Help need info on Swan and Dolphin. Should we book it??

[daisylove]

OK just found out that my new job gives us a great discount for Swan or dolphin next summer. Please tell me about them!!!!


It will be just DH, me and 7yr old DD. Pool is a big thing. Was looking at BCV before this discount. BCV looked attractive for the kitchen or at least a fridge and the pool. Give me all the info and recommendations you can. Thanks!!!

 

[imlazar]

I've never stayed there, but I've been there several times for conferences. It is designed as a conference hotel, depending on what is going on you may find far more individuals there on business than families on vacation.

Having said that, it is huge and extremely nice. There are also a lot of amenities.

Have a look at http://www.allearsnet.com/ and their review before you decide.

 

[DisneyVa.]

My family has stayed at both. You don't quite get the same "Disney feeling" while you are there, but I prefer either hotel over any of the Disney resorts and we have been 14 times to 11 different resorts! The Dolphin is larger and busier. At the time when we went, the Swan had queen size beds and the Dolphin did not. The pool area is shared and very nice with a waterfall and small slide. Also really good tranportation and location as well from either resort. I would go for it. I am a teacher and the last time we went our rate was $129 per night. I got a room for my family and one for my sister-in-law. Good luck deciding!

 

[Diznenut]

I was at the Dolphin for a week in october 2001 for a conference. The public areas in the lobby are truely gorgeous, the staff super nice and amenities great. However, I was very disappointed in the shabbiness everywhere. I'm not a snob, but if I had to pay the bill instead of my company, I would have been very pissed. $248.00 a night - the rugs had holes, the paint was chipped and the carpets were badly stained. There were cigarette burns on the counter in the bathroom and the lock would jam every other time. Half of the dining areas were closed down, and one of the ones open had dirty sticky floors every time we went in there.

It was my first time staying on site and I was really shocked - I expected a whole lot more from Disney. Maybe they've been redone since then.

 

[DisneyVa.]

Please remember that while the Swan and Dolphin Resorts are located on Disney World property, they are not Disney owned. Sherton and Westin own these resorts. You must have been visiting right before they were refurbished which has been completed in both resorts.

 

[Diznenut]

Even though Disney doesnt own Dolphin, I still expected much more. I could see a lot of potential there and Im glad to hear they've been refurbished.

 

[Lives4Disney]

I was at the Dolphin for a week in october 2001 for a conference. The public areas in the lobby are truely gorgeous, the staff super nice and amenities great. However, I was very disappointed in the shabbiness everywhere. I'm not a snob, but if I had to pay the bill instead of my company, I would have been very pissed. $248.00 a night - the rugs had holes, the paint was chipped and the carpets were badly stained. There were cigarette burns on the counter in the bathroom and the lock would jam every other time. Half of the dining areas were closed down, and one of the ones open had dirty sticky floors every time we went in there.

It was my first time staying on site and I was really shocked - I expected a whole lot more from Disney. Maybe they've been redone since then.

I stayed in a $1200/nt MK view suite at the CR on the 14th floor and this sounds like our room! It was awful.

Anyway, I stayed at the Dolphin in August with my 3 kids. The hotel has recently been refurbished. Nothing shabby at all. We had a nice time - the pool area is awesome, room service was delicious, great location & transporation, staff could have been better & friendlier. If you stay club level, the lounge staff is super nice, though. The beds are VERY wonderfully comfy. The rooms were smaller than other Disney deluxe resorts I have stayed in. I did miss that little something you feel when you are in a Disney resort (not the 14th floor of the CR, though )

I would stay there if the price was right, but I would still miss my favorite Disney deluxe.

Lives4Disney

 

[daisylove]

I still cant decide. . The price is right but what "disneyness" do you miss out on? Oh and are there fridges in the room like at disney resorts? Laundry?

 

[sanibelover]

I would pick the Swan over a Disney Deluxe any time. Just got back from a split stay at the BC and the Swan. The service at the Swan was far superior to that of the BC and our room at the BC was in serious need of refurbishment. The restaurants at the S/D are also incredible.

The fridges in the rooms are part of the mini bar, so ask for one at check in. They will bring one up.

I loved the "adult feel" of the Swan. There is not a whole lot of Mickey going on there, but after entire days of theme parks, etc. it was nice to "escape" a little. Also, this was an adults only trip for us so we weren't looking for any extra Mickey stuff.

