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"Fantastic hotel for family"Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on May 6, 2012
All perfect! Huge suites, great staff, outstanding pool, close to everything.
"Nice place, good deal for the money"Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on May 6, 2012
We stayed here for the good rates, and were within a 5 minute walk to Doubletree and the other premier hotels and also the awesome Ale House (try the chicken twisters - yummi). The staff at the front desk were awesome, though the sales desk BS'd us by telling us that their tickets were the same cost as at the gate of Universal. Universal gate was cheaper. They also pushed for us to get a 2 day pass saying it takes 28 hours to get thru the two parks. Well we bought the 1 day pass and we were on and off ALL the rides in both parks by 3PM and were heading back to Island of adventure to ride some again. But if we bought the two day pass we would've been bored out of our mind. Granted we did go to Universal on a Tuesday and there were few people there. Also the sales desk told us it was a 15 minute walk. Me and my friends are in marathon shape, it still took us 30 minutes to get there. Lastly they told us that since we are staying in a hotel close to Universal we'd get in at 8, another lie, we arrived at 8:15 and we weren't allowed in until 9, only guests staying in Universal itself at the expensive premier hotels were allowed early entry. So in summation; I would recommend La Quinta but don't go buy your tickets from the liars at the sales desk for any parks. PS - our room smelled like someone smoked in it, it was mild so we didn't complain and the windows opened, that was nice.
"Close to Universal/priced OK"Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on May 5, 2012
This Days Inn is very old and could use a major overhaul. We had booked 2 nights and the first room was uncomfortable and dirty. Plus bugs. In the morning we requested another room and were immediately upgraded to a larger, cleaner, more comfortable room. Front desk was eager to help and maintenance staff also helped to fix a missing chair leg in the new room. Overall we probably would not recommend this Days Inn except for its location and price (be aware of the 'resort' fee added at check-in per day). This is no resort.
"Very flexable and aim to please"Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on May 5, 2012
location and cleanliness of rooms are very important to me. You won't be disppointed here.
""Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest on May 5, 2012
great beds, very nice breakfast. nice room for the money.
Location.
Located in the center of the Walt Disney World Resort, the Walt Disney World Dolphin in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., serves as a gateway to Orlando's popular theme parks and attractions. Private entrances to both Epcot and the Magic Kingdom are accessible via boat or walkways from the hotel.
Hotel Features.
The Walt Disney World Dolphin is an Epcot Resort, offering special Walt Disney World Resort benefits such as complimentary transportation to all Walt Disney World theme parks and attractions, Disney character dining opportunities, ticket desks, priority seating at select Walt Disney World theme parks and advance tee times at five golf courses. The hotel offers 17 dining options, including the award-wining Shula's Steakhouse, filled with team memorabilia from the 1972 Miami Dolphin's "Perfect Season." Coastal cuisine and fresh seafood appeal at Todd English's BlueZoo restaurant, where dancing blue lights twinkle as the fish grills. The hotel includes 5 outdoor swimming pools and 4 outdoor tennis courts. The hotel shares dining and recreational activities with the Walt Disney Swan Resort, including a swimming complex called The Grotto. This three-acre playground includes waterfalls, slides, water volleyball and spa tubs. The hotel's Camp Dolphin program offers children's activities for ages four to 12, including crafts, arcades, Disney movies and board games. The Bali-inspired Mandara Spa is centered around two interior gardens, the Tea Garden's "Asian Bale" and the Meditation Garden's "Meru Temple." The spa offers services such as massages, body scrubs and wraps, facials, manicures, and pedicures. Children under 18 must have a parent with them when they visit the spa. The hotel also offers 98 meeting and conference rooms, totaling 320,000 square feet of meeting space.
Guestrooms.
Guestrooms feature slate tile entries. The Palm Springs-themed rooms offer views of the resort, lake or pools from floor-to-ceiling windows. Westin Heavenly Beds boast 280-thread count, 100 percent cotton linens, pillowtop mattresses and five pillows. Split bathrooms offer vanity areas with makeup mirrors and Heavenly showers with Elemis toiletries and rainforest showerheads. High-speed Internet access is available for a fee. Room service is available 24 hours a day.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
**These amenities may be available only in some rooms or units. Some amenities may incur additional fees.
With meditation, tea gardens, and a city view, the Mandara Spa specializes in Asian-inspired treatments.
Relax and enjoy aromatherapy treatments, body scrubs and wraps, facial treatments, manicures, and pedicures.
Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult when they visit the spa.
