Teacher's rate at Dolphin ?

[GOBA Mom Lynn]

I just called the Dolphin directly and they said in order to get the teacher's rate you must have a teaching certificate. All the DU info (and here on the boards) says administrative staff is also included, but the reservationist I just spoke to says NO. They have a separate rate of their own.

Is there anybody out there who got the teacher's rate while being administrative staff at a school, as opposed to a teacher?

Our family group is looking forward to staying at the Dolphin, but if we can't get the good rate, we'll have to stay at a moderate.

Our other option would be to rent points from 2 DVC members to get 2- 2br villas at Boardwalk. That seems a long shot.

Please give me hope!

 

[Geoff_M]

DU has a special deal cut with the Dolphin that includes non-teaching school employees. You have to go through them.

 

[chamonix]

Can I ask how you "prove" you are a teacher? A good friend who is a teacher asked me this last night when I told her that I had heard there was a teacher rate available. Is the Dolphin the only hotel that offers teacher rates, or do other Disney or Disney area hotels also do so?

 

[Purrrrfecta]

The only other hotel I know of that advertises the "teacher" rate is the Celebration Hotel.

If you are a public school teacher you can always get state government rates. Hilton hotel chains often offer these rates, but the Hilton at DTD never has that rate available.

 

[Purrrrfecta]

The way you prove you are a teacher is by providing your teaching certificate.

Disney hotels do not offer the teacher rate

 

[Minnie's Mate]

If you work for a public school, state college, jr. college or state tech school and are not a teacher, you qualify for the government employee rate. It is the same as the teacher rate. It is also the same rate for nurses and public hospital staff.

When we checked into the Swan Thanksgiving week, I was asked for my government I.D. Luckily I remembered to put it inot my waist pack so it was ready. This is the first time I have been asked for it and we have stayed at the Dolphin four times.

Just take your school employee I.D. or a pay stub that shows you are employed by a public school system. Same would apply for public university staff members.

 

[chamonix]

Oh, that's interesting. My dh teaches at a state university, so he would qualify for government employee rates at hotels? I have seen the rates on hotel's websites before, but for some reason didn't think of my dh's job as a state employee job....hmmmm. We won't probably ever use this in the Orlando area, since we prefer to stay at Disney hotels, but might use it when traveling in other areas of the country. Thanks for the info. Dh has an employee ID from the university, so no problem with documentation, but I will pass on the other info to my public school teacher friend. thanks.

 

[GraceDVC]

We were wondering if the government rate at the Swan and Dolphin would also include recently-retired government workers?

 

[Geoff_M]

I'd say the answer is "no". Technically, the discount is only supposed to be used by government employees while travelling on business, but there's no real way to police the reason for your stay. The teacher's discount is a local program established by the marketing department at the WDW Dolphin, but the Government rate is a chain-wide program. When you call the Starwood reservation number and ask for the discount, the standard spiel they often give you tells you to be ready to present your "travel documents" to prove your business travel.

 

[Party Teacher]

Hi Lynn,

I am an Instructional Assistant and I was able to get the teacher's rate.

I called the Dolphin directly back in October and asked them your same question. I am not a certified teacher but do have a school i.d. and paystub. They said this would be fine for my trip in April. FYI, I did book my trip through DU, but wanted to hear it from the Dolphin to make absolutely sure this was going to be o.k. I'd call back and ask to speak with a supervisor. The person I spoke with said it was a new policy.

Party Teacher

 

[GOBA Mom Lynn]

Thanks everyone, it puts my mind at ease.
At least for now.



...the planning continues....

 

[Minnie's Mate]

Geoff_M, I have used the government rate at the Dolphin 4 times and once at the Swan and they never ask for travel documents when I personally made the reservation or when I checked-in. They have said I would need some proof of government employment, but that was all.

In fact, when I travel on official State business, the only travel documents I have is a form to have the State taxes waived. And that only applies to hotels in my state. When I travel outside my home state on state business, I don't even have that. I think "travel documents" only applies to military travel and the use of military contracts for special rates for temporary housing like Reserve Duty, National Guard Duty, etc.

I have also used the government rate at other hotel chains for personal travel and have only been asked for government I.D. twice, once at the Swan and once at a Sleep Hotel.

When I show up wearing a Disney t-shirt, shorts, and a Disney waiste pack, they pretty much know I'm not there on official state business!

This is not to say that the hotel chains don't intend for the primary use of this rate to be for government business, but they don't seem to mind people using it for personal travel.

 

[musicmom3]

I am a college administrator and booked my educational rate for August through the Dolphin directly--but I had to go through several people. At first I was given a higher, government rate. Not all the reservationists are familiar with the fact that the "deal" was recently expanded to include educational staff other than teachers, I was told. I asked specifically if you had to go through DU to book the discounted educational rate, and was told no. Never hurts to double (or triple) check! I was told that my picture ID from the college would be enough, but I will throw in a paystub, too!

 

[Minnie's Mate]

musicmom3, what rates were you quoted for government vs. education rates. The rates have always been the same for government, teachers, and nurses. There should have been no difference in rate unless your first quote was for the Swan and second quote was for Dolphin. There is a difference in rate between the two, but if you were quoted in the same hotel, you should have been quoted the same price.

 

[musicmom3]

Hi--my paperwork is at home...and I'm not, but I booked the Dolphin at the teacher/educational rate (August) for $129. The "other rate" I was quoted was around $160, I think...but I'm not swearing to my memory these days!

 

[baseballmom94]

My husband is a professor at a state university college of medicine. Would he qualify for the teaching or government rate?

 

[musicmom3]

I assume he would but I would make the call to find out for sure. My understanding was that the teacher rate had been expanded to include persons involved in education other than teachers...for a certain time only. I am vague about the "certain time," since my trip fell within the discounted time. I did get the impression that only a certain amount of rooms were reserved at the discounted rate, though--another good reason to give a call!

 

[Minnie's Mate]

The $129 is right for the pre-rate increase at the Dolphin for teacher/government/nurse. The rate for the last year or so at the Swan has been $139 and has increased, I believe, to $145. This is what we are paying for the Swan in February '04. With tax it is just over $166 per night.

 

[Poohlovr]

Technically, the discount is only supposed to be used by government employees while travelling on business

While that is true for the chain in general, that is not true for the Swan/Dolphin.
Mr SwanDolphin, who used to post on these boards and is employed by the SD, made the changes for the Swan Dolphin. The rate applies to retired government employees also.

Incidentally, he is also the person responsible for all of the other SD discounts we use so often (i.e.-nurse, teacher, AP).

We owe him a great deal. He is sorely missed on these boards.