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

[armerida]

What is the order the buses pick up? I would guess that they run out of room at some point? Am happy to walk the extra minutes if we can sit on the ride there. Anyone know the order they pick up?

Swan, then Dolphin, then Reserve. Drop off is the same order.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Swan, then Dolphin, then Reserve. Drop off is the same order.

I was wondering that also. That order sounds very logical.

 

[Poohlovr]

A quick review of our stay at the Swan, 4/19-4/28.
There were 3 of us-- my husband, our adult daughter and me.
We reserved an Executive Suite which was a regular queen/queen room and a parlor with a sleeper sofa, which is where our daughter slept.
Our room wasn't ready upon our arrival so we checked our luggage and headed off to the park.
We received a text around 330 that it was ready and we could pick up our room keys at any time.
When we did go to our room there was no linen for the sleeper sofa. Michelle sent a message via the app and had her linen and they made up the sofa for her.
She has Lupus and fibromyalgia. In order to get comfortable enough to sleep she uses multiple pillows. They were happy to provide as many pillows as she needed.
I don't know if it was because we had a suite or if things are getting back to normal but the housekeeper came daily.
Mike and Michelle drink a lot of coffee and she left extra coffee pods after being asked for extras once.
She also left 5 or 6 waters every day.
My daughter mentioned to her once that she really liked the shampoo. The next day she left several sets of the toiletries for her.

I have to tell you I can't tell when or how often linens were changed and I have to tell you why.

A few days before we left I had a bad fall at home and injured my neck. I had a CT scan in the ER and it didn't show any injury, but it still hurt.
Our first day we went to Magic Kingdom with plans to go to Epcot after we got settled in the hotel.
Well stupid me decides to ride my very favorite MK ride, BTMRR. And I cried and begged God to stop the ride. The pain shooting through my neck with every bump was excruciating.
We left the park after that.
The next morning I had pains shooting down my arms. Trying not to ruin this trip-- due to her illness, Michelle had not been to WDW for 17 years-- I man up to go to AK . My husband insisted on renting a wheelchair for me. This was a mistake. At the end of the day, the shooting pain was also in my legs. Before it was over I couldn't get out of the bed by myself.
I wasn't able to go back to the parks. I wasn't hungry. I ate 1 sandwich the entire week. 1/2 on 2 different days only because my husband kept trying to get me to eat.
It was miserable.
Anyway that's why I don't know about linens being changed. I only had my daughter take the trash into her room to be emptied.

Our bathrooms were the older ones with the tubs, per my request. I really didn't notice any signs of aging.
I saw mention earlier of ants? I think. We didn't see any bugs of any sort.
We had a resort view which was a view of TOT.
Mike and Michelle went to Picabu and both commented on how it's just not a good as it used to be when there was a big selection of food.
They did stop at the Fountain and enjoyed their cheeseburgers and sandwiches but commented on how food is cheaper in the parks.

Disney did convert my unused days to a Disney gift card, which totally surprised me.

 

[Erica Ladd]

We arrive on Saturday for our first stay ever at the Swan. I believe it’s a standard room, no view. Any recommendations for what I might request to make the best of it?

 

[SteveH]

@Erica Ladd if you can ask if there are any upgrades, generally those are paid options for view rooms or balcony rooms, but asking never hurts and you are free to decline plus it give them a chance to see where your room is and if they might be able to find a bit of a better room in your room class.

 

[sghokie]

Man this story really bothers me. I am a platinum elite too. I just don't understand the pettiness of Marriott in all this.

https://abc7news.com/sf-marriot-tourist-bag-stolen-lawsuit-crime/11793318/

 

[Erica Ladd]

@Erica Ladd if you can ask if there are any upgrades, generally those are paid options for view rooms or balcony rooms, but asking never hurts and you are free to decline plus it give them a chance to see where your room is and if they might be able to find a bit of a better room in your room class.

Thanks much! I will definitely ask and DH may want just do it either way!

 

[Disney Ron]

We just booked a resort view at Swan through Express on Priceline. There are 4 of us will we definitely get 2 Queens or could we get king with sleeper sofa? All it said was the room slept 4 but we need 2 Queens.

 

[lowlight]

Man this story really bothers me. I am a platinum elite too. I just don't understand the pettiness of Marriott in all this.

https://abc7news.com/sf-marriot-tourist-bag-stolen-lawsuit-crime/11793318/

Yup, there is an actual term for it now- getting "bonvoy'd". What a far cry from SPG it has become, I literally can't spend my points fast enough to get away from this "loyalty" club. You can read that story and think "hey, maybe the law will be updated", but what's more likely to happen is Marriott is going to stop holding your luggage while you wait.

 

[SteveH]

We just booked a resort view at Swan through Express on Priceline. There are 4 of us will we definitely get 2 Queens or could we get king with sleeper sofa? All it said was the room slept 4 but we need 2 Queens.

Seems like you "should" get 2 queens, but it all depends on Priceline and what rooms they bought from the Swan. You might use the SDR app and click on I'm on Property and shoot them a text via the Text Us! option.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Swan, then Dolphin, then Reserve. Drop off is the same order.

The order does vary. We were at the Dolphin last week and took the bus twice to MK and the order for pick up was Dolphin, Swan Reserve then Swan. Drop off was reverse,Swan, SR and then Dolphin. I just think it depends where your bus originates from.

