I have reviewed the Disney Swan & Dolphin in the past, showing that it is a great place to stay with your kids on Disney property. And while my husband and I love our children dearly, we knew we needed a break, especially on our anniversary and we thought it would be great to go back to the Disney Swan & Dolphin for a couples getaway, just the two of us, for the first time in two years!

The image above was the beautiful view from our room and we loved it! But let me back up a minute and say that I am always impressed with the friendliness of the staff at the Swan & Dolphin. Everyone is always so happy and helpful, that is a very welcoming feature that makes us feel like we are right at home. After we checked in and found our room, we just relaxed, no kids, all was quiet and we were enjoying our time just sitting down.

After awhile we got hungry so we headed down to Disney’s Boardwalk, which is literally right in walking distance (just to the left in the image above) for dinner. We ended up at the ESPN restaurant because we wanted to try some place we hadn’t eaten at before. I was in for a shock as the staff there was rude, had us waiting for over 40 minutes with tables open and barely said two words to my husband and I, sad too because once we did get served the food was good, but not good enough to have us ever going back there. Back at the Swan & Dolphin we enjoyed a walk around the property and then headed in for the night.

The next morning we headed out to the pool, which is one of my favorite pools in Central Florida. We found seats by the waterfall and just relaxed and enjoyed soaking up the sun. After about two hours we headed inside to the Picabu, a great buffet style eatery, that has so much to choose from. We had a tasty Chicken Caesar Salad and a Tuna wrap that was so good, that I went back and got another one the next day!

We decided to head on to Downtown Disney to walk around a bit and do some shopping. We loved the convenience of taking the bus system to and from, and not using our own car, it is a huge plus for us at the Swan & Dolphin! We spent about an hour and a half down there and then headed back to get ready for our fun anniversary night.

Happy 15 years honey, I love you so very much!

We had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants at the resort, Il Mulino. My husband ordered the wonderful Shrimp Linguine dish, was a special that night, and I ordered the Penne Rigati that was delicious. Now let me say here that this restaurant has my favorite all time appetizer that I would order every day if I could. Their Arancini is scrumptious! It is an Italian Rice Ball served with a spicy marinara that literally melts in your mouth. I love this dish, more than I can tell you! I even went as far as not sharing with my husband, which he was okay with

After dinner we went for a stroll around the lake and let our food settle before heading over to Kimonos for some sake and karaoke. I love watching people sing and even warbling a few bars myself, but this evening I wanted to just relax with my husband and watch everyone else. The atmosphere in Kimonos is very laid back, with dim lighting and a very friendly staff who made sure we had everything we needed. Before we knew it they were closing down, but we had a real fun night.

The next morning my husband went home to get the kids to bring them up for swimming and a surprise trip to the movies to see Toy Story 3. They had so much fun in the pool and after they got tired out we went back to Picabu for a quick lunch before heading to our room to change and check out. It was a great way to end a very nice anniversary trip. We loved that we had the opportunity to experience the Disney Swan & Dolphin Resort by ourselves and end it with the kids enjoying their amazing pool. Thank you for good food, friendly service, a perfect room and a great fireworks display, a perfect place to view the fireworks they set off over at Epcot. We had an amazing time, and left being completely relaxed. Thank you for an anniversary to remember!

All pictures taken with the Kodak EasyShare M530 Digital Camera

FYI – This post will be a long one as there is so much information to put into it.

This was an exciting day for me, I was going to see a favorite speaker of mine, Chris Brogan. I had seen him speak at IZEAfest last year and was so impressed with him from how he presented to his view on social media, he is an amazing person and I highly recommend seeing him speak whenever you get the chance. More on Chris in a bit.

I quickly got dressed and headed to catch the monorail and ran into a whole group of moms and got to meet them all. That’s one thing I loved the most about this conference, meeting new moms, some who I chat with daily some who I have never spoken with before. I also missed the chance to meet so many others and for that I am sorry, but hope to have another chance soon to meet them.

