NEW...DOLPHIN/SWAN..."questions and answers"...tips and hints!

[Athena]

I am absolutely addicted to these boards! There's such a wealth of information here, and I guess the Disney magic keeps everyone so happy! It's so nice to see...

Dreamflight, may I pick your brain for a minute? We have booked the Swan through DreamsUnlimited (CL for $179/night) for 11 nights in June. I can hardly sit still I'm so excited! This is a lot of money for us, but we've heard such wonderful things about MamaT and the HeavenlyBeds, we just couldn't pass it up!

This is our first trip to WDW, and we're taking our 3 year-old son who's dying to go to "Mickey's House". I know that there aren't any balconies on CL, but since we are planning on spending approx. every other day around the hotel, a great view is really important to us (especially for fireworks viewing), as well as proximity to the pools.

I'm a Starwood Preferred Guest (but no points to speak of) and as a Canadian, I cannot get the SPG Amex (darn it!). If I ask really nicely, what's the best upgrade I can hope for? And is there a specific wing I should request (for the view, etc)?

Thanks for all your help, and I hope to meet up with some of you in June!

 

[jaw62901]

When I thought, that my trip deals were done, here comes another one.

First, just by chance, I was able to secure an airfare on Spirit Airlines leaving Chicago Ohare Dec 26 and returning Jan 3 for $181.50

The Second great deal:

I thought that I would have to either stay at a place for $360 a night or wait until dicsounts and AP rates came out for the winter season and hope that a place that I wanted to stay would be available. Boy was I really wrong. Here is what happened today.

The lady that I had making my reservation with Swans was just wonderful. I remember what many of you said about never knowing what kind of a deals the reservationist is willing to put together for you if you are nice and friendly on the phone, and in this case that was true. At first she told me that unless I had AAA membership or entertainment card I really wouldn't beable to get that great of a deal or much of a discount because of the time of the year that I was traveling. I mentioned about a possible AP rate and this being a solo trip and my first one since 1980 when I was 6 and she put me on hold for a couple of minutes. When she came back to the phone she told me that with an AP, I could stay for $209.06 a night. I was shocked . She put me in a Club level room with a King size bed with a great view facing Epcot. I could not believe my luck .

I know that everyone says that you should stay at one of the "disney" resorts to get the full feeling of WDW. However, why would I pay $2900 at a deluxe Disney resort for just a standard view basic room, when I can spend 1627.48 at a luxury resort like Swan with concierge service and a great reputation that it has.

Being able to walk to Epcot is a major plus along with all of the surronding resterants that I can eat at and charge to my room.

Well, I wanted this to be a vacation that I would remember and a vacation of a lifetime and I believe that has become a reality.

I just can't wait to go

 

[NomadFamily]

Hello All-

I am new here.....a transplant from the AOL boards where things have definitely slowed to a crawl.

This sure looks like a lively board......just what I need. I just LOVE using the internet to gather advice on booking Disney trips. My first Disney trip as an adult was in 96...shortly after purchasing my first home PC and signing up for Prodigy. I stumbled upon a Disney Fan discussion board and was on a plane with my family headed for a 15 day WDW vacation two months later. That's the dangerous thing about chatting with folks on the net...you get so much great advice and learn of so many things to do that your vacation continually S T R E T C H E S. lol
I statred with a 1 week cheap stay at All Star...then heard so many good things about Dolphin that I splt the vaca in half between all star and Dolphin AND now I am booked on a 12 day Dolphin ONLY vacation after reading the Unnoficial Guide. Now, after reading this board, I am really excited!! I hope you all don't mind questions because I have MANY!!! We are normally Caribbean travelers and this Diseny trip is replacing the Caribbean trip this June, so it was important to ME that I at least have a little tropical/resort flavor to this trip (hence, the cancelling of the AS ressie)

My trip dates are June 13 (yes, flying on Fri the 13th..UGH) to June 24....all at the Dolphin.....7 day Park Hopper Plus.......no rental car.......2 children...ages 5 and 16.

