Why Do Some People Dislike the Swan & Dolphin?

[DHS_Flo]

Hey Howdy Hey,

I'm a fan and frequent guest of the Swan and Dolphin Resort, but it seems like many WDW fans look down upon resorts when planning their trips. I just finished listening to a podcast (a podcast not hosted by our beloved crew) in which the S&D are regarded as second rate properties or are only considered as a "last resort". I know that many people on the boards enjoy the S&D and I can appreciate the common criticisms about the resort (decor, color, inability to use the dining plan, age of children traveling...), but I'm curious about your opinions.

Fire away!

 

[KathyTX]

Just gotta say that I love the heavenly beds and the great location of the S&D!

Every resort at WDW has its own personality, so it really comes down to personal taste.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

I stayed over at the Dolphin once and while it was nice the price was high and I like other resorts better. The main putoff for me was all the conventioners at the resort. They were having a huge pharmaceutical convention and they were mobbed with drunken conventineers. Not fun on my vacation is all; but I also ran into this at CSR and wont likely stay there either due to this.

 

[oc_tony]

We love the Dolphin! Great location and we were able to take advantage of the government employee discount (my wife and I are both teachers). There were two medical conventions going on during our 10-day stay last summer, but it did not impact us at all. I would definitely do the Dolphin again and recommend it to others.

 

[dpic]

Stick around here long enough, and you'll hear some people complain about Santa Claus, a warm summer day, and a fresh spring rain.

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

In all honesty, they get a bum rap because they aren't actually owned by Disney. Therefore, you don't have access to some of the perks that Disney hotel guests get. You can't send packages back to your room/hotel, the transportation isn't as good, maybe?

Then, if you want a "rational" argument - there's the grudge/argument about that whole legal battle against Disney that allowed the other company to take the properties (due to Eisner's idiocy -which effectively means they can never be Disney owned and therefore are intruders on Disney property and how dare they...) Note - this is not my opinion, but I have heard this stated by some hard core Disney lovers...

I like the Dolphin. I think it's playful and comfy. I'm not a big fan of the Swan due to the fact that whenever I walk in there, I feel it's got that overtly snooty Westin thing going on - kind of like the Princeville Resort on Kauai - also a Westin. I like my high-end hotels a bit warmer styled or more sophisticated. The Swan can't decide which way it wants to go...

 

[msteddom]

I'll be staying at the Dolphin next month. I just couldn't pass up the teacher discount for a resort in the Epcot area. I hope I like it!

Melissa

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

Real simple, four words:

Cause it ain't Disney.

There, I said it. Right or wrong, rational or not, that's it in a nutshell.

To me, it would be like going to Panama City Beach, but staying 10 miles away on the mainland. You miss the whole experience and immersion.





And Dan, I hate warm summer days. Not Santa though.

 

[luke]

Real simple, four words:

Cause it ain't Disney.

There, I said it. Right or wrong, rational or not, that's it in a nutshell.

To me, it would be like going to Panama City Beach, but staying 10 miles away on the mainland. You miss the whole experience and immersion.

You know what, this is the complete opposite for me!
I've not stayed 'onsite' at WDW, but if I did the Swan/Dolphin would be the first place I looked, due to it's relative value. For me, Disney resorts just ain't worth the extra. Last year we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress for just a little more than we could have paid for Pop Century, and there's no question of where i'd rather have stayed - offsite!

Everyone is different tho, which is lucky otherwise noone would be able to get the room they wanted if everyone was staying onsite

 

[Becx N Gav]

The only problem I had staying there was getting lost LOL - and that is down to my poor sense of direction
Oh and they forgot to clean our room one day - but that saved us a tip anyway and when we asked about it they sent 4 people up (seperately) so we got coffee from all of them

Of the 2 rooms we stayed in both were clean and comfortable (esp. for the price) however I did hear of others who were less satisfied (but then again when we stayed at BWI we were very unimpressed by the whole experience!) and the location is great.

I wouldn't say the transport wasn't any better/worse than other Disney resorts (S & D share with, Beach / Yacht Club and BWI which does annoy me).

 

[Mr. Plutes]

I stayed at the Swan in June. I liked it alot, as soon as I walked in. It was a change from staying at a Disney resort. The staff there were total pros.

 

[jeanigor]

Stick around here long enough, and you'll hear some people complain about Santa Claus, a warm summer day, and a fresh spring rain.

Men with beards frighten me.
I don't like to sweat.
Rain is depressing.


That being said, I think some people that have extremely harsh words about the S/D, have weak supporting arguments to prove their point.

It was fine by me for pre and post PCC 1.0.

 

[hapandpam]

Real simple, four words:

Cause it ain't Disney.

There, I said it. Right or wrong, rational or not, that's it in a nutshell.

I hate to admit it, but that is the way I feel too. I have stayed at the Swan once, and SOG twice. Both are beautiful hotels, excellent service, great locations, but they just aren't Disney. I really don't know any other way to explain it. It isn't rational; it is simply the way I feel.

