Dolphin tips and thoughts

[Mail2artist]

So I think my dilemma with the Pop Warner worries is over!!

Didn't realize how crazy affordable staying at the Dolphin is!
I guess I've always just priced it through WDW.com and gasped at the price.

After reading a post early this morning about staying at a mod or Dolphin it gave me hope. I thought anything in my mind of Deluxe (which I think the Dolphin and Swan qualify) would be totally out of my price range.
To my surprise it's actually the same price! And yes that's including parking, resort fees etc.
We can actually stay at this resort which I feel has more amenities and better location then POFQ with the BEST PART... no worries about pop warner interfering.

So I wanted to get some TIPS or REVIEWS from you Dolphin fans.
This is our first trip so we're very new to everything there.

What are some of your favorite restaurants IN and outside of Swan and Dolphin? What are some of your favorite things to do (excluding the parks)?

We already planned on renting a car no matter where we stayed. So we don't have to use the transportation all the time. Looks like we have no worries when it comes to Epcot or DHS anyway.

And a HUGE THANK YOU to this board!!! It's been wondering getting all the info I need. And if it wasn't for here I wouldn't have 1. found this deal, 2. known about Pop warner and 3. Just all the other great info on dining, events, etc. etc. etc.

 

[Lex33]

What deal did you book?

 

[pixarmom]

First, definitely join the Starwood program. We did, and even without any points accumulated, they upgraded us from standard to resort view. A few photos:

And the pool:

The resort:

We stayed at Dolphin over Memorial Day weekend - it was a quick non-parks stay on the way from SW Florida beaches to the Orlando airport. We loved Picabu for quick service (open 24 hours - great burgers and sandwiches and just about everything you could think of in the odds and ends department) and bluezoo for table service.

We spent lots of time over at the Boardwalk and Beach Club in the evening for shopping, treats, etc, and watched Illuminations from the bridge between the two:

Our youngest loved the playground at the Dolphin:

My husband and our boys watched a movie on the beach at BC and we went over to the BC Marketplace for breakfast one morning. (Check buildabettermousetrip.com or the link in my signature, below for movie schedules.) The Epcot resort area is wonderful! Just a walk around the lake in either the morning or the evening is a treat.

Also, lots of rentals at the BC Marina:

Enjoy your trip!!

 

[Mail2artist]

What deal did you book?

I was able to call them directly and got my AAA rates. Everything came to $1100 for the week.
All I need to do is buy our tickets, which the allears.net has the best rates I've seen so far. With both those prices we're pretty much breaking even.
Granted if a pin code comes up I can't use it. But at this point.. I don't care anymore. Just happy that we can still get our "magical" disney vacation! And really think staying here will have more of that Disney feel being so close to everything.

I also joined the starwood rewards program and I think we get upgraded for free. She mentioned that when we arrive we can be upgraded easily.I also think we get a $100 credit. I'm double checking with our AAA agent next week.

 

[Mail2artist]

THANKS Pixarmom!!! I LOVE those photos and your advise!!!

Makes me even more excited about this place!

How's the slide there? I hear they have a great pool but you don't really see the "details" of some of the features it tells you about.

 

[THERESA522]

I stayed here years ago (b4 kids) and loved its location! Have a blast. Glad it's a deal you're happy with!

 

[bapawoo]

We stayed there for 7 nights on our honeymoon. LOVED everything about it. The beds are just what they are called, HEAVENLY! Rooms were spotless and comfortable. It never feels busy because it is such a big place. Food was good at the restaurants, but very expensive. We ended up eating at the boardwalk and parks most of the time. The location couldn't be any better. Have such a good time!!!

 

[TaraPA]

Dolphin fan here !

We've stayed at values, mods, deluxe & DVC villas - and we LOVE The Dolphin the best! You can't beat the location for the price - besides walking or taking the boat to Epcot & DHS you have the entire Epcot Resort area at your fingertips. There's nothing like strolling back "home" after watching Illuminations at Epcot, watching the street performers on The Boardwalk & grabbing breakfast for the next day at Boardwalk Bakery!

