Swan...Now I'm worried

[MickeyFanKY]

I leave in 33 days for WDW :mickey: I have 2 rooms booked at the Swan, which I was happy with when I booked. Now after reading reviews from a different website, I'm worried. Most people seemed to have a bad experience. :(

Now I'm worried that the hotel is going to be dirty, rude employees, etc...

Has anyone stayed there recently and can help me sleep tonight?

Thanks!

[SBETigg]

You have to keep in mind when reading review sites that the people who had bad experiences are more likely to post. The people who are happy with nothing to complain about are less likely to take the effort to praise. Though, it happens. I've only seen comments from people who were very happy with the location, the rooms, and their stay. I really don't think you have much to worry about. I will be trying the Dolphin at the end of July, and looking forward to it.

[Scar]

I've never stayed at The Swan but have at The Dolphin (same management) 3 times with a great experience each time.

Clean, wonderful employees, etc...

Sleep well tonight. :thumbsup:

[Luv4WDW]

I would also like to say that (while I haven't stayed at the Dolphin) I had a similar experience when planning my honeymoon last June. I'd been the GF maybe 7 times before that but when I was getting ready for my 8th trip I was reading awful reviews. My now husband pointed out the same thing as the previous poster. People who are happy aren't going to post. Our trip was wonderful and we had no issues at all. In fact... I couldn't even IMAGINE some of the issues other people mentioned. I have to wonder if people are exaggerating out of frustration. Don't let it spoil the excitement for your trip. If all those problems really did exist so many people wouldn't continually go there! Enjoy your trip!

[Gibbs]

You have to keep in mind when reading review sites that the people who had bad experiences are more likely to post. The people who are happy with nothing to complain about are less likely to take the effort to praise. Though, it happens. I've only seen comments from people who were very happy with the location, the rooms, and their stay. I really don't think you have much to worry about. I will be trying the Dolphin at the end of July, and looking forward to it.

The ratio is 10 bad comments for evry 1 good comment. Just food for thought.

[MNNHFLTX]

I wouldn't worry. A good friend of mine just stayed there with her family and they really enjoyed it. In fact, she's also part of the management staff here at INTERCOT, so maybe she will chime in with a short review. :mickey:

[MOJoe]

Haven't been recently, but the Swan is one of my family's favorite resorts. I would love to go back.

There is definately a different feel at the Swan, compared to the Disney resorts. More upscale and businesslike. But dirty? Rude employees? Probably just nonsense from a dissatisfied customer. We never had an issue, and found everyone to be most helpful.

Trust your first instincts, and sleep soundly.

[Melanie]

In fact, she's also part of the management staff here at INTERCOT, so maybe she will chime in with a short review. :mickey:

That's me. :)

Yep, we just stayed at the Swan this past weekend for the first time, and we really enjoyed it. Dirty, rude employees, etc? We didn't encounter any of that at all.

The Cast Members were fantastic! From check-in, where we got an upgrade, to the Bell Services guys, who we had a great baseball discussion with, and check-out, who helped us with a strange situation regarding our upcoming October reservations (yep, we're going back!).

I liked the rooms a lot. Best parts - the super comfy queen mattresses, the large bathrooms with two sinks (one in with the tub, the other out in the 'hallway'), huge flat screen TV and Starbucks coffee. :D We had absolutely no issues with cleanliness.

We lucked out with our upgrade and getting a balcony, and I enjoyed that a lot. Sat out there Saturday evening and Sunday morning just taking it all in. Actually we were right above one of the smaller Swan fountains in the rooms facing the Dolphin, and the fountain noise really made me nostalgic for the Bonita Tower fountains at the Disneyland Hotel (my DL peeps will understand).

The Grotto Pool area over at the Dolphin (which Swan guests are allowed to use) is awesome. Nice bar and poolside servers. :marg: Saturday nights they even show a Dive-In movie. Too cute! Everyone was gathered around in their intertubes watching Meet the Robinson's.

There is really something for everyone restaurant-wise between the two hotels, from very nice to casual. We ate at the Fountain. We'd love to try Shula's and Kimono's in the future.

