Reviews on the Dolphin Please!

[NJGIRL]

We are thinking about staying at the Dolphin for INTERCOT's anniversary weekend. Please review the hotel if you have stayed there before.

Is it nice and clean? How far is the walk to EPCOT?

How do you get to the other theme parks? How is the bus system?

I don't think it has ME, but please confirm this for me.

Any other info would be helpful! ;)

[Scar]

Stayed there 3 times.


We are thinking about staying at the Dolphin for INTERCOT's anniversary weekend. Please review the hotel if you have stayed there before.Dolphin (or Swan, never stayed there) is my 1st choice if I can get a good rate.

Is it nice and clean? How far is the walk to EPCOT?It has always been very nice and very clean each time. About a 10 min walk to the International Gateway. More or less depending on your pace/sightseeing.

How do you get to the other theme parks? How is the bus system?Walk or boat to DHS. Bus to MK & AK.

I don't think it has ME, but please confirm this for me.Confirmed.

Any other info would be helpful!Cons: There is only one sink, seperate from the tub and toilet. A room at the far reaches is a long walk (but some other Disney resorts are the same,) add this to the 10 min figure. I like BW better but at $100 more a night (with a 40% PIN) Dolphin is the way to go.

[Scar]

... and to clarify the rates, last week in Oct. 2010, BW with a 40% off PIN was $253/night. Same week 2009 at Dolphin, $159 + $10/night.

OK, so it was $84/night... still a good savings.

And the PIN was a mailing, no guarentee.

ETA: I think I just may have figured out how to get a PIN code. ;)

[SBETigg]

I have stayed at the Dolphin. Great location, and for the price, I prefer it to the moderates. It was clean with spacious rooms and comfortable beds. There's a 24 hour quick service place and some pretty good restaurants, if you're there to enjoy them. The theme is whimsical and it felt Disney enough to me (Disney gift shop, character breakfast). I had a view of Tower of Terror out my window. Great beach/pool area. Does not participate in DME or dining plan, but you can take advantage of EMH.

The transportation was very efficient, good bus service that shares with Beach/Yacht Club and or Boardwalk for AK/MK/other. For DHS and Epcot, you had the option to walk or boat (we always boated). For the price, I think the Dolphin is a fantastic option and I would have no problem staying there again.

[Awesome_guy]

We were looking at moderates for our most recent trip and ended up going with Dolphin because of a great deal, after looking at all it had to offer. It's location is incredible for Epcot and Disney Studios; it's also in a great resort area with access to Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach.

Yes, Swan/Dolphin mean forgoing Magical Express )and Dining Plan); if those aren't important, everything else is available to you..... like the all important Extra Magic Hours... and having purchases shipped to you resort store (we also loved this feature).

Many of my Intercot posts are affirming Swan/Dolphin. I should work for them (but don't, haha). It was clean. We loved the ambience, and pool area, and amenities. I would not hesitate to return.

Transportation has been address. You do have the option of walking through Epcot (from International Gateway) and monorailing to MK and its resorts. This is BY NO MEANS QUICK OR EFFICIENT, but a nice way to take in both resorts... provided you have a park-hopper. Busses to waterparks/MK/AK/DTD were great! ... Sometimes shared with Y&B/BW, etc.

Of Swan/Dolphin... Swan is the smaller/calmer... Dolphin the larger/busyer. Neither really better/worse.

You'll have an awesome trip; let us know what you decide!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I agree with what everyone else has said. Plus as I've said many times, the beds here are so comfortable. I sleep so well when I'm there. And if you stay at either of the resorts, you can use the amenities at both. So you have your choice of three pools. The grotto pool is the most fun. And the close proximity to DS, Epcot, Y&BC, Boardwalk can't be beat.

[NJGIRL]

Thanks everyone. It seems like it's a nice place to stay! I don't care about the dinning plan but was thinking it would be nice to have ME, but we have always rented a car before so may just do that again.

[Joannelet]

We stayed at the dolphin this last trip for our family reunion. We are DVD members but since the entire family was staying here we stayed here also. Our first room was awful...very very dirty. My son has allergies to dust mites and he was so bad the minute we walked into the room, stains on everything from drink marks all over the furniture, dirty sheets etc. ! And the room stayed dirty even after the maid came in. At one point my son vomited from coughing so much in the room and that was when we realized she wasn't cleaning our room at all. The managers and everything had to come in and inspect our room and too saw that the maids were not cleaning it. I mean even the tub! But after that they were soooo accommodating and the staff was a huge help in moving us. So after we were moved to a much cleaner room and my son felt so much better. They checked on our stay for the rest of the trip which I thought was such a nice touch.
Besides our initial room, the staff is great and the location is excellent. The restaurants are also great and if you are a DVC member they give discounts at a lot of the restaurants and stores here.
The rest of my family had very clean rooms so I know we just got unlucky with the one that wasn't so it isn't the norm.