comparing doplhin or swan hotel to disney onsite hotel

[meeshkamooshka]

I was wondering, I was interested in cost of disney dolphin / swan as compared to a disney owned "on site" hotel....

is the dolphin /swan compareable to a disney " deluxe" hotel ?
is access to the parks as good?
hows the overall atmosphere ? it looks like a very nice hotel ( dolphin/swan) is it?

THanks for any input, appreciate it!

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Depending if you can get a "corporate" or other type of discount, the Dolphin?Swan can end up costing just slight more than a Disney Moderate. I've stayed there on corporate rate for 189 recently. Without a discount, they are just slightly less than a Disney Deluxe.

 

[meeshkamooshka]

yeah, thats what I got about $200 ( + or - $20 bucks )

thanks for your reply...

 

[KonaKaiTom]

I should clarify that while on Disney property, neither are Disney Themed hotels. They do a ton of conferences at each and are more of a corporate America hotel than a theme park hotel. Their rooms are about the same size as a Disney Moderate, smaller than a Disney Deluxe.

Their location is quite nice as they are walking distance to Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk.

Tom

 

[TDC Nala]

You also need to remember to add in:

$14 per night mandatory resort fee (unless you are Starwood Platinum)
Daily parking fee if you have a car

Even with those charges, you can at times get the Swan or Dolphin for much less than a Disney deluxe in the same area (walkable to both Epcot and DHS).

 

[RyMacJ]

Also, if you are interested in the Disney Dining Plan, you will not be able to purchase it if you are staying at the Swan or Dolphin because they are not actual "Disney" resorts. I'm not sure about EMH's. Anybody know about if Swan/Dolphin guests get that perk?

I really like the look and location of the Swan/Dolphin, but would never stay there because we're big DDP fans.

 

[circe811]

They are included with EMH.

 

[Sweettears]

I'm not a big fan of S/D. They're not Disney to me. As PP stated they are more corporate America. When I go to WDW I want Disney.

 

[Magic3forme]

The access to the parks ( Epcot & HS) is great... everything else...doesnt even compare. There was no theming in the 2 rooms we were in. ( just a terrible musty smell in the one room).

The service isnt anything compared to Disney, and it isnt maintained to Disney standards either. needless to say we were beyond under impressed!!

 

[NancyIL]

The Swan is my WDW resort of choice. Nope, they aren't "Disney" - but I don't need Mickey Mouse soap or bedspreads in my hotel room to remind me where I am. The Disney Dining Plan hasn't interested me - even when I've stayed at Disney-owned resorts.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

is the dolphin /swan compareable to a disney " deluxe" hotel ? No! It's a much nicer experience You get Heavenly beds vs. Disney beds. You get a good loyalty rewards program vs "you come often we don't need to anything"

is access to the parks as good? Yes


hows the overall atmosphere ? it looks like a very nice hotel ( dolphin/swan) is it? Very nice.

And of course their pricing is MUCH more realistic. You can pay more for Disney, but IMHO "pretty" doesn't go far when I realize I am overpaying DRAMATICALLY for the quality of the hotel. For the price of a Disney moderate you can get a real Deluxe not a "pretty theme" LOL! $400 for "pretty theme" is hysterical. REALLY? For that I expect the quality and service and of the Ritz (which by the way is a great hotel if you want a real Deluxe experience)

 

[NancyIL]

is the dolphin /swan compareable to a disney " deluxe" hotel ? No! It's a much nicer experience You get Heavenly beds vs. Disney beds. You get a good loyalty rewards program vs "you come often we don't need to anything"

is access to the parks as good? Yes


hows the overall atmosphere ? it looks like a very nice hotel ( dolphin/swan) is it? Very nice.

And of course their pricing is MUCH more realistic. You can pay more for Disney, but IMHO "pretty" doesn't go far when I realize I am overpaying DRAMATICALLY for the quality of the hotel. For the price of a Disney moderate you can get a real Deluxe not a "pretty theme" LOL! $400 for "pretty theme" is hysterical. REALLY? For that I expect the quality and service and of the Ritz (which by the way is a great hotel if you want a real Deluxe experience)

Thank you!

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

I have stayed at the Swan and enjoyed it. The rates are good, but remember to factor in their extra costs. Sometimes they have deals for teachers &/or nurses. The beds are so comfortable! I love being able to walk/boat to Epcot & Studios. I enjoy the entire Boardwalk area. In addition to no dining plan there is no magical express.

