Flews

Glad to hear. We have yet to be disappointed after many visits. We're back in a few weeks.

As for the pool, I am hearing the problem has been resolved, although the planned 'refurbishments' have been kicked off until 2013 tbd...

Cheers,

wolfson292

The grotto pool was open this past weekend, and appeared crystal clear.

Braindrain

From personal experience, I've always found the Swan to have better service than the Dolphin.

staylor9

Hi everyone,
I just booked an alcove room for a stay for my husband and I and our 2.5 year old twin boys for next month. We figure we can bring their pack n plays and hopefully tuck them into the alcove portion of the room. Based on those of you who have had the alcove room before do you think that will work? I considered booking a standard room, but thought it might get cramped with all of us and two pack n plays.

Also, any tips or tricks I should know about? I have read some of the reviews that the shuttle service to Magic Kingdom can be hit or miss. Any recent reports on that? That is one of the main reasons we are staying at the Swan is so that we can have shuttle service. I considered the old Sheraton Safari since someone recently commented that they had been redone, but I still felt that those rooms were a little small.

Anyhow, any tips you all can provide either on transportation, reasonable food options for little kids on teh boardwalk or tricks for doing this kind of a trip with the little ones is greatly appreciated. We're only going over for a day and a half...we'll check in the first afternoon and hopefully get a chance to check out the pool, etc. Then we'll get up early the next morning and take the shuttle over. It will be a Monday and unfortunatley no "extra magic hours" as far as the last schedule I saw. We'll come back to the hotel for nap time...again the reason we wanted a shuttle...and then hopefully go back in the evening for some more time.

Thanks for any advice!
Susan

wolfson292

I've never had an alcove room so I can't comment on it, but the bus service to the parks has always been great. Return service can be quite packed and delayed if you leave the park at the same time as everyone else.

The upgraded rooms at the Sheraton Safari are quite large and run all the way from the back from front of the building, being almost the size of two "normal" rooms.

staylor9

Glad to hear the bus service worked well for you as I saw some negative reviews.

If I could guarantee a suite at the Safari I might go for it, but since I'm not Platinum and can't do a Suite Nights upgrade, I'm worried we'd all be crammed into a small room with two pack n plays which would be a bit tight.

miles_navigator

The Alcove room in the Dolphin is pretty nice if it is the same room I got one time. It's in the A frame (triangle) portion of the Dolphin. It's a very large room w/ a king bed and a pull out sofabed, small bar area, desk and a table w/ 2 chairs. The hotel may have a pack 'n play or crib for you so ask ahead of time before dragging it on the plane.

Swan & Dolphin are my preferred for WDW due to the shuttle routes. We usually take a cab from the airport to the hotel and back so no need to rent a car and pay their daily parking fees. If you want to do a day trip to somewhere else, e.g. Sea World or Legoland there is a car rental shop in the hotel itself to get wheels for the day.

The WDW shuttles start around 8am and run every 15 minute so it's not really a problem. Sometimes they get a little packed but it very convenient.

There is plenty of food w/ kid's menus downstairs of the Dolphin...forgot the name of the place now but it has burgers, sandwiches, and an ice cream shop.

Also, be sure to check out the Character Dinner at the Garden Grove in the Swan so you don't have to go off property and you get in a character experience w/o wasting valuable touring time in the morning when the park opens and the lines are smaller. The food is (below) average (my opinion) and the menu changes but it's on property and the kids really like it. Last time I was there Goffy and Pluto did the rounds. Note, at age 2.5 they maybe scared of the characters.

On the Dolphin side, the check in and out is a very slow process even w/ the SPG Elite line due to the conventions that go through there. Try to get everything done in check in so you don't have to go stand in line during check out.

There is a small play ground on property along with a sand beach like area to play. Swimming pools of course but I can't recall if they have zero entry for little kids.

The service of the front desk staff is average at best at this hotel; they probably have too much going on with conventions and special requests but don't let that deter you from staying here...it's a good package for a family with small kids.

You can walk to the Boardwalk from the hotel or take the (shuttle) boat for free. I'd suggest making dinner reservations ahead of time just so you have something and you don't have to wait.

Enjoy your trip!

Flews

We've been to the Swan with our twin toddlers quite a few times, including their third and fourth birthdays. We've been fortunate to have a suite, so I can't speak to the alcove. Sounds like it might work though.

Transportation is easy. You can walk to Epcot and Disney Studios. Or a boat, which the kids should enjoy. The buses to the other parks are very convenient.