Breakfast was amazing, great food. I found myself sitting with Connie and we were all by ourselves chatting when I looked up to see Chris Brogan heading our way. He asked to sit at our table and sat down right next to me. Okay, for those who know me, know I am such a huge fan of his to the point where I am in awe when I see him. He is brilliant and I am starstruck. So for him to sit down next to me and to take a picture with me, well, I was so happy.

I also got the chance to meet and have breakfast with Scott Stratten aka UnMarketing. Another brilliant man and I was so happy to have had the chance to meet him and learn a little more about him. And to finish out my table I had the pleasure meeting author Kathy Buckworth, whose Blackberry Diaries I had reviewed a few months ago. She is so nice!

After the fun time I had at breakfast I was anxious to see what the rest of the day had in store. Sadly, my husband was stuck with the kids all day in the rain and cold at Hollywood Studios while I was all warm and toasty, props to him for handling that well

After we took our seats the Tweeter Sisters took the stage and boy were they a hoot! They had me laughing all day long, I so admire people who can make others laugh, because I believe one needs that special something in them to do that, especially with people you have just met.

They introduced our first speaker, Maxine Clark (@chiefexecbear), Founder of Build-A–Bear Workshop.

What a breath of fresh air she was, she is smart, sophisticated and an idol in my eyes. The one (of many) things I took away that has really stuck with me was that its about passion, its about doing what you love and loving what you do. That is so very true and it is something I apply to my life every single day! Another thing is her saying “Let a child inspire you”. I believe the children are so very important in our lives and I am endlessly inspired by my children. Build-A-Bear for Maxine is a way to do that. Now I will have to say here that before hearing her speak Build-A-Bear to me was just another place to get a much unneeded stuffed animal, my kids had so many I never wanted them adding more. But after hearing how Maxine built this business from an idea on up and what her company does for so many children I am going to become a regular there and will soon be taking my toddler on her very first visit. I loved Maxine and all she stands for and I loved hearing her speak and learning from her. (Sadly, my camera was not working at this time so I did not get any pictures of her )

Next up was the wonderful mom, actress and Tony-award winning Broadway star, Marissa Jaret Winokur.

I knew of her and of her work but this was the first time I actually tuned in because she is so smart and funny and just absolutely lovable. And boy is she smart when it comes to social media. But wait, I am getting ahead of myself. Right off the bat she came on stage acting like she didn’t know what to say or do, when she announces “I don’t do speeches, I do talk shows!” She has a couple of chairs brought out and even had her own interviewer with a theme song (you know how many people want their own theme songs? lol)

So we sat back to watch the World’s Greatest Interviewer Christopher Youngsman interviewer her, which I thought was a fun way to presenter her to us. She was so down to earth, talking about her weight and her new job, being a mom, and I just wanted her to be my best friend right then and there. She gave us an inside look at her life via a Vlog she did and I don’t know how she does it. My favorite part of it was watching her rehearse a song with her son strapped onto her front, and her having to cover his ears when she hit the high notes (which he seemed to like because he kicked his little legs).

I was impressed with her and her drive to never take no for an answer. I loved that she said she kept pushing, that she was the first one to an party and one of the last ones to leave, making sure she worked the room and was being “social”. I love that her fan page and friend page on Facebook is the same, she doesn’t separate them because she wants her fans to feel like they are a part of her life, something that not too many would do. I loved hearing her speak and wish her well in everything she does!

Broke for lunch and after we found a table guess who was working the room, being so generous with her time and talking to everyone and taking pictures, you guessed it, Marissa! What an amazing woman she is! I loved the personal attention she gave to each of us and was so honored for her time for a picture (see I told you B that I had my pic taken with her lol)

Lunch was just as amazing as everything else. Chicken Parmesan, Ziti and salad oh my! It was simply delicious! And I had a great group of women at my table, we chatted and had fun taking pictures of the meal. And just look at this, I so want to go back and get these again, they were melt in your mouth wonderful little morsels of cheesecake…

After that magnificent lunch we took our seats in the conference center again and this time we were in for a great surprise. Kathy Ireland was announced as the next speaker! That was not on the schedule but for me was a welcome surprise because throughout the 80′s I looked to Kathy Ireland as being someone I could look up to, someone who in my honest opinion was more beautiful than any of the models she was grouped with because she was beautiful on the inside.

