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

[klepton]

I'm attending a conference this summer at the S&D. Does it matter which hotel I book my room in? I have no idea which hotel the meetings will be held in, and I've never stayed at or visited the S&D so I have no point of reference. Thanks!

It's certainly not a long walk between the two. Unless you're slowly strolling it's maybe 3 minutes from door to door.

Take a look at the satellite view to get a lay of the land:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/walt+disney+swan/@28.3663915,-81.5609674,1056m/data=!3m1!1e3

I've only stayed at the Swan, which is smaller (fewer rooms). The Swan is run by Westin I believe, and the Dolphin run by Sheraton. I'm sure someone will correct be if I flipped those.

The only difference I know of that would factor into which one I book is that the dolphin has double beds in the rooms with two beds, the swan has queen. That's why I book Swan for my family of four. In Sept, DW and I will hopefully get a trip to WDW by ourselves and I have the dolphin booked for that.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Has anyone ever stayed at the Swan or Dolphin for any of the RunDisney events? They aren't host resorts, so we'd have to walk over to the bus stop at either the Boardwalk or Beach Club VERY early in the morning to get their bus before the race. We just really enjoyed our grand suite at the Dolphin and thought it would work great for our large group that will be attending the race. Besides the bus situation our only other hesitancy is what will happen with these resorts and FP+. The race isn't until November, so I'm thinking maybe things will change by then?

 

[ckelly14]

Has anyone ever stayed at the Swan or Dolphin for any of the RunDisney events? They aren't host resorts, so we'd have to walk over to the bus stop at either the Boardwalk or Beach Club VERY early in the morning to get their bus before the race. We just really enjoyed our grand suite at the Dolphin and thought it would work great for our large group that will be attending the race. Besides the bus situation our only other hesitancy is what will happen with these resorts and FP+. The race isn't until November, so I'm thinking maybe things will change by then?

As long as the FP+ issue is straightened out, I emphatically recommend the S&D, especially for an adult trip. The bars and restaurants are, in my opinion, superior to the other Disney hotels in the area.

I still believe that FP+ will be rolled out to all guests before the summer, but certainly no guarantees.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was wrong.

Another poster later in the same thread:

Also - on Friday or Saturday I noticed a dedicated table, right as you entered from the international gateway with 3 CM's with ipads that had signs on it for the Swan and Dolphin. I am guessing this is Disney's way of addressing the Swan/Dolphin issue. There were never any guests working with them, so I don't know how successful that was. They definitely weren't there earlier in the week though, so I'm guessing they got a lot of guest complaints.

So it does sound like this was a new addition related to complaints...

I suppose that's a good sign nobody was in line, whereas on that same thread the OP reported that the regular kiosks were swarmed!! I did note he mentioned it was on a Friday or Saturday - I wonder if it was just a weekend thing, or only on busy days, etc.?? Has anyone seen anyone at Swan or Dolphin in the lobby with iPads? I know I saw an earlier report of it, which is why I was wondering if that was still available. Has anyone actually called S/D to see what they say about it? (I don't have any upcoming stays there or I would! We stayed there in October but was a split stay and no park time not covered by our GF FP+.) I did not see anyone there with iPads, but later reports had them in the lobby.

 

[Dan Murphy]

....Has anyone seen anyone at Swan or Dolphin in the lobby with iPads? I know I saw an earlier report of it, which is why I was wondering if that was still available. Has anyone actually called S/D to see what they say about it? (I don't have any upcoming stays there or I would!...

I just called Dolphin concierge. He said S/D still does have special S/D kiosks in each park. And he did say that, at least as the system is configured now, a person does need to be in the park with an entry ticket used for that park that day, to make 'day of' FP+ reservations in the park. Will not work out of the park.

 

[McKelly]

Are the S/D kiosks for FP staffed by S/D employees or Disney employees?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Not sure, but I would think Disney CM's.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I just called Dolphin concierge. He said S/D still does have special S/D kiosks in each park. And he did say that, at least as the system is configured now, a person does need to be in the park with an entry ticket used for that park that day, to make 'day of' FP+ reservations in the park. Will not work out of the park.

Excellent information, Dan!

So now we know that - at least for now - the iPads the S/D are using have to be on the Disney WiFi system. (Right? ) And it sounds like they're there every day.

Thank you for making that call! It sounds like a reasonable system to me. Hopefully the S/D kiosks won't be as crazy as the general Disney ones. I hope someone reports back or sends pictures of them sometime. I imagine they're probably a little busier at certain times of the day than others, like just after opening, etc.

 

[vicb]

Has anyone had any updates about being able to book FP+ advance when staying off site (for me Dolphin May 5-10)?

MDE is still saying that I will be able to make FP+ reservations on March 7th. Just wondered what other peoples MDE was saying these days?

