News Swan and Dolphin Tower Expansion - The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

[dreday3]

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View from the Dolphin pool today.

It looks like some windows are open and some are closed.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Will the Reserve charge more for the rooms with that extra one and a half square footage of extra triangular space?

 

[GimpYancIent]

It looks like some windows are open and some are closed.

Over all unimpressive.

 

[Little Green Men]

That skyline looks nothing like you would see in person unless you used binoculars.

Plus it’s 100% finished there

 

[DCBaker]

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Drove around property today for the first time since last March - wow is this thing prominent while heading south down World Drive.

I could always handle the juxtaposition of the Dolphin with other visible landmarks because it’s at least whimsical and unique, but these latest additions don’t seem to try. They make Bay Lake Tower and VGF look good.

Contributing to the same issue are Riviera, Gran Destino, a park-wide assault of boxy show buildings, and all the trees cleared for the Skyliner. Everything bleeds into each other now, whereas before there was at least a pretense of giving distinct thematic spaces their own breathing room.

 

[RandySavage]

^What you describe is Iger & Chapek's deeply unfortunate and irreversible legacy. It is the main reason why I feel on balance, despite some good additions, they were/are so dreadful for the domestic Parks & Resorts division over their tenure with Company. Attractions and entertainment come and go over the years, ops/polices/costs ebb and flow, but there is always hope things could improve. But the multitude of giant bleh buildings that have polluted WDW are here for the rest of all of our lives. They are hope-killers.

Granted this Reserve, a horrific eyesore - the worst of the worst of new builds - is owned/designed by the awful Tishman group - Eisner got the original designs changed to Swan&Dolphin back in the day and philistines Iger & Chapek probably could have done the same had they cared or understood what made WDW special. How gd difficult would it be to mimic Graves style for a 3rd building that compliments the neighbors?

Iger, Chapek and their ilk have managed to undo that incomparable feeling WDW once had of being in a World Apart from the ugly, discordant suburban sprawl of power lines, strip development and soulless modern buildings that is part of most everyone's daily lives.

The Way WDW was:

Way WDW is forever more:

 

[mgf]

Can I just say as a Marriott traveler that this hotel - at the anticipated price and reward category - does not actually look that enticing? And honestly I should be a target demo. The S&D are at least unique stays and are in relatively close proximity to the action. It is going to be a serious hike to get to BW from here.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

Can I just say as a Marriott traveler that this hotel - at the anticipated price and reward category - does not actually look that enticing? And honestly I should be a target demo. The S&D are at least unique stays and are in relatively close proximity to the action. It is going to be a serious hike to get to BW from here.

I had the same reaction. There was a version of this that would have been really cool. It is starting to feel more connected "to an audience" on paper vs. actual desire. (And I'm one who actually was colored quite impressed by Gran Destino.)

 

[Dr.GrantSeeker]

Can I just say as a Marriott traveler that this hotel - at the anticipated price and reward category - does not actually look that enticing? And honestly I should be a target demo. The S&D are at least unique stays and are in relatively close proximity to the action. It is going to be a serious hike to get to BW from here.

Absolutely. I'm a big Marriott traveler and usually stay at Swolphin because its location and price. But from price and points it doesn't seem worth it. Are the rooms really going to be that much nicer than the ones that exist at SD? To me from the renderings, they don't seem that much nicer. As a category 6 hotel, you expect more. Also, I think it was a year or so ago that SD were actually category 5 hotels and are now category 6.

 

[SplashJacket]

Absolutely. I'm a big Marriott traveler and usually stay at Swolphin because its location and price. But from price and points it doesn't seem worth it. Are the rooms really going to be that much nicer than the ones that exist at SD? To me from the renderings, they don't seem that much nicer. As a category 6 hotel, you expect more. Also, I think it was a year or so ago that SD were actually category 5 hotels and are now category 6.

The hotel is in an interesting spot. It's about 1 mile from Hollywood studios and 0.8 miles from the Skyliner at the international gateway.

