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yitbos96bb
DIS Veteran
Registered: November 2005
Posts: 2404Review Date: Wed April 29, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Great Location, Great Value, Lots of great restaurants Cons: Rooms were disappointing... Expected better quality.
Love the location. Many fantastic eateries. Excellent value for the money as its much cheaper than Boardwalk or Yacht and Beach. The rooms are a little sparse, IMHO. Definately nice place, especially if you are on a budget but want to stay near Epcot and DHS. 
TravelingMatt
Earning My Ears
Registered: April 2009
Posts: 38Review Date: Thu April 30, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Great room, fantastic location, wonderful atmosphere. Great for adults. Cons: Not a full disney owned hotel, so you miss out on a couple of perks.
We spent three nights of our honeymoon here and it was wonderful. Helpful staff, beautiful room with great views and I think the location is the best in all of Walt Disney World...an easy walk/boatride to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Close to the boardwalk and affordable! Better for adults than kids.
lady danger
Mouseketeer
Registered: June 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 192Review Date: Thu April 30, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): location!! gorgeous resort, great value for $$, heavenly beds Cons: bathrooms are a bit small, can be a maze to navigate
I can't say enough good things about this resort. The rooms are gorgeous, very tastefully decorated, plus the beds and bedding are some of the best I've had in a hotel anywhere. We had an excellent view of the pool (we were on the 10th floor) from our window and could even see Disney landmarks such as Expedition Everest, the Tree of Life, and the Tower of Terror in the distance. We had no trouble whatsoever with the service here. Our room was cleaned every morning when we were in the parks, and our beds were turned down at night while we were at dinner. I don't think we ever actually interacted with the cleaning staff, but we could tell they'd been in the room when we came back in the afternoons to rest and later that night to sleep. Everyone at the front desk was pleasant to deal with.
The resort itself was very beautiful and the location is hard to beat. There was fairly reliable water transportation available to take you to Epcot or the Studios, and buses to take you to the other parks and Downtown Disney. The resort had such a great location though that you could walk to both Epcot and the Studios fairly easily, as my friend and I did one afternoon when we had just missed the ferry to the hotel. Even in the blazing Florida heat, it was a pleasant walk. You were also within a 5 minute walk to Disney's Boardwalk area which was very nice.
The only complaints I have about this resort are that the bathrooms in our room were a bit small, that it took a little longer than it should have to get a bellman to pick up our bags at the end of the trip and that the resort was difficult to navigate at times, but neither were bad enough to dampen our enthusiasm for this resort. During the whole trip we felt like we had gotten a real steal of a deal since we were staying in a resort area where the going room rates of the neighboring resorts were much higher what we were paying, yet I didn't at all feel like we were staying in inferior accommodations, just that we got a really good deal. I highly recommend this resort. We'd definitely stay there again.
splashmountain86
Mouseketeer
Registered: February 2009
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 110Review Date: Fri May 1, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Great room rates. Awesome pillows and beds! Cons: Pool sometimes will close for the convention crowds.
The Dolphin is a great choice for those that want to stay near the Boardwalk area, but don't want to pay Boardwalk prices. The comfy beds and pillows could put the most restless sleeps into a deep slumber. Also, the location allows guests to walk to Epcot, the Studios, and Fantasia Gardens mini-golf. Because of the size of the Dolphin, it often appeals to the convention crowd which can lead to early pool closings. Another con of the Dolphin is that one can not participate in the Disney Dining Plan. However with those two things aside, the Dolphin is a great resort choice!
dmwang9
Agent P's sidekick-in-training
Registered: February 2007
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 419Review Date: Fri May 1, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Boardwalk area location, Heavenly Beds, SPG points, room discounts Cons: convention hotel, not full-on Disney theming (if that's what you want)
I stayed at the Dolphin on a Teacher's discount of $149/night, which put me in a Deluxe hotel at a Moderate price. The proximity to Epcot, DHS, and the Boardwalk is awesome, and the Heavenly Beds are, well, heavenly -- much more comfortable than the beds I've had in Disney-owned resorts.
If you stay, you should definitely get a Starwood Card (www.spg.com) so you can get points for your visit.
