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

[shoreward]

View attachment 290852 I do have a MK view, LOL.

The room is actually very nice as was breakfast at Fresh. We have evening FPs at AK so we’re taking this morning pretty slow.

This should give you a great fireworks view!

 

[Dan Murphy]

This should give you a great fireworks view!

Agreed.

 

[Galway]

Has anybody used the SPG Mobile Check In on their App? If you have used it, has it worked out well for you. I have made a few Room Requests and just wondering will they be taken into account if I use it, or would it be better to wait to Check In when we get to the Swan? We don't arrive there until around 8pm / 9pm in the evening.

Thanks for your help

 

[Dan Murphy]

If you made room requests I would do regular in-person check in.

 

[earfulofmagic]

Has anybody used the SPG Mobile Check In on their App? If you have used it, has it worked out well for you. I have made a few Room Requests and just wondering will they be taken into account if I use it, or would it be better to wait to Check In when we get to the Swan? We don't arrive there until around 8pm / 9pm in the evening.

Thanks for your help

I did SPG mobile checkin my first time visiting the Swan.
The requests I made were to please not give my room away (I was not arriving until 9-10 PM that night) and to keep me in the same room both nights. I had two reservations, originally booked one night then added on another a few days before the trip. I had booked a king room one night and two queens for the second, as it was all that was left -- and I got a really nice upgraded room! (Same room both nights.) So it seems that they take requests into account.

If you do online checkin, you still need to go to the front desk anyway to get your room keys made. So, I don't think it will hurt your requests to do the mobile checkin, it just "expedites" the checkin process. And it allows you to see your room number whenever it's assigned through the app -- I saw my room number around 10 AM that day.

 

[SA mom]

Now that we are getting reports of Prime Now working... I'm wondering about Safeway grocery delivery. Do we think it's the same as Garden Grocer (not allowed)? Or if I'm present for pick up will it be allowed? I plan to be at the resort the whole day on check in day so it wouldn't be a problem.

I was just wondering if anyone has tried the Safeway delivery to the Swan. We are going March and wanted a case of water and some beer.

 

[ontheuptick]

Hello all!

Question - if we check out of our room at 11:00, but want to use the pool and resort in the afternoon, are there shower/changing facilities right there by the Grotto pool somewhere? We would be hanging out until needing to leave for Hoop Dee Doo at 3:00 or so and would want to clean up a little..

 

[BaseballMoM2007]

Just back from our trip. Stayed one night on the front end of our trip at the Swan. LOVED the location and the walking distance to Epcot. We did one of the Christmas activity extras the Elf Tuck in. This was fantastic and well worth the money. We could see fireworks from Epcot and Hollywood Studios from our Room you had to stretch your neck a bit and be standing in a certain spot but honestly was still a treat we were not expecting. The cons there is really not quick service food available at the swan had to walk next door to the dolphin to get the kids a snack. I wish I hadn't walked to the Dolphin because Holy smokes that Lobby is stunning, they had live music, just a totally different vibe, and therefore made me a little disappointed I was in the Swan not the Dolphin. The other con for me is I had spent quite sometime saving up Disney Gift Cards to use for spending money on this trip so not being able to use them while I was at the swan was a negative for me but was something I did know ahead of time. Overall I think I would definitely stay there again if I could get a really good rate just for the proximity to Epcot.

 

[Tess]

Hello all!

Question - if we check out of our room at 11:00, but want to use the pool and resort in the afternoon, are there shower/changing facilities right there by the Grotto pool somewhere? We would be hanging out until needing to leave for Hoop Dee Doo at 3:00 or so and would want to clean up a little..

You didn't say which resort, although both have fitness centers--I have not used The Swan, but Dolphin has a great locker room with lockers, showers, electrical outlets, hair dryers, etc. We have often used that on our check out day--stow our bag in the lockers prior to check out, head to a park and return for a bit of pool time prior to heading home. We have also done that in reverse on check-in when our room was not yet ready. Works great!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Yes, the Swan is similar to the Dolphin that Tess described.

https://swandolphin.com/feedback/health.html.

Hello all!

Question - if we check out of our room at 11:00, but want to use the pool and resort in the afternoon, are there shower/changing facilities right there by the Grotto pool somewhere? We would be hanging out until needing to leave for Hoop Dee Doo at 3:00 or so and would want to clean up a little..

You didn't say which resort, although both have fitness centers--I have not used The Swan, but Dolphin has a great locker room with lockers, showers, electrical outlets, hair dryers, etc. We have often used that on our check out day--stow our bag in the lockers prior to check out, head to a park and return for a bit of pool time prior to heading home. We have also done that in reverse on check-in when our room was not yet ready. Works great!

 

[chris benton]

Just back from our trip. Stayed one night on the front end of our trip at the Swan. LOVED the location and the walking distance to Epcot. We did one of the Christmas activity extras the Elf Tuck in. This was fantastic and well worth the money. We could see fireworks from Epcot and Hollywood Studios from our Room you had to stretch your neck a bit and be standing in a certain spot but honestly was still a treat we were not expecting. The cons there is really not quick service food available at the swan had to walk next door to the dolphin to get the kids a snack. I wish I hadn't walked to the Dolphin because Holy smokes that Lobby is stunning, they had live music, just a totally different vibe, and therefore made me a little disappointed I was in the Swan not the Dolphin. The other con for me is I had spent quite sometime saving up Disney Gift Cards to use for spending money on this trip so not being able to use them while I was at the swan was a negative for me but was something I did know ahead of time. Overall I think I would definitely stay there again if I could get a really good rate just for the proximity to Epcot.

