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

[CindeBella]

It looks like it would cost $300 to rent a minivan plus adding in parking. How much do taxi's cost if we needed to use one of those?

You can contact Mears or FL Tours for a shuttle service. I believe the fee is around $110 to and from. You can also get a small discount from mousesavers.

Have a great trip!!!

 

[MOM POPPINS]

All righty folks I made it to page 120 something and then gained a headache. So I had to skip to the most recent pages but I still have a question. I would be able to use the Teacher discount if it's available next Feb/Mar but we are a family of 6. Our youngest will be under 2 at the time of our visit. Will we need to book a Jr. Suite? Can we still get an Epcot view w/ one of those rooms? Also I see all the talk of walking to Epcot and MGM...we will not have Park Hopper tickets plus having the 4 children I am wondering what options we have in getting to the parks. It looks like it would cost $300 to rent a minivan plus adding in parking. How much do taxi's cost if we needed to use one of those?

We are a family of 7 and always stay in a Jr. Suite. We have stayed at the Dolphin 6 times in the past 7 years. We have not received a direct Epcot View which would be in the far East wing. We have always gotten a water view. This view will let you see Epcot by looking to the left and MGM to the right but only if you are high enough up. Its still hard to see Epcot from these rooms since it is to the far left. We still love our view everytime. The Jr. suites do not have balconies.

I am not sure if they would let you sleep 6 in a room at the Dolphin. I see that your youngest is 2 so they do not count her in the total occupancy. So I guess technically you could sleep in a regular room. You would have to put 3 in 1 bed or bring a blow up mattress for the 3rd. child. The 2 year old could be in a crib.

MGM is quite a walk away and we only walked 1 time. We never rent a van and always use the transportation system. There is a boat dock right outside the Dolphin that goes to either MGM or Epcot there are 2 seperate ramps for you to get in line to go to the park you choose. We also have walked to Epcot but like riding the boat better. Whe you get on the boat to Epcot you will make 2 short stops at resorts to pick up passengers at the Beach Club and the Boardwalk. When boating to MGM the Dolphin is the last resort stop so the next sop is MGM.

Happy planning!

 

[leahvonleah]

do discounts apply to the suites as well. Do the teacher and nurse discounts apply at all times during the year or only during certain seasonal periods.
we are a family of 7 currently booked at All Star Suites for next May, but would prefer to stay at a suite at S/D if available and affordable.

 

[Crazy Kanga]

do discounts apply to the suites as well. Do the teacher and nurse discounts apply at all times during the year or only during certain seasonal periods.
we are a family of 7 currently booked at All Star Suites for next May, but would prefer to stay at a suite at S/D if available and affordable.

Below is a link to the thread about discounts and availability. There is also a link on this board to Dreams Unlimited. I used them and they are very helpful with discounts Good Luck!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1284875

 

[MOM POPPINS]

Yes the discounts are also availabe on the suites. Go to this thread to get information of dates for the discount. Thie thread is located at the top of the Resot board by clicking on the Codes and Rates thread and then the Swan and Dolphin discount thread which is a "sticky" thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1284880

 

[MOM POPPINS]

Crazy Kanga ~ We are thinking alike today.

 

[always_learning]

I can't help you with your room, but don't worry about the tranportation. You don't need hoppers. You can go direct to MGM or EPCOT without entering another park. You can also access the buses from MGM's lot without entering MGM itself (a plus if you need to get to another resort, and quicker than going by way of DTD). Finally, S/D have great bus service like most other Disney hotels. We had no trouble in Feb 06 going direct to MK and AK via the buses which load right outside your front door. At that time, there was no sharing with other hotels. For a regular sized taxi the ride is usually around $15, but may cost more if you need a bigger car. I don't know about that. However, there's no real reason you need one unless you're going someplace besides a major park or DTD.

Thank you! How often do those buses load outside the S/D?

You can contact Mears or FL Tours for a shuttle service. I believe the fee is around $110 to and from. You can also get a small discount from mousesavers.

Have a great trip!!!

I found the shuttle services after I posted and those do look like the best way to go for our size.

We are a family of 7 and always stay in a Jr. Suite. We have stayed at the Dolphin 6 times in the past 7 years. We have not received a direct Epcot View which would be in the far East wing. We have always gotten a water view. This view will let you see Epcot by looking to the left and MGM to the right but only if you are high enough up. Its still hard to see Epcot from these rooms since it is to the far left. We still love our view everytime. The Jr. suites do not have balconies.

I am not sure if they would let you sleep 6 in a room at the Dolphin. I see that your youngest is 2 so they do not count her in the total occupancy. So I guess technically you could sleep in a regular room. You would have to put 3 in 1 bed or bring a blow up mattress for the 3rd. child. The 2 year old could be in a crib.