We like Picabu, the counter sercice in The Dolphin, but they did just add a 13% service fee on it, which does make it a bit pricey. But the food is still decent & it's the only quick service at either Swan or Dolphin. Good news - you do get a 20% AAA discount on food at Picabu, so be sure to take your AAA card with you. An example of prices are $7.99 for Kids Breakfast Platter, $11.99 for the Adult Breakfast Platter. They have tons of ala carte items too, and small grocery items & sundries. We also like The Fountain - casual table service at The Dolphin for burgers, hot dogs, salads & ice cream. Comparable in price to WDW prices. There are many high end eateries at both S&D - Shula's, Blue Zoo, Kimono's - and several more - if that's to your liking you won't be disappointed. You are also within walking distance to many, many other places to eat between BW, BC & YC. We enjoy Beaches & Cream at BC, Flying Fish at BW & our favorite breakfast buffet is at the Captains Grille at YC.

Both S&D are very accomadting with upgrades, just be aware that only Starwood Gold & Platinum members are guaranteed a complimentary upgrade, if available. It used to be all members, but they changed that last year. And even when we were Gold, both hotels were sometimes full to capacity with conferences, and in that case no upgrades were available. Just wanted you to know so you didn't go in expecting one! We've found the service at S/D to be superior to any service received at any level of WDW properties.

You said you will have a rental -are you getting it at the airport? If not you need to arrange transportation from MCO to The Dolphin.

I could ramble on & on!

 

[TaraPA]

You mentioned tickets - did you check with Undercover Tourist? The majority of people on The DIS that don't get them thru Disney packages use UT. VERY reliable, and depening on what type of ticket you need, they can be up to $20 per ticket cheaper than anywhere else. We've gotten our tickets there for years.

There is a WDW ticket desk at The Swan if you need to purchase them once you get there. There are also Disney-owned gift shops in both S&D.

 

[buckeev]

Congrats M2A!
When are y'all going?
I just booked a split stay for our family of 5 with the first week at POR, (got a very attractive pin offer that I just "couldn't" refuse)...and then booked a Deluxe Alcove room at Dolphin for 4 nights after the POR.
Never stayed there, but have buzzed through the place a few times.
Color me STOKED!
Come on DECEMBER!

 

[Mail2artist]

You mentioned tickets - did you check with Undercover Tourist? The majority of people on The DIS that don't get them thru Disney packages use UT. VERY reliable, and depening on what type of ticket you need, they can be up to $20 per ticket cheaper than anywhere else. We've gotten our tickets there for years.

There is a WDW ticket desk at The Swan if you need to purchase them once you get there. There are also Disney-owned gift shops in both S&D.

THANK YOU!!!!! I LOVE all this info!!
We will get the car at the airport. The main reason why we just decided to get a car no matter what, is the fact that we have family also going the same time but staying off site in a timeshare they own. So Im sure we'll visit them as well as another aunt in Orlando.
We also plan on taking an overnight day trip to Tampa area to stay on the beach one night. So a car is for sure needed.
Found some incredible deals online for rentals.
And thanks for the ticket tip! I'll go on there now to compare what I've found. Every dollar saved helps.

The menus at the Dolphin do look pricey but that's great to know that I can get AAA discount on food too. And I also saw that restaurants.com has their signature dining available. I always get codes to buy $25 for $1 or $2. So maybe I'll pick a couple of those up. I read online that you can get 2 hours free childcare at the Kids Club when you dine at one of their Signature places as well. That's a great deal for a night away from the kids!

I'm sure most of our meals will take place within the parks for the most part or on the Boardwalk. That sounds like such a fun place to be.

 

[Mail2artist]

Congrats M2A!
When are y'all going?
I just booked a split stay for our family of 5 with the first week at POR, (got a very attractive pin offer that I just "couldn't" refuse)...and then booked a Deluxe Alcove room at Dolphin for 4 nights after the POR.
Never stayed there, but have buzzed through the place a few times.
Color me STOKED!
Come on DECEMBER!

We are going December 3-9th.
The exact same days of Pop Warner, so you see why I couldn't resist the move. hehe

What time in December are you going to be there?
I just can't wait! I know last year the weather was pretty much history making cold, but hoping that this year will be the opposite.
I'm sure we'll be fine. I read that it's typically in the 70's and it couldn't get any better then that!

 

[KrazyKollector]

Could someone please tell me what the different rooms are like? The difference between a regular room and a deluxe? Are the balconies nice? What is the parking fee?

I was looking at packages but none of them were refundable without penalty (one was a 100% penalty).

I am really liking the idea of the Dolphin or Swan but really could use some insiders info.

Which one is better? Is one closer to Epcot or DHS than the other?

 

[RMulieri]

Could someone please tell me what the different rooms are like? The difference between a regular room and a deluxe? Are the balconies nice? What is the parking fee?

I was looking at packages but none of them were refundable without penalty (one was a 100% penalty).

