Swan Question

[Volatica]

So my Dad sprang on me this week that he wants to take a big family trip to Disney in OCTOBER. Yes... six months out. What this means is that the planning that normally takes months, during which I painstakingly compare hotels and predict any possible issues, not has to happen basically this week. I believe my husband and I have settled on the Swan (or Dolphin) as our hotel for us and our 1 year old son. I like the idea of being walking distance from some of the parks with a 1 year old.

So here is my question, as I've read mixed things online: If I book the hotel via a site like Hotels. com (where I have some free nights piled up), will I still get the benefit of booking fastpasses 60 days out? I've read that some people have had trouble linking their reservation to their MDX? How do I go about this? Also, how do I go about ordering magic bands and customizing them with this hotel? (I know there is an extra charge for this) I've always stayed at a Disney owned hotel in the past, so this is new to me.

TIA

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Yes, you still get 60 day FP+.

You do not get Magic Bands with this hotel. If you want to buy them, you can buy them at Disney Store. There is no customization like there is for a Disney Resort.

Be sure to account for the daily resort fee, parking charges at the Swan, or, if you are flying, airport transfer as there is no Magical Express.

 

[Volatica]

I know that you have to buy magic bands separately. Can you not order them ahead of time?

Also, do I still get to book the fastpasses 60 days early if I don't book directly through Disney's website? If so, how?

I know about the daily resort fee. It's still just a smidge more than than where we usually stay. We plan to take an uber from MCO to the hotel.

 

[Volatica]

I know that you have to buy magic bands separately. Can you not order them ahead of time?

Also, do I still get to book the fastpasses 60 days early if I don't book directly through Disney's website? If so, how?

I know about the daily resort fee. It's still just a smidge more than than where we usually stay. We plan to take an uber from MCO to the hotel.

Okay, I figured out how to order the magic bands.

 

[Marthasor]

Okay, I figured out how to order the magic bands.

You don't need magic bands. Is there a reason you want to order them? MB's will not open Swan resort rooms nor will you be able to charge back to your room with MB's when staying at Swan/Dolphin. Are you ordering your tickets separately? If so, just link those tickets to your MDE account. You said you had stayed in WDW resorts in the past. Do you have MB's from those trips linked to your MDE? If so, simply link your tickets to MDE and you can use your old bands to get into the parks.

 

[Volatica]

You don't need magic bands. Is there a reason you want to order them? MB's will not open Swan resort rooms nor will you be able to charge back to your room with MB's when staying at Swan/Dolphin. Are you ordering your tickets separately? If so, just link those tickets to your MDE account. You said you had stayed in WDW resorts in the past. Do you have MB's from those trips linked to your MDE? If so, simply link your tickets to MDE and you can use your old bands to get into the parks.

I just want them. I know they won't do everything that we are used to, but I just like them. I didn't realize we could use our old bands. I might just do that then, if they still work. Okay, so it's the tickets that we will link to MDX rather than the hotel reservation. That makes sense. I'm just stressing about booking via third party rather than directly through Disney. It works out to almost $1000 cheaper with our free nights, though, so I can't justify not booking third party. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to lose the ability to book FP 60 days out by booking third party.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You also have to link the hotel reservation to MDE to get 60 day FP+.

 

[momto4obkids]

If you go through hotels.com for your reservation, you will need to call the Disney dining phone number in order to get the correct reservation number that lets you link to your MDE account.

Wait about 24 hours for Disney to have the reservation in their system, to call.

(407) 939-3463

 

[scrapquitler]

Also, do I still get to book the fastpasses 60 days early if I don't book directly through Disney's website? If so, how?

.

Get your hotel confirmation number and link it to your MDE page, and you should be able to book your FP that way (I'm assuming that Swan/Dolphin do indeed get the 60 day privilege of onsite). When I booked my resort (not at Swan/Dolphin) via Expedia, I called expedia and they gave me the confirmation number I needed, it was a different confirmation number than the one they sent me in my email when I made the reservation.

 

[mb187143]

I just want them. I know they won't do everything that we are used to, but I just like them. I didn't realize we could use our old bands. I might just do that then, if they still work. Okay, so it's the tickets that we will link to MDX rather than the hotel reservation. That makes sense. I'm just stressing about booking via third party rather than directly through Disney. It works out to almost $1000 cheaper with our free nights, though, so I can't justify not booking third party. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to lose the ability to book FP 60 days out by booking third party.

We stayed at the dolphin last year on free nights and points. I booked directly through the dolphin website, waited the 24 hours and then used the confirmation number they gave me to link the hotel to MDE for fast passes.

I did enjoy the savings. I did not enjoy the experience at the Dolphin. I felt very out of the bubble, but that's just us. We have stayed at other area hotels and not felt that way so I don't know why the dolphin particularly.

We did use our magic bands from previous stays for tickets but i usually carry a small case with my ID and a back up payment method anyway so it was for us the same as on site except we had a room key for the door.

We missed the little things that you get inside the bubble but we stayed 6 nights for free so that really couldn't be beat. In the end though we won't be back there.

 

[Marthasor]

I just want them. I know they won't do everything that we are used to, but I just like them. I didn't realize we could use our old bands. I might just do that then, if they still work. Okay, so it's the tickets that we will link to MDX rather than the hotel reservation. That makes sense. I'm just stressing about booking via third party rather than directly through Disney. It works out to almost $1000 cheaper with our free nights, though, so I can't justify not booking third party. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to lose the ability to book FP 60 days out by booking third party.

You will need to link both the hotel reservation and the tickets to get FP+ 60 days out. Staying at Swan/Dolphin gives you the 60 day FP+ privilege, but you have to have tickets linked in order to take advantage of that privilege. If you only have tickets linked and NOT the hotel reservation, you can only make FP+ at 30 days prior.

