Walt Disney World Dolphin - Orlando [Master Thread]
Apr 4, 2010, 12:08 pm
#76
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston
Programs: SPG Plat, MAR Lifetime Plat, UAMM, AA3MM
Posts: 119
The suite made the stay very nice... otherwise, might have left me thinking about benefits of other hotels... the reg rooms are very basic. Staff had a good attitude. The location, Disney trans, etc. made it nice for my wife/son touring Disney. Bluezoo and Shula's rests were both excellent.
Jul 6, 2010, 6:26 am
#77
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: SPG, AA, DL, USAir
Posts: 12
just booked an october stay - best rate via calling hotel directly
Hi FT community!
My husband, 2-year-old, and I are looking forward to a Disney vacation in mid-October. We originally considered the Contemporary resort because of the simplicity of travel to/from the Magic Kingdom via monorail, but I took a look at the rooms online and was none too thrilled - they seem heavily themed - like a bad W/Westin combo - and claustrophobic to boot. And at more than $400/night for a standard room, I just wasn't feeling it.
Since my husband is a *heavy* business traveler and very loyal to *wood, I thought I'd check out the options at the Swan and Dolphin. I was very impressed with their volume of suite offerings, and had heard that they were recently renovated (sounds like the Dolphin is still being renovated, but whatever...)
I wanted a suite (with a bedroom with a door that closes - essential when your 2-year-old goes to sleep at 7 and you don't want to be "held hostage" with no lights on), a view of Epcot so we could see fireworks at night, and a king bed in the bedroom.
I tried our SPG concierge, who told me that at the Swan, there were no suites, and no rooms facing Epcot, period. At the dolphin, the only suite she had was a Grand Suite with 2 double beds in the bedroom (unacceptable) with no view of Epcot, for $549/night.
Here's where things get interesting. Then I did some extra legwork online. Via spg.com, I could get a special promotional "Love Your Family" rate of $404/night for that same Grand Suite at the Dolphin (and yes I could complete the booking - rooms were indeed available). While online it said King bed or 2 doubles in the listing, the T&C said "2 double beds" and made NO mention of the king bed.
Then I decided to call the Dolphin directly. I'm glad I did.
The reservationist at the Dolphin was by far the most knowledgeable. She told me all Grand Suites at the Dolphin are on the East side of the building, hence all have a view of Epcot
. While the resort does not promise views, she told me if I did want a view of the nightly fireworks, this Grand Suite was the room to book! Further, she could guarantee a king bed in the Grand Suite bedroom, at a rate of $369/night. ^
So basically, by making an extra phone call, I saved myself $200/night. Why would I use our Starwood Concierge to book this room when calling the hotel saved me $1,000 on my stay?? I don't get it...
Further, does anyone have any tips on exactly how long it takes to get from the Dolphin to the MK via the Disney bus?
With thanks and appreciation to the FT community - this site is outstanding.
CCS.
My husband, 2-year-old, and I are looking forward to a Disney vacation in mid-October. We originally considered the Contemporary resort because of the simplicity of travel to/from the Magic Kingdom via monorail, but I took a look at the rooms online and was none too thrilled - they seem heavily themed - like a bad W/Westin combo - and claustrophobic to boot. And at more than $400/night for a standard room, I just wasn't feeling it.
Since my husband is a *heavy* business traveler and very loyal to *wood, I thought I'd check out the options at the Swan and Dolphin. I was very impressed with their volume of suite offerings, and had heard that they were recently renovated (sounds like the Dolphin is still being renovated, but whatever...)
I wanted a suite (with a bedroom with a door that closes - essential when your 2-year-old goes to sleep at 7 and you don't want to be "held hostage" with no lights on), a view of Epcot so we could see fireworks at night, and a king bed in the bedroom.
I tried our SPG concierge, who told me that at the Swan, there were no suites, and no rooms facing Epcot, period. At the dolphin, the only suite she had was a Grand Suite with 2 double beds in the bedroom (unacceptable) with no view of Epcot, for $549/night.