MGM is quite a walk away and we only walked 1 time. We never rent a van and always use the transportation system. There is a boat dock right outside the Dolphin that goes to either MGM or Epcot there are 2 seperate ramps for you to get in line to go to the park you choose. We also have walked to Epcot but like riding the boat better. Whe you get on the boat to Epcot you will make 2 short stops at resorts to pick up passengers at the Beach Club and the Boardwalk. When boating to MGM the Dolphin is the last resort stop so the next sop is MGM.

Happy planning!

So when you say regular room do you mean a standard? Because my older three could easily share or we could do the blow up mattress. And then bring my own pack n play correct? As much as I would love a view of fireworks since my young ones don't like staying up late I guess it isn't a necessity. So many questions I know...

 

[MOM POPPINS]

Sent you an pm

Yes, I mean standard.

 

[always_learning]

Thank you...is it a tad scary that I am teacher but all of this confuses the heck out of me?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thank you! How often do those buses load outside the S/D?...

I would say 15 minutes, tops. At busier times, maybe every 5 minutes.

 

[Lives4Disney]

OK...has this ever happened to any of you???? Maybe not as you're all S/D fans, but....

I had a really bad stay at the Swan mid May. Lots of weird things wrong including being overcharged at checkout by $500 that was a hassle with lots of calls to diff people to fix because they couldn't fix it at 6 am - the right people weren't on duty. Got home May 26 and filled out their little online survey. A couple days later a manager calls me apologizing up and down and saying how embarrassed she is about all the problems we encountered with our room and with some of the services etc. I had to call their guest services line daily during out stay and they have records of that. She said she'd be sending me something in the mail for a freebie at the S/D and begged me to try it again etc. DH told me, NO he won't go, but hey, I'd take my girls and go. You all are fans so maybe my stay was out of the norm......well, here it is 3 weeks later and nothing in the mail! So, DH says -see, this is their level of service. She was so sorry etc about things that happened, it is hard to believe she would just drop it, but looks like she did. It was an unexpected comp that I didn't ask for, but I was really happy about it and felt really good that a manager called and apologized and validated all the issues we had....felt like the Swan redeemed itself.....I was looking forward to receiving it. I'd feel really awkward calling to ASK for it, but at this point I think it's not coming on it's own.

Lives4Disney

 

[Hieatt]

OK...has this ever happened to any of you???? Maybe not as you're all S/D fans, but....

I had a really bad stay at the Swan mid May. Lots of weird things wrong including being overcharged at checkout by $500 that was a hassle with lots of calls to diff people to fix because they couldn't fix it at 6 am - the right people weren't on duty. Got home May 26 and filled out their little online survey. A couple days later a manager calls me apologizing up and down and saying how embarrassed she is about all the problems we encountered with our room and with some of the services etc. I had to call their guest services line daily during out stay and they have records of that. She said she'd be sending me something in the mail for a freebie at the S/D and begged me to try it again etc. DH told me, NO he won't go, but hey, I'd take my girls and go. You all are fans so maybe my stay was out of the norm......well, here it is 3 weeks later and nothing in the mail! So, DH says -see, this is their level of service. She was so sorry etc about things that happened, it is hard to believe she would just drop it, but looks like she did. It was an unexpected comp that I didn't ask for, but I was really happy about it and felt really good that a manager called and apologized and validated all the issues we had....felt like the Swan redeemed itself.....I was looking forward to receiving it. I'd feel really awkward calling to ASK for it, but at this point I think it's not coming on it's own.

Lives4Disney

It did happen to us about 4 years ago at the Dolphin... there were lots of mix-ups with our rooms and we didn't get what we requested... there were also service problems on Club Level (when it was there). I wrote a letter to the general manager expressing my frustration with the issues we had, and got a call from the front desk manager about a week later apologizing for all of the issues we had. Noting that we had two rooms for our stay (family of 6), he said that if we would return, he would offer to have us stay in a 1BR suite for our next stay at the AAA rate for a standard room. We accepted and went back the next year... after we checked in, the same manager personally called to make sure that we were happy with the room and to ask if we required anything else. The stay was terrific, and we have been back for two more stays after that one, with another planned for Christmas week this year.

Bad service can happen, but the thing I love about the S/D is, at least with us, they have always bent over backward to compensate and fix things. Once, we didn't get a wake up call and missed an early entry morning --- when I called to see what happened, the agent confirmed the mistake on their end and offered me a free breakfast at one of their restaurants that morning!

I have generally been extremely pleased with the level of service at the S/D. My advice is give her a call back (hopefully you remember her name) and mention that you have not seen anything, and just wanting to make sure you didn't miss it in the mail. Then, take whatever she offers and go try again!

 

[Hieatt]

do discounts apply to the suites as well. Do the teacher and nurse discounts apply at all times during the year or only during certain seasonal periods.
we are a family of 7 currently booked at All Star Suites for next May, but would prefer to stay at a suite at S/D if available and affordable.

