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

[patty57]

All this talk of moldy smelling rooms I thought I would share one of my travel tips. I travel a lot for work and always pack a ziplock bag with dryer sheets in it. Crumple up 2 or 3 and shove them into the AC vent. Whenever it turns on it will blow dryer sheet smell. When you come back to your room it will smell great! Hope it helps!

I love this idea! Thank you.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Just wondering if anyone has or is planning to enter the Swan and Dolphin Presidential Sweepstakes. I just did today.

Oh and still working on my research for the October room. The minimum points and cash for the Swan room is 6,000 starpoints and over $100 a night for the room. Is this standard? If so, our 4,000 points on their own are pretty useless.

 

[ckelly14]

Just wondering if anyone has or is planning to enter the Swan and Dolphin Presidential Sweepstakes. I just did today.

Oh and still working on my research for the October room. The minimum points and cash for the Swan room is 6,000 starpoints and over $100 a night for the room. Is this standard? If so, our 4,000 points on their own are pretty useless.

Actually coming up as 6,000 plus $110 for me. Yes, 4000 starpoints will not get you far unless you book the Four Points I-drive.

 

[RachelTori]

Actually coming up as 6,000 plus $110 for me. Yes, 4000 starpoints will not get you far unless you book the Four Points I-drive.

My recent experience with Cash+Points of $110 and 6,000 points at Swan: The 6,000 points per night are taken immediately (that's a given!), but now a deposit of $151.88 is made against your credit card.

 

[ckelly14]

My recent experience with Cash+Points of $110 and 6,000 points at Swan: The 6,000 points per night are taken immediately (that's a given!), but now a deposit of $151.88 is made against your credit card.

Tax and resort fee?

 

[RachelTori]

Tax and resort fee?

Correct - however, the $110 plus resort fee plus tax is actually $143.13 so for a one night stay on cash+points, you arrive having an $8.75 credit. Makes no sense to me, but that's the way they're doing it!

 

[JerseyJanice]

I have a dumb question that is probably answered in this thread though I can't find it.

If we are staying at the Swan and walking to/from Epcot, the shortest path would be past the Atlantic Dance Hall, then the Boardwalk resort and over the BW bridge to the International Gateway, correct?

When we stayed at the Dolphin, we walked in the opposite direction past the Yacht & Beach Club to IG, but I think the BW bridge path looks shorter from the Swan.

Asking because two family members staying at the Swan with us have minor mobility issues and are looking to minimize walking distances.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hi Janice.

Boardwalk route is a fraction shorter.

http://www.wdwmagic.com/walking-distances.htm

 

[Dan Murphy]

I just 'walked' it in Google Maps. Going the BW route, from the Swan as it meets the walkway heading off towards BW/YC/BC on over to the Friendship boat dock by IG was 3,098 feet. Going the Y&BC route it was 3,368 feet. Difference was 270 feet, a little less that 1 football field distance.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Hi, Dan.

It looks like the distance is similar on a map. I guess you could go either way, but I was thinking that Swan is slightly closer to the Boardwalk than the Dolphin.

I want to figure out the best exit from the Swan to the Boardwalk. There may be a way to save a few steps or least keep you in air-conditioning longer.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I have another question after looking through page 1 of this thread. Package delivery is now available from the parks to the resort, which is great. Would that also apply to wine purchased at the Food & Wine Festival? Can a bottle of wine be taken directly to the resort for us or must we retrieve it from the International Gateway?

 

[Donald - my hero]

I have another question after looking through page 1 of this thread. Package delivery is now available from the parks to the resort, which is great. Would that also apply to wine purchased at the Food & Wine Festival? Can a bottle of wine be taken directly to the resort for us or must we retrieve it from the International Gateway?

No, any alcohol purchases must be picked up at IG, we asked last year and were told it is due to liquor licensing. It's nice to get the other packages delivered to the hotel but there were a few locations who weren't sure how to do it (even though the hotels show up on the same form) most noticeable was, almost without fail, every shop in Disney Springs <shrug>

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hi, Dan.

