Swan/Dolphin vs other Epcot resorts

[sigepmike]

I am sure this discussion has happened many times, but I am curious about your more recent thoughts about this. For those who have stayed at the Swan or Dolphin and Yacht/Beach/Boardwalk, how do they compare? I know you give up DME with Swan/Dolphin. But, where would you stay in these scenarios:

Swan/Dolphin regular king room is $75 cheaper per night than BW/Beach or Yacht. This is after factoring in a rental car.

or

Swan/Dolphin is about $35 cheaper per night for an "Epcot room"

What would you do? We would like to stay at one of these resorts in April for the F&G Festival now that it will be like a mini F&W Festival.

 

[butternut]

We have stayed just about everywhere on Disney property and have recently tried S/D and boardwalk. I was reluctant at first but have to say The S/D met every expectation we had. Rooms are very spacious and lovely along with the much cheaper rates then Disney.We also stayed during the food and wine festival so access to this was wonderful. The Boardwalk was great as well but much more expensive. Just book a room at S/D with a view and you won't be disappointed. Hope this helps some.

 

[Debrn]

Have stayed BWV and Dolphin, if you can get a better rate at swan or dolphin factoring in room fees and taxes and no DME then I'd pick Swan or Dolphin.
I really loved my stay there and the heavenly beds are amazing

 

[kapoof]

They are both nice resorts. We missed our Disney theming while at the dolphin, but really liked the comfy beds, and good coffee. for a good rate I would stay there again!

 

[elaine and the boys]

We started staying at the Swan and Dolphin Resort a few years ago, when a friend recommended getting a Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card to earn hotel points at Sheraton (Dolphin) and Westin (Swan) hotels. While Disney's deluxe Epcot resorts are too costly for our vacation budget, we've visited them all over the years, enjoying some of their restaurants and shops. But being able to stay in the Epcot "loop", with the same perks, wonderful beds, friendly service, excellent hotel restaurants, etc....and paying so much less, makes it a win-win for our family. Most Swan/Dolphin stays, including our upcoming stay in February (during school break, when rates are very high), are nearly free for us using our SPG Amex hotel points! We're so immersed in the "magic" all day long, we don't mind Mickey-free accommodations!

 

[Marthasor]

I am sure this discussion has happened many times, but I am curious about your more recent thoughts about this. For those who have stayed at the Swan or Dolphin and Yacht/Beach/Boardwalk, how do they compare? I know you give up DME with Swan/Dolphin. But, where would you stay in these scenarios:

Swan/Dolphin regular king room is $75 cheaper per night than BW/Beach or Yacht. This is after factoring in a rental car.

or

Swan/Dolphin is about $35 cheaper per night for an "Epcot room"

What would you do? We would like to stay at one of these resorts in April for the F&G Festival now that it will be like a mini F&W Festival.

S/D is fantastic when you are on a budget and want to stay in the EP area. We tried the dolphin for the first time in December when I missed out on the Disney discounts. Got a fantastic AAA rate and then an even better "star pick " rate right befor we left. We had so much fun there! I would highly recommend becoming a Star preferred guest. It's free and they typically give you a room upgrade if you are a member!

 

[lovealldisneythings]

We stayed Swan last year and it is nice but if you also factor parking rates daily there when Disney hotels are free. I enjoyed the Swan but prefer Disney properties

 

[ThumpersWorld]

I agree with all of the positive posts. We stayed at both a few times before becoming DVC owners on the Boardwalk. One additional thing that I don't believe anyone mentioned was you are able to request cots. They are a nightly charge but they are the most comfortable cots I have ever seen at a hotel. I just mention because as a DVC owner we aren't allowed cots so it's a nice option if you need it. And nothing beats the heavenly beds. I would definitely pick the Dolphin or the Swan over a moderate Disney hotel. I never understood why more didn't do it. I think the secret is finally getting out!

 

[DisneyJen0504]

We stayed at dolphin twice with my teacher discount. Now that we have little ones, we won't stay there again though it was a good deal for the location.
For us the lack of Disney theming and the place being overrun with convention guests was such a bummer for us last spring. We also don't care for their version of a food court and actually preferred the food courts during our moderate stays.
Loved the close proximity to Epcot and dhs but it just felt like a hotel that could have been anywhere. Would only return if it was just DH and I, it is lacking for the kiddies.

 

[francie57]

We love the all the Disney Epcot resorts so we have never considered S/D - don't really appeal to me. Don't forget in your figuring that there is a
$15/day self parking fee or $20/day valet parking fee. There is also $15.75 per day resort fee to add on so in the long run you may well be over that $75 savings.

 

[saxman]

We stayed at the Swan during Nov. on a teacher discount. We asked for a standard room with a "view" and we had a great view of HS and the Tower of Terror.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

We love the all the Disney Epcot resorts so we have never considered S/D - don't really appeal to me. Don't forget in your figuring that there is a
$15/day self parking fee or $20/day valet parking fee. There is also $15.75 per day resort fee to add on so in the long run you may well be over that $75 savings.

I'm pretty sure the S/D will still be cheaper with a $75 per nite lower rate. There are probably even better discounts that OP could get.

