Resort Thread Walt Disney World SWAN, DOLPHIN & SWAN RESERVE Resorts

[wvjules]

@wvjules the sort of rule of thumb is to book the level you want, any unpaid upgrades are iffy at best, no matter your status level. As you said you've booked a busy weekend, so if you really want a view room, I'd consider changing. You might even call in to see what's available and if you're likely to get an upgrade. I just don't want you to count on it and not get it.

Thanks. That's my rule of thumb as well. I really don't care about the view but I wouldn't say no to an upgrade.

 

[Dave006]

Thanks. That's my rule of thumb as well. I really don't care about the view but I wouldn't say no to an upgrade.

Since the Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dolphin are considered Resort category never expect a room upgrade unless you are Titanium and even then it is rare. Be happy with the Breakfast coupons.

Dave

 

[Scalemaster34]

Since the Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dolphin are considered Resort category never expect a room upgrade unless you are Titanium and even then it is rare. Be happy with the Breakfast coupons.

Dave

Yeah there are just too many frequent travelers showing up at these conventions, I bet it's rare when there are a few dozen Titanium guest there at any one time.

 

[fly girl]

Thanks. That's my rule of thumb as well. I really don't care about the view but I wouldn't say no to an upgrade.

Like you, we book the most affordable room and happy if we get lucky with an upgrade. We stay at SR, half of the time we get one, half we don't. Fine either way. But it is nice to get it, especially the bathroom in the suite! BTW, we aren't Titanium. Platinum Elite. And we take the points over the breakfast.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Just got back from a great stay at the Swan! Just a couple things I wanted to mention that I've seen asked in here before.

• We had no issues getting our luggage transfered from All-Star Sports
• We got a refurbished room. They do not take requests for these
• They were not making you show room keys to get towels anymore and you could ask for as many as wanted. Last time I stayed there the line for towels was like 20 minutes long each time, and they wouldnt let you get more than one per person, so this was a nice change.
• We got a late checkout of 12pm for no charge

I didn't take a ton, but here is what I have!

Interesting we just returned too and our room looked the same except it still had wall to wall carpet, which I don't love. Thankfully I knew to bring some cheap suction cup hooks after reading this thread because the one hook in the bathroom is ridiculously annoying!

Otherwise a very lovely stay. We also got a late (noon) checkout. We had booked a "no view" rate, but had a great view of the lake and HS from 10th floor! Loved the quiet pool and readily available towels. Staff was all friendly and helpful! We used a combination of private, S/D, Disney transportation (and walking) and had no issues.

We had stayed at Dolphin once previously. If prices are close (this time Swan was cheaper) I would definitely pick Swan for resort and bed size and two sinks. But would happily stay at either again, can't beat the location for the price (compared to Disney)!

Thanks for all the great tips on this thread!

Just wanted to pop in and say thank you for all your help planning. We got back last week from a great stay at the Dolphin with a 5 & 1yo! I'd been unsure about switching from POR as I'd always wanted to stay here and I was worried about the lack of Disney theming/it not being as magical for our young kids but you guys persuaded us and I'm so glad you did! My 5yo is telling everyone about the 'fish fountain', so I don't think the lack of Disney theming was noticed! What a perfect location (especially with a stroller and young kids, being able to truly take two parks at our own pace and not worry about transport was amazing). We loved the Boardwalk, especially in the evening, and the amenities were great. Topped off by being upgraded to a resort view room in the black square, so we enjoyed an amazing view of fireworks when we weren't out. For my 5yo, getting the monorail to MK was magical so getting dropped off at the TTC worked, though we did walk to Yacht Club once when we thought the morning queue might be quite long, which was also fine.

Anyway, if we're ever lucky enough to come back I would be very keen to go back. Spoilt now for anything else!

Thought I’d share our experience staying at the Swan. We stayed Aug. 26-Sep. 3. And a big thank you for all the planning help and advice. Start of with what we liked about the resort.
PROS:
1. The ability to have an ECV dropped off-picked up at bell services was so convenient! The rooms were large enough that we could easily fit 2 in our room and move about.
2. The small foot-print and compact size was excellent for getting around.
3. The boat transportation was very helpful getting to/from HS. One always seemed to come within a few minutes of us getting in line.
4. Best breakfasts of any the Disney resorts we’ve stayed at. Garden Grove was nearly empty when we had breakfast there (it was 7:00am)—terrific server. I had probably the best omelet I’ve ever had at Rosa Mexicano—the Roasted Veggie omelet was just perfect! Should’ve had all our breakfasts at these two resorts.
5. The Fountain—we split a patty melt (plant-based) and it was sooo delicious that I wish I could get the recipe! So much better than beache n cream—even though we didn’t try the deserts, they looks amazingly delicious
6. Staff—we had a few hiccups during our stay (I’ll get to that). Bell services was very helpful with our luggage and scooter pick-up/drpp-off. The front d al resolved our issues promptly. Ran into the general manager and he took care of checkout for us as we rode the elevator )not that checkout was difficult.
7. Extended our checkout from 11 to 12 as my mom was up all night sick fr medication she takes.