Oh, I haven't found the spell check on here yet....so forgive my typos as I type really fast and failed typing in high school

Looking forward to getting to know all of you.

 

[csmommy]

Congrats & enjoy the rest while you can MOM POPPINS! We are here when you need us!


jaw62901 congrats on saving $ & your upgrade!

And lastly welcome Athena & NomadFamily. Everyone here is very
friendly & ask away I'm sure someone can help!

 

[pewing]

Welcome Steff This is a GREAT place for so much information...and encouragement. I am on the 'launching pad' for my first trip to the Dolphin...and I'm soooooo excited.

 

[lovingthemouse]

Welcome Steff - i was also a transplant from the aol boards many months back and love this board!!!

Oh MomPoppins - we are so happy to see you home and posting. The bed rest will be long and tedious, i have been that route, but so worth it in the long run. And having such a wonderful family to be so supportive is everything. We'll keep you in our prayers - i know they surely work!!!

...off to PA to visit one of our daughter who is graduating in 3 weeks from college. Have not seen her since Christmas break and miss her! Have three graduating this year - think we may really feel the empty nest syndrome!! See you all later this week. Caroline

 

[pewing]

MomPoppins:
When I'm not spending time with my two precious boys...or on these boards...I'm an OB/Gyn Nurse. I am so sorry for your complications but glad to see you home with your family again. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Take care.

Nurse Penny

 

[dreamflight99]

Originally posted by MOM POPPINS
I finally got home last night, I have been in the hospital since March 17th. (5 weeks) The new babies fluid went critically low, and have been hospitalized what seems like forever. I am at home now with home health care and twice a day monitoring of baby and sonograms at the hospital twice a week, but I cannot tell you how nice it is to be home with my 4 DD and my DH! I have lots to catch up on, at home now on bedrest will keep me close to the computer and WDW! I missed you all, Robin

Okay, Robin...I have CHILLS now. I wondered where you were (Thought you "tired" of us!), and have MISSED you terribly. To discover you have been "in the hospital" is certainly a shocker. PLEASE, get some REST...and RELAX! I look forward to "hearing" from you on a REGULAR basis (the only way to monitor you!). In between posts...you can stay busy reading all the PAGES you've missed! We MOVE fast over here. TTFN...

Kimmar...I PM'd you back!

pbhunt...sending wishes for a TAG FAIRY visit!

Athena...Welcome Canadian! I have family in Nova Scotia (Lunenburg Bay). What a GREAT deal for Club level in June. Since you are already on CL, you may request either a "preferred view" of the Parks...or even a Jr. Suite. Either way, you will be pleased with your accomodations at the Swan (most assuredly!). Glad to have you aboard. Sorry about the shut-out for the Canucks w/regards to the Disney CC/SPG AMEX. How are you supposed to gain any points? If you want...I'll make the ressie for you...using my SPG AMEX card, just so you're not "tossing away" precious points! LOL!

Jason...Your post truly WARMED my heart. And to think some have the audacity to call the Dolphin/Swan "devoid" of the DISNEY MAGIC?! The Gall! (LOL). Beginning with the airline fare...all the way to the luxurious SWAN resort w/park view & club level. Truly MAGICAL. I think you should hurry to the nearest convenience store and purchase a LOTTERY ticket before the day expires! All that's left is to DREAM...and PACK! Kudos to you...and thank you for sharing your MAGICAL day!