You have to weigh options, and some of them you have to figure out when you are there and experience first hand.
I picked Swan over Dolphin because of the beds - two queens vs two doubles or a king. For the next trip, I'm weighing the options of:

Dolphin:
Closer to the main pool complex
More restaurants

Those steps to the pool start to weigh on you after 4 days, imo.
I'm NOT staying in a double bed on vacation, tho - especially when sleeping is important.

I think for the price difference, we could make a king bed work.

Hey -
Is there a walking path STRAIGHT from Dolphin to BW / Epcot, or do you have to use the walkway over to swan, and walk through?

 

[Tess]

Hey -
Is there a walking path STRAIGHT from Dolphin to BW / Epcot, or do you have to use the walkway over to swan, and walk through?

Not really--you can walk the sidewalk from the Dolphin side but it goes in and out between the various "towers". For my money, it is a longer walk to do that than to use the causeway and go toward Swan. It is actually shorter to go through the Boardwalk area to get to EPCOT and the walkway to Studios is on the Swan side as well.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Closer to the main pool complex

Keep in mind that a distant room in the Dolphin could be much further to the pools than the Swan.

https://goo.gl/maps/XsccqhZfpEM2

Is there a walking path STRAIGHT from Dolphin to BW / Epcot, or do you have to use the walkway over to swan, and walk through?

YOu can walk but it would be a longer walk.

https://goo.gl/maps/XpoBs1J4nsx

 

[IsaKep15]

Recently returned from our 4 day, 3 night stay at the Swan, 12/19-12/22. We used Chase points to book, and DH is an SPG member. We were put in a 4th floor room, overlooking the walkway to the Dolphin, so we could see the palm tree lights at night. Our room was new, and we had no complaints, except that the walls are a bit thin...the person in the adjoining room was deaf (like, actually deaf), and didn't realize that the tv was blaring at midnight.

We arrived at 9 am, checked-in, and hopped on a bus to AK. We received a text that our room was ready at 11:45.

We returned at 5 for our dinner reservations at the Garden Grove. It was the most expensive of all of our dining reservations but since we were so early, our girls had extra time with the characters. The food was fresh, and the wait staff was really nice.

We didn't use the pools, but we did love the boat transportation to Epcot, the ability to use our room key for parking at HS (even after we checked out for the day) and the walkway to the Boardwalk area. Buses were frequent and efficient.

Overall, we had a great stay at the Swan, and we would definitely return. The location and price were perfect. And since there were fewer kids, our 2 and 4 year old were treated like princesses by the staff. It was the perfect place to come back to after a day at the parks. We really loved that it was a little more low-key than the other resorts where we've stayed (Coronado Springs and POR). And since it's been mentioned a bit, our resort fee was $28.

 

[Robyndisney]

We are headed to Disney at the end of the month and staying at the dolphin. Can I have a ton of gift cards to dinsey and want to do most of the eating in the parks. What is the closest and easiest place to eat from the entrance for the dolphin for breakfast? Or should I just eat at the hotel ?

Thanks
QUOTE="Tess, post: 58625863, member: 2100"]Not really--you can walk the sidewalk from the Dolphin side but it goes in and out between the various "towers". For my money, it is a longer walk to do that than to use the causeway and go toward Swan. It is actually shorter to go through the Boardwalk area to get to EPCOT and the walkway to Studios is on the Swan side as well.[/QUOTE]

 

[shoreward]

We are headed to Disney at the end of the month and staying at the dolphin. Can I have a ton of gift cards to dinsey and want to do most of the eating in the parks. What is the closest and easiest place to eat from the entrance for the dolphin for breakfast? Or should I just eat at the hotel ?

Thanks

You can either walk or take the FriendShip boat over to the Boardwalk, where you can grab something at the Boardwalk Bakery. They will allow you to pay with the Disney gift cards. Or, you can walk or take the boat to EPCOT, enter the park at the International Gateway, and have a delicious breakfast at the French bakery https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/epcot/les-halles-boulangerie-patisserie/. Again, you can pay with a gift card. Even though the World Showcase does not open till 11:00 a.m., CMs will allow you in about 9:00 a.m., if you tell them you are going to the bakery.

The Dolphin has many options for breakfast, including the newly-opened Fuel, located on the 1st floor of the Dolphin. No Disney gift cards accepted, though, at the Dolphin.

https://www.swandolphinrestaurants.com/fuel/index.html

There are several other options available at Dolphin, as well, including Picabu, on lower level. which is open 24/7.

 

[SteveH]

We're about four weeks out from our WDW trip. We're pretty easy going when we travel. We arrive late, probably around 1AM on a Friday, er I mean Saturday. Arriving that late I figure we won't have the best of luck getting an upgrade. Our reservation was booked through Costco Travel at the time we requested a King bed, but appears from the SPG confirmation that we've been allocated 2 Queen Beds - which is fine too. It's just my wife and I so a King would be nice but some space isn't bad either. As part of the Costco package we've got the "Complimentary upgrade from Traditional Room" and the SPG confirmation does stay "Resort View" so with that in mind any thought on putting in a request? Resort view & queen is fine but what do you think the chance of a 4 night stay getting upgraded to a park view?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Steve, I would sure ask for an upgrade, you never know. Many here, myself included, have gotten upgrades over the years. You can use this concierge request form to make room request. I always fill one out.

https://www.swandolphin.com/concierge/index.html

 

[SteveH]

You can use this concierge request form to make room request. I always fill one out.

Thanks Dan, is there a best time to submit that? A few days before I assume or sooner?

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks Dan, is there a best time to submit that? A few days before I assume or sooner?

I've requested weeks ahead. I get a reply back indicating that my request has been received and noted and they will try to do my requests, with the customary 'no promises'.