Swan/Dolphin vs Yacht Club

[aammtt20]

Going for a 3 night trip in January to see EPCOT - festival of arts. Also going to Hollywood Studios, but will split it with pool time in the afternoon, since we are coming from the SoCal area and have experienced many of the attractions there at Disneyland, so we won't be in a big rush to do everything there. It's my first time going since I was a child, and my spouse's first time going ever to WDW, so we're brand to new all of these resorts/areas.

Since the skyliner will be down during our trip, I wanted to stay somewhere on Crescent Lake for the convenient travel to both parks. Trying to decide between Yacht & Swolphin.

I can get a resort view room at yacht for 508/night and a deluxe resort view w/balcony at Swolphin for 385 (including the resort fee). My general max budget for any resort is around 500, so Yacht is right at my upper limit. Just trying to get the opinion of people who are familiar with this area, as to which would be a better deal for the amenities included. With the pool afternoon, Stormalong Bay seems like the obvious choice to me, but I've heard good things about the pools at Swan & Dolphin too. Let me know what y'all would do this in situation - thanks!

 

[dcassetta]

The pool complex at the Swan and Dolphin is not SAB, but still very nice. And, in January it may be too cool to want a pool day.

They also have the best beds on property. I would save the money, although that is a good rate for the YC.

 

[sm8680]

I'd always prefer Crescent Lake over the Skyliner resorts. Definitely save the money and stay at Swan or Dolphin(ask about discounts). Swan and Dolphin have some of the best restaurants. Stormalong bay maybe if you have a younger child. Maybe watch some youtube videos on pools in that area to see if it's persuasion.

If you decide to go to MK or AK you can easily walk to Boardwalk and Yacht Club and use their buses.

 

[stinkpickle]

For the money, I would definitely pick Swolphin.

 

[Mle8308]

I agree, Swan or Dolphin. SAB is not my favorite (I know I am in the minority on that). It's way too crowded and can be challenging to find lounge chairs. Though as others have said, it might be too chilly for laying out by the pool in January. There is a parking charge at Swolphin, not sure if you figured that in or if it applies. Would still be less expensive than Y&B.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Being from CA, Jan at WDW was too cold for me for pooling so might not want to get too excited about that.

Because it is such a special trip (first time for him) I would actually pay the extra for YC. Disney service, rooms are in good shape, easier walk to EP, everything will be in the bubble (like charging on your MB, it’s really nice to be able to charge on MBs at the festivals). Swolphin rooms can be hit or miss with regards to being in shape.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'd go for the Swolphin. Love the Yacht Club, but the rooms at the Swolphin are ver nice and the location is just as good. Save the money and go with the less expensive option.

 

[gottalovepluto]

...the rooms at the Swolphin are very nice...

My rooms at Swan were in crappy shape on 2 different occasions in the last couple years, I would not count on them being "very nice". (Swan Reserve has always been very good but it's a new hotel.) Others have reported the Swan and Dolphin rooms are in good to ok to not good shape, so I believe it is important to acknowledge room quality varies noticeably.

 

[tinabina919]

I'd always prefer Crescent Lake over the Skyliner resorts. Definitely save the money and stay at Swan or Dolphin(ask about discounts). Swan and Dolphin have some of the best restaurants. Stormalong bay maybe if you have a younger child. Maybe watch some youtube videos on pools in that area to see if it's persuasion.

If you decide to go to MK or AK you can easily walk to Boardwalk and Yacht Club and use their buses.

Are the busses from Swan/Dolphin to MK/AK no good?

We’ve stayed at both but only at dolphin for a short Epcot festival too.

Yacht Club is great for feeling totally in the bubble and the pool is very nice but it does get pretty cold in January.

I booked Swan for January after trying to decide the same, and we just stayed at the YC in July.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Are the busses from Swan/Dolphin to MK/AK no good?

We’ve stayed at both but only at dolphin for a short Epcot festival too.

Yacht Club is great for feeling totally in the bubble and the pool is very nice but it does get pretty cold in January.

I booked Swan for January after trying to decide the same, and we just stayed at the YC in July.

AK is better from Swolphin for me as I feel their pickup/drop off at AK is a bit closer than Disney’s buses.

MK Swolphin drops at a TTC while YC/BWI drop at MK direct.

 

[BeachMouse1]

Busses from Swan to MK leave you off at ticket and transportation center so you’re better served walking to Yacht or Boardwalk and taking bus from there. We are not fond on Swan and Dolphin but stay there if we add on a night to a trip. Don’t like the room in Swan and Dolphin and if you decide to stay there to save money don’t go for the “theme park view” and save more money. We did Swan Deluxe theme park view and it was a view of the Boardwalk hotel and if you look over the Boardwalk hotel you might see a piece of Epcot. The Swan balcony was barely big enough for two of us to stand on so if saving money is the goal just get standard room at Swan or Dolphin. What about a different view at Yacht Club to save a few bucks? Also consider Boardwalk May be cheaper than Yacht. To us if we’re in Disney we want Disney. People at swan are very nice and service is good but I don’t know to me it just doesn’t feel Disney. In my opinion if it’s a first time, stay at a Disney property. Boardwalk Is a lot of fun and a great resort as well. If it’s a cool night sit on the lawn and watch a Disney Movie, roast marshmallow. The pools if it’s warm enough are so much more fun in the Disney resorts

 

[Disneychick75]

If you want comfortable beds and pillow, go for the Swolphin. Also want to suggest checking Priceline. When I booked, rooms at the Swan Reserve were not available and the Dolphin was over $600 on the official Swolphin website. Priceline had a few rooms and we got ours for upper $200s.
There are also DVC rental agencies that can get you great prices for the villas around Crescent Lake.

