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Subscribe NowLast updated: December 2, 2024
The Dolphin is an icon of postmodern architecture, its main building a 27-story blue triangle. The main building's wings are topped with 56-foot tall statues of dolphin fish - you can't mistake it for any other hotel.
Cost Range
$531-1,030
Lodging Area
EPCOT
Category
Deluxe
Transportation
Boat, Bus, Skyliner, Walk
Room: B
Pool: A-
Lighting: B
Pillows: A
Best-priced location on Crescent Lake
The hotels participate in the Marriott Loyalty program
Good on-site and nearby dining
Only hotels within walking distance to minigolf (Fantasia Gardens)
Large variety of upscale restaurants
On-site car rental (Alamo, National)
Very nice pool complex
Impressive public spaces
Walking distance to both EPCOT International Gateway and DHS
Conventioneers may be off-putting to vacationing families
Nightly resort ($45/night, plus tax) and parking ($36/night) fees
Non-Disney bus service runs less often than that of other resorts
Bus service to Magic Kingdom drops off at TTC instead of park entrance
Architecture that was on the cutting edge decades ago now looks dated and cheesy (Swan, Dolphin)
Self-parking is quite distant from the hotels' entrances
The Dolphin's rooms incorporate light wood, gray carpeting, and taupe draperies. Oversize upholstered headboards buttress Westin's plush Heavenly Beds, and minimal art adorns the walls.
One thing to note is that the Dolphin's beds are either doubles or kings, while the Swan has queens and kings.
The Dolphin has plenty of dining options, from grab-and-go, to fancy steakhouses. If you want even more variety, four other hotels' restaurants are a short walk away.
The Fountain Eats and Sweets at The Dolphin Resort The Fountain probably isn’t the best choice for calorie counters.
Rosa Mexicano Modern, authentic Mexican cuisine and over 100 different tequilas are served in the former home of Fresh Mediterranean Market at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel.
Shula's Steak House Shula’s is the place to go for steaks if you’re staying in the EPCOT resort area.
Todd English's bluezoo The appetizers and desserts are above average, and you could fashion a good meal from just those. In fact, bluezoo’s pastry chef, Laurent Branlard, is a two-time winner at the World Pastry Team Championships. It would be a disservice to the culinary arts not to order one of his desserts.
Fuel In the lobby of the Dolphin and open daily from 6 AM - 2 AM, Fuel features coffee, grab-and-go sandwiches, snacks, and desserts.
Picabu Buffet/cafeteria restaurant. While previously open 24 hours, Picabu now closes overnight.
Cabana Bar and Beach Club Many Walt Disney World pool bars follow the same setup: A square (or rectangle, octagon, trapezoid, dodecahedron...you get it) bar sitting on top of a patio serving a few beers, a few cocktails, and maybe some snacks. One of the few exceptions to this formula is the Cabana Bar and Grill at the Dolphin Resort. The pool bars at both the Dolphin and Swan Resorts are located near their respective “quiet” pools, rather than near the shared pool complex. Apparently their architects didn’t think the kids playing in the big pool needed a drink, but their parents are likely a different story. The secondary pool at the Dolphin is meant for lap swimming and the Cabana Bar sits along one side of the pool. Inspired by a South Beach poolside lounge, the bar is flanked by partially-covered seating and cozy-looking cabanas. In addition to this glamorous seating, the thing that sets the Cabana Bar apart from most other pool bars is the food. With a few types of flatbread pizzas, burgers, sliders, and a cheese steak on the menu, this is a place you could literally relax at all afternoon without even having to leave for dinner. The drink menu is good here too, compared to the other Disney pool bars. While there is still only a limited selection, they do not follow the standard Disney menu, so the cocktail list is a little bit different. Their two signature cocktails are the Rum Pineapple Mojito (rum, pineapple, mint, lime, splash of soda) and the Citroen and Berry (citroen, rock candy syrup, lemon juice, lime juice, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries). There is also a small selection of frozen drinks (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic) as well as wine and beer. While most pool bars are good for grabbing a drink or spending short shifts at while enjoying the sunshine, the Cabana Bar and Grill is something more. This is a place you can really relax and feel like you are on a Florida vacation.
Amenities
SWIPE TO EXPLORE
The Dolphin has four pools. The main pool is 3 acres and has a waterfall, rock caves, and water slide. For quieter bathing, there's a spring pool nearby. The Dolphin also has two lap pools for those wanting to get their workouts in.
The Dolphin's video arcade is located on the hotel's first floor and features relatively recent video games of all kinds.
Free Disney Movies Under the Stars are shown most evenings, weather-permitting, either at the Beach Club Beach, or in the Solarium.
