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.