 

[ckelly14]

Has anyone had any updates about being able to book FP+ advance when staying off site (for me Dolphin May 5-10)?

MDE is still saying that I will be able to make FP+ reservations on March 7th. Just wondered what other peoples MDE was saying these days?

I probably says March 7th because you have an ADR 60 days after. Unfortunately, it will switch to another date as soon as Midnight on March 7th rolls around. No confirmation yet of a "pure" offsite guest being able to book....

 

[klepton]

This probably doesn't help the majority of the people here, but we bought annual pass vouchers and have a stay at a WDW resort in may. It appears that FP+ is unlocked for every day after our stay now. Our stay is only two days, but it looks like I can reserve FP+ all the way out to 60 days from now. I'm sure this is specific to AP, but if you get an AP and stay at Swan/Dolphin, it might be worth doing a one night stay at a value resort to unlock FP+ for the rest of the year.

Hopefully, this means I'll get FP+ for my June stay at the Swan, Sept stay at the Dolphin, and Dec stay at the Swan.

 

[twinmum]

Hello Swan/Dolphin people! We've been to WDW several times, but this will be our first time staying at the Swan (we arrive in 4 days!). We will be staying 2 nights before/after a Disney Cruise.

One of our teenaged twin sons will be travelling with his power wheelchair - first time for us. We have booked an accessible room with connecting room so space is fine. Our understanding is that all accessible rooms are in the standard category - does this mean there is no "better" views/locations to consider requesting? My DH is a SPG platinum member, but I don't think there is anything to upgrade us to as we need the accessibility.

Any thoughts?

And does anyone here have experience with accessibility throughout the Swan/Dolphin? Any tips?

Finally, we're not planning on hitting the parks this trip (really?!?) as our DS is still recovering from major orthopedic surgery and wouldn't enjoy it as much. Any ideas for fun activities at/near the Swan/Dolphin? We're planning on the Boardwalk, DTD etc.

Thanks!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Hello Swan/Dolphin people! We've been to WDW several times, but this will be our first time staying at the Swan (we arrive in 4 days!). We will be staying 2 nights before/after a Disney Cruise.

One of our teenaged twin sons will be travelling with his power wheelchair - first time for us. We have booked an accessible room with connecting room so space is fine. Our understanding is that all accessible rooms are in the standard category - does this mean there is no "better" views/locations to consider requesting? My DH is a SPG platinum member, but I don't think there is anything to upgrade us to as we need the accessibility.

Any thoughts?

And does anyone here have experience with accessibility throughout the Swan/Dolphin? Any tips?

Finally, we're not planning on hitting the parks this trip (really?!?) as our DS is still recovering from major orthopedic surgery and wouldn't enjoy it as much. Any ideas for fun activities at/near the Swan/Dolphin? We're planning on the Boardwalk, DTD etc.

Thanks!

I have twin teens also. My DS recommends Disney Quest. There are a lot of activities around the pool and courtyard at the S/D, too. If your DS can play basketball from a wheelchair, there is a basketball hoop there and they do pool games, too. All they have to do is go to the health club to get equipment, for free. (Room card required.) Mini golf is down the street if they like that. Have a great trip!

 

[vicb]

I probably says March 7th because you have an ADR 60 days after. Unfortunately, it will switch to another date as soon as Midnight on March 7th rolls around. No confirmation yet of a "pure" offsite guest being able to book....

I was afraid of that....

 

[Knuckleball]

We've been to WDW many times but it's been a couple of years and we have always stayed at a moderate or deluxe resort. I just booked our first stay at the Dolphin for August 2014. I also just learned about the new (at least to me!) Fastpass + system. I called Disney reservations to ask how the Fastpass + system worked for Dolphin guests, they referred me to the Disney tech desk and they referred me to the Dolphin/Swan desk. I was told slightly different things by each rep with whom I spoke so I am reaching out here to see if anyone can educate me!

What seems to be the case is that guests at the Dolphin will not be able to reserve Fastpass + 60 days prior to their visit like guests at a traditional Disney resort (e.g. Wilderness Lodge, Caribbean Beach) will be able to do. Instead, Dolphin guests have to go into the park they want to visit that day and find a kiosk for Swan and Dolphin guests, stand in the line with other Swan and Dolphin guests who may be doing the same thing and register their fastpass requests for that day. If this is true, it would seem that Swan and Dolphin guests get what is left after the Disney resort guests have made their Fastpass + selections...can anyone tell me if my understanding of the Fastpass + system for Dolphin guests is accurate?

Same question for dining reservations. Can only guests at a traditional Disney resort make dining reservations or can Dolphin guests have the same privilege?

Thanks for much for helping out this Dolphin rookie!