Here's where things get interesting. Then I did some extra legwork online. Via spg.com, I could get a special promotional "Love Your Family" rate of $404/night for that same Grand Suite at the Dolphin (and yes I could complete the booking - rooms were indeed available). While online it said King bed or 2 doubles in the listing, the T&C said "2 double beds" and made NO mention of the king bed.
Then I decided to call the Dolphin directly. I'm glad I did.
The reservationist at the Dolphin was by far the most knowledgeable. She told me all Grand Suites at the Dolphin are on the East side of the building, hence all have a view of Epcot
. While the resort does not promise views, she told me if I did want a view of the nightly fireworks, this Grand Suite was the room to book! Further, she could guarantee a king bed in the Grand Suite bedroom, at a rate of $369/night. ^So basically, by making an extra phone call, I saved myself $200/night. Why would I use our Starwood Concierge to book this room when calling the hotel saved me $1,000 on my stay?? I don't get it...
Further, does anyone have any tips on exactly how long it takes to get from the Dolphin to the MK via the Disney bus?
With thanks and appreciation to the FT community - this site is outstanding.
CCS.
Jul 6, 2010, 9:45 am
#78
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: South Carolina
Programs: Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Delta Gold, Starwood Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Platinum,
Posts: 147
Hi FT community!
My husband, 2-year-old, and I are looking forward to a Disney vacation in mid-October. We originally considered the Contemporary resort because of the simplicity of travel to/from the Magic Kingdom via monorail, but I took a look at the rooms online and was none too thrilled - they seem heavily themed - like a bad W/Westin combo - and claustrophobic to boot. And at more than $400/night for a standard room, I just wasn't feeling it.
Since my husband is a *heavy* business traveler and very loyal to *wood, I thought I'd check out the options at the Swan and Dolphin. I was very impressed with their volume of suite offerings, and had heard that they were recently renovated (sounds like the Dolphin is still being renovated, but whatever...)
I wanted a suite (with a bedroom with a door that closes - essential when your 2-year-old goes to sleep at 7 and you don't want to be "held hostage" with no lights on), a view of Epcot so we could see fireworks at night, and a king bed in the bedroom.
I tried our SPG concierge, who told me that at the Swan, there were no suites, and no rooms facing Epcot, period. At the dolphin, the only suite she had was a Grand Suite with 2 double beds in the bedroom (unacceptable) with no view of Epcot, for $549/night.
Here's where things get interesting. Then I did some extra legwork online. Via spg.com, I could get a special promotional "Love Your Family" rate of $404/night for that same Grand Suite at the Dolphin (and yes I could complete the booking - rooms were indeed available). While online it said King bed or 2 doubles in the listing, the T&C said "2 double beds" and made NO mention of the king bed.
Then I decided to call the Dolphin directly. I'm glad I did.
The reservationist at the Dolphin was by far the most knowledgeable. She told me all Grand Suites at the Dolphin are on the East side of the building, hence all have a view of Epcot. While the resort does not promise views, she told me if I did want a view of the nightly fireworks, this Grand Suite was the room to book! Further, she could guarantee a king bed in the Grand Suite bedroom, at a rate of $369/night. ^
So basically, by making an extra phone call, I saved myself $200/night. Why would I use our Starwood Concierge to book this room when calling the hotel saved me $1,000 on my stay?? I don't get it...
Further, does anyone have any tips on exactly how long it takes to get from the Dolphin to the MK via the Disney bus?
With thanks and appreciation to the FT community - this site is outstanding.
CCS.
My husband, 2-year-old, and I are looking forward to a Disney vacation in mid-October. We originally considered the Contemporary resort because of the simplicity of travel to/from the Magic Kingdom via monorail, but I took a look at the rooms online and was none too thrilled - they seem heavily themed - like a bad W/Westin combo - and claustrophobic to boot. And at more than $400/night for a standard room, I just wasn't feeling it.
Since my husband is a *heavy* business traveler and very loyal to *wood, I thought I'd check out the options at the Swan and Dolphin. I was very impressed with their volume of suite offerings, and had heard that they were recently renovated (sounds like the Dolphin is still being renovated, but whatever...)
I wanted a suite (with a bedroom with a door that closes - essential when your 2-year-old goes to sleep at 7 and you don't want to be "held hostage" with no lights on), a view of Epcot so we could see fireworks at night, and a king bed in the bedroom.
