Contemporary or Swan/Dolphin?

[MomLC]

I have never stayed at either resort before so I am looking for all of those experts to help me decide which resort to choose. I will be traveling w/my dd(6) and my mom(72) sometime in April 2009. Which resort would you recommend and why? If recommending the Swan/Dolphin which one should I choose and is there a room preference? to everyone who helps.

 

[Aurora63]

I've stayed at the Swan and Dolphin. The rooms are very nice, and it has a great location.

I've never stayed at the Contemporary, but I'm sure it's very nice too.

If I could afford it, I'd choose the Contemporary, due to it's closeness to the MK and being on the monorail (so easy travel to Epcot.) But you can probably get a much better deal at the Swan or Dolphin.

I've stayed at the Swan and the Dolphin, but in choosing between the two, I don't see an advantage of one over the other. They are both very nice.

 

[spaceace510]

I would go with CR for sure. CR has the largest standard rooms on property. You are minutes away from MK via monorail or a 10-15 minute walk. (CR is the closest resort to MK). You are a monorail ride away from Epcot which is super convenient. Bus service is usually pretty well when going to other places. There are quite a few restaurants, Chef Mickey's, CA Grill, The Wave, and Chef Mickey's Express (soon to open). Then you have the boat launches to FW and WL. There are so many good things about CR.
Please check out the CR FAQ Thread:
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1710920

 

[nurse.darcy]

Wow, good choices but lets take a non-biased approach to this.

1. What is most important to you. If its location, then I would say WHAT location. Since your daughter is 6, I would assume that MK is where you will spend lots of time. And because your mom is 72 you may want to spend time at Epcot WS. For convenience to those two resorts, you cannot beat the Contemporary.

2. Are you looking for deals? If price is a concern you might prefer Swan/Dolphin over the Contemporary. Its usually a bit cheaper.

3. Are you counting on Magical Express to take you to your hotel? You cannot use ME with Swan/Dolphin.

4. Are you planning on using the Dining Plan? You won't be able to at Swan/Dolphin.

5. Do you like being at the hub of everything. That would mean staying at the Swan/Dolphin. Epcot and DHS are very close, the monorail from Epcot to MK is great. The busses to other parks and DTD are never crowded. Epcot is by far my favorite location.

If price is not your concern then go with what works convenience-wise for your family. As for Swan or Dolphin, I prefer the Swan as it is a bit quieter, its non-smoking and always has been, and the beds are queen sized as opposed to doubles. However, the Dolphin is more convenient to the food court there and the main pool-which is an awesome pool by the way.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I would go with the Contemporary because of their location, access to the Monorail, largest standard rooms on WDW property among the Deluxe Resorts and if you afford it they have the Tower Magic Kingdom View, which is the best view in all of WDW. Plus compared to the Swan & Dolphin, the Contemporary is owned by WDW and they are not.

 

[larryz]

Do the CR this trip, and save the Swan and Dolphin for the next one.

 

[zumbergc]

We've stayed at all 3, CR, swan and dolphin. We didn't think the money for the CR was worth it. Its considerable cheaper at the swan and dolphin.

It may have just been a monorail ride over to epcot, but one long ride. Since MK resort area is so far north, you are just so far from all the other parks, so it takes forever to get there.

It does depend on where you want to spend most of your time. With a little one, you may spend all of your time at the MK. We just liked being close to the hollywood studios and epcot. There are lots of places to eat at the boardwalk area, and your close to the y&b club too, as possible dinner locations.

If your mom has mobility issues, you can rent a scooter offsite, and drive easily on the boats and Swan and dolphin, and onto the busses too. THe disAbility board, sticky has the rental info for some offsite locations.

We likes staying at the dolphin vs swan because its closer to the 24 hour food place it was tubbies, I think its called picabu now. If you head over to the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies board there is a sticky thread with the discounts and availability of the discounts for swan and dolphin.

Someone also mentioned you cannot get the dining plan or magical express from the airport to the hotel with swan and dolphin. So, if you really want that then its CR.

Connie

 

[jimmiej]

I've stayed at CR & Swan. For your party, I'd choose CR. I think you'll like the transportation better. That said, are you a nurse, teacher, or govt. worker? The S/D gives discounts for those folks.

 

[MomLC]

Thanks to everyone who replied. Another ? I have is for the Swan/Dolphin. Is there a big difference between the standard room vs. preferred rooms?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

You're welcome.

