Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Joel Kaiman, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; joel@tjmcommunications.com

Treva Marshall, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; treva@tjmcommunications.com



WALT DISNEY WORLD SWAN AND DOLPHIN ANNOUNCES DATES FOR FIFTH ANNUAL FOOD & WINE CLASSIC

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – February 28, 2014 – Culinary artistry, fine wine and celebrity chef meet-and-greets will once again highlight the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic. The event, back for its fifth year, will be held on Friday, Oct. 31, and Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, at the Epcot Resort Area hotel.

The outdoor festival will include food and beverage seminars, food and wine tastings and live music. Seminars will be led by the hotel’s chefs and certified beverage experts, while the hotel’s award-winning restaurants will showcase signature culinary selections to pair with tastings from more than 30 wineries.

Celebrity Chef Todd English will be in attendance to meet and greet with guests. English is a renowned restaurateur who has gained national acclaim through his line of restaurants and cookbooks, and other food-related enterprises. Todd English’s bluezoo is located in the hotel and features fresh seafood in a vibrant atmosphere.

With 17 restaurants and lounges, and a distinguished culinary and beverage team, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel continually earns national recognition for its food and beverage program. The hotel features more than 70 certified wine sommeliers and 1,400 wine selections.

Tickets to the Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic are currently available as part of a hotel package or individually. For more information or to book, please visit www.SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com or call 1-800-227-1500.

In the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort, the award-winning Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is the gateway to Central Florida’s greatest theme parks and attractions. The hotel is located between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and nearby Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Magic Kingdom Park. Guests can discover 17 world-class restaurants and lounges, sophisticated guest rooms with Westin Heavenly Beds and the luxurious Mandara Spa. The hotel features five pools, two health clubs, tennis, nearby golf, complimentary transportation throughout the Walt Disney World Resort and the Extra Magic Hours benefit, where each day, one of the four Walt Disney World Theme Parks offers additional time for guests to enjoy select attractions. (Valid Theme Park admission and Resort ID required). The hotel can be reached at 800-227-1500, www.swandolphin.com or through Facebook at www.facebook.com/swananddolphin.

ATTENTION MEDIA: A media-only website with press releases and photography is available on-line at www.swandolphinmedia.com.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, in partnership with Florida State University's Dedman School of Hospitality and Department of Management Information Systems (MIS)-both housed in the College of Business, has developed an application for Apple's iPhone and iTouch which allows users to access in-depth resort information from the handheld devices.

Whether a guest is planning a trip to the 2,265-room property located in the heart of Walt Disney World Resort or currently staying there, users of the application can access items such as specific information on the resort's guest rooms; investigate the various hotel dining options, navigate the property using a detailed map and experience the resort through a video tour.

The application, which is available online at the Apple App store, is one of the first iPhone applications designed for an individual hotel property. Guests can access information, screen shots, and direct links to download the application at www.swandolphin.com/aboutus/iphone.html.

"At the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort we are constantly seeking new ways in which to improve our customer experience," said General Manager Paul Scott. "The development of this tool is one more way in which we can assist our guests in having the best possible experience during their stay with us."

"We're excited to have the opportunity to develop functions for this new mobile technology that provides a real value to the user," said Caryn Beck-Dudley, dean of the FSU College of Business. "We are certain that guests and future guests of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort will enjoy this application."

Programmers in the FSU College of Business MIS program worked with the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort to develop an application that takes advantage of the iPhone's and iTouch's large color screen and video capabilities. The application goes beyond text information to offer the user a visual experience featuring video provided by Hotel View, the world's largest travel and tourism library distribution network, as well as photography.

"We live in a world where information is sent and received instantaneously, and this technology allows companies to play a role in this communication arena," says David Paradice, department chair and the Sprint Professor of Business Administration. "Creating this cutting edge technology is the passion of our department and our students, and having companies incorporate it is a realization of its success in the marketplace."

As a leader in individual hotel technology, the resort has continually taken aggressive steps to lead the way in developing systems typically offered by larger entities, such as hotel chains and destinations. The hotel was among the first individual properties to unveil a hotel-specific website when hotel websites were still an industry novelty. They went on to expand their internet technology usage by leading the way in introducing an on-line group reservation system, 360-degree photo tours and more.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort application marks the first of what FSU plans to be an ongoing project to create similar iPhone and iTouch applications for other individual hotel properties. They already have begun work on an application for the Westin Times Square hotel in New York (www.westinny.com).

