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

[jetsetter90]

Hi all,

We will be arriving Thanksgiving Day around 3 pm and I was wondering is there a certain room suggestion? I know that with other Disney Hotels people give their recomendation for certain rooms that they might have enjoyed and was just wondering if its the same for the Swan. This is our first time at a non Disney hotel and am very excited about the rate (teacher) since there was also nothing else available AT ALL Hope it's not TOO busy

Also just became a SPG and was wondering what the likelyness of an upgrade is any ideas.

Can't wait to get there. This area has become my favorite!!

TTFN

Maria

 

[dreamflight99]

My choice is whatever makes her happy at the start of the day makes me happy.

"WISE MAN!" I forgot about the added BF voucher. What an EXCELLENT choice, too (Yummy~GF!).

Best location for Photo...on the bridge crossing to the YC. So, when you walk out of the Dolphin towards the friendship launch area--pass it and walk the bridge over by the Swan (towards the Boardwalk) and take a snap or two here, then cross towards the YC...great view of the Dolphin from this Angle.

Funny thing about NYE and the resorts. They have a LOT of functions and reservations, yet many persons "opt-out" and/or change plans at the last minute. SO, this leaves MANY nice rooms available late in the eve. At that time of night, the FD associate can "release" a room which had been "held" for patrons whom never arrived. So...ASK, ASK, ASK for the BEST room (upgrade) available.

adisneyfan2...You are indeed savy! YES...there are some rooms which are "obstructed" by palms, etc. PLEASE, request an UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW of the resort area. Usually the 5th-9th floor on the wings and CL in the Tower are fine. But, just to be sure...ask. DS will be sure to enjoy the show if he has a "clear" view of the area.

jgates...tell your boss you ONLY fly First Class (OR nothing at all!) LOL...LOL! E-tickets are basically just "paperless" tickets. You will be in the computer, and can offer photo I.D. and/or Passports as proof of your reservation number. It never hurts to print the page for verification. I use E-Tickets with the FC tickets I book online at Delta. Delta also sends me "physical" tickets to bring for added security. I used to cehck-in curbside, but now use the FC line inside (as it is usually empty). You'll navigate this easily. I must agree...Travelocity is the #1 place to look for *inexpensive airfares (dislike the word "*Cheap", as the definition = worthless, low-priced, tawdry, etc. Not to mention the myriad of words associated with it, ie: Cheapskate, cheapener, cheapen, cheat, etc.! ) LOL. Let me know how this works out.


Hello Maria! (jetsetter90)

This area has become my favorite!!

MINE TOO!

When you check-in to the Swan, inform the front desk associate of your SPG membership. Also inform him/her this is your "first" visit to the Swan, and you were wondering if an "upgrade" to a resort view and/or Club Level was at all possible. You NEVER know unless you ASK! As for the Non-Disney hotel/resort thingie...you'll get over than REAL FAST! I've stayed at EVERY resort on Disney Property, (W/exception to the AKL and Value resorts). I still frequent the Disney Resorts, yet...do not feel the Dolphin/Swan are at all inferior because of the "non-Disney owned" affiliation. I pool ALL the resorts together...after all, it IS ON, literally in the HEART OF, Disney Property! (That's good enough for me!)

 

[jgates]

Well, chickened out this time guys......I let the agent book it. But I did find the fare thru travelocity. I decided to start hunting. Everything except the $580 fare had the 2 flight changes! And now those were even up at $430 to $450 per flight. So instead of flying into Birmingham, we elected to head to Atlanta - one stop - no plane or airline changes and the tickets were $186 per person. So we were really nice and saved the bank around $500. The 2 hours we will spend driving to Birmingham still puts us under the entire trip time on the original schedule into Birmingham and we are back in Madison 2 hours earlier Wed nite so home by 11 pm! And we have no risk of missing a connecting flight and missing our training sessions.

But, unfortunately DF we are flying coach! Maybe I can ask for a free upgrade at the airport. .................

And I signed up for Northwest WorldPerks! What the hey...........

DF, do you know if there is any way to convert American Airlines miles into Starwood Points?

 

[dreamflight99]

Your plans sound fab, and at great prices too. A little bit of reasoning and common sense can go a LONG WAY! I especially like the NON-STOP flight. After 911, this is the most IMPORTANT factor of any flight. The reasoning being: once the plane stops, there is no way to control the "luggage/baggage" which is "going through" IF the passenger does NOT board the designated connecting plane/flight. The more connections, the higher the risk. It's just something to think about when booking/reserving airfare for your trips to the WDW Dolphin/Swan. Even if the trip costs a little more for non-stop, sometimes the "safety" and peace of mind is worth the extra $$.

