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

[SteveH]

Several pages back we talked about the signs that were posted at YC/BC bus stop stating the buses were for Resort guests. Well this thread about the YC/BC bus situation is, IMHO, the reason they posted those signs. The guests coming out of Epcot at night to the YC/BC bus stop are causing major disruption. I've yet to read about issues in the morning.

@mickey+minnie91 have a great trip, let us know how it goes too.

 

[mousegear]

On 5/19 which is our 5th day of stay, while we were at the parks, the housekeeping came in to tidy the room. But they did very little, restocked toilet paper and towels, etc. DS had a loaded nachos take-out from Picabu and it was such a good portion size that I helped a bit.
I called for more water, and there seems to be no limit on how much water. They simply ask how many bottles of water I wanted. I asked for eight bottles and it was delivered within 10 minutes.

Wednesday night, we had some sushi from Kimonos. So right before we came here, I checked the S/D App and saw mobile orders available on the app from most of its restaurants including Kimonos. When we were about to leave HS, I tried to use the app to order so we could pick it up on our way back. Well, it's not available anymore as 'things are going back to normal. So I just ordered and waited about 20 minutes. The sushi was really good and both my parents and DS love sushi.

The parks on the weekdays are much more calm and doable. On 5/18, we went to HD rope drop. We left our room around 7:30 and walked to HS and there were about 6~7 groups already there. The park opened at 8:10. On 5/19, we went to Boardwalk to catch MK bus around 6:45 and I believe it was the first bus we caught. There was a line formed regardless of the AK/MK and when the MK bus cake first, people who were going to AK just sidestepped. BTW, Rise of Resistance was awesome! DS and his gaming fingures got us a boarding group at 7 am and that was his first try.

 

[Antonio]

How is the new situation with the busses? Am I better off walking over to Boardwalk from the swan to catch busses going to MK and AK?

 

[SteveH]

@Antonio are you trying to rope drop? If so I'd say yes BW is a good option, if you're not then I'd still got for MK so you don't have to go via TTC but for AK it's a toss up.

 

[Antonio]

MK and AK are usually early days for us but not rope drop. I usually leave my hotel around 8:30. You think boardwalk would be better? Do they question other guests?

 

[hedberg1661]

Curious since Marriott took over, how often any of you have gotten upgraded upon check-in at the Swan or Dolphin? If you have, what did you get upgraded from and what did you get upgraded to? We are Gold and just curious as to how they accommodate Gold members nowadays.

I am platinum and I get upgraded almost every time. Sometimes the upgrades are fantastic and others it is just a view upgrade.

 

[SteveH]

@Antonio they haven't been asking for any proof that anyone has posted about. The link I posted on the previous page is proof still that you're not doing anything wrong. As for MK I would got via BW, for AK at that time I would probably just take the S/D bus over.

 

[bobbie68]

Hi, we have decided on doing Epcot two days next month and I thought the Dolphin would be great to stay. I have a question though. I kow there are not EMH hours anymore but have heard that on site resort guests are getting in a bit earlier to the parks. Is this true for the Dolphin? If so what time should I leave to get to the gate for rope drop if the park opens at 11?

Thank you for your help.

 

[mickey916]

They haven't started the early entry for resort guests program yet but if you look on the rope drop thread, there's a lot of info about how early the parks have been opening for all guests. I do believe once they start the early entry program it will apply to Swan/Dolphin but hasn't started yet.

 

[stephnerninnie1984]

Hi, we have decided on doing Epcot two days next month and I thought the Dolphin would be great to stay. I have a question though. I kow there are not EMH hours anymore but have heard that on site resort guests are getting in a bit earlier to the parks. Is this true for the Dolphin? If so what time should I leave to get to the gate for rope drop if the park opens at 11?

Thank you for your help.

Anyone, resort guests or not, can get into the parks when they open the gates. Typically for Epcot that’s been about 45 minutes early. 10:15. So just plan on walking over and being by the gateway around 10 if you want to be one of the firsts in the gate. The food booths don’t open until 11, but they usually have a few rides going.

 

[maui2k5]

Has anyone tried getting an Uber from Swan/Dolphin to Grand Floridian and then walking to the MK from there using the new path? I know there are restrictions that I have read about regarding the Contemporary, but I have not found anything on being dropped off at the Grand Flo.

