occupancy limits, so you're within the rules. (A registered guest is not required to sleep in the room.)

Your friends could be on your reservation for your whole stay. If it's a DVC reservation, there's no charge for extra guests, even adult guests. There's just an occupancy limit. And you need to provide the names of all guests that will be registered guests for that DVC villa. (All this assumes you're not using the Disney Dining Plan or any other paid Disney service that applies to everyone on the reservation).

The DME system is sophisticated enough to allow guests on the same reservation to arrive on different flights, even on different days, as long as the arrivals are within the reservation dates. So if you're using DME on October 13 and they're using DME on October 16, it's not a problem for DME.

HOWEVER... if the math of total guests vs. maximum allowed occupancy does not work out, then this is not an option.

Thanks for the response. We are a group of 6. 4 of us have a 2BR lock-off and 2 of us have a studio. We will be using the DDP so I don't think this will work never mind the fact that our friends are staying at the Swan. They already booked their room and it would be too much to have them stay with us. Correct me if I misunderstood what you were saying. Thanks!

 

[bellepearle]

If you put them on your BWV reservation, sure. Otherwise, no. You have to be listed on an active WDW resort reservation if you want to use DME. They can take the Mears shuttle to S/D...I believe it's about $35 pp, r/t. A car service will run about $115 plus tip.

If they were put on our BWV reservation, then they can't stay at the Swan in their own room correct? Thanks for the Mears suggestion. I will let them know about that. Is that a direct shuttle to S/D?

 

[bellepearle]

But can they be listed on two resies at once (their own Swan resie and OP's BWV resie)?

I think you can't be on two CRO reservations at once. I assume that's so you can't be hogging the rooms. For example, if somebody can't make up their mind, they book Contemporary and Beach Club and then cancel one of those reservations 6 days before the trip.

If that's correct, I don't know if you can be on one CRO reservation and one DVC member reservation at the same time.

Right! That's what I'm not following. They still want their own room at the S/D. Besides, it would be crowded having them stay with us!

 

[bellepearle]

Here's the great thing about that - the S/D aren't Disney Hotels - I am 99% sure that they wouldn't be on 2 "Disney" reservations at the same time.

So how would this work? I'm confused. Don't forget that the group of 6 (us) will be on the DDP. I think that complicates things based on what the PP said.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The Disney Dining Plan derails the idea of adding your friends to your destination.

However, I never wrote that your friends needed to SLEEP in your villa, only that they could use DME to the BoardWalk (and walk to the WDW Swan) if they were LISTED on your BoardWalk Villas reservation -- as long as the total guest count did not exceed the maximum occupancy.

Despite the "two reservations at once" concern raised in this thread, there would have been no problem listing their names on your reservation, even if they had a reservation at the WDW Swan.

Let's say that people named Bob and Mary Smith have a reservation at the WDW Swan. Their friends Mike and Nancy Jones have a DVC reservation at the BoardWalk. Why could Bob and Mary Smith not list people named Mike and Nancy Jones on their Boardwalk reservation?

Not only that, but BoardWalk Villas and WDW Swan use different hotel reservation systems -- Disney and Starwood, respectively.

 

[bellepearle]

The Disney Dining Plan derails the idea of adding your friends to your destination.

However, I never wrote that your friends needed to SLEEP in your villa, only that they could use DME to the BoardWalk (and walk to the WDW Swan) if they were LISTED on your BoardWalk Villas reservation -- as long as the total guest count did not exceed the maximum occupancy.

Despite the "two reservations at once" concern raised in this thread, there would have been no problem listing their names on your reservation, even if they had a reservation at the WDW Swan.

Let's say that people named Bob and Mary Smith have a reservation at the WDW Swan. Their friends Mike and Nancy Jones have a DVC reservation at the BoardWalk. Why could Bob and Mary Smith not list people named Mike and Nancy Jones on their Boardwalk reservation?

Not only that, but BoardWalk Villas and WDW Swan use different hotel reservation systems -- Disney and Starwood, respectively.