I tried our SPG concierge, who told me that at the Swan, there were no suites, and no rooms facing Epcot, period. At the dolphin, the only suite she had was a Grand Suite with 2 double beds in the bedroom (unacceptable) with no view of Epcot, for $549/night.
Here's where things get interesting. Then I did some extra legwork online. Via spg.com, I could get a special promotional "Love Your Family" rate of $404/night for that same Grand Suite at the Dolphin (and yes I could complete the booking - rooms were indeed available). While online it said King bed or 2 doubles in the listing, the T&C said "2 double beds" and made NO mention of the king bed.
Then I decided to call the Dolphin directly. I'm glad I did.
The reservationist at the Dolphin was by far the most knowledgeable. She told me all Grand Suites at the Dolphin are on the East side of the building, hence all have a view of Epcot
. While the resort does not promise views, she told me if I did want a view of the nightly fireworks, this Grand Suite was the room to book! Further, she could guarantee a king bed in the Grand Suite bedroom, at a rate of $369/night. ^So basically, by making an extra phone call, I saved myself $200/night. Why would I use our Starwood Concierge to book this room when calling the hotel saved me $1,000 on my stay?? I don't get it...
Further, does anyone have any tips on exactly how long it takes to get from the Dolphin to the MK via the Disney bus?
With thanks and appreciation to the FT community - this site is outstanding.
CCS.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread....37287&page=213
To answer a few of your questions.
1. Even at the very top floor, views of Epcot are sketchy at best. You will be able to see the fireworks but little else.
2. The hotel has a large sales dept and hold many conventions. Plat Con. does not have all the information on the hotel. You were smart to call the hotel directly. The information was different for us also. We were able to book the suite you mentioned with a 2nd bedroom for 20K points a night or 80K for 4 nights, We stayed 10 nights for 160K points in a 2 bedroom suite listed at $899 per night. Our bill would have been well over $12K all on points.
3. We booked the Grand Suite at the Dolphin with 2 bed rooms and the parlor side. That gave us 2 doubles in one room, a king in the second room and a full size king murphy bed in the main room. Slept 6 of us well, the kids were in the own area and the Mrs. and I had our own space. Of course our kids are 15, 12 and 9 and that does make a difference.
4. Disney transportations is hit and miss. You can get lucky and catch the bus pulling in or wait 45 minutes. the Swan and Dolphin share a bus with the Beach Club to MK and Animal Kingdom. There is a boat to DHS and Epcot. If you drive your car to the Magic Kingdom, parking is free by showing your room key.
5. There are suites at the Swan which IMHO are nicer than the Dolphin.
We stayed in the Executive suite for 5 nights after staying 5 nights in a Grand Suite at the Dolphin
http://swandolphin.com/accommodations/exec.html
6. In June there were no visible renovations at either hotel.
7. Piece of advice....with a 2 year old. Get to the parks early, then take a nap / swim time at mid day. Afternoons are the hottest and busiest times n the park. Then head back to the parks late afternoon early evening. Try to stretch beyond 7 because Disney is cooler at night and so much happens at night. (Spectromgic, Wishes, Fantasmic, Illuminations.) With older kids now we were still in the parks well after Midnight on many evenings and that was the most magical times.
have a great trip.................
Jul 6, 2010, 4:21 pm
#80
Join Date: Aug 2003
Programs: Bonvoy Amb; AA EXP
Posts: 1,136
I spent some time in the Dolphin laundry room. It is in what I would call the basement, but it happens do be adjacent to the game room. So, if you are not totally concerned about someone swiping your undergarments, you can get in a bunch of games of pinball etc (and a drink from the bar upstairs), which makes the laundry experience better than most...
Jul 8, 2010, 12:00 pm
#82
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: SPG, AA, DL, USAir
Posts: 12
There is 3000 post thread on one of the main Disney boards that we used. The information proved very vluable during our recent 10 night stay in May / June 2010
http://www.disboards.com/showthread....37287&page=213
http://www.disboards.com/showthread....37287&page=213
Just a second vote for other readers - the above thread is chock full of outstanding information - and the Disney Dolphin superfans on the board are quick to offer in-depth knowledgeable advice.