A Green / Sustainable Property - First Party Certified
This property has performed a self-assessment, also known as First Party certification, of its sustainable tourism practices through Florida Green Lodging Program thus taking steps to understand its impact on one or more of the following: environment, community, cultural-heritage, the local economy. The property's claims have not been independently verified by a second or third party certification program.
Shula's Steakhouse - Sports memorabilia from the Miami Dolphins' 1972 season decorate the walls of this popular steakhouse. Menu favorites include Certified Angus Beef, signature 48-ounce Porterhouse, and seafood. Dinner served nightly; lounge open from late afternoon until late evening.
Todd English's bluezoo - This stylish restaurant specializes in fresh seafood such as sashimi-grade tuna steak, swordfish, and surf and turf. Dinner served nightly; lounge open from late afternoon until late night.
Fresh Mediterranean Market - Meats and poultry are cooked on a rotisserie in the open kitchen. A pastry station provides freshly baked croissants, French baguettes, Danish, and desserts. Open for breakfast and lunch.
The Fountain - Offering homemade and soft-serve ice cream, burgers, salads, and sandwiches. Open from late morning until late evening.
Lobby Lounge - Pastries and Starbucks coffee are served in the morning; cocktails, beer, and wine are available in the evening.
Walt Disney World Dolphin has an expansive water complex with a grotto pool with waterfall and waterslide, a children's pool, two outdoor lap pools, three spa tubs, and a white-sand beach. Floats, towels, and beach accessories are available for rental in the Cabana Beach Hut. Camp Dolphin provides supervised nighttime children's activities (surcharge) such as arts and crafts and bead making. The health club (surcharge) has stationary bikes, treadmills, stair machines, strength-training equipment, saunas, and steam rooms. Mandara Spa (surcharge) offers pampering treatments such as massages, manicures, and pedicures. Other recreation options include a video arcade (surcharge), sand volleyball courts, a basketball court, four lighted tennis courts, Segway rentals, and a running track.
Guests enjoy preferred tee times at the five golf courses in the Walt Disney World® Resort, including the 18-hole Lake Buena Vista Golf Course, four miles from the hotel. Bike and watercraft rentals are available at Disney's BoardWalk Resort, adjacent to the hotel. Disney's Fantasia Gardens miniature golf course is across the street.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
Some properties have extra fees for amenities or services that may apply even if you do not use them. Government fees or taxes also may be charged to you when you check in or check out. This property told us they will charge you for the following:
We have included all charges provided to us by the property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
This area encompasses the bulk of the Walt Disney World® Resort, including futuristic Epcot®, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, Disney-MGM Studios®, and the Magic Kingdom® Park. In a place rife with photo ops, Cinderella’s storybook castle is among the most photographed. The Disney-branded hotels here cater to economy and luxury budgets.
see all hotels in Lake Buena VistaRoom was too small for the number of people in our party. Had 2 change rooms. Than those beds in 2nd room was very uncomfortable.
This guest did not leave a comment.
"Disney Dolphin was really Magical"
We got everything we expected. Located just a walk (or a boat ride) from EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, it is a great place to stay. Lots of different restaurants inside (the Picabu restaurants opens 24hrs!) and a great pool (abd beach) area, with Swan boats! I will go back again!
"Great!"
This is a great Starwood property!
"Close to the Boardwalk and Disney Parks"
Great hotel. Love the amenities and convience to the parks. Great hotel for families.
Our Air conditioner was broken, the coffee pot was not working and the refrigerator was not working. We have a fifteen month old and needed to keep milk fresh. Was not acceptable for the amount of money we spent.
"pretty but pricey, great location"
The dolphin is beautiful from the lobby to the fountain, it even smells great especially by the spa. The room was a little tight for our family of (4) two of which are teenagers. Rented the rollaway bed for an extra $25 per night which seems pretty steep. The pool area was very pretty but water was cold, not heated. Food decent at the hotel restaurants […] but extremely overpriced. Had to call housekeeping several times before getting extra blanket, same thing for the rollaway bed. Overall we did feel it was a nice hotel. It would be nice if they would provide a continental breakfast. Read more
"Loved the access"
Except for a slightly clogged sink, and a moldy smell when we walked in (bathroom was not ventilated), the place was great. First, it's great to stay on property, and being an Epcot resort with Epcot within walking distance (or water taxi), and having the Swan's facilities available as well as the Boardwalk was great. Hollywood Studios was only a boat […] ride away as well. Wish we could have stayed longer and taken greater advantage of the resort. Read more
"Great pool and close to the Disney Boardwalk"
Family had a great time at the pool and liked the proximity to the Disney Boardwalk. Room was comfortable but dusty. Room maintenance was a problem, sink backed up, shower head was cracked, light bulb was out. Bottled water was $3.88 at Picabu.