She is also a brilliant woman who actually stopped and said that “We were her heroes for being there that day”, because she knew how much we had to change to get there. She even said, “That the career, yes career, of being a mom is under appreciated.” And goes on to say “That it is okay to ask for help, that we as women always try to do it all and have it all. We can have it all, just not all at once!” I LOVE THIS SAYING!!!!! I was giving her a standing ovation in my mind for that one. I believe that wholeheartedly!

She wrapped up her time by answering questions from the group, which she responded to without thinking, I mean she was really on her game at the conference! She even answered the questions by speaking the persons name who asked the question, she made it personal and I loved that about her. I was very impressed by how awesome she was, I only wish I had the chance to get a picture with her, she was an idol of mine in the 80′s and after this conference she will continue to be that to me.

She also has a new book out called Real Solutions for Busy Moms that I must get my hands on as soon as I can, because Lord knows I could use a little help.

Loved listening to Kathy Ireland speak and was thrilled that the next speaker was Chris Brogan. I have probably already mentioned it before but I love listening to him speak and even though some things drew gasps out of some I love how he delivers!

He started off with having us give a MUCH deserved round of applause to the Disney Staff. They were absolutely amazing and I wish we could have let them know that more. And then he began by asking for forgiveness for the cursing he was about to do saying it was out of passion and asked religious bloggers to pray for him later which made the room laugh.

He used his “When I reach out to shake your hand don’t stick your tongue down my throat” analogy which is to say be real, tell me your story, don’t immediately try to sell something to me. He is a big believer in getting to know someone. he says it also took him years to gain a good following on his blog, and just look where he is now. He is a brilliant man, I could listen to him speak forever and am looking forward to the next time I will get to hear him.

After Chris left the stage they asked us all to leave the room for 15 minutes while they changed things up a bit. This was a great networking time and I was able to finally chat a bit @consumerqueen and her husband @consumerking and was finally able to meet @princesstimetoys, all three people I just love and admire for doing what they do!

We were let back into the room to see that they had set up happy hour for our last hour at the conference, with drinks and more food and entertainment in the form of comedian Maryellen Hooper who was so funny! She had the entire room laughing so hard, I for one couldn’t breathe between jokes. She is so spunky and full of life and she loves making fun of herself, her husband and her new role of being a mom. Her blog is stinkyflowers.com and I loved her story of how that name came to be, to read about it click here.

After she finished her performance it was time to head back to the Polynesian and find my family for one last night of fun with all my blogging friends. That will be another post lol

I paid for my conference ticket to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration and in doing so I received complimentary items, special discounts, food and entertainment as part of the conference ticket.

Day two starts with me hardly able to move, my body is just not what it used to be, actually it was more my feet than anything else. But with the excitement of knowing in just a few hours I was going to see Guy Kawasaki speak I jumped on getting ready to head downstairs to catch a bus to Epcot.

We arrived at the American Adventure Rotunda and immediately the warmth and smell of breakfast (and much needed coffee) hit me. I chose a table by the front, grabbed my food (delicious by the way) and drank my coffee waiting for Guy Kawasaki to come on stage. I didn’t have to wait long when he took the stage and started talking about Twitter. Now I LOVE Twitter, my life would be so different without it, but I will be the first to admit that I don’t know all there is to know and that’s where Guy comes in.

He spoke of @Dell being a smart company when it comes to selling excessive product over Twitter, how @Kogibbq used Twitter to let their customers know where there truck would be (and subsequently when they would sell out of their product). He spoke of the power of Twitter when  a customer is dissatisfied with a company which I have actually experienced first hand the power of Twitter after a complaint I made about a company.

