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

[Luckybee]

Can someone advise pls :

On another thread a poster stated "The only caveat with Dolphin is the air condition & humidity issues, which can be fixed. "

Before we booked I made it a point of calling the dolphin(because of a review I read on Trip A) and asked whether they had any motion sensors or gen' l a/c issues because Im one of those who needs a very cold room for sleeping. I've checked out of hotels early because of A/C problems. I was told " they had some issues but those have all been dealt with

When I read that I choked.....was I not told the whole story ?

We're booked for Sept but I will chg if this is a big problem

 

[SingingMom]

Can someone advise pls : On another thread a poster stated "The only caveat with Dolphin is the air condition & humidity issues, which can be fixed. " Before we booked I made it a point of calling the dolphin(because of a review I read on Trip A) and asked whether they had any motion sensors or gen' l a/c issues because Im one of those who needs a very cold room for sleeping. I've checked out of hotels early because of A/C problems. I was told " they had some issues but those have all been dealt with When I read that I choked.....was I not told the whole story ? We're booked for Sept but I will chg if this is a big problem

We have stayed at the Dolphin 8 times. The first two visits I noticed the a/c wasn't cool enough when we were sleeping. (Motion sensor). Honestly, after that, each visit was fine, and I am like you - I have a tabletop Brookstone fan on my nightstand at home, WITH the a/c on!

I think they might have adjusted the problem. But if you find the room warm, call the front desk and they will send someone to help!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Dashzap]

We stayed at the Dolphin 7/26-7/30.

I was disappointed that the lobby has been redecorated "Ramada Inn beige" since our last visit (about 10 years ago). I'm a fan of the architect, Michael Graves, and think the blue stripes were more dramatic in the lobby.

The good:

• Great coffee and croissants in the lobby bar.
  
• We were on the 18th floor with a terrific view of the Swan, the Boardwalk, and World Showcase (could see Illuminations and Fantasmic fireworks.)
  
• When the foldaway proved too smelly and uncomfortable for my kid, they took it off the bill.
  
• Guest services followed up on every request with a phone call to be sure that it was met.
  
• All staff were very pleasant.
  
• As always, the location is fantastic with easy boats to Epcot and the Studios.
  

The bad:

• Old grease smell at the entrance to the Central Elevators. Strong enough to be a turn off.
  
• The room was a bit musty, as Florida often is. We stayed at the brand new Cabana Bay right before, so the moldy air at the Dolphin stood out more.
  
• The beds were not comfortable, with rough sheets and poorly fitting bed pads that kept coming undone. (I missed the Cabana Bay beds!)
  
• Tiny, dark bathroom.
  
• The buses stop at the Boardwalk first, then the Swan, and lastly the Dolphin, so it was standing room only in the morning to the Magic Kingdom. Not the best start to a long day in the heat. I took the car the next time.

 

[Jbeechuk]

We have stayed at the Dolphin 8 times. The first two visits I noticed the a/c wasn't cool enough when we were sleeping. (Motion sensor). Honestly, after that, each visit was fine, and I am like you - I have a tabletop Brookstone fan on my nightstand at home, WITH the a/c on!

I think they might have adjusted the problem. But if you find the room warm, call the front desk and they will send someone to help!

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

At the Swan, they have the A/C tied to motion sensors too. I have always bypassed it and kept it running 24/7 at 65 degrees, as I like it cold myself. You can easily find the code online by just entering the model number of the thermostat. It is like just hitting 2 buttons in a certain order...very easy. No need to wait on the front desk. I'm sure the Dolphin A/C controls are the same way.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Can someone advise pls :

On another thread a poster stated "The only caveat with Dolphin is the air condition & humidity issues, which can be fixed. "

Before we booked I made it a point of calling the dolphin(because of a review I read on Trip A) and asked whether they had any motion sensors or gen' l a/c issues because Im one of those who needs a very cold room for sleeping. I've checked out of hotels early because of A/C problems. I was told " they had some issues but those have all been dealt with

When I read that I choked.....was I not told the whole story ?

