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

[Blondie]

I found this on the S/D site...........

http://www.swandolphin.com/360/Java_bar.html



And welcome to the DIS, spartanfan72.

Thansk for that link Dan, but I was under the impression they were closing something and reopening it as a coffee type place similar to Starbuck's. Maybe not.

 

[SingingMom]

Thansk for that link Dan, but I was under the impression they were closing something and reopening it as a coffee type place similar to Starbuck's. Maybe not.

Blondie - could they possibly have been referring to the coffee bar they set up in the morning on the Dolphin's lobby bar?

 

[madge]

With the four girls, should we have booked the Dolphin instead of Swan?The Swan has queen beds, Dolphin double. You did right.

That is incorrect. (unless there has been a recent change) The higher room occupancy is at the Dolphin. I have 3 children, and cannot stay at the Swan in one standard room. Believe me, I've tried. LOL. We love the Swan.

That said, I don't know if it applies to this case since at least one of the children is an infant.

 

[spartanfan72]

That is incorrect. The higher room occupancy is at the Dolphin. I have 3 children, and cannot stay at the Swan on one standard room. Believe me, I've tried. LOL.

That said, I don't know if it applies to this case since at least one of the children is an infant.

My In-Laws are going with us, so we have two rooms. We can put one or two of the kids with them. That also poses another question...How easy is it to get "ajoining" rooms?

 

[MICKEEP]

I'm sure this has been asked at one time or another on these 200+ pages, so here it is again....

We are staying at the Dolphin for the first time and do not know that much about the place. Can you request specific rooms or areas within the building, and if you can what areas of the building would you suggest.

Also how do you go about requesting?

 

[madge]

That also poses another question...How easy is it to get "ajoining" rooms?

I suggest using this form to e-mail your request directly to the resort, and I'd follow up with a phone call a few days prior to check in.

Adjoining rooms aren't the same as connecting rooms. Connecting rooms have the door between the rooms, adjoining rooms are just rooms that are next to each other.

 

[paras4ri]

I have a question! If you have the time would you mind seeing if the coffee shop is opened yet? I think it was going to be called Java and was supposed to be located just off the main lobby.

Have a great trip!

Thansk for that link Dan, but I was under the impression they were closing something and reopening it as a coffee type place similar to Starbuck's. Maybe not.

Blondie - could they possibly have been referring to the coffee bar they set up in the morning on the Dolphin's lobby bar?

I thought the same thing as SingingMom but after looking at Dan's link that actually looks like the coffee, etc. the set up on the bar at the Swan each morning. Kind of makes sense too since the Dolphin has Pikabu so this would be the Swan's answer to coffee in that hotel. And as SingingMom said, they do the same at the bar in the Dolphin in the morning.

 

[spartanfan72]

I suggest using this form to e-mail your request directly to the resort, and I'd follow up with a phone call a few days prior to check in.

Adjoining rooms aren't the same as connecting rooms. Connecting rooms have the door between the rooms, adjoining rooms are just rooms that are next to each other.

Thanks for the info...I think i'd like "connecting" rooms if possible. That way we could send the kids back and forth.

I called Starwood Customer Service to try and get my two rooms added to my "preferred guest" account, but because I booked the rooms through Orbitz they said they didn't qualify.

Oh well, I guess I'll just try to get an upgrade and maybe connecting rooms once I get there.

 

[madge]

Thanks for the info...I think i'd like "connecting" rooms if possible. That way we could send the kids back and forth.

I called Starwood Customer Service to try and get my two rooms added to my "preferred guest" account, but because I booked the rooms through Orbitz they said they didn't qualify.

Oh well, I guess I'll just try to get an upgrade and maybe connecting rooms once I get there.

the link in my earlier post is contacting the Swan & Dolphin directly, not Starwood. Just wanted to make that clear. The hotel will be the one that assigns the rooms, so your room request needs to be made through them, not Starwood.

If the S/D room assigners know ahead of time, they could possibly plan accordingly. I am not really sure how the rooms are assigned at the Swan or Dolphin.

 

[spartanfan72]

the link in my earlier post is contacting the Swan & Dolphin directly, not Starwood. Just wanted to make that clear. The hotel will be the one that assigns the rooms, so your room request needs to be made through them, not Starwood.