He told us the power of Twitter was all in the search. Which other than looking for a persons name I had never really used, but after listening to him speak about how powerful it was I will be looking into implementing more. Powerful tools like Twitterfeed, Twitterhawk and Objectivemarketer are important in having your Twitter account reach its potential. These are tools Mr. Kawasaki uses everyday! They will be tools that I use, after I get to really know them and how best to use them. I loved listening to Guy Kawasaki speak, could have listened to him all day. And I took away a large amount of information and just loved his laid back style and his openness with the information he shared with us.

Soon we were on our way over to the location of the Family Volunteer Announcement, where we were going to celebrate volunteering families from all over the country and all they have achieved. As we were walking over there I finally got the chance to meet Jennifer James one of my blog idols and I was so thrilled to have had the opportunity to meet her, she is so nice and an absolutely wonderful woman. I wish I had had more time to talk with her. When we got inside we took our seats for the presentation. And what a presentation it was! We got to see Kermit, Mickey, Donald, Pluto and oh yeah….TY PENNINGTON….swoon…..

After a brief speech by Ty we helped him “Raise Those Balloons” and we got a glimpse of the Guinness Book of World Records Certified Can Food Sculpture. Made with more than 115,000 cans of food this sculpture was breathtaking in the fact that it was food that was going to feed people, it looked amazing this picture doesn’t do it justice. The sculpture was dismantled by volunteers and the food will be dispersed among food banks. Ty stayed out and took pictures for everyone after the event was over which I thought was cool. Something else that just made my day was meeting Cooper Munroe from The Motherhood, a brilliant woman who I so looked forward to meeting. Got a big ol’ hug from her and it made my day. Thanks Jennifer for introducing us

After the amazing Volunteer event we were able to meet up with our families and spend the day in Epcot. We wanted to do one of the volunteer things but kids got cranky hungry (for those that do not know what that means I will fill you in. They get really mean and whiny when they are hungry, so my hubby and I call it cranky hungry). So we went to find some food, after which my toddler passed out and the older kids went to ride rides. We headed back to the room for some rest before the big night time event. My tween still had no clue what was coming up and I was excited for her. So when we got back to the hotel room my toddler decided it was ice cream time and so we went and got some at the hotel, which turned out to be a slight mistake as she was bouncing off the walls.

We headed back over to Epcot on the monorail and we got a special treat as the monorail circled Epcot before dropping us off. We got to see them setting up for our event and that got us all excited. The day couldn’t of been any better, well yeah it could have been warmer but we dealt with the cold.

After entering the park we stood in line and waited to be let into the area where our dinner was to take place. I wish I had a picture of how everything was set up but all mine came out blurry because I hit the wrong setting on the camera. But it was beautiful! I sat down at the table with my toddler and let the others go get their food and was lucky to have been able to sit near a heater because boy did the temp drop after the sun went down. They brought back some amazing tasting food, including this tomato soup in a cup with a shrimp speared through on the top, absolutely delicious!!!! I went in search of something for my toddler and I and I didn’t have to go far. There were so many yummy things we ate that I felt like I was going to explode. And then came the dessert, little cheesecake pushups, chocolate mousse and more. I was in heaven!

After we all finished eating we got up to move around and try to get warm and meet some new people. Had a few rummy drinks and listened to the opening band, Allstar Weekend which were new kids and were actually very good. Loved their last song too. My son had taken my tween up front by this point and I was so excited for her to see Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato up close, heck I was excited to see them too, they are such a huge part of our lives, they are in our living room everyday

The moment came and when they were announced I saw my daughter start jumping up and down, or maybe that was me, well…one of us was moving anyway. I loved the new song so pretty and they did great singing it together and then I was so happy to hear their Camp Rock song, I was jamming out and dancing with my toddler.

We met up with @conniefoggles and her family at the end of the show and our girls hit it off immediately. This was to be the start of a great friendship that lasted throughout the rest of our trip and will continue well into the future. They were so funny together and we hated tearing them up but we were all tired and needed to get back to the hotel to rest up for our early start on Friday.

