Could I enjoy the Swan/Dolphin when I LOVE GF?

[lkg61]

I know that I may be asking a dumb question, but here is my problem. We are going to WDW this summer, and I am really torn about where to stay. We have always (and only) stayed at the GF. Every time I think about trying a new resort, I chicken out before the ressies are made. I have been reading all of the wonderful comments on this board about the Swan/Dolphin, and it makes me wonder: Can I switch and be just as happy at the S/D? I am a teacher so the teacher discounts are very tempting. On the other hand, I really don't mind paying the price to stay at the GF. Someone please give me some input on the situation. Thanks!!!!!!

P.S. Our group consists of me, my DH, my 16-year-old (6' 4") DS, and my 5-year-old DS (first trip to WDW).

 

[>>^..^<<]

Hi

I think a change might be good for you all. It is a whole different area and you are so close to EPCOT, MGM & the boardwalk.

The swan and dolphin look very modern ~ not anything like the GF, but they have a nice pool and many restaurant choices.

No Monorail.. but you do have the boat transportation right there.

Give it a try, you might be surprised? if it turns out not to be your cup of tea you can head back to GF next time.

Have fun

>>^..^<<

 

[sardan]

You should stay at the GF. Swan/Dolphin are okay, but they are not the same as staying at the GF. You'd be setting yourself up for a big disappointment. Especially with your 5 yo - it is so much more convenient at the GF - transportation is better, pools are closer, and the beach is better.

 

[swilphil]

I haven't stayed at the GF, but I loved staying at the Dolphin. I think your 16 will like it better, and the 5-year-old will be happy anywhere at Disney World. You could get a Jr. Suite at the Dolphin, which has a separate bedroom. You're teacher discount can be applied to that. If you are going for more than a week, I would suggest splitting your stay between the GF and Swan or Dolphin. Your TALL son might like the Heavenly beds at the Swan, too.

 

[#1hockeymom]

I second Sherri's thoughts! You're also going to love having the boardwalk area just steps away!

Debbie

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Sense your youngest son is still 5 MK will be the most enjoyed by him, and it's his first trip. Staying at GF will make it easy to return to the room to rest, at 5 they still can get overwhelmed by so much...Once he is older I definitly would try an EPCOT resort being so close to the Boardwalk, MGM, & EPCOT is wonderful and it makes you appreciate the area so much more then just visiting the parks and getting back on bus or monarail.

Pixie Dust

 

[bobbiwoz]

I think the pools are much nicer at the S&D than at the GF. The convenience to Epcot and MGM make me think it would be worth it for you to give the S or D a try. We just got back from a refurbished room at the Dolphin, it was a great experience.

 

[Tigger Woods]

Originally posted by sardan
You should stay at the GF. Swan/Dolphin are okay, but they are not the same as staying at the GF. You'd be setting yourself up for a big disappointment. Especially with your 5 yo - it is so much more convenient at the GF - transportation is better, pools are closer, and the beach is better.

That's absurd. Having stayed at the S/D and the Grand Floridian, I can assure you, there is nothing 'disappointing' about staying at the S/D. I have 3 and 5 year old boys who absolutely adore the Dolphin and it's whimsical theming.. The 17 restaurants located on property offer plenty of dining options, including character meals. What do you mean, the 'transportation is better' at the GF? The monorail is great if you're spending your whole trip at the Magic Kingdom, but if you want to visit MGM, Epcot and the Boardwalk, the S/D friendship boats are a blast, and your 5 year old will love them. (By the way, you can take the boat to Epcot and jump on the monorail to MK from there, if you'd like.) Of course, Disney bus transportation is available to all the parks. The pools are closer at GF? Like any hotel, that would depend on your room location. I had a room at the Dolphin that overlooked the pool. I had a room at GF that was on the opposite side of the hotel. The beach area at the S/D is great. (There are plenty of photos available online. See for yourself.) The GF is a great property, and I enjoyed my stay there. I enjoyed my stay at the S/D just as much, and my kids prefer it.

