POFQ or Dolphin

kmdis

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 18, 2005
Messages
16
I will staying for two nights with my husband and two girls (4 & 2) and I am having a hard time deciding which hotel, the price difference if $50/night. I need your advice, please help. Thanks.
 
kmdis said:
I will staying for two nights with my husband and two girls (4 & 2) and I am having a hard time deciding which hotel, the price difference if $50/night. I need your advice, please help. Thanks.

:Pinkbounc The Dolphin, definitely! :Pinkbounc

The Swan and Dolphin are not Disney owned, but they are beautiful (designed by Michael Graves) especially at night and with fun themes. The pools are much better than PO. You have boat access to Epcot and MGM, or can walk to either. The dolphin is near the Boardwalk and Yacht & beach clubs, so you have all kinds of easy dining options. You are right by Fantasia minigolf, too. The Dolphin is a deluxe. It is more hotel-like.

PO is more motel-like. It is a moderate.
 
Dolphin all the way! It's a deluxe resort with wonderful amenities. For just $50 in price difference, I think you'll be very happy with the Dolphin, at least I hope so!

POFQ has a cute serpent slide at the main pool, that is usually a big draw for smaller children, but the Grotto Pool is just as nice. As I always say, there's something for everyone at the Dolphin!
 
Seems like there is no comparison with the hotels themselves, but staying onsite has the perks you can't get at S&D.

Magical Express from the Airport.
Free parking at the hotel and parks.
Extra Magic Hours.
Etc
 

JustInLouisville said:
Seems like there is no comparison with the hotels themselves, but staying onsite has the perks you can't get at S&D.

Magical Express from the Airport.
Free parking at the hotel and parks.
Extra Magic Hours.
Etc

You will still get extra magic hours and free parking at the parks if you stay at the Swan/Dolphin :)
 
Dolphin :cool1: - add a touch of the magic...
http://www.dolphinswan.com/intro.html

No Mickey Soaps - but you can bring your own Mickey & Friends Toothpaste, Mickey & Friends bathroom cups, Disney toothbrushes and a shampoo with a Disney character bottle

On the windows/sliding door of your Dolphin room - place Disney window clings on them. You can also put window clings on mirrors.

Surprise each of your girls with a small Disney plush.
Or order from the Disney Florist a Disney themed item(s) for the girls.
http://www.ftdfloristsonline.com/wa...website_id=485745524856546565&index_id=custom
You could order the Disney Family Treats Tote - we omit the cheese, ask for more fruit.
You can also add to any item at the Disney Florist - so you could ask for 2 pink Mickey hats to be added to the Disney Family Treats Tote. Bring your own marker to write the girls names INSIDE the hat for whose is whose.

:cool1: We love the Dolphin - great rates for AP, AAA, teachers, nurses,...
pays to ask.

Many wonderful pools. There is a kiddie pool, a large main pool (grotto), a lap pool for adults and another pool by the Swan (3 min walk).
There are Swan shaped peddle boats for paddle around on the water.
There is a sandy beach to play on.
Towels are available at the pool - along with free use of life vests and pool toys to rent.


BOAT to EPCOT and STUDIOS - wonderful ride.
Bus to AK & MK - about a 20 minute ride.

and my DH favorite part - great coffee by the escalator to the door to the dock.

INSIDE hallways - you do not get wet to go somewhere when it RAINS - and it will rain, you are in Florida.

Larger rooms - Queen sized heavenly beds - Newly renovated (within in last year). CLOSETS have DOORS. Decent sized safe located in the closet.

Refrigerator - for a one time fee of $20- have the items cleared out and then use it for your own use. Or bring a cooler and gt ice from the machine in your own zip-lock baggies.

TUBBI's - open 24 hours, 7 days a weeks - has snacks, milk, refillable mugs (DH did not like their coffee), personal items, pizza, burgers, chicken, real food.

BEST PART :wizard: - Fireworks may be seen from your room - depending on view - or from the Boardwalk - OR - From EPCOT - avoid the crowds and stroll back to the Dolphin - about a 15 - 20 minute walk.

5 minute walk to the Boardwak - rent a 4 seater surrey bike, place the 2 girls in front and DW & DH pedal and steer. Have the girls face painted, watch the actors of the Boardwalk perform, walk around, it's beautiful.