 

[Disney Ron]

Seems like you "should" get 2 queens, but it all depends on Priceline and what rooms they bought from the Swan. You might use the SDR app and click on I'm on Property and shoot them a text via the Text Us! option.

Thanks Steve I will contact them.

 

[sghokie]

Yup, there is an actual term for it now- getting "bonvoy'd". What a far cry from SPG it has become, I literally can't spend my points fast enough to get away from this "loyalty" club. You can read that story and think "hey, maybe the law will be updated", but what's more likely to happen is Marriott is going to stop holding your luggage while you wait.

It was probably their corporate lawyers in some sort of contest.
I am thinking of switching to hyatt, but I love coming to SD.
Strongly conflicted.

 

[SteveH]

@lowlight @sghokie to some degree I get it, if the don't fight it in court they set a possible precedent. But Marriott really should have done the right thing from the start. Since the property is a Marriott Marquis I am pretty sure that is 100% owned by Corporate - unlike SDR which is owned by Tishman. Reading more about this sounds like the guy in question, Bob Sabouni, sued in small claims court which limits amount to $10,000 and no attorney. There is reference to another near identical case, taylor versus forte hotels international - which went the other way based on negligence of the employee. But in that case from what I've skimmed over attorneys were involved and the same "inn keepers law" was used but overruled.

Bottom line is this looks bad for Marriott, as it should.

 

[sghokie]

@lowlight @sghokie to some degree I get it, if the don't fight it in court they set a possible precedent. But Marriott really should have done the right thing from the start. Since the property is a Marriott Marquis I am pretty sure that is 100% owned by Corporate - unlike SDR which is owned by Tishman. Reading more about this sounds like the guy in question, Bob Sabouni, sued in small claims court which limits amount to $10,000 and no attorney. There is reference to another near identical case, taylor versus forte hotels international - which went the other way based on negligence of the employee. But in that case from what I've skimmed over attorneys were involved and the same "inn keepers law" was used but overruled.

Bottom line is this looks bad for Marriott, as it should.

They went off a 150 year old law limiting the damages to $500 per bag.
The limit in small claims was $5000 which is what he was awarded in the original settlement.
The bad press this has attracted certainly isn't worth the money they saved.

 

[lowlight]

They went off a 150 year old law limiting the damages to $500 per bag.
The limit in small claims was $5000 which is what he was awarded in the original settlement.
The bad press this has attracted certainly isn't worth the money they saved.

Marriott has lost their way. I love the Swolphin, but I think that era is coming to an end for me when the Bonvoy pricing changes happen in 2023.

 

[rlk]

A few days before we left I had a bad fall at home and injured my neck. I had a CT scan in the ER and it didn't show any injury, but it still hurt.
Our first day we went to Magic Kingdom with plans to go to Epcot after we got settled in the hotel.
Well stupid me decides to ride my very favorite MK ride, BTMRR. And I cried and begged God to stop the ride. The pain shooting through my neck with every bump was excruciating.
We left the park after that.
The next morning I had pains shooting down my arms. Trying not to ruin this trip-- due to her illness, Michelle had not been to WDW for 17 years-- I man up to go to AK . My husband insisted on renting a wheelchair for me. This was a mistake. At the end of the day, the shooting pain was also in my legs. Before it was over I couldn't get out of the bed by myself.
I wasn't able to go back to the parks. I wasn't hungry. I ate 1 sandwich the entire week. 1/2 on 2 different days only because my husband kept trying to get me to eat.
It was miserable.
Anyway that's why I don't know about linens being changed. I only had my daughter take the trash into her room to be emptied.

Our bathrooms were the older ones with the tubs, per my request. I really didn't notice any signs of aging.
I saw mention earlier of ants? I think. We didn't see any bugs of any sort.
We had a resort view which was a view of TOT.
Mike and Michelle went to Picabu and both commented on how it's just not a good as it used to be when there was a big selection of food.
They did stop at the Fountain and enjoyed their cheeseburgers and sandwiches but commented on how food is cheaper in the parks.

Disney did convert my unused days to a Disney gift card, which totally surprised me.

I am sorry that you were in so much pain. Did you see a doctor as soon as you returned home and are you feeling any better?

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

Marriott has lost their way. I love the Swolphin, but I think that era is coming to an end for me when the Bonvoy pricing changes happen in 2023.

More changes? They just switched to dynamic pricing for points

 

[lowlight]

More changes? They just switched to dynamic pricing for points

“The award chart will go away in March; however, we expect redemption rates for nearly all hotels – more than 97% – will continue to range between their current off-peak and peak redemption rates for stays throughout 2022. That means less than 3% of hotels will have redemption rates in a higher range than where they are currently in the award chart. For stays beyond 2022, we will adjust rates based more closely on hotel rates.”

Redemption rates didn’t change so much for most of the properties even when getting rid of categories, but it sounds like that is set to change in 2023. Basically sky is the limit.

 

[sghokie]

“The award chart will go away in March; however, we expect redemption rates for nearly all hotels – more than 97% – will continue to range between their current off-peak and peak redemption rates for stays throughout 2022. That means less than 3% of hotels will have redemption rates in a higher range than where they are currently in the award chart. For stays beyond 2022, we will adjust rates based more closely on hotel rates.”

Redemption rates didn’t change so much for most of the properties even when getting rid of categories, but it sounds like that is set to change in 2023. Basically sky is the limit.

I booked 5 nights at a regis for 295 points right before the change, after the change it went to 360k points. Not the end of the world, but 20% rate hike seems excessive.