Onsite Dis-perks? (toiletries?)

[05ChristmasSurprise]

What advantages are there to staying at an onsite Disney hotel versus Dolphin/Swan?

What is the deal with Disney Toiletries? Pictures? Will the kids flip over them?

Towel animals - at Swan/Dolphin or not (I assume not)

Any nice little Swan/Dolphin Disney-style perks? Disney candies on bed, etc?

 

[Mortlives]

I've never stayed at Swolphin, but I've seen it documented that you can't charge purchases/meals to your room, except from Swolphin restaurants/gift shops, and I don't think they do Mickey wake-up calls.

Aside from that, I think everything else is pretty much the same. I considered booking our next trip there. The things that decided me against were:

• No charging everything to the room
• From the description I've seen, heavenly beds would be way too soft for me
• Grotto pool is supposed to be quite a bit colder than Disney pools and we're going in February.

That said, a lot of people really like Swolphin, and the location is terrific. I'm sure other people can tell you about toiletries, animals, etc.

Kungaloosh!
Morticia.

 

[05ChristmasSurprise]

ROFL @ "Swolphin"

That's easier!

So, is the grotto pool not heated to 86 degrees like the Dis pools?

That would be an issue for us as well - since we'll be going in November/December.

Does ANYONE have pictures of the disney toiletries?

 

[Minnie's Mate]

Have stayed at both "Swolphin" hotels and several Disney Deluxes. The differences: No Mickey Wake-up calls; no Mickey soaps and shampoos; no charging to your room, except at S/D shops/restaurants; less Disney magic (some, but mostly by proximity). In short, the differences: Night and Day. The S/D are terrific and we stay there when we can't get a discount at a Disney Deluxe, but its just not the same, just different not bad, just different.

 

[05ChristmasSurprise]

So, what you're saying is - if we are opting to stay "onsite" this time - and it will be our first time - we should really do a Disney resort, right?

 

[mom23guys2]

S/D had wonderful toiletries, very upscale/ Fantastc oatmeal soaps and the heavenly beds are just that. They didn't make disney animals but did form the towels into seashells. We were two adult staying so I'm not sure what they would do for children. I saw very little difference between the atmoshere at the other Epcot resorts vs the Dolphin, Swan is more sedate. No Mickey wake-up call but that didn't bother us. Charging to the room was not a hassle either, it was all going on the same credit card on way or another.

Location, location, location. S.D if at the same price as a mod (with a discount) is really worth it. It the price is similar to WL or AKL I'd go with them.

 

[disneyag]

The mickey wake up call is nice for kids. Every morning they would jump when the phone rang to hear Mickey.

Soaps have a Mickey imprinted on them. All the toiletries are in red and black Mickey boxes. No huge deal, but they are fun.

Towel animals are not a guarantee, but they are great for the kids if they happen. Most of the time Mousekeeping set up my DD's beanies in cute positions while we were at the parks.

It's just FANTASTIC to be immersed in Disney magic 24/7.

 

[Minnie's Mate]

I agree with disneyag, it is great to be imersed in Disney 24/7. But I wouldn't necessarily let that stop me from staying at either Swan or Dolphin. However, given the choice, we stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It has become our home away from home. LOL. In fact we leave for the AKL in 52 days...and counting!

 

[swilphil]

Originally posted by 05ChristmasSurprise
So, what you're saying is - if we are opting to stay "onsite" this time - and it will be our first time - we should really do a Disney resort, right?

Nooooooo! If you post a thread asking specifically about Swan/Dolphin vs. other Disney resort, you will get numerous responses in favor of the Swan/Dolphin. My kids LOVE the S/D. My 4-year-old keeps asking to go back to the "hotel," and he doesn't want to stay at any other resort. Now if the price were the same, I'd stay at a monorail resort or one of the other Epcot area resorts just for something different. I love the S/D's oatmeal soaps and the heavenly bed (high quality) toiletries. I don't know what the big deal is about not be able to charge to your room key. Frankly I would be afraid I would lose it, and someone else would rack up my bill. Same with the wake-up call. I get up early and want my kids to be able to sleep in. S/D has nice alarm clocks in the room that would wake me up, but not the kids. As for magic, our room views have been of the Boardwalk, the Epcot ball and/or MGM's Tower of Tower. How much more Disney can you get for the great discounts S/D offers. I would say that the Dolphin lobby is more "magical" than the Swan's, which tends to feel like any other hotel, but we still loved how easy it was to get around the Swan. The grotto pool is a blast, and unlike the Disney resorts, you'll always be able to find a lounge chair, and it's so big that it never gets overcrowded. They do have turn down service where they give you candy. The best thing about the S/D is how you can walk to two theme parks.