Also, it should be noted that yet *another* phone call to the SPG Platinum line (not *wood concierge - just SPG Plat reservations line) got me a fantastic reservationist, who was able to find the Grand Suite for me on points for the duration of my stay. She even called the Swan directly and was able to guarantee me a king bed in the bedroom. Advice after my single booking experience is call, call, and call again to find the very best deal that meets your needs.
Jul 29, 2010, 12:24 am
#83
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 40
Just a second vote for other readers - the above thread is chock full of outstanding information - and the Disney Dolphin superfans on the board are quick to offer in-depth knowledgeable advice.
Also, it should be noted that yet *another* phone call to the SPG Platinum line (not *wood concierge - just SPG Plat reservations line) got me a fantastic reservationist, who was able to find the Grand Suite for me on points for the duration of my stay. She even called the Swan directly and was able to guarantee me a king bed in the bedroom. Advice after my single booking experience is call, call, and call again to find the very best deal that meets your needs.
Also, it should be noted that yet *another* phone call to the SPG Platinum line (not *wood concierge - just SPG Plat reservations line) got me a fantastic reservationist, who was able to find the Grand Suite for me on points for the duration of my stay. She even called the Swan directly and was able to guarantee me a king bed in the bedroom. Advice after my single booking experience is call, call, and call again to find the very best deal that meets your needs.
Thanks
Jul 29, 2010, 4:36 am
#84
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: SPG, AA, DL, USAir
Posts: 12
Hi cheapdad - rate was indeed 20k points/night, and we did a redeem 4 nights get the 5th free.
Not sure whether this matters to you, but since we're traveling with a toddler (and since I'm pregnant) we weren't sure we'd have energy to head out to dinner each night. I just confirmed that the restaurants in the Dolphin and Swan (among which there seem to be some real winners, including Todd English's Bluezoo and Il Mulino) deliver via room service to both hotels. We're smitten.
Not sure whether this matters to you, but since we're traveling with a toddler (and since I'm pregnant) we weren't sure we'd have energy to head out to dinner each night. I just confirmed that the restaurants in the Dolphin and Swan (among which there seem to be some real winners, including Todd English's Bluezoo and Il Mulino) deliver via room service to both hotels. We're smitten.
Jul 29, 2010, 11:49 pm
#85
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 40
Hi cheapdad - rate was indeed 20k points/night, and we did a redeem 4 nights get the 5th free.
Not sure whether this matters to you, but since we're traveling with a toddler (and since I'm pregnant) we weren't sure we'd have energy to head out to dinner each night. I just confirmed that the restaurants in the Dolphin and Swan (among which there seem to be some real winners, including Todd English's Bluezoo and Il Mulino) deliver via room service to both hotels. We're smitten.
Not sure whether this matters to you, but since we're traveling with a toddler (and since I'm pregnant) we weren't sure we'd have energy to head out to dinner each night. I just confirmed that the restaurants in the Dolphin and Swan (among which there seem to be some real winners, including Todd English's Bluezoo and Il Mulino) deliver via room service to both hotels. We're smitten.
Thanks for the info. Good to know room service is available. I'm in the process of loading up on SPG points through the AMEX 30K special. Planning a trip for early January.
Dec 22, 2010, 6:50 am
#86
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Any recent experiences?
The Flews' are heading down for six nights in April (before Easter). We've booked a suite (Grand Suite?). Our two kids will be exactly three years old and are very, very well travelled.
Reading these and other threads, my sense is, the Dolphin is what it is. We were at Disney recently and spent a ton of money on a one-bedroom villa at the Animal Kingdom. We had a great time except for some serious service issues, so we want to try another property for our return trip. An added bonus is the Dolphin is 'free'/on points.
Thoughts, tips and/or suggestions appreciated.
Cheers,
The Flews' are heading down for six nights in April (before Easter). We've booked a suite (Grand Suite?). Our two kids will be exactly three years old and are very, very well travelled.
Reading these and other threads, my sense is, the Dolphin is what it is. We were at Disney recently and spent a ton of money on a one-bedroom villa at the Animal Kingdom. We had a great time except for some serious service issues, so we want to try another property for our return trip. An added bonus is the Dolphin is 'free'/on points.
