Swan or Dolphin or CSR???

[Gibbygirl]

Looking for help on our June 2012 7-night stay. It is myself, DH, DS 13 & DD 8. Flying in with no rental car. Have stayed at ASMu & CBR and were really looking forward to CSR for this trip. The resort theme appeals to us & the pool looks fabulous. We do parks each day but spend a good amount of time at our resort swimming & usually plan one resort day. We also use the food courts often. I heard about the teacher disc. for the Swan & the Dolphin, priced it and now I'm torn. For about the same $ we can stay at any of the three. We really like the idea of being so close to Epcot/HS/Boardwalk area. I know ME doesn't get us to/from the resort/airport. How much would a taxi/van cost? Was totally set on CSR but this may be our chance to stay "deluxe." BUT, we really like the theme of CSR and not sure if the Swan/Dolphin are too "hotel like" or still have the resort feel we like. We would not use the spa, gym, etc. just the pools. Still undecided if getting a DP so that isn't really a deciding factor but do like the convenience of a food court. Looking for any pros/cons/thoughts/experience anyone could offer to help us. TIA!

 

[cbg1027]

I personally would stick with CSR. I just stayed there in the end of October and it's a gorgeous resort.

Swan and Dolphin don't interest me because they don't have that 'Disney feel'. You can't beat the location...but after spending some time exploring them and eating at some of the resort restaurants, I felt like I was in a regular hotel in downtown big city somewhere. They're nice....I just don't get the Disney magic from them. It would have to be a very significant discount over the price of a Moderate to entice me to stay there. And with the FL resident or Passholder rates I usually use, it's cheaper to stay Mod than at Swolphin.

 

[denene914]

I would go to Swan or Dolphin! You can't beat the location. I love that you can walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. I have never stayed there, although I am a nurse and was looking into it. I have stayed at Yacht and Beach Club and just love being able to walk to those parks and not wait for a bus or a boat! I would try it out. I know when we went to Universal, we got a towncar to take us to our resort for 100.00 roundtrip and that was with a grocery stop.

 

[Gibbygirl]

I personally would stick with CSR. I just stayed there in the end of October and it's a gorgeous resort.

Swan and Dolphin don't interest me because they don't have that 'Disney feel'. You can't beat the location...but after spending some time exploring them and eating at some of the resort restaurants, I felt like I was in a regular hotel in downtown big city somewhere. They're nice....I just don't get the Disney magic from them. It would have to be a very significant discount over the price of a Moderate to entice me to stay there. And with the FL resident or Passholder rates I usually use, it's cheaper to stay Mod than at Swolphin.

It's like you read my mind! It really is the location that appeals to us, but other than that, I think we would enjoy CSR much more. We want to know we're on vacation & I think CSR fits that (much like CBR did.) Price-wise CSR falls in the middle of Swan (least exp.) & Dolphin (most exp. of the three.) Add in the cost of getting to/from the hotel without ME and I think we'll come out better at CSR.

Would love to hear from some Swan/Dolphin fans for another perspective. But so far CSR is still in the lead.

 

[roydavid7771]

I've never stayed at CSR, but I have stayed at the Swan multiple times and have to say that I love it every time! First, you can't beat the location. Walking distance to EPCOT and DHS as well as all of the entertainment and food offerings in the surrounding area, there's always something to do!

The grotto pool at the Swan/Dolphin is very nice as well and quite large. If all you're looking for is a place to get wet and cool off, the lap pool at the Swan is right there as well.

Finally, the Westin Heavenly Bed....simply amazing!

As for the cons, you don't get Disney's ME, and a taxi will run you around 60 bucks without tip. You also won't be able to get the dining plan, but if that's not a big deal, then don't sweat it.

You really can't go wrong either way, so just have fun and enjoy!

 

[teacher31]

I've stayed at CSR and also Dolphin. Between the two, Dolphin wins hands down. I did not care for CSR. Thought I'd love the theme, but being so far away from everything killed the charm. I also thought the food court was overrated. On the other hand, we love Picabu and also the pools. It can be a walk from some rooms to places at the Dolphin, too. However, it didn't seem like the 15 minute walk we experienced at CSR.

