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

[Okiechick80]

Fastpass is 60 days for whole trip, DR's are 180, but not the +10.

Thank you! Better than the other way around, I guess!

 

[Cloudy]

Just finished the Disney portion of our family vacation. First stay the the Swan. Was able to upgrade to a Resort View Balcony room at the same price about a week before our stay. It was fabulous. Toilet leaked occasionally but I was not leaving that room so never said a word. Room 726 East on a corner facing the Boardwalk with the Dolphin to the left. Could see both Epcot and HS fireworks. Will post a photo if I can figure out how to resize it from my phone

 

[Dan Murphy]

Just finished the Disney portion of our family vacation. First stay the the Swan. Was able to upgrade to a Resort View Balcony room at the same price about a week before our stay. It was fabulous. Toilet leaked occasionally but I was not leaving that room so never said a word. Room 726 East on a corner facing the Boardwalk with the Dolphin to the left. Could see both Epcot and HS fireworks. Will post a photo if I can figure out how to resize it from my phone

Welcome home.

 

[hsmamato2]

Just returned from first stay at Swan.... (probably only but who knows) It was really nice- the beds and pillows are great! The rooms are pretty and well set up(we moved there from Pop,big difference in comfort) and we got a balcony overlooking Epcot! First time in a balcony room here,and now I'm ruined...it was the BEST! We just kep the door open all the time, and relaxed and watched the view below (6th floor) I hadn;t realized what a difference that makes.... but it seems like Swan has more balcony rooms available than Dolphin...... I love them both, but I really like the Dolphin best,it's bigger and livelier. I want to live there!

 

[maxiesmom]

Do both or either of the resorts still provide roll-away beds?

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Well I have been getting text updates from my ds2 who is at the Swan with his gf. He said their room has a nice view of the Tower of Terror (standard room).

He said there was a big conference at the Dolphin (IBM he said?)

They went to Universal and said it was $15 one way with Uber.

They went to the Garden Grove for the breakfast buffet today and loved their server. I think we have had her before. A really lovely older lady.

They went to the Dolphin last night for ice ream. I dont know if that was actually sitting at the Fountain or getting take out.

Of course when dh and I get there next week there is plenty of thunderstorms in the forecast, lol.

 

[SnowChaser]

Is there a place at the Swan or Dolphin to buy a half gallon of milk and maybe some yogurts?

 

[JerseyJanice]

For a half gallon of milk and yogurts, I'd go to the Screen Door general store at the Boardwalk.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Just returned from first stay at Swan.... (probably only but who knows) It was really nice- the beds and pillows are great! The rooms are pretty and well set up(we moved there from Pop,big difference in comfort) and we got a balcony overlooking Epcot! First time in a balcony room here,and now I'm ruined...it was the BEST! We just kep the door open all the time, and relaxed and watched the view below (6th floor) I hadn;t realized what a difference that makes.... but it seems like Swan has more balcony rooms available than Dolphin...... I love them both, but I really like the Dolphin best,it's bigger and livelier. I want to live there!

Sounds good to me!!

Do both or either of the resorts still provide roll-away beds?

Yes they do.

http://www.swandolphin.com/feedback/special.html

Well I have been getting text updates from my ds2 who is at the Swan with his gf. He said their room has a nice view of the Tower of Terror (standard room).

He said there was a big conference at the Dolphin (IBM he said?)

They went to Universal and said it was $15 one way with Uber.

They went to the Garden Grove for the breakfast buffet today and loved their server. I think we have had her before. A really lovely older lady.

They went to the Dolphin last night for ice ream. I dont know if that was actually sitting at the Fountain or getting take out.

Of course when dh and I get there next week there is plenty of thunderstorms in the forecast, lol.

That's great, Mary!

Is there a place at the Swan or Dolphin to buy a half gallon of milk and maybe some yogurts?

Yes. Picabu at the Dolphin, or as mentioned above, a short walk over to the Boardwalk.

 

[loves to dive]

Hello! Checking in after our first S&D stay. Thank you all so much, this board was very helpful when planning.

We went 2nd week of April for 3 nights. Weather was perfect, crowds had died down after spring break, dolphin was gorgeous and the smell, what is that smell?!

My kids enjoyed the pool, the room was nice. We got a paid upgrade, i was under the impression the upgrade was offered complimentary, but i agreeed to it (room was on the end of hall and was a little bigger, we had 5 so more space was a plus). Supposed to be a TPV (could see ToT) but view was better in Jan at BWV with a pool view. Wouldn't have even thought about it, if i had not paid extra.

Anyway, need a little guidance. I knew the ambiance would be different then a disney resort. I knew it wouldn't have some of that disney feel. But it felt, well it more than felt, it was chaotic (esp lobby, pools and picabu). Tons of conference attendees, literally i think we saw one other family vacationing...the business people were less business like and more like college frat party like. My husband even witnessed a couple of hook ups. Very strange. It was horrible on our sat arrival, died down a little sun, but by monday another group was checking in, they seemed a little more calm, but all common areas were hectic. Also, lots of trays left out in hallway for days. I'm hoping this bad vibe (behavior) was just this certain group(s). Is it always like that? How is the swan in comparison, are there as many groups moving in and out?

I REALLY wanted to like!! I got the amex card and actually have enough points already for 3 nts at swan or 4 at dolphin. My husband says (and he's not as enthusiastic about all things disney) that he didn't like the layout, people, and non disney feel and doesn't care to go back...but wondered how the swan compares.

We had an Ann trip planned for late june and then a few nights before we do AKV in the fall. Torn on what we should do...

