So What are the Can's and Can'ts of Dolphin & Swan?

[Wendybird55]

I just found out on another thread the you can now book FP+ 60 days out if staying at Swan or Dolphin which is good to hear...

I've never stayed at either, but love the area they're in (stay at BWV a lot).
I know they are not "technically" Disney resorts, but they seem so darn close...

So can anyone give me the full lowdown on difference between staying at Swan or Dolphin as opposed to an onsite Disney resort?

ME? Dining Plan? EMH? etc.

Thanks!

 

[Bob P]

Hi neighbor!

No dining plan and no Magical Express at the Swolphin.

I think there are other restrictions but I know those two off the top of my head.

 

[MiamiMere]

We just returned from 7 nights at the Dolphin for the 2nd year in a row. We love the location and the resort is awesome!

No dining plan but they have a ton of restaurants and ice cream on site (plus you can walk to the boardwalk or beach club to eat)

No magic bands for room keys/charging. You can buy the bands and link them to your tickets/memory maker but it will be $15 each.

You can use disney transportion (buses or boat). I think one of the negatives of this resort is the bussing, it's pretty terrible. Shared buses with Boardwalk and Swan, so multiple stops.

You can get in early/stay late with extra magic hours.

Hope this helps.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

No charging to the room, no package delivery.

I haven't found the buses to be any better/worse than the other deluxe hotels. Your walk to the Studios is very short, and the walk to Epcot isn't terrible. The bus to the MK stops at the Swan, Dolphin, and BW. The worst is the bus to DTD - it stops at the Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, Yacht Club, and Beach Club. Yikes! I think the AK bus does this as well. If you're going to be spending a lot of time (especially evenings at park closing when the buses really suck!) at Epcot and the Studios, you'll be fine.

Last Easter I scored a room for under $200 per night via Expedia at the Dolphin when the other Epcot resorts wanted $500/$600 per night! I was still able to use EMH and do the 7 AM Magic Kingdom opening, and it was fabulous. Oh, and the BEDS at the S/D can't be beat.

 

[Xanadu]

I've stayed at the dolphin so many times, and going back next week. I've stayed at broadwalk,beach club both couple times.Our kids love the dolphin.The lobby is huge and has twinkling lights on ceiling.The feel of hotel is huge.
Its also a Starwood hotel,so you can use your member benefits here.You will get points for stay.You can also use your points for free nights here.
they have kids meal plan $25 each,You can use your AAA card as well for food.
you do have to pay for parking,also resort fee with room,fee for food,(surcharge)
But even if you add the resort fee it's still cheaper then Beach,boardwalk hotel.
( by a lot) My rate is 159 without resort fee) still cheaper.
Lots of good food to pick from, does have club for kids too.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I've stayed at the dolphin so many times, and going back next week. I've stayed at broadwalk,beach club both couple times.Our kids love the dolphin.The lobby is huge and has twinkling lights on ceiling.The feel of hotel is huge.
Its also a Starwood hotel,so you can use your member benefits here.You will get points for stay.You can also use your points for free nights here.
they have kids meal plan $25 each,You can use your AAA card as well for food.
you do have to pay for parking,also resort fee with room,fee for food,(surcharge)
But even if you add the resort fee it's still cheaper then Beach,boardwalk hotel.
( by a lot) My rate is 159 without resort fee) still cheaper.
Lots of good food to pick from, does have club for kids too.

How do the actual rooms compare to BC and BW?
Are the rooms quiet?
Thanks!

 

[SchmittyUD]

Sorry if this is stupid but how do guests at S/D use FP+ In the park if we don't buy magic bands? Just use the key?

 

[MiamiMere]

Sorry if this is stupid but how do guests at S/D use FP+ In the park if we don't buy magic bands? Just use the key?

Yes, you just swipe your key card at the fastpass machines. It actually seemed a little faster than the bands because you have to get the bands lined up just right for them to scan, cards were an easy swipe.

 

[MiamiMere]

How do the actual rooms compare to BC and BW?
Are the rooms quiet?
Thanks!

I can only compare to AKL but the rooms at Dolphin are bigger than the Savannah view room we had at AKL one year. I never notice any noise and I request to be close to the elevators so I don't have to haul 2 kids and the stroller down the long hallways.

 

[SchmittyUD]

Yes, you just swipe your key card at the fastpass machines. It actually seemed a little faster than the bands because you have to get the bands lined up just right for them to scan, cards were an easy swipe.

Thank you!!!

 

[Tess]

no package delivery.

Swan and Dolphin do have package delivery from the parks, we use it all the time. Pick up is the Disney gift store located within both resorts.

We prefer the Dolphin, but enjoy both resorts and will be staying again this fall. You can't beat the rate for the location even when the extra fees are added.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I can only compare to AKL but the rooms at Dolphin are bigger than the Savannah view room we had at AKL one year. I never notice any noise and I request to be close to the elevators so I don't have to haul 2 kids and the stroller down the long hallways.

Thanks! Was the room as nice (furnishings, bed, carpet etc)?

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I just found out on another thread the you can now book FP+ 60 days out if staying at Swan or Dolphin which is good to hear...