CONS:
1. Bus transportation. We used it only once
to AK and back. We were able to get my mom’s ECV underneath the coach bus, which I was really concerned about. But having a “tips appreciated” sign up made me realize we weren’t at a Disney resort and left kind of a bitter taste in my mouth. There was no communication where pick-up was (it wasn’t too difficult to figure out once I saw the swan/dolphin bus sign on its side). We opted to use YC’s bus for all our trips to/from AK/MK.
2. Housekeeping. I hate that I have to mention this but housekeeping service was absolutely abissale. The first full day they never came by and we were out all day. The second day, no one came and we needed to have our towels restocked and more water—used the text feature and it worked great. The THIRD day, I was quite miffed that we STILL didn’t get any housekeeping. I called the front desk at this point to ask what was up and to express that I was a little disappointed in the housekeeping service. They note that I had indeed requested daily service and I told them we were always out of the room from 7_2 and again from
5-10pm. We regular service the next 3 days. Yesterday the cart was at the room next to ours. We waited and no one came. Due to an incident at MK (will mention that later after I make a claim with Disney), we needed towels to dry off and shower to warm up. I was just going to grab a few from the cart next door and it was gone!! Another call to the front desk for service. And today, I needed to return my mom’s ECV and as I open the door, housekeeping parked their dang cart in front of my door, blocking the exit. I tried moving it but wouldn’t budge. I waited 20 min—still there. I had to again call the front desk and they told me to “feel free to move it”! Duh! I explained o tried that, didn’t work, and no one was around, door cracked, etc
3. When we arrived, the big revolving door was closed off. The other door to was as well. No signs pointing to which door to use. They were this way the whole time with one night the automatic wheelchair opener was not working either!
4. The room. While we had a remodeled room, which was really nice, the design is quite frankly awful. I knew going into the stay that there wasn’t a drying line. But literally on towel
holder next to the sink with the toilet. We had to use the makeup mirror as a make-shift towel rack. We gave up trying g to hang our
towels over the curtain rod—everything gin there was chronically damp. If there was a fan in the shower, it didn’t work. Made getting ready at that vanity nearly impossible if someone showered prior. ALL of the USB ports in the room were broken. It’s a good thing I brought a lot of charging blocks or none of our devices could’ve charged. And the door to the balcony was just about useless mess you had super human strength. There was no handle on the inside (but one on the outside??!! Overall, our room looked like the grapes of wrath, with ponchos/rain covers trying to dry out draped on everything we could find (closet doors, shower rods, table and chairs outside, the scooters in the room. It was not a relaxing environment once we returned from a long park day.

So would I stay here again? I’m really torn but am leaning towards staying elsewhere. The issues with the room and housekeeping were fairly big and caused quite an inconvenience that it weighs heavily against the “pros”.

Thanks you very much for all these reviews. Always helpful to know what's going on at the resorts and helping others when planning their future trips.

 

[Honeypot]

We are booked at the Dolphin. I'm not sure if they have the same available at both. We were just planning to book two regular rooms and request connecting if possible, but this option wound up being the cheapest during our timeframe with the discounts we qualified for.

Thank you! I will have to call maybe and see if there is a price difference, and if it's enough to sway me over to the Dolphin.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

We just booked Dolphin for our upcoming trip first week of December. Two adults and a 7 year old. We have only stayed in WDW resorts - so I bit nervous, but we plan to spend a lot of time in Epcot.

Any tips for a family of 3 vegetarians? We generally prefer quick service food to have more flexibility - willing to travel to Boardwalk, BC, YC. We have stayed at BC in 2010, so I don't really remember what was there (and things have changed!). Also any tips for holiday-specific stuff at S&D would be appreciated!

I also think I read it is best to take transportation from a nearby Disney hotel - is that true (to Epcot and MK)?

TIA

 

[Sandi]

We just booked Dolphin for our upcoming trip first week of December. Two adults and a 7 year old. We have only stayed in WDW resorts - so I bit nervous, but we plan to spend a lot of time in Epcot.

Any tips for a family of 3 vegetarians? We generally prefer quick service food to have more flexibility - willing to travel to Boardwalk, BC, YC. We have stayed at BC in 2010, so I don't really remember what was there (and things have changed!). Also any tips for holiday-specific stuff at S&D would be appreciated!

I also think I read it is best to take transportation from a nearby Disney hotel - is that true (to Epcot and MK)?

TIA

With respect to your transportation question, we have only stayed at the Swan, but I think the Dolphin would be similarly situated to Swan. We find it best to walk to Epcot and DHS. In the alternative, you can take the boat. I guess it depends on how tired you are and whether a boat is right there for you either at the hotel dock or at the theme park dock.

For MK, we walk over to BW and take the bus from there.

For AK, the Swolphin bus works fine. They drop off and pick up in the AK parking lot and it's actually a little closer to the park entrance than where the traditional WDW resort busses drop off and pick up.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[elvispursley]

We’re vegetarian and we loved the garden grove for breakfasts. It wasn’t anymore than what we were paying for quick stuff from fuel or Java. And I had the best veggie omelet of my life a Rosa Mexicano. Wish we’d not wasted out time and money and just eaten at garden grove and Rosa Mexicano. And fountain had an amazing party melt! Highly recommend!

