How does POR compare to the Dolphin?

[rcpae]

Just wondering if the dolphin runs a special during Nov and there is no code for POR....which would you choose? It might put them a little closer in cost. Also, can homeschoolers get the teacher discount. I didn't think so, but thought it was worth a shot.

We will have a car. We plan on doing Disney, a waterpark and a little shopping at Downtown Disney during our week.

 

[Dobie]

I don't think you nned to be employed as a teacher to get a teacher discount, as long as you have a teaching certificate/license.

 

[luvdisney14]

I have stayed at both. I definately prefer the dolphin ove POR. I love the location of the dolpin, the rooms are so much nicer. The pool area is better. Without a doubt I would choose the dolphin over POR.

 

[skeeterbug]

Our first trip to Disney was 3 yrs ago and we spent our first night at POR(we drove and got in a day early) and the other 10 nights at the Dolphin. We enjoyed our very short stay at POR. POR was in it's own way excellent. The Dolphin for the rest of the trip was great!!! We stayed with a teacher discount, free roll away for our family of 5, and we were able to drop that $10 resort fee(which was $8 back then). This trip in July the POR price could not be beat! We would have loved to stay at the Dolphin again, but the price difference was too much to ignore. What we loved about the Dolphin was the location-taking a boat or walking to Epcot and MGM can not be beat!! The grotto pool was nice and very large! We walked to play mini-golf. It is so centrally located. The busing was also darn near perfect our trip. The hotel itself is absolutely beautiful. So, I guess I'm saying that if money is no object do the Dolphin, but otherwise you'll enjoy POR almost as much.

 

[ValerieK]

The Dolphin for 2 reasons, location and, of course, the Heavenly Beds.

 

[hawkrn]

we have stayed at both with the Dolphin being last June. I got a nurses discount ($129 last year) which was excellent considering it was summer. as far as location, Dolphin wins hands down. You are close to so many restaurants, etc. The grotto pool was nice, but so was POR's pool. We had a car, but now if you read some threads they are CHARGING a fee for parking, per day. That's on top of the per day fee the resort charges. As far as which resort we prefer, we like POR. We are staying at POFQ this summer. We like the theming, landscaping, (Disney feeling). And even though POR is a large, spread out resort, it was so much quieter than the Dolphin. There were conventioners at the Dolphin and the bars were hopping! If you get a really good rate you can't lose at the Dolphin, but we still prefer POR.

 

[BethC1952]

I stayed at both during my Dec. 2002 trip. I didn't like the Dolphin. It just felt cold and sterile, and I just wasn't impressed. (We had gotten a free upgrade from POR to the Dolphin through Disney Cruise Line). The room was large, very clean and nice, and we did have a view of both Epcot and MGM (if we pressed ourselves against the window!). I like the moderate resorts better because I really don't like inside corridors. We didn't have a chance to try the pool because the weather was very cold while we were there (hats, gloves, winter coats). If offered a choice, I wouldn't accept that upgrade again! I do have to admit, though, that you can't beat the location, but even that wouldn't change my mind. POR is my favorite resort.

Beth

 

[swilphil]

If you have a state teaching certificate that is current, you can get the teacher discount at the Dolphin. I do like the Dolphin for location, heavenly beds and a reasonable price for a deluxe. The POR is nice, but it is a moderate. The Swan and Dolphin both have a AAA rate of $169.50 for Nov. 20-Nov. 26. Oddly enough, S/D seems more likely than Disney to offer discounts during Thanksgiving week because there are no conventions. Either last year or the year before the hotel or DIS had an even lower special during that week.