Swan vs Dolphin...may be staying in may, not sure which one to choose...help!

[TaurusSES_Sport]

Trying to decide between the club level of the swan and dolphin...

Which offers better views?
Which has nicer/bigger/better rooms?
Which has the best club/concierge level?

We really want a room on the same floor as the club lounge. Also do either of the 2 hotels offer afternoon snacks?

If anyone has stayed at both or even one or the other, please offer me your comments, advice and tips! Thank-you!

 

[MarkLem]

We stayed at Swan this past week.

What I like about Swan:
queen beds. smaller, less hussle & Bussle. Most convention guests stay at the Dolphin. On Wednesday there was a huge convention over at the Dolphin which made their lobby like a train station especially during the convention breaks. Over at the Swan it was nice and quiet.

What I might like at the Dolphin:
Has the convenience store for snack items, although it was only a 5 minute walk from the Swan. CLoser to the Grotto pool.


BOth have good restaurants and are only 5 minutes apart.

 

[TaurusSES_Sport]

thanks, anyone else?

 

[Rhonda922]

Funny you should ask this question because I'm going thru the exact same thing. One day I'm thinking the Swan, the next day I'm leaning more toward the Dolphin. I'm driving my husband absolutely nuts! I don't think you can go wrong with either though. Maybe try one this time and the other on your next trip. Today, I'm settling on the Swan. But who knows about tomorrow -- I might change my mind again.

 

[mariethecat]

I just stayed at the Dolphin and loved it there. We ate a lot at the Dolphin Fountain and Tubby's so it was very convenient for us. We were close to the West elevator and it took just a few minutes to get down there. We were there at a busy time and had no problems with transportation to and from the parks-most waits were less than 10 minutes. Swan is a little closer to Epcot and the Boardwalk but not by much. The lobby at the Dolphin was beautiful with the tree and train running around it. I have not stayed at the Swan but I couldn't see many advantages/disadvantages between the two hotels.

 

[Kaycee]

It basically comes down to whether you like a smaller, more intimate feel (Swan) or want to be closer to the restaurants, laundry, etc. (Dolphin). I've stayed at both, and I personally prefer the Swan. But we also loved our stay at the Dolphin, and the only reason I prefer the Swan is because the cosier feel of the resort is more important to me than being a little closer to Tubbi's.

You can't go wrong no matter which you choose!

 

[TaurusSES_Sport]

Are the club/concierge services the same exact thing?

 

[Mouseteacher]

I have stayed at both resorts several times including Club level at the Dolphin. I don't think you can go wrong with either resort. I love them both.

• CL are pretty much the same at both resorts

We had a jr.suite at the Swan and the extra space and balcony was terrific. I liked the intimacy of the Swan and our view was lovely overlooking the walkway between the 2 resorts.

On stay #2 at the Dolphin, our balcony room had an unobstructed, dead center, spectacular view of Epcot and Illuminations.

On stay #1 at the Dolphin, our CL room had a fair view / no balcony but we were close to the Club Room which was convenient.

The Dolphin has quick access to Tubbi's, the laundry, Dolphin Fountain since it houses them but that was not a priority for us.

I guess if you pressed me to pick one, I'd go with the Swan since I liked the intimacy (smaller) rather than the sprawling layout of the Dolphin.

CL is the S/D version of concierge. They offer only morning and late afternoon/evening offerings. I believe the Disney resorts concierge level is a tad more elaborate with offerings throughout the day.

 

[awatt]

I ahve a question re the grotto pool. I read somewhere it's not heated? Is this accurate?

 

[swilphil]

The grotto pool is heated, though it's still pretty cool in the winter months. It's a very large pool, so probably hard to heat.

I love the Dolphin lobby, but I would probably choose the Swan. Though the offerings are the same, I hear rave reviews for CMs at the Swan CL. The Swan rooms have queen beds, and the Dolphin has oversized doubles. Technically the Dolphin has larger rooms, but the layout is different so I'm not sure how noticable it is. The Swan definitely has a larger bathroom. It took us less time to get to the grotto pool and Tubbi's from our room at the Swan than our room on the East Wing of the Dolphin. The Dolphin has a more impressive lobby, and it would be nice if you could stay on the West Wing to be close to everything. You really can't go wrong with either hotel!

 

[NancyIL]

I love them both! I give a slight preference to the Swan because of the smaller size, 2 bathroom vanities, and it's the first bus stop.

 

[mbcary]

Are the club/concierge services the same exact thing?

Yes, these are the same thing. We stayed on the club/conceirge floor at the Swan this past May. It was great. I agree with the conventions being more at the Dolphin. We loved the club floor because we had free breakfast every morning. We got a 50% discount off the rack room rate with the Entertainment club card. We saved some money by not eating out anywhere for breakfast. It is like a beefed up continental breakfast. We loved the heavenly beds!

 

[Rhonda922]

I booked the Swan today. I'm really looking forward to it. I had waited all week until today so that I could book thru Dreams Unlimited but I called the 800# and found out that they were closed. I really can't call thru the week so I figured I would wait until today when I had the time. I was wondering why a travel agent would be closed on the weekend. Well, they lost a sale because I was definitely ready to book my vacation. So I ended up calling the hotel directly.

 

[Ityldu]

Dolphin is my favorite resort in all of Disney World! The Swan is nice, but I like the larger, more upbeat atmosphere of the Dolphin. The views from the rooms we've had have been amazing. The lobby is gorgeous. I just can't say enough great things about it and am hoping to get a room there for June. Unfortunately, right now 1/2 our dates are sold out. You'll love either one. The location is also top notch.

 

[jwfla422]

We've stayed at both the S/D a number of times (and continue to)--I was having a back and forth toss between the 2, although I love them both I have to lean toward the Swan because of what many of the previous posters mentioned, the "intimate" and "quieter" atmosphere. Quicker walk to your room, the double sink deal. That doesn't mean I don't like the Dolphin because I do!

I think there are more conveniences at the Dolphin. The Dolphin Fountain, Cabana Grille and Tubbi's are open when the other restaurants aren't however you can find the Splash Grille at the Swan open after normal lunch hours for a late lunch or quick snack.

The views are fabulous from both resorts but you can see a bit more from the rooms at the Dolphin of course depending on where your room is.

As far as room size goes I think they're pretty close with the exception of the suites and Swan studio rooms (they're different than the regular rooms). I think overall the S/D rooms are larger than many of the WDW resort rooms (especially WL). If you stay on the club lounge floor I believe you can get afternoon snacks there. We've done the club lounge once at the Swan, it was wonderful and the view is beautiful (overlooks MGM Studios). CMs are great!

If you're looking for a "quieter, more intimate" feel go for the Swan, if you're looking for "lively, hussle/bussle" then the Dolphin is your ticket. BUT you can't go wrong with either!! They're both great!

 

[TaurusSES_Sport]

Afternoon snacks are very important to us. We were thinking of changing our minds since the S/D only had breakfest and then evening cordials. Do they now both offer afternoon snacks?