Link the hotel reservation, link the tickets and you're good to go. Bring your old bands if you want to use them. If you have trouble with the MB's to guest services at your first park to get help.

We've stayed at both the Swan and Dolphin (we like the Swan more!) and had great stays! The pool complex is fantastic and the restaurants are great! Enjoy your savings.!

 

[Lynzer4]

Booking directly through the hotel gives you perks at the hotel but if you have free nights that is hard to beat. Sign up if you aren't a member for Starwood rewards (its free). Being an rewards member will you get the best rate and provide you benefits like free wifi and other things plus you will earn points towards free stays via Starwood. If you are already a member look to see the benefits of directly booking with the hotel. For me as an elite member the extra bonus points make booking directly worth it.


I just got back last week from the Swan. The beds are so comfortable. I will say you do miss a little of the Disney bubble but its still Disney. The biggest thing I missed was paying with my magic band. I had a theme park view and was able to watch MK and Epcot fireworks from my balcony. You can use old bands you have as your ticket/FP no you don't need to buy new ones id you already have some or you can purchase at the hotel (or any Disney location).

 

[FlashFlash100YardDash]

If you go through hotels.com for your reservation, you will need to call the Disney dining phone number in order to get the correct reservation number that lets you link to your MDE account.

Wait about 24 hours for Disney to have the reservation in their system, to call.

(407) 939-3463

I found this to be the case when booking through expedia. However, I just phoned expedia and asked them for the disney reservation number. They had to phoned disney but, knowing how hard it can be to get through to disney customer services, I was happy for expedia to do the leg work and call me back. I assume it would be the same with hotels.com

You do definitely need to link the hotel reservation to your MDE to be able to book fast passes 60 days out.

 

[momto4obkids]

I found this to be the case when booking through expedia. However, I just phoned expedia and asked them for the disney reservation number. They had to phoned disney but, knowing how hard it can be to get through to disney customer services, I was happy for expedia to do the leg work and call me back. I assume it would be the same with hotels.com

You do definitely need to link the hotel reservation to your MDE to be able to book fast passes 60 days out.

Unfortunately that's not how it worked for hotels.com.

I called and asked them for the reservation number, I also did an online chat and both times they said I had to call Disney to get the reservation number that was needed to link to the MDE, they didn't have it to give to me.

 

[FlashFlash100YardDash]

Unfortunately that's not how it worked for hotels.com.

I called and asked them for the reservation number, I also did an online chat and both times they said I had to call Disney to get the reservation number that was needed to link to the MDE, they didn't have it to give to me.

Oh. Expedia and Hotels.com are the same company AFAIK so I assumed it would be the same service. Maybe I just got lucky with a helpful rep.

 

[Volatica]

You will need to link both the hotel reservation and the tickets to get FP+ 60 days out. Staying at Swan/Dolphin gives you the 60 day FP+ privilege, but you have to have tickets linked in order to take advantage of that privilege. If you only have tickets linked and NOT the hotel reservation, you can only make FP+ at 30 days prior.

Link the hotel reservation, link the tickets and you're good to go. Bring your old bands if you want to use them. If you have trouble with the MB's to guest services at your first park to get help.

We've stayed at both the Swan and Dolphin (we like the Swan more!) and had great stays! The pool complex is fantastic and the restaurants are great! Enjoy your savings.!

Thanks for this info. I will work on getting the reservation linked, and, once I order tickets, getting the tickets linked. Hearing people say they have had great stays makes me less anxious.

 

[Volatica]

I found this to be the case when booking through expedia. However, I just phoned expedia and asked them for the disney reservation number. They had to phoned disney but, knowing how hard it can be to get through to disney customer services, I was happy for expedia to do the leg work and call me back. I assume it would be the same with hotels.com

You do definitely need to link the hotel reservation to your MDE to be able to book fast passes 60 days out.

Thanks! That's part of what I was confused about. I have the confirmation number from hotels.com, but I wasn't sure if that was the right number. I will call Disney the next time my husband and I are at home together at the same time, so that he can watch the baby while I'm on hold.

 

[thornton0511]

I'm on hold right now with reservation services and the CM I have been speaking with is saying since I booked directly online with SPG (reward stay) that I cannot link my reservation on MDE and get the 60 day FP. She said that is only if you book Swan/Dolphin directly with Disney....I'm holding now and hoping she can get someone on the line to tell her that is not right.

 

[tjmw2727]

I'm on hold right now with reservation services and the CM I have been speaking with is saying since I booked directly online with SPG (reward stay) that I cannot link my reservation on MDE and get the 60 day FP. She said that is only if you book Swan/Dolphin directly with Disney....I'm holding now and hoping she can get someone on the line to tell her that is not right.

I can say that I have always booked my stays through SPG either cash, points or cash and points (probably at least 6/7 times) and Always been able to link my Dolphin reservation to my MDE and make FP+ at T60 -

Keep pushing for the confirmation number -

 

[thornton0511]

I can say that I have always booked my stays through SPG either cash, points or cash and points (probably at least 6/7 times) and Always been able to link my Dolphin reservation to my MDE and make FP+ at T60 -

Keep pushing for the confirmation number -

thank you for replying. I had my conf#, the issue was that I couldn't link it in MDE because "guest#2" was listed as a default description and not the actual name of the person on MDE, even after calling SPG first and having them revise the reservation name to match the names in MDE. It all worked out though after asking the CM to go double check with her supervisor. Then she got me over to IT who was able to fix the names on the ressie and get them linked for me. It was a process for sure but in the end all is good. So glad for forums like this to confirm specifics so people know when to question what employees might just not be aware of.