The *NEW* SWAN & DOLPHIN RESORT Thread ~ April 2009 ~ Please read Post #1!

[MOM POPPINS]

POOLS, BEACH AND ELECTRIC BOATS
Get ready for fun in the sun! With five heated pools - not to mention whirlpools, fountains and waterfalls - all nestled in an exotic tropical environment, you'll find the perfect spot to relax in the shade or tan in the sun. Our expansive pool area provides the best of both worlds: quiet alcoves for those who prefer a private place to unwind and more lively areas with seasonal disc jockeys and entertainment for those who prefer a little more excitement.

Work out in our crystal blue lap pool, which was recently named #1 of 10 hotel lap pools in the country by AthleticMindedTraveler.com! Or take a leisurely ride around Crescent Lake on an electric Fun Boat!

Enjoy a day of sun-splashed fun for the whole family. Choose from a variety of things to do:

Grotto pool with tropical waterfall and water slide
Two lap pools
Spring pool
Four whirlpools
Kiddie pool
Two poolside restaurants
Water volleyball
Electric boat rentals
Staff supervised pool games
Two sand volleyball courts
Basketball hoops
Ping Pong Tables
Giant Checkers Game


I am thinking I cannot remember seeing it!

 

[MOM POPPINS]

This is all I see is the Grotto Pool area

http://www.iceportal.com/brochures/...5&mtype=0&index=8&transfer=1&type=vr&size=big

 

[dfarner]

Does the 1 bedroom executive not have the 2 doubles? Our jr. suite usually has a King bed in one room and a pull out in the living room as well as a Murphy bed.. sleeping 6.

The gentleman that booked my room was so nice. As he was putting my info into the computer he walked me through the S/D website to the "suites" page with the floorplan that you have posted. He said the double room is added when it is booked as a 2 bedroom executive suite. He said we'd have the one king bed in the bedroom, the murphy bed (he said it was a king, but I've never heard of a king size murphy bed) in the parlor, and the two pullout couches.
In all of our visits to WDW we've never been to the Boardwalk area . My DH is excited (although he really was looking forward to the Poly) because I'm happy and it will be a whole new kind of Disney vacation for us.

 

[dfarner]

Lucky you dfarner! You will not be disappointed to be within walking distance to Epcot, DHS & The Boardwalk! Take some pics & please post back with them when you return. Enjoy!

Thanks so much! I haven't yet figured out the art of posting pics on the DISboards, but I will try when I return.

 

[dfarner]

Have a great trip... The Dolphin is all about location location location.. We are now DVC members but in the past we used the Dolphin a lot. We now use it to extend our stays when the weekend points are so high. We always stay in a Jr. suite at the Dolphin! Have a great trip.. now are you a Starwood member... join it helps to get a view upgrade.

My DH is a Starwood member. I forgot to put it on the ressie so I had him call back last night to do it and verify the reservation. They hadn't sent me an email confirmation yet and until I get that confirmation I'm always nervous.

The reservation rep told me the view I would have, but I was so excited about the room that I completely missed what he said. Do you know if we will have a balcony? Also, are those rooms renovated? He said that the room didn't have a fridge yet and I must have sounded disappointed because he said he would throw it in for no charge . My DH was joking with me last night that because the rate was so good we were getting the "Construction Special". None of the Disers have said anything about construction, so I hope there isn't any going on.

 

[paras4ri]

The gentleman that booked my room was so nice. As he was putting my info into the computer he walked me through the S/D website to the "suites" page with the floorplan that you have posted. He said the double room is added when it is booked as a 2 bedroom executive suite. He said we'd have the one king bed in the bedroom, the murphy bed (he said it was a king, but I've never heard of a king size murphy bed) in the parlor, and the two pullout couches.
In all of our visits to WDW we've never been to the Boardwalk area . My DH is excited (although he really was looking forward to the Poly) because I'm happy and it will be a whole new kind of Disney vacation for us.

We have stayed in that exact room arrangement and it's really nice. We were a party of 3 adults and 2 kids. I have pictures but they're of the individual rooms so it's hard to see how they "connect" I'm pretty sure this room type does not have a balcony.

Does anyone have a pic of the kiddie pool? DD and I will be spending a 2nd week at Disney while DH goes to a convention at S&D so we will be spending a lot of time at the pool and most likely the kiddie pool.

I don't have pictures but the shallowest pool is just past the Dolphin lap (or quiet) pool and the Cabana Bar. You really can't see it in the link Mom Poppins posted. The Grotto pool is to the left of it.

 

[paras4ri]

Now I remember...the kiddie pool is called the Spring Pool.