I am really liking the idea of the Dolphin or Swan but really could use some insiders info.

Which one is better? Is one closer to Epcot or DHS than the other?

I like them both , the rooms are more deluxe to me than Disneys Deluxe.HOWEVER...They are not Disney owned resorts so NO Magical Express and NO Disney Dining plan and No Charging Privelages other than at the resort
Here is some info
http://allears.net/acc/faq_dol.htm
If you are a Registered Nurse ( and I think Teachers too) you can get a discount on room rates -subject to availibility of course

 

[RMulieri]

OP just be aware that you pay to self park as well as valet so budget that and the daily resort fee into your vacation

 

[pixarmom]

THANKS Pixarmom!!! I LOVE those photos and your advise!!!

Makes me even more excited about this place!

How's the slide there? I hear they have a great pool but you don't really see the "details" of some of the features it tells you about.

We enjoyed the slide! In the first pool photo I posted, you can see the bottom of the slide (it's blue) all the way to the right, about half way up the photo. See that umbrella on top of the rocks? That's the top of the slide. Not super long, but fun!

 

[Mail2artist]

I like them both , the rooms are more deluxe to me than Disneys Deluxe.HOWEVER...They are not Disney owned resorts so NO Magical Express and NO Disney Dining plan and No Charging Privelages other than at the resort
Here is some info
http://allears.net/acc/faq_dol.htm
If you are a Registered Nurse ( and I think Teachers too) you can get a discount on room rates -subject to availibility of course

Also AAA members too. Join their starwood program to possibly get some deals as well. Like above, there is no magical express (not an issue for us as we wanted a car anyway, and the parking fee is still cheaper then our old package at POFQ). However you are still allowed to park FOR FREE in the parks since it's considered a "partnering resort". So no extra fees there. Which you would only want to drive to AK or MK since the other two are walking distance or by boat. They DO HAVE shuttles to those parks for free so no worries if you don't have a car.
But you do need to get to and from the airport on your own.

The Dining plan is the only thing that had me hesitate. Only because I was hoping FD would be offered during our stay, helping cut cost a lot. But so far NOTHING is mentioned for my dates (Dec 3-9) guessing because of Pop Warner they don't need to offer it. and I have yet to get a pin.
Even then I'm to the point I'd rather pay for our vacation and have it the way I want then to wait last minute hoping that we get a special and get stuck in a resort we don't want to be in.

A positive way of looking at it "I'm getting a Deluxe Resort for a Moderate Price." Better then any pin code Disney would offer.

 

[FINFAN]

Huge Dol-FAN here! When you walk in the main door for the first time, look up Def join SPG...and then enjoy!
We like to get some items from the boardwalk bakery for breakfast, and they make sandwiches as well that you can take to the parks..you know, the ones you can now WALK to? We love DHS and Epcot, and being able to walk back from them is even more of a perk than walking to them. When everyone else is lining up for their bus, you are happily strolling out talking about the awesome day you just had. I'll never forget a Christmas trip we took...kids were about 10 and 14 I think..anyway, we added 3 days on the fromt of the trip at the WL...and when we pulled into there instead of the Dolphin, the kids were like, WHAT!?!?!??! The were so excited to be going back *home* that they were not exactly that thrilled to be at WL. Long story, lets just say we were glad the majority of the trip was at the Dolphin. We have stayed there 4 or 5 times, once was a no park trip..we just enjoyed the Grotto pool, free stuff/ DTD on a 3 night stop over driving down to visit family.
The rooms are large, not as large as CR or the Polynesian, but we felt just as large if not larger than WL. The beds? Yep, they are Heavenly. You do get the water bottles included in your resort fee, and yes, the parking can add up. If you want to save a few $, just rent the car on the days you need it, the rental desk is just around the corner of the check in area in the lobby...very easy to get/drop your car. Their hours are a little shorter, but you can also pick up at Shades of Green or TTC , a shuttle will bring/take you back to the Dolphin. The rates are usually a smidge cheaper at TTC, but the convenience of the Dolphin is great for renting. We usually rent at the airport if flying and drop that same day after unloading and doing a grocery run. We have never had a bad stay there, the employees are top notch. So they don't say have a magical day,,,no biggie...I'll take that in a heartbeat over all the noise from Pop Warner/ cheer groups (no offense) and crowded food court, pool etc.
The laundry machines work decently, they are in the last hallway heading out to the pool. Which, since you are going in Dec... they may have their Holiday games by the pool going on...it may be a bit early, but they do candy cane hunts, decorate cookies, go to
santasfavoriteresort.com
and check out last years schedule for an idea. My kids(now 17/21) LOVE the place, and think rolling out of bead and walking directly to the parks is 'Da Bomb. They know they are spoiled at WDW, but they , like me , know staying at the Dolphin is being a smart consumer, at least with Disney math lol. DH appreciates not standing in an un-shaded que for the bus ( which. by the way, we have never really had an issue with heading to MK ar AK)we have stayed at all level of resorts, ASMU, POP,CBR,WL,POLY, CR and the Dolphin is in the top 3 of not 2...Poly and CR are tough to beat,if you have a HUGE budget.....which we do not.

