Yacht Club or Dolphin ($500 less)

[Timmerica]

Would you choose the Yacht Club or Dolphin for a six-day trip, if you were to save $500 by staying at the Dolphin (including resort fee and airport transportation)? I'd appreciate your feedback.

 

[J'aime Paris]

I've stayed at both, and enjoyed both very much!

A few differences to note...
YC will offer King or 2 queen beds
Dolphin will offer King or 2 double beds---doubles can be a deal breaker for some people

YC has access to Stormalong Bay pool, which is excellent! If pool time is a priority, this should be considered.
Dolphin has the Grotto pool, which is pretty decent too

YC will get magicbands
Dolphin will not get magicbands, believe you may purchase them though

Both have really good food options in my opinion, and so many other restaurant choices nearby too...

 

[Hopefully]

I YC for sure, for our family

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I love saving money at Swan/Dolphin, but I do prefer the rooms at YC. I think they are better designed and more comfortable.

 

[MaskedRose86]

So I've never stayed at the Dolphin so can't weigh in on that. But we LOVED YC when we were there in August of 2018. For a short trip, I'd not care, but for a 6 day trip, I would probably pay the extra $$. Depends on if this is a big trip for the year or if it is one of many. In our case, we are planning to probably do 3ish big Disney trips in our daughters' lives (6, 10-11, and sometime between 15-18) so for those, we will probably (not to an extreme degree and depends on life at the time) spend a little extra to do what we really want. In this case, I would hands down do YC. But I know people like the Dolphin too, and it is literally next door to YC so the location (which is great) is the same.

 

[snappy]

I have stayed at both, once at YC, many times at Dolphin. I like both and would stay at either one. Dolphin has been considerably less expensive in my experience and I have gotten excellent views.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

If swimming will be a significant part of your trip, I'd choose Yacht Club for access to Stormalong Bay. If you don't plan to swim, then it's a toss up, and really a matter of how much you value being in the Disney bubble and getting perks like Magical Express transfers from and to the airport.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Consider what you would do with the saved $500 if you choose the Dolphin. Decide that way .

 

[Best Aunt]

YC will get magicbands
Dolphin will not get magicbands, believe you may purchase them though

Well if you are staying at Dolphin, you will not get the "I walked all the way to my room and the stupid Magic Band won't work to open my door" annoyance.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Stayed at YC and Swan, but our room at YC was so far from the lobby that we could see parts of the Dolphin from our room (very end of the resort/corner room). I'm not a DDP person and don't find ME to be a huge perk, so the only thing I really missed when we stayed at the Swan was being able to charge to our magic band and using it as our room key. The upside of that...I got my Disney Visa discount more often because I wasn't relying on my band. We got an amazing deal at the Swan for our 7 night stay, which was over $2,100 cheaper than staying at YC, BC, or BW for that trip...so I had no regrets. And while I know some people want to say they miss all of the Disney touches in their rooms, we had a view of HS/TOT and and could see fireworks every night from our standard room. So, I had plenty of Disney without paying Disney onsite pricing.

 

[ClapYourHands]

Dolphin. $500 is a pretty big chunk of change. We stayed at the Swan last time, and really loved it.

 

[Babsy]

I love the Swan and Dolphin! But I also really enjoy the YC. Usually I choose my Epcot area resort by the price tag, so I would choose the Dolphin in this situation. If you really want queen beds and a daybed, then stay YC. If double/full beds work for you, then we actually find the beds at the Swan/Dolphin moire comfortable than those at the YC.

We like the grotto pool. almost as much as SAB. The dining is better, IMO, at the Swan/Dolphin than at the rest of the Epcot resorts. No contest. We prefer our own transportation to DME, so we don't miss that at all. We already have lots of magic bands, so we don't need more. Plus I prefer a card to a MB for opening the hotel room door.

We have never felt like we were outside the Disney ' bubble' while staying at the Swan or Dolphin. It feels like staying onsite to us.

Both are great resorts! I would save the $500.00

 

[Wild4Walt]

I've stayed at both and enjoyed both. I think I'd stay at the Swan and use the 500.00 for souvenirs. The bonus is they are both in the same area and have access to the same restaurants, etc.

 

[CynBeth]

Never stayed at Dolphin but loved YC.

 

[maxiesmom]

Dolphin. Not only do you save $500, but you have a quick service place that is open 24/7 in Picabu.

 

[rosiebean]

I like being in the Disney bubble. Dolphin (and Swan) rooms are ‘anywhere USA’ generic, and just IMO not magical at all (I’ve also had issues with Swolphin service at their restaurants, which impacts my view of their resorts). Swolfin’s biggest selling point is their location. I’d personally choose to pay more for WDW magic, but that is totally a personal thing with me. For example, I’d stay in moderates over Swolphin. And a few values over it as well.

That said, YC is one of our favorite resorts for theme, vibe, pool, amenities, and location. It’s s fantastic resort.

 

[patty57]

I would pick the Dolphin. I actually prefer the Grotto Pool and Cabanas Pool Bar to SAB. If I were traveling with kids, I would probably pick Yacht Club for SAB.

 

[MomOTwins]

Yacht Club. I like the Disney bubble.

 

[Shellyred8]

I think it all depends on how big of a deal $500 is to you. If it's a big deal, and the double beds at the Dolphin aren't a deal breaker, I would go for the Dolphin. However, if $500 isn't too big of a deal for you, I would vote for YC. I, personally, like the atmosphere and Disney touches at YC.

 

[cutigerlady]

We have stayed at both of these places many times. We loved the direct transportation to the hotel and avoiding Magical Express, in fact we continue to use even when we stay at the YC! When my kids were small, I didn't like SAB because you have to walk out of the pool area to use the slide. We also enjoy the character breakfast they have at the Swan because you don't need to make reservations in advance and its so much cheaper than the one at the Beach Club. I usually pick which resort based on the price. I also find that I can find some deals at the Swan/Dolphin that make them significantly cheaper than the YC/BC (as long as you aren't going during a big convention).