 

[sardan]

I too have stayed at both and I do not agree that staying at the Swan/Dolphin is just as good as the GF. The room at the Swan was smaller and getting back and forth from the pool was not as easy as the GF. I don't think it compares at all to the GF - it is just not as nice. Our character B-Fast at 1900 Park Fare was great. While Tigger Woods enjoyed S/D just as much as the GF, we did not.

 

[jwfla422]

Looks like we may have to move this thread to the debate board because I'm going to defend the S/D to the end. We've stayed at the S/D several times and always loved them both.

But, this past week we stayed at the Swan in the newly renovated (studio) room and have stayed at GF in the past. SORRY GF fans, Swan has GF beat by a mile now as far as comfort goes!! If you think the Swan rooms are small (which I would have to disagree on that too), just try a room at the WL, although I do like that resort, those are small rooms. I think the S/D has nice sized regular rooms. The studio rooms are larger with a dining area.

I have a 5 yr old dd who is not a big MK fan so staying in the EPCOT/MGM area is quite an advantage for us, so it's all relative on what park your children prefer. My dd would much rather boat to EPCOT and MGM than take the monorail to MK.

So, if you really want to stay at GF then stay there, but if you want to try something new and different I highly recommend the S/D or if you're really into it, split your stay, this way you get a taste of both

 

[JPN4265]

Here is my thought. I have been to WDW for both business and pleasure. Staying on property (ie: GF,WL, Poly, etc.) is the best for vacation. You feel the magic. Swan and dolphen is a very nice resort, but geared more towards business meetings and big conventions. I vote for GF.

Hope this helps.

 

[Tigger Woods]

Originally posted by JPN4265
Staying on property (ie: GF,WL, Poly, etc.) is the best for vacation. You feel the magic.

I think the poster is confused. The S/D is smack dab in the middle of Disney property, between the YC and BC and the Boardwalk, although the S/D are run by Westin and Sheraton. By the way, there is nothing more 'magic' than watching Illuminations while sitting on your balcony at the S/D.

 

[paults]

here's 23 pics of Swan and more of BWV/BCV

with 2 parks this close to the Swan you can come back for a nap and back out again later. Your oldest son has a lot more to do here, I think he will enjoy MGM/Epcot more then MK. They will both love the pools at S/D

http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b3543fb3e4f3

 

[hmp2z]

Hi! I think it really depends on WHY you love the GF, as to whether you will be happy at the Swan & Dolphin. My husband and I are avid GF fans, and ANY other WDW resort we've stayed at has been a disappointment to us. Not because there's anything wrong with these resorts. But just because they aren't the GF.
If you love the feel of staying in a palace (the GF looks like a palace to me!), if you get exhilarated when you are riding on the monorail, look across the lagoon at the GF, and think to yourself how beautiful it is, and how lucky you are to stay there, if you like having an orchestra playing in the lobby, if you like having great castle views, if you think that the mousekeeping parasol parade is the greatest thing since sliced bread, then YES, you will be disappointed in the Swan or Dolphin. Like I said, I'm sure they're great hotels. But they are very, very different from the GF.
If you like the GF because you find its location convenient, then you won't be disappointed by the Swan or Dolphin.
We always split our stay, but if you do this, I would suggest saving the GF for last. It really is disappointing to leave the GF for another resort, if you are a huge GF fan. But it doesn't hurt to spend a few nights at another resort, to give it a try. We are going to be spending our first night of our upcoming trip at the Dolphin. I'm a teacher, and those rates are tempting. We usually do the All Stars for our first night, late arrival, but after this last trip, we have decided that we don't want to go to All Stars again, so are giving the Dolphin a whirl for 1 night.
Cheers!
Heather W

 

[Muffy]

We prefer the S/D over the GF. Location is everything and S/D has the edge. We LOVE the Dolphin so much that we are spending 15 nights there in Dec/Jan. If you give it a chance you may be very pleasantly surprised.

