Yacht Club or Swan/Dolphin?

[myhat]

YC or Swan/Dolphin

Planning a two week stay last two weeks of August next year, with teenage children (14 & 17). We have never stayed in an Epcot resort before. Our first thought was to stay at the Yacht Club resort. However, I have noticed that quite a few internet sites regularly offer discounts at the Swan and Dolphin resorts, making them much cheaper.

Has anyone stayed at both and can advise? Thank you.

 

[Disneytrip]

SWAN! I stayed there last March with my boyfriend (we are in our mid-twenties) and it was fabulous. I think your kids will really like the pool and the fact that there are at least 4 hot tubs to choose from. Plus the Swan has comfortable beds and great restaurants (Palio, wonderful Italian fare). If you are lucky you might get a balcony room where you can see the Epcot and MK fireworks every night! We were lucky and got a free upgrade to one of these rooms. We would walk over to the Yacht Club to eat at Beaches and Cream (great ice cream sundaes and burgers) and felt that the Yacht Club atmosphere was a bit more stuffy(although I've never seen their rooms) than the Swan's..plus the price difference I know is pretty high so save money and stay at Swan/Dolphin. Hope this helps!

 

[Disneytrip]

Sorry..to clarify, Beaches and Cream is at Beach club resort but then we went to Cape May Cafe at Yacht Club for dinner (not so great) and that is where we got the "feel" for Yacht Club...just reminded me of a place ppl who are older and into golf might stay...literally a "club" atmosphere.

 

[Claire L]

Sorry..to clarify, Beaches and Cream is at Beach club resort but then we went to Cape May Cafe at Yacht Club for dinner (not so great) and that is where we got the "feel" for Yacht Club...just reminded me of a place ppl who are older and into golf might stay...literally a "club" atmosphere.

Cape May Cafe is also at the Beach Club, the two restaurants at the YC are The Yachtsman Steakhouse and The Yacht Club Galley. Both YC restuarants were excellent when we ate in them in June during our stay at the YC.

Claire

 

[lorik]

We recently had a great stay at the Swan and if you qualify for the discounts it is well worth staying there. We payed only $99 per night. Even though you can't get the dining plan, and it was free at the time, or magical express, we still saved a lot of money over staying at a Disney deluxe.

 

[tlev]

Just got back from the YC and it was amazing! The pool area is ten times better than the Swan/Dolphin and is great for kids. It has a sand bottom and an entire area with big sand piles to play in as well as two hot tubs. The Swan/Dolphin just feel and look like regular hotels to me, whereas the YC has a real Disney theme felling. Just my HO's.

 

[NancyIL]

Just got back from the YC and it was amazing! The pool area is ten times better than the Swan/Dolphin and is great for kids. It has a sand bottom and an entire area with big sand piles to play in as well as two hot tubs. The Swan/Dolphin just feel and look like regular hotels to me, whereas the YC has a real Disney theme felling. Just my HO's.

TEN times? I don't think so!

 

[tlev]

TEN times? I don't think so!

OK maybe nine times.

 

[dixipixi]

I highly recommend the YC!!!

While it does have a "club atmosphere", it is also very casual and relaxed (this is Disney, after all).

We are just everyday working class (country) people from Louisiana and it never felt stuffy to us.

The CM's were always very nice and accomodating. We've never had such wonderful service!

If someone going to WDW asks me where to stay, I always suggest the YC.

I've never stayed at the Swan or Dolphin. So I can't comment on them. They look like very nice hotels. I would definitely consider staying there (especially with a good discount).

 

[Leota]

The Dolphin is my favorite WDW resort. I have stayed at many on site resorts, including many deluxe resorts & feel that the Swan/Dolphin resorts are the Best of the Best. I find the service & amenities to be a step up from the Disney Owned resorts lately (I've found the Disney service slipping a bit lately).

As far as Stormalong Bay being 9 or 10 times better than the Grotto.....I don't think so. I think it's slightly better than the Grotto if you have kids - But the Grotto is an awesome pool complex, IMHO it's just barely behind Stormalong in the line up..... If you are looking for action (pool slides, sinking sands, whirlpool, mini-lazy river) Stormalong is where it's at. If you are looking for Peaceful Luxury, Hot Tubs, Waterfalls, Tropical Theme - then the Grotto is where you want to be.

 

[Muffy]

My vote goes to the Swan/Dolphin. We love both of these resorts for so many reasons. The views from the balcony rooms at the S/D are second to none. The grotto pool is fantastic. The heavenly beds ARE heavenly! The location is the best around. I have stayed at the YC and BC and they are very nice. Our favorites are still the S/D.

