This was a rough trip that could have ended up just awful had it not been for my mother, son, and on-call dentist.... Id been having problems with an impacted infected wisdom tooth. The hope was to be able to handle it with antibiotics but the swelling was so bad that I ended up having no choice but to have it removed one day before we were supposed to leave on vacation
The next day was so awful that we called the airline and the Dolphin as asked about moving our trip - the airline fee was ridiculous but we moved it out by two days. The Dolphin was incredibly accommodating even though Id booked a non-refundable trip (this will be the 1st and last time I book this - not worth it when life is just so unpredictable
We arrived late our 1st night at the RPR at Universal intending to go to the WWoHP the next morning - the pain and illness from the tooth made this impossible so we ended up saving this for another trip and moved to the Dolphin.
Wed booked a std view at the Dolphin with a note of balcony if possible please - SPG member and we were stunned to find out that wed been upgraded to a room with a balcony AND we could see ToT and the really high Fantastic fireworks
Best - great price - about the same as a moderate with the AP pricing.
We spent a lot of time at the pool and here is the first good v. bad at the Dolphin....
Good - very nice pool, never busy in the morning, and plenty of shady areas. Made for a very nice breakfast spot too. We could also see the Illumination fireworks from the pool area one evening and that was incredible!!! DS (teen) loved the pool area and the volleyball net and we loved how quiet the area was in the mornings.
Bad - hours - our trip was mid/end of August and why in the world do they have such short pool hours????? Open at 9am an close at 9pm - that just doesnt make sense at all..... AND whats the deal with no pool towels being available expect during those hours too..... Very disappointed that 1st night but we made the most of it.... This is one reason Id have to think hard about ever booking this resort again.
Good - location, location, location
Bad - large property where everything is very spread out and quite a hike to the pool and while yes you can look out the window and see WDW rides etc, DO NOT kid yourself that this is a Disney resort - it is not..... The tiny resort shops are the only nod to anything Disney - Im one who likes these touches so it was something I noticed.
Good - Picabo though very pricy - $6 for a side of egg whites.... but at least it was available and we used this option each morning of our trip as I had lots of pain in the mornings/evenings and tended to sleep in - thank you mom!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bad - Very, very few options for allergies. I cant have gluten or dairy and the options that are available at other resorts are just not here.... Rice dream is not available anywhere on resort property for example.
Worse - Horrible, horrible, horrible, snotty witch at the concierge desk when I asked about the possibility of a microwave being available somewhere on property. Due to being on a soft diet and the allergies above I had very limited options. We managed to find something I could microwave at a local grocery store but was told in no uncertain terms that I could not use or have it microwaved on property. She even told me that it was against the law for them to allow guests to use a microwave.... For freaking real... it might be against policy but the law - no I dont think so.... I ended up and to the boat or bus over to the BC Marketplace and used the microwave and stopped at B&C to-go counter for Rice Dream. I didnt want to waste precious vacation time on this but the nastiness of this witch was so horrible that I nearly went to find a resort manager. If something is not available fine but there is no way in this world that anyone should treat a guest or heck any person that way - yes I guess Im still steamed at that one.....
Worst - the final kick in the teeth..... First before I go further I know this is my fault and I dont need to have any rude comments about it - almost didnt share but hopefully this will help someone else..... We left two bags of purchases on a shelf in the closet - total cost was minimal - under $50 total so thats not the issue..... The issue is I called the very next day and was told by security that the room had been cleaned but not turned over to another guest so theyd check - well surprise surprise they couldnt find the bags. Since the room had not been turned over its very very obvious to me that the items were stolen by an employee.
Would I return - well Im not sure to be very honest. If the price was right and it wasnt a non-refundable pricing option then well I can buy a lot of Disney touches to make up for the price
Also the views are absolutely stunning and the location just cant be beat - price of Epcot deluxe resorts for the price of a mod - wow that alone puts it in the running.
This trip started out absolutely horrible BUT thanks to my mom - really my best friend who I could never have done without and my son who has grown into a person that I respect not just love - he skipped WWoHP just for me as he wanted to wait until I feel better - it turned into a trip with memories that Ill never forget!!!!
Thanks
) and sit in the Dolphin's lobby on the "comfy couches" and people watch!