 

[SingingMom]

POOLS, BEACH AND ELECTRIC BOATS
Get ready for fun in the sun! With five heated pools - not to mention whirlpools, fountains and waterfalls - all nestled in an exotic tropical environment, you'll find the perfect spot to relax in the shade or tan in the sun. Our expansive pool area provides the best of both worlds: quiet alcoves for those who prefer a private place to unwind and more lively areas with seasonal disc jockeys and entertainment for those who prefer a little more excitement.

Work out in our crystal blue lap pool, which was recently named #1 of 10 hotel lap pools in the country by AthleticMindedTraveler.com! Or take a leisurely ride around Crescent Lake on an electric Fun Boat!

Enjoy a day of sun-splashed fun for the whole family. Choose from a variety of things to do:

Grotto pool with tropical waterfall and water slide
Two lap pools
Spring pool
Four whirlpools
Kiddie pool
Two poolside restaurants
Water volleyball
Electric boat rentals
Staff supervised pool games
Two sand volleyball courts
Basketball hoops
Ping Pong Tables
Giant Checkers Game


I am thinking I cannot remember seeing it!

FYI - no electric boats at all in the lake the past 10 days... we just returned home this evening...

 

[carmiedog]

#1 I have read that housekeepers at WDW owned hotels are paid well (in comparison to the industry standard, at least) and it is NOT a tipped position. I still tip, but not as generous as I normally do at other places (Comfort Suites, Economy Lodge, etc. - I tend to tip more at places where I suspect the staff is getting paid less). Anyone know the pay scale for Swan/Dolphin housekeeping and whether they are considered a tipped position?

#2 Are you supposed to tip at Picabu? I was a little confused. The people next to us left maybe $3-$5 when they left their table, I assume for having it cleared. We didn't have change, so I went back in and bought something to get some bills while my husband took the kids back to the room. The table was already cleared by the time I got back, so I let it go. The rest of the time we just took food up to our room. What's expected at Picabu?

TIA!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

dfarner, Swan/Dolphin location is great...its great taking the boat to Epcot for dinners. I think you made a great choice staying here instead of Poly.

 

[SingingMom]

#1 I have read that housekeepers at WDW owned hotels are paid well (in comparison to the industry standard, at least) and it is NOT a tipped position. I still tip, but not as generous as I normally do at other places (Comfort Suites, Economy Lodge, etc. - I tend to tip more at places where I suspect the staff is getting paid less). Anyone know the pay scale for Swan/Dolphin housekeeping and whether they are considered a tipped position?

#2 Are you supposed to tip at Picabu? I was a little confused. The people next to us left maybe $3-$5 when they left their table, I assume for having it cleared. We didn't have change, so I went back in and bought something to get some bills while my husband took the kids back to the room. The table was already cleared by the time I got back, so I let it go. The rest of the time we just took food up to our room. What's expected at Picabu?

TIA!

We usually leave $5 the first day and $3 the next days - (there are three of us). Our housekeeper was an angel - extra towels, room cleaned early, sweet smile - you could tell she truly appreciated that little bit "extra" we left for her.

I don't know the pay scale, but I just figure I'm thrilled I'm not the one picking up the wet towels, cleaning out the tub, or making the beds for a week!

We charge everything to the room - so if I were to eat at Picabu's, I probably would have left a few dollars on the room charge at the register.. We have only stopped by for coffee and tea late at night - we haven't sat down to eat.

 

[dfarner]

dfarner, Swan/Dolphin location is great...its great taking the boat to Epcot for dinners. I think you made a great choice staying here instead of Poly.

Thank you for that vote of confidence. I woke up this morning with a little bit of "Did I do the right thing?" worry, but I'll think we'll be okay. We'll see soon enough!

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

dfarner, you have 2 bathrooms, you and your husband have privacy (if you stayed at Poly...all 4 in one room), bigger space, great location to Epcot and HS (meaning more food selection)...plus Poly pool gets crowded. Swan/Dolphin has better service. The money you save from switching means more spending money or food money. Your kids will enjoy. Don't doubt yourself...I love the location...I understand b/c my husband wants to stay at the Swan for our next trip...I was on the fence between GF or Swan but Swan gives better service than the Swan...We had better bus system at the Swan than GF. Wonderful room service at the Swan (since you will be saving money from the Poly...you can surprise your kids with room service). The CS Picabu has much more food selection than Captain Cooks. I hope this help you ease your mind.

 

[chell]

Thank you for that vote of confidence. I woke up this morning with a little bit of "Did I do the right thing?" worry, but I'll think we'll be okay. We'll see soon enough!

You did the right thing. If you are like us you will be hooked.

Are you familiar with the things they don't offer that WDW Resorts do offer? Just so you know, you can't use the WDW Dining plan here, you don't get to use ME from the airport (I think that's what it is called - I've never used it, so sorry if the name is wrong) and you can't charge back to your room from the parks. Those are the only differences though. You still get to use WDW transportation, you still get early entry and you still get packages delivered back to your resort.

