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

[JoJoGirl]

Thanks for the closeups, JJG. Were those tree like items on the balcony fence?

The property has a bunch of tall palm trees planted all around. That may be what you are seeing in the background. They are not close to the balconies even though it may look like it in the pictures.

 

[Dan Murphy]

The property has a bunch of tall palm trees planted all around. That may be what you are seeing in the background. They are not close to the balconies even though it may look like it in the pictures.

I know of the many palm trees on the property. I am talking about the metal work on the railings.

 

[sdk1231]

I know of the many palm trees on the property. I am talking about the metal work on the railings.

View attachment 708441

Michael Graves designed the Swan and Dolphin w/exterior detail including banana leaves and waves. I think this balcony railing work is supposed to be the same - banana leaves and waves.

 

[JoJoGirl]

I know of the many palm trees on the property. I am talking about the metal work on the railings.

View attachment 708441

Sorry for the misunderstanding. Those designs look more like stylized flowers to me; that’s art for you I guess.

They do appear to be exactly the same on the refurbed railings. My phone’s camera has a hard time focusing on them at a distance, but hopefully you can see here:

 

[jlundeen]

Well, considering that there is a fish (that kind of looks like a carp to me...) on the roof that is supposed to be a dolphin, I guess these can be what ever you want them to be... LOL

 

[Dave006]

considering that there is a fish (that kind of looks like a carp to me...) on the roof that is supposed to be a dolphin,

They are an artistic representation of the classic Dolphin fish not the Dolphin (mammal). This has caused confusion since the day they were installed late 1989.

At least the Swans look like Swans and the Clam shells look like shells.

Dave

 

[Disneydawg74]

They are an artistic representation of the classic Dolphin fish not the Dolphin (mammal). This has caused confusion since the day they were installed late 1989.

At least the Swans look like Swans and the Clam shells look like shells.

Dave

So true. It’s a dolphin not a porpoise

 

[Dan Murphy]

Sorry for the misunderstanding. Those designs look more like stylized flowers to me; that’s art for you I guess.

They do appear to be exactly the same on the refurbed railings. My phone’s camera has a hard time focusing on them at a distance, but hopefully you can see here:

View attachment 708606

Thanks again, JJG. Shows how much I observe the balconies, haha. Nice picture there of the old and the new.

 

[TSR6]

We stayed here on 9/24 - it's our second visit to the S&D. We stayed a full stay here last summer in July. We were surprised, and wasnt aware they were refurbing the balconies. The room door was locked from the outside.

I will also say - they need to refub the hallways. The carpet is getting worn, it's a bit dark, and during our stay there was garbage left in the halls overnight.

 

[MagicMoon]

So are the Epcot view rooms with balconies open? As in people in the room are now able to access the balconies? TIA

 

[Dan Murphy]

We stayed here on 9/24 - it's our second visit to the S&D. We stayed a full stay here last summer in July. We were surprised, and wasnt aware they were refurbing the balconies. The room door was locked from the outside.

I will also say - they need to refub the hallways. The carpet is getting worn, it's a bit dark, and during our stay there was garbage left in the halls overnight.

Thanks for the video and review.

As for the hallway carpeting, that has been discussed a few times here. Bad choice in design. It looked worn the day it was installed a few years back.

 

[flowergleam1211]

They are an artistic representation of the classic Dolphin fish not the Dolphin (mammal). This has caused confusion since the day they were installed late 1989.

At least the Swans look like Swans and the Clam shells look like shells.

Dave

Thank you for clearing up some confusion for my family. We were wondering why the dolphin looks like a fish!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Well, considering that there is a fish (that kind of looks like a carp to me...) on the roof that is supposed to be a dolphin, I guess these can be what ever you want them to be... LOL

They are an artistic representation of the classic Dolphin fish not the Dolphin (mammal). This has caused confusion since the day they were installed late 1989.

At least the Swans look like Swans and the Clam shells look like shells.

Dave

Thank you for clearing up some confusion for my family. We were wondering why the dolphin looks like a fish!

https://allears.net/2008/09/22/dolphins-at-walt-disney-world/

 

[SnowChaser]

Does anyone know if the passholder code is still working? I’ve tried dates in November, January, and February but am not seeing availability at Swan or Dolphin in the app or on website. Hoping I didn’t miss the boat!

 

[Dave006]

Yes it still works but the hotels are scheduled very full the next couple of months. Check the Flexible Dates Calendar view.

https://www.marriott.com/reservation/availabilityCalendar.mi

I found a quick check showed Jan 4-8, 2023 and Feb. 6-9th, 2023 with the Passholder discount.

