We stayed at Dolphin March 2003....and were planning our next trip to Disney - my husband and i hadn't been to Disney in 15 years so we wanted to scope out the area....went to Poly, Animal Kingdom, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, Yacht Beachclub, Boardwalk - and we felt overrun at so many of those beaches. Personally, I don't like having to feel like I need to take out a mortgage and private security guard to keep my chair if I have to pee - ok, crude to say but TRUE - anyway we checked all those out and liked the Dolphin the best all things considered. You won't want to wander out into the water at the Dolphin too much at the beach - but the hammocks there on the beach are quiet and my favorite part of our last trip. Wonderfullly peaceful....the slide at the Grotto pool is a giggle....literally if you lay down and put your arms up by your ears...and I haven't giggled or done anything fun in years.....and I loved it...uptight old bitty that I've become....the hot tubs are secluded and there are a few of them - and never seemed to be full....the great thing was that since there were so many pools you didn't feel like people were all up on top of you - something I can't stand - and something present at every other pool we visited - for all you fellow uptight people - we just WALKED through - didn't stop for a swim or anything.....
When I'm on vacation - while I don't want the place to be deserted, I also don't want to HAVE to talk to my neighbor or be splashed on by people running by - want to be able to talk to my husband next to me - not yell for him to hear me...want to put my drink down and not worry about someone knocking it over or have little wet children falling on me or flipping me with their towels.....heck, I can do that stuff at HOME.
I vote DOLPHIN. We were very happy there...our balcony room was great too...room 8029 faces the big ball and illuminations....