Two possible downsides to the Dolphin, neither of which bother me, but YMMV. The Dolphin is a convention hotel, so it lacks an all-Disney, all the time theming. Personally, this doesn't bother me, but I completely understand that others may want a completely immersive experience. Second, you will almost assuredly run into conventioneers in and around the hotel. I just ignore them and go about my business, but once again, if you're looking for a completely immersive experience, they may prove to be a distraction.
DeVineMom
Love That Disney Magic
Registered: March 2009
Location: Sunny Florida
Posts: 82Review Date: Fri May 1, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Great location Cons: Musty Smell
If you are going to Epcot, this hotel has a great location. Also very convenient to the night life at the Boardwalk. Dolphin has a very nice pool. The kids enjoyed it. It was very inconvenient to get to from our room though. You either had to make a long winding trek outside or go through the lobby in your bathing suit. The room was fairly nice, but it and the hallway had a musty smell. The bathroom was very small. We would stay here again. The pricing, pool, and location outweigh any negatives.
WaDiWo
WDWFan!
Registered: April 2008
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 637Review Date: Fri May 1, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): great location, great price Cons: no "theme," no Magical Express
What an absolutely pleasant surprise the Dolphin was! After having stayed at the Boardwalk and OKW multiple times over the years, I booked a stay at the Dolphin for a conference, but was initially disappointed that it was not really "officially Disney" and that it was not serviced by Magical Express.
No problem at all, because what we found was an immaculate hotel, beautiful in style and surroundings ... and the location!! no matter what you are told -- you are on property, walking distance to DHS and Epcot and boardwalk resorts. would stay there again.
BlueFairy
DIS Veteran
Registered: August 1999
Location: Birmingham, AL
Posts: 1438Review Date: Fri May 8, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): LOCATION! dining options, views, customer service, room discounts Cons: large resort size, non-Disney theming
we loved this hotel stay, mostly because of the fantastic location and all the dining options within a short walk (Boardwalk, EPCOT, Studios, and YC/BC). The pool was very nice, with a wonderful pool bar. Our king turret room had a view of the boat dock and Boardwalk with 2 balconies. The beds are to die for. Did not enjoy transactions done with the ticket sales counter for getting our WDW tickets. Check-in staff was great, though.
jessily
DIS Veteran
Registered: November 2007
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 791Review Date: Sat May 9, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Location, Beautiful Hotel and Grounds Cons: Shared Buses
The Dolphin is a great resort. Its location can't be beat (walking distance to Epcot and the Studios). Our room was always clean and the staff was great as well. The only negative we found were the shared buses (with Beach/Yacht Club, Boardwalk and Swan) always took a long time. Other than that we were completely satisfied and cannot wait to return.
FireDancer
DIS Veteran
Registered: April 2008
Posts: 11966Review Date: Mon May 18, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 6
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Convenient to Epcot and DHS, Great Value Cons: No Magical Express, Pay to Park
When you compare the price of the Swan/Dolphin with the other Epcot area resorts it is a value. There are great restaurants, a health club with plenty of equipment, and some great views if you can get a lake view. It is an easy walk or boat ride to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Getting to the resort is a bit of a challenge because they do not participate in Magical Express and if you have a rental car you will pay a parking fee for each day.
Mary Jo
Techarita
Loves the star on the mountain
Registered: December 1998
Location: Near the original Magic Kingdom
Posts: 24331Review Date: Tue May 19, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Location, comfort of bed, size of room, aesthetics Cons: Some rooms are a little far from lobby
I have stayed at this resort three times. I have stayed twice in rooms with balconies, and once in a room without a balcony.
The hotel itself is nicely decorated, and is set in a prime location, within walking distance from the Boardwalk and Epcot. If you do not want to walk to Epcot you can either take a convenenient boat ride or shuttle. The Disney Hollywood Studios can also be accessed via a nice boat ride or by shuttle.
The rooms are spacious, and the bathroom has a separate sink area, so that while one person showers, another can get ready at the sink. I was pleased to see that there was a good hair dryer, coffee/tea set-up, and iron/ironing board. The tv can be set up as a computer monitor, with access to a keyboard, which makes it convenient to access the internet, if needed. The beds are so comfortable, and the pillows divine. They are perfect to sink into after a day at the parks.
I have eaten at one of the restaurants there, plus at the quick stop, Picabu. I loved this place. You can grab a quick meal, the food is really quite good, and service is excellent.