Sorry, jgates. If the skymiles could be transformed into Starpoints...I would follow suit! This can not be done, but the Starpoints can be transferred into the AA account. I just transferred 20,000 (actually 25,000 pts...as SPG offers a bonus 5,000 pts. w/each 20,000 pt. transfer) points into my Skymile account. I asked the associate if the pts. can be transferred BACK into my SPG account if not used. She informed me this was not possible. So, I'll be SURE to use them!

I flew NWA this past summer, and was inducted into the worldperks account. I already had a silver level, and was upgraded to the higher level. Definitely ASK for an upgrade to First Class if you are flying NWA. They actually offer free upgrades, which most airlines will not process. I was not happy with NWA (And flew FC), but I had a LONG flight (CA-NY)...and a lot of hassles. Hopefully, your flight will be much better!

The Dolphin is in the midst of the transformation! The rooms ARE reportedly being upgraded and renovated as I type. How exciting. I would LOVE to have a NEW SUITE when I arrive in July.

 

[jgates]

When do you ask - when checking in, boarding, etc?

 

[dreamflight99]

If the first one fails, graciously accept the denial. Then, ask AGAIN once boarding. If there is availability...sometimes, you just NEVER know unless you ask. Just like upgrades at check-in at the Dolphin & other resorts...I believe it really depends upon the associate (and availability). Just think POSITIVE thoughts...and you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain--just by asking!

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Hey DF99 and everyone

I'm loving this thread I wonder DF99 if you managed to find a picture of a recently refurbed room at the Swan? I'd love to see what they look like.

Also is an upper floor room better than a lower floor room at the Swan? BTW, how many Floors does the Swan have?

Thanks a million

 

[RosieRosie]

Hello DF99 -

For government rate rooms, does the Dolphin have a certain area of rooms for them?

Where does that bridge from the Dolphin acrosss the water go?

I joined Starwood but have no points yet - should I ask for an upgrade? Would I just ask for an upgrade or an upgrade to what?

Do you know what rooms at the Dolphin have already been redone?

Thank you!

 

[Mazzy]

For those wondering about the renovations, I have it from the Resort Managers PA that the renovations have only been made to the lower floors at the Swan at this present time - NO renovations have been made at the Dolphin.

This is why for our stay in December we got upgraded to Resort View at the Dolphin (as when I booked in Jan my booking on spg site said 'renovated room' at the Dolphin). We could have had a renovated room at the Swan but as they are only on the lower floors and we love the Dolphin so much, we decided to stay at the Dolphin.

Sam - there is one photo on these boards, I think the post was titled 'Renovations at the Swan Dolphin' - if you do a search for 'renovations' you should find it - and yes, it looks gorgeous!! Just wish they had had the renovations finished to their original schedule so we could have had a renovated room at the dolphin in December.

 

[Penny12]

Here's the link to the piccie I've seen

Swan room

 

[Trekker]

I'm checking into the Swan tonight. I will see if it is possible to get picture of one of the renovated rooms......

 

[Mainebound]

Thansk you for posting the link to the new Swan room. How gorgeous!Gosh, now I'm thinking I should try to switch my March ressies from the Dolphin CL to the Swan CL. Anybody else facing this dilemma?

 

[jetsetter90]

Thanks all for this wonderful sight. I have another question....Does anyone know what type of room one gets with the teacher discount? And is there any particular room or floor one that anyone can recommend at the Swan?


Thanks again!!

34 days and counting.

jetsetter90

 

[Ithastobe]

Hiya everyone! Just returned. Trip started on positive note. I was able to secure PS for Cinderellas the A.M. before we left, then to add icing to our cake, at gate check in, attendant said our flight was overbooked and asked if we wanted to take later flight into Tampa and travel FIRST CLASS! We said 'sure!'. Changed our car rental, flew into Tampa 1st class (I think I'm spolied now)!, Drive from Tampa to Orlando only about 45 minutes (it seemed), and kids napped. I cancelled our PS for 1900 Park Fair due to our later arrival, and changed them to Gullivers.

At Swan check in, attendant said she could not waive the Resort Fee. (I now see later posts on this, and I should have been more persistant). Room was a GRAND suite for two nights. It was not renovated yet, but I loved the 'calypso, happy' decor. We were on the 9th floor.

The Grand Suite was two rooms really. One room had two double beds with bathroom (kids slept there), and adjoining room with another queen bed, and two loveseats and one couch that was a hide-a-bed, and another bathroom. This room had a mini-kitchen and very large meeting sized table.

No problems with ventilation (as posted before). View looked directly at the grand Dolphin, no balcony, and could look down on the river where the boats picked up guests.