If the S/D room assigners know ahead of time, they could possibly plan accordingly. I am not really sure how the rooms are assigned at the Swan or Dolphin.

Sorry for the confusion... yes, I followed your link earlier and I knew it was directly to the S/D, not Starwood.

I was just hoping if I could get my reservations included into my Starwood account that it would make an upgrade possible.

What burns me is that another couple that is going with us made their reservations directly through the Disney S/D and got the same rate. If I had done that, then I could've had it included onto my Starwood account.

Oh well, live and learn.

Anybody have any "must see" or "must do" with kids at the Swan or Dolphin?

 

[Dizzle]

Give me the positives to staying in the Dolphin & the negatives...

 

[CindeBella]

Give me the positives to staying in the Dolphin & the negatives...

We love the Dolphin. It's a beautiful resort in a great location.
I don't know of any negatives.

 

[dingoballs]

We love the Dolphin. It's a beautiful resort in a great location.
I don't know of any negatives.

Did you eat at Pikabu? If you did, how was their breakfast, lunch and/or dinner?

 

[SingingMom]

Give me the positives to staying in the Dolphin & the negatives...

We love the Dolphin. It's a beautiful resort in a great location.
I don't know of any negatives.

Did you eat at Pikabu? If you did, how was their breakfast, lunch and/or dinner?

I have to agree, there aren't really any "negatives"! We LOVE the Dolphin!

This is a very good thread to read from start to finish for "Everything you ever wanted to know about the Swan & Dolphin"!

Personally, I would always stay at the Dolphin before the Swan, because I like the "bigness" of the Dolphin. For that reason, someone ELSE might say the same thing about always staying at the Swan for its "quaintness"!

 

[madge]

I have to agree, there aren't really any "negatives"! We LOVE the Dolphin!

This is a very good thread to read from start to finish for "Everything you ever wanted to know about the Swan & Dolphin"!

Personally, I would always stay at the Dolphin before the Swan, because I like the "bigness" of the Dolphin. For that reason, someone ELSE might say the same thing about always staying at the Swan for its "quaintness"!

That would be me! I don't know why, but we prefer the Swan to the Dolphin - we always have.... probably because we have such fond memories of staying on the CL floor there and meeting Thabo & Mama T. Love them.

But now that we have 3 kids, we have to stay at the Dolphin. Which we love, just not the same. LOL.

 

[TaraPA]

Ok you Dolphin pros - I just read on another site that you can "rent" the mini bar for $20 for the length of your stay. I never saw mention of this anywhere on the DIS or the SPG site. Can someone explain this to me - are you renting the empty space to keep your own food & drinks in (basically just paying for a fridge), or can you consume the food & drinks inside as well?

 

[CindeBella]

Did you eat at Pikabu? If you did, how was their breakfast, lunch and/or dinner?

We've never eaten at Pikabu ~ only Fresh and the Garden Grill. I'm sure it is good though. If you want something quick, you can go to Boardwalk Bakery and sit outside. We also like Spoodles on the Boardwalk for breakfast.

We stayed at the Swan for our first two visits just for the reason that I heard it was newly remodeled. Once we stayed at the Dolphin we found that we love that too. We like that the rooms are bigger. You can't go wrong either way, both resorts are beautiful.

I believe someone said that there is a $20 (could be per day?? not sure) for the refrigerator. We have only used it once for DD's bottles and there was not a charge. Customer service has been excellent and both resorts.

 

[CindeBella]

Ok you Dolphin pros - I just read on another site that you can "rent" the mini bar for $20 for the length of your stay. I never saw mention of this anywhere on the DIS or the SPG site. Can someone explain this to me - are you renting the empty space to keep your own food & drinks in (basically just paying for a fridge), or can you consume the food & drinks inside as well?

Forgot to mention, you can consume the contents inside the fridge. I believe someone just posted the menu with prices within a couple of days.

 

[SingingMom]

We didn't eat at Picabu this time - but we did last year and it was fine.
Fresh Med. was great for breakfast and I must say, we LOVED room service breakfast on our last morning! The waffles had fresh berries - it was so nice to sit on the balcony and calmly gather our last minute things before heading to the airport.

 

[Blondie]

Forgot to mention, you can consume the contents inside the fridge. I believe someone just posted the menu with prices within a couple of days.

I think it was me! Here they are again: