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

[RachelTori]

How far ahead do you folks think I should contact the Swan in order to try to secure a two-queen room. We are four and I would like 2 queens and want to do whatever I can to ensure this. So again, when should I call to ask about this. We plan to be there on the 18th of November and leave on Thanksgiving. Thanks in advance for your help on this, folks.

With 4 on your reservation, you should be automatically given a 2-queen room!

What i would recommend, to put your mind at ease, is fill out the form on this link
http://swandolphinconcierge.com/ “Room request” where you can tell them in your own words what you’d like (or need). They will email you back so you’ll have a contact name at that point. They are very good at fulfilling requests.

 

[tjmw2727]

Have a great trip, earful.

They will do that also.

Are you sure? - I read and was told that you need MB for those "extra" MM features (when there isn't an option to tap your park ticket) so we always carry at least one MB just in case.

 

[chris benton]

Decided to go with the magic bands after reading all the info provided (thanks everyone!). We purchased the MM PhotoPass and I read another post about the ride photos. Seemed easier having our 8year old scan his wrist then keep taking out the card to scan.

The wrist convenience vs card seemed worth it to us as well. I had a feeling that I'd have to hold on to the ticket for our 7 yr old just to be safe, and I'm no prize when it comes to keeping things organized in my pockets. Didn't want to keep pocket digging, (OR, have a lanyard.) Be sure to have a spot where the MB's go every night before sleep so there's no confusion in the am when you're trying to get out of the door. We'll also have one more trip, and make a big photo album with the pix from each trip, and stick the MB's in it as well.

 

[vicb]

My family booked at dolphin with Costco and we had old Magic Bands purchased a few years back on another Dolphin stay. We find the convenience very worth it! Plus the bands are sort of a fun souvenir. Since we bought ours so long ago they are magic bands 1.0, very plain. For this trip I purchased a bunch of decals off etsy and we had a decorating "party" when we were all together on Easter before our trip. I even had a lady on a bus ask me where I bought that version of magic band . Once you have bands and link those to your MDEx account it is easy to plug those costco ticket #'s in and we never had to go to any guest services once there... we just scanned in to Epcot on our arrival day and we were off! I did print out the page with the ticket #'s and had DH put in his wallet the first day just in case but never needed it.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Are you sure? - I read and was told that you need MB for those "extra" MM features (when there isn't an option to tap your park ticket) so we always carry at least one MB just in case.

I was reading it as stating that the Magic Bands did not link the photos/videos (they do). You were talking about the plain tickets (they do not), not MB's?

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

heading back to the Swan next week, thanks to some priceline magic! this will be my third stay there, second for SO, and first time either of us will be there longer than 2 nights (5 nights this time). we adore the Swan and all of its lovely amenities, as well as the IG entrance to Epcot and walking to HS -- very excited!!!

if anyone wants pictures taken of X or needs Y questions answered while there, let me know and I'll do my best to report back (though it seems that with the wealth of information in this thread, there can't be many unknowns left!)

Same here, except I went with the Dolphin because it was $26/night cheaper. I feel like I only ever see Swan/Dolphin on there anymore. I haven't seen POFQ in ages!

 

[earfulofmagic]

Same here, except I went with the Dolphin because it was $26/night cheaper. I feel like I only ever see Swan/Dolphin on there anymore. I haven't seen POFQ in ages!

Yeah, I never see POFQ anymore either. And I feel like I never see S&D on PL at the same time, just one or the other. I'd checked our dates for months on PL -- only saw the Dolphin, but strangely high-priced -- then Swan showed up at way less than the Dolphin had been showing all along, and Dolphin disappeared. I still want to stay on that side some day. Love being in that huge new lobby, it's so beautiful!

When's your trip? We'll be there in two days

 

[1nonly]

With 4 on your reservation, you should be automatically given a 2-queen room!

What i would recommend, to put your mind at ease, is fill out the form on this link
http://swandolphinconcierge.com/ “Room request” where you can tell them in your own words what you’d like (or need). They will email you back so you’ll have a contact name at that point. They are very good at fulfilling requests.

Thank you so much for the info. I have made the request using the link you provided and hope to hear from the resort soon. Again, thank you so much for your help!

 

[tjmw2727]

I was reading it as stating that the Magic Bands did not link the photos/videos (they do). You were talking about the plain tickets (they do not), not MB's?

With memory maker if you have a linked MB you get all the pictures even the ones you don't have to tap for like the ride video on 7dmt for example.
When using your park ticket only (no MB) you only get the ones you tap for - you wouldn't get the 7dmt ride video and a few other ride photos that don't have an option to tap your card.

One solution is to just carry one MB or puck if your not staying onsite and have MM - then you get everything.

 

[RachelTori]

Thank you so much for the info. I have made the request using the link you provided and hope to hear from the resort soon. Again, thank you so much for your help!

You’re welcome! You should get a reply in a day or 2!

 

[1nonly]

You’re welcome! You should get a reply in a day or 2!

I actually got a confirmation of my request a couple of hours later. Done, and done!!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I actually got a confirmation of my request a couple of hours later. Done, and done!!!

Excellent!!! They usually are very quick with their responses to the requests from that site.

 

[shoreward]

FriendShip boats from/to Swan Dolphin scheduled to be back in service today.

Can anyone confirm?

 

[Dan Murphy]

FriendShip boats from/to Swan Dolphin scheduled to be back in service today.

Can anyone confirm?

I called Guest Services. Epcot is running, Studios is not.

 

[WDW_Diane]

My family booked at dolphin with Costco and we had old Magic Bands purchased a few years back on another Dolphin stay. We find the convenience very worth it! Plus the bands are sort of a fun souvenir. Since we bought ours so long ago they are magic bands 1.0, very plain. For this trip I purchased a bunch of decals off etsy and we had a decorating "party" when we were all together on Easter before our trip. I even had a lady on a bus ask me where I bought that version of magic band . Once you have bands and link those to your MDEx account it is easy to plug those costco ticket #'s in and we never had to go to any guest services once there... we just scanned in to Epcot on our arrival day and we were off! I did print out the page with the ticket #'s and had DH put in his wallet the first day just in case but never needed it.

It's always a good idea to take a picture with your cell phone of the way you purchased your ticket media, including numbers, etc. If you have actual plastic cards, take pictures of the backs of all of those as well. If anything gets lost or is in question, this is super helpful. Band can fall off sometimes.

 

[vicb]

It's always a good idea to take a picture with your cell phone of the way you purchased your ticket media, including numbers, etc. If you have actual plastic cards, take pictures of the backs of all of those as well. If anything gets lost or is in question, this is super helpful. Band can fall off sometimes.

Excellent idea!

 

[WDW_Diane]

Excellent idea!

We traveled to Walt Disney World with my daughter's high school band group a few years back. Two or three of the kids lost their plastic tickets while we were there but fortunately I had told all of them to photograph their cards so it was easy for them to get replacements. And somehow kids take much better care of their cell phones than anything else, Ha!
When magic bands came out, the same thing happened when they came unsnapped. Maybe the kids could have gotten replacement tickets without the photographs, it would have taken a lot longer though and taken up valuable park time.

 

[TheyCallMeStacey]

I know that sometimes you might get surprised at your 180 booking window for dining with the +10...but if I'm not that lucky, for you swan/dolphin vets, how likely am I to still be able to book CRT in early May?

 

[shoreward]

It appears that reservations made before 9:00 a.m. ET, either through Starwood/SPG or directly with Swan/Dolphin, can link to MDE that same day.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Just wondering that when the Disney Kids clubs close 8/1 will Camp Dolphin be the only option available?

Would Disney or the Dolphin promote this?