 

[Tigger Woods]

Originally posted by hmp2z
If you love the feel of staying in a palace (the GF looks like a palace to me!), if you get exhilarated when you are riding on the monorail, look across the lagoon at the GF, and think to yourself how beautiful it is, and how lucky you are to stay there, if you like having an orchestra playing in the lobby, if you like having great castle views, if you think that the mousekeeping parasol parade is the greatest thing since sliced bread, then YES, you will be disappointed in the Swan or Dolphin. Like I said, I'm sure they're great hotels. But they are very, very different from the GF.
Heather W

First of all, I'm sure the architect who designed the Grand Floridian Hotel (a turn-of-the-century inspired, Palm Beach-style beauty) would be shocked to learn that an adult thinks it looks like a 'palace'. Be that as it may, the real problem I have with this post is the assertion that once someone has stayed at the GF, they will be 'disappointed in the Swan or Dolphin', yet the poster infers later that she has never stayed at the S/D. Anyway, I enjoyed both properties. The S/D is very different from the GF. So is the Poly, the Contemporary, BC/YC and all the other hotels. That's a good thing. If you've never stayed at an Epcot resort, why not try it? With the great deal you're getting at the S/D, you can buy lots of Disney toys and clothes while you're there, and still spend less than you would staying at the GF.. Sounds like a no brainer to me.

 

[hmp2z]

TiggerWoods, obviously you are a big S/D fan. Which is great for you, and for me - I would never get to stay at the GF if it was everyone's favorite resort. But the OP sounds like they are coming from the same perspective I am, that of someone who LOVES the GF. I don't think you need to get defensive about the palace comment - it may not look like a palace to you, but I think it's beautiful, and I am always treated like royalty when I stay there, ergo, the GF is my palace. I have heard lots of people call WDW resorts their "home." True, their actual homes look nothing like these themed resort buildings. But it's a feeling we get when we're there. I don't think you need to get irked with my comment - it's my opinion, and the GF IS my palace.
And, regardless of what you think about my views on architecture , the original post is a question coming from someone who loves the GF and wants to know if other resorts are a letdown after it. For us, yes, they are. Does that mean that we only stay at the GF? Heck no - we are spending our first night at the Dolphin, then moving to 4 nights at the Boardwalk Inn, before moving on to the GF RPC on our next trip. I find it interesting to check out other resorts, and am always open to the possibility that I may one day find one I like even more than the GF (gasp!).
But I think it's important for the OP to keep in mind what it is that they like about the GF, before deciding whether the S/D will be a disappointment or not. The GF has features that the S/D will never, ever have. On the other hand, the S/D have features that the GF doesn't. So it's difficult to answer the question without knowing what exactly it is that makes the OP such a big GF fan. This is not a call to arms to defend the honor of the Dolphin - this is a person who just wants some opinions.
Cheers!
Heather W

 

[lkg61]

I really do appreciate all of the comments. I think we will split our stay between the two resorts so that I can experience some of that "magic" in another hotel. I do look forward to staying close to EPCOT and MGM since I find the transportation to MGM from the GF less than desirable. Also, we could probably splurge for two room at the S/D to give everyone a little breathing room. However, hmp2z reinforces my hesitation about staying somewhere else. I do LOVE the GF, and I am dying for my 5 year old to experience this hotel (He probably won't really care--lol), so I feel that I must stay there for part of our trip. Thanks for all of the great comments!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DISshopkeeper]

Originally posted by paults
here's 23 pics of Swan and more of BWV/BCV

with 2 parks this close to the Swan you can come back for a nap and back out again later. Your oldest son has a lot more to do here, I think he will enjoy MGM/Epcot more then MK. They will both love the pools at S/D

http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b3543fb3e4f3

Great pics!! You talked me into it. Now if I could just sell a few hundred more DIS t-shirts......

 

[Kallison]

I did a post about why I liked Dolphin better than BC. Some of my reasons included:

Nicer employees, willing to bend over backwards to please you.

Way better maid service.

Fabulous view at no extra charge.

Better and more toiletries.

24 hour reasonable place to eat -- Tubbi's

More restaurant variety

Lower price that was easy to get.

Easy to make PS ressies on the coincierge line -- available to everyone, at wdw dine I was always put on hold for 10 to 20 minutes which really peeved me when I was on vacation.

Easier transportation to two parks.

About the only thing I gave BC was two sinks and cooler pool. We have done a new resort on each trip, that is part of the fun. I think you should give it a try, you might find a new fav.