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

Tomorrow’s our arrival day! Just got prompted by the Bonvoy app to do online checkin; is there an advantage to using this versus in-person? Wondering if it increases the chance of our room being ready early (our flight lands at 9AM). But, also thinking in-person checkin could be more advantageous for a possible upgrade (celebrating our 15th anniversary)...I did fill out the concierge room request form in advance, but the website says that service is “temporarily unavailable”, so who knows if it was even received. Thanks for any input!
In today's world nothing really improves the chance your room is ready early other than when there is lower occupancy the night before and there are clean rooms that are ready in you booking category.

On the Marriott site did you select early check-in? You can still do it today.

You can also check your current assigned room type by using the Bonvoy app to see if changed from your initial booking choice based on your concierge request. Normally you would have received an email response to your concierge request. However in today's pandemic world and since the form still has the disclaimer about being temporally unavailable it is more of a dice roll.

Even with online check-in you will still have to stop at the front desk, show ID, swipe your credit card and collect your room key(s). Since you will be checking in around check-out time at 11 AM the front desk may be quiet or busy depending how many guests chose express checkout.

Bottom line if you want a specific room location, view, or something like a balcony if you only booked a "Traditional" room it is best to talk to the front desk. While you might get a free upgrade, you might also be offered a nice upgrade for a daily fee of $50. It never hurts to ask since the worst question is the one that is never asked.

Note: the Bonvoy app will also notify you when your room is ready if it is not ready when you check-in.

Dave
 
In today's world nothing really improves the chance your room is ready early other than when there is lower occupancy the night before and there are clean rooms that are ready in you booking category.

On the Marriott site did you select early check-in? You can still do it today.

You can also check your current assigned room type by using the Bonvoy app to see if changed from your initial booking choice based on your concierge request. Normally you would have received an email response to your concierge request. However in today's pandemic world and since the form still has the disclaimer about being temporally unavailable it is more of a dice roll.

Even with online check-in you will still have to stop at the front desk, show ID, swipe your credit card and collect your room key(s). Since you will be checking in around check-out time at 11 AM the front desk may be quiet or busy depending how many guests chose express checkout.

Bottom line if you want a specific room location, view, or something like a balcony if you only booked a "Traditional" room it is best to talk to the front desk. While you might get a free upgrade, you might also be offered a nice upgrade for a daily fee of $50. It never hurts to ask since the worst question is the one that is never asked.

Note: the Bonvoy app will also notify you when your room is ready if it is not ready when you check-in.

Dave
Wow, you are a treasure trove of information! Thank you so much! Will report back with how we make out tomorrow 😊
 


I have a Marriott bonvoy account in my name. Is there a benefit to both my husband and I having accounts If we always Stay in the same room?
 
Yes it should and as long as your other trips end on or before Oct. 18 then they also count. The promotion registration and earning period is between August 13, 2020, and October 18, 2020, at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties.

As long as you paid a rate that qualifies for points. Some discounted rates don't qualify to earn points. See the link below:

https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/terms/default.mi#qualifyingratespolicy

Dave
 


Yes it should and as long as your other trips end on or before Oct. 18 then they also count. The promotion registration and earning period is between August 13, 2020, and October 18, 2020, at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties.

As long as you paid a rate that qualifies for points. Some discounted rates don't qualify to earn points. See the link below:

https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/terms/default.mi#qualifyingratespolicy

Dave
Cool! I’m also booked Labor Day and Columbus Day weekends, so should be good with the dates. All 3 reservations are under the AP discount, but it doesn’t seem to indicate that promo is excluded, unless I’m reading it wrong 😊
 
Yes it should and as long as your other trips end on or before Oct. 18 then they also count. The promotion registration and earning period is between August 13, 2020, and October 18, 2020, at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties.

As long as you paid a rate that qualifies for points. Some discounted rates don't qualify to earn points.