 

[bobbie68]

They haven't started the early entry for resort guests program yet but if you look on the rope drop thread, there's a lot of info about how early the parks have been opening for all guests. I do believe once they start the early entry program it will apply to Swan/Dolphin but hasn't started yet.

Anyone, resort guests or not, can get into the parks when they open the gates. Typically for Epcot that’s been about 45 minutes early. 10:15. So just plan on walking over and being by the gateway around 10 if you want to be one of the firsts in the gate. The food booths don’t open until 11, but they usually have a few rides going.

Hi thank you very much that is exactly what I needed.

 

[mickey916]

Has anyone tried getting an Uber from Swan/Dolphin to Grand Floridian and then walking to the MK from there using the new path? I know there are restrictions that I have read about regarding the Contemporary, but I have not found anything on being dropped off at the Grand Flo.

I read somewhere recently that they weren't allowing ubers to drop off at Grand Floridian for that purpose since it was causing traffic back ups as lots of people were doing that instead of dropping off at Contemporary.

 

[hedberg1661]

I read somewhere recently that they weren't allowing ubers to drop off at Grand Floridian for that purpose since it was causing traffic back ups as lots of people were doing that instead of dropping off at Contemporary.

This has been my experience of late as well. Unless you have a dining or resort reservation there they generally won't let you drop off.

 

[Best Aunt]

Has anyone tried getting an Uber from Swan/Dolphin to Grand Floridian and then walking to the MK from there using the new path? I know there are restrictions that I have read about regarding the Contemporary, but I have not found anything on being dropped off at the Grand Flo.

People thought they could beat the system by placing a Mobile Order at Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary. They thought they could Uber/Lyft to the Contemporary. If the guard at the Contemporary tried to stop the Uber/Lyft from entering hotel property, they could show the mobile order on their phone. Then they would walk into the hotel and cancel the mobile order.

Disney decided to put a stop to that. If you try to Mobile Order from the Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary, you get this message in MDE:
Important Information
At this time mobile ordering from Contempo Cafe is only available to Guests staying at Disney's Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower.

You get the same message in MDE if you try to place a mobile order from the Wave... of American Flavors at the Contemporary.

I thought I had read that you would get a similar message if trying to mobile order from the Grand Floridian. But I just checked Gasparilla Island Grill at the Grand Floridian and I don't get that pop up message.

But I don't know that if you Uber/Lyft to the Grand Floridian, the guard will let you in if you have a mobile order from Gasparilla Island Grill on your phone. (On the other hand, I don't know if the guard would try to stop you at all.)

 

[maui2k5]

People thought they could beat the system by placing a Mobile Order at Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary. They thought they could Uber/Lyft to the Contemporary. If the guard at the Contemporary tried to stop the Uber/Lyft from entering hotel property, they could show the mobile order on their phone. Then they would walk into the hotel and cancel the mobile order.

Disney decided to put a stop to that. If you try to Mobile Order from the Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary, you get this message in MDE:
Important Information
At this time mobile ordering from Contempo Cafe is only available to Guests staying at Disney's Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower.

You get the same message in MDE if you try to place a mobile order from the Wave... of American Flavors at the Contemporary.

I thought I had read that you would get a similar message if trying to mobile order from the Grand Floridian. But I just checked Gasparilla Island Grill at the Grand Floridian and I don't get that pop up message.

But I don't know that if you Uber/Lyft to the Grand Floridian, the guard will let you in if you have a mobile order from Gasparilla Island Grill on your phone. (On the other hand, I don't know if the guard would try to stop you at all.)

So the days of "just visiting" the MK resorts seem to be a thing of the past...

 

[mmouse50]

Are there refillable mugs at the Dolphin?

 

[AUDramaQueen]

So the days of "just visiting" the MK resorts seem to be a thing of the past...

You can still visit the resorts if you use Disney transportation.

 

[SteveH]

@mmouse50 another member @Scalemaster34 reported not seeing the mug, but with everything changing that could change at any time. For us we never bothered instead we'd just grab a case of bottles soda & water so we could take it with us.

 

[The13thLetter]

this might be a silly question, but garden grove is not doing characters at the moment are they?