NomadFamily.... Welcome! Lively...is an understatement. I know all too well, about the perils of "investigating & acquiring" knowledge regarding vacations via the internet...as ours has "stretched" to the tune of SEVEN~PLUS WEEKS each summer! LOL. I've flown to WDW on the 13th too...w/no trouble. WDW is a MAGICAL destination, with added pixie dust on all flights heading to this locale! It's nice you are leaving some time to relax outside of the parks. There is MUCH to do on the "off-days", and if you want tips/advice...it will be offered w/o resistance (no arm-twisting necessary). LOL. I stay for a month or more at the Dolphin each summer...and have PAP's. Yet, we do not visit the parks every day. Some days, we relax by the pool, play FANTASIA golf...and then enjoy a nice dinner on the BW. Or, we may have a "Movie-Day" at the AMC pleasure island (see three+ flicks), and dine in the RF cafe. Yet again...we may take the bus to the Contemporary Resort, play in the AWESOME arcade...and dine in one of the FAB restaurants (making SURE to view the fireworks over the MK park from the outdoor observatory area). We have also "rented" a vehicle for a day from the National car-rental counter in the Dolphin, and visited Sea World, or even Celebration Disney! We love Celebration...and visit each year for a movie, dinner and a long drive through the streets. It's also where "MAGIC LIVES", and we thrive on the environment! I could go "on & on", but you get the picture. We too, enjoy the Carribean. Last summer, we took the 7-night magic cruise through the Western Carribean. This summer, we are taking a hop on the four-night Eastern Disney Wonder (even reserved the same cabin number~cat. 5)! We also incorporate U.S.(Portofino Bay Hotel), and Disney's VERO beach into our itinerary. These are things you can consider...to "mix-up" your vacations! Feel free to ask anything you may wish to know about the Swan/Dolphin...to improve the enjoyment of your trip.

 

[maggiew]

Steff,
We will be at the Dolphin June 13 - June 22 too! Maybe we will see you there. We have two girls - 11 and 7.

Maggie

 

[NomadFamily]

Looking forward to the Dolphin and WDW!!


Does anyone know of the Playstation games in the Dolphin rooms are free? This seems too good to be true....but then again, it's Diney World so anything is possible for the kids.


Hi Maggie....looks like we will be counting down together!! On what airline are you flying?

 

[Emilysmome]

I know if you are hopping from Disney resort to Disney resort you can have them move your luggage for you. Is this possible with the Dolphin as well?

We will be spending one night at the All Star Movies before switching for our 5 nights at the Dolphin. It sure would make things easier if this is possible.

I'm so excited! We will be in the world in less than 2 weeks! Can May 6 get here just a little faster please? =)

Christine

 

[pbhunt]

Thanks Lisa, we are off to New Orleans, and then a 7 day W. Caribbean cruise. But of course, we are still dreaming of WDW and the Swan just to keep us on topic for our last 5 pages. I will have to find you all when we return. Have a wonderful time on all your trips and happy planning of future ones

 

[mommie2angels]

Ya'll we are staying at the Dolphin for the first time in May. We are going for dd#3 first birthday. I cannot believe this is really going to happen. I am so excited! Last month we had a trip planned with in-laws and at the last minute they back out. We stayed at ASM and had a wonderful time. This time our friends have backed out but we are still going. It will be dh, dd#1 in wheelchair, dd#2 in wheelchair, dd#3 and myself. Thanks to others advise we should be able to handle the baby and two wheelchairs in the park. We made reservation through Dreams Unlimited. I made a special request because of our two dds in wheelchairs. Should I also call the Dolphin direct? I just registered for the SPG. Since I just registered could I still request an upgrade when we check in? Anything special I should request? This is truly a dream of mine. I cannot believe it's happening. I am still trying to read all the post here. Hopefully I can read them all before we leave. Thanks so much for any help or advise you can offer.

 

[Mouseteacher]

A warm welcome to all who are new here and headed to S/D soon.

Jason ~ good for you! You will not be sorry for choosing the Swan. You will not miss any of the Disney magic - you are surrounded by it! Your room is awesome!! Your vacation WILL be a dream of a lifetime.

I believe there is a charge for the playstation games. One night my DS chose to stay in the room and he rented an in house movie for a nominal charge. I belive its the same with Playstation.

mommie2angels ~ e mail the hotel directly asking for a comp upgrade and mention all the facts as well as being an spg member. There is a place to e mail the hotel on the S/D website.

I am headed to an overnight on Cape Cod (W. Hyannisport) at a friend's home. 4 good friends getting together.

