POFQ or Dolphin

[pinkxray]

We are hoping to bring our little kids for the first time for a week in Nov or Dec 2018. The max I'm willing to pay for a resort is a moderate. Por/Pofq are the only two that interest me. We have tried POR (loved it!) and I usually try to stay at a new resort each trip. We will be traveling as a family of 5. Dh, myself, and 3 kids- 13,4, and 18 months. The baby will be in a pack and play so the 2 beds are fine.

However I will also have enough points to cover a few free nights at Dolphin. I love that it offers easy access to 2 parks. I'm just a little afraid it won't have the Disney feel and I will miss it for the first trip for the two little kids.

DH and I will mostly likely split up at night. 1 parent stay in to watch the little kids at bedtime and the other hit the parks with DD13.

DD13 and DH will also head over to Universal one day so I will have the little kids to myself and will need to keep them entertained. Im thinking POFQ has the great kid water play area and playground but Dolphin has walking access to 2 parks. I am not attempting any buses with 2 kids and a double stroller.

We do rent a car and usually drive to most parks.

 

[chris benton]

For the littler kids - Swan Dolphin also have the Friendship boats, easy 5 minute walk to the Boardwalk, and just LOOK at their pool layout. There's a beach, and a playground, too (although the playground isn't too much to speak of.) If the parent + the dd13 plan to spend time at EP or HS, the location is crazy good - easy walk to either, or take the Friendship boat. Even with a car, you probably wouldn't want to drive to ep or hs. I can't speak for the whole "Disney Feel" issue. There's plenty of Disney for me at Swolphin.

1 Con - Parking fee for Dolphin.

 

[mb187143]

We are hoping to bring our little kids for the first time for a week in Nov or Dec 2018. The max I'm willing to pay for a resort is a moderate. Por/Pofq are the only two that interest me. We have tried POR (loved it!) and I usually try to stay at a new resort each trip. We will be traveling as a family of 5. Dh, myself, and 3 kids- 13,4, and 18 months. The baby will be in a pack and play so the 2 beds are fine.

However I will also have enough points to cover a few free nights at Dolphin. I love that it offers easy access to 2 parks. I'm just a little afraid it won't have the Disney feel and I will miss it for the first trip for the two little kids.

DH and I will mostly likely split up at night. 1 parent stay in to watch the little kids at bedtime and the other hit the parks with DD13.

DD13 and DH will also head over to Universal one day so I will have the little kids to myself and will need to keep them entertained. Im thinking POFQ has the great kid water play area and playground but Dolphin has walking access to 2 parks. I am not attempting any buses with 2 kids and a double stroller.

We do rent a car and usually drive to most parks.

For me, this is easy -POFQ. We stayed at the Dolphin in April 2016 and the location is great. The boats/waking to Epcot/DHS was a nice plus. That said... the resort itself I hated. The rooms were big but generic. I like the Disney tv stations with the must dos and the hours and our room didn't get them - some rooms apparently do but not ours. The food options were frankly disappointing and the dingy little cafe in the bottom floor with the "quick service" dining was depressing. There were also a lot of conventioners and I wasn't a fan. I hate seeing guest areas blocked off for private events. Disney does this at times but most of their convention spaces are separate from guest areas. And not as frequent. The convention crowd usually packed the lobby bar in the evening which is the way out to the boats and walkway.

The pool area is vast. I did not enjoy the bar atmosphere encroaching on the pool, and I saw many families with young kids who were upset that the lifeguards were allowing cheerleaders to do stunts in the pool, endangering themselves and others. If I was a kid staying there, remembering my shy 10 year old self I know I would not have wanted to spend any time there with the vibe going on. May not be an issue for your kids!

The buses were also a pain for MK and AK. You always share with at least the Swan and often have to make other stops which made for a long ride. Once morning we actually took an Uber to the contemporary and walked after waiting 45 minutes with no buses coming and seeing over 100 people waiting at the bus stop. This can happen at Disney resorts but there is often a cast member in the area who you can contact for help. The dolphin employees didn't care.

POFQ is my favorite mod. It's compact and walking along the river is super tranquil. The boat to Disney springs is a huge plus. The buses rarely share with POR but if they do you are first on/first off so it's a win. Their food court is similar to others on property and I don't really get hung up on food court food but the beignets are pretty great.

It's down to what appeals to you. There are pros and cons to both.

ETA: full disclosure, my stay at the dolphin was all on points for 7 nights. I would have been more upset if I had paid oop. I wish I had used my points for a different destination.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We've stayed at both (Swan, Dolphin and POR) and I usually travel alone with DS9 (started traveling alone with him when he was 3 1/2). Nothing beats having quick access to the parks with young kids. To simply be able to put him in his stroller and walk around EP, walk around the Boardwalk, walk to DHS - literally priceless (and for you, it would be!). When we stayed at mods and values (and even deluxes that didn't have easy access to the parks like AKL), I felt trapped. Dolphin is undergoing a massive refurb right now and should be absolutely gorgeous by the time you go. We stayed in a renovated Swan room last Memorial Day weekend and it was so lovely and comfortable. I would do the Dolphin. You'll save money and the convenience factor for you and also for your DH and DD13 to stay out later at the parks will make a big difference in the enjoyment of your vacation. We really prefer Swolphin over the mods.

