Swan/Dolphin vs. other deluxe

[ncrohrs]

I am intrigued by the swan/dolphin resorts. Toted "deluxe" they are so much more reasonable than say the Poly.

Here's my situation. Our family of 6 has always stayed in the Poly. The youngest is bigger now, so no more of that. Ages 12, 10, 8, and 5. We want a deluxe resort but are on a budget. Is SD a good choice?

From what I have read people love it or hate it. Don't care so much about being immersed in Disney 24/7, but also want a vacation-y feel to our resort and to feel relaxed.

Love the location of SD. How much difference does it make that they are not Disney-run?

Any and all info, opinions, suggestions are appreciated!!!!!

[SBETigg]

I find the Swan/Dolphin to be a good choice, moderate price and a great location. They aren't Disney run, and some of the rooms can be a little run down (not all) but service has always been good for me.

The gift shops have Disney merchandise, good restaurants, fun pool and beach area, and you use Disney transportation (expect for Magic Express) and can take part in Extra Magic Hours. There's a whimsical feel though not completely on par with Disney theming.

[Awesome_guy]

Location, location, location!

I certainly would recommend Dolphin (or Swan) after our experience. Great value for location! We had a great room, and great experience with amenities and staff. EMH privileges as well as having purchases sent-back to the resort shop (rather than carrying around) all still apply. Great stay!

There are a few potential "extra" costs: transportation to/from any airport, a resort "fee" and parking considerations (if any of those apply)... we didn't have a vehicle. For us, it was still good value but always nice to factor everything in.

We appreciated being in the Boardwalk resort area, too. It was nice to explore the nearby resorts which felt nice and close. Boardwalk Bakery, awesome. Beaches and Cream at Yacht/Beach, also awesome. Lots to discover!

We didn't even get to the pool we were so busy (and did Typhoon Lagoon), but it looked pretty warm and inviting, too.

[wmdaddy]

Location is good, but the lack of a theme and Disney feel kills it for me. I've looked at them before as the price can be good, but just can't pull the trigger.

[Seasonscraps]

We stayed in the Dolphin for the first time in May. It was just one night to check it out and we really enjoyed the resort. It's a great location. Our room was comfortable and we were able to book a king room.

I loved the pool area. There is a pool bar with a restaurant which was great. Much much nicer than the food offerings at the Disney pools.

We didn't miss the Disney feel at all but to be honest, I don't find the Disney Deluxe resorts to be knee deep in Mickey Mouse so to me there was very little difference.

I do think things were more expensive there than at Disney resorts and other charges added up. I didn't exactly mind the resort fee since it actually felt like a resort/retreat but there's a self-parking fee which was about the same as the valet fee at the BW.

I would stay there again but we'd have to get a great room rate to offset some of the other fees.

[awaggett]

We stayed at the Dolphin in May and really enjoyed it. Yes, the room was a little dated and the carpet in the hallways was worn, but the location and amenities could not be beat. The pools were very nice--definitely nicer than Contemporary, on-par with Poly (in my opinion).

It was great walking to Boardwalk and Epcot (we also took the boats). I would definitely stay here again.

[brownie]

Location is good, but the lack of a theme and Disney feel kills it for me. I've looked at them before as the price can be good, but just can't pull the trigger.

They're sort of themed but I'd rather have the Disney immersion.

[Kenny1113]

Yep. Can't beat the location for the price. Worth the sacrifice for me.

We don't usually use their counter service dining, as a previous poster mentioned can be a bit $$.

[ncrohrs]

Thanks so much! We are also looking at Wilderness lodge but we are talking double the price! The appealing thing about Wilderness is obviously the Disney 24/7 and boat over to MK. My husband's favorite park is epcot and we love the boardwalk. We still have some younger ones so MK is still a highlight of the trip...so hard to choose! Thinking if we do S or D over Wilderness we can spend more time there and also more on shopping and dining I have read Swan had queen beds vs. double at Dolphin... does anyone prefer one over the other???

[Keneva]

We stayed at the Swan for part of our last trip with DD10 & DS6 and were able to see and experience a lot of "that side" (Epcot, Boardwalk, HS) of WDW in more detail than we normally would. The Swan queen beds were very nice. We could see Epcot, HS and the water launches from our window. The entire hotel was very well maintained. We then transfered to the GF for the rest of our stay and got our Disney/MK fix in. The split stay helped keep costs down and allowed us to stay longer.

[Auroring Good Time]

Another consideration may be the Cabins at Fort Wilderness campground. They sleep 6 and have a full kitchen.

[Awesome_guy]

I have read Swan had queen beds vs. double at Dolphin... does anyone prefer one over the other???

If this is the case, I wouldn't hesitate to book it for that reason alone; the two are really very much the same with everything close and accessible.

We stayed at Dolphin and did a walk through of Swan one evening on our way to the bus just to see it. Swan felt a bit quieter/smaller with the Dolphin lobby having a bit more in it (but being so close by).

I believe one is branded a Sheraton and one a Westin? If one has a better rate or queens over twins, I wouldn't let sentimentality to the other one win out, if that makes sense. It's all right there.