"Don't count on a roll away bed"
I asked for one and signed a form agreeing to the 25 dollar a night fee. An hour half later I went down to the lobby to inquire if I was suppose to go somewhere to get it because it failed to materalize. I was told it should have only taken 15 mins for a maid to bring it but they would rectify it. So another hour passed and I called and they said"oops. […] It'll be right up." we'll it never did come. I slept on the floor for two nights and the kiddies enjoyed the bed. But the fee was sure on my bill and I had to ask them to remove it for both nights. And we couldn't get out of the gate with our hotel key. There is a 15 dollar a day fee. Actually there is a 15 dollar fee each time you come and go. We went to the park after checkout and couldn't get out of the parking lot after we were done at Disney around 3 in the afternoon. Other than that, it's a nice hotel. Read more
"Great Stay"
Love the location between Epcot and Hollywood Studios and near the boardwalk. It's less expensive than Disney resorts in the area and the standard rooms are larger. Excellent service from valets, front desk and in the gift shop. Would stay here again.
"Convenient disney location"
The only drawback is the onsite restuarant: make sure you have enough patience to waiting for your food to be prepared. At a fancy Japanese restuarant, I waited for nearly an hour! They were so appologetic about the wait that they discounted my bill by 20% and the food was well prepared. However, I don't think fish should take that long to cook, unless […] you out and catch them... ;-) Read more
"NOT SATISFIED"
THE DOLPHIN IS TOO EXPENSIVE COMPARED TO OTHER DISNEY RESORTS. SOMEONE WENT TO THE BATHROOM OUTSIDE OUR ROOM DOOR AND I STEPPED IN IT. TOTALLY DISGUSTING THE MAID WAS ON THE FLOOR AND I HAD TO POINT IT OUT TO HER. IT ALSO COST MONEY TO PARK YOUR CAR AND THEY TAKE A $100.00 DEPOSIT. OTHER DISNEY RESORTS IT IS FREE TO PARK YOUR CAR AND YOU DON'T HAVE […] TO LEAVE A DEPOSIT. THE DOLPHIN DOESN'T OFFER ANYTHING SPECIAL TO PAY THE EXTRA MONEY. NOT IMPRESSED AND WILL NOT RETURN. DISNEY RESORTS ARE A BETTER VALUE. Read more
"Great, lower-price, Boardwalk location!"
The Dolphin (and potentially Swan) resort was a fantastic way to be on Disney property (on the Boardwalk) without paying Disney prices. We booked through Hotels.com because of the double-points deal and the pricing we found there. The hotel was amazingly clean (even the runners in the hallway and the pictures were dust-free!), and the service was quick […] and efficient! We would stay here again in a heartbeat! Read more
This guest did not leave a comment.
"Great place to rest during our play"
Excellent place to vacation, we just didn't stay long enough to take advantage of all the amenities! When we called the front desk for a screwdriver to help our six year old get his toy monorail out of the packaging, within five minutes a maintence person was at our room with his electric screwdriver! That is beyond excellence in customer service !
A bit disappointing. The room smells smoky considering it's a smoke free accomodation. The hall way carpet is old and dirty looking (level 6). Overall, a nice hotel and close to Epcot/BoardWalk which we enjoyed going to a lot.
This guest did not leave a comment.
"dolphin hotel orlando"
Room was not as clean as I would expect the check in took over an hour with only seven people in front of us. The view out the window was of a dirty rooftop . We had to keep the curtains drawn
"Walt Disney Dolphin- Lake view Epcot Center"
The hotel was excellent- nothing negative to say- room with a balcony great view of epcot center- really nice to watch the fireworks show
This guest did not leave a comment.
