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

[SteveH]

@Ohanaof3 yes they will. Talk to the bell stand but basically you will take your bags do them on our departure day.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Either way, Disney to S/D or the reverse. Both work just fine.

 

[Ohanaof3]

Thanks! Looking forward to this vacation!

 

[MinnieMSue]

Can you use a Disney gift card at garden grove? I know you can use it at many non Disney restaurants and stores like in Springs but wonder if it can be used at Garden Grove. Thanks

 

[Dan Murphy]

Can you use a Disney gift card at garden grove? I know you can use it at many non Disney restaurants and stores like in Springs but wonder if it can be used at Garden Grove. Thanks

No, Disney gift cards not accepted.

 

[PolyAddict]

It has been a long time since staying at the Swan but considering switching from Coronado. Have questions...

Can the $50 AAA credit be used towards parking?
Do they offer AP rates that beat AAA?
Does anyone know if I cancel Coronado will I lose Fast passes (We have APs)

Thanks

 

[thor369]

Do you get Magic band if staying at the Swana nd Dolphin resorts? How do these resorts compare to POP, we will be travelling with little kids and trying to figure out which would be a good option for us.
Food court
Transportation
Theme
Pools etc.

 

[shoreward]

It has been a long time since staying at the Swan but considering switching from Coronado. Have questions...


Do they offer AP rates that beat AAA?
Does anyone know if I cancel Coronado will I lose Fast passes (We have APs)

I believe AP discount is 5%, while AAA is up to 15%.
I would not cancel CSR till you have booked Swan and have Swan rez listed in MDE.

Do you get Magic band if staying at the Swana nd Dolphin resorts? How do these resorts compare to POP, we will be travelling with little kids and trying to figure out which would be a good option for us.
Food court
Transportation
Theme
Pools etc.

You are not given complimentary MBs at Swan or Dolphin; you can, however purchase them or use old ones, from a prior visit. You can't open room doors or charge back to the Swan or Dolphin using MBs.

There is a lot of information on their website, as well as their newsletter.

The pools and kids activities are very good.

Disney motorcoaches are available from the resorts to MK and AK, while the Friendship boats will transport you to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. The dock is right between the Swan and Dolphin.

There are a few food options at the Swan, but many more at the Dolphin.

You will not find much Disney theming at the Swan and Dolphin, but there are character meals at the Swan.

https://www.swandolphin.com/ebrochure/ebrochure.pdf
https://www.swandolphin.com/kids/index.html

Newsletter sign-up: https://www.swandolphin.com/signup/

 

[thor369]

This will be our first trip and travelling with two little kids, I think the swan and dolphin will give us more room space. On their website I saw room with fireworks view, can you see fire works from some of the rooms?
Any other advantage to staying at this resort vs. POP.
I would like to buy the MB, just as a keepsake.

 

[jennypenny]

The advantage over Pop is that it's walkable to HS and Epcot. I also like the pool area at the dolphin and the boardwalk dining and entertainment.

 

[SteveH]

There really is no comparison from Swan/Dolphin to Pop! The S/D is on par with a Deluxe resort but often priced more like a Moderate. The Swan had Queen beds, the Dolphin has Doubles. The Swan bathrooms have 2 sinks one in the bathroom/shower area, the other outside by the closet.

Yes you can have a view room, but you need to reserve that room type and of course pay for it. You might get an upgrade but my philosophy is if you want it and it's important pay for it.

Swan/Dolphin has a number of restaurants from high end to food court, plus they do have a Character Meal option too. You can find more out here: https://www.swandolphinrestaurants.com/

If you are a member of Costco do check out their Travel deals, a few weeks ago there was a special that was running. I only wish we were going back when that special was available. We used the Costco deal on our last trip in Jan 2018. We opted to purchase Magic Bands on our own. Both hotels also have Disney Planning Center they are very helpful too. Here is a list of some of the benefits; https://www.swandolphin.com/aboutus/benefits.html

Be sure to check out the very first page of this thread, Dan has done an amazing job of gathering and maintaining a lot of information.

 

[thor369]

@SteveH thanks for the links and encouraging me to read the first page, it does have a lot of information.
Considering POP is coming out to be around $950 and the swan/dophin around $1200 fro non refundable advance purchase, I think I dont mind paying the extra $300 for more amenities and space.
I think Swan will be better as it has queen beds vs dolphins doubles, also is there a pull out couch etc?

One think I quite didn't get is which wing to request for firworks view?
I will check the costco deal.

 

[shoreward]

This will be our first trip and travelling with two little kids, I think the swan and dolphin will give us more room space. On their website I saw room with fireworks view, can you see fire works from some of the rooms?
Any other advantage to staying at this resort vs. POP.
I would like to buy the MB, just as a keepsake.

