Help-Dolphin or POR

[Poohbug]

We are a family of five and I can't decide which resort to stay at. We will need two nights in June and I have narrowed it down to the Dolphin or Port Orleans Riverside. The rates are very similar. They both have full size beds. Dolphin will cost a little more because of the resort and parking fees but I have heard the beds are great and the room is bigger. POR would be nice because I am driving but DH will be flying in and could use ME.

Has anyone stayed at both of these resorts? Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[el_tigre]

I'm normally a Dolphin apologist, but you're only talking about two nights here. In your shoes, I would save the cash and take advantage of the added convenience of ME and just stay at POR. However, if you plan on spending most of those two days at the resort (where the Dolphin has a much better pool, restaurants and amenities) or visiting Epcot or DH, that would probably sway me the other way.

And yes, the Dolphin's beds are the best on property.

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

Done both, really kind of depends on age of kids. We are family of 5, 8, 3 and 11. We LOVE Dolphin. We get a king bed room which has a sofa bed which 8 and 11 year old use and 3 year old sleeps on toddler aero bed. We love having a king, kids don;t love sofa bed but they love disney so they get what they get. We like option of having couch part of day and and LOVE Doplhin. We are avid walkers and walk to Hollywood studios and Epcot alot and don;t care for buses at POR. WE usually have car and DH has flown in before from work after we arrived. Not to expensive to get town car to dolphin.

 

[wdw4rfam]

Have not stayed at Doplhin yet, but just spent 8 days at POR. We are a fam of 5. The busing was HORRIBLE!!!! We have stayed at Disney 12+ times, and never, have I seen busing this bad. That alone would make me say go with Dolphin- you can walk to 2 of the parks there. The resort was beautiful (POR), but we will never stay there again. We were going to try POLY this next time, but Dophin is on the list of "to try" resorts here.

 

[mefordis]

Have not stayed at Doplhin yet, but just spent 8 days at POR. We are a fam of 5. The busing was HORRIBLE!!!! We have stayed at Disney 12+ times, and never, have I seen busing this bad. That alone would make me say go with Dolphin- you can walk to 2 of the parks there. The resort was beautiful (POR), but we will never stay there again. We were going to try POLY this next time, but Dophin is on the list of "to try" resorts here.

If we stay at POR we are going to rent a car. Do you have any other complaints about POR besides bussing?

 

[Disney Doll]

I'd pick the Dolphin because I love that area and being able to walk to 2 parks, and have the Boardwalk at my feet.

That being said, if POR is cheaper and DH can use ME, POR might be the better choice.

How much time do you plan to spend actually at the resort? That would probably weigh in my decision as well.

 

[Lynne M]

I don't mean to knock POR, it's a great resort. But, if the rates are similar, I'd have to go with Dolphin for the following reasons:

Best beds on property
Balcony
Indoor corridors
Walking distance to Epcot and DHS, boat service to both.
Huge selection of restaurants within walking distance or on the boat line (BW, BC, YC, Swan, Dolphin)

 

[*Fantasia*]

Does the theme of the resort matters? POR is very well themed to Southern Bayou. This is why I stay on Disney property because they are themed as if you're on vacation within a vacation. POR has the queen bed. They are doing away with full. They are doing away with trundle, they now have the murphy bed. POR is getting a new facelift in the room. You can take a leisurely boat ride to DTD. If you want more of a hotel feel, then Dolphin is the choice. Your husband can take advantage of disney bus from MCO to POR and back.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I don't mean to knock POR, it's a great resort. But, if the rates are similar, I'd have to go with Dolphin for the following reasons:

Best beds on property
Balcony
Indoor corridors
Walking distance to Epcot and DHS, boat service to both.
Huge selection of restaurants within walking distance or on the boat line (BW, BC, YC, Swan, Dolphin)

I agree...the location and easy access to so much by the Dolphin would make this a no brainer for me.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

I've stayed at both and would choose POR.

I found the Dolphin rooms to be extremely small (my head kept getting hit by the bathroom door and I'm a tiny person) and I even had a balcony and still felt it was small. I stayed by myself for 5 nights and had one person join me for 3 nights but I would not put my family of 4 in one of their rooms. The room was also in poor condition and it took forever to figure out how to get to/from the elevators - it's a large place. I did not receive great service. I received poor to ok service during my stay there. I ate at the quick service, the fountain, and bluezoo. Bluezoo was awesome but the other two spots were horrible. And I've never found good quick service in the Boardwalk area. I was at the Dolphin for a conference and that's what it feels like - a conference hotel. The best service and atmosphere was at the Disney store. I was disappointed that I did not have the Disney 'feel' at the resort.

So based on that, I would choose POR for a family stay. I would however stay at the Dolphin again if work was paying like they did last time.

 

[KBecks]

Good topic!