In the heart of the Walt Disney World® Resort, the award-winning Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is your gateway to Central Florida's greatest theme parks and attractions. The resort is located in between Epcot® and Disney's Hollywood StudiosTM, and nearby Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park and Magic Kingdom® Park. Come discover our 17 world-class restaurants and lounges, sophisticated guest rooms with Westin Heavenly Beds® and the luxurious Mandara Spa. Enjoy five pools, two health clubs, tennis, nearby golf, and many special Disney benefits, including complimentary transportation to Walt Disney World Theme Parks and Attractions, and the Extra Magic Hours benefit. The resort can be reached at 800-227-1500 or www.swandolphin.com.

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - April 2, 2009 - The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has announced Paul Scott as the general manager of the iconic 2,265-room property, located in the heart of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Scott brings more than 32 years of hospitality experience to his role. Working his way through the ranks of the industry, he began his hospitality career in an entry level capacity, while still a student. His career progressed to include several executive roles throughout North America.

Scott's career is marked by his work with various major hotel brands, where he raised the profile, increased revenues and streamlined operations at numerous properties across the continent. In his most recent position as the North American vice president of food & beverage for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, he employed a comprehensive, strategic approach in streamlining and standardizing outlet operations to lead the nearly $2 billion business unit to its strongest growth in company history. Scott was responsible for setting performance metrics for banquets and catering across the Starwood brand, building operational models for Starwood restaurants, and developing a training program for hotel directors of food & beverage.

As vice president of brand operations for Westin, Scott helped oversee the expansion of the hotel brand, managing new construction, property conversions, and franchise and management agreements for more than 60 properties.

Scott's career also includes the positions: regional vice president of operations for Westin; regional vice president of operations for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and numerous general manager positions at properties with Wyndham and Hyatt Hotels and Resorts.

Noted for his strategic business acumen and his self-proclaimed "obsession with people," this New Jersey native sees his primary goals at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort - where
there are more than 1,800 cast members and more than 329,000 square feet of meeting space - to be enhancing the property's leadership, continuing to evolve the customer experience and maintaining their position as a leading resort. He brings an impressive background in hospitality management to his new role.

A recipient of the prestigious Meetings & Conventions Hall of Fame Award, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is a nationally respected and recognized leader in the convention resort arena. Ideally located in the heart of Walt Disney World Resort, the resort offers 2,265 guest rooms and over 329,000 square feet of meeting space. Features consist of 84 meeting rooms, including two executive boardrooms, four ballroom options, 110,500 square feet of contiguous convention/exhibit space, outdoor function areas, two business centers, and Disney benefits. Groups also enjoy sophisticated guest rooms featuring Westin Heavenly Beds®, the luxurious Mandara Spa and 17 world-class restaurants and lounges.

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. - March 31, 2009 - The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has named James Gelfand director of sales.

Gelfand brings more than 30 years of hospitality experience to his new position, in which he is responsible for overseeing the group sales operation at the 2,265-room resort. Prior to joining the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, Gelfand was vice president of sales, marketing and revenue development at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. There, he implemented new sales strategies and tactics that continued to increase revenue for the hotel. Additionally, he was responsible for applying brand marketing initiatives that reintroduced and repositioned PGA National Resort & Spa in the market place after undergoing major renovations.

His other hotel experience includes roles as director of group sales, national sales manager and director of catering at properties across the southeastern United States, including the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, the Doral Golf Resort & Spa and The Hilton at Walt Disney World.

Gelfand spent a few years serving as vice president of corporate conferences for Jackson Marketing Group. Gelfand was responsible for coordinating corporate conferences and special events for companies such as AT&T, Lucent and IBM. Through this experience, Gelfand gained unique perspective into the challenges and needs of meeting planners. That insight will continue to serve him well as he manages the Walt World Swan and Dolphin Resort sales team. .

A recipient of the prestigious Meetings & Conventions Hall of Fame Award, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is a nationally respected and recognized leader in the convention resort arena. Ideally located in the heart of Walt Disney World Resort, the resort offers 2,265 guest rooms and over 329,000 square feet of meeting space. Features consist of 84 meeting rooms, including two executive boardrooms, four ballroom options, 110,500 square feet
of contiguous convention/exhibit space, outdoor function areas, two business centers, and Disney benefits. Groups also enjoy sophisticated guest rooms featuring Westin Heavenly Beds®, the luxurious Mandara Spa and 17 world-class restaurants and lounges.