Why do you choose the S&D?

[maxiesmom]

My sis and I are always tossing around what resort we want to stay at for our next Disney vacation. One of my nieces was very taken with the Swan and Dolphin resorts during our last trip to Disney World. They do look pretty, but we are a bit turned off by some of the things they do and don't have. The do have extra fees, both for parking and a resort fee for local calls and a few other things. They don't have ME and a Disney wake-up call. So with those negatives, why do so many of you still chose to stay at the Swan and Dolphin, over the other real Disney resorts? What do they offer that makes up for the negatives? Sell me on the Swan and Dolphin!

 

[Crazy Kanga]

I wasn't that keen on them for years, mainly because they are not Disney owned and therfore I never even considered them. Then when I heard about the teacher rate which was such a great deal, we gave it a try last summer. Now we are hooked. For the money you can't beat the location. We have stayed at many Disney resorts over the years and I can say honestly that the wake up call was all we missed, but for a savings of about $200 a night off of what Disney Epcot area deluxes charge, I could easily get over it.
The location, the amenities, the service and the pool are all great reasons to love these resorts along with the ability to use the Disney bus/boat service and EMH.
Many people complain about the lack of ME and DDP, but these were not of any interest to us(we are light eaters and we drive to Orlando) so therefore had no impact on our decision. Hope all this helps!

 

[minnie61650]

We enjoy staying at the Swan and/or Dolphin.

The Swan/Dolphin offen has great rates that cost about as much as a Disney Moderate.

They are real 4 star hotels with stellar customer service.

Thy are deluxe but not as expensive as Disney's deluxe resorts.



The heavenly beds are ...well heavenly.

The Grotto pool and hot tubs are fun and relaxing.

Plus Epcot and MGM are just a short boat ride or walk away!

From Epcot hop on the monorail and head on over to the MK!

*note photos are from allearsnet

Have fun at Disney wherever you choose to stay!

 

[CaptainNemo]

I've stayed at YC and at the Dolphin. I prefer YC. The dolphin was OK. Its location is not as good as the other disney resorts but for the price it could not be beat. The resort is nice. When I went I got a good deal. It ended up being a little more than PORFQ. If you can get a good price go for it.

 

[NMAmy]

Swan/Dolphin have the best beds on property. The staff is helpful, competent, and friendly.

I not only get discounts, I earn points toward future stays. I get free automatic upgrades without any of the coyness involved when staying at a Disney resort. There is a 24 hour convenience store/cafeteria in the Dolphin. The choices at Picabu are way more varied than at places like Roaring Forks at WL.

With the money I save, I more than cover the cost of getting from the airport to the hotel and I don't have to mess around with waiting for ME or for my luggage to show up hours later. I have a towncar waiting right there for me. If you're planning on using ME, you won't have a parking fee anyway. Ditto on the Dining Plan--not worth the extra money spent for us.

The Stitch wake up call is not such a thrill for me that I'm willing to pay 100's of dollars more to stay at a Disney resort.

Some people don't like Swan/Dolphin and that's okay--luckily there are plenty of hotels available to suit everyone at WDW. But they really are a great place to stay in a wonderful location. Don't knock 'em till you've tried 'em!

ETA: Oh, and this seems like a "real" Disney view to me.

We spent part of our last trip at the WL and we were extremely happy to get back to the Dolphin! We can stay wherever we choose and we choose the Dolphin.

 

[G8r4evr]

I got a great rate on Hotwire for $99 and tried out the SWAN. Im so glad I did, because it is absolutely gorgeous. The BW location is also great! Even at rack, IMHO, it is still a better value than the other Disney deluxes (other than WL and AKL). Im hoping to try a theme park view room next time.

Oh and we dont use the wake up call feature, so that isnt an issue. The parking/resort fee is a little annoying, but for the price of the room, I still feel like I am getting much more for my money.

 

[CarolA]

Swan/Dolphin come much closer to the hotel industry standard for "Deluxe" then any Disney Deluxe and their prices tend to reflect reality not fantasy.....

Having been fortunate enough to stay at true Deluxe Resorts IMHO Disney is a rip off.... I can stay at top tier hotels, get top tier service and much nicer rooms etc for the same or less then Disney want's for "Deluxe" Sorry, putting a pretty building up does not make a "Deluxe" experience.