I never stayed at the Dolphin or the Swan but I know several people who have and like them. I went to a confernce there and it was very nice. They tend to be cheaper than the Disney resorts . I think they run $200-300 but sometimes have good discounts. They do charge for parking and have a resort fee.

I'm in a similar situation to you. My kids go back to school the Tuesday before marathon weekend so they stay home with my husband until the weekend. I really enjoyed stayjng in the deluxe in 2014 but I couldn't justify the expense just for me this year.

POR worked fine and since the roads are not bad for the 5K and 10k it was nice to sleep in a little later and not have to stand out in the cold as long!