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

[kylenne]

Apologies if I have missed this on earlier pages. What is best option for grocery delivery to Dolphin? Is it correct they won't store anything that needs refrigeration? Thanks!

As Dan said, they won’t hold refrigerated items. Personally I have always used instacart for delivery on Disney trips as I’m a IC+ member at home, but I find on Swolphin stays I don’t order as much—most of what I normally get is bottled water for the room/rope dropping and we get that “free” at Swolphin (with the resort fee). Just some chips/snacks for the room and muffins/Luna bars for quickie breakfast on rope dropping mornings. I order from Publix on there.

I hear Walmart+ is pretty decent too but I’ve not used them before.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Shula's Steakhouse is permanently closing in June. Another restaurant will be taking its place.

https://allears.net/2025/04/09/permanent-closure-announced-for-a-disney-world-hotel-restaurant/

 

[2xcited2sleep]

I enjoyed Shula's but am quite optimistic this is a worthy replacement. Michael Mina has a great reputation.

https://swandolphin.com/dining/bourbonsteak/

 

[mmm_texas]

FWIW, I've eaten a couple of times at Bourbon Steak in Nashville and a couple of times at Shula's, and I did prefer Shula's.

 

[hedberg1661]

Shula's is my absolute favorite so I am obviously very sad that it is going. I haven eaten at two of Michael Mina's locations and I am cautiously optimistic that this will go well. Shula's was just so consistently good for so long it's going to be hard to beat. My biggest worry for this new concept is how complex are these dishes going to get? That's generally been my issue with the couple of times I have been to Bourbon Steak before. In simple words...sometimes you just want some regular mashed potatoes. Not everything needs truffle in it! Having said that, they do factor in each location with each menu so perhaps with this being a conference location they may not go super crazy. Time will tell but I am hoping for the best.

 

[gottalovepluto]

FWIW, I've eaten a couple of times at Bourbon Steak in Nashville and a couple of times at Shula's, and I did prefer Shula's.

I feel like the venue needed updated theming but hopefully they don’t compromise on standards.

Wonder if they’re slowly going to be updating most of the areas of Dolphin to go along with the conference expansion over the next few years?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Not sure if anything additional here.

https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/bou...-at-walt-disney-world-dolphin-this-summer.htm

 

[kylenne]

The theming is what kept me out of Shula’s tbqh. Well that and the tired menu—I don’t actually want simple mashed potatoes on vacation, with due respect. I can make that at home myself for considerably cheaper. So I’m looking forward to something new going there.

 

[SteveH]

Change is good in this type of industry, I think. I really enjoyed meals at Shula's, but that's been a long time ago. When our kids were young we used the in room babysitting service for a couple nights out with wife and I. While I think Shula's was great, times change and something new in that space can help rejuvenate the things. I think many were sad to see Fresh Mediterranean Market go, but I think Rosa has been a very positive change, same goes for Picabu - though time will tell.

 

[ivegotayen]

We will be moving from the Swan Reserve to the Coronado Springs Destino Tower for a conference on 05/12. We have a full park day planned (starting out at AK and then swinging over to Epcot for the Extended Evening Hours).

We'll need to somehow move our luggage to our new resort... Anyone have any suggestions?

I did have one thought: Store luggage at SR in the morning when we check out, take the bus to AK and then return from AK to SR on the bus. Then, does anyone know if we could walk our luggage over to BC or BW and hand off our luggage there to be transferred to the bell desk at Destino Tower? We won't have much: Just backpacks and two rollaboards.

This would be ideal, because then we could just continue on over to Epcot to enjoy the evening.

I know WDW permits guests to transfer luggage between resorts when they are moving from one resort to another, but what if you haven't been a guest at the drop-off resort?

Thanks in advance for your insight!

 

[ivegotayen]

We will be moving from the Swan Reserve to the Coronado Springs Destino Tower for a conference on 05/12. We have a full park day planned (starting out at AK and then swinging over to Epcot for the Extended Evening Hours).

We'll need to somehow move our luggage to our new resort... Anyone have any suggestions?

I did have one thought: Store luggage at SR in the morning when we check out, take the bus to AK and then return from AK to SR on the bus. Then, does anyone know if we could walk our luggage over to BC or BW and hand off our luggage there to be transferred to the bell desk at Destino Tower? We won't have much: Just backpacks and two rollaboards.

This would be ideal, because then we could just continue on over to Epcot to enjoy the evening.

I know WDW permits guests to transfer luggage between resorts when they are moving from one resort to another, but what if you haven't been a guest at the drop-off resort?

Thanks in advance for your insight!

update... I have an answer on this from Chat GPT, but I would still love to get some real-world experiences, if anyone has them -- or other options, if drop-off at BW or BC isn't possible.


Chat GPT's take pasted below:

No, Disney will not transfer luggage between resorts unless you are an official guest who has checked out of the first Disney resort and has a reservation at the second.

---

You​

• You try to drop off luggage at Resort A without having stayed there.
• You ask Bell Services to move bags on your behalf without a record of your stay.
• You're just trying to use Resort A as a drop-off point before checking in elsewhere.

---

You​

• You are doing a split stay between two Disney-owned resorts.
• You are checked out of the first resort and have a confirmed reservation at the second.
• Bell Services can confirm both bookings in their system.

