Five things
to know about the newly renovated Swan and Dolphin Resort at Walt Disney World.
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is celebrating the completion of a renovation that has involved all 2,267 guest rooms and, dramatically, the Dolphin’s lobby. Here are five things to know about the refurbishment. 1. For all to see is a brand new look of the Dolphin lobby, which previously revolved around a big blue-and-white centerpiece draped from the ceiling. Think parachute. “In its day, it was cutting edge. But it began to feel very dated,” says Fred Sawyers, general manager. Fast-forward to 2017, where a hefty new light fixture is being installed. Eventually, it will have 10,000 crystals dangling from the ceiling. (It’s not halfway there yet, Sawyers says.) 2. The lobby now sports a much larger lobby bar, dubbed Phins, and an expansive grab-and-go restaurant called Fuel, which features sandwiches, pastries, yogurt and a good amount of seating if you’re not on the go. The menu changes through the breakfast-lunch-dinner cycles. Fuel has been inserted in the space previously occupied by a gift shop and an art gallery. 3. The guest rooms have been redone, floor to ceiling. Look for a wave pattern in the carpet and blues, grays and silvers that continue the watery Swan and Dolphin theme originally presented by designer Michael Graves in the late 1980s, Sawyers says. The bedding is a brilliantly bright white. The hallway carpeting looks like a riverbed, he says.
“I think that tranquility is really what people are looking for,” Sawyers says. 4. Other room changes: The bathrooms were gutted as part of the renovation. There are more electrical plugs because there are more devices these days. There are new AC units and modern televisions throughout. The rooms’ desks/tables are on wheels, so guests can move them around to use as work spots and/ or eating areas. 5. The room renovation was done in six phases over three years. It sometimes affected as many as 660 rooms at a time. Price tag for these changes: $140 million.