The location is terrific. Walking to EPCOT or to the Boardwalk is great. The pool is very nice. There is a waterfall and slide. Nice pool bar too.

You can't charge to your room at the Disney parks, etc. if that is important to you.

If you get a good rate, you should definitely book the Swan or Dolphin (my choice would be the Swan). The only "problem" I could foresee is a large convention. My husband was attending a convention in September and we stayed at the BC - glad we did. The Dolphin and the Swan were completely booked with conventioneers and the lobbies, restaurants, etc. were wall-to-wall. Not trying to scare you, but it would not have been fun to be on vacation in the middle of that. Doubt you could book a room with such a large convention going on anyway - just a heads up.

I don't think you will be disappointed whichever way you decide to go. We just felt a lot more "appreciated" at the Swan than at the Disney hotels. Have a great time.

 

[swilphil]

I've stayed at both the Swan and the Dolphin while conventions were taking place. It doesn't take away from your vacation at all. Most convention goers have family members who are heading to the parks.

Disney is all around you. We've stayed in rooms where we could see the Epcot ball or MGM's Tower of Terror. The Boardwalk is literally right next door to the Swan, and Epcot is a short walk away. I also love the boat transportation available, and the bus service to MK and AK is very good.

They have mini-bar fridges that you can have emptied so you can use. When we were there in 2004, you had to pay $25 to have them emptied. I read on here that they were doing away with that charge though. To me it was worth the $25 to have it emptied.

The rooms are much nicer than the Disney resort rooms, even at the deluxes. My kids love the grotto pool with the waterfall and slide. Even if you don't stay on the club level, the concierage desk in the lobby will make meal reservations for you at the S/D hotels and at Disney restaurants. We've gotten hard-to-get character meal and World Showcase reservations a few days and even hours in advance. The only time I stay at a Disney resort is if a discount isn't available at the Swan/Dolphin.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We'll be staying there for the first time this month. I got a good rate and love the location so we booked it despite it not being "Disney" (although it's pretty darned close in my book). I'll report back after our trip to let you know how we liked it. I think this will be an especially nice place to be on our Epcot/MGM days as we can walk or take the boat right to those parks. Mid-day breaks will be a breeze and nighttimes beautiful.

Reportedly there will be a lot of conventioners while we're there which worries me a bit. I noticed them at CSR and it did kind of remind me of work a bit (which was the last place I wanted to think about while I was at WDW, LOL). But I'm hoping the location and amenities will make up for it if we do see a lot of them.

There are lots of people here who really love the S/D and I've gotten some good information from them.

 

[katallo]

We stayed at the D/S three times in the past five years and enjoyed it. I didn't miss the Disney feel because you are so close to the Boardwalk and theme parks. In March, we decided to try the WL and we felt that, for the price, the rooms couldn't compare. Rooms at WL were very cramped, with a few holes in the bedspreads and many chips on the dresser. The WL location was really great!

The beds at the D/S are wonderful as are the pools. Next year, we are trying the BC and I must admit I'm a little apprehensive after reading many posts about the BC needing refurbishing. Sorry, but for the rates of Disney hotels, rooms and suites should always be in tip top shape.

 

[lorik]

We were at the Swan last month and loved it. The room was in perfect condition and the beds are wonderful. We asked for the mini-bar to be emptied and were told it would be $20. When we got our bill we were charged only $10. There is an extra sink outside of the bathroom which helps with getting ready in the morning. There is a coffee pot and coffee in the room. The pool is beautiful and not crowded. DD is still raving about the slide.
The location is also great. Very nice to be able to take the boat to MGM and Epcot rather than the bus. There was very little wait time for either the boats or the buses.

The downside of staying there is no magical express and no dining plan. However, with a great rate you more than make up for it. In fact, when we went the dining plan was free but we got such a good rate that we still came out way ahead of staying at a Disney deluxe.

As far as not being able to charge to the room, except within the Swan/Dolphin, it really wasn't a big deal. I just used my credit card instead of my room card. it didn't take any longer and the charges all ultimately end upon my credit card anyway. We had packages sent to the hotel and picked them up at the gift shop.

We would definitely stay there again.

 

[sanibelover]

Noticed that people asked for the minibar fridge to be emptied and were charged. We didn't take the key to the minibar when offered at check in and asked for a fridge and they brought one up - no fee. Not sure why that was different - this was just in September.


