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

[Dave006]

When I follow the link for discount tickets on the Swan dolphin web site, it gives me options for Florida residents and non-residents that are found on the Disney web site. The prices are the same as buying through Disney. Am I missing something here?

Yes it is poorly worded. It is left over wording logic from when tickets were just back and after being on hold, offer for sale "available for purchase". I would have said now available for purchase.

There is no special Swan & Dolphin discount on park tickets.

Dave

 

[virk4]

I'm looking forward to my stay at the Swan in the second week of December.

 

[ImprovGal]

Yes it is poorly worded. It is left over wording logic from when tickets were just back and after being on hold, offer for sale "available for purchase". I would have said now available for purchase.

There is no special Swan & Dolphin discount on park tickets.

Dave

I don't know if it's specific to Swan/Dolphin, but...
After letting my AP lapse, I squeezed in a last minute quick trip over MLK weekend. I was only there for a 2 night stay and only interested in Epcot, so I was just looking for a 2-day ticket without hopping. I priced it online, but decided not to buy it in advance and just buy it on arrival. I ended up buying it at the Dolphin's Disney desk and for some reason it was (a little) cheaper than the pricing I had seen online. I don't know if the pricing would have been the same if I'd bought at IG that day instead.

 

[Disbug]

Does anyone know if KIMONO's Sushi Bar is open yet?

 

[Dave006]

According to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin app, yes it is open 6 PM - 11 PM, Karaoke Thursday nights 8:30 PM - 11 PM. Closed (Monday and Tuesday). The Sushi Menu is online.

The app has information on all open dining options and other current resort details. Link to app in Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/walt-disney-swan-and-dolphin/id824576631



Dave

 

[SteveH]

Does anyone know if KIMONO's Sushi Bar is open yet?

Here is a very recent post about Kimono's from @armerida

 

[MarBee]

Yes it is poorly worded. It is left over wording logic from when tickets were just back and after being on hold, offer for sale "available for purchase". I would have said now available for purchase.

There is no special Swan & Dolphin discount on park tickets.

Dave

Bummer! A discounted ticket would’ve been nice.

 

[Christi0909]

That is actually the week before Labor Day. Labor Day is very late this year and falls on September 7 - that is as late as possible (1st Monday of September). That may be the last week before many schools start up, again, though. So, you did not book those dates?

The Swan’s Passholder rate for that time starts at $151.

The Dolphin’s Value Days calendar has changed; I wonder if their reopening date has changed.
https://www.swandolphin.com/value-days/

Haha you’re right, I’m so used to Labor Day being that first week in September! That’s usually our go to week to visit. My only excuse for that error is that it was late But no, def didn’t book those dates

 

[bakerworld]

Bummer! A discounted ticket would’ve been nice.

I ended up purchasing tickets through UT, since the AP is currently not being offered. It saved us about $20/ticket.

 

[armerida]

Wish I could help, I guess you might give them a call, I've never purchased tickets from S/D.

Wow, something seems off... way off. Is this the new "norm" for house keeping? At the rates I won't complain about it not being done daily, but 9 days seems extreme. I knew they skipped you on the fourth day, did you hear anything about that?

Definitely weird, but they have been very gracious and prompt with any requests I have for coffee, towels, etc. so I didn’t mention the 4th day skip. We usually opt out of “mousekeeping” anyhow. It was definitely nice to get clean sheets after a week tho!

 

[armerida]

Update from last night - the outside Courtyard stairwells for the main building floors 2-12 and floors 2-9 on the wings had been open for access the whole time we’ve been here, with signs announcing that and the doors unlocked from the ground floor. Got back from dinner last night and there is a new sign saying “no entry.”

Yesterday, Splash pool resumed poolside cocktail service and also had food available, brought over from Cabana bar. Pools were definitely busier but still very mellow.

Also, Epcot was very busy yesterday! Felt like a normal park day and people were not distancing well. They loaded every row in living with the land, which I was not comfortable with despite the hanging plastic sheets between rows. Wait times were all 25 minutes and up just a little after park opening. We went back for dinner and it was still much busier than any other day, including the previous day (Saturday).

 

[glamdring269]

We just sold our Boulder Ridge contract and have been considering our next move. One thing I do know is that I love the Boardwalk area (which is where we typically used our BRV points) but I'm not planning to buy into DVC at the moment based on current economic conditions and I don't plan to buy another 2042 contract.

So that brings us to Swan/Dolphin.

If you were a couple, who visits WDW apprx every other year, and stays roughly 4-5 nights each trip, do you feel Swan/Dolphin is a good alternative? To be honest the prices look reasonable, I like the idea of earning Marriott points, and the location is awesome (especially the Swan) since we love walking to Epcot and DHS. It doesn't seem like you really give up any perks vs. staying at a WDW property other than charging off to a magic band which I couldn't care less about. Am I overlooking anything here? Thanks!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Am I overlooking anything here?

No Magic Express bus from and to the airport.

 

[glamdring269]

No Magic Express bus from and to the airport.

Thanks Dan. And no problem. We typically don't use that amenity.

