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

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If you had to pick a floor at the Dolphin which would it be? Also do they have Miami Dolphins merchandise available for purchase there?

Both visits we were on the 7th floor and liked the view very much. The elevators are very quick - no waiting.

Only thing close to "Miami Dolphins" merchandise that we saw were some hats and shirts with the "Shula's" restaurant logo!
 
If you had to pick a floor at the Dolphin which would it be? Also do they have Miami Dolphins merchandise available for purchase there?

We like the higher floors and have stayed on the 8th floor several times.

I agree with Singing Mom - I've never seen Miami Dolphins merchandise, except in Shulas. In fact, I don't think there is any specific merchandise for the Swan or Dolphin - as there is in the Disney resorts. Others who have stayed there - have you seen anything?

Just adding my two-cents about the walk to MGM. I've done it in cooler months, December and March but not in the summer. It is a nice alternative, especially at night when everyone is leaving the park at closing. IMHO, it seems like the lines to the boats take forever and sometimes we've waited for 1 or 2 boats before there would be room for us. Because of that I'm considering trying the walk at night when we're there in August.
 
When my family walked through the hotel for the first time in 2004, The hotel gift shop sold Golf balls with Swan/Dolphin logo on it, and other souveners like cups etc!:cutie:
 

I must agree with Gail. We did walk to MGM once - summer, early morning, so it was cooler than mid-day. It does take 15 minutes and adds to the walking you will then do in the park.

I also agree about perhaps walking at night back to the resort when you leave the park at closing. We, too, have had to wait for a second boat as the line does get long. I guess this can depend on how tired everyone is at the end of a long day. Sometimes the wait for the boat is better than walking! ;)

Floor at the Dolphin - we had a balcony room on the 8th floor East Wing (the last wing closest to the YC). It had a dead center, unobstructed view of Epcot. It was awesome! The walk to the elevator was a bit long but sooo worth the room view, IMHO!
 
Indeed, Daisy's Garden has so many Disney gifts, apparel, etc.. to choose from, that if you forget a gift in the parks, they might well have it in the gift shop.
We usually stay in the same room on the 11th floor, (if available), right in the middle of the top clam shell fountain on the outside of the building. If we turn to the left, there is Epcot, and if you turn to the right, there is MGM. Truly a perfect location for us.
We have never tried the wings as my husband has some health issues, and the closer to the elevator the better. Caroline
 
I was wondering the same thing. We asked if we could swim while we waited for our room, and they said sure. They originally told us our romm wouldn't be ready for 30 minutes so we were on our way to get our suits out of our bags when our phone rang and the had found us a room so we ened up going on up first, but still they told us we could swim while we waited.
April, I am sorry if you had a bad stay, but I think the reason so many of us doubted you was because some of your complaints went directly against some of our personal experiences. Like when you originally said there was NO lifeguard on duty, then went back and said there was,but just one. Once you make exaggerated statements, people tend not to believe anything you say after that. I think your initial complaint about having to wait so long for your room was valid, but it seems to have colored your whole view of the resort, from then on, and made you blow every other thing out of proportion. Since you have never been to another Disney resort, it would be hard to compare, but as stated, wait times for buses are conistent at all Disney property resorts, so while a valid complaint, just not specific to the Swan and Dolphin.
I understand that not all resorts are for everyone and you are definitely entitled to your opinion of the place, but people reading this thread seeking accurate information about the resort might be mislead by some of you statements such as the NO lifeguard on duty and early closing time of the pool.

One lifeguard at the top and the bottom of the slide watching only those on the slide until 7PM doesn't actually mean a "lifeguard on duty" to most people who use resort pools and their own beaches; especially for a pool the size of the S/D.

As for using the pool, they told us they couldn't give us a key until we actually checked in; whether or not this was poor communication or not, they'll have to discuss that with AMEX.

I understand the need to protect your favorite resort, but also feel people have the right to know not only the good experiences but also the bad ones as well. Your insistance that this thread is for accurate information is colored by your absolute need to protect your resort and by discounting my complaints, you are not allowing people to voice their concerns on a site that we used (this thread) to decide where to spend our money and where other potential guest will also judge whether the S/D is worth theirs. If someone should possibly get to my comments, and then decide to stay anyways b/c of the thousands of posts happy customers make, my experience will not affect the business S/D does in the least.:rolleyes1
 
As for using the pool, they told us they couldn't give us a key until we actually checked in; whether or not this was poor communication or not

that sounds like a uninformed check-in clerk to me.... which, unfortunately, I have run into at the S/D once or twice :rolleyes:

But, in our numerous stays at the Swan & Dolphin, I can't ever remember a time when we weren't given our room cards at check-in. The same holds true to WDW resorts, as well. The only difference I've ever noticed in the check-in process is that at the Dolphin, we're sometimes (usually?) given our room number and are told to check back later to see if it's ready, and with Disney resorts, the room number is given to us when we call to see if the room is ready.