 

[cutigerlady]

I would pick the Dolphin. We stay here a lot and love the ease of getting to two parks plus all the Epcot resorts so easily! When my kids were little they loved riding the boat in a big circle and playing at the playgrounds at the different hotels. They loved riding in the stroller along the walking path to HS and watching the ducks. We stumbled upon a photo shoot at HS one morning for Mickey and Minnie and my son got a private meet and greet!

The character meal at the Swan is my kids' favorite because it is less crazy in there and I like it's cheaper!! The food is very good too. It's also a short walk to Boardwalk Bakery and other options if you don't like the Dolphin's QS options.

 

[cgattis]

For a whole different set of reasons, I'm considering the same two resorts for our next trip. Have stayed at POR once by myself and Dolphin 3 times with family. But can someone remind me--will I only get FP at 30 days out at Dolphin?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would pick the Dolphin. We stay here a lot and love the ease of getting to two parks plus all the Epcot resorts so easily! When my kids were little they loved riding the boat in a big circle and playing at the playgrounds at the different hotels. They loved riding in the stroller along the walking path to HS and watching the ducks. We stumbled upon a photo shoot at HS one morning for Mickey and Minnie and my son got a private meet and greet!

The character meal at the Swan is my kids' favorite because it is less crazy in there and I like it's cheaper!! The food is very good too. It's also a short walk to Boardwalk Bakery and other options if you don't like the Dolphin's QS options.

Yes, I agree! We actually have names for the ducks along the DHS path - if it's a boy, it's always named "Bob", a girl is always "Dolores". And I second the Garden Grove character meal recommendation! If you are a AAA member, bring your card - you get 20% off! The restaurants at Swolphin are also some of the best on property (bluezoo has a great kids menu). Plus you can wander over to the Boardwalk at night, watch the entertainment and get Ample Hills ice cream. There's so much to do in that area!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

For a whole different set of reasons, I'm considering the same two resorts for our next trip. Have stayed at POR once by myself and Dolphin 3 times with family. But can someone remind me--will I only get FP at 30 days out at Dolphin?

You'll get EMH and FP+ at 60 days at Dolphin, but you won't get Magical Express or 180+10 dining reservations (you can make dining reservations at 180 days, but will have to make them one day at a time instead of length of trip.) You also don't get MB's.

 

[MrInfinity]

Also easy decision for me... POFQ. Your concern about the Dolphin lacking the Disney feel is right on. Narrow corridors. Awkward elevator locations. Food court down a long corridor in the basement. Mile walk from the parking lot past the convention area. Big pool but -- cold. Nondescript everything. It has the location going for it, but that's it. Like mb said above... You'll miss the little things like flipping on the TV and having the Disney info stations.

But... you said you'd be staying there on points, and honestly, you can't beat free. So if you are doing it to save the $$, well, we've done it too. It's just not Disney in any way except being near other Disney properties. We will likely stay here again simply because we have the points. It's not bad... It's just not something I'd compare to POFQ as equal options.

 

[JerseyJanice]

Split stay?

Personally, I love the Swan and Dolphin, and when the price is close to a Disney moderate, there is no question which is the better choice. At the Dolphin, you get interior hallways and you're within walking distance of two of the parks. Hands down, those two things beat anything that the Disney moderates offer.

 

[cgattis]

You'll get EMH and FP+ at 60 days at Dolphin, but you won't get Magical Express or 180+10 dining reservations (you can make dining reservations at 180 days, but will have to make them one day at a time instead of length of trip.) You also don't get MB's.

Ok, thanks for the refresher!! Won't need ME, MB, or dining, so would just have to hassle with the dining. If we skip Epcot that trip, it makes a tough tradeoff.

 

[loves to dive]

I would go for the Dolphin hands down. The first time I stayed at the Swan I was worried about the convention feel and the whole it's not a Disney resort but as soon as I stepped in the place that worry disappeared. We stayed at Dolphin in Dec. again in March and will be there next week. I'm a huge discount hunter yet have to stay part of my trip at an Epcot resort because Epcot and HS are our favorite parks. We drive so sometimes when you factor in parking Dolphin is not a great deal but if I can get it the same price as a moderate or just $10 or $20 more a night, you bet you we stay there. And by the way, you don't share buses with any of the other resorts except for Swan and Dolphin. As far as food choices, we've never had any problems but with the resort being such a close walk to the two parks and the BW and YC/BC, the sky is the limit. We love the Med. Cafe for breakfast, love the ice cream shop - even better than Beaches and Cream, love that the lap pools also have hot tubs. Since we stay at YC/BC and BW, all of which are also convention resorts, we deal with that even at Disney resorts. Free is a bonus too.

 

[hedberg1661]

Wow I love both resorts so this isn't easy. I think you have to keep a couple of things in mind.

1. What is your favorite park? If EC or DHS is the answer than I think the Dolphin will be good for you. If not, POFQ is great.
2. Airport Transfers - This may not seem like a lot but you don't get Magical Express when you stay at Dolphin so if this is something you were hoping to take advantage of then POFQ is your spot. You could arrange alternative transportation for the Dolphin with no problem but you would have to pay OOP for it.
3. How much time will you spend in the room? I see that you are concerned about theme. Well if you really only sleep there and spend a bulk of your day outside of the room then I would say go with the free nights!
4. Pools - Both have great pool areas so I wouldn't worry about that.

Just a few things to think about.