The **New** Swan and Dolphin Resort thread ~ September 2010 ~ Please read post #1

[RaySharpton]

"Officially" it was just to apply to new reservations but due to the way the press release was written I decided to change it to include existing for goodwill purposes. Glad to see so many DIS'ers took advantage of it!

Hello SwanDolphin. That is very nice.

Were the person that I talked to on the phone when I called on Sunday.

I described my experience on the previous page.

The person was very nice and kind and offered to apply the Trick or Treat to my existing reservation.

Great customer service. Very nice fella.

 

[AggieTexan]

The person was very nice and kind and offered to apply the Trick or Treat to my existing reservation.

Great customer service. Very nice fella.

I should have made a note of the names of the people who helped me the two times I called. I thought they were both exceptional, and I would have liked to single them out for some positive recognition. Alas, I wasn't thinking about that at the time.

 

[WUVmyDISNEY]

Thanks SwanDolphin! I was so happy that we were able to participate!

 

[WUVmyDISNEY]

Thanks Aggie!

Ground floor would be great so I will be putting my request in!

 

[vital]

"Officially" it was just to apply to new reservations but due to the way the press release was written I decided to change it to include existing for goodwill purposes. Glad to see so many DIS'ers took advantage of it!

Thank you! I was riding the fence about staying here vs POFQ and since I scored a room upgrade we've decided to stay at the Dolphin!!

 

[rie'smom]

"Officially" it was just to apply to new reservations but due to the way the press release was written I decided to change it to include existing for goodwill purposes. Glad to see so many DIS'ers took advantage of it!

That was super nice of you! The discount didn't apply to our reservation since it's for a suite but hey just staying at the Dolphin feels like a prize!

 

[duffy]

Thanks, SwanDolphin.

 

[MOM POPPINS]

"Officially" it was just to apply to new reservations but due to the way the press release was written I decided to change it to include existing for goodwill purposes. Glad to see so many DIS'ers took advantage of it!

Thanks for posting Mr. Swan/Dolphin, we rarely see you post but I am happy to know you are still keeping up with our thread and keeping the guest happy!

 

[witchesbrew]

Which resort would you guys recommend for a mother/daughter trip? DD is 8 years-old. It seems like the Dolphin is slightly less expensive. Is there a reason for this? Does cheaper = not as nice? I hope not .

TIA!

 

[rie'smom]

Which resort would you guys recommend for a mother/daughter trip? DD is 8 years-old. It seems like the Dolphin is slightly less expensive. Is there a reason for this? Does cheaper = not as nice? I hope not .

TIA!

I'd recommend the Dolphin because it has Picabu cafeteria downstairs. My daughter has loved that restaurant for years. I love it too. The staff at the restaurant really got to know us on one of our last trips and they would pile on the food to the extent that my daughter and I would share.
The Dolphin is less expensive than the Swan because it has 2 double beds instead of 2 queens.
They are both fabulous!

 

[summersalt]

Does anyone know what time the pools close in the evenings?

 

[ms*mountaineer]

We were just at the Swan last week! The grotto pool closed at 9pm. The water slide closed at 6pm.

 

[NancyIL]

As mentioned here previously, you have the option of refusing housekeeping for up to 3 nights of your stay, excluding checkout day. You will get a little card each day that gives you the option of saving $5 on food or beverages at the resort, or you can choose 500 SPG points at checkout. I opted out of housekeeping 2 days last week, and was very pleased to see 1000 Starpoints posted to my SPG account 2 days after I checked out. 500 SPG points can be worth far more than $5 when used toward a free night or transferred to an airline's frequent-flyer program.

 

[jlcd]

Wondering about the double beds at the Dolphin. I read they are "oversized". How much smaller than a queen are they?

 

[summersalt]

We were just at the Swan last week! The grotto pool closed at 9pm. The water slide closed at 6pm.

Thanks! I hope you enjoyed your stay.

 

[Tess]

I am curious about the resort view too. Since this is our first Dolphin stay, I am not sure what resort view really means. Also, what is the lowest floor that you can stay on? I have to add a low floor request to my res. I love to stay as high as possible but DH likes to stay low.

I have a reservation for a king "resort view" (not Epcot view) room with a patio/balcony. Would the rooms with resort views be in the wings when you're looking at a map of the resort?

I thought I would bump this up for you two since I would also like the information.

From what I have gleaned reading the old thread and this new one, there are ground floor rooms at Dolphin. The higher floors afford the better views. Further, the "resort" view merely assures a view of some aspect of the "resort" but could encompass more. It is a pretty vague description.

That said, I am still unclear how the SPG card comes into play. We booked an AP rate and did a room add on for our friends. We have a king resort view room as well. Does being a Starwood member get you an automatic one cat upgrade if available? If so, does that mean our upgrade would be a patio/ balcony or is it a separate type of room, e.g., Park view?

Anyway, I hope someone is able and willing to help us out.

