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

[SteveH]

@juggaman the Bonvoy rules say you wont, but it's worth trying none the less. Here is my previous post on this subject link more info.

 

[Donald Duck888]

Hi,

I have been trying to add a short stay at the end of my stay in March. Every time i try to book however the Marriott site shows Dolphin and Swan available but when i try to book it then goes to saying nothing is available. It even in one case said one room left on main page and when i tried to book that room it said nothing available but when i circled back to main page again it still said one available.

Just curious if anyone else is having this issue and if so how they fixed it.

thanks.

 

[SteveH]

@Donald Duck888 I think Marriott was having some booking issues, I just tried and it appeared to be working. If it's not working for you, then you can call either the S/D direct or the Bonvoy line.

 

[dwheaton]

We're considering booking the Swan for a trip in late March. I've heard that some guests are having a hard time with linking their reservations in MDE and they keep disappearing. How concerned should I be about these issues? I ask because I am planning on booking Lightning Lane and individual attractions on our trip.

 

[TexanInTheMidwest]

We're considering booking the Swan for a trip in late March. I've heard that some guests are having a hard time with linking their reservations in MDE and they keep disappearing. How concerned should I be about these issues? I ask because I am planning on booking Lightning Lane and individual attractions on our trip.

I've had reservations drop out often - the key is just double check around 6.30-6:45 to ensure that you are connected. To make it easier, I email myself the confirmation number so I can copy and paste it into the link confirmation slot.

 

[SteveH]

@dwheaton I shared this post about a week ago with a letter that the hotel has been sending to guests, might help you understand what's going on and what they are trying to do to assist.

 

[Jedimike]

We're considering booking the Swan for a trip in late March. I've heard that some guests are having a hard time with linking their reservations in MDE and they keep disappearing. How concerned should I be about these issues? I ask because I am planning on booking Lightning Lane and individual attractions on our trip.

I was at Swan Reserve over the week of Thanksgiving. I was watching my MDE page regularly for MONTHS prior to the trip and the reservation held strong until about 2 weeks out, then it disappeared. I added it back in, a couple days later it disappeared again, but the second time I added back in again it held, and remained in place for the entirety of my stay (ie, was not an issue at 7 AM when booking LL's). Still, as others have suggested, I always get online about 6:50 to make sure my reservation shows.

 

[dwheaton]

Thanks for the extra info; it makes me feel a little better. We've never stayed there (usually stay at AKL) but are thinking of trying something different, and the price is a lot better than nearby resorts.

 

[dwheaton]

So I went to book the Swan Hotel for our dates in late March last night, and there were two room options listed (standard and Resort View). When I clicked on my selection, a message came up and said they were no longer available. This is still the case today, which is weird since they're not appearing as Sold Out on our dates. Does this regularly happen on the Marriott Bonvoy site? I'm going to try and call them later today to see if I can get more info and hopefully book the room.

On a related note, if the rooms aren't available, we're likely going to book the Swan Reserve over the Dolphin because it has Queen Size beds. I'm hesitating due to the higher price (even with a AAA rate) and have read that it's a longer walk away from Epcot. Does anyone have any info on if it's a big hike? We don't mind walking a little more; it's just hard to find much info on this new resort.

 

[SteveH]

@dwheaton I'm not sure the Bonvoy system has doing that lately, with the reported issues they had recently I am wondering if they are continuing to have some ongoing hiccups. I'm curious what you find out when you call in.

As far as the walk when I looked at Google maps from the entry of SR to Swan it looked like it's about 2/10th of a mile, so th walk to DHS or Epcot that shouldn't be a big factor, but it's still adding more steps if you walk or even just walk to the boats.

 

[orltrip]

My wife and I stayed at the Swan Reserve in November right after it opened. It's a little longer walk but not much. It's probably about a 4-5 minute walk to the Swan or Dolphin or the boat launch. You do have to cross a street but it's walk-signal and we rarely saw much traffic. We loved the Reserve and will be back there in March with our two adult kids. As others have noted no Disney theming but a nice vibe for adults.

 

[Dan Murphy]

have read that it's a longer walk away from Epcot. Does anyone have any info on if it's a big hike? We don't mind walking a little more; it's just hard to find much info on this new resort.

I can answer this part of your question. It is about an extra 950 feet from the Reserve to where you would be starting from at the Swan. The Swan is the closer of the Swan/Dolphin to Epcot. If walking from the Dolphin to the Swan starting point, that distance is basically walking the causeway, 500 feet. So, Reserve compared to Dolphin, an extra 450 feet.

https://goo.gl/maps/9CBzbG6bGZiaTBph9

 

[orltrip]

My wife and I stayed at the Swan Reserve in November right after it opened. It's a little longer walk but not much. It's probably about a 4-5 minute walk to the Swan or Dolphin or the boat launch. You do have to cross a street but it's walk-signal and we rarely saw much traffic. We loved the Reserve and will be back there in March with our two adult kids. As others have noted no Disney theming but a nice vibe for adults.

I would also add, it's not like you're walking 4-5 minutes on a busy street. You literally step out the front door of the Reserve, cross the street and are on the Swan/Dolphin grounds.

 

[Eastern]

Lots of people saying they were charged deposits. I booked a refundable AP rate and it said we would be charged various amounts but nothing ever went through on the cc.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I can answer this part of your question. It is about an extra 950 feet from the Reserve to where you would be starting from at the Swan. The Swan is the closer of the Swan/Dolphin to Epcot. If walking from the Dolphin to the Swan starting point, that distance is basically walking the causeway, 500 feet. So, Reserve compared to Dolphin, an extra 450 feet.

https://goo.gl/maps/9CBzbG6bGZiaTBph9

On that map link, the Reserve is not yet there, it is labeled though. It shows what was there before the Reserve, tennis courts.

 

[dwheaton]

Thanks everyone for the info on the walk. That doesn't sound bad at all, especially in the context of all the walking on a day in the parks. I don't have worries on the lack of theming - our girls are 12 and 9, so it's a little less needed. We also usually stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which has more theming but isn't overloaded with Disney everywhere. I'm going to call Marriott later this morning to double check on the Swan, but if it's not available, I feel good booking the Swan Reserve.

 

[Gitelfor]

Thanks everyone for the info on the walk. That doesn't sound bad at all, especially in the context of all the walking on a day in the parks. I don't have worries on the lack of theming - our girls are 12 and 9, so it's a little less needed. We also usually stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which has more theming but isn't overloaded with Disney everywhere. I'm going to call Marriott later this morning to double check on the Swan, but if it's not available, I feel good booking the Swan Reserve.

For accurate availability info and specific information about the three resorts, I suggest contacting in-house reservations at
888-828-8850, during normal business hours. Marriott’s call center will not provide all of the reliable and specific info about these resorts, as will on-site reservations.

 

[GabrielMom]

I am having same problem trying to book swan for March. It shows availability but won't allow me to book.

 

[dwheaton]

I just called the number recommended by Gitelfor, and I was able to book a room at the Swan for my dates in late March. The representative said that rooms were available, so it must be a glitch in the website. Thanks to everyone again for the help! It's weird that the glitch has been in place on their website for several days, but calling seems like the way to go to book rooms if that happens.

 

[SteveH]

This might be old news for some that follow ThePointsGuy, and so far (as of yet) it doesn't appear to have landed at Swan Dolphin. But TPG reports that six Autograph resorts have implemented a new fee called a Sustainability Fee. So far it appears to only be in the Midwest. Just wanted to share the article and lets keep our eyes open for something like this. For me Parking and Resort fees are bad enough this would give me pause to keep going back to SD.