 

[patty57]

Am I overlooking anything here? Thanks!

You can't use Disney gift cards at the hotels or restaurants. I think you can use them at the gift shops? Is that right Dan?
You gain much, much more than you lose at the Swan & Dolphin. They are beautiful hotels, with really good dining options. You can't beat the location!

 

[SteveH]

If you were a couple, who visits WDW apprx every other year, and stays roughly 4-5 nights each trip, do you feel Swan/Dolphin is a good alternative?

Welcome to the S/D thread! We've stayed at S/D with our kids, loved it and stayed just wife and I, loved it too. Yeah you lose a few things, but none of them are deal breakers IMHO. The location is amazing, and the rooms are what you'd expected from a quality hotel. At times there have been some reports of bad views, but mostly you get what you pay for. Staff are not Disney, but we've always had good service. The rates can vary, but if you find a good rate it's a great deal with prices closer to a moderate and not a Disney deluxe. Since Marriott took over I'd say the rates have gone up, though obviously not lately. When the S/D was part of of Starwood it had one of the bed rewards programs out there, under Marriott not so much.

 

[glamdring269]

You can't use Disney gift cards at the hotels or restaurants. I think you can use them at the gift shops? Is that right Dan?
You gain much, much more than you lose at the Swan & Dolphin. They are beautiful hotels, with really good dining options. You can't beat the location!

We tend to lean more towards using our CC anyway and I guess using a Marriott CC at the Marriott hotel/restaurant would probably be more lucrative than the Disney GC route anyway. Thanks!

And I agree, it looks like a fantastic option and one that we could take advantage of without having the DVC strings attached. It always peaked our interest every time we made the walk from BWV to DHS, and even on our first trip about 10 years ago when taking the boat from Port Orleans - Riverside over to Epcot. Have a feeling our next trip will be at one of these two resorts.

 

[SteveH]

We tend to lean more towards using our CC anyway and I guess using a Marriott CC at the Marriott hotel/restaurant would probably be more lucrative than the Disney GC route anyway. Thanks!

If you are a AAA bring your card along it's good for discounts at some of the restaurants. Do compare the Marriott CC vs other rewards, you may not get the points but, you might do better over all.

There are things at S/D that will annoy you. Make sure you know about the Parking and Resort Fees when comparing prices. Another is the automatic gratuity charge at Picabu. Keep in mind that these are convention hotels, so there are times that can be annoying. But usually what you find is they are busy doing their thing, which results in lower bus ridership (except for Disney Springs). Making reservations at the signature restraunts is a good idea, if there are conventions going on, those can get packed, same for the bars. As Pete often says and he's 100% right the convention attendees are on expense accounts.

 

[MarBee]

We just sold our Boulder Ridge contract and have been considering our next move. One thing I do know is that I love the Boardwalk area (which is where we typically used our BRV points) but I'm not planning to buy into DVC at the moment based on current economic conditions and I don't plan to buy another 2042 contract.

So that brings us to Swan/Dolphin.

If you were a couple, who visits WDW apprx every other year, and stays roughly 4-5 nights each trip, do you feel Swan/Dolphin is a good alternative? To be honest the prices look reasonable, I like the idea of earning Marriott points, and the location is awesome (especially the Swan) since we love walking to Epcot and DHS. It doesn't seem like you really give up any perks vs. staying at a WDW property other than charging off to a magic band which I couldn't care less about. Am I overlooking anything here? Thanks!

I love Swan and Dolphin, but I typically prefer to stay in the “Disney Bubble” if possible- except for during Christmas. This is my favorite Christmas hotel. As much as I love the bubble, though, I don’t love it enough to pay $600+ a night at Boardwalk/Yacht and Beach, when I can often get the Swolphin for under $200/night.

Some other things to consider besides being out of the bubble:
No magic band charging, no magical express, no Disney gift cards, and having to factor in “resort fees” into the price (resort fees irk me). If you’re used to DVC rooms, there also will not be a microwave in the room.
Prices also drastically fluctuate here. I’ve gotten the Dolphin for $85/night (a steal!) but also have seen the prices at over $1,000/night. If your dates are always set, it would be hard to budget.
It does draw a lot of convention crowds, so the other guests can be hit or miss.
One other potential negative, is you mentioned earning Marriott points. Marriott points don’t get you much these days. By a rough calculation, you’d have to do stay about 167 nights before you’d get one of your 4-5 night trips for free (plus you’d still have to pay resort fees). The Marriott credit cards aren’t much help in this area anymore either. Although if you travel frequently elsewhere and stay in Marriotts, you’d get better bang for your buck.

So enough with the negatives, I will tell you that this hotel has an unbeatable location, an amazing pool, great restaurants, and it’s beautiful. I think you’ll love it here!

 

[Dan Murphy]

One thing regarding the convention aspect....remember that the Contemporary, Y&BC, BW, GF and Coronado Springs/Gran Destino are all classified as convention hotels by Disney. Each may and do have conventions and whatever goes along with conventions. S/D are not the only convention resorts at WDW.

https://www.disneymeetingsandevents.com/disneyworld/resorts/