What are the differences? Is one more family friendly and the other more adult oriented? Is one noticeably closer to Epcot? Or the boat launches? Does one accommodate more guests than the other in each room?
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Swan vs Dolphin
- Thread starter daisyduckie
- Start date
BrianV
Well-Known Member
Locations and theming virtually identical. I think the only difference is swan has queen Beds and dolphin as doubles. Some one can correct me. Otherwise one big hotel complex. We stayed at one and to be honest I can't remember which one...
. Edit: Looked back and it was the dolphin.
. Edit: Looked back and it was the dolphin.
Last edited:
bee
Well-Known Member
Yes, it is basically all one complex. The boat launch is right in the middle of the bridge between the two hotels. They share pools, fitness center, restaurants, etc. The main differences are the Dolphin is considered a Sheraton and the Swan is considered a Westin under the Starwood brand, so the Swan is slightly more upscale (queen beds as opposed to doubles as @BrianV mentioned). The Swan is also smaller so the walk from your room to the common areas and boat may be shorter at the Swan. The Dolphin tends to be priced, on average, a bit lower than the Swan but at times I have seen Swan rooms for cheaper. Disclaimer: I have only stayed at the Dolphin and not the Swan (and loved the Dolphin!).
jlsHouston
Well-Known Member
We've stayed at the Dolphin several times. Dolphin is huge, and busy, and closer to feature pool and more casual dining. Mandara Spa is also located at Dolphin and there's a real nice fitness center. Our last trip we decided to try Swan. Swan front desk way more together than Dolphin people I've encountered. Swan has small common areas. It's also been up dated, it has queen beds. Not sure which resort is better because theming is similar and they share amenities. I think I preferred Swan
DiSnEyF@n
Well-Known Member
If you get a room with two beds in them then yes, the Swan has queen sizes and the Dolphin has full sizes... However, there are rooms at both that have king size beds. I have stayed at both and they are both wonderful. The Dolphin IS closer to the main pool but only by a bit. I would say that the Dolphin is closer to Epcot's International Gateway (if walking) by walking through/past the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. The lobby in the Dolphin is much more grand than the lobby at the Swan. The Dolphin is more geared towards family in my personal opinion and the Swan is geared more towards couples (the Swan is definitely more quiet than the Dolphin).
Either way though, you can't go wrong with the price and location!
Either way though, you can't go wrong with the price and location!
bee
Well-Known Member
Okay, I have now stayed at both and preferred the Swan. The Swan is smaller and it was much quicker to get from our room to other parts of the hotel (although I did have a room very close to the main elevators but even the ones on the ends weren't a bad walk). The Dolphin also had more families with kids in common areas so the Swan was quieter. Also, the Swan had two sinks: one inside the bathroom (with shower and toilet) and one outside. It wasn't a big deal to us both for some it might be. I would definitely stay at the Dolphin again but if the price was the same or very close I would pick the Swan.
My only complaint (not really a complaint, more of a "gee I wish") with either of them is charging privileges. I really wish you had charging privileges at the parks when staying at the Swan or Dolphin. I like the convenience of just swiping my Magic Band at a store or restaurant in the parks and having it charged to the room. Eliminates the need for carrying cash or a charge card with you all the time. Other than that, the convenience of location to Epcot and DHS and the Boardwalk is great. We have stayed at the Dolphin twice and will be there again in September for my niece's Bachelorette Extravaganza (her words).