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

[happytrails2u]

Originally posted by dreamflight99 I'm wondering if/when this "impending" War will affect the travel industry (most assuredly), and just how much will trickle-down to the Dolphin & Swan...and WDW.

Bonjour Madame Dreamflight, HT here live from Las Vegas (business this time) w/little play time. Had a few moments to catch up on some of the message boards I haven't posted to in a while, including my beloved DIS. Hope things are well with you and the gang in So. Cal.

I did hear today (CNN?) that there were heightned security levels at major resort parks, i.e, WDW, DW, etc., but I suppose that's SOP during these times. If I know you, you will be there come "hell or highwater" (hehe), even if Osama himself is operating Splash Mountain - LOL. However, for the sake of all human life, let's hope that this too shall soon pass.

Warmest regards to all and praying for peace.

HT

 

[disnurse]

Just checking in I am up at the cack of dawn this morning. I am caring for a student at my school who had a heart transplant for the week. His mom is out in michigan having open heart surgery today!! When I gripe over my simple problems and complain about my healthy children I need to remember what has been bestowed upon this single mother and how courageous she is. Keep me in your prayers this week! thanks.

no tag fairy yet

 

[ozziewags]

Wow, Disnurse. You are so right. Count our blessings. Pixie dust to you and those you care for, as well as our troops and their families.


****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

[Piper]

Originally posted by disnurse
Just checking in I am up at the cack of dawn this morning. I am caring for a student at my school who had a heart transplant for the week. His mom is out in michigan having open heart surgery today!! When I gripe over my simple problems and complain about my healthy children I need to remember what has been bestowed upon this single mother and how courageous she is. Keep me in your prayers this week! thanks.

Wow! Disnurse Both you and the family are in my prayers. What a lot for one person to bear!


no tag fairy yet

look again--we've both been honored with some magic! The poor Tag Fairy must be absolutely exhausted today! ! !

 

[JOC]

Dreamflight,
You've been tagged...how wonderful!!!

 

[leahgmac]

I just got the starwood amex card last month and with it came a 50% off voucher. Have any of you ever used it at the Swan or Dolphin? Also, can anyone give me any info on swan Jr. suites where are the located? How are they set up? Do they have balconies?

 

[kathmzh]

Leahgmac,
I haven't stayed at the Swan (yet!) but I have booked for an upcoming trip a Swan studio. Actually, the Jr. suites are over at the Dolphin, and are bigger -- and more expensive -- 2-room arrangements.
The Swan studio is an L-shaped room with a king bed, sleeper sofa and a dining alcove. There are some good pics of the swan studio on the wdwig.com site, and there are some pictures posted on this thread if you look back far enough. I'm not sure if any have a balcony, mine, on club level, does not. Hope this helps!!

 

[kathmzh]

just noticed this thread is now at 100 PAGES! wow!

 

[BettyCv]

Jruj,

CONGRATULATIONS, and welcome to the world of multiples! Do you know if the girls are identical or not? There should be hidden cameras in every ultrasound room. Can you even imagine the expressions??? LOL! Enjoy your stay at the Swan, because you will outgrow it come July. Time to move on to a suite! LOL! We are planning to stay at the Dolphin with our gbg triplets in Sept/Oct.

I hope your boys have a great time! Have they been there before? Life for all of you will change soon - for the better!

BettyC

 

[RobMax]

Originally posted by jruj
I am a long time lurker and infrequent poster. Boy, do I feel nervous replying to the professor.

No business can survive without loyal customers. I feel WDW is making a huge mistake by not offering speacial promotions now to increase visitors and customer loyality.

No reason to be nervous - I'm no meanie. I'm a Disney kid at heart like most everyone who posts here!!!

I Think you are right jruj! and I think they are burning some midnight oil at WDW HQ trying to come up with a promotion that will cause the fearful to come anyway. That's probably the only reason some of the other rates aren't out yet.

As for the S and D... They love us and have been following that strategy for years! Keep the loyal - Yeah!!!! Try to imagine going to the beach club and requesting a free upgrade is you are DC or AP or DVC. People who actually get it are shocked. The opposite is correct for S & D. The loyalty program is so strong that we are shocked if we don't get the upgrade...

And consider this challenge, currently I can't get a room for two nights of my future 8 night stay in may at S&D. So I am contemplating which concierge level room will come close to S&D without breaking the bank. On many of the other boards/threads on this website and books like the unofficial guide you can read that the major drawback of the S&D is the level of service is lower than other resorts on campus. They know not what they say!!!

 

[RobMax]

Originally posted by disnurse
Just checking in I am up at the cack of dawn this morning. I am caring for a student at my school who had a heart transplant for the week. His mom is out in michigan having open heart surgery today!! When I gripe over my simple problems and complain about my healthy children I need to remember what has been bestowed upon this single mother and how courageous she is. Keep me in your prayers this week! thanks.

no tag fairy yet

That is remarkable and really put things in perspective for all of us I'm sure! Thanks to you and people like you DN!

 

[Mouseteacher]

disnurse ~ prayers and PD *********************** coming your way - I'll have the children in my school say a prayer at the end of our school day.