 

[verchad]

My daughter loved getting the wakeup calls. One day mousekeeping set up her stufed animals so they were "watching" tv when we got back to the room and another day they were set up holding clean washcloths, a bar of mickey soap, and her toothbrush holder. She was amazed and wondered how did the animals do that. We did tip mousekeeping $3 each day ( $1 per person in our room ). For kids, it was fun.

Charging to the room was nice, not having to fumble with cash or my credit/debit cards all the time at the parks. Just use the room key.

Also, I don't know about non-disney resorts, but at the disney ones you can also make purchases in the parks and have them sent back to your resort.

 

[NMAmy]

We loved the Dolphin so much--we're going back for Christmas. The staff was wonderful (the cashier at Tubbi's saw me every day for a week and called me by name every time,) we had a view of the Boardwalk, and Epcot and could see Illuminations from our beds, the heavenly beds are fantastic. We went swimming in late Feb/early March and the water was great. The hotel wasn't crowded because most guests were conventioneers which meant we had the pool/buses, restaurants to ourselves. The soap is very luxurious--I'm still using it at home--I brought a bunch back with me. DD loved being able to take the boats. She's 13 and fell in love with this place and doesn't want to stay anywhere else. And with the great deals we get--gov't rate and upgrades with our SPG card--I don't really want to stay anywhere else either.

And what's the deal with the charging to the room? I've stayed at Disney hotels before and I noticed no difference between charging to my room and charging to my credit card. It's all going to the same place anyway. It certainly wouldn't make me switch to a different hotel.

Whichever way you go, I hope you have a great time. I just wanted to put in my 2 cents that, in my opinion, the Dolphin/Swan isn't lacking in magic.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I would guess that some people would like the charging to the room because children can be allowed to use their card to charge to the room, also (and a parent can also NOT allow charging on a card). That can be a nice convenience for children who are old enough to venture on their own to the pool or snack bar.

I prefer the bath products at the S/D. I think the soap at the WDW hotels smells like Ivory (I know it isn't supposed to be Ivory, but that's what it smells like to me), even though it's cute with the Mickey on it.

Sometimes the S/D can be gotten for almost the same price as a moderate, in which case I would prefer the S/D, if nothing else for the wonderful Epcot resort location.

T&B

 

[rahwest]

we have done both the s/d and the bc in the past 3 years.
i have to say we really like the BC better.
we have little kids (3 and 1) and the grotto pool was WAY too cold!!!
we have gone in october/november.

however, i do have to say that if the price was right and it was a quick trip -- i would DEFINITELY stay in the s/d before choosing a resort that i need to bus to. i love the location of the s/d.

and the heavenly beds are nice.

for us ... it just comes down to the pool. that is the #1 deciding factor for us right now when we are spending time back at the hotel due to naptimes and such

Either way I am sure you'll enjoy yourselves

sarah

 

[MNSusan]

Here's a photo of the toiletries we had at the AKL. They stacked one soap on top of another to make Mickey.

 

[05ChristmasSurprise]

Thanks everyone!

We booked the swan yesterday with a decent rate (which I can apply any specials to, should something come out in the future) - but at least I have a room booked for us.

The toiletries are cute, but from what I've understood, they're nicer products at the Swan, so I don't think the package makes it worthwhile, kwim? I am already buying Disney stuff to pack for them and just picked up three Princess battery-operated SpinBrushes for the girls. Sometimes I try to stick stuff in the bathroom before they see it and this will likely be one of those things.

I can make a little more magic, if the Swan doesn't provide it