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

[JJ2017]

I hope this helps

https://www.marriott.com/help/rewards-faqs.mi
What if I do not have enough Points for a Free Night Award when I book my stay?

If you do not have enough Points for the entire stay, you can still reserve your room at select hotels. When you make your reservation, you must select "Use Points." Your room will be reserved, however, your Free Night Award will not be processed. Instead, you will receive an email confirmation of your room reservation only.

From the time of booking to at least 14 days before your arrival, you will either need to purchase Points (maximum 50,000 Points per account per year), or have additional stays to earn enough Points to cover the difference. If there are not enough Points within 14 days of the stay, the Free Night Award will be forfeited.

Once you have enough Points for your stay, you can order your Free Night Award online. First look up your reservation and then use the link to order your Free Night Award.

Your Points will be redeemed for your stay, and you will receive an email confirmation of your Free Night Award order along with a reminder of your reservation information. The hotel will have your Free Night Award on the reservation.

ok - maybe i'm missing something. if you don't have enough points by 14 days, do you just pay cash? or do you lose the room?

 

[SteveH]

ok - maybe i'm missing something. if you don't have enough points by 14 days, do you just pay cash? or do you lose the room?

I'm no expert but my take on things after reading it a few times is that by the 14th day if you don't have enough you lose the reservation. To avoid that you would need to pay the cash portion before that day. But I'd call S/D to verify. This is a change as in the past you had to have the points up front to book.

 

[snappy]

Are both the SPG and Marriott #'s active? I would have though like they did with the conversion of the rewards #s that the old SPG #s would phase out.

It's my understanding that the process of inform Disney of your reservation for MDE is done by hand and can take several days. Unless you are up against the wall and booking things I'd wait a few days.

Your advice was solid. It’s now been two days after I linked my Marriott and SPG accounts. Today the Marriott confirmation for my stay is available to link in MDE and it shows both guests! I still can see the SPG confirmation with one guest in MDE that I previously linked but I am not terribly worried. I assume it will disappear at some point.

Thanks!

 

[JJ2017]

I'm itching to book our next trip! I'm eyeing mid December 2019 for the next family trip. We can't repeat a 4th Jersey Week trip which is really bumming me out, so a month later is helping out with that. Today I was home on a snow day so I called the Dolphin to inquire about booking the Premium Studio at Dolphin on points. Of course it's too early - they said to call back after Christmas. I was trying to figure out the point value per night for that room category. She did say it could be booked on points at the standard room rate, and then turned into the Premium Studio for a $137/per night upcharge. I'll just have to wait and see to see if it's within budget. I'll have to compare the rate/overall experience to the Hilton Lake Buena Vista Palace (can use points there - I have stayed there, didn't love, but at least EMH and 60 days FP) and OKW paying cash for renting a 1 bedroom DVC. Dolphin is our first choice so I hope the pros/cons lean in favor of Dolphin!

 

[NancyIL]

I'm itching to book our next trip! I'm eyeing mid December 2019 for the next family trip. We can't repeat a 4th Jersey Week trip which is really bumming me out, so a month later is helping out with that. Today I was home on a snow day so I called the Dolphin to inquire about booking the Premium Studio at Dolphin on points. Of course it's too early - they said to call back after Christmas. I was trying to figure out the point value per night for that room category. She did say it could be booked on points at the standard room rate, and then turned into the Premium Studio for a $137/per night upcharge. I'll just have to wait and see to see if it's within budget. I'll have to compare the rate/overall experience to the Hilton Lake Buena Vista Palace (can use points there - I have stayed there, didn't love, but at least EMH and 60 days FP) and OKW paying cash for renting a 1 bedroom DVC. Dolphin is our first choice so I hope the pros/cons lean in favor of Dolphin!

I LOVE WDW at holiday time!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I LOVE WDW at holiday time!

Yes, beautiful!

 

[DisneyHomework]

Yes, beautiful!

It seems late for the Swan and Dolphin to not have their holiday dates up for 2018... still says check back for 2018 dates on their website under events. I’m referring to Santa, tree lighting elf tuck ins etc. has anyone seen 2018 dates or inquired yet? Thanks!

 

[Dan Murphy]

It seems late for the Swan and Dolphin to not have their holiday dates up for 2018... still says check back for 2018 dates on their website under events. I’m referring to Santa, tree lighting elf tuck ins etc. has anyone seen 2018 dates or inquired yet? Thanks!

All I've seen are the dining choices for the higher end restaurants.

https://www.swandolphin.com/aboutus/whatsnew.html

It is late for the 2018 information.

 

[NancyIL]

All I've seen are the dining choices for the higher end restaurants.

https://www.swandolphin.com/aboutus/whatsnew.html

It is late for the 2018 information.

Hopefully the Swan and Dolphin will be decorated for Christmas by next weekend - when I arrive!