"WDW Dolphin - Perfect for our family"
This was our first time visiting Disney World, so I was completely overwhelmed by all of the lodging options available. Hotels.com had great rates on many of the Disney hotels. The three main reasons we chose the Dolphin were: 1. Location - We were walking distance to Disney's Boardwalk, Epcot and Fantasia Gardens (a mini-golf course across the street). 2. […] White sandy beach - My two boys (6 and 9) could spend a whole day just digging holes in the sand. 3. Beautiful poolside and activities - We were there for Easter weekend. The hotel had egg hunts, s'mores on the beach and bounce-houses set up for the whole family to enjoy! BONUS - We got a room on the 10th floor on the NW side of the hotel. We could watch the entire Magic Kingdom fireworks show EVERY night! It was the perfect way to end each day. Even though the Dolphin is not Disney-owned, you still get the benefits of being "on-property". That means: - Magic Hours (extra hours in the morning and in the evening, park dependent). Definitely take advantage of this perk! Once the day heats up and the lines get long, it's a perfect time to go back to the hotel to take a nap and reenergize. Head back in the evening for the parades and fireworks. - Free parking at all of the Disney parks ($14/day). - Free package delivery (saves you the hassle of carrying shopping bags throughout the park). Your packages can be picked up in "Daisy's Garden" - the Disney store located by the West/Central elevators. - Free shuttles to/from all Disney destinations (including Disney Downtown and the water parks). We did pay for parking because we rented a car to drive down to Legoland one day. We valeted the first night because we got in late ($20/day). The next three nights, we self-parked ($15/day). The lot is well-lit and right in front of the convention center (5-10 min walk). I called ahead to find out if there was any way to avoid the $14/day "resort fee" (not included in the hotels.com price). The manager said no, so we ac Read more
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"Great Location and Beautiful Hotel"
We have stayed at many of the Disney resorts and the Dolphin is now one of our favorites. Very nice and clean resort that is in a great location.
"Better hotels for the money"
The air conditioning does not stay cold The food is poor for the money it costs the staff is rude the room is out dates and smells
"Great location and perks. motel quality rooms/ser"
the loation and disney magic hours and access to transport are all you will get from this mega- hotel. low quality rooms and sevice. Their f&b outlets surely remind you of disney- lines and poor quality food. Except if you venture into the external branded restaurants and pay $$$. I will not recommend to a friend who needs more than just a bed and […] safety. Read more
This guest did not leave a comment.
staff is very disorganized. the resort charge was way to much for the quality of service I received.
This guest did not leave a comment.
"Great location, but that's about it."
I have stayed at the Dolphin before and have to say that I really like the location. This stay, however, I was really disappointed. When we first got to the hotel around 10:45am, there was a long line at check in. Since we were planning on going to EPCOT anyway and had already parked the car, we decided to come back and check in after we were done at […] EPCOT. We got back to the Dolphin around 6:30pm. The check in person seemed to be having difficulty finding a room to put us in. I was at the desk for a good 15 minutes before she settled on a room. When we got upstairs, the room seemed smaller than others that we have stayed in here, although this might have just been the configuration. Other times that we have stayed here the sink area has always been separate from the toilet & tub. There has also always been doors on the closet. Not the case this time. I think we must have been put in a handicap accessible room. (I am only guessing at this, but there were safety handles bars in the tub & it would explain the different configuration of the room.) Looking out the window, all that could be seen is part of the roof of a lower level of the hotel & other hotel structures. This made the room fairly dark which also could have something to do with why the room seemed smaller. The bathroom was in considerable need of a good cleaning. The grout was filthy. The carpet in the room was also in poor shape. There was no "do not disturb" sign in the room, so housekeeping knocked on the door at 8:30am to clean the room. The lobby also didn't look to be in great shape either. Floors / carpets in disrepair. It's nice being able to walk to EPCOT, but in the future I will spend the extra money to stay at the Yacht Club Resort next door or save my money & stay at a Disney moderate resort & take the bus. The fact that the Swan & Dolphin both charge resort & parking fees on top of their rates just adds insult to injury. Raise the room rates by that amount and get rid of the additional fees. Read more
"Nice Hotel with average rooms"
This hotel is impressive when you enter the lobby, but the rooms are very average. The bathroom seemed worn out, the fixtures on the sink were falling off, there were dead bugs in the light fixture in the bathroom. It seems that most of the attention is focused on the lobby and the grounds outside. The hallways are dull and the rooms need some atte […] ntion. Read more
This guest did not leave a comment.
"The Dolphin"
The Dolphin is a wonderful hotel. The rooms were very clean and the beds and pillows were soooooo comfortable. We enjoyed the pools, beach area, basketball court, miniature golf and the gift shops! It is so convenient to get on the boat that takes you to the parks and we loved the boardwalk for lunch and last minute gifts. Everyone at the resort was […] very friendly and helpful. We would definitely recommend this hotel to others. Read more
This guest did not leave a comment.
Was great vacations, nice services.