PS. I just remembered a time or two when we were given our likely room number at PO-R before the room was ready. :)
 
I'm opening myself up to flames, I'm sure, but I'm just wondering why the big deal about the amount of lifeguards? The pools at the Swan & Dolphin have ample sitting/viewing areas... it is a parent's responsibility to watch their children, not the resort lifeguards. I view a lifeguard in a resort pool as someone to "enforce the rules", answer a question, give a bandaid... One or two can take care of that role. :cool2:

What makes me unhappy are the parents that take on the "I'm on vacation" mindset, and then let their kids run wild. We witnessed that a number of times at the Dolphin pool last week- young kids in the hot tub (should be 16 and older only), running all over the place - with NO parents to be seen... :confused3
 
I'm opening myself up to flames, I'm sure, but I'm just wondering why the big deal about the amount of lifeguards? The pools at the Swan & Dolphin have ample sitting/viewing areas... it is a parent's responsibility to watch their children, not the resort lifeguards. I view a lifeguard in a resort pool as someone to "enforce the rules", answer a question, give a bandaid... One or two can take care of that role. :cool2:

What makes me unhappy are the parents that take on the "I'm on vacation" mindset, and then let their kids run wild. We witnessed that a number of times at the Dolphin pool last week- young kids in the hot tub (should be 16 and older only), running all over the place - with NO parents to be seen... :confused3


I totally agree! I've always been happy with the life guards at the S/D, and have used their pools before our room was ready on a few occassions. When my children were younger I watched them like a hawk while they were in the pool. Their safety is my responsibility. The life guards, to me, are for an emergency!

I've sometimes gotten my room number ahead of time, sometimes not. I've had it both ways. I've swam and waited, or I've grabbed my tickets and headed straight to the park after giving my bags to bell services. I was actually booked there for next week until I had to change my plans for the week after and my days weren't available. I've always had a great stay there.

Debbie
 
I know everyone has different experiences at the same resort but all of the women in the laundry room with me (there were 8 others doing laundry) were sharing the same complaints and more horror stories. I simply wouldn't choose to return to this resort and wouldn't recommend it to others.

Put 9 women together doing chores :laundy: while their families are free as a bird to enjoy Disney as they wish, and I think the conversation will ALWAYS turn ugly!:rotfl2:
 
Put 9 women together doing chores :laundy: while their families are free as a bird to enjoy Disney as they wish, and I think the conversation will ALWAYS turn ugly!:rotfl2:

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

I may regret it once I'm home, but I NEVER do laundry on vacation! I"M ON VACATION! :cool2:

(if we stay in a condo WITH the laundry right in our unit, then I will do laundry... I'm not TOTALLY crazy. ;) but NEVER in a hotel laundry room. Too much fun to have - not enough time! :cool1: )
 
:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

I may regret it once I'm home, but I NEVER do laundry on vacation! I"M ON VACATION! :cool2:

(if we stay in a condo WITH the laundry right in our unit, then I will do laundry... I'm not TOTALLY crazy. ;) but NEVER in a hotel laundry room. Too much fun to have - not enough time! :cool1: )

I was wondering how the husbands got the wives to do laundry - I would not even mention it to my wife.
 
I was wondering how the husbands got the wives to do laundry - I would not even mention it to my wife.

:rotfl: I made our Dolphin laundry experience a family affair!!! We did see some husbands doing the family laundry -- wondered why they weren't very cordial!! :confused: :lmao:
 
:rotfl: I made our Dolphin laundry experience a family affair!!! We did see some husbands doing the family laundry -- wondered why they weren't very cordial!! :confused: :lmao:

30 years ago when we first got married I screwed up the laundry and have been restricted from doing it since then. Best move I ever made.
 
30 years ago when we first got married I screwed up the laundry and have been restricted from doing it since then. Best move I ever made.

My DH has been 'trying' that same thing for 25 years!! That's why we do it *together*!!! :rolleyes1
 
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