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

[JerseyJanice]

Thanks for the response. I was referring to the return buses. Are the buses for BC/BWI/Swan and Dolphin all in the same bus area? So we can easily gauge which one to jump on?

Yes, at AK and MK, the stops for S/D, YC/BC and the Boardwalk are close together.

 

[kayteekt]

I'll stick my nose in on this bus issue.

We've stayed at the Dolpin 3x now (with the most recent being week before Christmas) and never experienced crowded bus issues. I do feel like they don't run as often as some of the other resorts, but we've never seen a full bus. Honestly, the bulk of the time we were on of just a few families waiting for a bus.

I will say, we are a rope drop family, so the majority of the time we were there in the 7:30-8a range then maybe 4-5p range for evening plans.

We will also use the BW bus back if that bus is there first.

 

[puffkins]

I have also never had a bus issue while staying at the Dolphin...other than the times the Dolphin bus stop was closed because the pavement was being resurfaced. Many times, you will see multiple Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom busses come by one after another.

 

[Lpamama]

Thanks so much for all the bus responses! Hoping it's a Spring Break/Easter week issue, but we'll be there tomorrow morning (hopefully early, but we'll see how quickly my family gets going from the airport hotel in the morning). I think we will maybe go to the Swan to go to MK just to be on the safe side as we're so excited to start our first Disney experience!

Can't wait to get to the Swan/Dolphin and be able to contribute and help others as much as you all have helped me!!! Less than 24 hours!!!!

 

[LuvAriel]

Just back from our very first stay at the S/D with a group of 21 from 3/30-4/6

My family of 4 arrived 1 night before the group and stayed at the Dolphin then we switched to the Swan to join the group and it was FABULOUS!!

We are Disney vets and we can’t believe we have never stayed here before and can’t wait to go back!

We were upgraded to a balcony at the Swan and the room and view were beautiful

We chose the Swan due to the queen beds and the 2 sinks and boy after staying 1 night at the Dolphin with 2 teenage girls I am so grateful the bulk of our trip was at the Swan

We totally enjoyed the amenities at both hotels and felt we were so lucky to have the best of both worlds. The hotels are set up that you can easily go back and forth between the 2 with no problems!

The grotto pool was amazing and the waitress service was appreciated

The weather was beautiful and YES the parks were super crowded!!

I can attest to the busses and the boats being crowded as well and I was super grateful to be at the Swan as a PP said by the time we got to the Dolphin many mornings it was either standing room only or no room at all. We usually got on a 10-11 am bus if that helps

I’m thinking it was really due to Sp break so hoping things ease up a bit but if not I agree I would take the short walk to the Swan to catch a MK OR AK bus

So sad to be home as we literally had the best vacation!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks so much for all the bus responses! Hoping it's a Spring Break/Easter week issue, but we'll be there tomorrow morning (hopefully early, but we'll see how quickly my family gets going from the airport hotel in the morning). I think we will maybe go to the Swan to go to MK just to be on the safe side as we're so excited to start our first Disney experience!

Can't wait to get to the Swan/Dolphin and be able to contribute and help others as much as you all have helped me!!! Less than 24 hours!!!!

Have a wonderful time making many of those first time lifetime memories.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Just back from our very first stay at the S/D with a group of 21 from 3/30-4/6

My family of 4 arrived 1 night before the group and stayed at the Dolphin then we switched to the Swan to join the group and it was FABULOUS!!

We are Disney vets and we can’t believe we have never stayed here before and can’t wait to go back!

We were upgraded to a balcony at the Swan and the room and view were beautiful

We chose the Swan due to the queen beds and the 2 sinks and boy after staying 1 night at the Dolphin with 2 teenage girls I am so grateful the bulk of our trip was at the Swan

We totally enjoyed the amenities at both hotels and felt we were so lucky to have the best of both worlds. The hotels are set up that you can easily go back and forth between the 2 with no problems!

The grotto pool was amazing and the waitress service was appreciated

The weather was beautiful and YES the parks were super crowded!!

I can attest to the busses and the boats being crowded as well and I was super grateful to be at the Swan as a PP said by the time we got to the Dolphin many mornings it was either standing room only or no room at all. We usually got on a 10-11 am bus if that helps

I’m thinking it was really due to Sp break so hoping things ease up a bit but if not I agree I would take the short walk to the Swan to catch a MK OR AK bus

So sad to be home as we literally had the best vacation!!

Sounds like a great trip. Welcome home (even though I know you wish you weren't)

 

[SteveH]

Does a Swan/Dolphin give the opportunity to make FP at 60 days out...and if so do reservations need to be made through Disney or can they be made on the Starwood site and still have Disney benefits?

You get the FP+ no matter who you book through. As @JJ2017 said if you book through Starwood/SPG its a bit faster to open up to booking MDE or FP+ when we booked through Costco Travel it took about a week for the linking to work, but that's probably since it needs to be transferred from one group (costco) to S/D then to Disney.

 

[bettymae1121]

Silly question, but do the Dolphin bathrooms have a retractable cloths line over the tub (standard double room, if that matters)?