 

[sigepmike]

I'm pretty sure the S/D will still be cheaper with a $75 per nite lower rate. There are probably even better discounts that OP could get.

You are correct. I know the $14 resort fee was factored into my savings number. I need to see if the parking fee was calculated or not, but if not, it's still $60 per night cheaper.

For this trip, there is a bit of anomaly in the Disney pricing that one night is way more expensive than the other few nights, so Disney's average nightly rates are a little out of whack. Where would you suggest finding better rates? I've only checked AAA and AP rates so far.

 

[goofy4tink]

I love the Dolphin. I've stayed at both but prefer the Dolphin. I don't miss all that Disney-theming. I get plenty of it in the parks. And the gift shops have plenty of Disney stuff!!! I don't drive there so the daily parking fee isn't an issue. If I did drive, I wouldn't stay there. But, then again, you have to get your own transportation to the resort from the airport since there is no DME to use. and you can't use the Disney Dining Plan, but that's not an issue for me either.
If you can get a good rate there, I would stay in a heartbeat!!!!

 

[DisneyJanFeb2008]

Not sure why your price differential is so low (there should be a bigger price difference btwn Swan/Dolphin vs. BC/BW) but for that little, def. stay at BC/BW. We did Swan last year and felt it was just a standard business hotel - no magic, didn't like food options - but great location. Did not give us a vacation/luxury feel. Buildings themselves are outdated too. We are staying at BC this yr.

 

[sigepmike]

Not sure why your price differential is so low (there should be a bigger price difference btwn Swan/Dolphin vs. BC/BW) but for that little, def. stay at BC/BW. We did Swan last year and felt it was just a standard business hotel - no magic, didn't like food options - but great location. Did not give us a vacation/luxury feel. Buildings themselves are outdated too. We are staying at BC this yr.

I think the difference was $75 per night, because I had already factored in the additional cost of a rental car (and they were very expensive for that weekend on hotwire), the resort fee and the parking fee. If you take those out of the mix, Dolphin is about $150-160 per night cheaper. Since we are DME users, we wouldn't get a rental car otherwise, so I needed that factored in for an accurate comparison.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts. We will certainly be trying Swan/Dolphin soon. However, I was able to book a BWV preferred room through dvcrequest.com for the same price as the Swan/Dolphin, so we are going that direction for this trip and will hit the Swan/Dolphin later this year.

 

[darioster]

We are staying at the Dolphin in March and its $300 cheaper per night than the boardwalk

 

[marksmith]

My wife , daughter and I have been going to WDW for 12 years-approx 14 trips. Our next trip is over Easter for DD sweet 16. We have stayed at The GF- 8 times,Poly and AK, once each. The GF is our favorite (and the only pace to stay on the monorail IMO), but it is expensive.

We tried the Dopphin 5 years ago and were not sold, but we loved the location as DD was getting older ahd we went to EPCOT and MGM as much as MK. The following trip we were going to try YC, but at last minute switched to the Swan, as I had accumulated enough SPG points for a free stay.

There was no looking back for us. The relative smallness of the Swan and location/transportation etc, at always great prices made it a no brainer for me. In the interest of disclosure, we never did stay at the WDW EPCOT resorts (but have been back to the GF) and likeiy will not.

While Im sure the YC, BC and Boardwalk are fantastic, much like our beloved GF, I just dont see what you are losing by staying at the Swan. For me, what we are gaining is a much better deal. As example, for this coming trip we are staying in a 1br suite (2 baths, nice w/ a teenager) for about 35% less then some standard view WDW EPCOT resorts are charging for the same period.

So for us when staying in the EPCOT resort area the Swan wins hands down.

 

[FRANKTSJR]

I'm a DVC Member (Boardwalk)but out of points. First time stay at Dolphin coming up tomorrow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but I know that the location can't be beat. I know paying cash the Swan & Dolphin is less than the other Epcot Resorts but I don't like the way they hide additional charges for daily room cleaning and parking. Why not be upfront about it? Being a DCV Member and Passholder I can pretty much park anywhere for free except the Swalphin and really don't need daily room cleaning. Anyway, just makes me feel like the Disney Resorts(the real Disney Resorts) are a great value. Not to mention the lack of Magical Express service and the fact that I wouldn't have rented a car in the first place if the DolphSwan had ME.

 

[patty57]

I'm a DVC Member (Boardwalk)but out of points. First time stay at Dolphin coming up tomorrow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but I know that the location can't be beat. I know paying cash the Swan & Dolphin is less than the other Epcot Resorts but I don't like the way they hide additional charges for daily room cleaning and parking. Why not be upfront about it? Being a DCV Member and Passholder I can pretty much park anywhere for free except the Swalphin and really don't need daily room cleaning. Anyway, just makes me feel like the Disney Resorts(the real Disney Resorts) are a great value. Not to mention the lack of Magical Express service and the fact that I wouldn't have rented a car in the first place if the DolphSwan had ME.

I can pretty much guarantee that even after including all fees and transportation costs, the Swan/Dolphin are significantly less expensive than the WDW Epcot resorts...even if the WDW resorts have a discount. I'm not talking about DVC, but regular CRO rooms.