Wow thanks for this info. Very interesting! How does the DDP complicate this?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Wow thanks for this info. Very interesting! How does the DDP complicate this?

Unless things have changed, DVC guests who choose the Disney Dining Plan must purchase the plan for every registered guest in the room for the entire length of the stay.

In the scenario we're discussing here, your friends would be registered guests in your room (even though they're staying at the Swan).

So you would have to buy the Disney Dining Plan for them (or drop the idea of buying the Disney Dining Plan altogether).

 

[bellepearle]

Unless things have changed, DVC guests who choose the Disney Dining Plan must purchase the plan for every registered guest in the room for the entire length of the stay.

In the scenario we're discussing here, your friends would be registered guests in your room (even though they're staying at the Swan).

So you would have to buy the Disney Dining Plan for them (or drop the idea of buying the Disney Dining Plan altogether).

No I believe that's still the rule. We rent DVC members. This will be only our 2nd time staying at a DVC property and 2nd time on the DDP. Thanks so much for all your help!

 

[tjmw2727]

If you didn't have the DDP you "may" have been able to add them "name only" to your reservation which would entitle them to a DME ride to the Boardwalk even though they would obviously be staying at the Swan. However the DDP complicates that as every person on the reservation has to have the same reservation.

So they can not ride DME to the Boardwalk as they are not guests. They have a few choices, Mears r/t transportation at about $35 per person can be booked upon arrival at the airport. Or a town car about between $105 to 125 total r/t depending on vehicle type and company which should be booked ahead of time. When staying at the Dolphin or Swan we typically use Tiffany Town car with great service.

 

[bellepearle]

If you didn't have the DDP you "may" have been able to add them "name only" to your reservation which would entitle them to a DME ride to the Boardwalk even though they would obviously be staying at the Swan. However the DDP complicates that as every person on the reservation has to have the same reservation.

So they can not ride DME to the Boardwalk as they are not guests. They have a few choices, Mears r/t transportation at about $35 per person can be booked upon arrival at the airport. Or a town car about between $105 to 125 total r/t depending on vehicle type and company which should be booked ahead of time. When staying at the Dolphin or Swan we typically use Tiffany Town car with great service.

Thanks! I will let them know. Such a shame that S/D doesn't participate in DME. I'm surprised they don't offer their own shuttle service.

 

[Lewisc]

they don't have to rent a car or take a car service. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

They can take Mears shared shuttle.

I think it's nice Swan Dolphin isn't raising their rates to include an expensive service would which only be used by some guests. Guests who don't want to rent a car or use a car service can use Mears.

 

[goofy4tink]

If they were put on our BWV reservation, then they can't stay at the Swan in their own room correct? Thanks for the Mears suggestion. I will let them know about that. Is that a direct shuttle to S/D?

I have stayed at the S/D, and had my name on a friends room reservation at the BW before. Never an issue. But, she was the only one on her reservation, so adding me was no issue. Since you are using the DDP, won't be able to do that. Everyone on the reservation needs to have the same stuff....so it would cost a lot.
I really recommend the Mears shuttle. I've used it before, in the interest of gathering decent info for this board. It isn't as quick as DME, but it will get them there. Takes 90 mins or so. The bus will make stops at non-WDW resorts along the way...it's kind of interesting to see the other resorts in Orlando.
If your friends want a more direct ride, then a car service will work out best. That will run about $115 plus tip, r/t vs about $65 for 2 to use the Mears shuttle r/t...plus tip.

 

[NancyIL]

When I stay solo at the Swan, I usually take Mears. When my 2 kids went with me last summer, I used Tiffany Towncar for about the same price as 3 people on Mears. I have also rented one-way cars from National or Alamo at the airport for drop-off at the Dolphin - and done the reverse to go back to the airport. Since I usually don't need a car while I'm at WDW and don't want to pay $15/day to park it at the Swan, I don't keep the rental car during my stay.