Walt Disney World SWAN, DOLPHIN & SWAN RESERVE RESORTS Information & Questions

[smmco]

I find that it usually will link the day after booking, though it might take an extra day over the weekend.

The name on your Marriott reservation needs to exactly match to that on MDE - including any middle name or initial.

Thank you, It worked. On the MDE It says to call for cancellations or modifications. Shouldn’t I be able to do it online through the Marriott site.

 

[shoreward]

Thank you, It worked. On the MDE It says to call for cancellations or modifications. Shouldn’t I be able to do it online through the Marriott site.

That is a canned message for bookings not made directly through Disney; the intent of the message is that you will not be able to change or cancel thru MDE (or on the phone with Disney, for that matter). Changes and cancellations can be made on Marriott’s site.

I’m glad that you were successful linking with MDE-it does not always work so well or quickly.

 

[Babsy]

Thank you, It worked. On the MDE It says to call for cancellations or modifications. Shouldn’t I be able to do it online through the Marriott site.

I had a reservation with the Dolphin that I cancelled by calling the Dolphin's reservation centre. The reservation stayed on MDE, even though it no longer existed. I had to call Disney to get it removed. Similarly, I had a change from two rooms to a suite. It took several calls to get that straightened up. So, if you modify the reservation through Marriott in any way, you will likely want to call WDW to get Disney IT to also change your reservation so that it matches what you actually have. It can take a few calls to resolve, unfortunately, so make any changes with a few days to get it all settled - just in case of problems.

I am not sure if this is what they mean by 'call for cancellations or modifications', but I suspect that it is.

 

[shoreward]

I had a reservation with the Dolphin that I cancelled by calling the Dolphin's reservation centre. The reservation stayed on MDE, even though it no longer existed. I had to call Disney to get it removed. Similarly, I had a change from two rooms to a suite. It took several calls to get that straightened up. So, if you modify the reservation through Marriott in any way, you will likely want to call WDW to get Disney IT to also change your reservation so that it matches what you actually have. It can take a few calls to resolve, unfortunately, so make any changes with a few days to get it all settled - just in case of problems.

I am not sure if this is what they mean by 'call for cancellations or modifications', but I suspect that it is.

I have found that when I cancel or change a Swan/Dolphin reservation, and I re-enter that confirmation number into MDE a few days later (thru the link to add a reservation), the system updates to reflect the change.

 

[texasgingerbread]

Question - mixed info received. If I book thru MDE will I still get points through Marriott? I just got off the phone with in house reservations and she said no. She also told me I could not book with cash and upgrade with points since it is showing up as a "travel agent booking".

 

[SteveH]

@texasgingerbread good question.

Bad news is that it would appear that you will not earn the points as per the Marriott Bonvoy TOS. Was the rate cheaper through Disney? If not, and if the points are something you want (as well as nights stays) then you might book direct and cancel Disney. I don't think there is much that Disney kicks in vs booking separate.

2.1.f Non-Qualifying Rates. A “Non-Qualifying Rate” is a rate a Member pays for a Stay in a guest room at a Participating Property which does not qualify to earn Points or Miles, as well as membership tier benefits. Non-Qualifying Rates are those booked using the following methods:
i. The guest room was booked through a tour operator, online travel channel or other third-party channel including, without limitation, expedia.com, hotwire.com, priceline.com, orbitz.com, booking.com, travelocity.com; or ...

 

[wdwmom3]

Question - mixed info received. If I book thru MDE will I still get points through Marriott? I just got off the phone with in house reservations and she said no. She also told me I could not book with cash and upgrade with points since it is showing up as a "travel agent booking".

i would book directly through Marriot. If you are getting a cheaper rate through Disney I would call and see if marriot will match it.

 

[marymoo86]

Just got back from the Dolphin - we were in a King premium studio and it qualifies for CL FP+ which we took advantage of It is the style where it is a separated bedroom area and then living/eating area. The bedroom is separated by a partial wall. Why they didn't have pocket doors or enclosed one side is beyond me. It is almost perfect except for that - especially for families. I had no issue calling DSS to add the CL FP+ at our 90 day mark.

First time at Dolphin. Had stayed at Swan in an alcove room a couple of years ago. I appreciate the smaller aspect of the Swan and if it were just adults then that would be my preference to stay. Having most of the amenities we enjoy as a family at the Dolphin was great. We were in the triangle area near elevators (around the corner) but on a high floor. Partial fireworks view. The large statues on top obstructed some of the view. Overall great room - #10113. Elevators were quick! Only actually stopped for other floors, our last day there.

We booked online through Marriott and called to add the kids b/c of the peculiarity of the system that charged for extra guests. They even adjusted the rate when I noticed it had gone down! Boats are running early and often for Hollywood studios and never waited more than 5 minutes it seems. We would have walked but could see the lights and opted to give our 9yo a break. Buses were the most challenging b/c of sharing with Swan and the number of folks headed to MK. We opted to Uber and even going to TTC to catch the monorail saved at least 15 minutes if not more as there was no way we would likely get on the first bus. Hitting security at TTC was a lot quicker as well.

We also utilized the Concierge service for transport to the airport. Uber/Lyft would have been cheaper by about $20-30 but this was my treat so I didn't have to worry about getting a big enough car to hold the luggage/stroller and 4 people. Worth it for the piece of mind and not have to worry about cancelling on me. We rode in a Cadillac Escalade.

Can't beat the location and a real value (given Disney equivalent) especially at certain times of the year. It ran us about half of what Disney would charge for the same space.