I highly recommend the Dolphin for the convenience of location, the comfort of the rooms, the accessibility of places for fine and casual dining, as well as shops, and the excellent customer service.
Cruz Family
DIS Veteran
Registered: July 2005
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 3533Review Date: Thu May 21, 2009 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 5
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Location, location, location Cons: Dated decor, Picabu Buffeteria (quick service restaurant), lack of signage.
Room was large and comfortable, but the furnishing look outdated (especially in the hall ways). Picabu (their quick service restaurant) was ridiculously overpriced. For breakfast, a ham & cheese omelet was $11 or $12, one egg (any style) $4, toast $2.50. The biggest problem was getting around the resort, there were no signs to show where things were located like bus stop, boat dock, pool, dining locations, etc. We never recieved a map at check-in and had to go back to the desk to ask for one. The map we recieved was not very helpful and we had to ask people to for directions. As a positive...the location can't be beat!
LMO429
DIS Veteran
Registered: March 2007
Location: NYC
Posts: 4967Review Date: Mon May 25, 2009 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 2
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Staff was Pleasant, Grounds were Nice Cons: Filthy Room, Slow Bus Service
I have to admit when we walked into the lobby to check in I was impressed, the lobby is stunning and the staff at the front desk check in were extremely pleasant. Our room was not ready when we checked (it was on located on the 3rd floor) we decided to head to the parks (Bus was another nightmare going to the park and after Wishes at the MK was terrible) and we did not get back to the room until well after 10pm. The room was just dreadful What a horror! It was absolutely filthy. The carpet was not vacuumed, there were rips in the carpet, bed sheets, lamp and the shades had stains all over them. The entire room was incredibly dingy and we would never stay here again. The hotel grounds are beautiful but the resort rooms are in much need of a major renovation. We will never stay here again
chum
Your island buddy!
Registered: March 2009
Location: Hilton Head Island, USA
Posts: 327Review Date: Sat May 30, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Location, views, amenities. US military friendly. Cons: Price
Top notch resort. More amenities than any of the rest. A ton of restaurants. Excellent spa. Great beach, pool and playground.
Walk to Boardwalk, miniture golf & Epcot. Boat to Hollywood Studios. A few minutes from Downtown Disney. Disney transportation system. Watch the fireworks from your balcony.
The prices per room night can be on the high side but they do offer an array of discounts and do cater to our military men and women.
BeamsofLight
One of the 'They' in 'They say it's going to rain'
I do have very comical memories of me flushing
Registered: April 2004
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 1220Review Date: Thu June 4, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 7
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Location, value for price Cons: Lack of "Disney-ness", conventioneers
When compared to the Disney resorts around Crescent Lake, you really can't beat the price for this location and quality. The beds were very comfortable, and I enjoyed the Bath & Body Works toiletries provided in the bathrooms.
We had hit-and-miss experiences with the staff; some were very good and very helpful (check-in, bell services were great) and some were not (the staff we encountered in the lobby shop and in Picabu were downright rude). The self-parking was quite a hike from the lobby. This being a convention hotel, there were also a lot of people in suits running around, though I will say the convention area is sort of off by itself. During the day you don't see them as much but at night there were a lot of loud businesspeople enjoying their cocktails all over the place.
One warning I would offer is unless you need a connecting room, ask for one that does NOT have a connecting door. I don't know if the family beside us were using loudspeakers or what, but hearing little Simon's monkey impression was not a pleasant way to wake up at 5:30 every morning, and we could hear the whole family talking clear as a bell through the door.
klam_chowder
Got her own private pool dance on the Podcast cruise
Boy that was one hot run
Registered: November 2007
Posts: 1635Review Date: Sat June 27, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Location, location, location! beautiful grounds, The Fountain! pool Cons: Lacks Magical Express, poor signage, inconsistent service
Fab spot for easy walks to Epcot, Beachclub and Boardwalk area, which really opens up dining & entertainment options. Great boat service to DHS.
Busses were okay. Once we waited over 30 min for a DTD bus, same for a bus to Blizzard Beach. Overall the shared busses were a bit crowded but if the parks were still open I'd be walking in them so standing for a bit longer shouldn't be a biggie for me. Lack of ME requires extra planning and costs.
Great pool area, but difficult to get drink service. Pool bar service is also very slow. Change rooms were excellent, and provided complimentary lockers, towels and shower-mounted toiletries.
