The **New** Swan and Dolphin Resort thread ~ April 2012 ~ Please read post #1

[TaraPA]

Our suite was a 2 bedroom grand and it only slept a max of 8. Strange that the executive sleeps more people (I guess because it has a murphy and a sleeper?) Our room had 2 doubles in one bedroom, a sleeper sofa in the living room, and then a King in the other bedroom. We used a teacher rate for a one bedroom grand suite and then added another bedroom with a stay connected rate, so maybe our configuration was different than a typical 2 bedroom grand suite. Our rate was AMAZING (about $540 per night total.) We booked about 5.5 months in advance.

The 2BR suites at Dolphin are smaller than the 2BR at Swan. They don't have the Murphy bed like the ones at Swan do. Did your king room also have a sleeper sofa? Ours did, maybe that's another difference.

 

[butternut]

Does anyone know if you are using your nurses discount at the S/D can you also use your AAA discount ? I heard yes somewhere in the thread but im not positive. Any help on this would be great!

 

[NancyIL]

Does anyone know if you are using your nurses discount at the S/D can you also use your AAA discount ? I heard yes somewhere in the thread but im not positive. Any help on this would be great!

Welcome to the DIS! You can use your AAA discount at some of the Swan/Dolphin's restaurants. However, the Nurse rate will usually be lower than the AAA room rate. You can't get a AAA discount on top of the Nurse rate.

 

[SRUAlmn]

The 2BR suites at Dolphin are smaller than the 2BR at Swan. They don't have the Murphy bed like the ones at Swan do. Did your king room also have a sleeper sofa? Ours did, maybe that's another difference.

Ah, that makes sense! Our King room didn't have a sleeper, it just had a chair.

 

[kandb]

Just an fyi, we were booked for a room in Sept with the government rate at $139/night. I was on the "disboards" and someone recommend to check at the AAA rate. I called and got a rate of $127.20/night with a connected rate of $119/night (we need 2 rooms) and with the first room, we also get a $50 credit to use at the hotel. I think the AAA rate for the first room is $159 with tax/resort fee and the stay connected rate comes out to around $149/night. We are super happy with the rates we got.

PS Which restaurants at swan/dolphin take AAA?

 

[Dan Murphy]

......Which restaurants at swan/dolphin take AAA?

The non-signature ones.

Casual and Quick Service, but not the Java Bar.....


http://www.swandolphinrestaurants.com/

 

[kandb]

Thanks Dan. Do they give a 20% discount at Garden Grove for the character dinner???

 

[SRUAlmn]

Ok, as promised, here are some pictures from our 2 bedroom grand suite at the Dolphin. I have to apologize... because of all the room switching our things were unloaded into our room as soon as we stepped foot into it, and I hate taking pictures once all our 'stuff' is in the room, so I don't have as many as I wish I did

Dining Area

View from the window of the King room

View from the window of the dining room

Vanity/Closet area of the 2 Double room (no cabinets underneath)

Sink area in the bathroom of the 2 Double room

View from the window of the 2 Double room

 

[SRUAlmn]

If you moved way to the right of the window you could see...

Tower of Terror

TV channel guide (they did get the Stacey channel!)

Location of our room (it was in the corner where the wing meets the main building, three windows up from the XXX stuff, the first window is the dining room, the window to the left of that -where the first palm tree is- was the King room, and to the right of the dining room window is where the 2 double room was, but it was back in the corner and you can't see it in the picture. I wish I had Photoshop, it would be so much easier to explain )

A view from the left side of the dining room window (less palm tree coverage, and we watched a cute little family of baby ducks all week!)

The closet of the 2 bedroom room (we asked for extra hangers and they brought us a TON! This was only 1/3 of it.)

In the 2 Double room the fridge was in a cabinet under the TV console. In the King room it was in the cabinet in the 'wet bar' area near the bathroom.

I really wish I would've taken a picture of the dining room wet bar area and third bathroom I'm so bummed because the third bathroom area was HUGE and so great to have!!

 

[SRUAlmn]

For some reason the TV and closet pics didn't work in the above post Let's try again!

I also have a picture of a...ahem... surprise I found when looking under and around the mattress for bed bugs, but it's not exactly DIS appropriate. Let's just say you'd need one if you'd like to not have a baby.


ETA: For some reason, the TV and closet pics showed up later? Sorry for double posting them!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Missed a couple!