I've never stayed at either, but love the area they're in (stay at BWV a lot).
I know they are not "technically" Disney resorts, but they seem so darn close...

So can anyone give me the full lowdown on difference between staying at Swan or Dolphin as opposed to an onsite Disney resort?

ME? Dining Plan? EMH? etc.

Thanks!

No DME or Dining Plan.

Yes on EMH
Yes on package delivery
EXACT same transportation as the other Epcot area hotels (they share the buses and boats.) Granted that means it's not good but it's not any worse either.

And... with the over $100 a night savings I can eat a lot better then on the DDP (Swan/Dolphin have some wonderful restaurants, perhaps because they aren't' on the minimal DDP reimbursement plan)


Bed quality is WONDERFUL. Starwood is well known for having the BEST beds in the industry and these live up to the hype.

Join the rewards program. My last stay was FREE because, unlike Disney, Starwood rewards guests for staying with them. (IMHO Disney penalizes them, when I used to stay on property I never got a discount offer while people who NEVER stay on property get them constantly)!

I won't stay at a Disney owned hotel anymore (they want what for THAT) so these are my "go to" options. If I can't get in there I am offsite! Be sure to check for discounts. If you are a teacher or a nurse they have great rates. The DIS home page often has links to good discounts as does ALLEARS.Net. They give an AP discount, AAA discount etc....

 

[Wendybird55]

Thanks for the info...they are very tempting choices especially since I really like that area.

I called and check on room-only rates for when we go down in Sept. The cost is about $275 more than POP plus an additional $120 + tips for round trip Mears taxi to and from airport. So we're looking at about $400 more.

It's still MUCH better than a Disney deluxe and very tempting. BUT...since our Sept. trip is about 4 weeks after our Aug. trip I think it would be wiser to stick with what we have and let DH spend the savings at F&W. However, I now will keep Swan and Dolphin in the back of my mind for future Disney trips.

 

[msteddom]

For that amount of money I would do it in a heartbeat! The level of amenities offered between the two choices, plus being walking distance from two parks makes the Dolphin the hands down winner!

 

[snorkelyn]

The rates at the Swolphin are not always substantially lower. I will be at WDW for 9 nights in September. The Dolphin is sold out (must be a convention) and the Swan standard room rate is $179. By the time I add in the 12.5% taxes and the $20/day resort fee and $150 for RT transportation/tip from the airport, the final cost is $2142.00.

I was able to book a bounceback room only discount (which, I believe is now now offered to the public) at Yacht Club- garden view (will probably be better than a standard view at Dolphin plus I know I'll get a balcony) the total cost is $2487.00

So, the difference is $345 over 9 nights. Not a huge difference. We chose YC to officially be ON Disney property, and to have Storm along Bay.

I know sometimes the Swolphin offers better deals, but don't assume it will always be significantly better.

 

[mousefan73]

as other have mentioned, really do the math..
Besides room rate, you need to add, taxes, resort fees, parking, transfer to/from MCO etc... Though many have said it's still cheaper than Disney's mods/Deluxes.

 

[patty57]

as other have mentioned, really do the math..
Besides room rate, you need to add, taxes, resort fees, parking, transfer to/from MCO etc... Though many have said it's still cheaper than Disney's mods/Deluxes.

Yes to this. The Swan/Dolphin have become our go to resorts after years of BC & BW. You can't compare their prices to the values...they cost more, but they are often comparable to the moderates, and almost always less expensive than the deluxe resorts. For us, it is all about the location, plus we really like the Swan/Dolphin resorts, pools and pool bars. Although as another poster stated, it was only a few hundred less for her than the Yacht Club over nine days, I've always saved considerably more than that with either a nurse's, or AAA discount. If I had a situation like the above with a BB at the Yacht Club, I would probably stay there.

 

[POOHsie]

Swan and Dolphin have free parking at the theme park lots. Just show your key card. I've stayed at both, and the rooms are spacious and attractive, as are the resorts in their entirety. Great food choices and you can eat/spend $ at either resort and charge to your room key card. Nice places to stay.

 

[thisismyusername]

Try looking on some of the travel websites, like Expedia, Orbitz, Hotels, Cheaptickets, etc. We're driving down next month, and planned to get in really late--like 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. late--and didn't want to spend $300 to sleep at the Yacht Club (which is where our reservation is). So I found an Orbitz deal for $129 for the Dolphin. It was cheaper than the AAA rate, and cheaper than the rate I got when I called the hotel direct. With the resort fee, parking and taxes, I'm paying less than what I would have paid to stay at POR in a river room (cheapest category available) with an AP discount--and I have a super easy move in the morning.

Just a note, too: If you have kids + 2 adults staying in your room, Orbitz charges per head and charges an extra fee for kids on your reservation. As long as you aren't exceeding the hotel room's occupancy (4 people for regular Swan rooms, 5 people for regular Dolphin rooms), you can make the reservation for 2 adults through Orbitz and then call the Swan or Dolphin directly and have them modify your reservation. They will add your children onto the reservation for free. (Wait about 24 hours--it takes a while for your Orbitz reservation to pop up in their systems.)