 

[NancyIL]

For those who kept their Starwood American Express credit card after the Starwood/Marriott merger, I have an update regarding the free night (up to category 7/35,000 points). Our $95 annual fee had been billed annually in July, and I was told by a CS rep at AMEX that the fee had to be billed after August 1, 2018 to qualify for the free night this year. He suggested that if I move my closing date to the 28th of the month after the June billing cycle closed - the next billing cycle would close on August 3 - thus we would be billed the $95 annual fee then. All of this worked as planned. Fast forward to now - and I've been wondering when we would receive the e-certificate for the free night. My husband called American Express - only to learn that they go by the month the account was opened (July) rather than the month the $95 fee was billed (August). Therefore, it will be 6-12 weeks after we pay next year's annual fee before we'll get the free night certificate. I know at least one other person on this thread with a July annual fee was planning to move the closing date so the fee would be billed this August. If you did so - you are likely out of luck for getting an e-certificate this year.

For more info: https://loyaltylobby.com/2018/04/27/update-on-the-starwood-spg-american-card-changes-retention-offers-for-renewal-customers/ Had I read this last spring, before I called American Express - we would've called AMEX and asked for a retention offer.

 

[JJ2017]

For those who kept their Starwood American Express credit card after the Starwood/Marriott merger, I have an update regarding the free night (up to category 7/35,000 points). Our $95 annual fee had been billed annually in July, and I was told by a CS rep at AMEX that the fee had to be billed after August 1, 2018 to qualify for the free night this year. He suggested that if I move my closing date to the 28th of the month after the June billing cycle closed - the next billing cycle would close on August 3 - thus we would be billed the $95 annual fee then. All of this worked as planned. Fast forward to now - and I've been wondering when we would receive the e-certificate for the free night. My husband called American Express - only to learn that they go by the month the account was opened (July) rather than the month the $95 fee was billed (August). Therefore, it will be 6-12 weeks after we pay next year's annual fee before we'll get the free night certificate. I know at least one other person on this thread with a July annual fee was planning to move the closing date so the fee would be billed this August.

is there any way to use the free night award at swan/dolphin when the standard rate is 50,000?

 

[NancyIL]

is there any way to use the free night award at swan/dolphin when the standard rate is 50,000?

Not with the standard Starwood American Express card.

 

[JJ2017]

Has anyone yet booked a Premium Studio at Dolphin on points since the merger/points change? Curious what point value it is.

 

[NancyIL]

Someone asked about holiday activities at the Swan and Dolphin. http://allears.net/2018/11/20/santa...-to-the-swan-and-dolphin-this-holiday-season/

 

[Dan Murphy]

Someone asked about holiday activities at the Swan and Dolphin. http://allears.net/2018/11/20/santa...-to-the-swan-and-dolphin-this-holiday-season/

Great to see it all back, Nancy. Thanks for posting The indoor snow is new? Have not heard of or seen that before.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Nancy

 

[NancyIL]

Great to see it all back, Nancy. Thanks for posting The indoor snow is new? Have not heard of or seen that before.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family Nancy

Thank you, Dan! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, too!

I'm looking forward to my upcoming brief stays at the Swan, before and after a cruise on Sunday. However, it would be even nicer if you were going to be there, too.

 

[NDKel]

Hopefully the Swan and Dolphin will be decorated for Christmas by next weekend - when I arrive!

It’s decorated! We just got home from our first stay at the Dolphin on Sunday...and I’m already looking at ways to get back there sooner rather than later!

 

[Dan Murphy]

However, it would be even nicer if you were going to be there, too.

Trust me, wish I was going to be there also. Enjoy. Hope you pass paths with SSB.

We just got home from our first stay at the Dolphin on Sunday...and I’m already looking at ways to get back there sooner rather than later!

Welcome home. It is a great resort, isn't it?

 

[NDKel]

Trust me, wish I was going to be there also. Enjoy. Hope you pass paths with SSB.

Welcome home. It is a great resort, isn't it?

It really is! You can’t beat the location and the transportation worked great for us. Rooms are small of course, but we were really only there to sleep and shower...we opened and closed the parks most days. We had a fantastic dinner at Shula’s our first night and would go back for that alone! Now I just to figure out a way to get my family of six back there within the next few years

 

[anita46]

For those who kept their Starwood American Express credit card after the Starwood/Marriott merger, I have an update regarding the free night (up to category 7/35,000 points). Our $95 annual fee had been billed annually in July, and I was told by a CS rep at AMEX that the fee had to be billed after August 1, 2018 to qualify for the free night this year. He suggested that if I move my closing date to the 28th of the month after the June billing cycle closed - the next billing cycle would close on August 3 - thus we would be billed the $95 annual fee then. All of this worked as planned. Fast forward to now - and I've been wondering when we would receive the e-certificate for the free night. My husband called American Express - only to learn that they go by the month the account was opened (July) rather than the month the $95 fee was billed (August). Therefore, it will be 6-12 weeks after we pay next year's annual fee before we'll get the free night certificate. I know at least one other person on this thread with a July annual fee was planning to move the closing date so the fee would be billed this August. If you did so - you are likely out of luck for getting an e-certificate this year.

For more info: https://loyaltylobby.com/2018/04/27/update-on-the-starwood-spg-american-card-changes-retention-offers-for-renewal-customers/ Had I read this last spring, before I called American Express - we would've called AMEX and asked for a retention offer.

I find myself questioning why I would keep these two cards (spg business and personal)...well it was great while it lasted.