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

[Clare Voince]

I worked customer service for many years. There is no excuse for giving your guests an "earful" or being visibly angry at a guest for asking a simple question. You may get that question a thousand times a week. You smile and answer that question. If you can't do that, get out of customer service.

It must be nice to be perfect 100% of the time.

 

[RAPstar]

Hi! Not sure if anyone can help, but I grabbed a great deal today on a room at the Dolphin via Hotwire. Where/how do I find the reservation number that I need to use to link to MDE? Or will I even be able to since it's through Hotwire? Thanks in advance!

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I know people have their preferences of resorts...but trying to plan a "last trip" for next January before our APs expire on the 26th. Just 2 adults looking for relaxation but also going to the parks. We'll likely eat at some of the S/D restaurants and use the pool but not looking for other amenities like the arcade. Any strong reason to pick Swan over Dolphin or vice-versa?

ETA: Walking to Epcot is preferred if that makes a difference in hotel choice.

We are at the Dolphin now and the restaurants are great here, but my biggest complaint is the buses to MK and AK. The buses have been bad this week.

They stop at the Swan first and the Swan keeps filling up the buses, so we keep having to wait and wait for buses.

If you stay Dolphin, you might want to walk over to the Swan for the buses.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

We are at the Dolphin now and the restaurants are great here, but my biggest complaint is the buses to MK and AK. The buses have been bad this week.

They stop at the Swan first and the Swan keeps filling up the buses, so we keep having to wait and wait for buses.

If you stay Dolphin, you might want to walk over to the Swan for the buses.

Buses also drop off first at Swan. Saves just a couple of minutes.

 

[Tess]

Hi! Not sure if anyone can help, but I grabbed a great deal today on a room at the Dolphin via Hotwire. Where/how do I find the reservation number that I need to use to link to MDE? Or will I even be able to since it's through Hotwire? Thanks in advance!

You will need to call the Dolphin and get the appropriate reservation number to link. Be aware that it will be 24-48 hours before the reservation linked will show up in MDE.

 

[Dan Murphy]

We are at the Dolphin now and the restaurants are great here, but my biggest complaint is the buses to MK and AK. The buses have been bad this week.

They stop at the Swan first and the Swan keeps filling up the buses, so we keep having to wait and wait for buses.

If you stay Dolphin, you might want to walk over to the Swan for the buses.

I would think this was mostly in the earlier AM hours? Going over to the Swan would alleviate that, yes.

One of the additional reasons I prefer the Swan.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I would think this was mostly in the earlier AM hours? Going over to the Swan would alleviate that, yes.

One of the additional reasons I prefer the Swan.

Yes. The worst was am around park opening. However, we went to MK yeaterday and left around 11 am and the bus was packed with lots of standing. That is rare at 11 am, in my experience. Maybe that’s just because it’s Eastwr week.

I also hate the way the bus lanes are set up. Nothing distinguishes between where the buses are bound, so you don’t know where to stand for your bus. Our bus to MK pulled in behind the AK and the Disney Springs bus, so we had to wait for both of them to load before we could get on, and then the MK bus pulled up to a different place than it had two days before so those of us who were in line where we thought we were supposed to be didn’t get on first. It’s kind of a free for all.

I assume that is also true for the Swan, though.

 

[Sarabi's Cubs]

I'm a Marriott rewards member trying to book a night in November on points. I don't see the Swan or Dolphin as an option on the Marriott site. How do I go about booking? When I go directly to the Swan/Dolphin site, it takes me to Starwood. TIA

Laurie

 

[striker1064]

I'm a Marriott rewards member trying to book a night in November on points. I don't see the Swan or Dolphin as an option on the Marriott site. How do I go about booking? When I go directly to the Swan/Dolphin site, it takes me to Starwood. TIA

Laurie

Do you have an account on SPG.com? If not, create an account, link it to your Marriott account, and transfer your Marriott points to SPG. Then you can book Swan/Dolphin using points on SPG.com. Note that the transfer rate is 3 Marriott points --> 1 SPG point.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I would think this was mostly in the earlier AM hours? Going over to the Swan would alleviate that, yes.

One of the additional reasons I prefer the Swan.

