I'm writing on behalf of my daughter who is going with her two kids, ages 6 and 8, to Disney in February. She has points so she can stay free at either the Dolphin or the Swan. Is one better than the other? Any thoughts? I checked at Tripadvisor and there were some who liked the Swan and others who liked the Dolphin, but no reasons were given. So I decided to ask in this forum because Fodorites know EVERYTHING!!

We stayed at the Dolphin and my general comment would be that the Swan is more elegant, smaller hotel so less walking inside of the hotel to get to your room, to the lobby and to the pool etc.

On the other hand, the pools at the Dolphin are MUCH better and obviously closer, you can use pool facilities at both when there. For two kids your age they would like the Dolphin pools way more if the weather is decent in February.

I would choose the Dolphin over the Swan for that reason if that is a factor in your choice.

Honestly, I don't think it really matters. The hotels are just a few minutes' walking distance from each other. The main pool area services both the Swan and Dolphin. Both have their own lap pool. I've stayed at the Dolphin (for a conference) and liked it, although I much prefer the Yacht/Beach Club, which is not an option for you. Not all of the rooms have a balcony, so if that's important then that may limit your option based on availability. Also, if you want a room on the ground floor (some people prefer that) then that might limit your option as well. In either case, I'm sure that your daughter and kids will love it.

We stayed at the Swan many years ago, with our youngsters. It was very nice, and the kids loved seeing the Disney designs everywhere.

The pool was great. It's probably a toss-up between the Dolphin and the Swan. I'd go for the best price myself. Lucky kids!
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It is true that the Swan is somewhat more elegant. But that probably won't matter to the kids!!

They're very close to each other, so as others have said, it almost doesn't matter; go for the one that requires fewer points or has the room style/location you want.

Thanks for your help. I passed all the info on to my daughter. She selected the Dolphin because of the pools. Also because she thought the kids would enjoy being in a big hotel. Now let's hope the weather will be good enough to use the pools.