It looks like the distance is similar on a map. I guess you could go either way, but I was thinking that Swan is slightly closer to the Boardwalk than the Dolphin.

I want to figure out the best exit from the Swan to the Boardwalk. There may be a way to save a few steps or least keep you in air-conditioning longer.

Swan is slightly closer than the Dolphin, basically the distance of the causeway between the two resorts. The absolutely shortest distance, if you are staying in the east wing, is to exit the door immediately as you get off the elevators. You walk a short distance, 30 feet or so, through one of the courtyards, then through the door of Il Molino and almost immediately out the door of Il Molino and onto the walkway heading over to the BW area. This saves the steps of heading to the lobby and out that way, a moderate amount of additional steps. The short route is not ECV friendly though. Check it out.

I have another question after looking through page 1 of this thread. Package delivery is now available from the parks to the resort, which is great. Would that also apply to wine purchased at the Food & Wine Festival? Can a bottle of wine be taken directly to the resort for us or must we retrieve it from the International Gateway?

I do not think they will send liquor to your resort. Pick up at the World Traveler I would think.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Thanks for your replies, guys.

Donald, I wondered whether ID would be an issue for alcohol delivery. Hopefully, the people is my party won't be butter-fingered with the bottles they may want to carry.

Dan, thanks for the tips on where to exit the Swan. We don't have anybody who will be using a scooter, but they have health conditions that will be helped by minimizing steps.

 

[Dan Murphy]

thanks for the tips on where to exit the Swan. We don't have anybody who will be using a scooter, but they have health conditions that will be helped by minimizing steps

If using the west wing elevators, best would to just go to the lobby and exit out the 'regular' back doors.

Here is a resort map on page 6.

http://www.swandolphin.com/pdf/Resort_Report.pdf

And the route, in red, i explained above. East is on the right, west on the left.

 

[Candycane83]

Thinking about switching from AKL to swan on Dec3-6 but had a few (and maybe stupid) questions... Hoping someone here can help me... Can you link your reservation to MDE if you book directly with starwoods? What's the difference between a traditional and a resort view room in the swan? Can you get a view of EPCOT with either of these with a particular room request? Thanks!

 

[ckelly14]

Yes, you can use the Starwood reservation number to link the reservation to your MDE. I usually stay at the Dolphin and the resort categories include an "Epcot view". Hope that Dan will chime in on the Swan. I know you need to be on the East Side.

 

[lizabu]

I think resort view doesn't necessarily mean Epcot view. They consider themselves the be a resort so resort view can mean that you can see the grounds of the resort as opposed to an inner courtyard view. I seem to think that there are rooms that actually specify Epcot view but you'd have to call reservations to be sure.

 

[Candycane83]

I found dolphin ones but there does not seem to be that particular choice for swan... Hoping someone else could help. was going to stay still at AKL but DH says he prefers the proximity of swan to the parks... So trying to decide between traditional vs resort rooms in swan

 

[Dan Murphy]

I found dolphin ones but there does not seem to be that particular choice for swan... Hoping someone else could help. was going to stay still at AKL but DH says he prefers the proximity of swan to the parks... So trying to decide between traditional vs resort rooms in swan

https://www.starwoodhotels.com/west...l.html?propertyID=1018&roomClassId=1012400578

Treat yourself to a better perspective from the comfort of a Resort Room. Courtyard View Rooms overlook the resort’s interior garden and sitting area and also provide partial views of the resort’s beautiful landscape. Disney Resort View Rooms also offer views of the natural wooded landscape, plus partial views of the Boardwalk Resort area or the Hollywood Studios Tower of Terror. Crescent Lake View Rooms are distinguished by their breathtaking vistas of Walt Disney World’s iconic water feature.

https://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/rooms/index.html?propertyID=1018