Just back after a great 4 night trip to the Dolphin. Quick thoughts:
1. I always hear the Dolphin being a "convention hotel" as a negative. We showed up Thursday in the middle of a huge (2100+ attendees) medical equipment conference. Although the lobby was packed in the early morning, everything as dead between 8AM and 6PM. We were the only ones on our bus to Animal Kingdom on Friday, and the pool on Sat morning was deserted. I agree that the swarm of blue suites took away from the "Disney" feeling, but for the first few days I didn't the miss the crowds, strollers, and vacationers that descended on the property once the conference was over on Sunday. I'll take the conference every time...
2. Pandora was an incredible addition to Animal Kingdom, already my favorite park. Food at satu'li canteen was excellent. I though River of Lights was much better than the reviews.
3. Booked a "Grand Suite" parlor in addition to my 2 rooms on points, for a total of $270 (includes $30 tax) per night. They messed up my reservation initially so I did get the resort fee ($31.50/night, includes 3.50 in tax) waived for the entire stay. Valet parking was a $31.95/day, including 1.95 in tax. Watch out for these extras when booking here! The parlor section used to be $200 per night; not sure that the "Grand Suite" was any real upgrade- looked the same a the previous executive suite.
Great weather and had a blast as always!
Chuck