Can someone explain the Dolphin and Swan hotels?

LongLiveTheKing

LongLiveTheKing

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Looking on the official Disney World site, I decided that I wanted to see how all of the hotels got priced out. Everything looked normal and straight forward until I got to the Dolphin and Swan hotels

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/dolphin-hotel/rates-rooms/

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/swan-hotel/rates-rooms/

I'm having trouble understanding how booking here works. When I tried to search for room deals for two adults, it came up with an error message and showed me these room options, of which are one per. These hotels also aren't listed under normal Deluxe Resorts and are under Other Deluxe Hotels. Also, normally when I google a Disney hotel, it has multiple rates in the search from sites from Price Line. I haven't looked on any booking sites but that seemed strange. Also, and not to complain about price especially if I don't understand how booking here works, but both of these hotels have $3000 tags and don't appear to have more room options, but that can't possibly be per night, can it? If that was the case, that's saying this hotel is six times better than the Grand Floridian at about $500 per night, which doesn't make sense. I'm assuming this is a package only deal since I'm seeing a lot of text about packages, but I don't see a per day rate anywhere, so I'm assuming the package contains a preset amount of days (edit: it appears to be 7).

I really just don't understand these hotels and why they don't appear to go by the normal booking formula.
 
danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
LongLiveTheKing said:
Looking on the official Disney World site, I decided that I wanted to see how all of the hotels got priced out. Everything looked normal and straight forward until I got to the Dolphin and Swan hotels

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/dolphin-hotel/rates-rooms/

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/swan-hotel/rates-rooms/

I'm having trouble understanding how booking here works. When I tried to search for room deals for two adults, it came up with an error message and showed me these room options, of which are one per. These hotels also aren't listed under normal Deluxe Resorts and are under Other Deluxe Hotels. Also, normally when I google a Disney hotel, it has multiple rates in the search from sites from Price Line. I haven't looked on any booking sites but that seemed strange. Also, and not to complain about price especially if I don't understand how booking here works, but both of these hotels have $3000 tags and don't appear to have more room options, but that can't possibly be per night, can it? If that was the case, that's saying this hotel is six times better than the Grand Floridian at about $500 per night, which doesn't make sense. I'm assuming this is a package only deal since I'm seeing a lot of text about packages, but I don't see a per day rate anywhere, so I'm assuming the package contains a preset amount of days (edit: it appears to be 7).

I really just don't understand these hotels and why they don't appear to go by the normal booking formula.
Click to expand...

As someone else pointed out these are no Disney hotels but are on Disney property, so use the Swan and Dolphin web site suggested. You can usually find rooms as low as $230 plus the resort fee. Also note that since these aren't Disney hotels you get some Disney perks (EMH, 60 day fastpass booking, bus transportation), but not others (dining plan, Magical Express, fee magic bands) to name a few. I personally love these hotels but you do need to understand what you do and do not get with them.
 
slappy magoo

slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
danlb_2000 said:
You can usually find rooms as low as $230 plus the resort fee.
Click to expand...

Yes, pay close attention to the fact that, unlike all the other Disney owned and operated hotels, the Swan and Dolphin each have a resort fee. Per allears.net, the current resort fee is $25 per day. For that you get access to the resorts' high speed internet, their health club facilities, unlimited local and domestic calls and two, count 'em TWO bottles of water each day! (Not two bottles per person, two bottles per room).
You will pay this rate even if you never drink the water make a call or step foot in the gym.
Also, if you're driving, there is a parking fee in their lots. Currently (again per allears.net) it's $18 per 24 hours. And I don't believe staying at the Swan or Dolphin will get you free parking in the theme park lots, so if you plan on driving to the parks, you'll be paying there as well, so you might be better off just leaving your car in the lot.
So if you're driving, whatever rate you get, don't forget to include the $43 per day in any price you're quoted (unless you're told that price includes the resort fee). If you're not driving, same deal, but include $25, not $43.
Now for the record, this is not a slam on Swan or Dolphin, even though those prices seem pretty high, there are plenty of other non-Disney hotels in the area - but NOT with this sort of location - that will charge both a resort fee and a parking fee. You can also reasonably argue that Disney simply absorbs those costs in their resort room price, as well as transportation to the parks or to/from the airport (even if you didn't come from the airport) so none of those perks is technically "free" by any stretch of the imagination, but merely "included."
Those resorts still provide great accommodations, great amenities and in many instances great views for a price that's usually a little more than a moderate and significantly less than any of the Disney deluxe resorts.
But just be aware of the extra fees when you get a quote for a great rate, to make sure it's still "great" when all is said and done.


EDIT: Also, quite often, the rate for the room (before added fees) might be significantly less than $230, especially if you can snag a teachers' or nurses' or government employees' rate. Looking at a check in one week from today, the cost at Dolphin for a room with 2 double beds, including taxes/fees but not parking, is $181, and that's just looking up a AAA discount
 
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Epcotfan21

Epcotfan21

Well-Known Member
Honestly, if you find a great rate, there is no better deal on property due to the proximity of Epcot/Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk. I got a rate of $140 a night for an upcoming stay over Labor Day weekend at the Swan with a king bed.

