Dolphin vs. off sites (

[KBecks]

Hi Everybody!

Our family is looking at our 2nd trip to Disney! The first time we went was last year on a company trip and we had such a nice time. We stayed at the Boardwalk for about 5 days with our three boys.

We are thinking about going back, but we need to be more budget-minded and we care about value. I was thinking about going super-as-cheap-as-possible, driving from Wisconsin and staying off site in a condo or a $100ish a night hotel.

Now I was playing around with trip planners and thinking about flying because a 20+ hour drive home doesn't sound fun, even though our little tribe of boys are very good road trippers. We are looking at the week before Christmas (arriving home on Dec 23) or in January or February of 2013.

So, I am comparing the Dolphin to the OFF-SITE Caribe Royale Orlando... There is about $700 difference in price.

I might be asking you to talk me into the Dolphin. We did enjoy the boardwalk area and walking to Epcot. The Swan/Dolphin seems farther away from where we were at the Boardwalk. Our older 2 boys did the pirate adventure and this year they would all be old enough to do it together. We enjoyed all the parks. I think that Hollywood Studios was my least favorite, but it was almost an afterthought and we only went on our last day. We have fun everywhere we go.

We would probably stay at Disney the whole time and do single days at each park (no park hopper).

Anyway.... the Caribe Royale Orlando also has very good reviews and has a shuttle to Disney. Our buses from Boardwalk were pretty good. Are they also good from the Swan/Dolphin?

Any thoughts? $700 is a good chunk of money for a difference. Let me know what you think, thank you!!!

 

[roydavid7771]

I for one would never receommend staying off-site. Unless you can find dirt cheap lodgings, the benefits far outweigh the savings you could have. Add into that the fact that Disney now has rooms for as low as $69/night, you would be hard pressed to find comparable accomodations anywhere off site. Having said that, I would recommend the Dolphin anytime! The rates are usually comparable to those of the Disney moderates but you get a deluxe resort in the process. Buses are fine, though I've found the Swan to be a bit faster since they get dropped off first. Plus you cannot beat the Heavenly Beds, easily the most comfortable beds on property!

 

[baler31]

While we stay off site frequently, I would never do so during the busy holiday season. Traffic is a nightmare and travel times between even Downtown Disney and Disney's own moderate and value hotels can be steep.

I have stayed at the Dolphin during the holidays and it is more than worth it for the ability to walk/boat to two parks. The Dolphin is much less than BWI during the holidays.

We always rent a car and typically don't use the bus so I cannot comment on that aspect. The other option would be to use the Orlando Hotel thread to do more research on off site options. The Wyndham Bonnet Creek is a very economical condo that many enjoy although I would say you need to rent a car. I would not want to rely on any off site shuttles at any time and especially during the holidays.

 

[sven1277]

I would also recommend staying onsite rather than off. We really like the convenience of the wdw transportation system. Its much better than any offsite shuttle bus. The really nice thing about the epcot resort area is the proximity to two of the parks. We also drove down the last time to save $. It was a 23 hour mostly nonstop trip from CT.

 

[TaraPA]

The bus you used at BWI is probably the exact same bus that would pick you up at Dolphin - they are often shared. All 5 Epcot Area resorts share buses - Swan, Dolphin, BWI, YC & BC. The week before Christmas, however, will be very busy, so they may only have 2 sharing a bus, or even sinlge buses to each.

I would suggest that you look into reviews of the offsite shuttle. I did offsite once. NEVER AGAIN - because of the shuttle. It ran twice in the morning - 8am and 10:30am, and twice at night - 6pm and 10:30pm - and only did pick up & drop off at Epcot - way far out in the offsite bus parking area. So there was a lot of transferring involved getting to other parks, and lots of waiting when parks closed at 9, til the shuttle came at 10:30. You had to sign up for the shuttle the day before - it was first come, first serve, so if you were out in a park all day, by the time you got back at night, the shuttle for the next day was full.

