Walt Disney World SWAN, DOLPHIN & SWAN RESERVE RESORTS Information & Questions

[mickey916]

Mystery for the experts: I'm looking at booking 8 nights next April at the Swan. When I go to the Bonvoy website and use the "flexible dates" calendar along with my annual passholder discount, it shows if I check in starting on 4/25 that it's an average cost of $295 per night. However once I select that date, the lowest cost is $381 and that's without selecting "taxes and fees", but it says it includes the $45 resort fee. With taxes and fees in addition to the resort fee it is $428/night....what happened to the $295 price? I could see if the $45 wasn't included in that price but that would only bring it up to $340 not $381 before tax. Am I missing something?

 

[EPCOT Terran]

Mystery for the experts: I'm looking at booking 8 nights next April at the Swan. When I go to the Bonvoy website and use the "flexible dates" calendar along with my annual passholder discount, it shows if I check in starting on 4/25 that it's an average cost of $295 per night. However once I select that date, the lowest cost is $381 and that's without selecting "taxes and fees", but it says it includes the $45 resort fee. With taxes and fees in addition to the resort fee it is $428/night....what happened to the $295 price? I could see if the $45 wasn't included in that price but that would only bring it up to $340 not $381 before tax. Am I missing something?

I think you're seeing that they'll offer a rate of $295 during the week but the price goes up to $460 on the weekends. So, your final price depends on your starting date and how many weekends are included. You can click down on the summary of charges after selecting the room to see the per-night charges, taxes, and resort fees breakdowns. The $295 per night shown on the calendar is a little misleading because it doesn't include the resort fee. If you add the resort fee to $295 for the weekdays (so, $340) and to the $460 for the weekends (so, $505), you end up with 6 nights @$340 and 2 nights @$505 (assuming a weekday start here), for $3,050 total before taxes, or $381.25 on average. Oddly, the match works out just right so that the room taxes are also $381.25.

Interestingly, if you use the AP discount and look at fixed dates from 4/11 to 4/19 next year, the Swan Reserve is slightly cheaper and the Dolphin is a good bit cheaper. Boardwalk Inn is more expensive (almost $100/night) and Caribbean Beach is a good bit cheaper (around $60/night).

 

[mickey916]

I think you're seeing that they'll offer a rate of $295 during the week but the price goes up to $460 on the weekends. So, your final price depends on your starting date and how many weekends are included. You can click down on the summary of charges after selecting the room to see the per-night charges, taxes, and resort fees breakdowns. The $295 per night shown on the calendar is a little misleading because it doesn't include the resort fee. If you add the resort fee to $295 for the weekdays (so, $340) and to the $460 for the weekends (so, $505), you end up with 6 nights @$340 and 2 nights @$505 (assuming a weekday start here), for $3,050 total before taxes, or $381.25 on average. Oddly, the match works out just right so that the room taxes are also $381.25.

Interestingly, if you use the AP discount and look at fixed dates from 4/11 to 4/19 next year, the Swan Reserve is slightly cheaper and the Dolphin is a good bit cheaper. Boardwalk Inn is more expensive (almost $100/night) and Caribbean Beach is a good bit cheaper (around $60/night).

Thank you for doing all the math! It definitely is misleading. I wish the Dolphin had queen beds as it does always seem to be cheaper but with possibly four adults, we really need the queen beds. We are spoiled because we went to the Swan in 2022 and got great rates (in fact one week was entirely on points and the other was cheaper than POFQ). It seems like those great rates are a thing of the past but I'll keep checking.

 

[EPCOT Terran]

Thank you for doing all the math! It definitely is misleading. I wish the Dolphin had queen beds as it does always seem to be cheaper but with possibly four adults, we really need the queen beds. We are spoiled because we went to the Swan in 2022 and got great rates (in fact one week was entirely on points and the other was cheaper than POFQ). It seems like those great rates are a thing of the past but I'll keep checking.

Yeah, the doubles at the Dolphin can be a problem. At lot of times, it's just me and the wife and I'm coming off a convention at the Dolphin, so I get a single King and it works out fine, though I really dislike how tight the door to the toilet/shower is at the Dolphin. I'll have to stay at the Swan for the next conference to see if it's any different.

Also, you mentioned staying for points one time. Marriott of course will let you use points there but so will a lot of credit cards with travel portals. That's another option if you have a credit card with a decent points pool.

 

[Tiggr88]

If I book a night at the swan with Marriott Bonvoy points, do I still have to pay the resort fee? Or is that included with the points?

 

[Dave006]

I really dislike how tight the door to the toilet/shower is at the Dolphin. I'll have to stay at the Swan for the next conference to see if it's any different.

It is still pretty tight at the Swan in the bathroom. However there are 2 sinks; one outside the bathroom across from the closet, and the one in the bathroom. The door just clears the toilet.

Dave

 

[VickieMouse]

If I book a night at the swan with Marriott Bonvoy points, do I still have to pay the resort fee? Or is that included with the points?

I have always still had to pay.

 

[gottalovepluto]

If I book a night at the swan with Marriott Bonvoy points, do I still have to pay the resort fee? Or is that included with the points?