We're booked for Sept but I will chg if this is a big problem

I actually posted the bypass code several years back, so that the A/C would stay as set and not related to the motion. The past 3 or 4 stays over the past few years have not needed the bypass, as it seems to no longer be either timed nor sensitive to motion. Wherever I set it, it stayed that way. I always had to remember to turn it a bit higher when leaving in the mornings so as to not be cooling an empty room for hours on end when nobody was there. Upon return, lowering the setting gave me my desired temperature within 30 minutes or less.

 

[Luckybee]

Thanks guys....I feel so much better now I have made it a point to avoid any property with motion sensors having previously had bad experiences at hotels where there wouldn't bypass and I spent sleepless nights. I am not doing that again !

 

[thebs19]

Knowing the subtleties are surely much more voluminous than this, is the choice between the Swan and the Dolphin, essentially:

- Swan has bigger rooms, queen beds, rates are higher

- Dolphin has more family-friendly dining options, lower rates

??

I'm booking on points, so the rates are no issue, just kind of wondering what the basic differences are other than queen versus double beds...

 

[SingingMom]

Knowing the subtleties are surely much more voluminous than this, is the choice between the Swan and the Dolphin, essentially: - Swan has bigger rooms, queen beds, rates are higher - Dolphin has more family-friendly dining options, lower rates ?? I'm booking on points, so the rates are no issue, just kind of wondering what the basic differences are other than queen versus double beds...

As a frequent Dolphin guest I will say, I dont mind the double vs queen size beds....

I think the main difference is atmosphere. The Dolphin has a busier vibe - more energetic. The Swan is more sedate and calm. This is how we look at it! ;-) "SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[NancyIL]

Knowing the subtleties are surely much more voluminous than this, is the choice between the Swan and the Dolphin, essentially:

- Swan has bigger rooms, queen beds, rates are higher

- Dolphin has more family-friendly dining options, lower rates

??

I'm booking on points, so the rates are no issue, just kind of wondering what the basic differences are other than queen versus double beds...

I prefer the Swan's bathroom - which has a sink, toilet, and tub/shower in the same room, plus another sink outside the bathroom. The buses to MK and AK stop at the Swan before the Dolphin. I usually walk to Epcot via the Boardwalk, and the Swan is a bit closer.

The Dolphin's lobby has a lot more WOW than the Swan's. However, I don't sleep in the lobby.

 

[SingingMom]

. The Dolphin's lobby has a lot more WOW than the Swan's. However, I don't sleep in the lobby.

Ahhhh..... But I DRINK in the lobby..... Lol.

"SingingMom" ....Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[jmulvaney]

The teacher rate for my stay at the Dolphin just went down $16 a night! Even with the $3 increase in the resort rate, I just got a few free cocktails worth of savings for our trip. I'm so glad I booked this hotel. I hope we really like it because the price is so good--17 days

 

[thebs19]

I prefer the Swan's bathroom - which has a sink, toilet, and tub/shower in the same room, plus another sink outside the bathroom. The buses to MK and AK stop at the Swan before the Dolphin. I usually walk to Epcot via the Boardwalk, and the Swan is a bit closer.

The Dolphin's lobby has a lot more WOW than the Swan's. However, I don't sleep in the lobby.

I presume the Dolphins bathrooms are more like the traditional Disney setup with the toilet/shower in a room separated from the double sink outside of it?

Hmm, the buses comment intrigues me - whats the overall route there? I stayed at the BC 5 years ago but can't remember the order - do the MK/AK buses share a route with BC/YC/BWI? What about the DTD bus? We'll definitely walk to Epcot and DHS so not a concern there.

We're going the week after Easter so crowded buses are a concern.

I think I read they were equidistant to the main pool, right? The biggest thing with the Dolphin appears to be the food options, which appear to be what we'll be using between the two hotels (i.e., the food court, Fountain and Garden Grove).

 

[NancyIL]

I presume the Dolphins bathrooms are more like the traditional Disney setup with the toilet/shower in a room separated from the double sink outside of it?

