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

[shmedly123]

We are looking at heading down the last week of February (first week of March) and doing a split stay at the AKL and the Dolphin. Does anyone have any idea based on past years when discounts might start popping up? I realize it is probably a bit early right now especially since Disney won't even allow you to book next year online yet and the AAA rate that I see doesn't seem like much of a deal.

I am hoping to get a decent rate since N.H. switched school vacation back to the week after the rest of the northeast.

Also any thoughts on where we should stay first? I am thinking AKL first so we have the freedom to walk around the boardwalk/Epcot later in the week when we are not rushing around as much. Thoughts?

 

[jnfr2424]

In case anyone is interested I found this today~


http://www.swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com/

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

Has anyone stayed at Dolphin Thanksgiving week? What are the rates like then? Does it book up quickly?

 

[MOM POPPINS]

I looked at your photos. We used to always stay in what used to be called a junior suite at the Dolphin. Your room is the other half of what was our full suite. Your room was connected to a room with a King bed. The bed in your room was always a murphy bed with the living room etc. We have not seen this room configuration come up, thanks for sharing.

 

[RachelTori]

In case anyone is interested I found this today~


http://www.swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com/

Thanks!

 

[NancyIL]

I looked at your photos. We used to always stay in what used to be called a junior suite at the Dolphin. Your room is the other half of what was our full suite. Your room was connected to a room with a King bed. The bed in your room was always a murphy bed with the living room etc. We have not seen this room configuration come up, thanks for sharing.

It doesn't look like the "SICO" bed in the suites, and she said the room doesn't connect to any others.

 

[jnfr2424]

Has anyone stayed at Dolphin Thanksgiving week? What are the rates like then? Does it book up quickly?

We've stayed @ the Dolphin for Thanksgiving for the past 4 years.
We book early and then if a better rate comes out we change or we use SPG points as well. The hotel is busy but its all decked out for the holidays. I had an incident once where they cancelled my reservations for Thanksgiving and it turned into a fiasco. But because we love the resort so much we gave them another chance and even though we are DVC members we always do split stays at the Swolphin!

 

[Schmoodle]

We'll be at the Dolphin Aug 21 - 26. I've looked at this place so many times in passing, and now I'm so excited to be staying there! I'm really looking forward to being right in the middle of everything.

 

[simonmunro]

Is there a good map of the Dolphin. I have only seen that overview one. Thank you for any info, would kinda like to see what room types are where, etc. I was hoping Robo might have one.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Is there a good map of the Dolphin. I have only seen that overview one. Thank you for any info, would kinda like to see what room types are where, etc. I was hoping **** might have one.

 

[simonmunro]

I may have worded that badly???? I really thought there was a man on this board who is kinda the creator and keeper of all things maps that are excellent. I looked a long time with no luck then posted here thinking y'all might have a link??? Did I misunderstand something??? Is that not his name? I am really sorry.

 

[Phlip]

I may have worded that badly???? I really thought there was a man on this board who is kinda the creator and keeper of all things maps that are excellent. I looked a long time with no luck then posted here thinking y'all might have a link??? Did I misunderstand something??? Is that not his name? I am really sorry.

No you are correct--there's a guy with the screen name Robo who does post excellent maps-usually a Bing or Google Earth screen shot of whatever WDW part (MK, Dolphin etc.) you are looking for.

Dan Murphy has posted a link to Bing Maps that shows the Swan/Dolphin, etc.
Go to Bing, hit maps, put in WDW and go to birds eye view-very cool.
You can also go to the first page of this post-there's a map of sorts for the hotel restaurants, etc. I don't thing there's a map of where the rooms are, but several posts on this thread discuss rooms. The hotel sorta scatters suites, double rooms etc all over the hotel if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Here is what Phlip is speaking of.

http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/?org=aj#/ln0jn9q3wxm9tcy5 Should link to Dolphin area.

Using controls at bottom of Bing map, you can rotate, zoom in/out, drag to any location, very user friendly.

 

[roydavid7771]

I know I should direct this question to the SPG folks, but who better to ask than my fellow Swan/Dolphin lovers?

I just booked our room for our Disney part of our honeymoon with SPG points that I accrued. We'll be staying at the Swan from October 8-13th, getting the 5th night free. We're still debating about where to stay for the last two nights, but that's for another day....