 

[Surgie2]

I made a reservation at Swan for January 2019. I accidentally did not change "1 guest" to 2 guests on the reservation so when I linked it to MDE it just shows one guest. Will this be a problem when trying to FP for 2 people? I went back and edited the reservation on the Starwood site but it doesn't seem to have picked up the change on MDE. We both have APs but I want to be sure we can reserve at 60 days out.

 

[hsmamato2]

I would think this was mostly in the earlier AM hours? Going over to the Swan would alleviate that, yes.

One of the additional reasons I prefer the Swan.

does this work? I may try this if we have problems next week

 

[hsmamato2]

Has anyone tried hopping on the Yacht Club or Boardwalk hotel buses as an option? We'll be there starting Sunday and won't have access to a car and will want to get there ASAP.

Also, can anyone ascertain if it's "regular" people staying this week at the Dolphin/Swan? Next week is supposed to be a HUGE conference, so I'm hoping hotel guests will mostly be conference attendees with a few tagalong family members using the buses...

I'd avoid Boardwalk buses like the plague...in December we went o ver for lunch one day,and waited an hour and a half for a bus to MK!!!!! it was crowded,and people were annoyed..... no thanks! it was one of those 'every bus but MK' situations,and we timed them..... ugh.

 

[hsmamato2]

Has anyone tried hopping on the Yacht Club or Boardwalk hotel buses as an option? We'll be there starting Sunday and won't have access to a car and will want to get there ASAP.

Also, can anyone ascertain if it's "regular" people staying this week at the Dolphin/Swan? Next week is supposed to be a HUGE conference, so I'm hoping hotel guests will mostly be conference attendees with a few tagalong family members using the buses...

how do you know if its a big convention date?

 

[Dan Murphy]

does this work? I may try this if we have problems next week

I would say that it does. You would be getting on with the first stop people.

 

[kayteekt]

I made a reservation at Swan for January 2019. I accidentally did not change "1 guest" to 2 guests on the reservation so when I linked it to MDE it just shows one guest. Will this be a problem when trying to FP for 2 people? I went back and edited the reservation on the Starwood site but it doesn't seem to have picked up the change on MDE. We both have APs but I want to be sure we can reserve at 60 days out.

Yes, you'll need to have 2 guests listed on the reservation in order to be right on the Disney end (for FP and EMH). I've always just called the hotel directly and got them to change, seems like it may take a day or two to update on MDE.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Yes, you'll need to have 2 guests listed on the reservation in order to be right on the Disney end (for FP and EMH). I've always just called the hotel directly and got them to change, seems like it may take a day or two to update on MDE.

Just adding here for others, make sure you have numbers of children listed also I know first time I was doing the FP thing several years back, and I had not added my grandkids, the number able to do FP was only 2, until I called and added them to the reservation

 

[pattyw]

Just back from our very first stay at the S/D with a group of 21 from 3/30-4/6

My family of 4 arrived 1 night before the group and stayed at the Dolphin then we switched to the Swan to join the group and it was FABULOUS!!

We are Disney vets and we can’t believe we have never stayed here before and can’t wait to go back!

We were upgraded to a balcony at the Swan and the room and view were beautiful

We chose the Swan due to the queen beds and the 2 sinks and boy after staying 1 night at the Dolphin with 2 teenage girls I am so grateful the bulk of our trip was at the Swan

We totally enjoyed the amenities at both hotels and felt we were so lucky to have the best of both worlds. The hotels are set up that you can easily go back and forth between the 2 with no problems!

The grotto pool was amazing and the waitress service was appreciated

The weather was beautiful and YES the parks were super crowded!!

I can attest to the busses and the boats being crowded as well and I was super grateful to be at the Swan as a PP said by the time we got to the Dolphin many mornings it was either standing room only or no room at all. We usually got on a 10-11 am bus if that helps

I’m thinking it was really due to Sp break so hoping things ease up a bit but if not I agree I would take the short walk to the Swan to catch a MK OR AK bus

So sad to be home as we literally had the best vacation!!

Sounds like a great vacation! We're staying at the Swan over Memorial weekend. Disney vets too- stayed at the Swan years ago and are excited to try it again! Based on all of your information, we'll have a great time there!

 

[greg9x]

Thanks to those who posted about the Hotwire deal... got it @ $73/night. Had a direct reservation booked @ $181/night so saved $$$'s !!
Even with Resort fee/taxes/etc it came out to $125/night... less than a Disney value resort !

Just so much stress waiting for it to tell you which hotel you got !!

 

[Tess]

Silly question, but do the Dolphin bathrooms have a retractable cloths line over the tub (standard double room, if that matters)?

Every room we have had has a retractable clothes line.

 

[amyy]

Is the Hotwire deal the one in the Bonnet Creek area and the resort has a $32 a night fee? There is also a rate with a $35 fee but it lists the 4 possible hotels and not the Swan or Dolphin. And one with an $8 fee. I am a little scared because I wonder what other resort it could be. thanks!