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

[ozziewags]

CL is Club Level. It means that certain rooms (at the Swan, floors 11 and 12) have access to a club room that has continental breakfast and snacks throughout the day. They also will help out with ressies upon request.
If you want to upgrade, you can either ask for a better view, or CL. There are also suites and jr. suites. All are different prices and if you get a Starwood card you have the possibility of being comped for an upgrade. Views are of the lake, Dolphin, MGM, Epcot and Boardwalk. Also, an American Express Starwood credit card will get you points that you can also use to upgrade.


www.spg.com

 

[dreamflight99]

OF DISNEY'S "VERO BEACH" resort! We live for a week (or more) in the 2BR Villa! It is so wonderful and peaceful here. And the MAGIC of DISNEY is ALWAYS PRESENT!

Happy WEEKEND all!

 

[RAV]

CSMOMMY:

You can apply for the Starwood card by phone if you are not comfortable doing so online. The number is -1-800-223-2670.
The Swan is very lovely. We enjoyed our stay very much. The location is wonderful . Being able to walk to two parks is quite a luxury. Spending time at the Boardwalk, enjoying the many dining options in the Epcot area, and the pool at the Swan make the Swan one of our favorite resorts. Comparing it to AKL is really like comparing apples and oranges. AKL is somewhat remote and you will use bus transportation often. The theme at AKL is obviously very strong and the staff is very nice but dining proved to be tough for us. Unlike many other people on these boards, we did not enjoy the dining options at AKL. If I had to choose between the Swan and AKL, the Swan would be my choice , but that is just my personal opinion. Perhaps you could spend time at both resorts.

 

[Jodi1980]

Have the floors that have Club Level (floors 11 and 12) been refurnished?

Would they think I was crazy if I requested an upgrade to CL since I'm only paying govt rate at $129 per night?

 

[ozziewags]

Jodi
Not sure about the refurbishments on CL yet, but someone posted that the Swan was completed. Sure did that fast if it is! It wasn't in Dec. Call and ask!
And definitely ask for an upgrade.....many of us on here are crazy....because we all asked for an upgrade and most received it. Some used points or paid to upgrade because they wanted to be sure they had it. It all depends on availability. You take your chance.

 

[Mouseteacher]

Jodi - ASK don't hesitate to try! In the words of DF99, it doesn't hurt to try - all they can say is no... or... yes!

I booked 2 rooms teacher rate last August / apllied for starwood membership and starwood AMEX card after I made ressies. I did this to up my chances of a comp upgrade. I no points at the time of our vacation. We (both rooms) were given comp upgrade to CL.

I have kept the Amex card to build points (11,000+ to date). I did place our rooms on the card to get even more points.

So - try and let us know how you make out! Oh, the resort is terrific. It was our first stay at a non-Disney resort in 17 trips to the World. It did not feel non-Disney to us. We loved the location: ability to walk to many places and many choices of fine places to eat (DH's idea of a great vacation!). The grotto pool is awesome. Look out any window and you are in the heart of the Epcot area! And you can't beat the teacher/nurse/gov't discount!

 

[csmommy]

RAV, thanks for the info. The more I look into the Swan the nicer it sounds.

I booked directly with them, & will call back Monday with my SPG#.

One more questions:

Will I be able to view my reservation on the SPG site since I booked directly with SWAN?

TIA

 

[Mouseteacher]

CSmommy ~ you should be able to see your ressie on spg site. Just call spg directly and give them the confirmation number you received from the Swan and they will add to their site.

 

[kathmzh]

I found my ressies on the SPG site, even though I booked throuigh the Swan directly .

 

[csmommy]

you guys are a wealth of info, thanks.

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

Well it looks like we are going to book the Junior suite at the Dolphin tonight! We were told last time we called that with the Teacher's discount it would be around $200. From checking at SPG.com, it seems as though the room is usually $450 + !! We are excited because even though this isn't like a 5 bedroom suite with ..... it is still bigger than a normal room and will seem even more relaxing than a normal vacation! We are trying to find pictures, but so far have had no luck. Does anyone know the exact room size? Also to others who have booked a Junior Suite, what was your rate?