Don't know about the taxi rate.

Do you have AAA? You get a discount at Picabu with that.

 

[Hooked On The Mouse]

I personally would stick with CSR.

Swan and Dolphin don't interest me because they don't have that 'Disney feel'. You can't beat the location...but after spending some time exploring them and eating at some of the resort restaurants, I felt like I was in a regular hotel in downtown big city somewhere. They're nice....I just don't get the Disney magic from them.

I agree with this. We stayed in the ranchos at CSR, which are the farthest from El Centro, and found that it wasn't too much of a walk from our room-maybe, and I do mean maybe, 10 minutes. We also found it was quite quick to run over to the main pool, once we studied our resort map and found the shortcut. Some people will tell you that it isn't a good resort for kids, because it's a "convention resort", but our 3 kids were between baby and 6 years old, and we had no problems. We loved the themeing of the resort; thought it was beautiful; we would gladly stay there again but the room only allows 4 people over 3 years old.

 

[vettegirl]

We love CSR, the location, Dig Site Pool and the rooms are among one of our favorites at WDW. We have always had great bus service and IMO CSR is centrally located to everything.

 

[NancyIL]

I usually stay at the Swan (my favorite) or the Dolphin. I LOVE the location of the Epcot resorts and the Swan's heavenly beds. The Dolphin has Picabu - which is similar to the Disney resorts food courts. If you're a AAA member, you will save 20% there and at a few other Swan/Dolphin eateries.

The few times I have stayed at a Disney resort, the theming was nice, but I hated taking the bus to get to Epcot and the Studios. You can walk or take the boat from the Swan/Dolphin to either park.

Magical Express is nice, but not particularly speedy. Rent a car or use a town car service to go to the Swan/Dolphin.

 

[jujube]

While we love CSR, we also love the Swan and Dolphin. I'd choose the S/D for the location. Walking to Epcot, DHS, and the Boardwalk is great. The restaurants at the S/D are great too.
To get from MCO to the S/D and back, you can reserve a shared ride shuttle from Mears or take a cab. After you arrive, use Disney transportation.
As for the lack of a Disney feel, walk out of the doors and you're looking at Disney.

There are also very nice Disney gift shops in the hotels. I'd trade the location any day over the few Disney themed items found at CSR.

 

[Jeremy1481]

I have never stayed at the CSR but have stayed at the Dolphin which is an amazing hotel. We overlooked Epcot and could see the fireworks from our balcony every night. It probably doesn't have the same "Disney feel" as the others if that is important to you. I am not sure if the meal plan can be packaged with that hotel if you plan on doing that (I could be wrong). Otherwise, great hotel with very nice rooms and a fantastic pool.

 

[Gibbygirl]

This is driving me crazy!!! Which each reply I think I've made my decision, but then it changes with the next response Still torn. One thing I'm curious about: what is a 'hollywood' bath? It's listed in the room description for the Swan. Are their double sinks at the S/D? I thought I read somewhere there is one sink in the bathroom part & one in the room part? Also, what would be considered a 'standard resort view' or 'traditional view?' (these are the lowest room rates at S/D.) Would we be happy with this or does this mean we would be looking at a parking lot? Don't want to pay for an upgraded view but curious what it might be.

As for getting to/from the pools...do we have to walk thru the hotel lobby to get to them? Usually we just walk outside our room & head down to the pool. If the S/D are more like a traditional hotel I'm picturing us (or other guests) walking thru the halls, elevator & lobby in our wet swimsuits...

Still open to opinions as to where we should stay so please keep them coming!

 

[Gibbygirl]

I usually stay at the Swan (my favorite) or the Dolphin. I LOVE the location of the Epcot resorts and the Swan's heavenly beds. The Dolphin has Picabu - which is similar to the Disney resorts food courts. If you're a AAA member, you will save 20% there and at a few other Swan/Dolphin eateries.