The Dolphin Health Club has weights, treadmills, and other equipment for your workout. Hours are typically 6 AM to 9 PM.
One lap around Crescent Lake is about 0.8 miles. Volleyball is also offered.
Roast marshmallow around a campfire starting at 5:30 PM nightly at the nearby Yacht Club, Beach Club, or BoardWalk Inn Resorts.
The Camp Dolphin club is open nightly children for ages 4 to 12. Activities include crafts, games, dinner, and movies. There is a per-child fee, and reservations are required, so check with the resort for details.
The Dolphin has a children's playground with climbing areas and slides, located near the grotto pool.
Disney resort guests get into each theme park 30 minutes earlier than off-site guests, every day.
Those staying at Disney's Deluxe and Deluxe Villa hotels can buy Lightning Lane via Individual Purchase at 7:00 a.m. each day. Others cannot make that purchase until the official park opening time.
Disney's Deluxe and DVC resort guests get two extra hours in select theme parks on certain days of the week. The schedule changes, so check with the front desk.
Practical Matters
Check-in is 3:00pm
Check-out is 11:00am
Park tickets are best purchased online in advance either directly through Disney or via our Least Expensive Ticket Calculator. However, if you arrive without park tickets, head to the concierge desk in the hotel lobby.
Dining reservation are best made online in advance or on your phone or tablet during your visit. You can also use our Disney World Reservation Finder.
Disney hotels have gifts shops near their lobbies with a decent collection of Disney-branded souvenirs. You will also find basic pharmacy items such as sunscreen, aspirin, allergy and cold medicine, baby diapers and formula, shampoo, and the like. Resort hotels with Deluxe Villa rooms offer an assortment of groceries, as well.
Disney recommends a third party company, Kid's Nite Out, to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels. See our Disney World Child Care page for more information.
Transportation
The Dolphin is located in the EPCOT Resort Area. All modern GPS apps, and Google Maps, will have clear driving directions to it. As a backup, look for Disney road signs directing you toward the EPCOT resorts (not EPCOT) once you're on property, and then look for signs for the Dolphin once you're close.
Destination | Boat | Bus | Car | Walk |
---|---|---|---|---|
Magic Kingdom | – | 24 min | 35 min | – |
EPCOT | 15 min | – | 15 min | 16 min |
Hollywood Studios | 11 min | – | 15 min | 21 min |
Animal Kingdom | – | 26 min | 16 min | – |
Disney Springs | – | 25 min | 11 min | – |
Disney's Skyliner gondola system has a station at EPCOT's International Gateway. From the station, the ride to Disney's Hollywood Studios is about 12 minutes (plus waiting time in line.)
Disney Skyliner gondola system has a station at EPCOT's International Gateway entrance. The ride to Hollywood Studios is about 12 minutes (plus waiting time in line).
The Dolphin, Swan, and Swan Reserve run their own bus service to the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs. Note that this third-party bus service drops Magic Kingdom guests off at the Transportation and Ticket Center, not the Magic Kingdom park entrance. For that reason, it might be slightly faster to walk to the Yacht Club and take a Disney bus to the Magic Kingdom.
It's probably faster to drive everywhere except EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the Magic Kingdom.
EPCOT and Hollywood Studios are short walks away, and can also be reached by Disney's boat service.
Disney's boat service provides access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
You can walk between the Beach Club, Yacht Club, BoardWalk, Swan, Swan Reserve, and Dolphin. Boat service is available to all of those, too, except the Swan Reserve. The Skyliner at EPCOT's International Gateway can take you to Caribbean Beach, Riviera, Pop Century, and Art of Animation. For all other resort destinations, the fastest option is an Uber, Lyft, or taxi. Disney's bus service is free but slow, and will probably require you to use an intermediate destination like Disney Springs, to get to your destination. And that can take a couple of hours each way if you're unluckly.
if you have a car, the easiest way to get to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and other tourist destinations is to drive. Alternatively, Mears Transportation operates shuttle services between the Disney hotels and other theme parks.
Driving to the Resort
Getting to the Parks
and Disney Springs
Getting to Another Hotel
from Dolphin
Getting to Universal Orlando
The Dolphin is located in the EPCOT Resort Area. All modern GPS apps, and Google Maps, will have clear driving directions to it. As a backup, look for Disney road signs directing you toward the EPCOT resorts (not EPCOT) once you're on property, and then look for signs for the Dolphin once you're close.
if you have a car, the easiest way to get to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and other tourist destinations is to drive. Alternatively, Mears Transportation operates shuttle services between the Disney hotels and other theme parks.
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