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

[SarahC97]

RAC is currently not being offered at any Disney resort and appears as though the change may be permanent, per CM info.

The company that provided the service, Bags, Inc., just initiated sizable layoffs.

https://www.wesh.com/amp/article/or...vices-company-announces-1000-layoffs/34333409
All of the RAC counters at Disney resorts have been removed, as well as all signage painted over.

That was such a convenient service. That stinks.

 

[Dave006]

Does anyone know if I switch to swan from pop if I have to redo my park reservations?

Officially the answer is yes but the system is not enforcing it as long as you have valid ticket media linked in your MDE. Did you have a room only or a package at POP?

Dave

 

[SMRT-1]

Officially the answer is yes but the system is not enforcing it as long as you have valid ticket media linked in your MDE. Did you have a room only or a package at POP?

Dave

Where did you see that it was official? I didn't think that was the case. My understanding is that Park Pass reservations are tied to your account, not to a specific resort reservation, so it shouldn't matter if you move from one on-property resort to another because as long as you have any valid on-property resort reservation and park tickets linked to your account for the dates of your Park Pass, your Park Pass reservations would remain valid. Enforcing the rules would only come into play if you dropped your resort or tickets completely without linking new ones, or moved from on-property to off-property (because then you'd be in a different Park Pass bucket). However, as you pointed out, even that doesn't seem to matter at the moment as they don't appear to be removing Park Pass reservations even when you completely cancel your resort and tickets.

 

[Dan Murphy]

RAC is currently not being offered at any Disney resort and appears as though the change may be permanent, per CM info.

The company that provided the service, Bags, Inc., just initiated sizable layoffs.

https://www.wesh.com/amp/article/or...vices-company-announces-1000-layoffs/34333409
All of the RAC counters at Disney resorts have been removed, as well as all signage painted over.

The language on Disney’s site recently changed. Previously, the verbiage indicated that the service was currently not being offered. It now states:

Disney’s Magical Express service will no longer be providing luggage delivery for those arriving to and departing from Orlando International Airport. Resort airline check-in service is also no longer available.

I do not use DME myself, but for those that do, how are they supposed to get their luggage from and back to the airport?

 

[shoreward]

I do not use DME myself, but for those that do, how are they supposed to get their luggage from and back to the airport?

For many years, Disney resort guests were able to have their checked bags automatically transferred from MCO directly to their hotel rooms, without needing to claim them from the baggage carousel. Now, guests must retrieve their checked bags and bring them to DME to be loaded on the motor coach to travel to their resorts. Upon arrival at the resort, the guest will be handed the luggage by the driver. The guest, at that point, will either enter the hotel, handling their own bags, or request assistance from a CM.

When departing for MCO, instead of being able to drop bags at the Resort Airline Check-in at the resort and have the bags automatically sent to their airline for loading on their flight, not seeing the checked bags again till claiming them at their home airport’s baggage claim, they will need to hand over their luggage to the DME driver, collect the bags from the driver upon arrival at MCO, then head to their airline’s counter to drop checked bags/check-in. Previously, RAC allowed departing pax to immediately head to TSA, bypassing the airline counter.

This was a valuable service, which greatly differentiated Disney resorts from others.

 

[Rich M]

For many years, Disney resort guests were able to have their checked bags automatically transferred from MCO directly to their hotel rooms, without needing to claim them from the baggage carousel. Now, guests must retrieve their checked bags and bring them to DME to be loaded on the motor coach to travel to their resorts. Upon arrival at the resort, the guest will be handed the luggage by the driver. The guest, at that point, will either enter the hotel, handling their own bags, or request assistance from a CM.

When departing for MCO, instead of being able to drop bags at the Resort Airline Check-in at the resort and have the bags automatically sent to their airline for loading on their flight, not seeing the checked bags again till claiming them at their home airport’s baggage claim, they will need to hand over their luggage to the DME driver, collect the bags from the driver upon arrival at MCO, then head to their airline’s counter to drop checked bags/check-in. Previously, RAC allowed departing pax to immediately head to TSA, bypassing the airline counter.

This was a valuable service, which greatly differentiated Disney resorts from others.

So now if your the last drop off you are sitting on that bus even longer while they unload everyone’s bags? Ouch

 

[shoreward]

So now if your the last drop off you are sitting on that bus even longer while they unload everyone’s bags? Ouch

It sure looks like it. That also means more time at each resort to load bags on the return to MCO.