Stay tuned for more exciting details of the 2010 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, up next is Chris Brogan and a few surprises.

I paid for my conference ticket to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration and in doing so I received complimentary items, special discounts, food and entertainment as part of the conference ticket.

First let me say a HUGE thank you to @leannej @lauraspencerone @momtalkradio @mombloggersclub @5minutesformom @resourcefulmom and Disney for giving my family and I a memory that will last forever! You all truly gave your all to make the magic spectacular and I can never thank you all enough for that.

So, being a local I didn’t have a very long drive to get to the Polynesian Resort, but the ride was full of nervousness from me, seeing my blogging idols and meeting new bloggers is nervewracking , and massive excitement from my kids. Even my 17 year old had a goofy grin while driving there.

When we arrived we checked in, our room was not ready yet, but that was expected since we got there at 8:30 am. So we wandered over to the hospitality suite to check in there and get our itinerary and all our goodies. I was in awe of all the special Disney things we received. After coming out of the suite we started to make our way to the monorail to start our Disney day and ran into @ConnieFoggles and her wonderful family (little did I know at that time just how much they would come to mean to my family, more on that later). We chatted a few minutes and then went our separate ways.

Now this was my toddlers first time at Disney so I didn’t know how she would react to all the sights, sounds and characters. But she quickly made my anxiety over that disappear as she jumped for joy in getting to ride the monorail and her face just lit up when she saw the castle for the first time.

She took in the sights and sounds with the awe that only a young child could have, no that’s not right, because I was right there with her, just as excited and so thrilled to be at Disney with those excitement butterflies in my tummy. But she was so excited and was all over the place wanting to see this or that and racing to wait in line to see her very first character.

She was not afraid of them at all, in fact she behaved quite the opposite way than I expected. She ran up to them, threw her arms around them and held on tight. I was shocked. She is so outgoing until she sees a new person and then she clams up until they are around for awhile, but that all went out the window when she saw Goofy and Donald in Frontierland. She squealed with delight and was jumping up and down in line until it was her turn and she ran to them with arms wide open, it brought tears to my eyes to see her so excited.

Now my older two got a small chance to go off on their own to ride a few rides before I got the text that our room was ready (how convenient is that?!?) and I had to round them up to head back to the hotel. Before we left the area I snapped a picture of them playing around. Big props to the Media Fast Pass, we saw Disney in a totally new way and we couldn’t have been happier!

We got back to the hotel for a few minutes of rest and relaxation and getting cleaned up and changed for an evening that was to be a new experience for all of us. We were soon on our way to the ESPN Wide World of Sports for a media event while our families had fun playing games and running around outside. I had a slight problem with my toddler wanting to come with me but she soon saw that there was much fun to be had without me so she went on her merry little way.

I got into the auditorium where everyone was gathering and was pleased to meet @Linda_Sellers and Janine Nickel @twincident, two women I was looking forward to actually meeting in person. At the Disney What’s New, What’s Next presentation we learned some pretty exciting things on Disney’s horizon. Like the Main Street Electrical Parade is coming back, you don’t know how happy that makes me, I so miss the music, the sounds and of course all the magic that goes into that parade, when I was young that parade was Disney to me. Great things in store for all the Disney parks as well as a Fantasyland Expansion where guests will be able to step into their favorite princesses land and have immersive encounters with them. A Magical Makeover for Castaway Cay, Disney’s very own private island, with the addition of a floating water platform with twisty water slides, an expanded family beach, a new teen retreat and new rental cabanas. And with the expansion of the Disney Cruise Line Fleet, adding both the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy ships families will have magical experiences both on land and on the sea. As a matter of fact the Disney Magic will be sailing to Europe for an unprecedented five-month season of Northern European and Mediterranean cruises. And the Disney Wonder will sail for the first time ever to Alaska in 2011. And with the relaunching of the ESPN World Wide of Sports Complex there are just so many new and great things coming up for Disney that it makes me giddy with excitement.