 

[lampshadehead]

We just booked Dolphin for our upcoming trip first week of December. Two adults and a 7 year old. We have only stayed in WDW resorts - so I bit nervous, but we plan to spend a lot of time in Epcot.

Any tips for a family of 3 vegetarians? We generally prefer quick service food to have more flexibility - willing to travel to Boardwalk, BC, YC. We have stayed at BC in 2010, so I don't really remember what was there (and things have changed!). Also any tips for holiday-specific stuff at S&D would be appreciated!

I also think I read it is best to take transportation from a nearby Disney hotel - is that true (to Epcot and MK)?

TIA

Something I had wished I noticed sooner because we also eat mostly quick serve and wanted more salad and vegetables, is Java, over at the Swan. They had small side salads in those clear clam shell containers.

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Something I had wished I noticed sooner because we also eat mostly quick serve and wanted more salad and vegetables, is Java over at the Swan. They had small side salads in those clear clam shell containers.

Oh that is great, thank you! We usually order some veggies via instacart, but I do try and find one meal a day that is healthier. I'll add that to the list

 

[lampshadehead]

Not sure if its still offered, but I thought this drink from Java was so good! Great pick me up in the late afternoon before walking to Epcot. There was a AAA offer on the Marriott website which included a $50.00 resort credit, and it can be used at the Swan or Dolphin.

 

[Dave006]

Something I had wished I noticed sooner because we also eat mostly quick serve and wanted more salad and vegetables, is Java over at the Swan

Java in the west side of the Swan lobby level toward the Dolphin walkway and the Friendship dock. Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 6:00am – 8:00pm, Friday – Saturday: 6:00am – 10:00pm

Dave

 

[Honeypot]

I have a question. I looked for the dates we are going, it's actually a decent deal to book with points for SR based on cash price and a transfer bonus. I am still thinking about getting two rooms for our family, but wondering how this works with MDE. Can you add two rooms to MDE? Can I book both rooms under my name, as it's my MB account and still add them to MDE or does it mess it up because I'm listed twice? Or can I keep one room with 4 (which is how many we are - me, DH, and my two sons) and only use that one to MDE even though we are staying in two rooms? I'm sure I'm overthinking this, because that's what i tend to do but we have only ever stayed on property before so this is all new to me.

 

[Scalemaster34]

I have a question. I looked for the dates we are going, it's actually a decent deal to book with points for SR based on cash price and a transfer bonus. I am still thinking about getting two rooms for our family, but wondering how this works with MDE. Can you add two rooms to MDE? Can I book both rooms under my name, as it's my MB account and still add them to MDE or does it mess it up because I'm listed twice? Or can I keep one room with 4 (which is how many we are - me, DH, and my two sons) and only use that one to MDE even though we are staying in two rooms? I'm sure I'm overthinking this, because that's what i tend to do but we have only ever stayed on property before so this is all new to me.

We got different confirmation numbers of each room. And MDE allows multiple reservations, and does allow you to change even the lead guest. So just make sure when you add both SR confirmation numbers... that you get the everyone matched up correctly

 

[DisneyGamer11]

Question: I have a 4 night reservation that I need to condense to 3 - I can't simply just rebook because the rates are way higher. If I call their reservations directly, would they simply be able to remove the extra night while still keeping the old rates?

Anyone have experience with this?

 

[SteveH]

@DisneyGamer11 - is your reservation fully refundable or are there any limitations?

 

[DisneyGamer11]

@DisneyGamer11 - is your reservation fully refundable or are there any limitations?

it was booked with the AP offer code, so yes, fully refundable - the reservation isn't for another month, so I can cancel up until 5 days before.

 

[SteveH]

@DisneyGamer11 Oh good, with the refundable rate I'd call the local number vs the toll free between 8-5pm better chance of getting a local team member. Hopefully they can easily assist you in dropping a night, I wouldn't do it online myself. Just know the math of if you'd save $ by dropping vs just keeping the extra night and leaving early.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Back from a Dolphin/SR split stay. Plat booked basic AP rooms. Got a room view upgrade from both hotels so that was nice. Used breakfast benefit from Dol at Rosa’s for 2. We did the continental buffet, great deal if you have a little time in the morning as you can go back for more. Were offered to upgrade to full buffet for $15/pp but we declined.

For Plat at SR I was solo and tried Amare. The voucher is worth $30 at Amare or a continental breakfast. I used it for the full buffet, a bit nicer than Rosa’s but they didn’t tell me they also include omelets until I was finished. I did not make a reservation, the place was practically deserted. Other days I wanted to get out early so I used the room service offering.

Loved my trip. Worst part was how darn hard the beds at SR are. Ugg!! Especially since I was coming from Dolphin I think. SR is certainly fancier but those beds are a deal breaker to me if the hotels are in the same price range (a convention came in halfway through my trip so I switched to the much better SR deal).

I didn’t know they run a free shuttle between SR, Dolphin & Swan. You just have to ask the valet. Used that for dinner one night when it was raining.