Coke vs. Pepsi. Mary Ann vs. Ginger. Dolphin vs. Swan. Some times the choice is not so clear.
This post will give you all the info you need to help decide!
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel Vs. Walt Disney World Swan Hotel (Orlando, Florida)
First-things-first: read both of our in-depth reviews at the these links [below].
Click here for the full review on the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Click here for the full review on the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
The Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
About The Walt Disney World Dolphin And Walt Disney World Swan Hotels
Here’s the official information from swandolphin.com
Image courtesy of swandolphin.com
Category 1: Size
This one is easy. The Dolphin is much bigger than the Swan.
To show you what I mean, here’s a comparison of the two lobbies.
The Lobby of the Dolphin (Image courtesy of swandolphin.com)
The Swan Lobby (Image courtesy of swandolphin.com)
This also means that many of the resort’s shared amenities, like Mandara Spa and Camp Dolphin, are located at the Dolphin.
From this map, you can see there are more restaurants, pools, children’s activities (etc.) at the Dolphin.
Category 2: Price Per Night (Dollars)
To illustrate the pricing differences of the Dolphin and Swan, I randomly selected a weekend date of August 26, 2020 (images courtesy of marriott.com).
The Swan came out significantly more expensive, starting at $283 for a 1 King Bed, Traditional Guest Room.
By contrast, the Dolphin’s 1 King Bed, Traditional Guest Room started at $205.
Category 3: Price Per Night (Marriott Bonvoy Points)
One of the best things about both the Dolphin and Swan is that nights can be booked using the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Both properties are Mariott Bonvoy Category 6 hotels, meaning standard rates are 50,000 points a night. Marriott Bonvoy point redemptions vary by demand, so a Category 6 can go for 40,000, 50,000, or 60,000 points depending on the dates chosen.
In this example (weekend date of August 26, 2020), 1 King Bed, Traditional Guest Rooms at both hotels are available for 40,000 points. This means, based on the USD price, you’d get a much better return on your points at the Swan.
40,000 points at the Swan
40,000 points at the Dolphin
Category 4: Location
This one’s easy. Both are located in the same [perfect] location at Disney World.
If you really want to get technical, the Swan is a slightly closer walk to Disney’s Boardwalk, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios, but you are really splitting hairs here because the walk from the Dolphin to the Swan would take you less than 5 minutes.
Image courtesy of disneyworld.disney.go.com
Category 5: Things For Kids To Do
As mentioned above, if you have children and were planning on [actually] spending your days at either the Dolphin or the Swan, the Dolphin has the Camp Dolphin Kid’s Club, the Children’s Playground, and more swimming pools on-property.
Of course, if you were to stay at the Swan, you still have access to the Dolphin – you’d just have to walk over there.
The Grotto Pool at the Dolphin (Image courtesy of swandolphin.com)
Camp Dolphin Kid’s Club (Image courtesy of swandolphin.com)
Category 6: The Brands (Sheraton Vs. Westin)
Although both hotels are affiliated with Marriott Bonvoy, the Walt Disney Dolphin Hotel is a Sheraton brand, while the Walt Disney Swan Hotel is a Westin brand.
This may or may not mean much to you, but the Westin brand is generally considered more “upscale” than the Sheraton brand. These differences were apparent to me in several room aspects (which I’ll get to next).
Category 7: The Rooms
The first thing to note is the “base-level” 2 bed room at the Swan has 2 Queen Beds. The “base-level” 2 bed room at the Dolphin has 2 Double Beds.
Both hotels have Westin brand Heavenly Beds.
Double beds at the Dolphin…
Queen Beds at the Swan
The room at the Swan had a vanity with a “second sink” (crucial when hurrying to get dressed to make a Magic Morning appointment).
Second sink at the Swan…
No second sink at the Dolphin
The shower at the Swan had a “rain shower” and a wand.
The shower at the Dolphin was the of the “basic” variety.
The fancy shower at the Swan…
The “basic” shower at the Dolphin
The Westin toiletries of the Swan (White Tea Aloe) were also noticeably superior to those of the Dolphin’s Le Grand Bain Sheraton line.
Final Thoughts: Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel Vs. Walt Disney World Swan Hotel (Orlando, Florida)I hope this little comparison sheds some light on the differences between the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel and the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel.
Ultimately, I found the Walt Disney World Swan more relaxing as it was smaller, quieter, and slightly more upscale.
By contrast, the Walt Disney World Dolphin was a much larger, “mega-resort/convention center” type of place. It was huge, loud, and there were many more young kids running around.
The rooms at the Dolphin were OK, but did have some notable deficiencies as compared with the rooms at the Swan (which I believe can be chalked up to Sheraton vs. Westin).
I recommend the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel for romantic couples or older people who want a little peace and quiet, while I recommend the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel for families with younger kids or people traveling with a big group.
Remember, you can pick one hotel and walk to the other at anytime (everything is shared and you can even check-in and check-out at the other hotel).
The good news is whichever hotel you choose, you really can’t go wrong.
Cheers!