---

Alternatives:​

If you're trying to store bags temporarily (like before a late check-in):

• You can leave them with Bell Services at the resort you are staying at — even if your room isn’t ready yet.
• If you're coming from off-property or another location, consider locker rentals in the parks or Disney Springs, or use a luggage storage service outside Disney (like Bounce or LuggageHero).

Let me know what your plan is — I can help you navigate it smoothly!

 

[Dave006]

We'll need to somehow move our luggage to our new resort... Anyone have any suggestions?

Don't believe everything Chat GPT tells you.

Yes, you will be able to transfer your luggage from the SR to CSR by dropping it off with Bell Services at the SR as early as you want in the morning or by 11 AM and they will transfer your bags to CSR. Actually Disney will handle the transfer and your luggage should be at the CSR Destino Tower by 5 PM. They do this every day both directions. The only tricky part is getting your luggage to the right hotel when sending to the Swan, Swan Reserve or Dolphin. You need to be very specific which of the 3 hotels you want.

If you don't want to believe some random guy on DIS, you can always call them directly. Just Ask Chat GPT what their number is over at the SR or call (407) 842-4900 and ask them directly.

Dave

 

[ivegotayen]

Don't believe everything Chat GPT tells you.

Yes, you will be able to transfer your luggage from the SR to CSR by dropping it off with Bell Services at the SR as early as you want in the morning or by 11 AM and they will transfer your bags to CSR. Actually Disney will handle the transfer and your luggage should be at the CSR Destino Tower by 5 PM. They do this every day both directions. The only tricky part is getting your luggage to the right hotel when sending to the Swan, Swan Reserve or Dolphin. You need to be very specific which of the 3 hotels you want.

If you don't want to believe some random guy on DIS, you can always call them directly. Just Ask Chat GPT what their number is over at the SR or call (407) 842-4900 and ask them directly.

Dave

Perfect! Thanks! That will make our lives so much easier.

Chat GPT does have its limitations. It's wonderful that we still have DIS to fill in the gap.

 

[Disneyhanna]

You need to be very specific which of the 3 hotels you want.

Me: Please transfer my bags to the Dolphin!
Poly bell services: Ah, the Swan & Dolphin!
Me: Nope, just the Dolphin!
Bell services: Got it!
Phone call from bell services an hour later: So we have bags here labeled Swan & Dolphin, which is it, the Swan or the Dolphin?

 

[SnowChaser]

How are the pools at dolphin? Thinking about switching from French quarter to dolphin for may

I too love the S/D pool but will add the caveat that if I was traveling with small children (say 4 & under) and pool was a priority, I might go with POFQ for the splash pad they have there. We stayed at POFQ when my son was 2 and he loved that splash pad. The playground at S/D is also better for bigger kids since it’s so tall. We also liked the smaller resort footprint with a little guy in tow.

Now all that said, that’s all just a consideration, not a dealbreaker. We also stayed at S/D when he was 2 and ended up with a view of the fireworks from our room. That was perfect for early bedtime.

It’s hard to beat the location, transportation & food options, and sandy beach at S/D! And if you’re party is adults & older kiddos without toddlers, there’s no question in my mind S/D is the way to go.

 

[WDW-WOW]

Very excited to be heading back to the Swan and June and have two questions. Last visit I walked to the Speedway across from the Boardwalk for wine and snacks but the selection wasn't great. Any suggestions on where to order for delivery? Looking for wine, High Noons, snacks, yogurts, bananas. Also, I currently have a standard 2 queen room booked but thinking about upgrading to balcony room. Are there many "bad" balcony rooms with awful views?

 

[Dave006]

Looking for wine, High Noons, snacks, yogurts, bananas.

You need to be present to receive alcohol based items. Depending on how much you really want to purchase determines which Grocery Delivery service may be best, and price effective. A couple of options are Instacart via Publix, Walmart+ or Kroger are all options. Check the pricing of items, and any delivery fee for your order.

Also, I currently have a standard 2 queen room booked but thinking about upgrading to balcony room. Are there many "bad" balcony rooms with awful views?

There are several tiers of balcony rooms. The first one is a basic balcony over looking one of the Swan courtyards. You can go all the way up to Fireworks View balcony rooms. You can easily see the pricing online at Marriott.

Dave

 

[Disneydawg74]

I see fireworks views on the Dolphin rooms, but not the Swan (on the Marriott App). Is there a specific way to see them?

 

[WDW-WOW]

Thanks

You need to be present to receive alcohol based items. Depending on how much you really want to purchase determines which Grocery Delivery service may be best, and price effective. A couple of options are Instacart via Publix, Walmart+ or Kroger are all options. Check the pricing of items, and any delivery fee for your order.


There are several tiers of balcony rooms. The first one is a basic balcony over looking one of the Swan courtyards. You can go all the way up to Fireworks View balcony rooms. You can easily see the pricing online at Marriott.

Dave

Thanks so much!

 

[wannabee]

I have a 5 night stay at Swan booked for June. Thinking about moving to a Disney resort the last night for the water park perk. If I change my reservation to drop off a night do I lose the rate I have if the current rate is higher?