If you choose Dolphin, you won't be disappointed. You're literally a few hundred yards from The Boardwalk, where you stayed before, so it will seem familiar too you.

 

[kaligal]

The Dolphin is a great hotel. I have nothing bad to say about it other than it is confusing the first couple times you're in the lobby, trying to get to your room. It is way up there on my Hotels to Recommend list.

But you will likely find entire condos offsite that cost less and give SO much more.

Traffic will be an issue Christmas week, though.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[francie57]

I would choose the Dolphin over off-site anytime. Have you considered renting points for the BWVs or the BCVs. There are lots of posts on here about people doing that through a DVC member or through Dave's Rentals and you can stay much cheaper than going through Disney. If that isn't an option, I would stay at the S/D. We are Epcot resort lovers and have stayed at the BWVs and BCVs and YC - we have never stayed at the S/D. My sister stayed at the Dolphin at Christmas time one year and really loved it. You won't be disappointed. Do remember that you can't use Magical Express or get the dining plan since they are not owned by Disney. If you rent a car they also do charge a daily parking fee and they also charge a resort fee.

 

[Upatnoon]

Hi Everybody!

Our family is looking at our 2nd trip to Disney! The first time we went was last year on a company trip and we had such a nice time. We stayed at the Boardwalk for about 5 days with our three boys.

We are thinking about going back, but we need to be more budget-minded and we care about value. I was thinking about going super-as-cheap-as-possible, driving from Wisconsin and staying off site in a condo or a $100ish a night hotel.

Now I was playing around with trip planners and thinking about flying because a 20+ hour drive home doesn't sound fun, even though our little tribe of boys are very good road trippers. We are looking at the week before Christmas (arriving home on Dec 23) or in January or February of 2013.

So, I am comparing the Dolphin to the OFF-SITE Caribe Royale Orlando... There is about $700 difference in price.

I might be asking you to talk me into the Dolphin. We did enjoy the boardwalk area and walking to Epcot. The Swan/Dolphin seems farther away from where we were at the Boardwalk. Our older 2 boys did the pirate adventure and this year they would all be old enough to do it together. We enjoyed all the parks. I think that Hollywood Studios was my least favorite, but it was almost an afterthought and we only went on our last day. We have fun everywhere we go.

We would probably stay at Disney the whole time and do single days at each park (no park hopper).

Anyway.... the Caribe Royale Orlando also has very good reviews and has a shuttle to Disney. Our buses from Boardwalk were pretty good. Are they also good from the Swan/Dolphin?

Any thoughts? $700 is a good chunk of money for a difference. Let me know what you think, thank you!!!

Most people in this forum are onsite only, so for an alternative viewpoint I suggest you check the Orlando Hotels and Attractions board.

You may have not of heard about Wyndham Bonnet Creek, but if you want some space, and it sounds like you do, you should check it out. It rents for around $700-800 a week for a 2-bedroom 1,200 square foot room. WBC is located next door to the Caribbean Beach resort within the gates of disney. They also have free, very frequent bus service

 

[sharadoc]

Have you looked at David's Vacation Rentals for a studio at Boardwalk villas? A week in January in a studio is 63 points, so at $13 a point, your cost would be $819. A studio is one queen bed and a sofa bed and a kitchenette with microwave, fridge, toaster and coffee maker and you'd still be at the Boardwalk. Seems like a great deal to me!!

A one bedroom villa with a full kitchen would be around $1,700 for the week.

You'll definitely get the best rates and lowest crowds in January. February starts progressively getting busier but still manageable.

 

[Missyrose]

A couple of things to note:

As a family of five, a DVC studio would be a squeeze at best. Even in a 1-bedroom villa at BWV, OP would have to bring an air mattress and bedding for the third child. OP could rent points to stay at BLT, OKW or AKV where the 1-bedroom villas have an extra sleeper chair in the living room (in addition to the pullout couch).