We were at the Swan in March and there was a couple of conferences and a cheerleader something but other than cheerleaders meeting at night in the lobby and conference coordinators putting together their little goody bags, I really didn't notice anything out of the usual. I've seen the same thing at the Yacht Club since it's a convention resort as well (not the cheerleaders). As far as not feeling Disney, I was worried about that since I'm a die hard YC fan, but frankly I liked it a lot better. The room seemed bigger, I had a view of ToT and saw the night time fireworks from my room better than at HS itself (I only paid for a standard room so that was a big surprise). We walked over to Dolphin for breakfast every morning and visited the soda shop and I liked the vibe of the Swan a little better, it is a little smaller so less convention feeling. I liked it so much I just now booked a return trip for this Sept., I could have gotten BW for just about the same price through Orbitz with one of their discounts but there is that silly cancellation fee they charge now and I didn't want to bother. I could have gotten my room for around $40 less a night at the Swan had I wanted to risk the no cancellation but my plans tend to be pretty fluid. I'd say try it again.

 

[Cloudy]

Views from Resort Balcony Room at the Swan

 

[maxiesmom]

So you can't get a roll away in a room with 2 beds. Ugh. There goes that idea. Shoot.

 

[maxiesmom]

Wait--but you can get them in a King bed room? So you would have a king bed, and fold out couch, and a roll away. That might still work.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Wait--but you can get them in a King bed room? So you would have a king bed, and fold out couch, and a roll away. That might still work.

Yes

 

[kayteekt]

So you can't get a roll away in a room with 2 beds. Ugh. There goes that idea. Shoot.

I didn't know you couldn't. Not sure if you're flying or not, so not sure if it's even feasible, but we brought a blow up mattress for one of the kids.
I thought the charge for the cot was pretty high so that's why we opted for the blow up from home.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Well we are back from our 2 nights at the Swan.

We checked in before 11 and our room was not ready, no problem because dh forgot his cell phone in the towncar so we had to plug in my almost dead phone in the lobby and call the driver to come back. So that killed some time and then we got the text that our room was ready. Also they had our rent a wheelchair ready and waiting with bell services.

We got a resort room view which we booked. It had a balcony and if you looked to the left the view was beautiful. I asked dh to take some pictures but I think he forgot, sigh.

The couple next door to us was celebrating their honeymoon and how do I know this? Room service was coming with the huge table and mentioning their honeymoon when trying to roll the table in their room, the housekeeping carts were in the hallway and I was trying to maneuver the wheelchair through all of this. The housekeepers were sweet and moved their carts for me several times.

Buses were great and not a problem. Wait times were not too long.

We ate at the Garden Grove for the breakfast buffet. This was so good compared to the Yacht Club breakfast. We went to Garden Grove on the week day with no characters, fine for us. I know there were no mickey waffles on the buffet but I did see a server bringing a large plate of them to a table next to us. I dont know if you can request them or not.

We also took all our luggage (2 big suitcases, and my wheelchair filled with a case of water, computer bag etc, etc. on the friendship to transfer over to the Yacht Club. The cm asked where we were going and he said fine, It was just the next stop. We did around noon. I dont think this would or could happen if it was a busy or crowded time. I was concerned with all this new security stuff if they would even allow it but they did.

After we stayed at the Yacht Club I kept thinking we should have not left the Swan, lol.

Also at my ds trip last week he said they were asked at check in if they were celebrating anything special and they said no. They did not ask this of dh and myself. But they did one of our trips last year. So I dont know if its just random??? Anybody know???

The Swan is always are go to favorite for value and a great resort.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Nice pictures, Cloudy, great view!!

And welcome home, Mary, sounds like another nice trip.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I agree with Dan Murphy--those are great pics, Cloudy. Thanks for posting them. Really, who wouldn't love to look out their window and see that?

 

[JerseyJanice]

I'm not sure where would be the most appropriate place to post this question, but I'm in no hurry for an answer, so I'll start on this thread.

How worthwhile is it to buy Magic Bands if you're not getting them free? I don't have any--no such thing last time I was there. I realize I can't use one to charge back to my resort bill, but what about tickets and Fastpasses?

I bought 7 day park hoppers at Parksavers. (BTW, a great deal and you can goggle it or look on the Strategies and Attractions forum for more info.) So I can load the tickets into MDE, then use a Magic Band or paper ticket to get into the parks. For that reason alone, I'm tempted to buy an MB.

But what about Fastpasses? If you don't have MBs, do they scan your phone? Or what? How do they know you have a FP?

 

[Dan Murphy]

How worthwhile is it to buy Magic Bands if you're not getting them free? I don't have any--no such thing last time I was there. I realize I can't use one to charge back to my resort bill, but what about tickets and Fastpasses?

I bought 7 day park hoppers at Parksavers. (BTW, a great deal and you can goggle it or look on the Strategies and Attractions forum for more info.) So I can load the tickets into MDE, then use a Magic Band or paper ticket to get into the parks. For that reason alone, I'm tempted to buy an MB.

But what about Fastpasses? If you don't have MBs, do they scan your phone? Or what? How do they know you have a FP?

Hi Janice.

Not of much additional value. You park ticket scans to get in the parks, scans for fastpasses. The fact you have tickets lets you have your MDE account linked. The only thing additionally would be if you had Memory Maker, you would get a short video of yourself on the mine train ride. For other rides where there are on ride photos, you would not have to scan your photo at the end of the ride with your ticket, again, assuming you had Memory Maker. Lastly, some of the rides, like Small World, Haunted Mansion, have a bit of ride interaction if you have a band. Other than that, can't think of additional.

Maybe additional here.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/everything-you-need-to-know-about-magicbands.3481711/