A lot of the negatives I hear about the Swan are regarding the Disney perks. I can understand that if you use Magical Express, buy the dining plan or charge to your room, but none of them apply to us. I certainly understand those things are important to many.

I sure hope you enjoy your stay. Please try not to worry. It's a great resort!

[Jeff]

We have stayed at the Swan many times with our last stay being December of 2009. We love the Swan. As noted above the beds are great. We have found the staff to be among the absolute best in all of WDW. Love the location. We will stay there again this December.:thumbsup:

[Fastpasssteve]

I know a couple people who have really enjoyed their stays at both the Swan and the Dolphin.

But let's say you find something that is not up to snuff. It has always been my experience that Disney managers, when someone let's them know something's wrong, want to fix the problem. I think too many people were raised to not complain (and hate confrontation), but when they return home, they still feel like they were taken advantage of...so they tend to complain online on the Disney rating boards.

If something is wrong with your room, service, or experience, let a manager know. A GOOD manager would want to make it right and would be thankful to get honest feedback. They want you to return again in the future.

[LudwigVonDrake]

I have a friend who stayed at the Swan last year and they raved about it. You have nothing to worry about :mickey:

[MickeyFanKY]

Thanks everyone as usual. I will sleep well:cloud9:

[Disneyglamour]

Aww don't worry!! I stayed at the Swan with my family in December 2008 and we LOVED it!! So beautiful, clean, and the lobby smells AMAZING! We asked what it was and its some kind of white tea and ginger scent they pump through the AC. The restaurants are great, and so is transportation! I love being a boat ride away from the beach club, boardwalk, and epcot! I hope you enjoy your stay! You can't listen to everything you hear on the internet. It's a beautiful place to stay!!

[passholderryan]

The Swan or Dolphin...take your pick....are top notch. So much so, that my wife and I got married there. I now have all my friends convinced to stay there when they head up. We have never had a problem or seen anyone complain while there. Location is prime, pool is one of the best, dinner- top notch. The list can go on and on. Like the previous posters have said, management is some of the best around. Enjoy the vacation!!!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

The only time I've ever really seen it dirty there was when they had a HUGE convention going on and let me tell you; those conventioneers were disgusting. They were leaving glasses out on cars parked out front, on curbs etc. There were some room service trays left out all day but again, it was a HUGE convention. I think the staff just couldn't keep up!!

We've stayed at these resorts quite a few times and I love it there. And you won't find more comfortable beds and the location is fantastic!! You won't be sorry staying there.

[Kenny1113]

another positive post! :) We stayed at the swan about a year ago and the only time we encountered rude staff was at kimonos (dining). I will definately go back to the swan/dolphin. :)

[Mousemates]

another vote in the don't take too much stock in the negative Swan comments...we read several a few years ago before we stayed there, but ended up having a great stay.

[Disney Yankee]

We stayed at the Swan and really liked it. My parents stayed at the Dolphin last year, and have booked the Swan this year already. They love it. You really can't beat the teacher, police, and nurse discounts. Have fun!!! It is a GREAT location, and the beds are heavenly:cloud9:.

[Tigerinvestigator]

We were there for Christmas and it was beautiful as always. We absolutely love the Swan/Dolphin and stay there on a regular basis because of the huge discounts for nurses. The boat service to DHS and Epcot and the proximity to the Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach clubs make it even better. I don't think you have anything to worry about at all. They seem to be even more accomodating than some of the Disney resorts so if you get a dirty room I am sure they will "fix" it. You will love the Swan!:thumbsup:

[Granny Jill A]

I stayed at the Swan for a couple of days a few years ago and thought it was very nice. It reminds me of a swanky convention hotel, but it's so close to EPCOT and The Studios that you don't notice the non-Disney feel of the place.

Service and cleanliness were fine. The only problem we had was with the thieving birds on the balcony. My granddaughter put her breakfast pop tart on a plate and went back inside to get her milk. When she turned around, a large black bird was gingerly lifting her pop tart off the plate. He got away with the whole thing before she could stop him.

Too funny.....:D

[Pocahontas]

Just adding the same praise as many of the other posts. My husband stayed there on business not too long ago and had nothing but good things to say about it. He stays at many top notch hotels across the country for business and it compared very favorably. He also commented on the beds and how very comfortable they were.

