Hi,
I have always stayed off-site in a condo at WDW, since DH needs the space. I just found out I will be having a conference at the convention center July 2016 at the Swan/Doplhin, and I don't think I can go and not take DS, he will never forgive me.
DH is not a fan of WDW and we are all going with his parents next April. So I was thinking of inviting my parents to come on 2016, so they can watch DS while I am at the convention and staying 2-3 days before and after so we can have some fun at WDW as a family.
Is is true that only the swan has rooms with 2 queen beds?
Can they accommodate 3 adults comfortably? will I have to pay extra? It is very likely that my sister will also come with us and I was wondering if they will be fine in one standard room
Can you request adjoining rooms? how likely are they to honor their request?
I will have to go on business dinners and it will be much easier for my mom to put DS to bed if the rooms are next to each other.
At this point I just want to know how much extra I will have to budget to invite my family to the trip, since my room, plane tickets and expenses will be covered through work.
I am exited, the Swan/Dolphin seems like a great hotel and I love the boardwalk area!
thanks in advance
I'm jealous- it's a great place for a conference! I've been to the Dolphin for both business and pleasure and it was great for both; I'm sure the Swan will be the same. The hotel will be completely renovated by then and I'm sure will look fabulous.
It looks like the Swan charges $25 each for the third and fourth adult in a room. The rooms are smallish so I don't think 3 adults would be comfortable, especially for a week.
Being on Disney property, they are better than most business hotels at honoring requests since they know that families often want connecting rooms, but like most hotels will not come out and guarantee connecting rooms. I would not consider an executive suite as an alternative as the executive suites at the Swan only have an uncomfortable pull-out couch in the "parlor" area.
Regarding budget, the biggest difference between an off-site condo and the Swan will be your food costs. For a family of four this June, I spent about $2300 at the Dolphin for the week on meals. Now, we did hit Shula's one night, which was outrageously expensive, but even Picibu is quite pricey.
Disney Dining Plan is not available for stays at the Swan.
Rooms will run about $200 if you book early, but don't forget to budget for parking (if you take a car) and the ridiculous resort fee. Looking online the $185 regular room in July will actually cost you $235 due to fees and taxes (not including parking fee currently $16/day self park).
Do you have a Starwood credit card? I use Starwood points to pay for a room and I consider it one of the best rewards cards out there. I have a Delta Skymiles credit card (for the free bags) and a Disney credit card, but I get MUCH more bang for my buck with the Starwood card.
Good luck and let me know if you have any specific questions.