If I'm a hotel snob, which is nicer Polynesian or Swan and Dolphin?

[ChicagoJ]

Right now we're booked at the poly but the total price of our trip is making me second guess. I know it will also mean arriving to parks via boat or monorail vs bus. If the s&d is nice enough, I'd be ok. I'm not snobby about most things but hotels I absolutely am. I know you don't get the theming at s&d but aside from that....which one is more luxe, cleaner, prettier, etc? I don't want to do AK or WL because I just don't like the themes. And I also don't want to be in a motel and can't get past the idea that the moderates are that much money and they're motels. TIA!

 

[Keels]

What bed arrangement are you looking for? If it's a king, you'll want to book the Swolphin since Poly only offers rooms with two queens. That's a deal-breaker in my household, so that's the No. 1 reason we don't stay at Poly.

 

[Erin Martin]

You can' beat the Poly.

 

[Marthasor]

What bed arrangement are you looking for? If it's a king, you'll want to book the Swolphin since Poly only offers rooms with two queens. That's a deal-breaker in my household, so that's the No. 1 reason we don't stay at Poly.

They have king beds at Poly, they just aren't a bookable category, but you can request one. We've stayed in one in Rarotonga.

OP, I prefer the theming at Poly, but if you don't really care about that, then S/D is fine. It's certainly not as luxurious as a Four Seasons, but it's definitely an upgrade from a mod. It's our go-to if I've missed the WDW discounts and can't stomach the price of a deluxe on any given trip.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I stayed the past two years with a big extended family group at the Swan. All our rooms were sumptuous.

 

[happymommy]

If you prefer a nicer room, definitely the Swan. Walking distance to Epcot is a bonus!

Also, their room service is pretty good. Beds are nicer than the Disney resorts usually are. Movies on demand were a nice thing to have when my kids were little.

It is overall a much nicer hotel.

 

[Hopefully]

I don't like either the Swan or the Dolphin I would stay at the Poly

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Disney Deluxe is not real-world upscale. I would go S&D for an upscale experience with less crowds, or head to the Four Seasons.

Poly can be a bit run down, housekeeping is not consistent, and there are many visitors via the GCH who create crowd.

 

[amberpi]

Swolphin is my favorite on property resort. Period. End stop. Location. Crowd levels. All day room service - which can be from BlueZoo if you're staying at the Dolphin for instance, full menu which is what pushes me to the Dolphin and now the rooms are outstanding. The pools have far better service as well and the pool food is actually shockingly good - for pool food. I don't use DME even when I stay at WDW, and sometimes I'm in the mood for the YC or CR. With the S&D you get boat/walking access to 2 parks so that kinda makes it a wash for me in terms of transportation.

 

[AngiTN]

Honestly, I think if you are a hotel snob you are going to be disappointed with Poly. I'm not a hotel snob by any means and I don't care for the Poly. It's my least favorite Deluxe, though it's a very close tie with GF
I also worry that if you don't like the theme of WL or AKL you aren't going to like Poly. There are a lot of similarities in the appearance, with dark rooms and lots of wood
Swan/Dolphin are a bit more upscale and probably more what a hotel snob would expect. While I didn't love staying there for other reasons, I think it would be more your style, based on the little you've given on your likes/dislikes.

 

[amberpi]

Also, the lobby area strikes me as an absolute mad house. I enjoy Trader Sam's, but it's just too loud for my preferences. Some people love the hubbub.

 

[Networth]

GF or Four Seasons. One to remain on the Monorail and the other for the service.

 

[Networth]

What bed arrangement are you looking for? If it's a king, you'll want to book the Swolphin since Poly only offers rooms with two queens. That's a deal-breaker in my household, so that's the No. 1 reason we don't stay at Poly.

Actually the Poly does have King beds they are just few and far between. I only know this because I have stayed in one for my first and last night at the Poly as it was not our cup or tea.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Poly lacks king as a bookable category.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I, like you, am a hotel snob. I was a travel agent back in my day so I got very spoiled. So I will start out by saying the Poly is one of my favorite resorts. It's got this kitschy '60 Hawaiian theme to it but I always loved it. ( Some do not have the same love affair I have had with it )

BUT if you are looking for luxury as you would find at locations similar to a Hyatt in the real world, then I would choose Swan. Luxury beds, more adult theme, more amenities you would like in a 'typical' resort. If you are a fan of Epcot or HS this location is great as you can walk or boat to both. If you're a spa person, the Mandara Spa if wonderful - one of the best I've been to. ( I can't remember if it's at the Swan or the Dolphin ) We loved the pool at the Swan as well. The only thing it lacked IMO was the 'disney feel'.

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the choices, honestly. If it were me, I'd check out the photos of all 3 on tripadvisor and you tube.

 

[Farro]

We just stayed at Polynesian in October - I would recommend Yacht Club.

We enjoyed our stay at Polynesian, it's a nice hotel, but we just feel more comfortable at Yacht Club - it just feels newer, crisper, cleaner, overall elegant/more upscale perhaps (for Disney)? And it's cheaper! (usually)

The crowds from Trader Sams really, really turned us off the hotel to be honest. Which surprised me. And the bar areas throughout just felt kind of grimy. And the bartenders took FOREVER to take a drink order, even when quiet.
That all said, we enjoyed our stay there. Those are my own personal gripes about it.

 

[CynBeth]

We love the Poly!

 

[tnolan]

I vote for the Poly too!

 

[Babsy]

We love the Poly - it was our first choice when staying on Disney property and we still love staying there. The atmosphere is wonderful IMO. However, as a luxury hotel it falls short of real world standards.
We just returned (today) from a stay at the Swan and the AKL. The Swan's recently renovated rooms are lovely and comfortable, the hotel amenities are fabulous and the service is top notch. The very reasonable prices that are often available with discounts adds to the appeal. Finally, the location is convenient to two theme parks - DHS and Epcot.

Given the information that you shared above, I believe that the Swan would be a better 'fit' for you.

Enjoy!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Keep in mind that as you're asking on the Disney Resorts board, there are a lot of people who look at Poly as a "dream resort!"
But they mostly don't refer to themselves as hotel snobs, either, and are in love with the classic nature of the Poly (second resort at WDW), the beach, the proximity, the theme. Theme doesn't necessarily translate into luxury or amenity, and at the price, some people who have stayed at $600/night non-Disney hotels are a little upset about the lack of those amenities.

Disney: Not the real world. For $600/night in a lot of places, you'd get a lot more room/amenity, but you'd not be on a beach straight across from Cinderella Castle.