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!