Has anyone stayed at both the Swan/Dolphin AND the Beach/Yacht Club? We have the choice between the two when we travel with my husband for a work convention of his and I'm trying to decide.
Pros of BC/YC over S/D:
- Magical Express to/from airport
- Not the site of his convention (S/D is) so less busy at hotel?
- Could do
Disney dining plan
- Get dining reservations a bit earlier
- Free wristbands?
- Cheaper, at least with our convention room rates
- If we rent a car, parking is free (not so at S/D)
- Food seems more allergy friendly (my son has a dairy allergy)
- Can get Garden Grocer delivery (no deliveries allowed at S/D)
- Day bed vs. a cot for our 5th room guest
Cons:
- Husband may have to walk further to get to convention activities at S/D
Questions:
- Any difference in buses/getting to and from parks between the two (assuming we don't rent a car)?
- Any other thoughts on the differences / convenience?
You seem to have done your homework and factored in different pricing and such. I have a similar situation where I'm currently booked in both the Dolphin and Yacht club for a stay in Sept, I haven't decided which one to cancel yet. Both are great resorts, can't really go wrong with either.
I would definitely add up everything and see what the total cost will be for each. Room rate, resort fee, transportation/parking fees for the Dolphin, what you think you could save doing
DDP, etc. Try to come up with actual cost numbers for each to make an apples-apples comparison. In our case, the prices are almost identical when we factor everything in, but I'm using a cash+points rate at the Dolphin and valuing my points at $.03 each. If we were doing the cash rate at the Dolphin it would actually be more expensive.
For location I'd give BC a very slight edge, it'll save you 10 minutes walking to EPCOT, and won't add much time walking to HS.
For pools BC gets the win, though Swan/Dolphin really do have a great pool as well, better even than most Disney Deluxe resorts IMO. But BC is the 800 lb gorilla when it comes to resort pools at Disney (or anywhere I've ever been for that matter).
You'll hear a number of conflicting reports on the bus service, I know I did. We were at the Swan two weeks ago and were generally very happy with the transportation. But we definitely had some buses that picked us up at the Swan and then went Dolphin -> YC -> BC, so at least some routes certainly do include all those stops. We also had some, like Magic Kingdom, where we got on at the Swan and only stopped at the Dolphin afterwards. If you stay at the Dolphin, it might be worth walking over to the Swan to catch the bus if you're going early in the morning so you're assured of getting on. We also walked to BC a few times to eat breakfast and caught the bus from BC to the parks. This was generally efficient.
Dolphin has more restaurants on property, but that wasn't really a factor for us because you're within walking distance of Swan, Dolphin, YC, BS, Boardwalk, and even EPCOT World Showcase no matter which one of these you stay at.
One last thing you *might* consider, since this is a conference for your husband. If the hotel is paid for by his company there is earning potential for SPG points, especially if you have the co-branded SPG american express. If it's an expensive cash fare that the company pays, you could rack up a number of SPG points from it.
I love them both, and I choose Dolphin for the savings..... For all the reasons you listed, I'd say free parking is tops, they're both beautiful,in a great location, but I can't afford BC. So I stay Dolphin or Swan. BC is also closer to Epcot for walking over. Pick based on cost for you- either one is fantastic. I found no difference in convenience for buses, etc. We walked to HS and Epcot from both places.
, but have stayed at the Dolphin many times - latest being this past January, and I have a NEVER experienced a dirty room! I think many people don't spend the time to review a great stay, but more will take time to complain. We have always been VERY satisfied, and have our reservations already for next January! It is a beautiful resort.