FYI, as a point of reference, the AAA rate on executive suites during high seasons are: $209.50 per bedroom plus $500 for parlor. So, e.g., a 1 BR suite is $709.50, and a 2 BR suite is $919. Hardly cheap, but a relative bargain compared to any suites at the "true" WDW resorts, which are never discounted.

 

[Dislifer]

I am staying at the Dolphin and I have a view of the grotto pool and a balcony. Is this good???

 

[Hieatt]

I am staying at the Dolphin and I have a view of the grotto pool and a balcony. Is this good???

Yes, that is a very nice room and view - that is our favorite. Mind you that you cannot see Epcot from this side of the hotel, but in my mind the view is just as nice, with MGM in the distance. Also, we like this side better because it is so much closer to everything (i.e., the pools, restaurants, etc.). You might consider requesting a ground floor patio room, from which you could actually walk straight out from your room to the pools... never had one, but they look nice.

 

[Blondie]

OK...has this ever happened to any of you???? Maybe not as you're all S/D fans, but....

I'm happy to report that nothing like this has ever happened to us at any resort anywhere in the U.S., but I don't think problems like this are isolated incidents to just the S/D. If you ever read some of the comments on Trip Advisor you'd never stay in a hotel ever again! I've read some horror stories over there!

I'm sorry you're having this unpleasant experience. I agree with the OP above me and give them a call back. Whatever they are comping you could still be on it's away, maybe it's awaiting approval from a higher ranking manager.

Good luck and please keep us posted!

 

[TinkOhio]

Lives4Disney~

Yes! We did have lots of things go wrong on our stay this past Easter break. Our other stays at the Swan were awesome, so we were especially disappointed because we had great experiences to compare it to. We first called SPG and logged a complaint. (We are members and used points.) We never heard back from them. A couple of weeks later, we called SPG again, and the rep was very apologetic about SPG dropping the ball. The first rep had never completed the investigation process. After the second rep did the investigation, we received an email from the front desk manager and a call from the hotel manager. The latter did try to make it right, and we are willing to give it a try again this Easter. When the Swan is "on", it is VERY "on"!

I would go ahead and call the manager that you talked to back. (It can't hurt at this point!) If you don't get satisfaction, ask to speak to the general manager. I called SPG first because we stayed on points and we have always experienced great levels of service from them. If you are SPG members, you might want to call them.

The Swan really can be an awesome place to stay if they get it right. Good luck to you!

 

[Lives4Disney]

Well, I called yesterday and the manager than had phoned me was off, but the lady I spoke with at the front desk was very kind & emailed the manager so she will get back to me.


Question about the S/D rooms.....apparently we were in an "old" room at the Swan in May. It was showing it's age in several ways and the manager was embarrassed we were put in THAT particular room. The decor of that room was the same as rooms we have previously stayed in so I didn't know it was "old". Didn't know they were even redoing the rooms. What do the NEW rooms look like?? Is most of the Swan redone? Is the Dolphin rehabbed yet?? I was on the S/D site and I believe the room pics are the same decor that our "old" room was.



Thanks,

Lives4Disney

 

[Blondie]

All the rooms at both the S/D were renovated a few years back. As busy as these two resorts are, I'm not surprised that some are showing some wear already. In May, our room at the Swan had some slight fading in the carpet directly in front of the sliding glass doors. I knew it was from the sun that came beaming in during the morning. Other than that, the room was perfect in every way.

I don't think it's uncommon for resorts as busy as the Disney resorts are to be renovated quite regularly; new carpeting and bedding, fresh paint, etc. Maybe the resorts are going through an updating? I'm not sure what the manager meant by that statement to you.

 

[Lives4Disney]

All the rooms at both the S/D were renovated a few years back. As busy as these two resorts are, I'm not surprised that some are showing some wear already. In May, our room at the Swan had some slight fading in the carpet directly in front of the sliding glass doors. I knew it was from the sun that came beaming in during the morning. Other than that, the room was perfect in every way.

I don't think it's uncommon for resorts as busy as the Disney resorts are to be renovated quite regularly; new carpeting and bedding, fresh paint, etc. Maybe the resorts are going through an updating? I'm not sure what the manager meant by that statement to you.

Our room was a lot worse than you describe. The manager told me when she saw our room she was embarrassed that we were assigned to it. I have stayed in plenty of rooms plenty of places and this one was disappointing. Looking back, I actually should have asked to change rooms, but the bell services gentleman followed us up on our heels and started dumping our luggage and it was all SO QUICK I didn't even get to check it out, and then DD wanted to hit the parks and our flight had been delayed so we were a bit later than we expected....Things just didn't seem to go in the "change rooms" direction so we just dealt.

The rooms are in the process of being redone per that manager that phoned me and then again the front desk person that I spoke with yesterday. So I was just wondering what the new rooms will look like. Thought maybe somebody here had stayed in one. I heard no more wallpaper, diff linens & drapery, new carpet, new furniture, flat screen tvs etc. Still the heavenly beds, though. Just curious about the rehab.

Lives4Disney