 

[MickeyNicki]

We have stayed at all 3 and prefer the Swan. We were not impressed with the CR at all. The Dolphin was too crowded with conventioners.

 

[rie'smom]

Contemporary is close to the MK and the rooms are a bit larger-those are the only plusses. They are putting up the new DVC at the Contemporary too, so you have that dust and additional noise.
The Swan/Dolphin are closer to Epcot and MGM,have super nice rooms,Heavenly beds,great restaurants,and great CMS. You get a true deluxe hotel for the price of a WDW mod.

You cannot participate in either the DDP or Magical Express but that's no
loss because the DDP does not provide the savings it once did and Magical Express is a magical pain in the neck.

I don't know what the difference between standard and deluxe would be except maybe the view.

If you can get a teacher, nurse,gov't employee,or AAA discount, you'll save a couple of hundred dollars/night staying at either the S/D. The difference for us has paid for some of our airfares.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

They are putting up the new DVC at the Contemporary too, so you have that dust and additional noise.

I just wanted to point out that the construction of the Bay Lake Towers has no effect on anyone staying in the Tower or South Garden Wing.

 

[geokeim]

Wow, good choices but lets take a non-biased approach to this.

1. What is most important to you. If its location, then I would say WHAT location. Since your daughter is 6, I would assume that MK is where you will spend lots of time. And because your mom is 72 you may want to spend time at Epcot WS. For convenience to those two resorts, you cannot beat the Contemporary.

2. Are you looking for deals? If price is a concern you might prefer Swan/Dolphin over the Contemporary. Its usually a bit cheaper.

3. Are you counting on Magical Express to take you to your hotel? You cannot use ME with Swan/Dolphin.

4. Are you planning on using the Dining Plan? You won't be able to at Swan/Dolphin.

5. Do you like being at the hub of everything. That would mean staying at the Swan/Dolphin. Epcot and DHS are very close, the monorail from Epcot to MK is great. The busses to other parks and DTD are never crowded. Epcot is by far my favorite location.

If price is not your concern then go with what works convenience-wise for your family. As for Swan or Dolphin, I prefer the Swan as it is a bit quieter, its non-smoking and always has been, and the beds are queen sized as opposed to doubles. However, the Dolphin is more convenient to the food court there and the main pool-which is an awesome pool by the way.

The only correction I would make is the the D/S are CONSIDERABLY less money, last time I checked!

 

[thomas998]

if you are driving in or renting a car remember that although you get free parking in the parks staying at either place... for some strange reason the Swan/Dolphin charge you to park in their hotel parking lot.

As some have said the Contemporary has the largest resort roomr... but that is only if your in the tower rooms the wings are more like standard deluxe resort rooms.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

As some have said the Contemporary has the largest resort roomr... but that is only if your in the tower rooms the wings are more like standard deluxe resort rooms.

Actually the rooms in the South Garden Wing are the same size as the rooms in the Tower.

 

[mla1977]

I was at Dolphin last year and CR this year. I loved being so close to MK, but I felt soooo far away from everything else. My memory might be deceiving me, but I feel like the rooms at the Dolphin were slightly larger than CR. Since I love Epcot, going there would be a better choice for me.

 

[jrt1176]

I'm struggling with this myself...

We are taking my 2.5 niece for the first time...so monorail would be convenient...

However, for dinner we will probably go offsite or to the Dolphin(Blue Zoo, Shula's), Epcot(Bistro de Paris) or DTD...

All of which are easy to get to from Swan/Dolphin...and I'd save money that I could put toward the dinners!

 

[thomas998]

Actually the rooms in the South Garden Wing are the same size as the rooms in the Tower.

That may be true for some rooms in the wing.. but from our one time being in a wing the room we had didn't seem as large as when we had been in the Tower... it seemed more like an AKL room to me.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

This thread is putting ideas in my head, so I have a few questions for you S/D enthusiasts..if you don't mind?

Someone mentioned teacher discounts..DH is a professor..would that count?

Do S/D guests get to participate in the Extra Magic Hours?

How "magical" are the resorts? I'm not expecting the same degree of theming as say..Pop Century or such, but is there any sign of Mickey and Friends at these resorts?

Right now we are booked at POR for the week leading up to Christmas. I love deluxe resorts, but just couldn't justify the huge price jump on the weeked and days right before Christmas. Only $119 the first two days, then it just about doubles.


I had no idea you could walk to any of the parks from these resorts.

Thanks for the info!