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

[RachelTori]

I'm at the Dolphin now. We got to the IG for rope drop, did Soarin' with a 25 min wait (we didn't rush over, just took our time), then did TT with a 25 min wait time. Both had FPs with return times of 11, at 9:30. Then we did M:S and walked on. I didn't go looking for the kiosks or whatever that we could have used. Will try to scope those out tomorrow.

Hey there! Wish we knew you were here....... we check out of Swan today and fly home this evening.

The kiosk at Epcot IG is just inside the entry - against the building. You just show your Swan or Dolphin room key, give the CM your ticket and they get you set up for 3 FP+. We used it yesterday and it took just a couple minutes.

See you next trip!

 

[RobinEJ]

Hi, I'm staying at the Dolphin next month and am wondering how the FP+ works out? Specifically there's a few days I will not be at the parks until mid day, am wondering if anything will even be available to me?? Any tips would be great, thanks!!

Robin

 

[NBCGal]

We always got to the park late, sometimes after 4 pm as we park hop A LOT and will do 2 or 3 parks in a day and still got the attractions we wanted at the times we wanted. The Swan/Dolphin guests make their FP+ selections at the front of the parks. When you check in go to the concierge and ask for a list of the locations. They have have a small high top table set up with a S/D sign on it. In EPCOT they have two set up, one by the front of the park & another at International Gateway. They do not use the actual FP+ kiosks, but use iPads set up with scanners as they enter your first name into Disney's system to identify your cards. They ask to see your S/D room card, then scan your park pass which must be RFID enabled. They ask what rides you wish to reserve and scroll through the options with you. They were wonderfully helpful, even going so far as to make sure the ride choices were reasonably spaced & timed so we weren't running all over the park! You can later change your reserved time by visiting any FP+ kiosk in the park & scanning your park pass. They have cast members at the kiosks to assist if you have questions.

This system is not connected to the regular FP system (paper tickets) so we were able to use both, but I don't know how long that will last. I cannot say when advance FP+ reservations may be available to S/D guests, but I can tell you that the management is working with Disney to make sure that guests of S/D have access to the newest perks as quickly as Disney will allow.

As far as the update planned for S/D, it will be a major renovation much like they did in 2004-2005. New carpeting & paint at the very least but updating the theming is possible too. Part of this is the new lighting outdoors that they've already installed. They are now using colored LED lighting on the palm trees along the causeway and on the Dolphin fountain. It was absolutely gorgeous!

I see all of these things as a positive. It is always difficult to go through changes, but in the long run it will be better than ever. They have an employee appreciation program, so be sure to recognize any staff member who gives you outstanding service or just goes out of their way to make your day better.

 

[lizabu]

Thank you to those who have shared your recent experiences. It sounds fairly painless.

 

[vicb]

As far as the update planned for S/D, it will be a major renovation much like they did in 2004-2005. New carpeting & paint at the very least but updating the theming is possible too. Part of this is the new lighting outdoors that they've already installed. They are now using colored LED lighting on the palm trees along the causeway and on the Dolphin fountain. It was absolutely gorgeous!

Thank you for your helpful post about FP+, I will be there in May so watching what happens between now and then. I was mostly interested in your comment about renovations. Do you (or anyone else) know when this is occurring? I must have missed earlier references to that. Thanks.

 

[ckelly14]

Thanks again NBCGal! Great info...

 

[OKW Lover]

Thank you for your helpful post about FP+, I will be there in May so watching what happens between now and then. I was mostly interested in your comment about renovations. Do you (or anyone else) know when this is occurring? I must have missed earlier references to that. Thanks.

Pix of the lighting.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Nice, Jeff.

 

[nighttowll]

So if I am understanding correctly, you can only make your reservations same day after entering the park at a kiosk.

I'm really bummed to hear that as we are only hitting MK for Mickeys Christmas party and won't get into town until right before it starts. That was the only day I was interested in FP+. I'm guessing by 4:00 it will be too late to book anything decent. Wish you could do it online or even at the hotel.

The regular FP- kiosks are still up and working though, right? We are hitting HS on Saturday and I was hoping we could just use the old system.

 

[patty57]

Pix of the lighting.

Beautiful!

 

[nighttowll]

Has anyone tried to make FP+ reservations in the park for another day?

For instance, on Monday could you go to the Swan/Dolphin kiosk, show your ticket and resort ID and then schedule FP+ for Tuesday? Or does it have to be same day.

It wouldn't be much of an advantage over the whole 30 to 60 day out resort testing, but still better than wasting valuable rope drop time standing at a kiosk trying to schedule something for the same day as you could just stop by before leaving the day before.

