Pop vs Swan and Dolphin for an adult amputee?

[Livshaka]

Hey all!
So I'm having a super hard time deciding between the two, so here's the set up.

Husband turns 50 on the 50th anniversary, used to go to Disney as a kid with his fam so this has been a bucket list 50th celebration. Dates are September 25th(Sat) to 29th(Weds) with the goal of a 3 day non-park hopper ticket Sunday-tuesday.

Costco has a deal with either pop for about $1350 for the 4 nights or Swan and Dolphin for $1650.
If on that basis alone, I'd be likely to just splurge for Swan. But here are the considerations.

I'm an amputee and I'm fit and ambulatory but still damaged. I will be walking around and, on 2 mornings, will be able to benefit from walking to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. By evening time I will potentially be too jacked up to walk back so Im not sure whether pop or swan and dolphin is easier to get back from. Like is the walk to busses for Pop as long as the walk back to Swan or Dolphin?

Standing is the most damaging, painful thing for me. Walking is much less painful but, by the end of the day, my other injuries might be acting up.

So, which hotel is truly most convenient if I may not be able to walk much at the end of the day.

Which hotel is easier to get to the parks from with all this considered?

Can I use Lyft or Uber to easily get back to Swan and Dolphin or Pop? In which case that negates the benefit of swan and dolphin being so close, right?

Another consideration is that swan and dolphin doesn't include transportation from the airport so I feel like I should add about $100 to the total cost, making it:
$1350 for Pop and $1750 for Swan and Dolphin.
Which is a difference I'm willing to pay if the $400 would make our experience so much better.
Consider that we would like to spend full days at the parks and neither of us care much about resort stuff but I do value convenience, accessibility, fun, which experience would be the absolute best and most convenient to get into the park considering my disability?
Thank you!

 

[Debbie Jean]

Remember you have the sky liner available from Pop. Considerably closer than any of the buses to the front gate at HS. That helps somewhat with end of the day walking for sure .

On the other hand… don’t forget the boat for HS and Epcot for S/D. You board right outside the park exit and the S/D dock is very convenient to the resort. No need to walk if you prefer not to.

I guess I’m no help! I really like both. If you spend most time in the parks and not the resort, maybe Pop? Then book a really special anniversary meal!!

Whichever you choose I’m sure you will have a wonderful trip

 

[Livshaka]

Remember you have the sky liner available from Pop. Considerably closer than any of the buses to the front gate at HS. That helps somewhat with end of the day walking for sure .

On the other hand… don’t forget the boat for HS and Epcot for S/D. You board right outside the park exit and the S/D dock is very convenient to the resort. No need to walk if you prefer not to.

I guess I’m no help! I really like both. If you spend most time in the parks and not the resort, maybe Pop? Then book a really special anniversary meal!!

Whichever you choose I’m sure you will have a wonderful trip

Haha thanks Debbie! Oh man it's such a toss up!

 

[Lewisc]

Standing is painful. Walkinf6, at least end of the day, is an issue. I'd rent a scooter. Goldmobility, and other companies, drop off and pick up at bell services.

You have the option of parking the ECV, walking for awhile then back to your scooter. Assume a 30-60 minute wait at an attraction. Would you rather stand or sit in a scooter.

edited to add Most parks POP is the furthest bus stop in the parks Dolphin drops guests off at the TTC. Monorail or ferry to the MK. Some guest walk over to BW and take a Disney bus to MK.

My suggestion is to stay at the Dolphin and rent an ECV. Goldmobility gets great reviews. I've used them several times.

The COSTCO rate is generally inclusive of S/D resort fees.

 

[Bjkandma]

You don't say how long it has been since you were Disney? Both resorts are good choices (more about that in a minute). I understand that you are fit and ambulatory, but please consider renting a scooter from a third party. The average Disney guest can walk 8-12 miles per day (25,000 + steps). September is hot and humid.

Ok, resorts. Both have pros and cons. Check which one currently still has rooms available, get tickets and park reservations. With the 50th anniversary, things are booking up fast. Pop has the skyliner, if its not raining ( something that happens almost daily). Buses to other parks - currently, no one is standing (but that can definitely change). You would have access to magical express to and from airport.

Swan and Dolphin, walk to two parks, pay for airport transportation. For MK and AK buses for transportation. The buses are Mears Transportation, so they drop off at Ticket and Transportation Center for MK.

Final answer, book the hotel that is still available. If you rent a scooter (I've used Gold Mobility), I'd go for Pop and use difference for the scooter.