This was also our place to stay during the food and wine festival, but the secret must have got out because now they're charging a ridiculous rate during the October/November months.
 
B

BASS

Well-Known Member
I stayed last year and numerous times the years before. I got a really good rate (under $200/night) but the resort fee did dampen that somewhat. It was $25/day as others have mentioned.

The resorts are a tad outdated, but both are very, very nice. There isn't much theme-ing at these hotels, likely because it's not a Disney property, but the resorts are very quiet and more relaxed than others. I guess you could say it's more for the adult crowd as opposed to a family or children.
 
"El Gran Magnifico"

"El Gran Magnifico"

Can I borrow five dollars
Premium Member
Quality Hotels in a great location. Dolphin is basically a Sheraton and Swan a Westin. A few other things to note. As mentioned add about $45 to the nightly rate for the resort fee and parking

Based on my last stay there in March - No charging privileges on the MB. They don't take Disney Gift Cards. You do get all the perks of Disney Transportation (Bus and Boat to DHS and EPCOT). I don't believe any AP discounts apply. However, if you belong to the SPG loyalty program free nights start at 10,000 points plus the resort and parking fees. If you don't have SPG status - open an account and you can transfer points from AMEX at a 333 per 1,000 conversion.
 
danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
BASS said:
I stayed last year and numerous times the years before. I got a really good rate (under $200/night) but the resort fee did dampen that somewhat. It was $25/day as others have mentioned.

The resorts are a tad outdated, but both are very, very nice. There isn't much theme-ing at these hotels, likely because it's not a Disney property, but the resorts are very quiet and more relaxed than others. I guess you could say it's more for the adult crowd as opposed to a family or children.
Click to expand...

Both hotels are in the process of getting room refreshes which should help with the "outdated" issue.
 
bunnyman

bunnyman

Well-Known Member
A lot of business people I know who travel frequently for their jobs and accumulate reward points, stay at the S&D via Starwood Points. In addition, I know many people who have stayed there via conventions, so that you tend to get a lot of business people traveling with their families.
 
LongLiveTheKing

LongLiveTheKing

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
CaptainAmerica said:
Here's a question... Where are people finding these insanely cheap rates I'm always hearing about? I'm considering the S&D for my trip in January but I can get Animal Kingdom Lodge for less, even if prices stayed at full rack rates.
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That's what I'm wondering. Even looking at the official site lazyboy listed I don't think I see much less than $200 per night (side note, I think that thing needs to be redesigned cause it's hard to navigate). And like I said, google isn't listing either Swan or Dolphin rates like it does other hotels I search for. I've only found them on the official site and the official Disney site.
 
B

BASS

Well-Known Member
LongLiveTheKing said:
That's what I'm wondering. Even looking at the official site lazyboy listed I don't see much less than $200 per night (side note, I think that thing needs to be redesigned cause it's hard to navigate). And like I said, google isn't listing either Swan or Dolphin rates like it does other hotels I search for. I've only found them on the official site and the official Disney site.
Click to expand...

That rate is not uncommon.

I can't recall if that rate was from AMEX travel, or a special deal for Florida residents, but we've stayed at Dolphin on numerous occasions for prices under $200/night (not including parking, resort fee, etc.).

EDIT: Just checked a random weekend in September through AMEX. Dolphin is at $209. Swan at $282. (I'm not sure why there is such a stark price difference given the similarities of the hotels, but whatever.)
 
Nausicaä

Nausicaä

Member
BASS said:
That rate is not uncommon.

I can't recall if that rate was from AMEX travel, or a special deal for Florida residents, but we've stayed at Dolphin on numerous occasions for prices under $200/night (not including parking, resort fee, etc.).

EDIT: Just checked a random weekend in September through AMEX. Dolphin is at $209. Swan at $282. (I'm not sure why there is such a stark price difference given the similarities of the hotels, but whatever.)
Click to expand...


I think it's because (as someone else noted) the Swan is a Westin and the Dolphin is a Sheraton. Westin is a bit higher end than Sheraton in the Starwood brand.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
LongLiveTheKing said:
That's what I'm wondering. Even looking at the official site lazyboy listed I don't think I see much less than $200 per night (side note, I think that thing needs to be redesigned cause it's hard to navigate). And like I said, google isn't listing either Swan or Dolphin rates like it does other hotels I search for. I've only found them on the official site and the official Disney site.
Click to expand...
My week is all over $300 per night, and that's not even two queen beds.
 
Tony the Tigger

Tony the Tigger

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
My week is all over $300 per night, and that's not even two queen beds.
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Yeah, it varies a lot by date. I just found it in February (not Valentine's Day) for minimum $400 and in mid-November for $210 (on Orbitz, and there's almost always a 15% off coupon, which would take it down to around $180) - and once in a while there is a 20% off coupon.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Tony the Tigger said:
Yeah, it varies a lot by date. I just found it in February (not Valentine's Day) for minimum $400 and in mid-November for $210 (on Orbitz, and there's almost always a 15% off coupon, which would take it down to around $180) - and once in a while there is a 20% off coupon.
Click to expand...
Very strange. I would have expected their price seasons to be roughly in line with Disney's.
 

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