Dave

 

[SteveH]

@SnowChaser after a few trips over the years to Disney & Clearwater Beach I've learned just how popular those spots are for conferences and vacations, could be that some of the dates have conferences that are planned - as things get closer and booking deadlines happen things may open up... or they may not. Our last trip in 2020 we couldn't find any good rates at S/D so we ended up at a Disney Moderates

 

[SnowChaser]

Thanks Dave and Steve. I’ve been watching these too long and made the rookie mistake of not booking asap. Will keep watching in case something opens up.

 

[JoJoGirl]

Reporting back after a very nice stay at the Dolphin.

This was a solo stay October 2-8 in room 5178, deluxe resort view with balcony. I checked in around 6:00 pm. The line was very short and the agent was gracious. Bell services was friendly and fast both for check-in and check-out. No issues with my folio either.

Through the Bonvoy app, I had requested a room with a working balcony away from the construction, and was placed in the westernmost “finger” facing East toward Crescent Lake. Being East-facing, the balcony was shaded in the afternoon and evening, which made for some very pleasant sitting and enjoying the view, which (bonus!) included some fireworks from Harmonious.

Daytime view room 5178 (it felt more expansive in person):


Nighttime view :




The room was clean and in decent shape. It did show some wear here and there but no worse than most hotels I’ve stayed in. Weather was perfect, no rain at all, so I did not spend a lot of time there other than an hour or two break most afternoons. The bathroom vanity was nice and bright, brighter than many hotels, and the water pressure was great on the 5th floor. The extra vanity/tabletop worked perfectly as a beverage and snack station. Bed was amazingly comfortable which led to great sleep, and more energy for the parks.

My only drawback with the room was the lack of a low-intensity reading light; the room was either very bright with the lamp on or very dark with it off -- no in-between for winding down at night. If a low light is important to you, you may want to bring your own night light or reading light.

I would not hesitate to stay there again, especially for a solo trip. With my AP discount the room cost less than a moderate, and was much more comfortable and convenient compared to my stay at French Quarter in March. While the Dolphin may not have a literal theme like French Quarter, it does have it’s own distinct vacation vibe and you can’t beat being able to walk or boat to two parks and the Boardwalk. Walking back into the S/D area at night felt like walking into Walt Disney’s “City of the Future.” It did not feel like I was missing anything.

Sorry, I did not check out the pools or on-site restaurants. Any other questions please ask!

 

[SteveH]

@JoJoGirl I completely agree with your comments about POFQ & S/D - while I enjoyed POFQ the location of S/D wins out, as do the beds, bathroom and shower. I agree about it having its own vibe, we've always enjoyed it. Sounds like you had a great stay, thanks for the report and the pics!! That night view is about as perfect as you can get IMHO.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Reporting back after a very nice stay at the Dolphin.

This was a solo stay October 2-8 in room 5178, deluxe resort view with balcony. I checked in around 6:00 pm. The line was very short and the agent was gracious. Bell services was friendly and fast both for check-in and check-out. No issues with my folio either.

Through the Bonvoy app, I had requested a room with a working balcony away from the construction, and was placed in the westernmost “finger” facing East toward Crescent Lake. Being East-facing, the balcony was shaded in the afternoon and evening, which made for some very pleasant sitting and enjoying the view, which (bonus!) included some fireworks from Harmonious.

Daytime view room 5178 (it felt more expansive in person):
View attachment 709416

Nighttime view :

View attachment 709417


The room was clean and in decent shape. It did show some wear here and there but no worse than most hotels I’ve stayed in. Weather was perfect, no rain at all, so I did not spend a lot of time there other than an hour or two break most afternoons. The bathroom vanity was nice and bright, brighter than many hotels, and the water pressure was great on the 5th floor. The extra vanity/tabletop worked perfectly as a beverage and snack station. Bed was amazingly comfortable which led to great sleep, and more energy for the parks.

My only drawback with the room was the lack of a low-intensity reading light; the room was either very bright with the lamp on or very dark with it off -- no in-between for winding down at night. If a low light is important to you, you may want to bring your own night light or reading light.

I would not hesitate to stay there again, especially for a solo trip. With my AP discount the room cost less than a moderate, and was much more comfortable and convenient compared to my stay at French Quarter in March. While the Dolphin may not have a literal theme like French Quarter, it does have it’s own distinct vacation vibe and you can’t beat being able to walk or boat to two parks and the Boardwalk. Walking back into the S/D area at night felt like walking into Walt Disney’s “City of the Future.” It did not feel like I was missing anything.

Sorry, I did not check out the pools or on-site restaurants. Any other questions please ask!

Sounds like a great trip, JJG!!! Thanks for the review and welcome home.

I loved this thought....Walking back into the S/D area at night felt like walking into Walt Disney’s “City of the Future.