 

[Dan Murphy]

......And does anyone here have experience with accessibility throughout the Swan/Dolphin? Any tips?....

I have not used a chair but have used a scooter for several trips (old man here, bad knees). I never found any problems anywhere. Everything was fine. He'll do well.

 

[klepton]

We've been to WDW many times but it's been a couple of years and we have always stayed at a moderate or deluxe resort. I just booked our first stay at the Dolphin for August 2014. I also just learned about the new (at least to me!) Fastpass + system. I called Disney reservations to ask how the Fastpass + system worked for Dolphin guests, they referred me to the Disney tech desk and they referred me to the Dolphin/Swan desk. I was told slightly different things by each rep with whom I spoke so I am reaching out here to see if anyone can educate me!

What seems to be the case is that guests at the Dolphin will not be able to reserve Fastpass + 60 days prior to their visit like guests at a traditional Disney resort (e.g. Wilderness Lodge, Caribbean Beach) will be able to do. Instead, Dolphin guests have to go into the park they want to visit that day and find a kiosk for Swan and Dolphin guests, stand in the line with other Swan and Dolphin guests who may be doing the same thing and register their fastpass requests for that day. If this is true, it would seem that Swan and Dolphin guests get what is left after the Disney resort guests have made their Fastpass + selections...can anyone tell me if my understanding of the Fastpass + system for Dolphin guests is accurate?

Same question for dining reservations. Can only guests at a traditional Disney resort make dining reservations or can Dolphin guests have the same privilege?

Thanks for much for helping out this Dolphin rookie!

You are basically correct with FP+. There are murmors of FP+ being rolled out to S&D guests this year, as well as all other offsite guests, but as of now the way you described it seems to be true.

If you are buying a multi-day park ticket, you might be able to get around this by staying one night at a value resort before your S&D stay. Link your tickets to that reservation, and you should be able to do FP+ for the length of your tickets.

As for dining reservations, those are open to everybody whether you stay at a Disney resort or not. You don't even need tickets to reserve dining.

 

[kerryamayo]

Just got back from my first stay at the Dolphin resort. We were there for the weekend for my daughter's cheerleading competition.

We loved this resort! The rooms were nice, beds comfy, we ate at Picabu once (for lunch) and the Fountain for breakfast (it is now serving a limited breakfast menu in addition to lunch and dinner). Food was good in both places (which for us is saying something- I generally don't like much of the food Disney offers, lol). The pool was great, staff very nice. I didn't like paying for parking ($15 per day for self parking) but since it was only for the weekend, it wasn't too bad. That's one perk of staying at an official Disney resort I missed

What we loved most about this hotel was the location and ease of transport to the parks. We took the bus Friday evening to the MK and it was a short ride. We took the boat to HS Saturday, also a short ride. We took the boat Sunday to Epcot and while a bit longer (it makes stops at Yacht/Beach Club and Boardwalk before going to Epcot) it was still a pleasant ride and not very long IMO.

We would absolutely stay here again. What made it easier for us was that we are Annual Passholders who have stayed on property late last year, and therefore have the Magicbands. We were able to make Fastpass+ reservations in advance before we arrived (which was good- parks were busy, standby lines were pretty long at times) so it didn't feel like our experience was any different than staying in an official Disney property.

We had a great time and would totally go back!

 

[kerryamayo]

Just got back from my first stay at the Dolphin resort. We were there for the weekend for my daughter's cheerleading competition.

We loved this resort! The rooms were nice, beds comfy, we ate at Picabu once (for lunch) and the Fountain for breakfast (it is now serving a limited breakfast menu in addition to lunch and dinner). Food was good in both places (which for us is saying something- I generally don't like much of the food Disney offers, lol). The pool was great, staff very nice. I didn't like paying for parking ($15 per day for self parking) but since it was only for the weekend, it wasn't too bad. That's one perk of staying at an official Disney resort I missed

What we loved most about this hotel was the location and ease of transport to the parks. We took the bus Friday evening to the MK and it was a short ride. We took the boat to HS Saturday, also a short ride. We took the boat Sunday to Epcot and while a bit longer (it makes stops at Yacht/Beach Club and Boardwalk before going to Epcot) it was still a pleasant ride and not very long IMO.

We would absolutely stay here again. What made it easier for us was that we are Annual Passholders who have stayed on property late last year, and therefore have the Magicbands. We were able to make Fastpass+ reservations in advance before we arrived (which was good- parks were busy, standby lines were pretty long at times) so it didn't feel like our experience was any different than staying in an official Disney property.

We had a great time and would totally go back!

 

[Dan Murphy]

.....the Fountain for breakfast (it is now serving a limited breakfast menu in addition to lunch and dinner)....

It is a great place, isn't it? Glad to hear you had a great stay!!

What sort of items on the Fountain menu for breakfast?