Thanks
Mike

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't see any of this info on this thread but then I haven't read the entire thing...does anybody know about the resort fee? I know that it is now $10 (Starwood says that is because they now have high speed internet access in the rooms) but I read somewhere on these boards that they are not allowing guests to waive the fee anymore, which doesn't make sense to me - why wouldn't they just raise the room rate, then? I'd like to waive the fee like I usually do because I don't ever use anything that the fee is meant to cover. I've just booked the Dolphin for the 4th of July and the Swan for Labor Day - gotta love the government discount.

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

Well I posted two posts back that we were most likely going to book the Junior Suite, but now that I told my parents that sometimes you can get upgrades for free to better views/CL, they are considering just booking a normal room.

Last year we had a normal room but used SPG points to upgrade. I guess I totally forgot about requesting an upgrade for beforehand.

I'm trying to give things for my parents to say if we do book a normal room. I told them they could mention to the person on the phone that if it was possible to type in a request for a EPCOT view, etc.... Or something along those lines. We don't want to sound be rude or seem demanding , lol. Well if any of you can reccomend anything to say, that would be great!

I'm really pushing for a Junior Suite though!!!!!

Mike

 

[csmommy]

Originally posted by TDC Nala
I don't see any of this info on this thread but then I haven't read the entire thing...does anybody know about the resort fee? I know that it is now $10 (Starwood says that is because they now have high speed internet access in the rooms) but I read somewhere on these boards that they are not allowing guests to waive the fee anymore, which doesn't make sense to me - why wouldn't they just raise the room rate, then? I'd like to waive the fee like I usually do because I don't ever use anything that the fee is meant to cover. I've just booked the Dolphin for the 4th of July and the Swan for Labor Day - gotta love the government discount.

I made reservations last night directly with Swan & explained that I wasn't planning on using the interent or health club facility while on vacation, I didn't drink coffee, & that I would just purchase my newspaper when I had a free moment, & they waived the resort fee. They also said I needed to re-explain this upon check-in & I wouldn't be charged.

 

[Muffinish]

I talked to Stephanie at Swan Reservations today, and she said the renovations were up to the 8th floor. I asked if she thought the CL floors (11 and 12) would be completed by the time of our vacation in June, and she said, "It's possible. There's no real schedule." Judging from reports from guests who've stayed there since the renovations started, it seems they're working pretty quickly. I'll just keep my fingers crossed...four floors in four months is reasonable, right?

 

[dreamflight99]

Hello Mike! The Jr. Suite is a DEAL at the $200 offered under your parent's discount. Here's a couple of pics of the Jr. suite:

Junior Suite features include:

Bright, whimsical décor
One bedroom with king size bed
One spacious parlor area with sofa, chairs and tables
Sico/Murphy (pull-down) bed
Mini-bar
In-room safe
Color/cable TV with remote control
Two 2-line telephones with voice mail messaging plus computer data port
High-speed Internet access
Individual climate controls
Sensational views
Iron/ironing board
Full bath in each room
Hair dryers
Coffee maker

Please have your parents ask if "there's any possibility we could be upgraded to a Jr. Suite w/view at no extra charge, if there is one available? Could you please make a notation of these desires/wishes on our reservation? Thank you, so very much. Such consideration would make our vacation truly magical."
*Good luck with this venture! Keep me apprised of your progress!

TDC Nala...as csmommy replied, neither resort will "FORCE" you to keep the amenities and pay the fee. Kindly explain your position upon check-in, and the fee will be removed. Also, please DOUBLE-CHECK your folio on the day of check-out for any discrepancies and call the desk immediately if you spot an error. You may also use the Television to check your folio during your stay.


"KEEP REACHING FOR THE MOON...IF YOU MISS~YOU'LL STILL BE AMONG THE STARS!"

 

[csmommy]

dreamflight99 said................. You may also use the Television to check your folio during your stay.

What is a folio?

 

[ozziewags]

A folio is a running statement of your bill.

 

[sunsets]

I've read that the Swan is undergoing renovations, but was wondering if anyone can tell me if the Dolphin has or will be undergoing renovations soon. I've read travelers reviews on Travelocity and a lot of the comments said that they felt that the Dolphin rooms were rundown. Can this be true? We have summer reservations for the Dolphin and were wodering if we should change to the Swan. Any comments are appreciated. Thank you.

 

[csmommy]

Originally posted by ozziewags
A folio is a running statement of your bill.

Thanks, boy do I feel silly !