Hmm, the buses comment intrigues me - whats the overall route there? I stayed at the BC 5 years ago but can't remember the order - do the MK/AK buses share a route with BC/YC/BWI? What about the DTD bus? We'll definitely walk to Epcot and DHS so not a concern there.

We're going the week after Easter so crowded buses are a concern.

I think I read they were equidistant to the main pool, right? The biggest thing with the Dolphin appears to be the food options, which appear to be what we'll be using between the two hotels (i.e., the food court, Fountain and Garden Grove).

The bathrooms at the Dolphin have a single sink outside the bathroom.

The Swan and Dolphin usually share a bus only with the Boardwalk when going to AK and MK, and the Boardwalk stop is first. As I recall, the bus to Downtown Disney stops at all 5 resorts, so it's kind of slow.

I have never used the pools at the Swan/Dolphin. The distance to the grotto pool from the Dolphin depends a great deal on the location of your room - as it's twice the size of the Swan.

As far as food options - I especially like the breakfast buffet at Fresh, and the sandwiches and ice cream at the Fountain.

 

[Dan Murphy]

If I recall, the Dolphin has tub, toilet and sink in one room, a work area and mirror outside. Swan, I know, has the three items in one room and another sink/work area next to it.

The buses generally are BW>Swan>Dolphin.

Main Grotto pool area is the same distance to both resorts as it is at the end of the resort area, between the two. Each resort has its own lap pool, but either can use both.

There is no food court as such, but Dolphin has 24 hour Picabu and Fountain, Swan has Garden Grove. Both have quick coffee, rolls, fruit areas for mornings.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks for the Dolphin bathroom description, nancy, I stand corrected.

Also, I prefer the Swan over the Dolphin. Smaller, quieter, less walking. However, during my stays, I probably am also visiting the Dolphin several times, generally for for a meal of some sort.

 

[thebs19]

Thanks for the info.

On the Swan being closer to Epcot - presumably, its quicker then to walk towards the BWI and around that way to the World Showcase entrance than in front of the BC/YC? Because just by the map, I would have guessed the Dolphin, being next to the YC (it looks like, anyway), would be the quicker walk.

Is there a significant difference either way?

 

[NancyIL]

Thanks for the info.

On the Swan being closer to Epcot - presumably, its quicker then to walk towards the BWI and around that way to the World Showcase entrance than in front of the BC/YC? Because just by the map, I would have guessed the Dolphin, being next to the YC (it looks like, anyway), would be the quicker walk.

Is there a significant difference either way?

I think it's quickest to walk to Epcot via the Boardwalk. The Dolphin is next to the Yacht Club, but there are several lagoons with sidewalks around them if you leave from the Dolphin's front entrance. Or - walk from the Dolphin's front entrance towards the Swan and then to the Boardwalk.

 

[Dan Murphy]

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

 

[NancyIL]

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

Thanks, Dan! However, that chart doesn't differentiate between the Swan and the Dolphin. I'm sure there's an aerial map somewhere that shows the ponds/lagoons at the Dolphin that you have to walk around to get to the Yacht Club - unless you find the side door that's closest to the YC.

**Found one! From this map - you can see the water around the Dolphin, and the sidewalk is next to the "wings" of the building: http://www.swandolphinmeetings.com/space/floorplans/m-overhd.html

 

[thebs19]

Thanks for the Dolphin bathroom description, nancy, I stand corrected.

Also, I prefer the Swan over the Dolphin. Smaller, quieter, less walking. However, during my stays, I probably am also visiting the Dolphin several times, generally for for a meal of some sort.

This kind of gets at one of, i guess, my biggest considerations - knowing that the distance ultimately will depend on where your room is situated within the 2 hotels, I presume the distance between, say, the two lobbies is minimal enough that restaurants in each building shouldn't be a major consideration...or not?

I guess the question is, if we booked the Swan but plan on utilizing Picabu likely on our way out in the morning or even in the evening after taking a mid-day break...is that dumb? For context, we have a will-be 2 year old and 8 year old.