The Swan is categorized as a Deluxe resort, while POP is a Value. All of the corridors are interior at the Swan, unlike POP, which has exterior corridors. Yes, you can book a Fireworks view, but it could be EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, MK, or more than one park's fireworks. If you want an EPCOT view, request the east wing, facing EPCOT. From that side you could see some of both EPCOT and MK fireworks, but you will see higher fireworks; you won't be able to see laser portion or lower images. You can see some of the Hollywood Studios fireworks by standing outside the back entrance of the Swan or on some of the bridges in the area. You can also sometimes see the fireworks from the Friendship boats, which run between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, with intermediate stops at the Boardwalk, Yacht Club/Beach Club, and Swan Dolphin, if you time it right.

Be sure to buy at least one MagicBand, which you can do in advance of your trip, so that all of your tickets, resort and dining reservations, and FastPass reservations can be linked to the band. If you have not done so, set up My Disney Experience accounts for everyone in your family who will be on the trip. You can order the Magic Bands online from:

https://www.shopdisney.com/collections/magicband?CMP=KNC-DSPParksAndResortsGoogle&EFC=458025&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMIjve806GZ4gIVeSCtBh3aEwMVEAAYASAAEgJ0svD_BwE:G:s&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjve806GZ4gIVeSCtBh3aEwMVEAAYASAAEgJ0svD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&s-kwcid=AL!5079!3!223302891310!b!!g!!disney store magic bands

Have fun planning! If you have questions about rooms, call in-house reservations for the Swan/Dolphin.
Tel (407) 934-3000

 

[Ariel1080]

@SteveH thanks for the links and encouraging me to read the first page, it does have a lot of information.
Considering POP is coming out to be around $950 and the swan/dophin around $1200 fro non refundable advance purchase, I think I dont mind paying the extra $300 for more amenities and space.
I think Swan will be better as it has queen beds vs dolphins doubles, also is there a pull out couch etc?

One think I quite didn't get is which wing to request for firworks view?
I will check the costco deal.

The Swan and Dolphin are definitely much better hotels in terms of location and amenities. The only thing that might make POP a better choice for you is because you said you have little kids. They would definitely enjoy the in your face Disney theming that POP has. Also, you would be able to use the Magical Express from the airport and purchase the dining plan. We have stayed at both, and when my children were younger they loved POP. Now that they are older, the Swan is one of their favorite hotels.

 

[thor369]

I thought about the theming aspect of POP, but since we will be visiting the parks and they will see disney anyways, if the hotel and rooms dont have that, i dont think they will care as much.
I don't think we will be buying the dining plan, as we will use mostly casual dining. The only think I want is some sort of character dining if I can get one booked now. But since I am plate to the planning, its ok, if we don't get one this time.

 

[Ariel1080]

I thought about the theming aspect of POP, but since we will be visiting the parks and they will see disney anyways, if the hotel and rooms dont have that, i dont think they will care as much.
I don't think we will be buying the dining plan, as we will use mostly casual dining. The only think I want is some sort of character dining if I can get one booked now. But since I am plate to the planning, its ok, if we don't get one this time.

Sounds good. The Swan has character dining which is very easy to get into, but usually only has 2 characters ( Goofy and Pluto ). All the parks have character dining, as do many of the onsite hotels. Just depends what type of food and characters you are looking for.

 

[thor369]

Yes, he is more into dinosaurs so found out about the t-rex cafe and gift shop, so planning on going there.
The biggest concern we have now is the timing, May 26th-May 31st getting good rates, but also may be very very crowded due to holiday weekend.
The next option is to go in october 1st week, but some people have suggested that it will be very crowded due to Start wars attraction.

 

[Ariel1080]

Yes, he is more into dinosaurs so found out about the t-rex cafe and gift shop, so planning on going there.
The biggest concern we have now is the timing, May 26th-May 31st getting good rates, but also may be very very crowded due to holiday weekend.
The next option is to go in october 1st week, but some people have suggested that it will be very crowded due to Start wars attraction.

Yes it will be very crowded because of Star Wars. He will love TREX. There aren't any characters, but the theming is amazing. Make sure you get there a little early because they have a little digging area with sand by the entrance that my boys loved!

 

[snappy]

I much prefer swan or Dolphin over Pop. It’s an easy walk to Epcot from swan or Dolphin. We usually stay at the Dolphin because we have had great success getting good views. We did have a good corner room at the Swan which had a great view of the HS fireworks. The beds and bedding are wonderful at these hotels, no comparison to what you find at Pop. I think you are right, your kids will have more than enough over the top theming at the parks. I find taking a break from the cartoonish type theming anyway is relaxing. Some of the restaurants give a discount if you have a AAA card. We spend time at both Epcot and the boardwalk at night. Walking to Epcot or taking the Friendship boats to HS beats the busses by a long shot for me.

 

[louiesmom]

When does the first boat head to HS? We have EMM scheduled at HS and my husband refuses to walk.

When is the first bus to MK? Is there a breakfast bus?

Do the bus times show in MDE once on property?

I am trying to decide whether to rent a car or not.

Thank you