Swan & Dolphin Questions...

[DisneyparkFreak]

I never thought I would stay "Off Property", but I can get an incredible deal at the Swan and Dolphin. We will be traveling in October. So here are my questions...

1.) If anyone has ever stayed there please give me your honest opinion.

2.) Is it Kid Friendly? I have a 4 year old girl.

3.) what other info am I missing.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

i'd only think of it as semi-off property since they still have disney transportation and get emh. for me i think of off property as anywhere you stay you don't get disney benefits like emh. i know the one thing i don't like about any of the resorts in that area (swan, dolphin, bwi, yacht etc...) is that they all all deluxe yet share a SINGLE bus run to/from mk. we stayed at bwi december 09 and that part was awful for us. for me the swan and dolphin are more "regular" hotel feeling and a little less disney feeling BUT with that said i'd stay there hands down over a value resort for the amenities alone and for a great price heck yes i'd do it. i qualify for a discount as a nurse but never seem to find a time of year to go that they have rooms available (sigh).

 

[Hummer1676]

I have stayed with them multiple times and think it is one of the best on properties. They fly under the Starwood banner and all rooms have the Westin Hevenly bed. Totally worth it. Excellent service and close to the Boardwalk and back entrance to Epcot. It has boats that go to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The busses to MK and AK come quite regularly and I haven't had any bad experiences the past 5 times I have stayed there. Enjoy it!

 

[WDWFigment]

We've never stayed at the Swan or Dolphin, but after visiting some of the restaurants (okay, the bars) in December, we fell in love with the resort. Despite being a huge eyesore from World Showcase, they're beautiful inside. They're not really "off property" either. The only thing you lose is DME (I think).

If you don't mind me asking, where did you find the deal? We are also going in October and would be interested in staying there. I'm hoping it's better than the nurse rate my wife can get, as after all the BS "resort fees", a room at the Dolphin is pushing $200/night. PM me if you don't want to share it publicly.

 

[corey154]

We stayed at the Dolphin before and loved it. It's not themed as the value resorts, but I don't think a four year old will be disappointed at all. It's a beautiful resort, the beds were more comfy than any Disney bed I've ever slept in. Also the Dolphin has a 24 hour food place (I forget what it's called). If you're going in October you'll have the Epcot food and wine festival going on and you'll be in a great location for that. The only downside is the extra charges to your room, like the daily resort fee and if you have a car, parking. The resort fee gives you two bottles of water, newspaper and the fitness center, we only used one bottle of water so it was a waste of extra money for us. (I don't remember what the parking cost, but I thought it was too much)

 

[Epcotfan21]

Stayed at the Swan last October, while we attended the Food and Wine festival. Honestly, it's just as good as staying at one of the "true Disney Resort hotels." Yea, you're not going to get alot of Disney decor, but several things make up for that. 1. They're deluxe hotels at moderate prices. 2. Proximity to Epoct, Boardwalk, and Hollywood Studios gives you tons of options. 3. Like WDWFigment said, they have a ton of nice restaurants (and bars). Be aware that they do charge a daily resort fee of $10, but with that you get two bottles of water each day, internet usage, and USA Today paper. They also charge $14 ( I think that's right) each day for self parking.

Funny thing is I just literally found out that I get a pretty nice discount because my company is partnered with Starwood Hotels. I didn't know this back in October and had to rely on a Florida Resident discount. Now that I know how much we can save each trip, I don't think we'll be staying anywhere else.

 

[Matt and Kelly]

We stayed at the Swan over Christmas in 2009 and loved it. The property is great, the rooms were very nice and the location was ideal. Couple that with the Disney benefits of the transportation system and extra magic hours and it's pretty much the same as staying at a Disney hotel, for the most part anyway.

Being within walking distance of two parks, a number of other hotels and dining options, it's a great place to stay, especially for the money you will likely be saving.

I don't think you would regret your decision to stay there at all.

 

[slappy magoo]

Epcotfan21 brought it up, but if you're driving your own or a rental car, bear in mind, they do charge a parking fee daily. It's not a make or break deal, but it is high enough that you should factor it in your expenses. If you didn't know about the charge before getting there for a long trip, it could be a bummer.

 

[wolf359]

Yes, it's an extra $20 a night in extra "resort fees" and parking. I think if a hotel charges "manditory" fees they need to include it in the quoted price of the room instead of playing games to make themselves look cheaper than they really are. It's a big pet peeve of mine.

I've stayed at the Swan, and I think the resort is very beautiful, in a great location, and the EPCOT resort area in general is just a great place to stay.

It doesn't have a Disney vibe, it feels more like a very nice business hotel in anytown USA. If you can get a great rate it's worth the drawbacks.

 

[dreamfinder]

I don't think they are very kid friendly in the same sense that a upscale hotel in any metropolis area is kid friendly. They welcome kids, and your child will be fine there, but you don't have bright colorful things all over the place with elements aimed directly at kids. I definitely get the business hotel vibe. It isn't necessarily not kid appropriate, but it is more business, and less Disney. Very nice hotels, more modern in design than the others on property.