Dave


Marriott’s Qualifying Rate definition:
“Qualifying Rate” is the rate a Member pays for a Stay in a guest room at a Participating Property which qualifies to earn Points or Miles. Qualifying Rates include most business and leisure rates, such as rates found on Marriott.com without an application of a discount code, Standard and Premium Retail rates, Advanced Purchase rates, Corporate negotiated rates, and national/regional/local Government rates. Unless otherwise specifically stated, Members will receive their membership tier benefits during stays on Qualifying Rates.

At participating Design HotelsTM, Members earn Points or Miles on Qualifying Charges only on Stays at a Qualifying Rate. Members do not earn Points or Miles on Stays at a Non-Qualifying Rate at participating Design HotelsTM even if they incur Qualifying Charges such as for incidental spend.

At Marriott Executive Apartments and ExecuStay, Members earn Points or Miles on the Qualifying Rate only even if they incur Qualifying Charges.

Non-Qualifying Rates. A “Non-Qualifying Rate” is a rate a Member pays for a Stay in a guest room at a Participating Property which does not qualify to earn Points or Miles, as well as membership tier benefits. Non-Qualifying Rates are those booked using the following methods:

The guest room was booked through a tour operator, online travel channel or other third-party channel including, without limitation, expedia.com, hotwire.com, priceline.com, orbitz.com, booking.com, travelocity.com; or

The guest room was booked at a group rate as part of an event, meeting, conference or organized tour, and the Member does not directly pay the Participating Property for such room; or

The guest room was booked at a tour operator, wholesaler, or crew room rate or package including, without limitation, Fam-Tastic® rates, Plan-Tastic® rates, travel industry rates and organized tours or package bookings; or

The guest room was complimentary; or

A voucher or third-party award was redeemed for the guest room.
 
I have a Marriott bonvoy account in my name. Is there a benefit to both my husband and I having accounts If we always Stay in the same room?

Only one person in a room can earn Marriott points for the stay. Unless your husband stays in Marriott hotels when he travels without you - there's no benefit to him becoming a Marriott Bonvoy member. On the other hand, membership is free, so it can't hurt.
 
Can you walk from Swan to Hollywood studios at this time?I heard the path was closed because of nba. I am staying there next week and hope to walk to Epcot, DHS, and boardwalk.
 
Can you walk from Swan to Hollywood studios at this time?I heard the path was closed because of nba. I am staying there next week and hope to walk to Epcot, DHS, and boardwalk.
Yes you can walk. Right now you can walk, take the a bus, uber/lyft or back track and take the roundabout Skyliner, but walking with be your fastest option.
 
Happy to report back that I was successful in making a room request via the “chat” option in the Bonvoy app! The person I chatted with told me Concierge isn’t checking email or the online requests, but they had me forward my request to info@swandolphin.com. A lovely room controller named Caitlin reached out to me via email and told me she had reserved a room that met all our specifications. We were upgraded from a standard queen, no view, to a deluxe king resort view! I asked for a quiet, top/high floor room with no connecting door, nice view, and preferably a corner. We got the 12th/top floor corner room with an awesome view of Hollywood studios! And were able to checkin at 9:45AM! Caitlin rocks!

So far lobby was not very busy, didn’t have to wait (had already done online checkin but there is currently no separate line for that). No waits at Java or for the elevators. Heading out to Epcot now for some Food and Wine and Mariachi Cobre!
 
Is there a dedicated thread for the Cove on this forum? Just did a search and only saw Discovery Cove stuff...that picture of the construction site in this thread is my first time hearing about it and I'd love to know more. What's the branding going to be, for example. I get from Google it's going to be a business-centric hotel (which I thought the Swolphin already was, or at least they're convention hotels) but I don't know what that suggests for the Marriott branding (it's not going to be a giant Courtyard presumably.)

And my impression (wrong or right) has been that Disney considers the Swan and Dolphin to be an Eisner-era mistake, and they would never allow another company to operate a hotel on their property now. Like, how is Disney allowing the Cove to happen? Or is this on already existing Swan/Dolphin territory and they don't have a choice about it?
 

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