Swan or Dolphin

[DoBug]

Which one is smaller - the Swan or Dolphin? Also which has the best food options?

thanks

 

[goofy4tink]

The Swan is much smaller but the Dolphin (IMO anyway) has the best food options. You can eat at Picabu, a cafeteria style spot at the Dolphin, as well as several other table service type restaurants.

 

[DoBug]

thanks for the quick reply. there are some good rates for both on Travelocity and I have groupons ($2 for $25 for a lot of the restaurants)

 

[matt&suzanne]

As far as food options go, they're both pretty close to each other so I wouldn't let that sway you one way or the other. It only takes a couple of minutes to walk between them.

I'm partial to the Swan because of Kimonos, and you can find an excellent cut of beef at Shulas over in the Dolphin.

I'd look instead at decor and decide what you like better.

The views from water facing rooms (when you're up high) are fantastic and offer some of the nicest panoramic views I think you can find in WDW. My wife and I managed to score a corner room one time in the Swan and had views of both Epcot and Studios fireworks.

 

[Robert P]

Which one is smaller - the Swan or Dolphin? Also which has the best food options?

thanks

As others have said, the Swan is smaller, and the Dolphin has more food options. But, they share amenities, and are located maybe 150-200 yards apart, so getting from one to the other is a snap for food, pools, etc...

 

[jmasgat]

I have used the restaurant.com certificates (which I assume is similar to your Groupon deal) at Kimonos with no problem--good food there.

Swan is slightly easier to navigate, since it is a little smaller. Also, Swan has Queen beds vs Doubles for Dolphin. And they were doing updates to the rooms--think they are finished at both properties, but not sure. Both are nice properties.

 

[robinb]

The Swan is much smaller but the Dolphin (IMO anyway) has the best food options. You can eat at Picabu, a cafeteria style spot at the Dolphin, as well as several other table service type restaurants.

I agree. But ... the Dolphin is really very close to the Swan, so I don't think that the restaurants really make a big difference.

I just booked the Swan using my DH's SPG points for NYE (book 4 days, get 5th day free + 25% off points used) because (1) it is smaller, (2) it has queen beds instead of doubles in the Dolphin and (3) the bus picks up and drops off there first.

 

[DoBug]

Thank you for all the replies! I forgot that Swan had queen size beds so that could be the deciding factor.

Also I remember that some of the restaurants take AAA - does anyone know which ones and is it really 20% off ? that would help a lot

I would love to go to Kimono's but not sure what I could feed DS9 there. Although he actually enjoyed some seared tuna last week so maybe there is hope!

BTW the travelocity discount is pretty good - $149/nite at Dolphin, $159 at Swan + $100 food and bev credit for Dec

 

[POOHsie]

Thank you for all the replies! I forgot that Swan had queen size beds so that could be the deciding factor.

Also I remember that some of the restaurants take AAA - does anyone know which ones and is it really 20% off ? that would help a lot

I would love to go to Kimono's but not sure what I could feed DS9 there. Although he actually enjoyed some seared tuna last week so maybe there is hope!

BTW the travelocity discount is pretty good - $149/nite at Dolphin, $159 at Swan + $100 food and bev credit for Dec

Off the top of my head, I think it was only Picabu that took the AAA discount. And not sure about it being 20%. You would have to check with AAA for certainty about that. Picabu is a 24-hour operation. An easy few-minute walk from the Swan. Your room key card will give you charging privileges at both hotels, no matter which you pick. You also have the Disney EMH, Disney package delivery service, and free theme park parking. Hotel self-parking is charged per day, however.

 

[jmasgat]

I would love to go to Kimono's but not sure what I could feed DS9 there.

here's the menu....

http://swandolphinmeetings.com/menus/restaurant_menus/kimonos/

They have some appetizers that are fairly tame....dumplings, tempura, satay. Plus, they have cooked sushi and also soups/salads. I bet your son would find something to like. My kids have always liked sushi. I do too, although it certainly was never anything I grew up with.

 

[DoBug]

Ahh thanks I did look at the menu but missed the dumplings - lost in translation (so to speak) . He will eat those and maybe the tempura or satay

DS is somewhere between child and adult in taste - wish I could get him to expand his horizons before our next trip


Also it is restaurant.com coupons I have not Groupon so I will have to dig those out and look at them again. I think I have Bluezoo, Il Mulino, Shulas, Kimonos - won't be able to fit them all in I know