 

[Livshaka]

Standing is painful. Walkinf6, at least end of the day, is an issue. I'd rent a scooter. Goldmobility, and other companies, drop off and pick up at bell services.

You have the option of parking the ECV, walking for awhile then back to your scooter. Assume a 30-60 minute wait at an attraction. Would you rather stand or sit in a scooter.

Hiya. Not really interested in discussing to scooter or not to scooter.
Only concerned about which hotel is best for this situation

 

[Livshaka]

You don't say how long it has been since you were Disney? Both resorts are good choices (more about that in a minute). I understand that you are fit and ambulatory, but please consider renting a scooter from a third party. The average Disney guest can walk 8-12 miles per day (25,000 + steps). September is hot and humid.

Ok, resorts. Both have pros and cons. Check which one currently still has rooms available, get tickets and park reservations. With the 50th anniversary, things are booking up fast. Pop has the skyliner, if its not raining ( something that happens almost daily). Buses to other parks - currently, no one is standing (but that can definitely change). You would have access to magical express to and from airport.

Swan and Dolphin, walk to two parks, pay for airport transportation. For MK and AK buses for transportation. The buses are Mears Transportation, so they drop off at Ticket and Transportation Center for MK.

Final answer, book the hotel that is still available. If you rent a scooter (I've used Gold Mobility), I'd go for Pop and use difference for the scooter.

Thanks. I've never been to Disney before. Both hotels are available. I just need to pick the one that provides the most convenience. I'll be using DAS as I can't handle long period of sitting either.

 

[lanejudy]

I think they both have similar convenience, with Swan/Dolphin having a slight edge due to ability to walk to 2 parks.

For DHS and Epcot: POP has the Skyliner, with runs well except when it doesn't, and could shut down if thunderstorms in the area; plus you need to transfer at CBR. Swolphin has boats to both parks as well as walking paths.

If you plan to go to MK, I would choose POP for the bus. Bus is currently the best option to get there for opening. The bus from Swolphin will drop-off at the TTC while the bus for POP will take you closer to the onsite bus stop.

AK - I think it's buses for any of the resorts. Maybe slight preference on POP with the onsite WDW buses which run approx. every 20 minutes while I think I read the Swolphin buses are 30 minutes. But that really only comes into play if you arrive just as a bus is pulling out and need to wait for the next one.

 

[Livshaka]

Standing is painful. Walkinf6, at least end of the day, is an issue. I'd rent a scooter. Goldmobility, and other companies, drop off and pick up at bell services.

You have the option of parking the ECV, walking for awhile then back to your scooter. Assume a 30-60 minute wait at an attraction. Would you rather stand or sit in a scooter.

edited to add Most parks POP is the furthest bus stop in the parks Dolphin drops guests off at the TTC. Monorail or ferry to the MK. Some guest walk over to BW and take a Disney bus to MK.

My suggestion is to stay at the Dolphin and rent an ECV. Goldmobility gets great reviews. I've used them several times.

The COSTCO rate is generally inclusive of S/D resort fees.

Thanks this is helpful! The Costco rate is inclusive so the only extra stuff would be rides from the airport. Think it's worth the extra $400?
I hadn't actually thought about leaving the scooter for a while. Mobility devices really jack with my head so I try not to use them unless it's excruciating. But if I just have it in the park somewhere then I could use it at some point. So that's really tempting actually. As long as it's ok the safely leave it somewhere for 4 hours.
Thanks!

 

[Lewisc]

You've never been to Disney. Its big. End of the day you could have .5 walk to the bus. Posters talk about walking to DHS and EOCOT. More then .5 miles. Probably close to a mile depending on where in the park you end the day.

Some people use a scooter even if they're just going to the resort pool or resort restaurant. Some people need to use a scooter all the way to their restaurant table.

Others might use it for going from their resort to the park. Leave it outside when dining, shopping or going to attractions close together. Use the ECV when you're going to a different section of the park
I've read the average guest walks 8 or more miles a day. Will you enjoy that much walking? If not consider a scooter.

Bookings are high. One or both resorts may be unavailable if you wait.

 

[Livshaka]

I think they both have similar convenience, with Swan/Dolphin having a slight edge due to ability to walk to 2 parks.

For DHS and Epcot: POP has the Skyliner, with runs well except when it doesn't, and could shut down if thunderstorms in the area; plus you need to transfer at CBR. Swolphin has boats to both parks as well as walking paths.

If you plan to go to MK, I would choose POP for the bus. Bus is currently the best option to get there for opening. The bus from Swolphin will drop-off at the TTC while the bus for POP will take you closer to the onsite bus stop.

