Resort Debate

[JanBlessed]

A friend and I argued over whether Swan & Dolphin are considered "Disney Resorts" or not. I said " they're on property and have some perks, but are Not DISNEY Resorts". Upon returning from a four day trip, he said "I can now tell you that they are DISNEY Resorts - and the best ones"....

Instead of calling Disney, I know exactly where to get answers: right here on the DIS Home of Disney experts! This thread should conclude the debate.

So: are they Disney Resorts or not? Are they the best resorts on property, in your opinion? Why and why not? And.... Is the food there REALLY that good?

 

[mjmgsssp]

I think part of it truly depends upon how you and your friend define Disney resort. Yes, they are on Disney property, but they are not owned by Disney; they are part of the Starwood/Marriott group.

Yes, they have have Disney transportation around property, but they don't have ME service to/from MCO.

 

[AngiTN]

They are not Disney resorts. Not in the same way Boardwalk, BC, YC, WL, etc are. They are 2 different categories. Swan/Dolphin are partner resorts.
They are there via a partnership with Disney and SPG.
There is an agreement in place to give the guests of those resorts a few of the same perks someone staying in a Disney resort gets. Some, not all. I don't think it's going to happen but that agreement could always go away and then they'd be just like Bonnet Creek
And no, I do not believe they are the best resorts at Disney. Not by far. (We stayed in both a week ago) But they are very good and a valid option if you can get a good rate on a room. Must watch this, sometimes they are more expensive than standard rooms at the other Epcot resorts. Other times, they are about the price of a Mod.

ETA - They do have some of the better dining options on property.

 

[OKW Lover]

It really depends on how you, and your friend, define "Disney Resorts". The Swolphin is not owned or run by Disney, but it is on Disney property. You could say the same for the resorts on Hotel Plaza Blvd.

The Swolphin also has some of the benefits of the Disney resorts, but only those which they have negotiated with Disney such as EMH and bus service.

 

[HopperFan]

NOT

 

[ErinsMommy]

Not owned by Disney but on Disney property. And someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe you can get the dining plan staying at either the Swan or Dolphin, nor will ME pick you up to/from the airport.

 

[Jennasis]

They are on property but not owned by Disney.

 

[Marionnette]

A friend and I argued over whether Swan & Dolphin are considered "Disney Resorts" or not. I said " they're on property and have some perks, but are Not DISNEY Resorts". Upon returning from a four day trip, he said "I can now tell you that they are DISNEY Resorts - and the best ones"....

Instead of calling Disney, I know exactly where to get answers: right here on the DIS Home of Disney experts! This thread should conclude the debate.

So: are they Disney Resorts or not? Are they the best resorts on property, in your opinion? Why and why not? And.... Is the food there REALLY that good?

Why is it so important to prove him to be wrong? You know that S/D are not Disney resorts regardless of what he thinks.

But if you feel the need to dispute his claim, just ask him to visit the Disney website and try to book either S/D thru it. If either of those resorts was a Disney resort, then they would be bookable thru the WDTC.

 

[buzznina]

Bottom line If you cannot make a reservation on Disneys site or by calling Disney then they are NOT a Disney resort.

 

[loves to dive]

I think of them as an onsite non-Disney resort. They do get some of the perks, Disney buses to the parks, you can send your packages back to them and I think you can do the whole book FPs and ADRs in advance thing if you are staying there as well. They are nice but certainly not the best on property, I'd put the rooms a little above a moderate but very businesslike. They do have good food offerings. I've stayed at Swan and would do so again if I couldn't get an Epcot resort or could get Swan/Dolphin for at least less than $50/night than an Epcot resort. I drive so I have to pay the parking fee, which adds to the per night price for me so I have to factor that in.

 

[AngiTN]

Why is it so important to prove him to be wrong? You know that S/D are not Disney resorts regardless of what he thinks.

But if you feel the need to dispute his claim, just ask him to visit the Disney website and try to book either S/D thru it. If either of those resorts was a Disney resort, then they would be bookable thru the WDTC.

You can book them via the Disney website. They are at the bottom of the list.

Bottom line If you cannot make a reservation on Disneys site or by calling Disney then they are NOT a Disney resort.

You can book them via phone. When I called to add on a night before Matthew blew in and all the Disney resorts were pulled out of inventory the phone agent was able to give me the price for a room at Swan. Now, it's not the cheapest way but it is possible.

 

[Lucys dad]

NOT DISNEY HOTELS ! I stayed at the Swan last year and I noticed a very obvious difference in the service and attitude of the staff between the Swan and the all of the Disney resorts I have stayed at. Not sure if its down to staff training but the staff at the Swan were sadly lacking. Not rude in any way, but just not the same level of friendliness and politeness as at Disney. I also found they seemed to pander more to the corporate guest than the typical Disney tourist. I was there with my daughter. I found that quite blatant and very annoying. Personally I would not return to the Swan/Dolphin.

