Poly vs. Dolphin at great rates - what to choose?

MPLsDad

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 18, 2002
We can have the Poly for $229 or the Dolphin for $149 (not including resort fee). Both are for four nights followed by two nights at the Beach Club Villas. Which would you choose Poly or Dolphin and why? :confused3
 
I'd go for the Dolphin for that price..great hotel, great location & you will have more money left over for shopping & dining! :flower:
 
I was not much of a fan of the Dolphin and we got it for free with our Starwood points. I will say a convention was going on but there were other issues like the place needed some serious work, the rooms were small and it was like walking a maze to our room. I was also not a fan of the transportation. I got very tired of waiting for the boat and you could walk to Epcot faster. The parking lot would still have spaces but they would close it off and we had to valet each time. The staff was friendly but very uninformed. We had a question about the resort and they had us call Starwood (offsite) to answer it. I have heard much better things about the Swan but even being a free stay I was not very happy with it. I am sure there are 10 people who love it for every one who does not.
 
I would pick Polynesian, that's a great price! Polynesian has the best location and transportation.
 


We are staying at the Dolphin in August, now I'm a little aprehensive. Any suggestions as to how we can avoid problems? Is there anyone else out there that has stayed at the Dolphin and has comments/recommendations for us?
 
whoffman said:
We are staying at the Dolphin in August, now I'm a little aprehensive. Any suggestions as to how we can avoid problems? Is there anyone else out there that has stayed at the Dolphin and has comments/recommendations for us?

We stayed at the Dolphin last year and LOVED it! We had an absolutely wonderful time there. The transportation was great , we never waited more than 5 mintues for either bus or boat. The heavenly beds were awesome! And my kids loved the pool! We never had a problem with parking and the staff was very friendly and helpful. I would not hesitate to stay there again!! Enjoy!
 
Remember my opinion is one of many. Take all opinions in here with a grain of salt because when you go you might not have the same experience as me or maybe some of these issues have been addressed. Every resort has its horror stories. I just had my bad experience at the Dolphin.
 


I'm glad to hear you had kids with you and they enjoyed it. We are taking three ages 11-15. How big is the pool? Any resturant suggestions?
 
whoffman said:
I'm glad to hear you had kids with you and they enjoyed it. We are taking three ages 11-15. How big is the pool? Any restaurant suggestions?

Between the Swan and the Dolphin I think there are 4 pools - we basically stayed with the biggest one the Grotto Pool - it has a water slide and my kids spent most of their time on that :sunny:

We enjoyed breakfast at Fresh - it was wonderful! We didn't try Shula's or Blue Zoo but I have heard that they are really good. Most of our other meals were in the parks and other resorts - We really enjoyed Ohana's at the Poly and Whipering Canyon at WL.
 
Lots of great food out around the Boardwalk.
 
Hi MPLsDad

We stayed at the Swan in 2003 with our DS3 at the time for 11 nights. We LOVED it and had a great vacation. This year we're going back to try the Dolphin in June with our now DS5 and our DD1 (like you guys :) ). The location, the Grotto pool, the Heavenly beds, the many restaurant choices, the resort reface in 2003, and the rates make it a really great place to stay.

However that's a pretty great rate at the Polynesian. I guess it all depends on your price range. If the $149 is more affordable for you then take the Swan/Dolphin as you'll have a great stay. If the $229 is no issue then I'd take the Polynesian especially when you are splitting your stay with an already Epcot resort anyway. If you don't stay at the Swan/Dolphin then when you're at the Beach Club Villas stroll over one night and have a good look around to see if you'd stay there in the future.

Good luck.
Andy
 
We've stayed at the Poly many times and really enjoy it, but my families new favorite is the Dolphin. We've stayed three times now and enjoy it better everytime. The renovations look great - the beds are sooo comfy. The pool area is fun and we always (even over Easter) find a place to spread out. We had no problems with transportation. The boats were good - but if you are in a hurry to get to Epcot it can be quicker to walk!

We love getting coffee and danish over the Boardwalk in the early morning as well as drinks and desert late in the evening. I just think the Dolphin has many more options than the Poly for 1/2 the price. Yes, there are conventions going on but it never bothered us - everyone seems to be having a good time. Poly is nice too..the boat to the MK is fun, the volcano pool is nice, (but small). We also love to have the option of a hot tub so that factors in our decision to go to the Dolphin as well. Enjoy, you really can't go wrong with either.
 
Also keep in mind that since the Poly is a Disney resort they will transfer your luggage for you over to the BCV. Unless you will have your own car this could be a big benifit of staying at the Poly. Personally, I LOVE the Poly and you are getting a great rate...I would grab it!

:earsboy:
 
If you stay at the POLY you could use ME and save over $50 on airport transfers. You could still use ME for your return to the airport.

In a perfect world I'd stay 2 or 3 nights at the POLY and the rest in the EPCOT resort area.
 
It looks like you have stayed at the Dolphin, the last few years, Give Poly a try, it is a great resort. You are paying a little more for it, but when will you get that rate again???? Looks like you can get a good rate at the Dolphin any time.
 
Location, location, location.............choose the Dolphin! :rolleyes1
 
I would take the dolphin, with the money you saved over the Poly price you could do meals or extra shopping etc. If you are getting sick of the Dolphin, since you have stayed there alot , then go for the Poly, that is a really good price. We just stayed there. The only drawback if you booked the dolphin is you cant charge to the room, which you know and you cant get the meal plan. If you want the starwood points etc. then take the dolphin again. If you have young kids and will spend alot of time in the magic kingdom the transportation alone is worth it for rest, breaks, etc. and the Polynesian has great childrens activities etc. Good luck deciding.
 
Both of the rates are good but personally, I would choose the Swan. I've stayed at both but am going back to the Swan. There pool is way much bigger and they have a separate hot tub/jacuzzi area as well as 2 quiet pools. I think the volcano pool at the Poly's is very small and it gets crowded quickly.
The Swan/Dolphin has easy access to the Boardwalk, as well as Epcot and a bit of a longer walk to MGM but it's something you can do if you don't want to wait for a bus or the boat. Timing is everything when it comes to the bus and boat transportation. The Poly has the monorail right there also which is fantastic.
I haven't yet stayed at the Dolphin but prefer the Swan because it's quieter and has a more intimate atmosphere than the Dolphin. The Dolphin has alot more restaurants and shops and is most favored by people on conventions. I have 2 teenage boys so I prefer the Swan because I need double queen beds where the Dolphin only has double beds, but if you have young children then it's not issue but it is for me.
Again as Tikiman has said, it's a matter of everyone's own personal experience and opinion. Everyone is different and expects different things and it's way Disney has so many types of places to stay at.
 
I would absolutely go with the Poly. Nothing beats the monorail to the Magic Kingdom, plus you are a two minute walk to the TTC. You can easily catch the monorail to Epcot or get one of the buses to AK or MGM.
 

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