Renting points for a pre-Christmas trip may prove difficult. It's an extremely popular time for DVC. So if OP wants to do that, they should call David's ASAP.

January and February should be easier in terms of getting the villa you want through rental. But I wouldn't wait too much longer for those either. Be mindful of marathon weekend and MLK weekend in January, they are very crowded weekends.

As for the Dolphin vs. Offsite question. I'd pick Dolphin over the offsite hotel. But I don't know if I'd pick it over a rental house. I love staying onsite, but for my most recent trip (with a group of 6) we chose to rent a townhouse in Windsor Hills and it was perfect. I did miss being "in the bubble." But it was so nice having a kitchen to make breakfasts in the morning. And our own splash pool to enjoy in the afternoons and evenings. Plus everyone had their own space, so no one was on top of one another.

I'd price out some rentals before you make a final decision. But also price out renting DVC points, either could be a great option for you.

 

[Sue M]

If i were to stay off site, I'd get a car rental. The off site shuttles aren't great. And don't always leave at convienent times at night. There will be no going back to the resort for an afternoon break, Basically your in WDW till you go back to your resort.

So I'd pick a WDW on site resort any day over off site. We did offsite our first trip, and never again.

 

[robinb]

Hi Everybody!

Our family is looking at our 2nd trip to Disney! The first time we went was last year on a company trip and we had such a nice time. We stayed at the Boardwalk for about 5 days with our three boys.

We are thinking about going back, but we need to be more budget-minded and we care about value. I was thinking about going super-as-cheap-as-possible, driving from Wisconsin and staying off site in a condo or a $100ish a night hotel.

Now I was playing around with trip planners and thinking about flying because a 20+ hour drive home doesn't sound fun, even though our little tribe of boys are very good road trippers. We are looking at the week before Christmas (arriving home on Dec 23) or in January or February of 2013.

So, I am comparing the Dolphin to the OFF-SITE Caribe Royale Orlando... There is about $700 difference in price.

I might be asking you to talk me into the Dolphin. We did enjoy the boardwalk area and walking to Epcot. The Swan/Dolphin seems farther away from where we were at the Boardwalk. Our older 2 boys did the pirate adventure and this year they would all be old enough to do it together. We enjoyed all the parks. I think that Hollywood Studios was my least favorite, but it was almost an afterthought and we only went on our last day. We have fun everywhere we go.

We would probably stay at Disney the whole time and do single days at each park (no park hopper).

Anyway.... the Caribe Royale Orlando also has very good reviews and has a shuttle to Disney. Our buses from Boardwalk were pretty good. Are they also good from the Swan/Dolphin?

Any thoughts? $700 is a good chunk of money for a difference. Let me know what you think, thank you!!!

can you fit 5 people in a room at the Dolphin? How old is your youngest? I would NOT recommend Christmastime for you. It is really busy for a second trip, especially if you stay offsite. Extra Magical Hours are a requirement between Christmas and New Years. For the record, I would never stay offsite without a car.

 

[el_tigre]

can you fit 5 people in a room at the Dolphin? How old is your youngest? I would NOT recommend Christmastime for you. It is really busy for a second trip, especially if you stay offsite. Extra Magical Hours are a requirement between Christmas and New Years. For the record, I would never stay offsite without a car.

Yes, the Dolphin allows five to a room; the Swan, however, only allows four.

 

[Belle83]

I would stay at Port Orleans Riverside (can sleep 5 to a room). The Dolphin is awesome though and I highly recommend it

 

[KBecks]

Thank you everyone *very, very much* for taking the time to read and reply. I love and appreciate your thoughtful input and feedback! There is a lot to think about.

I have looked a little bit at renting DVC points and at the Windsor Hills condos. For some reason I think our family of 5 doesn't fit into the lower-priced accommodations at the Wyndham Bonnet Creek, but I will re-check that... I've looked at Dave's DVC rentals a lot in my early planning and mostly wrote it off as too expensive.... I was worried about the rules of putting 5 in a room and also trying to buy from an individual owner if we wanted to try to save more money.

