Yes the Disney IS being lost...

[bryanb]

never stayed at swan and dolphin.. never even thought about it.. seems pricey.

I love the Swan and Dolphin for their location (and because I'm a Starwood member), and always check pricing on those two at SPG.com when planning a trip. If they're booked up, then sometimes it can be pricey just like the Disney-operated hotels. But I've often found really great deals. You're getting deluxe-style amenities and deluxe-style location without the Disney Deluxe markup. I've stayed for under $200/night several times, which is really a Disney moderate price.

The theming of the hotel is a matter of personal taste, but their staff are as friendly as Disney cast members. And the view outside your window is pure Walt Disney World, whether it be of Epcot, the Studios, the boats plying down the waters, or the Boardwalk. That location is truly amazing.

The Grand Californian is the very best Disney has to offer. It is gorgeous and whimsical and perfect. There are a lot of other Disney resorts that are awesome as well, but this one hits it out of the park.

Love the Grand Californian. I've been only able to stay there once during a conference. Unfortunately, it's probably one of the most expensive Disney resorts I've ever visited... so that does come at a cost.

 

[GreatLakes]

never stayed at swan and dolphin.. never even thought about it.. seems pricey.

It depends what you are comparing it to. If you want to stay at one of the Boardwalk area resorts and are comparing the S&D to the Boardwalk, YC or BC I don't think you'll sniff any of them for the price you can stay at the Swan or Dolphin. That has been my experience at least.

If you are comparing them to off property Starwood hotels or a value then they will look pricey but then you aren't really comparing like for like in either case.

 

[MrKnight]

The "Disney bubble" effect had already been eroding for me for some time anyway, as thoroughness of housekeeping declines in many of the rooms, same with janitorial service at park restrooms, no longer sufficient air conditioning in some of the indoor rides, and overall levels of service and quality have become less consistent. There are still many cast members providing excellent service, but it's become somewhat hit or miss depending on which ones are there.

I think part of this is due to age, it doesn't matter how many times a restroom or hotel room is deep cleaned, if the room is 10+ years old it is going to look old and tired, it is not Housekeeping's fault.. The real answer to all of this is more rehabs and renovations, that is where Disney should be investing its money rather than just building new things..

 

[disneysteve]

The "Disney bubble" effect had already been eroding for me for some time anyway, as thoroughness of housekeeping declines in many of the rooms, same with janitorial service at park restrooms, no longer sufficient air conditioning in some of the indoor rides, and overall levels of service and quality have become less consistent. There are still many cast members providing excellent service, but it's become somewhat hit or miss depending on which ones are there.

I think part of this is due to age, it doesn't matter how many times a restroom or hotel room is deep cleaned, if the room is 10+ years old it is going to look old and tired, it is not Housekeeping's fault.. The real answer to all of this is more rehabs and renovations, that is where Disney should be investing its money rather than just building new things..

MrKnight, I think there's some truth to that. Things like attraction air conditioning simply need to be replaced with modern efficient equipment if the current stuff is 15 or 20 years old. But things like dirty restrooms and poor service are totally due to staffing and training issues. The parks are busier than ever. That means they need more staff than ever, but Disney hasn't kept up. Just like so many other businesses, they are trying to squeeze every last bit of productivity out of each cast member to keep costs down and avoid hiring more people, but it just isn't working. The CMs are getting frustrated and burnt out and the guest experience is suffering. It's true that a guestroom carpet can only be cleaned so many times before it just looks grungy no matter what you do, but the age of a hotel or date since the last rehab should have no bearing on how friendly or efficient the check-in process is. We had an awful time when we stayed onsite back in June. Checking in was a total mess. No rehab or renovation would have fixed that (except maybe an overhaul of their entire computer system which is one place where Disney has always failed miserably).

 

[merrick]

i prefer the more subtle theming. we specifically chose CR for our first trip because as i was going thru the options for a family of 5, the more themed ones seemed like too much. i don't wanna be hit over the head with mickey shapes and theming everywhere. there is plenty of that in the parks, transit, shows and certainly the gift shops!

 

[Smittolis]

It is obviously all about personal preference with regards to what decor one does or doesn't like. While I enjoy the Disney theming personally, the biggest attraction to 'on-site' is transportation for my family. Having a fun loving family of 5 and often having grandparents etc... Having the ability to obtain transport too and from parks is essential. Of course, this can be achieved anywhere it is simply all about time, effort and a matter of convenience.

We have stayed all over the Disney Parks as well as a number of locations off-site. There are cost benefits for sure staying offsite, your money definitely goes further there! However, by the time you have all the kids in the mini-van, packed the stroller up, got in traffic, got to the hotel and then done the same on arrival, those savings don't seem so exciting lol

We choose to stay on the monorail resort line, although this is quickly becoming less of a benefit. People simply pack the mono-rail from the TTC so by the time it gets to Poly it is nigh on full, getting a full family and a stroller on there is getting tough, then the GF gets an even more packed monorail. So while you pay a premium for the location and the monorail transportation (and boats etc.) the benefit is quickly becoming a bit moot. We now choose to stay at the Wilderness Lodge and use the boats. We find the boats are not only quicker for the most part but we very rarely have to wait more than 1 boat... if at all, and this is with a family of 5-8 and a stroller. We get the benefits of a cool location and resort, but with some definitive cost savings over the Poly and others.

If we can swing it, we will stay at the Contemporary so we can simply walk too and from the park... taking the monorail to Epcot if we decide to go etc... Getting the Garden South rooms makes this economical if you can get the availability. This is the sweet spot for park use, but for overall vacation benefit we would go Wilderness lodge every time. Subtle theming and attention to detail is what makes Disney Disney to us!