 

[NJMermaid]

"Officially" it was just to apply to new reservations but due to the way the press release was written I decided to change it to include existing for goodwill purposes. Glad to see so many DIS'ers took advantage of it!

a little goodwill goes a long way

I am staying at

4 nites OKW
3 nites WLV
2 nites Dolphin

They are all outstanding properties, I am very excited, first trip without the kid (college). Actually the kid will be with us at the Dolphin, only the first 7 nites are honeymoon nites

see ya real soon

 

[NeilD]

As mentioned here previously, you have the option of refusing housekeeping for up to 3 nights of your stay, excluding checkout day. You will get a little card each day that gives you the option of saving $5 on food or beverages at the resort, or you can choose 500 SPG points at checkout. I opted out of housekeeping 2 days last week, and was very pleased to see 1000 Starpoints posted to my SPG account 2 days after I checked out. 500 SPG points can be worth far more than $5 when used toward a free night or transferred to an airline's frequent-flyer program.

I totally agree Nancy...give me starpoints any day...I think it would cost you more than $5 to buy 500 points..

 

[SingingMom]

Beware! You will become addicted to the Swalphin!


I personally prefer the Dolphin to the Swan. I like the hustle and bustle of the lobby. I truly thought I would like the Swan better, due to the bed suze and also I felt like it might seem more intimate...but I do prefer the Dolphin. Since the Dolphin is cheaper (by just a bit) it is a no brainer for me.

That's what I always say! LOVE that hustle & bustle in the Dolphin Lobby, sitting on the comfy couches and "people watching" with an espresso martini!

Hello everyone! I've been reading reviews on another site and have seen bad reviews over and over again. These were written about recent stays. My DS11 is dying to stay here and I was looking forward to it as well. Here are my concerns:

1. There seems to be a theme of musty smells and nasty rooms. I'm not expecting a penthouse suite, but I don't want to be in a stinking room either. I sneeze a lot whenever I'm around perfume (I guess my nurse nose is used to nasty smells) and don't want to sneeze my vacation away because too much air freshener was used trying to cover up a stench.
Thank you so much!

We've stayed at the Dolphin five years in a row - we've never encountered a musty or nasty smelling room.

Hello everyone.

If anyone is interested in having a DIS Meet and Greet at the Dolphin Resort Lobby's Christmas Tree Lighting, I have set up a link below to the DIS Meet Forums below.


I know that sometimes I try to get online late at night after getting back from the parks and other times I may just be too tired to get online until an off day in the morning or a rainy day.

So I volunteer to be your online reporter and photographer although I am not very good at either of these jobs, I'll do my best.
I can't wait to be at the Dolphin Resort. I am so excited. I just had to treat myself.

I'll also searching for the other DIS meets during my stay to see if I can make them.

Sound like fun?

Of course you can ask anything now about the two resorts that I will be staying at since I will actually be staying there everyday.

I wish I could join all of you! Keep all of us who have to stay home in the loop, Ray!

When booking a standard view room at the Dolphin is there anything I can request in hopes of getting a "good" standard view and location? I am not expecting miracles, just hoping to avoid a view of a dumpster etc. TIA!

I would smile sweetly at check in and ask, "any chance of a balcony... pretty view... " whatever it is you are hoping for... All they can say is, "Not available, sorry."

Hi guys! I'm under six months now! I was wondering if kids can make sandcastles on the beach? I know you can't swim in the water, but can they fill up pails with water?

Also, my DD cannot swim quite yet and needs one of those belts with the two square floats attached to swim...are these allowed in the pools?

Lastly, if you want to eat at the signature restaurants within the Swan/Dolphin, can you generally walk up, or do we need reservations? (we'll be there Easter week). Thanks in advance

I'm thinking you really can't build sandcastles because they wouldn't want you dipping into the lake for water and have someone fall in.

I've seen plenty of "swimmies" and lifejackets in the Grotto pool, I don't think you'll have a problem...

I would make reservations - at least a few nights in advance. I did make ADR for Il Mulino this year, because I knew we REALLY wanted to go.

Does anyone know what time the pools close in the evenings?

Theoratically, the pools don't "close" - we were told we could use them "at our own risk" any time, as long as you weren't disruptive to guests late at night. I don't know if that has changed.

Wondering about the double beds at the Dolphin. I read they are "oversized". How much smaller than a queen are they?

We never really noticed THAT much of a difference, as we have a "queen" at home. We HAVE noticed how unbelievably heavenly those "heavenly beds" truly are!!

Sorry for my late responses.. the automatic email wasn't working on my end. But, I'm back!

 

[duffy]

As mentioned here previously, you have the option of refusing housekeeping for up to 3 nights of your stay, excluding checkout day. You will get a little card each day that gives you the option of saving $5 on food or beverages at the resort, or you can choose 500 SPG points at checkout. I opted out of housekeeping 2 days last week, and was very pleased to see 1000 Starpoints posted to my SPG account 2 days after I checked out. 500 SPG points can be worth far more than $5 when used toward a free night or transferred to an airline's frequent-flyer program.

I will also take the points!!