Thoughts, tips and/or suggestions appreciated.
Cheers,
Dec 22, 2010, 10:38 am
#87
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: SPG, AA, DL, USAir
Posts: 12
Dolphin stay, October 2010 (Columbus Day week)
Hello Flews! Our experience at the Dolphin was in a Grand Suite, and we were with our 2-year-old who is a pro when it comes to travel. Here are some things to look out for.
First, confirm confirm confirm, and then confirm again, and get names and confirmation numbers up the wazoo. We booked a Grand Suite with a king bed in the bedroom. I did it by calling the Dolphin directly. When we arrived, we were told no way - that was not in our reservation - and were given a major runaround and a room with two queen beds. Furthermore, the Dolphin was not able to upgrade us to give us a 2nd bedroom (to turn the Grand Suite into a 2 full bedrooms with doors that close plus giant living area) because a mega convention had essentially booked the entire hotel. On top of this, when we got to our room, the living area reeked of cigarette smoke. Sigh. Three days into our week-long stay, they moved us...
If you can swing it, with your two 3-year-olds, you might consider adding the 2nd bedroom (which we had hoped to get for free) with Starpoints. I believe it is possible to do this, and we wish we had done it ourselves. Would've made a good stay great.
Also, a heads up - we were pretty excited to have such seemingly solid dining options on-site - Shula's, Il Mulino (which we adore in Manhattan), and Bluezoo. We ordered in from Il Mulino one night and it was just not good. The next night we hit jackpot: the sleeper restaurant of the ENTIRE property is the **OUTDOOR POOL BAR/RESTAURANT AT THE DOLPHIN**!! My husband dared to order the mahi mahi. I played it safe with a burger, and we got our son a hot dog. My husband took one bite out of his dish and announced it was "DELICIOUS" (and we've realized...we're food snobs...). My burger hit the SPOT, and our son was smitten. We were there every night for dinner thereafter - atmosphere was fine and the food was good. Great find.
Other things to know...expect the Dolphin to leave a little something in the room for your kids from Mickey Mouse - and be sure to tell them with two that you do indeed have TWO CHILDREN so that Mickey doesn't accidentally only leave one present, leaving you with a problem.
This, as far as we were concerned, was a really nice touch, and our son got super excited about it. Little things, little things...
OH - ALSO - we did a character dinner at the Swan. The food was the worst we encountered on our entire trip. That was the downside. The upside was that there must've been 50? 60? tables in the entire restaurant. Only 3 were in use, which meant that when Pluto and Goofy came around they spent tons of time with each child. This was a big big plus.
Best character meal was the breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary - tons of characters (including Mickey - a rare find apparently at a character meal) for the kids with plastic but somewhat edible breakfast food...
Also! The small playground that the Dolphin and Swan share is cute - our son (2) loved it. There are great pool options (which when we were there were totally unused - we felt as though we were the only family in the pool most of the time - and it was true, since most of the travelers at the hotel were convention business)...
And last but not least, don't miss the ice cream parlor at the bottom of the escalators. Your kids (and you too potentially) should love it. I was 6+ mos pregnant when we were there, and the ice cream was a fun afternoon treat.
Enjoy - and don't hesitate to reach out with more specific questions!!
CCS
First, confirm confirm confirm, and then confirm again, and get names and confirmation numbers up the wazoo. We booked a Grand Suite with a king bed in the bedroom. I did it by calling the Dolphin directly. When we arrived, we were told no way - that was not in our reservation - and were given a major runaround and a room with two queen beds. Furthermore, the Dolphin was not able to upgrade us to give us a 2nd bedroom (to turn the Grand Suite into a 2 full bedrooms with doors that close plus giant living area) because a mega convention had essentially booked the entire hotel. On top of this, when we got to our room, the living area reeked of cigarette smoke. Sigh. Three days into our week-long stay, they moved us...
If you can swing it, with your two 3-year-olds, you might consider adding the 2nd bedroom (which we had hoped to get for free) with Starpoints. I believe it is possible to do this, and we wish we had done it ourselves. Would've made a good stay great.