Yes you pay the resort fee. Marriott point bookings don’t cover resort fees.

 

[Tiggr88]

Yes you pay the resort fee. Marriott point bookings don’t cover resort fees.

Thanks. That’s what I thought but wanted to check

 

[maxiesmom]

The bathrooms at the Swan are larger than those at the Dolphin. The Dolphin shower/toilet room is as tight as a disney value resort. The set up at the Swan is larger, with a sink outside the shower/toilet area and one inside. That area is a good deal larger.

 

[Cfabar1]

If I book a night at the swan with Marriott Bonvoy points, do I still have to pay the resort fee? Or is that included with the points?

Not until the Swan becomes a Hyatt hotel.... Until that happens you get the privilege of paying the resort fee, regardless of your status.

However, if you stay at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress - which is a much better use of points than the Swan is anyways, and are a discoverist or higher (you can get Discoverist status if you have the WOH credit card), you do not need to pay resort fees. Once you are globalist (essentially 60 nights a year is the most typical way to earn that status), you don't pay parking on your WOH points either. If you're an AP holder already, and don't mind driving or taking a bus to the TTC, that might not be a bad way to go.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Not until the Swan becomes a Hyatt hotel.... Until that happens you get the privilege of paying the resort fee, regardless of your status.

However, if you stay at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress - which is a much better use of points than the Swan is anyways, and are a discoverist or higher (you can get Discoverist status if you have the WOH credit card), you do not need to pay resort fees. Once you are globalist (essentially 60 nights a year is the most typical way to earn that status), you don't pay parking on your WOH points either. If you're an AP holder already, and don't mind driving or taking a bus to the TTC, that might not be a bad way to go.

Just to make sure @Tiggr88 gets the full #bonvoyed feeling: Hilton doesn’t charge resort fees on award stays either

A couple thoughts on Hyatt regency
-You can’t compare Hyatt point stays to Marriott point stays unless you’re starting with a convertible points currency and OP did not state they were
-Swolphin is walking distance/a boat ride away from 2 parks while as off-site you drive to every single park
-Swolphin has access to EEH

 

[Cfabar1]

Just to make sure @Tiggr88 gets the full #bonvoyed feeling: Hilton doesn’t charge resort fees on award stays either

A couple thoughts on Hyatt regency
-You can’t compare Hyatt point stays to Marriott point stays unless you’re starting with a convertible points currency and OP did not state they were
-Swolphin is walking distance/a boat ride away from 2 parks while as off-site you drive to every single park
-Swolphin has access to EEH

Not to mention Swolphin is a better hotel in my view - especially Swan Reserve - and doesn’t have a bird held hostage in the lobby…

That said, Swolphin is a terrible use of using points, which, as someone who loves WDW, I find it so disappointing my Marriott Bonvoy Points are massively devalued when staying there….

 

[Dave006]

I find it so disappointing my Marriott Bonvoy Points are massively devalued when staying there….

Why are you disappointed by using your points at a unique destination?

Dave

 

[gottalovepluto]

Why are you disappointed by using your points at a unique destination?

Dave

Probably because compared to cash it’s not a great CPP rate if your travels take you to other Marriotts.

That said Bonvoy pointflation is going a bit nuts everywhere now

 

[SteveH]

@gottalovepluto there is a reason for it being called "Boyvoyed" Marriott really showed disdain for its loyal customers, I will never understand why they went that direction.

 

[Cfabar1]

@gottalovepluto there is a reason for it being called "Boyvoyed" Marriott really showed disdain for its loyal customers, I will never understand why they went that direction.

because they could.... why offer an incentive when you don't have to... that is their premise...

plus now more consumers booking on their own dime - less loyalty more price conscious.

when recession hits, we will see how it plays out...

 

[EPCOT Terran]

It is still pretty tight at the Swan in the bathroom. However there are 2 sinks; one outside the bathroom across from the closet, and the one in the bathroom. The door just clears the toilet.

Dave

So, not really any better than the Dolphin, then. That's one thing I like about staying at the Disney resorts in the Crescent Lake area - it seems like the rooms have more room in them, if you know what I mean.

 

[EPCOT Terran]

Not to mention Swolphin is a better hotel in my view - especially Swan Reserve - and doesn’t have a bird held hostage in the lobby…

That said, Swolphin is a terrible use of using points, which, as someone who loves WDW, I find it so disappointing my Marriott Bonvoy Points are massively devalued when staying there….

There are very rare cases where the points at the Swolphin can make sense, but not for 8 days in April. However, the rack rates aren't too terrible (compared to Disney Deluxe Resorts) and if you use points from the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you'll get a 50% points bonus for reserving through their portal. That stretches the points much further. It's still a lot of points ($3,000ish cash rate @ 1.5 points/penny = 200,000 points) but far fewer than what Marriot wants you to spend (~$498,000) for 8 days.

I can only imagine the points rates at Swolphin are so high because 1) Disney and 2) Conventions.

 

[bellepepper]

Have all of the rooms at the Swan been renovated in the past few years? If not, if known floors or specific rooms #s that have been renovated can be listed, that will be greatly appreciated!