 

[Horizons '83]

Can I just say as a Marriott traveler that this hotel - at the anticipated price and reward category - does not actually look that enticing? And honestly I should be a target demo. The S&D are at least unique stays and are in relatively close proximity to the action. It is going to be a serious hike to get to BW from here.

I had the same reaction. There was a version of this that would have been really cool. It is starting to feel more connected "to an audience" on paper vs. actual desire. (And I'm one who actually was colored quite impressed by Gran Destino.)

Absolutely. I'm a big Marriott traveler and usually stay at Swolphin because its location and price. But from price and points it doesn't seem worth it. Are the rooms really going to be that much nicer than the ones that exist at SD? To me from the renderings, they don't seem that much nicer. As a category 6 hotel, you expect more. Also, I think it was a year or so ago that SD were actually category 5 hotels and are now category 6.

You know I'll be interested how this one is priced. I picked a random weekend in October 2021 and all 3 hotels are priced within 25 dollars of each other. Not a large sample of course but I could see them staying in line with the Swan in Dolphin in the short term until the conference business picks up again.

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

had they cared or understood what made WDW special

And therein lies the answer for every issue related to WDW.

 

[bpiper]

Can I just say as a Marriott traveler that this hotel - at the anticipated price and reward category - does not actually look that enticing? And honestly I should be a target demo. The S&D are at least unique stays and are in relatively close proximity to the action. It is going to be a serious hike to get to BW from here.

I thought this hotel was going to play the same role as Gran Destino. The exec's at companies attending the conference would stay there while the staff stay at the regular rooms. It would have suites that could be used to close deals or broker new business.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Ugly---ugly duckling(swan) that is not going transform into anything that looks good ----what were they thinking?

“Build whatever...it’s cheaper if you’re bland...they’ll pay...”

That skyline looks nothing like you would see in person unless you used binoculars.

It’s blown up...but all that IS in the line of sight

Or were sightlines not a thing?

Drove around property today for the first time since last March - wow is this thing prominent while heading south down World Drive.

I could always handle the juxtaposition of the Dolphin with other visible landmarks because it’s at least whimsical and unique, but these latest additions don’t seem to try. They make Bay Lake Tower and VGF look good.

Contributing to the same issue are Riviera, Gran Destino, a park-wide assault of boxy show buildings, and all the trees cleared for the Skyliner. Everything bleeds into each other now, whereas before there was at least a pretense of giving distinct thematic spaces their own breathing room.

They’re slowly bleeding the character out of what was built in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s...taking the better designs and quality and “stretching”
It with more cheapskate stuff plopped in the margins

The hotel is in an interesting spot. It's about 1 mile from Hollywood studios and 0.8 miles from the Skyliner at the international gateway.

That’s fine for me...but not practical for most.

And therein lies the answer for every issue related to WDW.

...so stop rewarding the bobs with these terrible projects...

Stop buying DVC...stop buying dining plan...stop buying “special ticket events”...dump your passes.

The usual routine when a product outkicks it’s coverage.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I thought this hotel was going to play the same role as Gran Destino. The exec's at companies attending the conference would stay there while the staff stay at the regular rooms. It would have suites that could be used to close deals or broker new business.

...not much of a “deal closer”

That design doesn’t scream “here’s an extra zero”

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

...so stop rewarding the bobs with these terrible projects...

Stop buying DVC...stop buying dining plan...stop buying “special ticket events”...dump your passes.

Yes! A thousand times Yes!

 

[MisterPenguin]

It’s blown up...but all that IS in the line of sight

Or were sightlines not a thing?

I never said it wasn't a thing.

But a false portrayal of what you would see in person is... false.

Or were truth and accuracy not a thing?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I never said it wasn't a thing.

But a false portrayal of what you would see in person is... false.

Or were truth and accuracy not a thing?

They’re just as much of a “thing”...as is actual constructive criticism

 

[Bocabear]

I never said it wasn't a thing.

But a false portrayal of what you would see in person is... false.

Or were truth and accuracy not a thing?

It was an exaggeration to make a point... And it makes a very good point.