That has got to be one of the toughest questions...
We love them both!! They are very similar in a lot of ways, yet they do have their differences.
By the time you go the Dolphin will almost be done their renovations as well but being that we've stayed at both of these resorts numerous times now & have yet to stay in a renovated room that really isn't the first reason for staying there!
The Dolphin is larger, somewhat livlier (I can't spell today)...Tubbi's is very convenient there. The Dolphin Fountain is also convenient.
The difference between the rooms in the Dolphin and Swan (before renovations or after all are done) is the bed size. 2 queens in the Swan, 2 (oversized) doubles in the Dolphin. An extra sink in the Swan, an extra vanity area in the Dolphin.
The Swan is more intimate and I would say quieter but that's not always the case. Both are the same distance to the Friendship launch.
We stayed at the Swan several times before staying at the Dolphin and I didn't want to stay there because I thought it was too big, but we finally stayed and I was hooked on it! It's just so grand and has lots of conveniences, ie. the refillable mug.
I'm sure other posters will post their preference and I've probably been no help but we just love them both. The biggest differences are the sizes of the resorts. If you like the "big" atmosphere go for the Dolphin, if you like a more "intimate" atmosphere go for the Swan.
The bottom line is...you can't go wrong with either!