 

[nessz79]

is the dolphin /swan compareable to a disney " deluxe" hotel ? No! It's a much nicer experience You get Heavenly beds vs. Disney beds. You get a good loyalty rewards program vs "you come often we don't need to anything"

is access to the parks as good? Yes


hows the overall atmosphere ? it looks like a very nice hotel ( dolphin/swan) is it? Very nice.

And of course their pricing is MUCH more realistic. You can pay more for Disney, but IMHO "pretty" doesn't go far when I realize I am overpaying DRAMATICALLY for the quality of the hotel. For the price of a Disney moderate you can get a real Deluxe not a "pretty theme" LOL! $400 for "pretty theme" is hysterical. REALLY? For that I expect the quality and service and of the Ritz (which by the way is a great hotel if you want a real Deluxe experience)

Agreed.

Granted, we have only stayed here once but we have another trip booked in another month and we are really looking forward to it. It's not super Disney, but all you have to do is look out your window at the beautiful Epcot resort area to remember exactly where you are.

The beds are wonderful. I have never found service to be lacking. The rewards program is very good along with the discounts they give teachers and nurses (Dh and I are both teachers).

The lobby is beautiful and I only noticed a very pleasant beach/clean smell, similar to the one you smell in Disney's Beach Club or Yacht Resort. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from, not only at S/D, but at the neighboring Epcot resorts.

The walk and/or boat ride to Epcot and HS is extremely convenient and that right there makes the S/D worth it. Not to mention the prices are usually significantly lower than other Deluxes and only slightly higher than Moderates (even including the parking and resort fee).

 

[MickeyNicki]

We really like the Dolphin for short trips when we do not spend much time at the resort.

For longer trips we prefer a WDW resort for the amenities and the themeing plus the charging to the room is a plus.

My DH travels alot and is a Starwood Club member so we use points for free nights and discounts.

I priced out 3 nights in Dec with the AP discount the rooms at the YC/BC are around 1000. The same stay at the Dolphin is $650. Since we do not use ME, DDP or the pool its a no brainer for us. Planning on staying here in Feb for another long weekend too.

The boat ride to HS and Epcot is great and its a short walk to either.

Cannot stand the buses though, all 5 resorts share buses and it takes forever to get around to the parks. I would rather take a cab or drive my car.

The rooms are immaculate, the best beds in any hotel at WDW in my opinion. Free newspaper, free 2 bottles of water per day, free internet and better tv channels and pay per view movies too.

The Mandera Spa is like you died and went to heaven! They a

 

[meeshkamooshka]

I am a lilttle confused so....
does swan/dolphin provide bus service two MK and AK too? Or do hop on a disney bus somwhere?
Also, since other 2 parks r a pain to get to and what if opt to rent a car do u pay parking fee at hotel and disney...if so that $30 a day I suspect....times 7 for a wk. Vacation....$210 in parking for the week....not to mention cost of car rental...if u need a full size suv they start at $1,000...i think they jack up the rates in orlando....because of disney...
not sure it adds up $$$

 

[MickeyNicki]

SwanDolphin offer bus service to all the parks and DTD, and the water parks too.

First stop is BWI, second is Swan, Dolpin then YC and BC being last.

In the busy season sometimes the BWI and SwanDolphin share and YC/BC have their own bus.

We have taken cabs from there many times to DTD and MK and its usually $13-17 bucks including tip. I prefer to do this than waste an hour on bus time going through 5 resorts loading and unloading.

 

[NancyIL]

I am a lilttle confused so....
does swan/dolphin provide bus service two MK and AK too? Or do hop on a disney bus somwhere?
Also, since other 2 parks r a pain to get to and what if opt to rent a car do u pay parking fee at hotel and disney...if so that $30 a day I suspect....times 7 for a wk. Vacation....$210 in parking for the week....not to mention cost of car rental...if u need a full size suv they start at $1,000...i think they jack up the rates in orlando....because of disney...
not sure it adds up $$$

The Swan and Dolphin use the same Disney buses as other Disney resorts. If you park a car there, you will pay $15/night for parking. However, Swan/Dolphin guests get free parking at WDW theme parks.

I get by just fine using bus transportation. The worst bus service is to Downtown Disney, but that's the case for every WDW resort.

 

[meeshkamooshka]

oh ok, now I got it, thanks for clarifying...

 

[kandb]

FYI-we are staying at the dolphin for the first time in Sept and looking forward to it, we usually stay at disney hotels but decided to give the dolphin a try. As for renting a car, we rented a mini van which holds 7 passengers and for 8 days are paying $260 (which includes all taxes and extra charges). We are renting from dollar rent a car out of MCO, check out where they list "specials" when you put in your dates and the rates are much cheaper. Good luck.