Also, conventions would probably only be a problem if the hotels were full. My husband's convention had people in the S/D, the BC, POR, and one of the values as well as folks offsite. There were tons of conventioneers and they did not disappear. The evenings were very busy and it was tough to get into a restaurant. The lobby at the Dolphin was so jammed packed that you could barely move.

 

[diskids2]

For our family"


Dolphin Pro's

Cost - government rate
Transportation via boat
Walk to Epcot
Larger room than moderates
Balcony view of Illuminations
Great Pool/Pool area



Dolphin Con's

Pillows too fluffy
Food court, non existent - Tubbi's not as good as moderate food court for bkst.
Walk to elevator LONG
No Disney Meal Plan
Can not charge back to rooms - hated taking credit cards with me



Some more information - We had only been to the moderate CBR before our stay at the Dolphin. There were no disney dining plans at the time (not the magic your way i mean). We went because I wanted to see what a deluxe hotel was like and the cost was right. Our stay at the Dolphin was really nice, but the next time we go we will not go there. I really need a better food court for breakfast and need to be able to do the charge back to the room thing. Kids are old enough to go around on their own and I'm NOT giving them a credit card . Plus I know the dining plans will suite our family because we always eat breakfast and a sit down meal every day.

Just to add - The convention thing did not bother me at all. The hotel is so big- It didn't make a difference and I knew I was in disney - didn't miss the Mikey soaps et all. My biggest reason for not going back would be charging to the room card and the dining plan.
I hope this helps.

 

[lyncruiser]

Pillows too fluffy? Really? When we stayed there recently, the pillows were one of the best things about our stay. They are extremely high quality down -- to buy them retail, they'd probably be $150 per pillow. They were such a pleasant change from the awful foam (or if you make a special request, the awful feather) pillows at the Disney resorts (even the deluxes).

Just for the OP's benefit, from our recent stay:

Good:
Service -- much better than at the Disney deluxes, there is a phone number you call, they answer it immediately addressing you by name, and respond quickly to whatever it is you need
The heavenly beds (including the wonderful down pillows)
Value for price paid
Grotto Pool (including the basketball court and table tennis area)
Boat Service to MGM and Epcot
Bus Service to MK, which was quite efficient we thought
Vast array of eating options either at the Dolphin or within an easy stroll
Tubby's for a quick burger or ice cream
Use of the minibar fridge -- they charged us $20 to empty it, but it was well worth it, we had plenty of room for milk for in-room breakfast and waters and gatorade for the parks
Gorgeous lobby at the Dolphin and all of the fountains around the property
Pianist in the Dolphin lobby each evening
Fanciful beach-style architecture and decor

Not so good:
Motion controlled room thermostat -- absolutely unbelievable that the air turns off automatically when you're asleep -- it was August and 90 degrees outside at night -- they disabled the sensor for us as soon as we complained, but the experience left something of a bad first impression
Unreliable high-speed internet access -- since it's a business hotel, more people seemed to be logging on a prime times like the morning and the server didn't seem to have sufficient capacity

Would we stay again -- absolutely. Beats any WDW moderate any day of the week and beats the deluxes in some respects. The service is better than any WDW hotel we've stayed at, including the deluxes.

 

[disneyfor3]

Regarding emptying the minibar, did you ask at checkin or did you call housekeeping after you got in your room? Thanks; we are staying at the Swan in December for the first time.

 

[daisylove]

Wow. Great information. Thanks!!!
Many questions but the first comes to mind is where do the busses let you off at MK. Is it at TTC or where the resort buses let off at the entrance?

 

[NJBlackBerry]

I'm going to a convention down there next week. I had my choice of any of the Epcot Area hotels. I chose the Yacht Club.. I have stayed at the Dolphin twice and the Swan once (I liked the Swan more). I feel both hotels are aging, and I really missed the Disney Magic. So this time I am staying at the Yacht Club

 

[Lives4Disney]

Wow. Great information. Thanks!!!
Many questions but the first comes to mind is where do the busses let you off at MK. Is it at TTC or where the resort buses let off at the entrance?

The buses let you off right at the MK just like the Disney resorts do. When I stayed at the Swan in May, we shared a MK bus with the Boardwalk, YC/BC and Dolphin.

Lives4Disney