swan and dolphin,,disney BUT NOT DISNEY?

[allisonwonderland]

i was looking at these rooms and they have some great rates with the entertainment book.NOW,,help me here,,this is om property but its not owned by Disney?or do I have that wrong?also.....does this count as far as the extra hour,etc?I really dont know anything about this so any info will help..TIA...

 

[allisonwonderland]

nevermind..i am sooo sorry.I just now saw the sticky thread.Ht me over the head and call me DUMB GIRL!!!lol..sorry again,,,,ooopppsss...allison KANT REED....

 

[hulabird]

What I have heard is that the Sheraton and the Westin are leasing the property for the Swan and Dolphin, but that Disney actually owns the property and that somewhere down the line the property and resorts will revert back to Disney and become actual Disney resorts. Anyone else know more about this? I heard this some time ago.

 

[RenaissanceChef]

From what I understand, Swan and Dolphin are owned and managed by Starwood Resorts, they lease the property from Disney.

 

[tjmw2727]

The Stickey is a great place to start but in the mean time here is my .02.

We, a family of 4, mom, dad and dds age 10 and 8 LOVE the Swan and Dolphin. Our fav is the Dolphin, we can usually get a room for the same price as a moderate WDW resort. Our rooms always have a balcony and sometimes a view of Epcot and Illuminations. We love to walk to MGM, Epcot and the boardwalk fun. Tubbies is IMHO better than any of the WDW food courts and you have soooo many restaurants in walking distance. The pools are terrific and they have a great sandy beach and playground. We can also walk over to Fantasia mini golf and do that at least once per trip.

The S&D do offer all the perks, bus transportation, emh and such. The only thing you can't do is charge back to the room when in the parks or at WDW proper. So you need to bring one more "card" with you but honestly that never bothered us since we bring our AP and ID anyway.

HTH
TJ

eta - yes Swan and Dolphin are starwood resorts. If you do decide to stay here apply for the free card and you "may" recieve a perk or two depending on the time you stay and how full they are.

 

[dreamflight99]

What I have heard is that the Sheraton and the Westin are leasing the property for the Swan and Dolphin, but that Disney actually owns the property and that somewhere down the line the property and resorts will revert back to Disney and become actual Disney resorts. Anyone else know more about this? I heard this some time ago.

Starwood corp. (www.starwoodhotels.com) merely "manages" these two properties, maintaining the original "brand" names for familiarity (and customer base/recognition).

Tishman Corp. (http://www.tishmanhotels.com/) built/owns/operates both resorts located on DISNEY property for the past 15 years (approx). With the exorbitant cost of the recently completed renovations, they are not "going anywhere" for a Looooong time!

 

[tn_disney_addict]

So if you book there, can you do the package with the free dining this fall?

 

[mrouch]

My family stayed at the Dolphin last year and we loved it! It has all the perks you would get from any "real" Disney resort including transportation, early entry, etc. We just loved the area around the Dolphin, Yacht and Beach Club, and Boardwalk. We would stay there again in a second, but since we joined DVC last year, we probably won't. We are making our first trip to OKW in 7 days!!!!

 

[seashoreCM]

The way it was told to me was that Disney leases the land to the company(ies) that built and owns the hotels. This was part of a deal to raise money to build Epcot.

Also I was told that the Swan and Dolphin (and the hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd. and perhaps other hotels too) can subscribe or not subscribe to various perks such as Disney Transportation. Currently Swan and Dolphin subscribe to park transportation but not Magical Express. The "subscriptions" are not "free".

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[dreamflight99]

The way it was told to me was that Disney leases the land to the company(ies) that built and owns the hotels. This was part of a deal to raise money to build Epcot.

Also I was told that the Swan and Dolphin (and the hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd. and perhaps other hotels too) can subscribe or not subscribe to various perks such as Disney Transportation. Currently Swan and Dolphin subscribe to park transportation but not Magical Express. The "subscriptions" are not "free".

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Your info is correct. These properties were built on DISNEY PROPERTY...which of course, includes a lease. The details are private.

Also, they do subscribe to many of the services associated with the Disney resorts, but do not include the "key to the world" charging privs, and the ME transportation promo. They DO subscribe to just about everything else, including package delivery, and even the magical extended evening hours in the various parks.