And another negative bus experience again this morning. At 10:30 the bus to AK was packed and a large group of people at The Dolphin didn’t get on. Arrived 2/3 full from Swan. Took forever to load.

I thought we’d be ok at 10:30, 2.5 hours after park opening. Still should have walked to Swan.

 

[krysenchips]

I'm going to be staying at the Swan this weekend arriving about 11 am saturday and am wondering if I should just drive to the TTC for my day at MK. I'm following up MK with a quick late night jaunt over to AK to see Rivers of Light.

Should I drive, or do you think that buses will be okay?

 

[dansdad]

I'm going to be staying at the Swan this weekend arriving about 11 am saturday and am wondering if I should just drive to the TTC for my day at MK. I'm following up MK with a quick late night jaunt over to AK to see Rivers of Light.

Should I drive, or do you think that buses will be okay?

We prefer the buses, especially to MK.

 

[Lpamama]

And another negative bus experience again this morning. At 10:30 the bus to AK was packed and a large group of people at The Dolphin didn’t get on. Arrived 2/3 full from Swan. Took forever to load.

I thought we’d be ok at 10:30, 2.5 hours after park opening. Still should have walked to Swan.

Has anyone tried hopping on the Yacht Club or Boardwalk hotel buses as an option? We'll be there starting Sunday and won't have access to a car and will want to get there ASAP.

Also, can anyone ascertain if it's "regular" people staying this week at the Dolphin/Swan? Next week is supposed to be a HUGE conference, so I'm hoping hotel guests will mostly be conference attendees with a few tagalong family members using the buses...

 

[LoveMyDogTheDoodle]

Hi! Not sure if anyone can help, but I grabbed a great deal today on a room at the Dolphin via Hotwire. Where/how do I find the reservation number that I need to use to link to MDE? Or will I even be able to since it's through Hotwire? Thanks in advance!

I was able to get an amazing deal on Hotwire as well for August. Were you able to get your Disney reservation directly from the Dolphin? I researched and found that some people had luck going through Hotwire and asking them to contact the hotel to get the reservation number. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[JerseyJanice]

Has anyone tried hopping on the Yacht Club or Boardwalk hotel buses as an option? We'll be there starting Sunday and won't have access to a car and will want to get there ASAP.

Also, can anyone ascertain if it's "regular" people staying this week at the Dolphin/Swan? Next week is supposed to be a HUGE conference, so I'm hoping hotel guests will mostly be conference attendees with a few tagalong family members using the buses...

If you are experiencing the same kind of bus service that this poster is at the Dolphin, walking over to the Swan would be your best option.

However, on the ride back from the parks, you can hop on the Yacht Club or Boardwalk bus if one is there before the S/D bus.

 

[JJ2017]

If you are experiencing the same kind of bus service that this poster is at the Dolphin, walking over to the Swan would be your best option.

However, on the ride back from the parks, you can hop on the Yacht Club or Boardwalk bus if one is there before the S/D bus.

Are they all in the same bus area?

 

[JerseyJanice]

Are they all in the same bus area?

There are two stops at the resort. One outside the lobby of the Swan and the other outside the Dolphin lobby. @AtlantaDisneyDreamer is experiencing buses arriving at the Dolphin already full from a stop at the Swan.

If that happens, walking over to the Swan stop would be a good option.

 

[Surgie2]

Does a Swan/Dolphin give the opportunity to make FP at 60 days out...and if so do reservations need to be made through Disney or can they be made on the Starwood site and still have Disney benefits?

 

[JJ2017]

There are two stops at the resort. One outside the lobby of the Swan and the other outside the Dolphin lobby. @AtlantaDisneyDreamer is experiencing buses arriving at the Dolphin already full from a stop at the Swan.

If that happens, walking over to the Swan stop would be a good option.

Thanks for the response. I was referring to the return buses. Are the buses for BC/BWI/Swan and Dolphin all in the same bus area? So we can easily gauge which one to jump on?

 

[JJ2017]

Does a Swan/Dolphin give the opportunity to make FP at 60 days out...and if so do reservations need to be made through Disney or can they be made on the Starwood site and still have Disney benefits?

You can make them on the Starwood site and then it takes 24-48 hours to link to MDE. You can make 60 day FPs easily.