After all that exciting news we were able to meet up with our families again and go inside for a Tailgate style dinner complete with a DJ, dancing and the special arrival of some Disney Characters. We got in a little too late and there weren’t enough tables on the lower floor so we were seated up top away from most of the action, which was a tad bit disappointing but after we ate we made our way downstairs to join in on the fun and my girls had so much fun dancing on the stage, especially my toddler, who once again proved me wrong in being shy. She was dancing like crazy, trying out all the smooth moves her sister and those around her were doing. I was impressed!

I want to take a minute right here and say that the Disney staff, from the bus drivers to the wait staff were absolutely wonderful in everything that they did for us. They were extremely helpful, polite and fun and I want to give them all a standing ovation (I am standing up and clapping right now!).

After a few pictures of the characters and the kids and a special High School Musical number we were headed back to the hotel for some much needed sleep and a new, magical day on Thursday.

Was so happy to run into @acowboyswife and her adorable son and @erikalehmann who I was so happy to have had the chance to chat with this time around as we just met in passing a few months back.

Stay tuned for more exciting news and in depth look at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration.

I paid for my conference ticket to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration and in doing so I received complimentary items, special discounts, food and entertainment as part of the conference ticket.

Author: Lisa M Battista
Item Reviewed: Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers

Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers is for everyone who wants to share the magic of the Walt Disney World Resort with preschoolers. There is nothing like experiencing the wide-eyed wonder of young children as they take in the sights and sounds of Disney World.

Researching, planning, and enjoying a magical Disney World vacation with preschoolers doesn’t have to be overwhelming or time-consuming. Experience the magic without the hassle using the family-friendly advice and time-saving strategies in Beyond the Attractions. With the child-focused information, tips, and insights, you’ll be able to plan an unforgettable, fun-filled Walt Disney World vacation.

I loved reading through this book. Not only did it put my mind at ease with what to do with my toddler at the upcoming Disney Social Media Moms Conference I will be attending in February, but it also gave me so many ideas, which I shared with my husband since he will be the one with the kids on most of the days. She is going to have so much fun, and I totally agree with the note that there is nothing better than seeing your child’s face when she sees everything Disney has to offer for the first time. And now with the help of Beyond the Attractions I have a list of things other than rides to point out to her and I am calm and happy and ready to go! With hotel tips, attraction tips and so much more I recommend this book to everyone who is planning a trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Today I will be wrapping up my review of the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotel. If you missed out on the first two parts you can catch up with these links: Part 1 & Part 2. I will end on two great things about this hotel and a thanks to all those that made our stay enjoyable and memorable!

Day two started with us waking up and enjoying breakfast at the Java Bar, which by the way has the tastiest donuts I have ever had! After a quick bite to eat we took advantage of the Walt Disney Bus Transportation. I will tell you that not having to get in your car and drive anywhere on Disney property really makes you feel like you are away from it all. It is one of our favorite perks, and trust me you will love it too.

So where did we take the Disney bus to? Downtown Disney, of course! We couldn’t take a mini Disney vacation without stopping by our favorite shopping experience. The kids always have a blast here, riding the train, playing in the water that shoots out of the ground, and most recently they had a blast designing T-shirts at the Disney Design-A-Tee store. Of course they love acting goofy too!

After another quick bite to eat at McDonald’s we hopped on the bus back to the hotel so the baby and I could nap while my husband took the two older ones to Typhoon Lagoon for some fun in the sun. They came back red…..even though I had them put sunscreen on, that sun is hot!!! But they had so much fun and my husband loved the fact that they could go to the water park and just take a quick bus ride back to the hotel instead of piling into a hot car and driving home.

After they relaxed a bit, we ordered the kids room service, which was the fastest and according to them, the best they have had. The man that brought it up was super nice and very polite, I wish I was standing close enough to see his name so I could thank him here. The room smelled so good and I was so hungry. Luckily my husband and I were going out to dinner just the two of us, which hasn’t happened in almost 2 years!