 

[ozziewags]

Welcome, new friends. By all means, call hotels directly and ask for whatever you need/desire. It never hurts and many times we are rewarded.
To all who are headed to the magic and elsewhere.......have safe and glorious trips! Post from the magic or upon return and keep us in the magic too!

 

[maggiew]

Steff,
We are taking the Amtrak! They had a special where kids ride free with adult, so instead of paying for 3 plane tickets, we are paying for 1 train ticket. Saved us a lot of money. I know it will take longer, but the girls and I have the time. My mom is flying in on the 13th on Southwest.

About the Playstations at the Dolphin, what costs money - renting the games? If you bring your own games, would it be free? What about controllers? I am not sure the girls would have time for playstation. When we went down last December, as soon as we made it back to the room at night the girls passed out with exhaustion.

Maggie

 

[Athena]

Thanks for the warm welcomes, and for the advice DF! Now about those Playstations, I'm going to have to run ahead of my husband when we get to the hotel and hide it! Otherwise he might never leave the room!

MomPoppins, hope you are taking good care of yourself and your little guy! When I was pg with my son, I lived for those sonograms to ensure that everything was fine. I'll be thinking of you and sending a prayer your way.

 

[dreamflight99]

NomadFamily ...as others have stated...it's a VERY nominal charge (around $5 per hour of play). The play time can be "saved" and used another time! DD has played the games with DH before, and both LOVE this feature. Controls are on top of the TV (attached), and the info/price is on the menu. ENJOY!

Emilysmome...they have always done this for me, although in the past..others reported differently. Now, I believe it's part of the policy, and is easily accomplished. Just contact the Bellman at the ASM's, and tell them to contact the Dolphin for transport of your luggage. Otherwise....hop the bus and drag the bags along! LOL.

pbhunt... AH...the BIG EASY! Make sure to have a Biegnet and some Cafe du monde coffee for moi! I adore the open cafe, and the scenes of folks passing, etc. Now, do tell WHAT Cruise line you are taking for the 7-night? I'd love to hear the details upon your return. Have a SAFE & FUN trip!

mommie2angels...(I'm a mommie to an angel too!) HELLO & WELCOME! Nice to have you here. Your trip sounds "heavenly", and you should have no trouble at the Dolphin w/your DD's in the wheelchairs. As mouseteacher wrote, please email the Dolphin directly to request a complimentary upgrade, using the form on the site: www.swandolphin.com. As she mentioned, please include as many details as possible (just as you wrote in your post), and then wait for the magic to happen. Everything's possible at WDW & Dolphin/Swan!

Mouseteacher...please say "hello" to my folks while you are at the CAPE! They left yesterday, and will be there today (My mom's birthday!). They too, are in W. Hyannisport (Near the K. Compound). Have a wonderful time, eat LOBSTER...and RELAX in the Sea Grass by the shore.

maggiew...NOW, that's using your noggin! Amtrak is a GREAT way to get to WDW. As for the playstation systems...if you bring your own in a travel case (available for purchase at TRU or Walmart), it is easily attached to the TV for instant play! Just bring the same cords you use for hook-up at home. It's no different. This would insure FREE use, and FREE down-time during a rainy day, etc. (May also give you some free REST time! LOL).

Athena...LOL...my DH plays these games too! He loves them, and lays upon the floor with DD...challenging her skills! It's almost more fun to "watch" the action...then participate!

Mom poppins...Where are you? Is everything okay? Did you get enough rest today? Please, drop a few lines when you feel well/strong enough. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

 

[pewing]

I just had to see my counter....and jump up and down a bit

The weather forecast is looking yucky, but I am so excited! I better get packing...

 

[Shelly]

maggiew....Please give me details on your train trip. I have thought of trying to go to DW this way. Did you get a sleeper? And how long is it supposed to take you?
I have three children also. We usually drive as flying for 5 people is still to much and the kids have alot of pain(sinus infections). What is the age cut off for the free children? I have a twelve year old. would love any info.