You get awesome service, an AMAZING bed, a great location at an unbelievable price. Are you going to do anything special with all that money you saved? There is a spa at the Dolphin if you are interested in pampering yourself. I've never been there but I want to.

I do have one warning for you - it will be difficult to get up and get going in the mornings. The beds are so comfortable that you don't want to get out of them in the morning.

 

[SingingMom]

I do have one warning for you - it will be difficult to get up and get going in the mornings. The beds are so comfortable that you don't want to get out of them in the morning.

You better believe it! We are seriously considering buying a "Heavenly Bed"!

This past week's trip was very different, having my parents with us. They loved the Dolphin, and we enjoyed our time with them, but mom wasn't able to get around very well - too much walking for her in the parks, etc Because of this, we didn't get to do as much as we normally do.

Therefore, it looks like we may be doing a "FIVE-PEAT" next June! DD says that she would really like to "sleep in" because of those HEAVENLY BEDS - and do the parks late afternoon at the earliest and stay for late Extra Magic Hours. We never seem to be in the parks late enough, because we are out so early.

Another change we will make in our "routine" is to not make more than one or two ADRs and instead take more advantage of the Swan & Dolphin's restaurants. We never made it to Il Muliano or bluezoo this trip and we really wanted to....
....guess that means we must return!!

 

[dfarner]

You did the right thing. If you are like us you will be hooked.

Are you familiar with the things they don't offer that WDW Resorts do offer? Just so you know, you can't use the WDW Dining plan here, you don't get to use ME from the airport (I think that's what it is called - I've never used it, so sorry if the name is wrong) and you can't charge back to your room from the parks. Those are the only differences though. You still get to use WDW transportation, you still get early entry and you still get packages delivered back to your resort.

You get awesome service, an AMAZING bed, a great location at an unbelievable price. Are you going to do anything special with all that money you saved? There is a spa at the Dolphin if you are interested in pampering yourself. I've never been there but I want to.

I do have one warning for you - it will be difficult to get up and get going in the mornings. The beds are so comfortable that you don't want to get out of them in the morning.

Thanks of all this info Chell. We're driving down, so no need for ME. We don't do the dining plan because we don't like to be held to ADRs. I've scheduled a few character dinings for this trip, but that's about it. We eat offsite quite a bit. I will carry 1 credit card, a bit of cash, and the room key in the parks. The pictures of Mandara Spa look awesome. I might try to check it out while we're there (if DH will watch the girls, which I'm sure he would). I'll be so excited that we're at WDW that I'll probably forget about the spa . I'm getting too excited to sleep!!

 

[SingingMom]

Thanks of all this info Chell. We're driving down, so no need for ME. We don't do the dining plan because we don't like to be held to ADRs. I've scheduled a few character dinings for this trip, but that's about it. We eat offsite quite a bit. I will carry 1 credit card, a bit of cash, and the room key in the parks. The pictures of Mandara Spa look awesome. I might try to check it out while we're there (if DH will watch the girls, which I'm sure he would). I'll be so excited that we're at WDW that I'll probably forget about the spa . I'm getting too excited to sleep!!

A few days into your stay, you will usually receive a phone message from the spa with some special offers. I've never taken advantage of them as of yet - but there is always next trip!

 

[dfarner]

A few days into your stay, you will usually receive a phone message from the spa with some special offers. I've never taken advantage of them as of yet - but there is always next trip!

I better get that message before my DH does! Was there any "construction" going on or was it just soft type stuff-curtains, etc...? I'm patiently waiting for pictures of your trip .

 

[SingingMom]

I better get that message before my DH does! Was there any "construction" going on or was it just soft type stuff-curtains, etc...? I'm patiently waiting for pictures of your trip .

No construction going on this past week that we were aware of..

Will try to post pictures in the next few days - right now I am up to my neck in LAUNDRY!

 

[chell]

Thanks of all this info Chell. We're driving down, so no need for ME. We don't do the dining plan because we don't like to be held to ADRs. I've scheduled a few character dinings for this trip, but that's about it. We eat offsite quite a bit. I will carry 1 credit card, a bit of cash, and the room key in the parks. The pictures of Mandara Spa look awesome. I might try to check it out while we're there (if DH will watch the girls, which I'm sure he would). I'll be so excited that we're at WDW that I'll probably forget about the spa . I'm getting too excited to sleep!!

You are welcome. Like SingingMom said you usually get a call about a special at the spa.

Another thing they offer is a babysitting service called Camp Dolphin that is open from 5:30 pm to 12 am. Make sure you check out their special offer if you decide to dine at one of those restaurants or go to the spa!