We chose to eat at the beautiful Il Mulino, and oh my gosh I was in heaven!!!

Not only was this restaurant beautiful on the outside but the inside took my breath away. It looked exactly how I have wanted my house to look. You may laugh at that but with the lighting and the way the bar looked was perfect. The picture above is a professional picture but from my eyes it doesn’t do it justice, because the lighting is lower and little candles are lit. Funny thing is we were seated at the table at the front of the photo. We started the evening with a glass of wine to celebrate our anniversary and with the Arancini, and it was the best thing I have ever tasted. They are Italian rice balls over a spicy marinara sauce. We had never had these before and I couldn’t stop eating them, they were delicious. I ordered the Ravioli and it was wonderful and I even had some of my husbands Meat and Spinach stuffed Cannelloni in a cream sauce. We totally stuffed ourselves on some really awesome food, I will always remember that as my favorite now. And I would like to say a special thank you to our two wait staff, Drew & Monique, two very professional and wonderful people who explained what things were and helped us make our decisions.

Two very full people

Final Thoughts

I was pleasantly surprised by the Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin Hotel as I always thought it was more of a convention type hotel. And while they do have those it had plenty to offer a family with kids of all ages. The use of the Disney Transportation system is a huge plus for me and I love that it is included here. The pool is wonderful, the food is delicious, the rooms are clean and roomy, and the staff is amazing. I truly felt like I was away from the “real world” even if only for two days. I will definitely be going back to the Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin Hotel very soon.

I also want to give one more shout out to the wonderful people we encountered on our trip. So a big Thank You to Joel, Michelle at check-in, Alan at the Cabana Restaurant, Drew & Monique at Il Mulino, we really appreciated everything you all did for us. I highly recommend planning a vacation at The Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin. There was something to do for all of us including the kids and it was a nice relaxing time which we so needed.

Read Part 1 here.

Read Part 2 here.

Today, I will continue my review of the beautiful Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotel. I left you off going to our room after check in on the Swan side of the hotel, and what a cozy room it was. If you are new to this little series of hotel reviews please read yesterday’s post here, you really don’t want to miss anything!

So after checking in and getting settled in the room we relaxed for a bit before heading to the pool. Yes, those are my kids still playing video games even on vacation, they had some kind of duel with the games and then we were able to head out to the most relaxing place I went to at the hotel (they have a spa that I have heard is amazing, but I did not visit there on this trip).

The Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin Grotto pool is one of the prettiest pools I have ever seen. Not only does the pool seem to go on forever but the is a section where you can play volleyball, go down a water slide (which is so much fun!) and then just swim out in the openness with the cascading waterfall. So very relaxing. And they even have a baby pool that is perfect for the little ones.

In the kiddie pool

View of the Swan side from the Grotto Pool

After spending some time in the sun we headed back to the room to change for dinner. We sure did have a hard time figuring out where we wanted to eat as they have such a great selection of restaurants to choose from. We decided to let the kids pick since the next night was our Anniversary and we had a special place picked out for that.

We had an enjoyable dinner at The Fountain which is actually in the Dolphin hotel across the walkway.

I ordered the Grilled Spicy Chicken Fladen, and it was delicious and lived up to its “spicy” name. I think I went through 3 sodas with that meal, and it was so worth it. The rest of the family loved their food as well. After or wonderful meal we did some shopping in the hotel shops and then headed back to our room where we watched the fireworks that Walt Disney World sets off every night. I saw fireworks I had never seen before and the kids just loved it.

As the kids drifted off to sleep my husband and I planned out the next day, which was Father’s Day and our 11th Anniversary. I was excited that the older kids would get to spend the day with him at Typhoon Lagoon and that I would have some one on one time with our toddler. Then at night we would celebrate, just my husband and I. So come back tomorrow for all the exciting things we did and to hear all about one of my new all time favorite restaurants that served food so delicious I was in heaven and for the final wrap up of my review of the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotel.