Thank you for pointing out holiday traffic concerns... I started playing around with dates and read a few posts about crowd levels and think that if we did the holidays we might go earlier in December... more like Dec 11 through 19? Still fine tuning... *then....* we started talking about possibly waiting until MAY 2013 to get warmer weather.... hmmm....

On driving vs. flying, it seems to make the most sense to fly to have more of our vacation time actually at Disney. We can take about 7 or 8 days away from home and maximizing our time at Disney seems worth it. I might need to work harder on finding flight deals. I am not sure if waiting for last minute fares would even work.... (Today I got an email for flights as low as $207 to Orlando, usually averaging $350. Of course dates are limited. Flying at the end of May... hold on folks, I need to take a good look at this possiblity!!!)

Back later!

 

[KBecks]

Note: our youngest is 3 and a half. Our older boys are 5.5 and 7.5. We don't mind the togetherness of sharing a room right now as long as everyone sleeps! I think the convenience of the Disney shuttle buses might be very, very nice... driving and parking might be stressful for me and my husband, but.... we've never done it, it might not be bad at all.

Checking out that May 2012 (oh my goodness, that is so soon!) flight deal and maybe a room package at Wyndham Bonnet Creek.... just poking around since the flight prices are significantly reduced.

 

[CanadianGuy]

That 'off site shuttle' probably wont' be very convenient ... And that's no smack against the Caribe Royal ... it's just a fact.

The Disney buses .. despite all the complaints you'll read ... run far more frequently than even the best of the off-site shuttles and most of the off-site shuttles will route around all parks.. so you might spend 45 minutes dropping off at the parks you're NOT going to on a given day..

If you aren't going to have a car or rental car.. relying on that shuttle *might* be a bad decision.

Ask for input from those who've stayed at that resort on the "ORLANDO HOTELS & ATTRACTIONS" board here on the DIS.

Knox

 

[robinb]

One thing to keep in mind about the answers you will get here is that you asked your question on the Disney Resorts board. Most people will steer you to stay onsite as that's what they prefer and then many of them will steer you to a "real" Disney resort and not the Dolphin. If you ask the question over on the Orlando Hotels and Attractions board here: http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15 you will get different answers. It might be worth your while if you ask on both boards.

Have you considered the Buena Vista Suites? Here's a link on the DIS: http://www.dreamsunlimitedtravel.com/bvsuites/index.htm . It includes a free breakfast which will save your family of 5 a lot per day!

 

[KBecks]

Thanks so much, I know I am in the Disney Resort crowd, and that everyone here is madly in love with on-site! For me I feel like Dolphin "counts" because of the location, understanding it is operated separately. It might be as close as we can get to being onsite.

Is it really possible to put 5 of us in a DVC studio or cheap DVC accommodation? (Hold on, I don't think there is such a thing as a cheap DVC accommodation....) I've read about this before and it seems well, sketchy. We don't ever do the dining plan, fwiw. We loved the onsite experience, but accommodations may end up being where we try to skinny up our expenses, since ticket prices are fixed, and I don't know how easy it is to get flight deals.

I will spend some time at the Orlando boards also.

Thanks again so much!

 

[robinb]

Sorry, you can only fit 5 in a DVC studio if the 5th person is under 3 and your youngest is too old. Your onsite options are (1) Dolphin, (2) All Stars/Art of Animation Family Suites, (3) Two value rooms, (4) Port Orleans Riverside, (5) a 1BR at only some DVC resorts ans (6) Camp Wilderness cabin. Unfortunately, it's harder to budget an onsite stay with a family of 5 which is why many larger families stay offsite in condos or houses.

Is your oldest in first grade? If so, the YES Program (Youth Educational Services) will save you a boatload of money on your park passes: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2332767 . You may have to rearrange your vacation times to coincide with one of the classes.