WDW Trip Part Two: Resorts / Hotels

Note: this post ("WDW Trip") has Four Parts:

Part One: Flights

Part Two: Resorts & Hotels

Part Three: Park Passes
Part Four: Transportation
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We are a thrifty family, so my Mom has only ever stayed at the WDW Value Resorts. We originally booked the whole trip for Pop Century.  On my last trip (this past July ’11 with my boyfriend) we stayed at PC for the first half, Dolphin for the second, and I LOVED it.  We checked out the Port Orleans Resorts for the first time on that trip and were enchanted. 

Here’s what my Mom and I have for our accommodations for our upcoming trip, and the costs:

POR. Nov 29 - Dec 2

November 29 to December 2 we are now staying at Port Orleans Riverside.  As far as Disney World resorts go, I too have never stayed in anything except a Value, so I am very excited. 

For these 3 nights we found an amazing deal on that will give us 30% off the usual rate, so we got Riverside for $114 per night!  Only about $30 more per night than PC, and we’re staying somewhere we’ve never stayed before.

Port Orleans Riverside: $114/nt x 3 nights = $342

Swan. Dec 2-4

I really wanted to show my Mom the Swan and Dolphin, so since I’ve just stayed at the Dolphin before, I wanted to give the Swan a try. I booked the Swan for December 2 to 4. PC has its charms, but for 2 adults traveling sans children, the Swan & Dolphin make for a much more grownup visit.

Biggest selling point for me was the ability to walk to Beach/ Boardwalk/ Yacht and EPCOT!!  Also it allows for a much quieter breakfast experience in the morning – no cafeteria full of mobs of people.  At the Swan/Dolphin you can get a nice cappuccino and croissant and sit on the Boardwalk watching the birds in peace for a few minutes instead of the chaos that is the cavernous PC cafeteria at breakfast.

Todd English's bluezoo at the Swan.
My type of place!

Swan and Dolphin have much more comfortable and quieter accommodations - no excited kids running around outside your door hollering at the crack of dawn, for starters!   I’m also really psyched to be able to come ‘home’ to get a nice grownup martini or quiet glass of wine at any of their (many) bars, or sleep on the Swan’s Westin Heavenly Beds I’ve heard so much about. In our last room at the Dolphin we had a great view of HS, and the Fantasmic pyrotechnics every night.

I just the other day read a fantastic article singing the Swan and Dolphin’s praises. Please check out what The World of Deej has to say - I agree with all of it entirely! More on the Swan & Dolphin's awesome location and transportation options in my next post: “Transportation and Parks”.

Swan for 2 nights: I splurged. $179/night x 2 nights + $46 taxes/fees = $403.82 total

Hotel cost total: $342 (3 nights) + $404 (2 nights) = $746 (5 total nights)