On the plus side, the food at Kimonos and Shulas was superb.

 

[HopperFan]

Can book some on the website but doesn't make it a Disney Resort. Not owned by Disney.

Right on their site they say are Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.

They do not receive all Disney benefits, only those they negotiate and am sure pay for.

http://www.swandolphin.com/leisureinfo/benefits.html

 

[chris benton]

Off the top of my head, here are the pros/cons, I took into consideration before booking:
Cons -
No dining plan offered.
No MDE
No ability to charge purchases to your room using Magic Bands
No ability to use Magic Bands as room Key
Magic Bands NOT included
==
On the plus side:
If the dining plan is not for you, then it doesn't matter. (If the dining plan was free, then you'd have to take a closer look at the price differences.)
Uber to and from Swolphin will probably be no more more than 100 bucks RT, and you don't have set times as with mde back to airport.
Not 100 % Disney themed if you don't want that.
WALK TO EPCOT, Boardwalk, AND HOLLYWOOD from a hotel with a decent rate (available.)
The food is said to be superior to a decent amount of similar disney owned joints. I'll let you know about kimonos, Picabu, and Garden Grove in a few weeks. I'm actually kinda surprised at the prices at Kimonos relative to the glowing reviews.
Multiple Pools, child care, boats, bikes, views, gym, arcade, fake beach
Able to book through Costco with one price, no hidden fees AT ALL.
Character meals every night, and also character weekend breakfasts.
60 day FP benefit, emh benefit, 180 day adr benefit (I think the adr benefit is 180)

 

[Marionnette]

You can book them via the Disney website. They are at the bottom of the list.


You can book them via phone. When I called to add on a night before Matthew blew in and all the Disney resorts were pulled out of inventory the phone agent was able to give me the price for a room at Swan. Now, it's not the cheapest way but it is possible.

I stand corrected. Being able to book S//D on the website is something new. But you still cannot create a package with the WDTC when you book them. But truthfully, none of that matters if the OP's friend is adamant that S/D are Disney Resorts, there's no harm in letting him continue to believe that. There are a lot of Disney untruths that friends of mine swear is fact. I just smile and nod. They aren't interested in what is real; they just want to be right.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Swan Dolphin are not owned nor managed by Disney, therefore thay are NOT Disney resorts. I'm not sure how much clearer you could be about it. The staff are not CM's and, while there are some onsite "perks", they do not have all the perks of a WDW owned and operated resort.

 

[robinb]

A friend and I argued over whether Swan & Dolphin are considered "Disney Resorts" or not. I said " they're on property and have some perks, but are Not DISNEY Resorts". Upon returning from a four day trip, he said "I can now tell you that they are DISNEY Resorts - and the best ones"....

Instead of calling Disney, I know exactly where to get answers: right here on the DIS Home of Disney experts! This thread should conclude the debate.

So: are they Disney Resorts or not? Are they the best resorts on property, in your opinion? Why and why not? And.... Is the food there REALLY that good?

(1) No, they are not "officially" Disney Resorts because they are not owned by Disney. But ... to the uninitiated they are, for all intents and purposes, "Disney" resorts because they are on Disney property and they have many of the same perks.
(2) IMO they are some of the best resorts on property and I think they hold their own with the other Boardwalk resorts. In addition, they are a fantastic value for the price.
(3) Yes. The food there is REALLY that good.

 

[L&Lfan]

Of course they are Disney resorts (though not owned/operated by Disney). Disney itself lists them in its deluxe category and it doesn't do this for the other non-Disney owned resorts on its property.

 

[Nancyg56]

I think that how you regard these two resorts depends on what criteria you base "Disney" resorts. If you regard on property as a Disney REsort, adn walking distance to two parks as Diseny REsorts, and believe that using Disney transportations, makes a resort a Disney resort, then it is a Disney resort.

You want to get technical and exclude them becuase they are not Disney owned and operated, then they are not Disney resorts.

My question, why does it matter to you what your friend believes? He considered the benefits strong enought to belive the Swolphin is a Disney resort, so what is the harm?

 

[Dashzap]

But you still cannot create a package with the WDTC when you book them.

You can call Disney and book a Swan or Dolphin package with tickets. You can't get a dining plan.

As a matter of fact, you can book all sorts of non-Disney hotels through Disney.

http://wdwgoodneighborhotels.com/browse-hotels/?int_cmp=INS-intWDWtoGNH-GNH