AK - I think it's buses for any of the resorts. Maybe slight preference on POP with the onsite WDW buses which run approx. every 20 minutes while I think I read the Swolphin buses are 30 minutes. But that really only comes into play if you arrive just as a bus is pulling out and need to wait for the next one.

Swolphin! Did I say that here?! That's literally how I've been referring to it haaaah. I will literally listen to anything you say! Hahaa. I'm feeling Pop is ahead by your summation. In which case, we would have $400 extra to spend on lyfting/uber instead of bus or skyline if we need to.

Also, I feel like getting a scooter at Disney would be more convenient and cost effective for me. Have you noticed them sell out like crazy?

 

[lanejudy]

I'm feeling Pop is ahead by your summation.

I think it's a toss-up when thinking about DHS and Epcot. Where POP may have an advantage is with MK -- at least currently, but I don't know if that advantage will still be in place by late September as WDW continues to fully re-open. If you plan to get park-hopper tickets, Swolphin is a great location so you can hop to Epcot easily in the evenings; you also have easy access to evening entertainment at the Boardwalk. My family doesn't do hoppers or late evenings out, and we're fine with the food court style dining at POP, so I personally would probably choose POP and put the savings towards dining or something.

If you might want a scooter, I'd suggest checking out a couple of the vendors. Find out their cancellation policies. Maybe make a reservation and sit on it while considering the option.

 

[Lewisc]

Getting a third party scooter delivered to your resort is the way to go. Better equipment. Generally less expensive. Avoids waiting in line at the park.

 

[mamabunny]

Getting a third party scooter delivered to your resort is the way to go. Better equipment. Generally less expensive. Avoids waiting in line at the park.

Yes - I agree. The Disney Parks rentals are notoriously slow and clumsy, plus you can't take it outside the gates of the Park you rent it at, although you can "hop" your single day rental between Parks. If you go to Disney Springs, that is considered a separate rental location (and Disney Springs is actually quite a bit of walking as well)

Main thing to remember about renting an ECV is to park it in your room, every night, and charge it overnight completely, and you should have no problems the next day!

 

[DisneyOma]

If you are planning on rope dropping HS, the Skyliner from Pop doesn't start early enough to be useful for that, at least from what I've been reading here on the DIS.

Also, even if you get DAS (which isn't a guarantee; they may consider your issues are mobility related) you may want to think about how you are going to handle queues for buses, etc, as DAS does not work for those. There's 5-10 miles of walking for you each day, so be prepared for that as well. Maybe bring the info for some ECV offsite companies, or budget renting an ECV n the parks just in case? That's what I'm going to when we go in August - if my PFD flares while we are there I am not going to end up in the ER again!

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

What a fun celebration!! I’ve never stayed at Pop, but have stayed at a Skyliner resort (the Riviera) and just got back from a stay at the Dolphin. Only you can decide what fits you best, but here are a few thoughts…

First of all, does “theming” matter to you? Pop is 100% Disney (& looks it!) while Swolphin is 0% (& looks it- bc it’s a Marriott). I did miss the Disney touches while at the Dolphin, but I also prefer more understated theming. Pop has newly refurbished rooms which were nicely done, but have outside doors to the rooms. Swolphin rooms are all very nice as well, but with interior corridors. I’m a very light sleeper, and even with a sound machine going, having a hallway makes a huge difference to me!

Next, I use a motorized wheelchair while in Disney, and LOVE the easy access of 2 parks when staying at a Crescent Lake resort (like Swolphin). I absolutely love the Skyliner, but will always prefer the freedom of walking paths. Nothing beats just walking/rolling right up to a park!! The Skyliner does go down during storms & we experienced several downtime’s bc of the frequent pop-up storms this time of year (which we expected)… and whenever the Skyliner stops due to lightning (for Pop), the boats also stop (for Swolphin)… so, then you can catch a bus for Pop, but must either wait it out or walk back to Swolphin. Which brings me to my next point- if you have to wait for the boats at all, it will always be quicker to just walk/roll back… but we still used the boats a few times bc my young niece wanted to & it’s a fun change

I’m glad to see you are considering having an ECV just to use as needed, as it really provides peace of mind and let’s you enjoy- knowing there’s a fallback plan… just in case. I have progressive autoimmune diseases, and so I’ve changed how I do Disney drastically over the past 4 years. Having the right tools (planning for the worst- while hoping for the best), has always helped me a ton!! Just be aware that many ECVs can’t be in the rain, so that’s another consideration point. Overall, my vote would definitely be for Swolphin, but with the joy of the Skyliner & the great new rooms at Pop- you really can’t go wrong