Good to know about Picabu but in the picture there appears to be a waitress in the background. Is it like the resort food courts where you go up to a counter & place your order then take the food with you or does someone bring the food to you? Would like something quick & casual in the mornings &/or for a light dinner after a day at the park.

 

[Sweettears]

Never been to CSR but just got back from staying at the Swan for the first time. I chose it because of the location and the fact that it was relatively cheap (usually stay deluxe). I love the location because of the proximity to Epcot and DHS. I've stayed at BC, YC and BWI before.

Very nice hotel. Clean, spacious and well kept. Having said that I highly doubt I'd do so again. I missed the Disney ambiance way too much. It became apparant as I would walk over to the YC and all of a sudden the background music kicked in. Interestingly enough I spent my first night at POFQ and thought the ambiance there was better than the Swan.

I paid extra to get a resort view with a balcony and ended up with a nice view of a tree about 20 yards away.

Only reasons to stay at the Swan/Dolphin IMO are location and possibly price.

 

[NancyIL]

Good to know about Picabu but in the picture there appears to be a waitress in the background. Is it like the resort food courts where you go up to a counter & place your order then take the food with you or does someone bring the food to you? Would like something quick & casual in the mornings &/or for a light dinner after a day at the park.

The Swan has a sink inside and outside the bathroom. The Dolphin has one sink outside the bathroom.

I usually don't eat at Picabu, so things might've changed. As I recall, you go through a buffet line and pick the items you want. I suppose the "waitress" in the photo either brings you something that takes more time to cook, or she is clearing tables.

A standard view could overlook the parking lot. I am not in my room long enough to really care what kind of view I have.

The Swan and Dolphin are hotels with interior corridors, so yes - you would have to take the elevator to get to the pools.

 

[NancyIL]

Never been to CSR but just got back from staying at the Swan for the first time. I chose it because of the location and the fact that it was relatively cheap (usually stay deluxe). I love the location because of the proximity to Epcot and DHS. I've stayed at BC, YC and BWI before.

Very nice hotel. Clean, spacious and well kept. Having said that I highly doubt I'd do so again. I missed the Disney ambiance way too much. It became apparant as I would walk over to the YC and all of a sudden the background music kicked in. Interestingly enough I spent my first night at POFQ and thought the ambiance there was better than the Swan.

I paid extra to get a resort view with a balcony and ended up with a nice view of a tree about 20 yards away.

Only reasons to stay at the Swan/Dolphin IMO are location and possibly price.

As mentioned, I usually stay at the Swan. However, I did a split stay between AKL and WL in Dec. 2009. The hotels were beautifully themed and decorated for Christmas, but I doubt I would stay at either again. I missed being close to Epcot (especially) and Hollywood Studios!

 

[Gibbygirl]

The Swan has a sink inside and outside the bathroom. The Dolphin has one sink outside the bathroom.

I usually don't eat at Picabu, so things might've changed. As I recall, you go through a buffet line and pick the items you want. I suppose the "waitress" in the photo either brings you something that takes more time to cook, or she is clearing tables.

A standard view could overlook the parking lot. I am not in my room long enough to really care what kind of view I have.

The Swan and Dolphin are hotels with interior corridors, so yes - you would have to take the elevator to get to the pools.

Thanks, Nancy, for the info. Still on the fence about this one. Seems crazy to stress so much over our resort when it's the parks we're there for.

Anybody know what form of verification we'll need to provide for the teacher rate? School badge/id, paycheck stub, etc?

 

[NancyIL]

Thanks, Nancy, for the info. Still on the fence about this one. Seems crazy to stress so much over our resort when it's the parks we're there for.

Anybody know what form of verification we'll need to provide for the teacher rate? School badge/id, paycheck stub, etc?

I think a paystub and/or ID ought to suffice. If you haven't already checked out this thread, there's a lot of info in the first few posts: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2566726

 

[sillysully]

We just got back from the Dolphin and loved it! The best part was being able to walk to Epcot and HS. An added bonus was walking through the Boardwalk at night on the way home and watching the street performers - lots of fun!