HAVE A GREAT TIME!

 

[DoBug]

I don't think anyone has mentioned yet that you can get restaurant.com gift cert for the swan and dolphin restaurants and sometimes they are on sale at 80% off. $2 for $25 gift cert. they have no expiration date but have some minimum orders and other stipulations.

I have stocked up on them even though we have never stayed there. Just looking for an excuse to try them (ie book an Epcot resort) next time

 

[Mail2artist]

Huge Dol-FAN here! When you walk in the main door for the first time, look up Def join SPG...and then enjoy!
We like to get some items from the boardwalk bakery for breakfast, and they make sandwiches as well that you can take to the parks..you know, the ones you can now WALK to? We love DHS and Epcot, and being able to walk back from them is even more of a perk than walking to them. When everyone else is lining up for their bus, you are happily strolling out talking about the awesome day you just had. I'll never forget a Christmas trip we took...kids were about 10 and 14 I think..anyway, we added 3 days on the fromt of the trip at the WL...and when we pulled into there instead of the Dolphin, the kids were like, WHAT!?!?!??! The were so excited to be going back *home* that they were not exactly that thrilled to be at WL. Long story, lets just say we were glad the majority of the trip was at the Dolphin. We have stayed there 4 or 5 times, once was a no park trip..we just enjoyed the Grotto pool, free stuff/ DTD on a 3 night stop over driving down to visit family.
The rooms are large, not as large as CR or the Polynesian, but we felt just as large if not larger than WL. The beds? Yep, they are Heavenly. You do get the water bottles included in your resort fee, and yes, the parking can add up. If you want to save a few $, just rent the car on the days you need it, the rental desk is just around the corner of the check in area in the lobby...very easy to get/drop your car. Their hours are a little shorter, but you can also pick up at Shades of Green or TTC , a shuttle will bring/take you back to the Dolphin. The rates are usually a smidge cheaper at TTC, but the convenience of the Dolphin is great for renting. We usually rent at the airport if flying and drop that same day after unloading and doing a grocery run. We have never had a bad stay there, the employees are top notch. So they don't say have a magical day,,,no biggie...I'll take that in a heartbeat over all the noise from Pop Warner/ cheer groups (no offense) and crowded food court, pool etc.
The laundry machines work decently, they are in the last hallway heading out to the pool. Which, since you are going in Dec... they may have their Holiday games by the pool going on...it may be a bit early, but they do candy cane hunts, decorate cookies, go to
santasfavoriteresort.com
and check out last years schedule for an idea. My kids(now 17/21) LOVE the place, and think rolling out of bead and walking directly to the parks is 'Da Bomb. They know they are spoiled at WDW, but they , like me , know staying at the Dolphin is being a smart consumer, at least with Disney math lol. DH appreciates not standing in an un-shaded que for the bus ( which. by the way, we have never really had an issue with heading to MK ar AK)we have stayed at all level of resorts, ASMU, POP,CBR,WL,POLY, CR and the Dolphin is in the top 3 of not 2...Poly and CR are tough to beat,if you have a HUGE budget.....which we do not.

HAVE A GREAT TIME!

Thank you for the great information!!
I was thinking we might not need a car and can possibly just share it with our aunt (arriving the same day, staying off site). Then just rent one when we take our overnight stay at the beach. However when looking at prices I can get a car for $135 for the week! And usually you pay a pretty big price for only a day or two for a rental. I think I saw $70 a day after taxes extra. You only get those great $15 a day rates when you do a week.

Still looking at some different options actually. I think the price to park is $11 a day. But I like the option to drive to MK and AK.
I really want the kids to ride the boat over to MK. Granted I know it takes longer, but I think it would be a nice experience for them.
Guess I still have time to figure it all out.
Ok, I'm rambling on.