Dolphin or POFQ

[Jenngusto]

Hello all!
It has been quite some time since I've posted here and over 15 months since I last visited wdw. My mom and I are having a girls trip for the 5k for the princess half marathon weekend in Feb 2016. I have reservations at both the Dolphin with an EPCOT fireworks view and at POFQ with a river view. Which would you all recommend? A few years ago my family and I had a horrible experience at the Yacht Club that led to us leaving WDW all together a day early. So staying at a WDW resort makes me a little nervous again...but not sure if worth it when it comes to the new magic band and fast pass system. Are there that many benefits to doing so? I appreciate the help. Thank you for your time!!

 

[beast]

Location: Dolphin

Theming: POFQ

 

[Jon81uk]

If you can afford the Dolphin then the location is great, walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. But you don't get Magical Express of course as it isn't a Disney resort.
But Port Orleans is much more themed.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

You've got two great choices here. We have stayed at the Dolphin a number of times and have really enjoyed it. Just remember that it's technically not a Disney resort so you can't take part in some on-site perks that POFQ would offer. Dolphins location obviously is prime, and people seem to adore PO.

Sorry you had a poor experience at Yacht Club. Every experience is different, but I'd bet that the overwhelmingly majority of on-site resort stays are positive. Go for it!

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

My vote is for POFQ. If you're trying to stay "on property," then go with FQ. I'm not knocking the Dolphin, it's just that if I'm going to stay overnight at Disney, I prefer to be on property and be totally immersed in the experience.

 

[lebeau]

These are two very different hotels. The Dolphin has a great location and is more upscale. POFQ is a Disney Moderate Resort. It sounds like you're aware of the differences in price and quality and what you are actually asking is whether or not the onsite benefits of Magic Band should be enough to sway you.

If you are leaning towards the Dolphin, I wouldn't let Magic Bands be a factor. If you have to have one, you can buy one. The early FP+ reservation window isn't much of a factor. There are only a handful of attractions where it would make a difference. When we went in 2014, you needed the early reservations for the Anna and Elsa M&G. I don't know if that's still true or not. I doubt there are any attractions where it is truly needed now.

 

[hksusa]

I only have experience with Dolphin. I've stay there in July.
Dolphin charges for parking and their is a daily resort fee (includes 2 bottle of water in your room)
You can use your magic band, but you can not use the band to charge to your room.

You get the Disney extra magic hour, too.

The rest have been mentioned.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I only have experience with Dolphin. I've stay there in July.
Dolphin charges for parking and their is a daily resort fee (includes 2 bottle of water in your room)
You can use your magic band, but you can not use the band to charge to your room.

You get the Disney extra magic hour, too.

The rest have been mentioned.

Do guests at the Dolphin book FP+ 60 days out or 30 days out?

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Do guests at the Dolphin book FP+ 60 days out or 30 days out?

It's 60 days, just like all Disney owned resorts.

I think Swan and Dolphin is the best bang for the buck on-property, even after the parking and resort fees ($25/night for resort fees I believe).

 

[hksusa]

yep 60day. Here is the official word: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/help/fast-pass-plus/

 

[JusticeDisney]

My vote is for POFQ. If you're trying to stay "on property," then go with FQ. I'm not knocking the Dolphin, it's just that if I'm going to stay overnight at Disney, I prefer to be on property and be totally immersed in the experience.

Dolphin is on property.

 

[JusticeDisney]

The Dolphin destroys POFQ in location, restaurants, pools, quality of rooms, and room views. These two hotels aren't even in the same class.

 

[danlb_2000]

Dolphin is on property.

Yes, it's on property, but some people feel that since it's not Disney, you are not in the "Disney Bubble". I am not one of them.

 

[Bairstow]

The Dolphin destroys POFQ in location, restaurants, pools, quality of rooms, and room views. These two hotels aren't even in the same class.

Yeah, objectively, and assuming they're the same price due to nurse discounts or whatever, the Dolphin is the better resort in every way.

What Port Orleans has are the intangible "Disney Resort" qualities it has going for it- a cohesive time/place theme and the fact that as a magical express resort owned by Disney themselves, you'll be more fully enveloped in the "Disney bubble" if you stay there. Unless you're the kind of person who really enjoys this part of of the Disney resort experience, there's no reason to go with French Quarter over the Dolphin.

...but again, that's assuming that there's some kind of discount in play that makes the Dolphin available for Port Orleans money.

 

[Polydweller]

Dolphin is on property.

Actually, in a way it isn't. The land has been leased to Tishman under a 99 year lease. So, it's Tishman's under the lease, not Disney's.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Actually, in a way it isn't. The land has been leased to Tishman under a 99 year lease. So, it's Tishman's under the lease, not Disney's.

I will assume that you are just goofing around. But in case you are not, you do understand that a lessor actually owns the property, and the lessee does not, don't you?

 

[Epcotfan21]

Dolphin by far and it really shouldn't be close.

 

[Polydweller]

I will assume that you are just goofing around. But in case you are not, you do understand that a lessor actually owns the property, and the lessee does not, don't you?

I'm a hotelier, so yeah I definitely know and was being very technical. Just relax a bit. We lease lands in some sites and are responsible for the land management. You are effectively on the lessee's land because we set the rules on usage and access rights. It is a technicality but it means in this case that the Swan and Dolphin are only technically on property. I could give you an extremely long explanation of the legalities involved and I resent you saying I'm goofing around.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

How many nights? Would you rent a car at either or both resorts? How much is the price difference?

 

[JusticeDisney]

I'm a hotelier, so yeah I definitely know and was being very technical. Just relax a bit. We lease lands in some sites and are responsible for the land management. You are effectively on the lessee's land because we set the rules on usage and access rights. It is a technicality but it means in this case that the Swan and Dolphin are only technically on property. I could give you an extremely long explanation of the legalities involved and I resent you saying I'm goofing around.

Well, you can resent all you want, but the fact remains that what you said was simply legally incorrect. You may be a hotelier, but I am a lawyer. Therefore, I will take my knowledge of the law over yours every day of the week. Here's the deal. While a lessee certainly has certain legal rights over property which they are leasing, under no circumstances do they possess ownership rights of any kind. Thus, when you say that the SD is not actually on Disney property, you are 100% wrong. And when I say that the SD is on Disney property, I am 100% correct.