PORS or Swan - Page 2 - The DIS Discussion Forums

degansha · 01-04-2013, 01:39 PM

Great question and nice timing. I came to the forums this morning looking for feedback to the same question. We are heading to Disney for Christmas 2013 and will have 3 adults and 2 kids (ages 9 and 3) and were weighing our options between these exact two resorts. Past trips we have stayed at the Swan, Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, and the Contemporary and thoroughly enjoyed them all.

During our Swan trip (family Christmas of 13 people), a few people mentioned early in the trip the hotel not having that Disney feel to it. But by the end of the trip, that thought was long gone from their heads as they couldn't stop raving about what a fantastic trip it was, and how easy it was to get to everything so quickly. It was all about location as we are park-hopper fiends.

Anyway, this thread helped me remember why we enjoyed the Swan so much. Location, location, location!

So, I booked the Dolphin today (would have done the Swan but they only accommodate 4 people). Good luck with your decision! I don't think you'll be disappointed with either. If you want that Disney feel 24/7 while being ok with slightly longer travel to the parks, do PORS. If you want to jump in and out of the parks at will, walk to Epcot, or need a quicky at Beaches and Cream, do Swan.

Oh, and if you happen to be a AAA member and decide to book the Swan, definitely check on it. I was able to get an incredible deal at $125 a night cheaper than Swan's standard rate and $100 a night cheaper than PORS. Saves me $800 that I can now blow in the parks

Megsie1000 · 01-04-2013, 04:01 PM

The Swan/Dolphin usually goes out of contention for us because of the lack of Magical Express. With small kids you really can't beat the convenience of that (for us). It is such a huge perk to be able to leave your bags when you arrive and go directly to the bus and not have to worry about dragging the bags around. And on the flip side it is so convenient to check your bags at the hotel and not need to worry about them again until you get to your home airport. A huge part of the stress of traveling for us is the airports and standing in line with luggage and kids and the Magical Express just eliminates a lot of that stress.

Magic3forme · 01-04-2013, 04:50 PM

We have stayed at POR twice, the Dolphin once.. Never again will we stay at the Dolphin. The location is great, but the hotel/ pool are in need of major upgrades. (thread bare carpet, musty smelling rooms.. and the list goes on.)

The food court at the POR is 10x better too.

We loved the pool at the POR and walking around the grounds.

01-04-2013, 04:50 PM	#18
Magic3forme grand slam club members Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: ATL Posts: 2,913	We have stayed at POR twice, the Dolphin once.. Never again will we stay at the Dolphin. The location is great, but the hotel/ pool are in need of major upgrades. (thread bare carpet, musty smelling rooms.. and the list goes on.) The food court at the POR is 10x better too. We loved the pool at the POR and walking around the grounds. __________________ ~Val & Family DVC owners -- BLT, AKL & SSR

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01-04-2013, 01:39 PM	#16
degansha Earning My Ears Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 13	Great question and nice timing. I came to the forums this morning looking for feedback to the same question. We are heading to Disney for Christmas 2013 and will have 3 adults and 2 kids (ages 9 and 3) and were weighing our options between these exact two resorts. Past trips we have stayed at the Swan, Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian, and the Contemporary and thoroughly enjoyed them all. During our Swan trip (family Christmas of 13 people), a few people mentioned early in the trip the hotel not having that Disney feel to it. But by the end of the trip, that thought was long gone from their heads as they couldn't stop raving about what a fantastic trip it was, and how easy it was to get to everything so quickly. It was all about location as we are park-hopper fiends. Anyway, this thread helped me remember why we enjoyed the Swan so much. Location, location, location! So, I booked the Dolphin today (would have done the Swan but they only accommodate 4 people). Good luck with your decision! I don't think you'll be disappointed with either. If you want that Disney feel 24/7 while being ok with slightly longer travel to the parks, do PORS. If you want to jump in and out of the parks at will, walk to Epcot, or need a quicky at Beaches and Cream, do Swan. Oh, and if you happen to be a AAA member and decide to book the Swan, definitely check on it. I was able to get an incredible deal at $125 a night cheaper than Swan's standard rate and $100 a night cheaper than PORS. Saves me $800 that I can now blow in the parks

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01-04-2013, 04:01 PM	#17
Megsie1000 Mouseketeer Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 397	The Swan/Dolphin usually goes out of contention for us because of the lack of Magical Express. With small kids you really can't beat the convenience of that (for us). It is such a huge perk to be able to leave your bags when you arrive and go directly to the bus and not have to worry about dragging the bags around. And on the flip side it is so convenient to check your bags at the hotel and not need to worry about them again until you get to your home airport. A huge part of the stress of traveling for us is the airports and standing in line with luggage and kids and the Magical Express just eliminates a lot of that stress.