"be aware of hidden fees & lack of easy food"
$15 per night for parking and $14 per night resort fee. Never had this at any other Disney resort, and have stayed at about half of them. They should just add the $29 to room price so there are no surprises when you show up at check-in. You also don't get a parking pass, so presumably if you chose to drive to a theme park you'd have to pay to park there. […] Again, never had this at a Disney resort. Finally, if you want quick food for kids or trying to rush to parks, there is really on one choice for this and it was not very good. The place is nice and has plenty of high end restaurants, but no need to play games with the fees, and needs to have better quicker food choices for those with kids on the go. Read more
"Disney World"
I loved this hotel! Very plush and very clean and a wonderful experience! Everything was superb! The dining was a tad expensive and the bacon seemed like it was over due but, besides the food, everything was wonderful! I loved the view from our room and I loved that we could walk to Epcot and the boardwalk! The pools and shops were amazing! I loved […] it! Read more
"Disney Dolphin Hotel-A Must"
The convience of the Dolphin is the best. Walk out the back door and your 2mins walk to Epcot World Showcase. Hotel rooms are very confortable and restraunts are pretty good. Only problem after staying there a number of times, the carpets really need to be cleaned more often. But would hightly recommend
"Dolphin Hotel at Disney World"
Consider that this hotel houses convention goers as well as Disney guests when you book. Everything was a bit too spread out. We had a fire alarm go off at 4 am, and there was no explanation from hotel employees after we had evacuated. The room was fine, not wow and not cheap, but we did not spend much time there. We could hear our neighbors, thoug […] h. Read more
"Dolphin, Walt Disney World Resort"
Unfortunately, we were woken suddenly at 4am with fire alarms and were evacuated to the pool area. While I understand these things happen...Not a single staff person from the hotel came provide information or directions to the very tired, confused and weary guests. No accommodations were made for a later check out, in fact the hotel management didn't […] even acknowledge the massive inconvenience and disruption. So, for customer service...I have to give the management at The Dolphin an F. However, the hotel rooms were comfortable, well appointed and conveniently located in the heart of Disney world. For the price of the room you are definitely paying for the convenience of staying on Disney property. Though a nice hotel, especially for business and adult guests, somewhat over priced. Dolphin is definitely all about....location location location. Read more
The hotel was nice. I had a room with a balconey that overlooked the Epcot fireworks show. Unless you plan on never leaving the room save some money and stay in a cheaper room. There are rooms that have a good view that do not cost as much as this room did.
"Dolphin is the best to stay."
A wonderful place to stay, service is first class!! Not owned by Disney but operated Disney style. Walking distance to Epcot, Board walk, in my opinion it can not be better. Best place in Disney!!!!!!
"Disney dolphin"
Location is good, transportation to parks is good. Many choices to dine between Dolphin and adjacent Swan, Yacht and Beach clubs, and Boardwalk. Rooms though are cramped if more than two people. Lastly, considering the rate, only resort I have been to where I had to pay additonal for Parking, ridiculous.
This guest did not leave a comment.
This guest did not leave a comment.
"Room size"
Having been a guest of the Swan and Dolphin hotels many times through the years, we were rather dismayed that the bathroom space was SO tight that we could barely shut the door! The room was not exactly spacious, given that we had reserved for FIVE guests (three adults and two children). We had just driven in from the Grand Floridian, where the story […] was completely different! I am afraid that they had spoiled us royally, so the Dolphin accommodation felt cramped. Read more
"Great Disney Access"
The boat access to Epcot and Studios was great. The Disney guest services desk was very convenient.
This guest did not leave a comment.
"Dolphin - Another perfect stay"
This has become our favorite hotel when taking the girls to Disney. Perfect location for half the price or less of the other Boardwalk Hotels (except the Swan). Also we have yet to have a bad meal at any of the Dolphin restaurants. Just added The Fountain to our list of favorites. Great stay, great hotel.
"Swanand Dolphin- Scenic but misses some Disneyness"
The hotel had gorgeous fountains, pools, and scenery. The 4 hot tubs did not work. They were warm, but jets were broken. Additionally the hotel does provide free transportation to Disney parks but not the airport. $75 each way + tip. It was a beautiful hotel but definitely more of an adult hotel. NOT recommended for families especially those with small […] children. It did have a lovely sand beach with a lake that you were not allowed in. Pools and hot tubs also close earlier than any Disney-run hotel. If you're going to do Disney, stay in an actual Disney hotel, not one run by Starwood! Read more
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