 

[Bushman]

Yacht Club. I cannot stress this enough. We just had our family reunion there in August, and most of us thought it was one of the best vacations ever!

My wife was not really looking forward to going, as she hasn't been a huge Disney fan in the past, but after the first day, she said "I take back everything negative I ever said!"

We're already making plans to have the next reunion there in 2007.

 

[YCFAN]

Look at my sign-on name. YC!

 

[xmelissax]

As far as Stormalong Bay being 9 or 10 times better than the Grotto.....I don't think so. I think it's slightly better than the Grotto if you have kids - But the Grotto is an awesome pool complex, IMHO it's just barely behind Stormalong in the line up..... If you are looking for action (pool slides, sinking sands, whirlpool, mini-lazy river) Stormalong is where it's at. If you are looking for Peaceful Luxury, Hot Tubs, Waterfalls, Tropical Theme - then the Grotto is where you want to be.

I agree about the pools, and especially since you have teenagers, I think they would prefer the grotto pool as there might be less little kids and teenagers generally do not like to be around small children too much, it's not cool,haha.

 

[10drum]

Our teenagers will not share a bed, so we stay at a deluxe like YC/BC, because there is an extra day bed in many of the rooms.

 

[missypie]

We LOVED the YC. The rooms are very well thought out..for example, there is an entire 4 drawer chest of drawers for clothes, in addition to other storage. Every room has a small fridge. Double sinks. Over each side of both beds is a light on a dimmer, so you really can read in bed without disturbing anyone. The day bed is plenty big for a teen to sleep on. Almost every room has a balcony. Storm Along Bay is terrific. Lots of hot tubs. The beach. A very quick walk to Epcot World Showcase and the boardwalk. Beaches 'N Cream. The sandy beach.

I didn't find the YC to be stuffy at all. The decor is NICE, but for what it costs, I want it to look nice.

 

[CarolA]

I have stayed at all four...

I don't have any problem recommending any of them.

Unlike Leota my experience with the Swan/Dolphin service has not been that great. On TWO stays they "forgot" to make up my room one day. That has never happend at a Disney hotel. (Plus the bellman telling me what a ripoff Disney was really turned me off, I was there for a convention and I guess he thought that I was a business person and not a Disney person)

I agree the pool at YC/BC is lots better then the Swan/Dolphin. The Grotto pool was nothing special to me. There are lots of hotel pools just as nice. However, the beds are nicer at the S/D.

If the prices are equal I stay at the YC/BC. Otherwise I stay at the Swan or Dolphin (or a mod)

However, when looking at the prices remember the following:
Extra charges Swan/Dolphin parking $7 a day?
Swan/Dolphin Workout Center $10 a day
Swan/Dolphin and YC/BC Internet Access $10 a day.

Also, if you were planning to take Magical Express it's not offered at the Swan/Dolphin.

Good luck, I am sure you will like either one of them.

 

[Disneytrip]

Carol--Is that really true about no Magical Express at Swan and Dolphin? I was not aware of this and was thinking of staying there over POR if I can get the teacher discount this March. Thanks for clarification. The forgetting to make up the room did happen to me last year but only one day, very strange!

 

[swilphil]

We have stayed at both the Swan and Dolphin, and they are great!! We loved the beds and the grotto pool. So did our kids, ages 2 and 4. At S/D, you still have all the benefits of staying in an Epcot area resort, including Disney transportation to the parks. It's definitely a DELUXE resort, but you can get rates that are less than the Disney moderates. If you can get a good rate, GO FOR IT!

 

[lyncruiser]

We thought the Swan/Dolphin was great -- we had a rate that was lower than a moderate, and we got a truly deluxe resort. Service was noticably better than at the Disney deluxes -- the kind of service I expect at a deluxe resort. The beds and bedding are incredibly comfortable. The grotto pool is great fun. I haven't stayed at the Yacht Club, but I think the grotto pool, while not Stormalong Bay, is certainly close to its equivalent and the best one on property after Stormalong Bay. The nice thing about the grotto pool is that so many conventioneers stay at the Swan/Dolphin that the pool was never even remotely crowded while we were there -- and it was August. There is a basketball court and a ping pong table with equipment provided. There is a fun arcade for the kids.

There is a $10 fee for internet usage -- but there is in Disney deluxes as well. You do pay $7 per day for parking, but for the price we paid for the room, that seemed minimal. We were upgraded to a room with a nice view of the Friendship ferry landing dock and the Boardwalk.

If Yacht Club and Swan/Dolphin were the same price, I'd probably pick the Yacht Club. But, if you can get Swan/Dolphin at a discount, you won't be sorry if you pick that.