I hope that guests tip their driver when being handed their bags. Since most guests have been accustomed to having their checked bags forwarded directly to their rooms, without any guest contact, they may not be aware that it’s standard procedure to tip the driver for handling their bags. I must admit, though, that I have seen families collect multiple large bags from the DME driver, without any tip provided in return. It is amazing how some people can spend thousands of dollars on a trip and not be able to tip a few dollars. Sometimes, it’s just ignorance, but sometimes it is attitude. If a guest sees others handing tips to the driver, however, it is not ignorance.

 

[MarBee]

So now if your the last drop off you are sitting on that bus even longer while they unload everyone’s bags? Ouch

We never really take advantage of the bag services because we usually arrive on late night flights. Not to pile on to the negative, but retrieving checked bags at MCO to take to the Magical Express is a pretty big pain. You have to go down to a floor to grab them but then back up an elevator across the airport and down a different floor. It definitely takes a decent chunk of time, but it’s sort of hard to figure out where to go/how to get there your first time too. Hope the change is just temporary!

 

[Rich M]

We never really take advantage of the bag services because we usually arrive on late night flights. Not to pile on to the negative, but retrieving checked bags at MCO to take to the Magical Express is a pretty big pain. You have to go down to a floor to grab them but then back up an elevator across the airport and down a different floor. It definitely takes a decent chunk of time, but it’s sort of hard to figure out where to go/how to get there your first time too. Hope the change is just temporary!

maybe this is why rental car prices are outrageous for my trip but honestly I hate using the buses. I feel it takes away from my vacation.

 

[Dan Murphy]

For many years, Disney resort guests were able to have their checked bags automatically transferred from MCO directly to their hotel rooms, without needing to claim them from the baggage carousel. Now, guests must retrieve their checked bags and bring them to DME to be loaded on the motor coach to travel to their resorts. Upon arrival at the resort, the guest will be handed the luggage by the driver. The guest, at that point, will either enter the hotel, handling their own bags, or request assistance from a CM.

When departing for MCO, instead of being able to drop bags at the Resort Airline Check-in at the resort and have the bags automatically sent to their airline for loading on their flight, not seeing the checked bags again till claiming them at their home airport’s baggage claim, they will need to hand over their luggage to the DME driver, collect the bags from the driver upon arrival at MCO, then head to their airline’s counter to drop checked bags/check-in. Previously, RAC allowed departing pax to immediately head to TSA, bypassing the airline counter.

This was a valuable service, which greatly differentiated Disney resorts from others.

WOW!!!!! That is a BIG change for sure. When I asked the question, that was all I could think of, but in the back of my head, thought something less bad than this. Wow.

I hope that guests tip their driver when being handed their bags.

My immediate thought when starting to read your answer to my question.

If a guest sees others handing tips to the driver, however, it is not ignorance.

Correct, it is just plain cheapness!!

 

[shoreward]

We never really take advantage of the bag services because we usually arrive on late night flights. Not to pile on to the negative, but retrieving checked bags at MCO to take to the Magical Express is a pretty big pain. You have to go down to a floor to grab them but then back up an elevator across the airport and down a different floor. It definitely takes a decent chunk of time, but it’s sort of hard to figure out where to go/how to get there your first time too. Hope the change is just temporary!

I am with you. I can’t possibly imagine what the bag claim areas at MCO will look like, when air traffic picks up, or now that flights are being eliminated/consolidated, so remaining flights are going out full. In addition to people staying at non-Disney resorts who will be grabbing their bags off the belt, there will be DME guests who will need to retrieve their bags. Any chance of social distancing will be impossible.

All of us Southwest customers do indeed have a long convoluted route to DME. When I’ve stayed at the Swan, I’ve often used the Mears shared shuttle service, which I caught just outside the door, after grabbing luggage; that short journey to the ground transfer was nice. Now, unfortunately, it appears that the Mears shared shuttle service will no longer be available, after December 2020.

 

[mcomber7]

Officially the answer is yes but the system is not enforcing it as long as you have valid ticket media linked in your MDE. Did you have a room only or a package at POP?

Dave

I have a room only at pop right now. I’m trying to decide if it would be worth it to switch to swan or dolphin. The transportation was awful at pop when we were there last week....
I didn’t realize that magical express does not go to swan and dolphin though. Swan and dolphin are a bit more expensive, but walking distance to a couple of parks is very appealing!

 

[patty57]

I have a room only at pop right now. I’m trying to decide if it would be worth it to switch to swan or dolphin. The transportation was awful at pop when we were there last week....
I didn’t realize that magical express does not go to swan and dolphin though. Swan and dolphin are a bit more expensive, but walking distance to a couple of parks is very appealing!