 

[smmco]

I think the advantage of package bookings is not having to pay for tickets until 30 days out and even then your only out 200.00 if you cancel. It's 350.00 less to book direct for me otherwise I would definitely book a package.

 

[smmco]

I booked the Swan a couple of days ago through Marriott. Today a 261.00 dollar charge posted to my Amex. Not in pending status, but posted. The payment is not reflected on my reservation. I called Marriot. They called the hotel. They put in a case number to have the money refunded. I'm Ok with the one night deposit, but why don't they send you a receipt or something? If you have to cancel how do you proof of payment and refund? It's a bit weird to me. If they do refund me the money is the reservation going to cancel. I feel like the hotel and Marriot aren't on the same page with how things are supposed to work.

 

[SteveH]

@smmco keep an eye on your reservation on the Marriott site. Print or screen cap things so you have proof if that will help you feel better about this. You shouldn't lose your reservation because of this. I do agree that the S/D system seems a bit off from Marriott. I think they have had their own system, probably more complex because of the large conferences they have, but they seem to be tied in together now for better or worse. At least linking the MDE accounts seems to be working better then a couple years ago.

 

[Krystal659]

I’m getting the pay in full with every type of rate.

I experienced the same thing when I tried "standard rates". I called the resort number directly (407.934.4000) this morning and was on the phone less than 4 minutes. The attendant easily took care of it and I only paid one night deposit and did not incur the "extra person" fee that was showing online either.

 

[hedberg1661]

I experienced the same thing when I tried "standard rates". I called the resort number directly (407.934.4000) this morning and was on the phone less than 4 minutes. The attendant easily took care of it and I only paid one night deposit and did not incur the "extra person" fee that was showing online either.

This is always the best route to go.

 

[hedberg1661]

Just back from a stay 12/19-22/2019.

1. Major construction at the escalator area at Dolphin. This has zero impact on guests using the escalators/stairs but it's worth a mention that they are clearly rehabing the area.

2. The holiday snow at the tree was lovely and went off every 30-60 minutes. It is a nice touch.

3. I booked a Deluxe Alcove and got exactly what I booked. The room was ready before we even landed at MCO which is fantastic. No upgrade offer (I am Marriott Platinum) but given the room I booked I sort of expected that to be the case.

4. The weather was sort of rotten. Overcast and windy which impacted our Pool usage. In fact, we never got to go in the water but we did enjoy Cabanas for some libations.

5. Dining throughout the resort yet again hits all the high marks we know and love.

Shula's - The best steak on property hands down. Great service as usual and a must for us each trip.

Il Mulino - We tried the pizza this time as we weren't incredibly hungry and I have to say we found our favorite pizza on property. Really outstanding. Wonderful Service here as always.

Cabana's - Anyone who has been to Swalphin knows that this is great place to have some drinks and food and this again follows with the previous two. Everything was fantastic and service was stellar.

Fuel - We got some grab and go for breakfast. Quite crowded so the earlier the better here but their sandwiches and fresh squeezed OJ (although quite pricey) are excellent. Don't forget to use your AAA card here for a discount.

Room - We had a fantastic room right off the elevator which worked out really where for the less mobile folks in my group. We heard little to no noise and housekeeping was great. Zero issues with the room.

Scooter Rental - My mother rents a scooter from an offsite group who are fantastic. Given the new Disney policy on scooter pickup I just wanted to confirm that the Swalphin are not impacted by this change and Bell Services were fantastic in getting her a scooter. We did have an issue with battery life with her first one and it was replaced promptly with no issue.

Overall, this was a fantastic stay and I can't wait to go back in January. In fact, the resort was a highlight given the miserable weather throughout our stay so it was nice to have deluxe accommodations to fall back on.

Until next time...Keep Calm and Swalphin On!

 

[smmco]

@smmco keep an eye on your reservation on the Marriott site. Print or screen cap things so you have proof if that will help you feel better about this. You shouldn't lose your reservation because of this. I do agree that the S/D system seems a bit off from Marriott. I think they have had their own system, probably more complex because of the large conferences they have, but they seem to be tied in together now for better or worse. At least linking the MDE accounts seems to be working better then a couple years ago.

I'm OK paying one night, paying in full or not paying anything, but if I do pay something at least give me a receipt. I'll let you know if they refund my one night deposit and my reservation doesn't cancel. The Marriott Bonvoy desk didn't seem aware they charge one-night deposit. and I'm wondering why when they called the hotel they weren't told that. I'd be even more confused if I hadn't read the comments on this thread. My confirmation email from Westin says they are charging me the full amount which they haven't done.

 

[butternut]

Hi! Does anyone here know if the Dolphin still offers the nurses discount? Thanks!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hi! Does anyone here know if the Dolphin still offers the nurses discount? Thanks!

https://www.swandolphin.com/offers/nurses.html

 

[SteveH]

@butternut @Dan Murphy do we know if anyone has gotten a good discount through either the Teachers or Nurses discounts? I remember it used to be pretty good but that was all before the merger with Marriott. Just curious.

 

[Dan Murphy]

@butternut @Dan Murphy do we know if anyone has gotten a good discount through either the Teachers or Nurses discounts? I remember it used to be pretty good but that was all before the merger with Marriott. Just curious.

I do not know, Steve.

 

[MarBee]

@butternut @Dan Murphy do we know if anyone has gotten a good discount through either the Teachers or Nurses discounts? I remember it used to be pretty good but that was all before the merger with Marriott. Just curious.

I know this wasn’t directed to me but every time I’ve looked up the teacher’s discount rates, they were either the same (within $5) as the regular rates or even higher sometimes.