Don't spend another minute worrying, just think about all the fun you are going to have! :thumbsup:

[Chipanddale]

Can you buy length of stay tickets at the Swan?

Can you use your disney rewards?

Are there other discounts for this resort other than for teachers and nurses?

[MouseHead]

Stayed there last Sept.-2 nights-:thumbsup: [had previously stayed at the Dolphin].....Dolphin was OK [imho] but I loved the Swan:cool:....super clean---more intimate feel than the Dolphin & I was lucky enough to be upgraded to *part* of an executive suite :cloud9:Cali King bed----600+thread count linens---huge spa like bathroom the list goes on...wish I had booked longer than 2 nights :pout:

[Scar]

Can you buy length of stay tickets at the Swan?

Can you use your disney rewards?

Are there other discounts for this resort other than for teachers and nurses?Length of stay tickets no longer exsist.

I don't know what Disney rewards are, but it is doubtful that Starwood would accept them, as they have their own rewards.

Many other discounts. Click the link at the top of this forum to see.

[big blue and hairy]

DW and I have stayed at both the Swan & Dolphin, and we had no complaints. We would definitely stay there again. We didn't encounter rude employees, and the hotel was clean. It is very nice.

:sulley:

[Chipanddale]

Length of stay tickets no longer exsist.

I don't know what Disney rewards are, but it is doubtful that Starwood would accept them, as they have their own rewards.

Many other discounts. Click the link at the top of this forum to see.

Thanks Scar for the info
I will check the link above

Disney rewards... from the use of the Disney Credit Card.

No more LOS tickets.. that is sad. We would always get those tickets.

Now, I have to search the ticket options to see which ones are similar to the LOS tickets.

I want to be able to park hop to any park I want during the day.

[PopPhan]

Thanks Scar for the info
I will check the link above

Disney rewards... from the use of the Disney Credit Card.

No more LOS tickets.. that is sad. We would always get those tickets.

Now, I have to search the ticket options to see which ones are similar to the LOS tickets.

I want to be able to park hop to any park I want during the day.

You cannot use Disney Rewards "points" because The Swan and Dolphin are not Disney owned and operated resorts.

The Magic Your Way (MYW) ticket replaced the Length Of Stay (LOS) tickets somewhere around 2005 [I can't recall exactly] The MYW ticket can be used for the number of days purchased (1 to 10) within a period of 14 days from first use in a WDW park turnstile.

To Park Hop, you would need to get a MYW ticket for the number of days of your stay and add the Park Hopper Option (PH,) which is currently a $54 (plus tax) add-on to the MYW base ticket. If you would also like Water Parks|DisneyQuest|Golf (not mini-golf) you would need to add the Water Park Fun & More Option (WPF,) which is an additional $54 (plus tax) add-on to the MYW base ticket.

You CANNOT get a MYW ticket for more days than you need and use more than one "day" to enter more than one park on any particular day. Once you put your ticket through the turnstile reader, it is locked to that one park for the day, unless you purchase the PH option.

If you would like to purchase more days on your MYW ticket than would cover your trip (up to a maximum of 10 days) you can purchase the No Expiration Option which varies in cost based upon the number of days of the original MYW base ticket.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

We just stayed at the Dolphin 2 weeks ago and it was great as always. Not dirty, no rude help etc.

[Ian]

I stayed there and it was fine. No complaints at all.

And I actually found the beds to be very comfy! :sleepin:

[SBETigg]

I stayed at the Dolphin last month and it was wonderful. I would go back. Great staff, very friendly and helpful, clean spacious rooms with nice beds. Transportation was actually pretty good, too. No long waits or overcrowding. It was a great experience.

[floridamom]

If something is wrong with your room, service, or experience, let a manager know. A GOOD manager would want to make it right and would be thankful to get honest feedback. They want you to return again in the future.

Based on our experience, I would agree completely. One of the reasons we keep going back to Disney is that even when our experience isn't 100%, we (meaning DH), politely address it with the manager and each time the issue has been resolved to our satisfaction, and in most cases, above and beyond what we would have expected.