The Fountain, burger and ice cream bar, has great food and incredible staff - definitely worth a visit.
Hotel service is inconsistent: the gardeners will stop what they are doing (leaf blowers, hoses, etc.) so you can walk by even tho their continuing would not have bothered us at all. However, Guest Services can't be bothered to look up the right info when I called down for their shipping desk's hours. Told half an hour early so I schlepped all my boxes down to the convention area - which is quite a walk - only to find I'd have to wait 30 mins. I'd appreciate it more if they just told me they didn't know and to go down and look at the sign myself. Half an hour is a lot of time in the morning when one is trying to get to the parks; do I go back up with the boxes and come down again in after 10 mins in the room or ?? Obviously this didn't kill me but it was irritating.
We were upgraded on both our pre & post-cruise stays: to "EPCOT view" and "lake view" rooms. This info raised expectations a bit. Neither description was accurate. One had a balcony that looked across to the othere side of the hotel rooms that also had balconies. However, the rooms were clean and fine so it didn't matter.
Appreciated the sink being separate from the bathroom so we could both get ready at the same time.
Grounds are impeccably maintained. I'd definitely stay again just for the location, especially now that we know where everything is in this sprawling layout. The discount rate was a great bonus!
disneygirl 17
Mouseketeer
Registered: July 2008
Location: Fort Mill, SC
Posts: 236Review Date: Tue October 26, 2010 Would you recommend the product? No | Price you paid?: $149.99 | Rating: 5
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Location, beds Cons: no magical express, hotel not as nice as expected
This hotel is not as nice as expected. We had 3 rooms. It seemed as if these rooms has not been maintained as I would expect from a hotel on Disney property. Once room had a sticky floor which wasn't cleaned even after reporting it. The make-up mirror is an another room fell off the wall. The windows were dirty the entire stay. We were also given many different answers to the same question from the front desk.
This hotel does have a great location and boat service was never an issue. However this hotel shares a bus with Boardwalk, Yacht, Beach and Swan which means you have a ton of stops when going to and from the parks. All and all I would not stay at this resort again nor would I recommend it to a friend.
PatchPixie
Mouseketeer
Registered: October 2011
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 156Review Date: Sun January 13, 2013 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: $169.00 | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Location, Convenience, Value Cons: Olfactory Issues, No Magic Express
We stayed at the Dolphin in October 2012. My husband was presenting at a conference and my 2 daughters and I tagged along for a little vacation time. We rented a van to get from MCO to the Dolphin. The in-resort rental counter made things very easy and we were able to stop at a Publix to pick up snacks, beer, etc... So, what $ we spent on the rental by not having Magic Express was probably recouped by not paying $7 a beer. The lobby was beautiful and check-in went smoothly. Our room was ready and we found it with little problems. We were located on the ground floor and had no balcony, just one of the big round windows. For some reason the hallways outside of our room had a putrid smell. A mix between curry (which I like) and cat urine (gross). Our room was comfortable and clean. We had the 2 beds and appreciated the refrigerator and coffee maker.
We found ending our days at Epcot and enjoying the leisurely walk back to the Dolphin quite lovely. I appreciated the close proximity to Epcot and Hollywood Studios very much. Made it easy to take mid-day breaks and get to the parks early for "rope drop". We all enjoyed the pool, playground area, and the girls played at the squirting seal for hours. Staff was courteous and helpful.
The buses ran smoothly and we had little problems taking a cab to Art of Animation for the 2nd half of our stay. We were then able to use ME for our return to MCO. So, you may need to factor in parking/rental cars to get a more accurate sense of the value of the lower nightly fee. Not a deal breaker, though.
The beds were *very* comfortable and we really appreciated them after transferring to the tiny hard beds at AoA.
We did not eat at the resort, but my husband did eat at the Picabu for lunch during the conference. He thought it was a bit expensive (duh.), but found Boardwalk lunch options limited as well. His best find was at the Beach Club. We loved milling about the Boardwalk our first night, too. It is almost as if you can enjoy the benefits of the higher priced resorts around you at a much lower price point. I'd highly recommend the Dolphin! I just recommend perhaps getting a room *not* on the ground floor
The Dolphin was a little bit of calm after a stimulating day in the parks Try it!
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