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

[lovingthemouse]

5 week countdown! Have missed the Dolphin and are looking forward to all the renovation changes!

 

[lovingthemouse]

5 week countdown! Have missed the Dolphin and are looking forward to all the renovation changes!

I meant to ask if the Friendship boats are running again?

 

[ww52]

Latest estimate (a few pages back) says 6/29. Hopefully you're good. They ARE operating, but not to HS yet.

We're there in about 3 weeks. We're hopeful they make it before then.

 

[WVMomof3]

I meant to ask if the Friendship boats are running again?

Epcot - yes, Hollywood Studios - no.

 

[lovingthemouse]

Epcot - yes, Hollywood Studios - no.

Thanks

 

[lovingthemouse]

Epcot - yes, Hollywood Studios - no.

Arrive Aug 2 nd - hope they are running to both parks by then.

 

[LabMouse]

Thank you for the trip report! Were magic bands are not included with your Swan reservation? The last time I stayed there, magic bands did not exist. I still have several from other trips at other Disney resorts. My last one is from March 2017. My husband's last magic band is probably from 2015. Now I'm wondering if they will still work.
What transportation did you use from the airport, if any?

No, S/D don't get included magic bands. Older bands will still work - the only thing they won't do is automatically pick up your ride photos or videos to your Photopass account. But you can scan your band at the display screens as you come off the ride if you want them. I didn't remember that and had gotten Memory Maker for our trip, so I wanted to be sure we got the ride photos. Otherwise we would've just used older bands.

We drove down so didn't have airport transport to worry about. The parking fee is a bit crazy, but now it's at the Disney-run resorts too, so, oh well.

This is a bit concerning, in that we are staying at the Dolphin soon.

We got our magic bands recently (they are NOT included with S/D - have to buy separately) and my son linked them. But since the MDE app upgrade, our reservation no longer shows. Since we have our fast passes already (over a month a ago) I figured it didn't matter.

However, we bought our tickets separate from the room reservation. Was that the issue? I'm also curious to hear if anyone had anything similar

Ours were a package with the room reservation, so that may have been the issue. We didn't lose any FPs with the confusion, so that was nice (in fact they gave us another freebie for the time we had to spend getting it fixed). They said the system saw we had a room reservation, so it let us make our 60-day FPs, but that the tickets, despite being part of the package with the room and booked through the WDW site, weren't showing and it was something the Swan had to do to make them show. With separately purchased tickets you should be fine!

 

[patty57]

Good.

Not so good.

Ha ha...no it isn't.

 

[Dave006]

We got our magic bands recently (they are NOT included with S/D - have to buy separately) and my son linked them. But since the MDE app upgrade, our reservation no longer shows. Since we have our fast passes already (over a month a ago) I figured it didn't matter.

You should get this resolved before you arrive if possible. You want your Hotel reservation linked in MDE to allow you to enjoy the benefits of EMH at the parks. While you can use your S&D room keys, having the information tied to your MDE and available via MBs is much easier.

You can easily relink your reservation in the MDE app. Go to the My Plans section, Link Hotel option. You just need your confirmation number and Last name. You also might be seeing the often reported disconnect between the MDE app and MDE via the Disney web site. Often the MDE information on the web site is up to date while the MDE app can be delayed in reporting that latest information.

Link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/plan/

Dave

 

[ww52]

You can easily relink your reservation in the MDE app.

Thanks Dave.

We have two confirmation numbers. Do we only need to link one for the group?

I see the need now (EMH) - so we'll want to do this. I can't quickly summarize the issues we've had with MDE so far - though a call to the help desk always worked (though twice it took the rep about 20 minutes).

A lot of that came from "ignorance" - my trying to set up my account for the trip and my son doing the same as well. Two "Leaders of the Club" was not meant for MDE. (See what I did there?)

So maybe we'll just call again.

 

[Dan Murphy]

My last one is from March 2017. My husband's last magic band is probably from 2015. Now I'm wondering if they will still work.

Yours from 2017 should work for both long (ride videos, ride 'extras') and short RFID (park entry, fastpass). Your husband's from 2015, maybe just short. Only one person with long is needed on a ride, not everybody.

 

[happymommy]

Hello! Just booked a stay at the Dolphin with my family. There are 5 of us - husband, myself and 3 kids. I know how they fit 5 into other resorts, but how does it work at the Dolphin. Is there a couch similar to Beach Club or do they bring a cot in?

Thanks for any info!!

They will bring in a rollaway, which usually has a nightly fee (I think it's $25 a night).

 

[Jerry2]

Arrive Aug 2 nd - hope they are running to both parks by then.

I BELIEVE that the Friendship boats are scheduled to be running to DHS again at the end of this week. I think I heard 6/29.

