YYZTHF

Seconding - we love the walk back instead of waiting with the masses for the monorail or buses. The freedom to stroll, pop into a shop or grab a snack, at our leisure clams my anxiety instead of ratcheting it up with the transportation crowds. Timewise, the walk is often about the same as the boats (without the petrol fumes)

BruceWG

I will be arriving at the port after a cruise early and will use one of the properties as the base for a two day / one night stay. I'll check in, leave my car at the hotel, spend the day at WDW, check out early the next morning, spend the day at EPCOT, come back to get the car and head to an airport hotel for a morning flight. I'm Titanium Elite.

Given this, is there any reason to spend a few thousand additional points to stay at the Swan over the Dolphin?

Thanks in advance.

mplflyer

We’ve stayed at the Dolphin, but not the Swan. Swan is smaller, whereas Dolphin is very much a large “convention hotel. They are connected by a short walkway, so distance to the parks is identical. If beds are a concern to you, Swan has 2 queens or a king, whereas Dolphin has 2 doubles or a king. If that’s not a concern I’d take the one that costs fewer points.

Retiredlife

I have stayed at both the Swan and Dolphin many times. In addition to the difference in the size of the beds (if not doing a king room), the bathrooms in the Dolphin’s normal rooms are quite tiny, while the Swan’s bathrooms are more reasonably sized, with two sinks - one in the bathroom itself and one in a dressing area outside the bathroom. I’ve also found the Swan to have a calmer atmosphere, while the Dolphin is bigger and feels more bustling, with a huge lobby that can get filled and noisy if there’s a convention.
That said, I prefer the Dolphin, which has more rooms with great views, and more (and much better) restaurants, particularly for breakfast. The Dolphin has twice as many rooms, more chances to be upgraded, and their upgraded rooms are nicer than those I’ve had at the Swan. While the restaurants aren’t a deal breaker, because you can eat at one hotel and charge your meal to your room at the other, I like the convenience of just going downstairs for breakfast. I generally only stay at the Swan if the Dolphin isn’t available, but would be happy at either.
For a family of four, the difference in the beds and bathroom might be enough to pay more for the Swan, though.

BruceWG

Thanks both for the comments. I've booked the Dolphen, 7K points cheaper, one night only.