 

[Harmacist]

You'll get more of the Disney "bubble" with YC. Even though Swolphin is on property, it's still a Marriott. There may some disney decorations in the lobby but that's about it. I wouldn't worry too much about pool, Stormalong is nice, but so is the Grotto and I doubt you'll use it much in January.
My question is what will you do with the savings at Swolphin? If going to your max budget at YC means skimping elsewhere like dining, I'd go Swolphin hands down. Sometimes just knowing I spent $XXX already I may try and cutback elsewhere in the back of my head, lessening the vacation.

 

[Best Aunt]

Make sure you are adding everything in for a price comparison.

If you will have a car, I think Swan/Dolphin will charge for parking and YC won't.

I think Swan/Dolphin have a mandatory resort fee, and some families don't get much value out of it. (Looks like OP knew that.)

I think the Disney website doesn't show tax on the initial search page.

Some people like to use a Magic Band to charge everything to the room; you can do that at YC but not at Swan/Dolphin.

As for "The Disney Bubble," I think you will still feel it when you are at Swan/Dolphin because you are on Disney property and within walking distance of Disney-owned hotels. When you walk through the Dolphin lobby, you do feel like you could be in a hotel anywhere. But I personally wouldn't base my room choice on that, because how much of your trip will be spent walking through the lobby? Keep in mind that when Disney remodels its hotel rooms, it sometimes puts in fewer Disney touches. If you expect to see images of Mickey and Donald everywhere, you might not even find that in a Disney-owned hotel.

 

[Neener16]

For a first time ever trip, I would stay at the Yacht Club. I have stayed at the Swan and wasn’t impressed with the room. Most definitely did not feel the Disney vibe at the Swan. Just wasn’t the same.

 

[Wood Nymph]

The rooms at the Swan aren't as nice as the rooms at the Yacht Club. My sister stayed at the Dolphin and will never stay there again. The Dolphin is huge and her room was about as close to the parking lot as you can get. The buses aren't as convenient as the WDW resort buses, either. But you can save money by staying here.

 

[LordG]

You can use the room service in the dolphin, Swan app and get Mickey waffles delivered to your room or go to the fuse the dolphin mini mart to get the Mickey waffles, Yeah that’s a plus.

Also, at the dolphin, you can get dole whip in the fuse mini mart. To my knowledge, none of the other crescent lake, Disney resorts have dole whip available. The dolphin buys a directly from Dole.

That’s part of the reasons why the dolphin swan in the swan reserve are my opinion, the best value for a deluxe hotel that gets deluxe hotel privileges from Disney.

 

[gottalovepluto]

To my knowledge, none of the other crescent lake, Disney resorts have dole whip available.

BWI has dole whip at the margarita stand on the Boardwalk. (I was yearS into my Disney travels before I learned this lol).

 

[loves to dive]

It really depends on what you are looking for and if paying for YC is going to be a pinch. YC is my all time favorite WDW resort and I've stayed at almost all of them. Having said that, the last 5 years or so I've been staying at Swan/Dolphin. I just couldn't justify the difference in price.

The rooms at Swan/Dolphin are Marriot rooms. Most of them I've stayed in have been fine, and in some case better than some of the WDW rooms I've stayed in, in some not so much. My last stay I was actually able to get a better rate at BWI with my AP discount then I could at Dolphin (I have a car so when I added the resort fee and the parking it was less at BWI). I will admit there was something better staying at a WDW resort. It just felt right. I had a full balcony and watched Epcot FWs every night with my feet propped up in my jammies. Now, had it not been less, I would have been at Dolphin. I do like the food choices at Swan/Dolphin better than the Crescent Lake options but the fact is, they are all so close you can go to any of them you want. I don't like Storm Along Bay, it's too crowded for me so if I stay at YC or BC I tend to use the quiet pools.

About room service at Swan/Dolphin. Last time I was there I could not get it to work on my phone (Android). At the time, the only way to order it was using the App. I did just pull it up and while it's too late right now it does look like it works. As far as I know, the WDW owned resorts are still not doing room service (I think maybe Poly or GF or one of the MK ones might be).

 

[LordG]

BWI has dole whip at the margarita stand on the Boardwalk. (I was yearS into my Disney travels before I learned this lol).

That is awesome! I did not know that. Thank you.