Read Part 1 here.

Read Part 3 here.

I have been excitedly awaiting the start of my newest feature here at The Dirty Shirt. Today I will launch my hotel reviews feature, and I start off with a wonderful hotel the Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin. Because there is so much information I want to give you this one will be a three part review starting with the hotel in general and ending with the restaurants and special activities that we experienced as well as my thoughts on the whole experience.

For the guest who wants a truly “magical” Walt Disney World experience, there’s no better place to stay than the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. From the majesty of the swans and mythical dolphins sitting atop the luxury hotels to the child-friendly amenities, the resort provides the perfect complement to any Walt Disney World vacation.

Inside, amazing architectural designs are found throughout the resort complex, including the giant swan and dolphin water fountains that are the centerpieces of the hotel lobbies. Extra touches complete the feeling of being in a truly unique place.

Beyond the rooms, a multitude of activities and adventures awaits guests of all ages.  From tennis, beach volleyball, miniature golf, swimming pools and health clubs, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has it all.  Additional special benefits include complimentary transportation to all Walt Disney World Theme Parks and Attractions and an on-site Disney ticket and information desk.

Children can join others their age at Camp Dolphin, the resort’s year-round summer camp for children ages 4 to 12.  After a day at the theme parks, the camp offers fully supervised programs, including arts, crafts, movies, board games, video and arcade games, nightly themed activities with prizes and souvenirs, a Disney movie and even a special dinner program.

Outside, the amusement continues with more than three acres of water fun, including a lavish swimming grotto pool with waterfalls and hidden alcoves, a water slide and white sand beach, perfect for building sand castles and other creations.  For adults, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort offers whirlpools, saunas and lap pools.  Over-sized hammocks are scattered along the beach and pool area.

Families with teenagers will enjoy the resort’s beach volleyball, video arcade, tennis courts, ping-pong and paddle boat rentals.  Health clubs at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort offer aerobics, free weights, stationary bikes, stair machines and more.  Disney’s BoardWalk entertainment district is just steps from the resort, offering a myriad of shops, entertainment and themed restaurants.

Parents and children alike will share in the adventure of Fantasia Gardens miniature golf courses, adjacent to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.  The 36-hole adventure features an 18-hole miniature golf course themed after Disney’s classic animated film Fantasia and the 18-hole Fantasia Fairways challenge course designed with strategically placed water hazards and bunkers.

Dining at the hotel is just as exciting as the hotel itself. There are 17 restaurants and lounges, including: Shula’s Steak House, “One of the Top 5 Steak Houses in America” and “Critic’s Choice for Best Upscale Steakhouse Chain in Orlando”; Il Mulino New York Trattoria, complete with authentic Italian cuisine, Kimonos sushi bar, one of the most popular in Orlando and Todd English’s bluezoo, featuring coastal cuisine by this internationally acclaimed chef. Kids also will enjoy the opportunity to dine with the lovable Disney characters for breakfast or dinner at Garden Grove.

Day One Of My Stay

We arrived early and checked in on the Swan side, and went to reception where I was met by Michelle, a very friendly person, who went out of her way to get us settled in. The room was not quite ready yet, but that was fine my family and I set off to see the beautiful pool and have some lunch at the Cabana, which not only had amazing food but a very courteous staff as well. Just look at this beautiful place:

I will have to say that our waiter, Alan, went above and beyond and really blew my husband and I away with his attention to detail and his friendliness. I can’t recall a time when I was treated so nicely. After our experience here we decided that we wanted to live in the Cabana.

After filling ourselves on some pretty tasty food we went poolside for a bit and let the kids swim (waiting the appropriate 30 minutes of course). They had so much fun I almost hated to take them away from it all, but in the Florida sun you really need to give yourself a break. And what better place to take a break then here, our room:

Come on back tomorrow as I share how great our room was, our dining experiences, kid activities and the Disney Transportation System.

Read Part 2 here.