I don't think too many posters on this thread will tell you not to switch. Love the Swan&Dolphin. They are very nice hotels, great pool and pool bar, great restaurant options (although I don't know what is open and closed during Covid), and the best of all...walking to HS and Epcot. I'm not a big fan of DME and much prefer to take a Lyft to my resort. I've had some really, really long DME trips where I just missed the bus, and another didn't show up for 40 minutes. Then had to wait for the bus to fill. That trip took almost three hours to get to BW!
No MBs, no Dining Plan, no charging to your room on your MB, no DME. All things I don't care much about, or avoid anyway. I don't think you can compare Pop to the Swan or Dolphin, unless those things are important to you.

 

[Krystal659]

I currently have a Thanksgiving week reservation at the Contemporary, but with the monorail not running to Epcot, etc. we decided it was not worth the price tag. So now I have a few questions.

1. If I move my reservation to the Swan (through Marriott, not Disney), will I lose my park reservations through the separate park system?
2. Do I need to buy park only tickets through Disney before canceling my Contemporary resort reservation?
3. Are the buses to MK and AK typically full given the lower capacity?

Any other suggestions to survive the switch without completely blowing the reservations that I have?

 

[1withForce]

I have a room only at pop right now. I’m trying to decide if it would be worth it to switch to swan or dolphin. The transportation was awful at pop when we were there last week....
I didn’t realize that magical express does not go to swan and dolphin though. Swan and dolphin are a bit more expensive, but walking distance to a couple of parks is very appealing!

I think it's an absolute. There are ao many discount options for Swolphin (we picked our best one). With resort fees and parking, since we had a car, it was slightly above what I saw Pop at. This is a deluxe level resort with so many benefits compared to Pop. We loved our stay in September.

 

[1withForce]

Iam allergic to goose down would they be able to swap it out for me?

Utilizing the Marriot App, like they suggest, there was an option to get a different pillow type.

 

[mcomber7]

I don't think too many posters on this thread will tell you not to switch. Love the Swan&Dolphin. They are very nice hotels, great pool and pool bar, great restaurant options (although I don't know what is open and closed during Covid), and the best of all...walking to HS and Epcot. I'm not a big fan of DME and much prefer to take a Lyft to my resort. I've had some really, really long DME trips where I just missed the bus, and another didn't show up for 40 minutes. Then had to wait for the bus to fill. That trip took almost three hours to get to BW!
No MBs, no Dining Plan, no charging to your room on your MB, no DME. All things I don't care much about, or avoid anyway. I don't think you can compare Pop to the Swan or Dolphin, unless those things are important to you.

So true, great thoughts! Thank you

 

[hedberg1661]

We never really take advantage of the bag services because we usually arrive on late night flights. Not to pile on to the negative, but retrieving checked bags at MCO to take to the Magical Express is a pretty big pain. You have to go down to a floor to grab them but then back up an elevator across the airport and down a different floor. It definitely takes a decent chunk of time, but it’s sort of hard to figure out where to go/how to get there your first time too. Hope the change is just temporary!

I agree this is a new pain. MCO is one of the worst baggage claim airports I have ever experienced. It takes forever to get your bags not to mention they are notorious for changing the bag carousel on you at least 3 times.

 

[hedberg1661]

I am with you. I can’t possibly imagine what the bag claim areas at MCO will look like, when air traffic picks up, or now that flights are being eliminated/consolidated, so remaining flights are going out full. In addition to people staying at non-Disney resorts who will be grabbing their bags off the belt, there will be DME guests who will need to retrieve their bags. Any chance of social distancing will be impossible.

All of us Southwest customers do indeed have a long convoluted route to DME. When I’ve stayed at the Swan, I’ve often used the Mears shared shuttle service, which I caught just outside the door, after grabbing luggage; that short journey to the ground transfer was nice. Now, unfortunately, it appears that the Mears shared shuttle service will no longer be available, after December 2020.

I use the Dis Sponsor FL Tours for my car needs and IMO while it is an extra expense, they have a fantastic service. They meet you at baggage claim, help you with your bags, and they are able to park right at the claim area so it is a fast and convenient way to get to and from the airport.

 

[Ahabart]

Sorry if this has been answered. How many times in 7 days can we expect housekeeping. What exactly is the resort fee getting us at this time besides WiFi? Thanks so much

As of last week, it was every 3rd day.