Swan or off site at HIFS with 6 Year Old

[GoofyinNY]

This is my first time posting, so please bear with me. We are going to Disney World this May, and would like to find a child friendly hotel. (While Holiday Inn Family Suites is certainly kid friendly, we love the location of the Swan.) My DH and I qualify for the government rate, so there is only a difference of $20.00/ per day between the cost of the hotels. Please advise if the Swan is child friendly. Most of the posts that I have read are positive but do not mention children. Is it primarily a convention/business hotel?

 

[simonmunro]

Have you thought about the Dolphin next door??? It's the same price! You must read the giant thread by Dreamflight99. You will learn everything you're wondering about and much more.
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=276303
This is very lenghty, you'll need coffee and quiet, but if you get through all the pages you'll know why so many of us have precious memories of our little ones at the Dolphin.

 

[Magic2000]

We stayed at the Swan in June, 2001 - and we really enjoyed our stay!!! It was definitely child friendly! My youngest DD was also 6 yrs old. The ladies that worked in the gift shop were so nice to Allison - always talking with her, giving her some stickers, and putting her souvenirs in her own bag. We also really enjoyed the quiet pool by the hotel - but the big pool that the Swan and Dolphin share with the waterfalls - it was gorgeous! The kids had a blast playing in the pool! The location of the Swan (and Dolphin) can't be beat! We always walked over to Epcot, and on the night we stayed for Fantasmic, we walked back from MGM. And the Boardwalk is also a short walk away!

I would highly recommend the Swan - the room was very clean and again, we really enjoyed our stay. We were also able to buy our E-night tickets at the Swan. (We also qualify for the government rate!)

Enjoy your stay!

 

[Blondie]

I'm always going to vote for onsite vs. offsite.

We've stayed at both the Swan and Dolphin, and contrary to what some may say (being a convention resort, etc.) it really is family/kid friendly!

Your 6 y.o. will love the Grotto Pool area and playground.

I like both resorts, but the Dolphin has more of the little conveniences that you may be looking for like the arcade, Tubbi's Buffeteria, The Dolphin Fountain for ice cream or a quick sandwich.

 

[twinmomto3boys]

I too will always vote onsite vs. off site - especially if it's only a $20 difference. With just one child I would think the Swan/Dolphin rooms would be roomy enough. The Epcot resorts have such a great location with so much to do. I think all Disney resorts are kid friendly too.

BTW, we stayed at HIFS one time - had a bad experience. We actually moved on site midway through our trip.

 

[Claudia Kellenberger]

I would never advise anyone to stay off-site. It seemed to me that The Swan was kid friendly....but then again, I don't have children.

 

[Muffy]

We just came back from the Dolphin 1/13 and LOVED it. Our 12 y/o DD loved the grotto pool. There is a piano player in the lobby at certain times which adds to the "grandness" of the resort. The beach theme, the views of MGM and Epcot, access to the Boardwalk all add up to MAGIC.

 

[kda]

Unless you need the separate bedroom and extra TV, I'd vote for the convenience of on site. Both S/D are kid friendly. The Dolphin is slightly closer to the grotto pool and has the laundry, Tubby's, and the ice cream place.

 

[GoofyinNY]

I think we've made a decision. It looks like we're going to stay on site at the Swan or Dolphin. They both offer the government rate and have availability on the dates we've selected.

I really appreciate all of the replies to my post. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

(By the way, this is my second attempt at trying to reply to my original post. It's possible that both replies may show up.)