Also, a heads up - we were pretty excited to have such seemingly solid dining options on-site - Shula's, Il Mulino (which we adore in Manhattan), and Bluezoo. We ordered in from Il Mulino one night and it was just not good. The next night we hit jackpot: the sleeper restaurant of the ENTIRE property is the **OUTDOOR POOL BAR/RESTAURANT AT THE DOLPHIN**!! My husband dared to order the mahi mahi. I played it safe with a burger, and we got our son a hot dog. My husband took one bite out of his dish and announced it was "DELICIOUS" (and we've realized...we're food snobs...). My burger hit the SPOT, and our son was smitten. We were there every night for dinner thereafter - atmosphere was fine and the food was good. Great find.
Other things to know...expect the Dolphin to leave a little something in the room for your kids from Mickey Mouse - and be sure to tell them with two that you do indeed have TWO CHILDREN so that Mickey doesn't accidentally only leave one present, leaving you with a problem.
This, as far as we were concerned, was a really nice touch, and our son got super excited about it. Little things, little things... OH - ALSO - we did a character dinner at the Swan. The food was the worst we encountered on our entire trip. That was the downside. The upside was that there must've been 50? 60? tables in the entire restaurant. Only 3 were in use, which meant that when Pluto and Goofy came around they spent tons of time with each child. This was a big big plus.
Best character meal was the breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary - tons of characters (including Mickey - a rare find apparently at a character meal) for the kids with plastic but somewhat edible breakfast food...
Also! The small playground that the Dolphin and Swan share is cute - our son (2) loved it. There are great pool options (which when we were there were totally unused - we felt as though we were the only family in the pool most of the time - and it was true, since most of the travelers at the hotel were convention business)...
And last but not least, don't miss the ice cream parlor at the bottom of the escalators. Your kids (and you too potentially) should love it. I was 6+ mos pregnant when we were there, and the ice cream was a fun afternoon treat.
Enjoy - and don't hesitate to reach out with more specific questions!!
CCS
Dec 23, 2010, 5:58 am
#88
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Thank you for the wonderful - and comprehensive - post!
As for your cautions, I had Platinum Concierge arrange all the bookings for me, right down to the bed types and the town car transporation to and from the airport. He was explicit about the kids (twins) because it's actually their 3rd birthday the day before we depart, and I suspect he has already cooked something up with the hotel.
Great tip on the eating. Especially with the kids on hand, when we find we don't get great value from better restaurants anyway, their attention spans being what they are.
Again, thanks!
Cheers,
As for your cautions, I had Platinum Concierge arrange all the bookings for me, right down to the bed types and the town car transporation to and from the airport. He was explicit about the kids (twins) because it's actually their 3rd birthday the day before we depart, and I suspect he has already cooked something up with the hotel.
Great tip on the eating. Especially with the kids on hand, when we find we don't get great value from better restaurants anyway, their attention spans being what they are.
Again, thanks!
Cheers,
Dec 23, 2010, 6:26 am
#89
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: From: PWM
Programs: United GS, Fairmont Platinum,SPG LTPlat, Hilton Diamond, MarriottGold..like the rest of the world
Posts: 4,401
I'll second the warning about the buffet at the Swan. We did that for dinner in a pinch about a month ago and it was simply terrible. Yep, really just terrible. It was a bad mistake.
On the other hand, we had dinner at Il Mulino twice (Dolphin) and really really liked it. I found the service, ambiance, and quality of food there to be exceptional -- among our best experience @ WDW.
On the other hand, we had dinner at Il Mulino twice (Dolphin) and really really liked it. I found the service, ambiance, and quality of food there to be exceptional -- among our best experience @ WDW.
Dec 23, 2010, 6:42 am
#90
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,990
Hear ya. Although I do like the fact it was pretty well empty, which for Character dining is a rare thing. Just getting into one in most places is a rare thing! And, quite frankly, we did two when we were at Disney last month and both buffets were quite lame. Didn't matter though; with two year old twins - very, very excited about meeting the Characters - we barely got to eat anyway!
Oherwise, we'll eat at the pool!
Cheers,
Oherwise, we'll eat at the pool!
Cheers,