 

[RLGNC]

A few room request questions:

I will be putting in a room request soon, and really want connecting rooms since our teens will be in a room by themselves. Reading through previous posts it seems I should not also request a balcony as it is contradictory to connecting rooms due to the configuration of the balconies, but my question is in general what are the chances I won't get connecting rooms if requested (I'm fine with no balcony, but I assume at least one room will have a balcony if they're connecting)?

We have a resort view room booked. I assume this means a view of either Epcot or HS. Can I request Epcot view?

I would like to request a higher floor. Is this contradictory to connecting rooms?

Finally, I see that several people have mentioned requesting West Wing. Why is this preferred?

Yours from 2017 should work for both long (ride videos, ride 'extras') and short RFID (park entry, fastpass). Your husband's from 2015, maybe just short. Only one person with long is needed on a ride, not everybody.

Any idea if MBs from Aug 2016 will work for ride videos?

 

[WVMomof3]

A few room request questions:

I will be putting in a room request soon, and really want connecting rooms since our teens will be in a room by themselves. Reading through previous posts it seems I should not also request a balcony as it is contradictory to connecting rooms due to the configuration of the balconies, but my question is in general what are the chances I won't get connecting rooms if requested (I'm fine with no balcony, but I assume at least one room will have a balcony if they're connecting)?

We have a resort view room booked. I assume this means a view of either Epcot or HS. Can I request Epcot view?

I would like to request a higher floor. Is this contradictory to connecting rooms?

Finally, I see that several people have mentioned requesting West Wing. Why is this preferred?



Any idea if MBs from Aug 2016 will work for ride videos?

We just returned from the Swan. We were told at Check in we were “upgraded” to resort View and we would see fireworks. I have no idea what their different View levels are as this was our first stay. Our room was on the 2nd floor facing the dolphin which is not in the direction of either park. Our view was of the big tree on the right corner side of the building and that is about all we could see. We decided that resort view must mean the Dolphin resort and there must be a “theme park” view that he was confused with. We were actually in our room the first night during fireworks we could hear but definitely not see. Every other night we were out so it really didn’t matter to us though we said we would have been mad if we paid extra for a resort view.

 

[Dan Murphy]

A few room request questions:

I will be putting in a room request soon, and really want connecting rooms since our teens will be in a room by themselves. Reading through previous posts it seems I should not also request a balcony as it is contradictory to connecting rooms due to the configuration of the balconies, but my question is in general what are the chances I won't get connecting rooms if requested (I'm fine with no balcony, but I assume at least one room will have a balcony if they're connecting)?

We have a resort view room booked. I assume this means a view of either Epcot or HS. Can I request Epcot view?

I would like to request a higher floor. Is this contradictory to connecting rooms?

Finally, I see that several people have mentioned requesting West Wing. Why is this preferred?



Any idea if MBs from Aug 2016 will work for ride videos?

I know nothing about connecting room limitations. I am sure others will respond here for you.

Resort view room would generally be a view of the Dolphin. You could request theme park view, and more specifically, Epcot. Higher floor request is fine.

I prefer east wing at the Swan, closer to the parks, as well as a possible view of Epcot. West wing in the Swan is closer to the pools.

 

[RLGNC]

We decided that resort view must mean the Dolphin resort and there must be a “theme park” view that he was confused with.

Resort view room would generally be a view of the Dolphin. You could request theme park view, and more specifically, Epcot. Higher floor request is fine.

I prefer east wing at the Swan, closer to the parks, as well as a possible view of Epcot. West wing in the Swan is closer to the pools.

Of course "resort" view would mean the resort and not the park. I'm not sure what I was thinking.

Dan - I apologize, I was not clear. We are actually staying at the Dolphin. So I guess "resort" view would be view of the Swan? Does that change your answer regarding the west wing (is that the wing closer to the parks at the Dolphin) and view of Epcot (is that possible at the Dolphin)?

Thanks again!

 

[LabMouse]

A few room request questions:
I will be putting in a room request soon, and really want connecting rooms since our teens will be in a room by themselves. Reading through previous posts it seems I should not also request a balcony as it is contradictory to connecting rooms due to the configuration of the balconies, but my question is in general what are the chances I won't get connecting rooms if requested (I'm fine with no balcony, but I assume at least one room will have a balcony if they're connecting)?

Not necessarily. We were given a room with no balcony, and it was a connecting room to another no-balcony room.

 

[MarBee]

For those of you that have booked on points then upgraded to a balcony with cash, could you tell me how much you’ve paid? Just wondering if it’s worth it for our week stay...

 

[RLGNC]

Not necessarily. We were given a room with no balcony, and it was a connecting room to another no-balcony room.

Interesting, thanks for the info!