Dinner at Gullivers was fun, kids excited to see Pluto and Goofy. We also ate there for breakfast (characters were at Dolpin, but they said they were busy, and a long wait line and we wanted to get to the parks). We also ordered room service at night.

All in all, great time. Swan was lovely. Thanks to everyone for the info here (esp. Dreamflight999). Dreamflight - I saw a lot of persons with Dreamflight T-shirts on in MK, I saw NO lime green ribbins, but wore mine proudly.

This was truly a magical trip!

 

[dreamflight99]

Originally posted by Disneymad
Here's the link to the piccie I've seen

Swan room

ALSO NOTE...This room is an "UPPER FLOOR" room at the SWAN (Mazzy...please tell your RM PA to lay off the sauce! LOL).

All the info on these "renovations" are so convoluted! The renovations have "begun" in the Dolphin. I'm not sure if ANY are COMPLETED as of yet. The news on this transformation has been slow in forthcoming. And, as you can see...confusing at best.

Hello Fantasia Sam!

Upper floors offer a better view of the world. It's all a matter of preference. The Swan has 7-8 floors on the wings, and more in the main bldg. Perhaps TREKKER can add some details...since he's checking in this EVE!

HAVE FUN, TREKKER!

Hello, RosieRosie...

Govt. rate rooms are all over the resort. These are usually the standard rooms, with no balcony and no designated view. They are located on various floors and levels.

The main Bridge across the water from the Dolphin connects to the SWAN resort. The other little bridge over the waterway connects the Dolphin & Yacht Club Resorts to the Boardwalk area, walkway to MGM and the Swan resort.

I would definitely request an upgrade, irregardless of the point status of your SPG account. Request an upgrade to a room with a view of the Epcot or MGM parks (your preference), or a balcony room, CL, etc. It all depends on your desires and the person at the Front desk with whom you are speaking.

This is still a covert operation...and not many are sharing the info! Apparently, the rooms IN the midst of the transition are NOT BEING rented to the public at large (for OBVIOUS reasons!). I would still ASK if there are any completed renovated rooms available. I do have inside info: My suite at the Dolphin is currently undergoing a transformation.

Mainebound...GO FOR IT! Since the Swan was ahead of the Dolphin in the renovations, and there are rooms available for your stay~I would DO IT! Email TREKKER about his stay (currently there!) for all updated detail on the upgraded rooms/suites in the Swan.

jetsetter90...a little more than a month to go! The teacher rate rooms are similar to the Govt. rate rooms I posted info on above. These are standard rooms. I would request an upgrade upon check-in (never hurts), and ask for your personal preference (Epcot/MGM). Upper floors offer the better views, if you have no fear of heights!

Enjoy the DAY! TTFN....

 

[Mainebound]

DF99 --

Thank you for the encouragement, and all the info, as usual, of course. Unfortunately, I just checked spg. com and swandolphin.com and there are no rooms at the Swan for my March 11-16 trip under the teacher's discount! Gee -- I sure am glad I reserved the Dolphin rooms with the teacher's discount when I did!

 

[hookedup]

Hello all! I have been reading daily but not posting. Finally I have something to share!
I just added 4 more nights to our Dolphin stay in April. Now we will be there 2 full weeks! Hooray!!! I also upgraded to SPG gold so I hope that we will be able to get a great room for our stay.
Now I am second guessing myself that I should have booked the Swan because of the rennovations.
Anyone stayed there during Easter breaK? How horrible will the crowds be? Worse than when I was there in July?

 

[Mouseteacher]

jetsetter90 - I stayed at the Dolphin for the first time this past August. I joined spg, got the Starwood Amex card that placed me at gold level membership. I followed all the advice on this board. I e mailed the Dolphin informing them of my anticipation of staying at the resort for the first time and was a gold spg and would I be considered for a complimentary upgrade. I was granted CL upgrade even before check-in. I, too, booked on the teacher rate. So, I suggest you e mail the resort your request for an upgrade and check periodically before arrival. If no luck, ask upon check-in.

I have always stayed at Disney resorts (value, mods and deluxe) prior to this trip. The teacher rate was too good for a deluxe to not take the opportunity. I was concerned about potential of the lack of "Disney feel". It wasn't that way at all. Disney was all around us and the Dolphin location was the best. As long as the teacher rate is available, I wouldn't heitate to stay again --- hopefully August 2003.

mouseteacher

 

[Jodi1980]

When is the soonest I should request an upgrade?

 

[Mouseteacher]

jodi1980
I emailed the Dolphin about 2 weeks prior to arrival. I kept checking the spg site where you can see your reservation. It was there I saw the up grade about a week before arrival.