 

[LMO429]

I think it's just a matter of opinion and your experience there. I was looking forward to staying at the dolphin on our past trip because we always stay at either the Boardwalk or Beach Club. We love the EPCOT area and I have been wanting to stay at the Dolphin because it would be awesome to stay at a resort close to EPCOT but save a little $$$ on the room.. In the past I was hesitate to stay there because the reviews I had read were very mixed but after hearing the podcast crew pleasant experiences there I was looking forward to it. We stayed there for one night in May before the podcast cruise. our check in experience was pleasant our room was not ready so we headed to the parks, buses going to the Magic Kingdom and then on the way back were over or about an hour each way. We finally were able to get back to the room around 10pm it was FILTHY and just runned down. carpet had rips, stains and holes bathroom tub was brown and the whole room had a motel feel to it, the hallways had a dirty dingy feeling to them as well. I called the front desk and they were nice enough to switch our room it was cleaner than the first one but just an overall dingy feeling to the room. I actually wouldnt even sleep under the covers I was so grossed out. I know our first room was 3049 EAST. I dont recall the second I know I was not the only one with a poor experience at the dolphin before the podcast cruise because I received 3 to 4 private messages from other disers having similiar experiences after I had posted something about the dolphin on another thread.

From what I have read on the boards the resort is undergoing room renovations but the two rooms we were placed in that night were not. Everyone is going to have a different experiences at a resort, the above was mine at the Dolphin. It's a shame because the grounds were beautiful and the cast members were extremely pleasant but I know we would never stay there again. I think at the end of the day when deciding on a resort you have to read different people's experiences, make a decision and then the only way to ever truly decide if a hotel is for you or not is to stay there. So unfortuantely I disliked the dolphin, which is a shame because I really wanted to like it but someone else might have loved it.

 

[DHS_Flo]

I stayed at the Swan in June. I liked it alot, as soon as I walked in. It was a change from staying at a Disney resort. The staff there were total pros.

I think this is why I've grown to like it so much. It's like hybrid resort that's on property. It has great customer service, still has a Disney experience (for me it does), it's a little more adult, has nice rooms, and I get the Starwood reward program. I will admit that I prefer the Swan more than the Dolphin. Based on my stays, I've found the rooms to be larger, cleaner, and more comfortable. While they aren't Disney resorts per se, I still find them to be part of the "family"

 

[Ginamarie]

For me, the S&D would be more expensive than a a lot of the WDW resorts, since DH gets a CM discount on Disney properties. However, even if he didn't get the discount, I don't find either of the hotels particularly appealing. Part of what I love about Disney resorts is the theming, and it seems lacking at the S&D. They look nice inside, but there's no theme. If I'm going to stay offsite and rent a car, I'd rather stay at one of the other offsite hotels (Gaylord Palms comes to mind).

 

[Princess Figment]

We stayed at The Swan in May with Starwood Points. It is definitely missing "the magic". For free, I would stay there, otherwise, I would take my business elsewhere.

The rooms, and particularly the balconies, were dingy and in need of a re-do. The staff was clearly not Disney trained and it was apparent upon entering the hotel that you were no longer in Mickey-land. The service reflected that.

Paying for parking is frustrating. Even more so is the fact that The Swan could never quite get our room key to work in the parking lot- so we kept having to see an attendant and then the front desk of the hotel.

The location is great. Very close to the Boardwalk, Epcot, and MGM and boats are fantastic. Otherwise, meh.

 

[exwdwcm]

I stayed over at the Dolphin once and while it was nice the price was high and I like other resorts better. The main putoff for me was all the conventioners at the resort. They were having a huge pharmaceutical convention and they were mobbed with drunken conventineers. Not fun on my vacation is all; but I also ran into this at CSR and wont likely stay there either due to this.

Great point- i travel for business (most often for Tradeshows/Events)- so the last thing I want to see while on vacation is other business people...... so i might avoid it (and CSR) for those reasons.

I did stay at the Dolphin prior to the podcast cruise for 2 nights and we enjoyed it. It was very nice and beds comfy (if only my roommate didn't snore! lol). The grounds were beautiful, pool was amazing and location can't be beat. HOwever, i just prefer the little 'Disney' touches that the WDW resorts offer. While they did have a disney merchandise shop- you didn't notice hidden mickey's like you do in the WDW resorts all about. Plus i didn't feel like there was a good fast food/budget friendly eating location like we've experienced at POR for example.

We really enjoy the theming of disney resorts and while the Swan/Dolphin are beautiful, I stay in hotels like that often for business travel- when i vacation at Disney, i want more of a themed experience- as hokey as it might be, even if it is POR etc. I wouldn't ever count the S/D out, as our rate before the cruise was fantastic, but they aren't really first or even second on our list when we are choosing hotels. Just personal taste for us. I am glad I was able to experience it though.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I stayed at The Dolphin in May. I didn't dislike it, but there were some things that would make me think before staying there again. The rooms didn't have refrigerators. I'm just used to a fridge in the room now and was surprised theirs didn't have them. I know you can request one, but it was a hassle and for the price, I think they should be standard in the rooms. One cup coffee maker. A minor thing, but I hate them, I'm a coffee nut and I want to make a whole pot at once. VERY small bathroom. Smallest bathroom I think I've ever seen. The room doors are heavy and loud. The people in the room across the hall from me didn't close their door, they just let it slam shut and it woke me up at 7am. BIG, it took me forever to get from my room to the lobby.

On the upside, beautiful lobby, the room was very nice, super comfortable bed, A/C worked GREAT and the customer service was fantastic. Loved sitting on my balcony with my view of the Boardwalk and Spaceship Earth. I would only stay in a balcony room at this hotel.

All in all with a good discount rate I would stay at the Dolphin again, but would never pay their regular rate.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'm one of the folks that does not like the Swolphin. Why? Because I don't care for their architecture and they way they visually intrude when inside Epcot. IMHO, the first of Michael Eisner's blunders.

Now, lets talk about the BAH.