 

[Mrs.Milo]

We were just at the Swan this week and had a great time, it's a wonderful place, beautiful room and friendly helpful cast members. We used the fast pass + at Epcot Int'l Gateway, and it was very easy. They just swiped the room key, then your admission ticket, and pulled up the available fast passes. We used our FP at Soarin, and added Listen to the Land, (around noon when we arrived), and had our choice of several available times. We had breakfast at Garden Grove twice, love that place, and met family at Picabu's several times. Can't wait to go back

 

[Dan Murphy]

We were just at the Swan this week and had a great time, it's a wonderful place, beautiful room and friendly helpful cast members. We used the fast pass + at Epcot Int'l Gateway, and it was very easy. They just swiped the room key, then your admission ticket, and pulled up the available fast passes. We used our FP at Soarin, and added Listen to the Land, (around noon when we arrived), and had our choice of several available times. We had breakfast at Garden Grove twice, love that place, and met family at Picabu's several times. Can't wait to go back

Hi Mrs M. Nice to see you. How is Mr M?

 

[patty57]

We have two rooms booked at the Dolphin in May. According to the reports here about booking FP+ at the parks, things seems to be working out okay. Unfortunately, with my two twenty-something college boys not rousing themselves early enough (think sometime in the afternoon), this probably isn't a good situation for us. I just sent a deposit to rent a two-bedroom at BWV for our May trip. I figured I'd better grab the two-bedroom while it's still available. It's actually a great price, and I do love BW, but I'm also a little sad about the Dolphin. I may be wrong about FP+ at S/D...maybe there will be lots of availability throughout the day, but there's a little too much uncertainty right now. I want the ability to book FP+ ahead of time, and I'm not sure how it will work at S/D in the future.
At least we're next door and can pop over to Cabanas for some delicious beverages.

 

[RachelTori]

We have two rooms booked at the Dolphin in May. According to the reports here about booking FP+ at the parks, things seems to be working out okay. Unfortunately, with my two twenty-something college boys not rousing themselves early enough (think sometime in the afternoon), this probably isn't a good situation for us. I just sent a deposit to rent a two-bedroom at BWV for our May trip. I figured I'd better grab the two-bedroom while it's still available. It's actually a great price, and I do love BW, but I'm also a little sad about the Dolphin. I may be wrong about FP+ at S/D...maybe there will be lots of availability throughout the day, but there's a little too much uncertainty right now. I want the ability to book FP+ ahead of time, and I'm not sure how it will work at S/D in the future.
At least we're next door and can pop over to Cabanas for some delicious beverages.

You all will probably think I'm nuts, but we just did a Swan/Dolphin/BWV/Swan trip!! I will say that the BWV portion of our trip (2 nights) was the easiest as we were able to plan FP+ well in advance. They started the Swan/Dolphin FP+ several days into our trip so we only used it for the final 2 nights.

It worked fine for us (we were there mostly for Food & Wine! ), but I definitely understand your apprehension, patty, in having to wait until the day of to select FPs.

The question most of us have now is "WHEN?" When will MagicBands & FastPass+ be out of "test" mode? When will those of us NOT in Disney-owned resorts (including the thousands of "locals") have the FP+ option and how far in advance can those be booked? When will the paper FastPasses be phased out completely? I think we'll start getting answers in early 2014. I just hope we get the answers we're hoping for!

 

[NancyIL]

I am glad I've been to WDW many times before all of this FP+ started! I'll be there in early December, and then probably not again until Dec 2014. It's hard enough to plan where I want to EAT months in advance - let alone which RIDES I want to go on! Thank goodness I don't need a fastpass to hear the bands at Epcot!

 

[patty57]

The question most of us have now is "WHEN?" When will MagicBands & FastPass+ be out of "test" mode? When will those of us NOT in Disney-owned resorts (including the thousands of "locals") have the FP+ option and how far in advance can those be booked? When will the paper FastPasses be phased out completely? I think we'll start getting answers in early 2014. I just hope we get the answers we're hoping for!

Laura, This is so true. I wish we had some information about how this will all play out, but we don't. In the meantime, we speculate and wonder. For the amount of money that we all spend on these vacations, I feel the need to have a little bit of certainty. I do hope that S/D gets the ability for advanced FP+ in the future because I would very much like to stay at them again.

Notice the new ticker is BW, not S/D.

 

[SingingMom]

I am glad I've been to WDW many times before all of this FP+ started! I'll be there in early December, and then probably not again until Dec 2014. It's hard enough to plan where I want to EAT months in advance - let alone which RIDES I want to go on! Thank goodness I don't need a fastpass to hear the bands at Epcot!

I'm with you, Nancy! We return in January. I just can't plan all of that. Takes the fun out of it for me. It all sounds like it is becoming a full time job! Lol

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[patty57]

I am glad I've been to WDW many times before all of this FP+ started! I'll be there in early December, and then probably not again until Dec 2014. It's hard enough to plan where I want to EAT months in advance - let alone which RIDES I want to go on! Thank goodness I don't need a fastpass to hear the bands at Epcot!

I hear you. I haven't experienced FP+ yet, but have to say that the thought of planning to this degree is just absurd. I'm not looking forward to it, but also want the ability to do it if it's the only way to get on the headliners if regular FP disappears. So much angst...it's so tiresome. If WDW would be more forthcoming with info, it would be a lot better.

 

[patty57]

Change of resorts. Going to a 2 bed at BCV. A slightly longer walk to Cabanas.
Since this is the Swan/Dolphin thread, I'll keep posts to that topic and stop talking about BWV & BCV.