RobMax ~ Customer service and satisfaction from S/D = for me, a great rate (teacher rate - how nice that someone in industry recognizes educators) and we received a comp upgrade to CL - that certainly makes me want to return again. They certainly schmoozed me and won me over by providing services I would want again. And I was always someone who said I would never stay anywhere but a Disney resort! Never say never!

I like your picture - very professorial!

ozziewags ~ I am again receiving my e mail notifications.

DF ~ aren't you tagged bc of the sayings under your DIS name? or am I still not understanding the TF?

 

[Mouseteacher]

I'm TAGGED!!!! Oh, thank you TF!!!! I certainly now know the truth.

 

[JOC]

Hi Mouseteacher,
You most definitely can put your own personal tags or sayings under your user name, but only the Tag Fairy can put a "colored" tag under your name.
I notice you now have a colored tag under your name, and Dreamflight's tags were originally black and white, but now they're in color thanks to the Tag Fairy.

 

[marymrg]

Gee - a girl steps away for a day and it seems as though a huge tag sale has occurred It's very exciting! Although I am not tagged, I do have a little boy angel who often sits on my shoulder......especially when I am doing happy things....like Disney planning.
Here are my Disney marketing ideas........tough times require unique alliances. I suggest they come up with a marketing plan to sell more Annual Passes. 1) Offer a short term discount and/or a really discounted room rate(lower than any offered in the last few years) at a DW resort if you are a new passholder. Release some AP rates soon. I bought an AP for the first time this year and will make at least 3 trips if not 4 because the darned thing is burning a hole in my pocket. Normally we go once a year or once every other year. 2) Another suggestion would be to offer some goodies to DVC members. It's a captive audience anyway........and very loyal. 3) Heavily market "deals" to those who live within a 10 hour driving distance. 4) And for those who live beyond a one day drive and who might not want to fly.........come up with a way to make the journey to Florida easier..........a list of "preferred" i.e. Starwood
hotels along the way or even using co-marketing with Alamo to encourage people to rent a car locally and drive it down or to use the Amtrak autotrain. 4) Continue the "come back" rate and perhaps extend the time allowed to book it......say within a month of your stay.
RobMax.........you certainly don't look like an absent minded professor.......at least not like the ones I had!
DF.......the cupcakes were a hit. I also used chocolate batter and tinted a can of white "whipped" frosting. And, we had green Kool-aid too.......not my first choice in beverage but it was fun

Request: prayers for my brother and sil who live/work in Saudi and for all those who are in the military. Thanks!

 

[RobMax]

Originally posted by marymrg
marketing ideas........tough times require unique alliances.

Great ideas and think of this as well ... the international trave business TO the US is going to take a hit. For instance,WDW has done a great job of targeting economically booming Irish and German segments. Never seen so many at WDW! I'm willing to bet CRO is handling cancelations right now for many of those trips. (The irish are a fun group who are robust to terrorism due to it being a fact of life between the orange and IRA. They may not be impacted like some groups!)

3) Heavily market "deals" to those who live within a 10 hour driving distance.

I can't wait - in May I will move within 8 hours away! Kiss the planes and rental cars goodbye baby!

you certainly don't look like an absent minded professor.......at least not like the ones I had!

Thanks! But looks can be deciving. I actually almost (thanks DW) made it out of the house today without brushing my gelled hair. Looked like a NE haystack. Unfortunately that wasn't the first time. I actually made it past her about 6 months ago, made a visit to Wal*Mart on the way in (man did I get some weird looks) and then caught a glance of my hair in the mirror and had to reenter Wally world to buy a brush - now that was a bit embarrassing, especiall buying a brush when you look like the heat-mizer or better yet Don King! The longer I'm in the profession, the worse it gets. One of these days I'm going to fulfill that common childhood nightmare of going to school without pants on!

Guess I have other things on my mind - I just can remember what they are!

 

[Debbie7452]

Robmax,

I can't stop laughing about the "Heat-Mizer Hairdo". Thank you for my laugh of the day. Now I'll be singing that song in my head..."they call me Heat-Mizer...whatever I touch...turns to flames in a rush..I'm too much!"

I hate to sound jealous, but I wish I could be touched by the tag fairy. What a magical event!

 

[Pkdcoastrs]

In the next week my family will be making our reservations for WDW this August. Originally I was looking to get them to agree to stay in a Jr. Suite (Dolphin) or Studio (Swan), but it looks like for the extra $100+ , my family does not think it is worth it It's not the end of the world, but with the Teacher's rate being so good, all the other rooms/suites that for "normal" rate people seem great, are expensive for us. I guess we will book a standard room at the Dolphin and send in a friendly email talking about how we've had rooms in the past with great views of EPCOT. Hopefully we will get a upgrade, if not we can use our 15,000 SPG points and upgrade. We don't really see the need for Club Level after the way we were treated last year (plus we only were there for breakfast most of the time). Oh well, any trip to WDW is better than none, this one wasn't even supposed to happen 'till next summer.

Adios
Mike

 

[Muffy]

Oh, I've been tagged too! Happy day!

Muffy

 

[RobMax]

I actually like the Beverly - I know - I'm sick!