Family, travel, mom blog | Theme Park Mom (Leigh Caldwell)

If you are planning an Orlando theme park vacation this spring, here are two new hotel offers that might save you some money.

CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort

I am so excited about the April 15 opening of the new CoCo Key Hotel and Water Resort in Orlando. Today, CoCo Key is announcing a special rate of $89 for mid-week stays at the brand-new hotel, from April 15 through May 31. Standard room rates run $99-$129 per night.

As the hotel’s name shows, CoCo Key is more than a hotel. It has its own 54,000-square-foot water park with 14 water slides and play areas for children and teens. Unlimited water park access costs $19 per room, per day for hotel guests.

CoCo Key is right in between the Universal and SeaWorld theme parks on International Drive, and the hotel offers free transportation to and from these parks.

You can book a room at the special rate for Coco Key in Orlando online.

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort

During the month of May, you can book a special package at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin to celebrate Mother’s Day.

The hotels are offering a special rate of $159 per night. If you book a stay at the special rate during any weekend in May, you will be entered to win a private, catered cruise aboard the Fan-ta-sea. One of these cruises will be given away to a lucky family each weekend.

The Swan and Dolphin hotels are in Epcot Resort Area at Walt Disney World, and guests get free transportation throughout the Walt Disney World resort, as well as other privileges such as Extra Magic Hours.

To book this “Mother May I” special, call 800-227-1500 and ask for rate code “MOTHER2.”

You’ve heard of Florida resident discounts at Walt Disney World, but this year there’s also a special discount for Louisiana residents.

To celebrate the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl win, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin is offering Saints fans from Louisiana a free night’s stay when you book two nights at the standard price.

Here are the rules to get this free hotel night at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin:

• Travel must be booked by Feb. 28, 2010.
• Travel must be completed by Dec. 31, 2010.
• You must be a current resident of Louisiana. You will be asked for ID at check-in.
• Call 1-800-227-1500 and ask for promotion code SDBOWL.

The Swan and Dolphin resort is in the EPCOT Resort Area at Walt Disney World, within walking distance of Disney’s Boardwalk. And you get the same benefits as guests staying at other Walt Disney World resort hotels, including free transportation to Disney’s theme parks and Extra Magic hours.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is offering a $99 room rate this year for Labor Day. You can book a discounted room now for stays between Sept. 1 and Sept. 9.

The resort says the $99 discounted rate is in honor of the ninth month of 2009. The special runs for nine days, and, you’ll notice, it ends on 9/09/09. Is that enough nines for you?

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin has five gorgeous swimming pools and a white sand beach.

If not, you should know that the Swan and Dolphin is giving away hotel stays and dinners to nine resort employees and their families in honor of Labor Day.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin is in the heart of Walt Disney World, at the EPCOT Resort area. This is my favorite area of Walt Disney World for short stays, because it is so easy to get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT and Disney’s Boardwalk – just hop on a water taxi. And, of course, there’s bus transportation to the other parks and recreation areas at Walt Disney World.

The Swan and Dolphin has 17 restaurants and lounges to choose from, including Todd English’s bluezoo, which I’m dying to try. And there are five pools and a white sand beach. In fact, you could spend the entire weekend just enjoying this resort inside a resort.

If you are planning a trip to Walt Disney World over Labor Day weekend, this $99 rate is a steal for a deluxe-level hotel stay. Don’t forget that you could also take advantage of this special to treat your family to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, which opens on Sept. 4.

A minimum three-night stay is required for this Disney hotel special. You can make reservations by calling 1-800-227-1500 and mentioning the “$99 in ’09″ promotion.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is offering a new tool for travelers planning to stay at the resort, an app for iPhone and iTouch users.

This application allows hotel guests and those planning a stay to get detailed information on the Swan and Dolphin Resort, including a video tour, information on guest rooms and dining options and a detailed map to help you navigate the resort’s 87 acres.

The hotel’s iPhone app was developed with the help of Florida State University’s College of Business.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin has 2,265 guest rooms, restaurants, recreation areas and meeting facilities within the Walt Disney World Resort. The Swan and Dolphin are in the EPCOT resort area, in between EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The hotel is managed by Starwood and each room has my favorite hotel bed – the Westin Heavenly Bed.

You can download the new iPhone app at the Apple App Store or through the resort’s Web site.