 

[Hummer1676]

One way to get a good rate at the hotel is to ask for the hospitality/hotel industry rate. About 4 years ago I booked a room at the dolphin for 2 nights during Thanksgiving and got a rate of $129. Can't beat that. Talk to the reservation agent and see what deals they can do. Everything is negotiable you just have to be nice and negoiate, negotiate. Can't say it enough.

 

[WDWFigment]

One way to get a good rate at the hotel is to ask for the hospitality/hotel industry rate. About 4 years ago I booked a room at the dolphin for 2 nights during Thanksgiving and got a rate of $129. Can't beat that. Talk to the reservation agent and see what deals they can do. Everything is negotiable you just have to be nice and negoiate, negotiate. Can't say it enough.

I tried this last night on the phone, and the rep had no idea what a hospitality/industry rate was. Oh well. Best rate I can find is AAA for $141/night before their crazy fees ($169/night after!).

 

[SusanAnne]

We stayed at the Swan last year and loved it!! The area is perfect and beautiful.
Never had any issues with over crowding on busses.
We used the boat service mostly.
True it isn't Disneyfied, but it is a beautiful resort.
We booked it this year (March), but then got a pin for a great rate so we are staying at the Beach Club.

You will have a fantastic time there!!

 

[WDWScottieBoy]

Keep in mind the Swan and Dolphin are some of the busiest hotels in the world and cater a lot to convention guests. They have tons of pools and restaurants that the kids will love, and of course you can't beat the location. I worked at the hotels for about 2 years and loved it. Great staff and everything. They recently did a full renovation of both properties and are definitely in line with other deluxe properties but at a moderate rate. Also, you get all Disney perks from the Disney hotels with the exception of the DME, but Mears can be cheap enough. Feel free to ask me or PM me any other questions you may have.

 

[Hummer1676]

I tried this last night on the phone, and the rep had no idea what a hospitality/industry rate was. Oh well. Best rate I can find is AAA for $141/night before their crazy fees ($169/night after!).

It is actually called the STARHOT rate there are rates for friends and family and employees of Starwood. They have become very strict on the use of these rates. From what i am told you need to have a letter to use it now. If you have a friend that works for a starwood hotel they can book you a room and get you a rate.

$141 is not a bad rate. It is worth checking all the wholesales sites as well. All hotels sell rooms at what is called Wholesale rates that they sell to Expedia, Travelocity, and others. If you can find a rate on one of their sites that is cheaper you can call the hotel and they will honor it. If you were quoted a rate of $141 that is a AAA rate that is 10% to 15% off Rack rate. Wholesale rates are usually 20% to 25% off of rack rate so you would be around $129. If you call them back you can ask them about the wholesale rates they might honor it for you. Doesn't hurt to try.

 

[WDWScottieBoy]

STARHOT rates are very strict now and only apply to the actual Starwood employee and a letter must be present. STARFRIEND rates are also extremely strict and require a letter from the employee that is recommending along with their property information. Starhot rates (at least when I worked for Starwood) were $69 at the Swan and Dolphin. Starfriend rates started at $89, but I believe they're about $20 higher now.

 

[Hummer1676]

Correct they are strict. The rates you quoted were right on.

 

[roaddogg6420]

Okay since I have not seen anyone answer part of your question, I will. As for kids, you do not get a big Disney feel. With that being said my son loves to stay there, he was 4 the first time we stayed there. They have a nice playground between the two; it’s next to the main pool. Also at the main pool they have a water slide he really enjoys it. Also at the Dolphin they have Camp Dolphin which is a night time daycare service. He really enjoys staying there, and he even got a Bday card from Camp Dolphin in the mail and asks when he was going back to camp. Dinner for them is part of the fee, if they are there when dinner is serviced. I think it was around $10 an hour, if you eat at some of the restaurants you get two hours free. We used Camp Dolphin to do EMH at Epcot. Also across the street is Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf, which my son loves to play. Now for what I think about the Swan and Dolphin. Stayed at both love the beds, location it’s close to Epcot, Studios, and the Boardwalk. There are great restaurants to eat at. Now the bad you share a bus will a few resorts in the Boardwalk area, but we had a car so buses not a big deal to us. You also do not get that Disney Décor, but they do have nice décor.

 

[WDWFigment]

STARHOT rates are very strict now and only apply to the actual Starwood employee and a letter must be present. STARFRIEND rates are also extremely strict and require a letter from the employee that is recommending along with their property information. Starhot rates (at least when I worked for Starwood) were $69 at the Swan and Dolphin. Starfriend rates started at $89, but I believe they're about $20 higher now.

Correct they are strict. The rates you quoted were right on.

Thanks for the heads up and information. Since I don't know anyone who works for Starwood, I guess I will try Expedia, et al., to see if we can find a better rate. I don't think I can stomach $169/night, especially being without DME.