The best advice I can give you is rent a sturdy, fold-up double stroller. A real necessity for tired kids, not to mention carrying diaper bag-type supplies and purchases. Don't rent from Disney. Not comfortable, more expensive and you can't use it outside the parks. Instead, order on-line and have it delivered to your hotel ahead of your arrival. We use (I think) Orlando Stroller Rentals.

There is a kids pool perfect for 2.5 year old, non swimmers, just a few inches deep. Lots of eating options on-site, and nearby, as described on these and other threads. Try Cape May for breakfast (at the Yacht Club next door) for a fun 'character' experience: Goofy, Minnie & Donald.

Make sure you don't miss the kids rides at Epcot - Nemo, Figment, or even the "giant ball" - or the evening Epcot fireworks, even if the kids fall asleep in the stroller. It can be a magical finish to the day, and a lovely walk back.

Enjoy.

Cheers,

staylor9

Initially I hadn't planned on getting a park hopper pass and I was just planning to get the straight Magic Kingdom pass. Do you think the Epcot rides are worth it for 2.5 year olds? I've never been on the Nemo ride and it's probably been 20 years since I was at Epcot anyhow. ;-)

I see your point though in that it might be nice to have the option to do those in the evening versus going back to Magic Kingdom after their naps in the late afternoon since we could just walk or do the boat or whatever instead of dealing with the shuttle bus again. And, like you said, if they fall asleep then we could just transfer them to their beds in the hotel.

Flews

YMMV, but yes, I would do the park hopper and spend a nice relaxing evening at Epcot, which also has better eating options than MK IMO. The kids will also enjoy the ride at the Mexican pavilion, and there's a couple fun play structures.

Cheers,

mcate01s

Had a vacation at the Swan a couple of months ago and had a terrific stay. Michelle at the front desk was amazingly nice and I was hoping to send a note to the manager to say how great she was. She even remembered my son's name and made sure he had a great time. I saw a message earlier that it was Paul Scott. I'm just trying to make sure that is still correct information.

Also, I was going to send the SPG thank you cards on to him to forward to her. Is that a real value to the employee in some way? Thanks for any information. I'm new to posting on the forum, although I've used the info tons.

Flying Buccaneer

Mr. FB and I just got back from a weekend getaway to Disney. We had originally booked the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista, but when I found the Swan for $169/night I jumped on it!

We arrived at the Swan a little after 8 p.m. on Friday, and check in was friendly. There was just one problem: They could not find my reservation. After I pulled up my reservation on my iPhone, it took awhile to get things reconciled. Apparently the reservation was never sent to the Swan from SPG. Ashley and Michelle apologized profusely for the wait.

I had booked a traditional room and did not use any of my suite nights, so they upgraded us to an alcove room (292). The room was at the end of a hallway of mainly meeting rooms. The room itself looked a little tired, but it was nicely laid out.

I chose the continental buffet at Garden Grove instead of the points. Considering that we usually have breakfast at Garden Grove anyway when we stay at the Swan, it's a good value for us to take it (about a $70 value) vs. the 500 points.

The reason that the Swan is our preferred hotel when we go to Disney, as others have pointed out, is its convenience. The Boardwalk is a short walk away with its restaurants (Kouzzina by Cat Cora is our favorite) and shops. Epcot is about a 15-minute walk or a boat ride away. Hollywood Studios is also a short boat ride, and the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are not far by bus. By the way, we have never had any problem with the buses from/to the Swan, and it is a real plus for the Swan/Dolphin vs the Sheraton LBV or any of the other *wood, Hilton, or Hyatt properties in the area.

I can echo this! On Saturday night, after we returned from fireworks at Epcot, Michelle arranged to have a plate of fresh fruits and a bottle of wine delivered to our room. She also wrote a nice note and apologized for our wait the night before. It was totally unexpected and appreciated!

carolinaaaflyer

Just got back from 5 nights at the Swan, standard room. Took the comped resort fee ($15 nightly) over the 250 points as the Gold amenity. Very nice stay with standard Westin class service.

Definitely get the park hopper pass. We went to Epcot every night after another park during the day. I had never understood the appeal, but we really enjoyed the country pavilions at night with the varied food and drink.

As others have said, it's an easy boat ride to Epcot and Hollywood studios. The bus shuttle was fairly reliable with minor exceptions. Just go down a little earlier than normal to give yourself the opportunity to catch another shuttle if you miss the first one.

The hotel offered 500 SPG points per night, 3 nights in a row max and not on the night before checkout, for waiving housekeeping service.

All in all a pleasant stay.

bcm0830

Does this resort still have a club level? If so, is it available on both the Swan and Dolphin sides?

ImprovGal

Neither the Swan nor the Dolphin resort has a club level.