My question is this....I noticed that my reservation is for a traditional room with a limited view. I know that as a Gold Preferred member, I am entitled to automatic upgrades where available, however I want to make sure we get something better than limited view. Can I pay for an upgrade now (with the hopes of getting an even better upgrade when I check in!)? My biggest fear is that there won't be a better room available due to the Food and Wine Festival for both the Swan/Dolphin and EPCOT all happening the day we arrive.

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[vicb]

I know I should direct this question to the SPG folks, but who better to ask than my fellow Swan/Dolphin lovers?

I just booked our room for our Disney part of our honeymoon with SPG points that I accrued. We'll be staying at the Swan from October 8-13th, getting the 5th night free. We're still debating about where to stay for the last two nights, but that's for another day....

My question is this....I noticed that my reservation is for a traditional room with a limited view. I know that as a Gold Preferred member, I am entitled to automatic upgrades where available, however I want to make sure we get something better than limited view. Can I pay for an upgrade now (with the hopes of getting an even better upgrade when I check in!)? My biggest fear is that there won't be a better room available due to the Food and Wine Festival for both the Swan/Dolphin and EPCOT all happening the day we arrive.

Thanks for the help everyone!

I'm sorry I don't have any specific information for you but wanted to add that I did a similar thing for my Easter 2012 trip. I originally had booked a "limited view" hoping to get an upgrade but was worried about the lack of availability around Easter so I paid to upgrade to a "resort view". Just decided I didn't want to chance having to look at airconditioning units, roof, garbage dumpsters on my trip. One less thing to worry about.

 

[ImprovGal]

I know I should direct this question to the SPG folks, but who better to ask than my fellow Swan/Dolphin lovers?

I just booked our room for our Disney part of our honeymoon with SPG points that I accrued. We'll be staying at the Swan from October 8-13th, getting the 5th night free. We're still debating about where to stay for the last two nights, but that's for another day....

My question is this....I noticed that my reservation is for a traditional room with a limited view. I know that as a Gold Preferred member, I am entitled to automatic upgrades where available, however I want to make sure we get something better than limited view. Can I pay for an upgrade now (with the hopes of getting an even better upgrade when I check in!)? My biggest fear is that there won't be a better room available due to the Food and Wine Festival for both the Swan/Dolphin and EPCOT all happening the day we arrive.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Hi, you can use SPG points to book room types other than standard (limited) views. You'll still get the 5th night free, but it has to be booked over the phone with SPG customer service rather than online. I don't remember point values offhand, but it will probably be something like 11,000 or 12,000 per night for a resort view, etc. instead of the regular 10,000 per night. I think I remember seeing that the grand suite was 20,000 per night so I can't imagine a one-level upgrade being too many additional points from a standard room. I do know that you can't mix cash for an upgrade on top of a points redemption. It's got to be entirely points.

 

[jnfr2424]

I agree with ImprovGal you are better off calling than checking online.
I would not take the chance of getting a free upgrade unless you are a platinum SPG member where you would get a nicer room automatically. Also if you want to do the cash and points sometimes it says unavailable online but if you call (and call early) it might be available.


Jenn

 

[MichiganMomto4]

I skimmed through most of the pages here (120) and didn't find what I was looking for - pictures of an Executive Suite at the Dolphin?? Anyone have those I'd be very grateful!

 

[jnfr2424]

I skimmed through most of the pages here (120) and didn't find what I was looking for - pictures of an Executive Suite at the Dolphin?? Anyone have those I'd be very grateful!

Check the resort photos board for the swan and dolphin some are in there

 

[vital]

Just back from my split stay with the Dolphin May 21-25 and POFQ May 25-29. My DS11 and I were in room 12091 and all I can say is WOW! We could see Illusions from our window and it was fantastic. The room did not need refurbishing, no odor, no bed bugs, no mold, nothing negative except the refrigerator needed some help. I opened the cabinet doors overnight b/c it was so hot in there and that seemed to help it a little bit.

We loved the option of walking to HS and Epcot as well as the Boardwalk for supper. We had ice cream at the Fountain every night we were there because we could. I enjoyed the hammocks and the swimming pool as much as the parks!

My DS11 didn't want to leave when we had to go to POFQ and I have to agree with him, but this was our first stay at the Dolphin so I didn't want to be "stuck" there if we didn't like it. Now he refuses to stay anywhere else from now on. I'm going to lure him to AKL one day though.

Thank you to everyone who posts information on this thread, it helped me with my decision to try the Dolphin. We will definitely return in the future!