Character dinner at Gullivers - ask who is there, which night at the front desk.
Also character breakfast next door at the Beach Club.

To pick up HDD or other show tickets- go next door to the Y/BC and pick them up an the front desk.

What else can I say - pick the Dolphin over a Moderate. :cool1:

:fish: Also the Dolphin, where the name came from, is a Florida fish with a smushed in face. http://indian-river.fl.us/fishing/fish/dolphin.html
not a Dolphin - like the character Flipper
 
We are seriously considering the S&D for our trip in May. We stayed at POR last trip and we loved it. With the discount for nurses we can get a room for only about $20 more a day than POR/AAA discount. Not to sure if we want to give up the Disney atmosphere but I am leaning towards the S&D if only to try something new. Besides, we do not spend much time in the room anyway.
 
pooh2001 said:
TUBBI's - open 24 hours, 7 days a weeks - has snacks, milk, refillable mugs (DH did not like their coffee), personal items, pizza, burgers, chicken, real food.

Good coffee bar in the lobby of the Dolphin.

Tubbi's has Krispy Kremes.
 
kmkja1 said:
We are seriously considering the S&D for our trip in May. We stayed at POR last trip and we loved it. With the discount for nurses we can get a room for only about $20 more a day than POR/AAA discount. Not to sure if we want to give up the Disney atmosphere but I am leaning towards the S&D if only to try something new. Besides, we do not spend much time in the room anyway.

Disney atmosphere...I don't feel a lack of it at the Swan and Dolphin. They are colorful and interesting and delightful. The staff are pleasant and helpful. The store is full of Mickey stuff. The hotel is filled with children on vacation. There are some convention types, but they are found at Coronado Springs, Contemporary, Grand Floridian.

What's missing?
 
kmjka1 - no Disney wake-up calls or soaps - But as stated- one can create their own Disney feeling in the room. ::MickeyMo ::MinnieMo ::MickeyMo ::MinnieMo

No moderate WDW resort can beat the Dolphin.
Only another deluxe WDW resort can beat the Dolphin.
 
pooh2001 said:
kmjka1 - no Disney wake-up calls or soaps

LOL, well if that is it, no problem. The Mickey soaps have cute packaging, but the soaps are too harsh. We don't bother to use them.

As for the wake-up call, maybe someone has saved it as a sound file that you could download to an MP3 player?
 
Called S&D but they did not have a room available (at the nurses rate) for the 8 days we are planning on going. We may try a split stay if we can find the availability.
 
kmdis said:
I will staying for two nights with my husband and two girls (4 & 2) and I am having a hard time deciding which hotel, the price difference if $50/night. I need your advice, please help. Thanks.

Do you plan on spending a lot of time at your resort? Do you believe you will use the additional services that the Dolphin offers that POFQ does not? Do you plan on spending most of your time at MGM or EC? If you answer yes to all of these then I would say stay at the Dolphin if you answer no then go with POFQ.
 
We recently had our very first stay at the Dolphin. We were upgraded to Concierge because we are Platinum with Starwood. We really did have a fabulous time. We have stayed at WDW moderates many times also. We always have a great time at those too. The Dolphin is a much more plush resort but the WDW moderates are awesome too. With all of that said, keep in mind the difference will not just be $50 a night. I don't know if you considered the resort fee or the parking fee or the difference in price for just about everything. It seems to me prices are higher at deluxe resorts for the exact same items as other resorts that have a lower price. Just as an example: Banana - Value $.75, Moderate $1.25, Deluxe $1.75

If you decide on the Dolphin be sure and sign up for their Starwood Preferred program. You are more likely to get extra perks that way.

:flower:
 
POFQ was just rencently renovated too and wonderful rooms, no queen bed but oversized full and we are used to a kingsize and had no problem at all. Matress is wonderful. Refrigerator for Free no charge. Boatride to DTD is wonderful, 1st on and off of buses no more than 10-15 min trip anywhere for us in Sept. Can also take the boat to POR and use the facilities there since they are sister resorts. I would check with Disney about the dining plan etc with Swann and Dolphin. I wouldn't use the extras there as I spend too much time in the parks. :flower:
 


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