The living room area with the sleeper sofa. It had about 3 lamps, but no overhead lighting, so it was very poorly lit. The sleeper sofa was actually really uncomfortable. There were extra mattress pads in both of the bedroom closets, so we put those on the sleeper under the sheets and it was a little better. We had to ask for a set of sheets and a blanket, but the blanket they brought felt like those rubber blankets for kids who wet the bed Since we weren't using both doubles in the 2 Double room, we just pulled the comforter off that bed every night and used that on the sleeper.

Mickey's Kool Snack from Disney Florist. A GREAT value for what you get. All of this was included, plus water, soda, and a couple other little snacks that had already been eaten before I thought to take a picture In the background you can see the cabinet & fridge in the wetbar area. The fridge wasn't enclosed in a cabinet and still didn't get very cold. There was also a little sink.

And another one, just for fun!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Double Post, Oops



ETA: Since I have the space I thought I'd add a few notes. The bathroom in the 2 Double room was HUGE. The bathroom in the King was TINY. I'm not really sure why there was such a contrast? The 2 Double room had one sink with a huge counter area and large rectangular mirror INside the bathroom, plus lots of floor space and a toilet, bath/shower. In the King room, there was a small, angled counter/sink area with a smaller mirror. Then inside the bathroom door there was a toilet and bath/shower with very little space to even open the door if you were in there. The bathrooms also had NO exhaust fans which was really annoying. I started showering at night, beacuse it was way too hard to try to shower and then get ready when the room was all steamy and hot!

 

[YachtClubWoman]

I am considering the Dolphin for a Dec. trip. I am also considering Hilton at Downtown Disney since I have gold status and like to keep accruing points.

We usually stay at a moderate resort but I like a nicer/larger room with amenities now that I travel on a regular basis for work.

The last few reviews on the Dolphin on trip advisor were terrible - dirty rooms, etc.

Could anyone who as stayed recently give their thoughts on the upkeep of rooms at the Dolphin and/or Swan?

Thanks

 

[SRUAlmn]

I am considering the Dolphin for a Dec. trip. I am also considering Hilton at Downtown Disney since I have gold status and like to keep accruing points.

We usually stay at a moderate resort but I like a nicer/larger room with amenities now that I travel on a regular basis for work.

The last few reviews on the Dolphin on trip advisor were terrible - dirty rooms, etc.

Could anyone who as stayed recently give their thoughts on the upkeep of rooms at the Dolphin and/or Swan?

Thanks

We just returned from a 7 night stay at the Dolphin, and with a few minor exceptions, found the room (and whole resort) to be very clean! We have exclusively stayed at Disney resorts, and were a little nervous about this switch, but we were so pleasantly surprised at the friendliness & helpfulness of the staff as well as the value for the space and location. We mainly stay at deluxe resorts, and we got 3 times the space for 1/3 the price

 

[AliceNWonderland]

Hello everyone,
My family is hoping to book in June 2013. Our budget is tight so we are looking at values and also at the D/S. From the looks of this thread all I can say is wow! Just to make sure I am understanding everything....you get to access the DR transpo and you get awesome room rates. Do you get the use the DDP and ME?

 

[NancyIL]

Hello everyone,
My family is hoping to book in June 2013. Our budget is tight so we are looking at values and also at the D/S. From the looks of this thread all I can say is wow! Just to make sure I am understanding everything....you get to access the DR transpo and you get awesome room rates. Do you get the use the DDP and ME?

No - Swan and Dolphin guests don't get to use Magical Express or book the Disney Dining Plan.

 

[mbh106]

Can you still take the boat from the Dolphin to International Gateway to get to Epcot before 9:00 for breakfast reservations at Akershus?

 

[NancyIL]

Can you still take the boat from the Dolphin to International Gateway to get to Epcot before 9:00 for breakfast reservations at Akershus?

Yes, although it's only about a 10-minute walk to the International Gateway.

 

[robinbutterfly]

Yes, although it's only about a 10-minute walk to the International Gateway.

Speaking of International Gateway, I heard they start allowing people in at 8:30am. Is that true?

 

[NancyIL]

Speaking of International Gateway, I heard they start allowing people in at 8:30am. Is that true?

I've read there are no more "rope drops." However, I haven't arrived at Epcot earlier than 9:00 recently to confirm.