They are both fabulous properties, and I am happy to read of so many wonderful visits by DIS families!

mrouch~Have a GREAT time at your new HOME away from HOME (OKW!)!! I'll be at Disney's VERO BEACH resort while you are in OKW/WDW. We visited OKW for a week in a villa in 1993, and had a great time. We experienced a freak summer HAIL storm, which tore up trees and toppled power lines with the force of the winds! The resort, layout and amenities are top rate. HAVE FUN!!!

DF99

 

[dreamflight99]

So if you book there, can you do the package with the free dining this fall?

I;m not sure about this one, you'll have to call and inquire. I must inform you the photo in your signature is absolutely PRECIOUS! Your little princess with Pluto is adorable.

 

[srfrgrl07]

So if you book there, can you do the package with the free dining this fall?

No. You can't even add the dining as an option because it's not owned by WDW, hence the inability to charge meals, etc. to your room.

 

[dreamflight99]

No. You can't even add the dining as an option because it's not owned by WDW, hence the inability to charge meals, etc. to your room.

Meals may certainly be charged to your room, from EITHER of these two properties! (BUT, not meals in the parks, etc.--which is what you inferred, I know). The dining~charging privs @ the Swan/Dolphin are very nice, with all the restaurants to choose from (PALO'S, SHULA'S, BLUE ZOO, FRESH, KIMONO'S...and MORE!). Everything in all the stores, room service and restaurants may be charged directly to your room account using your room key. Your daily activity may be monitored from your television screen. It's really not a major inconvenience (IMHO), as the CC's are not something which take up a lot of room in my pocket, camera bag, etc. I just bring the same one attached to my resort account, and keep it with my room key. It always works out great!!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

I never thought I would want to stay at the Swalphin...I thought it would not be "Disney" enough for me. But DH and I walked around the grounds in May and we fell in love with the resort. It is beautiful! From what I understand, the cheapest rate you can get is in the $160 range...is this true? Plus, I believe they also charge for parking, which kind of bums me out. Anyway, we do plan on staying there eventually...it is gorgeous!

 

[srfrgrl07]

Meals may certainly be charged to your room, from EITHER of these two properties! (BUT, not meals in the parks, etc.--which is what you inferred, I know). The dining~charging privs @ the Swan/Dolphin are very nice, with all the restaurants to choose from (PALO'S, SHULA'S, BLUE ZOO, FRESH, KIMONO'S...and MORE!). Everything in all the stores, room service and restaurants may be charged directly to your room account using your room key. Your daily activity may be monitored from your television screen. It's really not a major inconvenience (IMHO), as the CC's are not something which take up a lot of room in my pocket, camera bag, etc. I just bring the same one attached to my resort account, and keep it with my room key. It always works out great!!

you're right, i should have been more clear...the dining plan is only valid at participating wdw restaurants, including some at DTD. as far as i know, none of the swan/dolphin restaurants are currently listed. but if you stay at the swan or dolphin, you can charge meals from those locations to your room, but not theme park or wdw resort restaurants. thanks for correcting me!

 

[tn_disney_addict]

I;m not sure about this one, you'll have to call and inquire. I must inform you the photo in your signature is absolutely PRECIOUS! Your little princess with Pluto is adorable.

Thanks so much! She is the light of my life!!!

 

[WillCAD]

I'm also a Swan & Dolphin fan, even though I've only stayed there once.

I don't know where people get this idea that they are "not Disney enough" or that there is "no Magic" at S&D. Sure, they are not owned or run by Disney, but the S&D employees have a great sense of the Guest's enjoyment, and the service is as good as any Disney deluxe. I have found plenty of Magic at S&D over the years, from teh front desk to the bellmen to the wonderful lady who was bussing tables at Tubbi's during my mini-meet there last month. And nothing beats the location of Crescent Lake!

Keep in mind folks, Swan and Dolphin also offer excellent rates to WDW Annual Passholders, and a free one-category room upgrade and complimentary late checkout. But these AP perks are only available if you book directly with the hotels; you can't get them if you book through the Sheraton/Starwood web pages or 1-800 phone line.