Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort reviews
1876 TripAdvisor reviews
Marriott made "Disney Magic" with superior service and a great location
ebrotman (Lutherville Timonium, Maryland) on Mar 18, 2024
The staff at this Marriott Bonvoy property was every bit as amazing as the Disney staff we encountered during our family vacation at the parks - and then some. We started with Brianna at the front desk who made us feel like we were returning home instead of visiting for the first time - she took care of meeting the specific needs of our family with grace and professionalism. The hotel has several terrific restaurants on property and the staff at breakfast was like being at a friend's kitchen table every morning. The location was absolutely as simple to navigate to and from the Disney parks as any on the actual Disney property, with easy and convenient access to buses, boats, and "minnie vans" any time of day. One tip is to self-park. It is close enough to get easily to your car and much faster than the very busy valet option. All in all, we would absolutely stay at this hotel again!
Just Okay
Team-DiLo (Beach Haven, New Jersey) on Mar 16, 2024
Grounds were pleasant. Transportation by Disney boats was good. Mears bus transportation to other parks was sketchy at best. We waited 25 minutes for bus to animal kingdom. First bus says, sorry just dropping off. Second bus, 10 minutes later says the same thing. The 10 folks that were waiting protested loudly and the driver relented and took us to the park. Pick up area at AK was not well defined. The bus driver had to come to waiting area to find all of us. Pool area was very crowded but nice. If you sat on the shade, which was hard to find, you were covered with tree debris. This stuff was also in the pool. More was expected for the $45 per day room fee. I think the parking fee was also $30 per night. Room was large and comfortable. Beds were very comfortable. Room facilities were dated. Tub shower, flush toilets, lack of USB ports. Walk to West elevator from our room was about 1/2 mile (literally). Great hours for convenience store on property. It was actually still open upon returning from parks. We got a very good deal through AAA for room fee, otherwise it would have been way overpriced. Would only go back for another very good deal. If you’re expecting a Disney hotel at the Dolphin, you’re not going to get that.
Employees need CS training, but hotel is nice
tammyfP4645NT (Johnstown, Pennsylvania) on Mar 15, 2024
Some of the employees were not helpful or friendly whatsoever. We didn't mind that there was not a lot of Disney carry over because the hotel was beautiful! The beds and linens were the most comfortable and luxurious! Extremely nice bathroom with amenities as well. Lots of choices for food (snacks to fancy restaurants) to choose from. Convenient close boat transportation to Epcot and Hollywood Studios - not so much for Magic Kingdom. It was annoying our last morning we left at 6 am to have a swim and grab a quick breakfast and they had deactivated our keys. We had a hell of a time getting them to work again - even after going to the front desk! Plus nobody really cared except us lol
Family Vacation
Rebekah H on Mar 13, 2024
We stayed six nights for a family trip. The staff were very friendly, the person who helped us at the concierge desk went above and beyond. We had to request housekeeping after they didn't show up after the first night. It was consistent after that. The beds were comfortable, rooms pretty clean- I did notice a lot of dust around the sprinkler. The shower pressure was amazing, and it stayed nice and hot. Our room was surprisingly quiet- I never felt like I was hearing other guests which was much better than a previous Disney hotel we stayed at. We had pizza from Picabu- it was decent, but pricey for what you get. The two staff members were yelling at each other when we arrived, that was a bit uncomfortable. We also ate at the Fountain and had a lovely experience. The food / service was great- so nice to have a fresh salad with grilled chicken after all the fried park food! I was disappointed in Fuel- the sandwiches are all pre made, so we were unable to get any individual orders for our younger, pickier eaters. The pool areas were all beautiful, and we always found a chair no problem. We ate at the cabana three times, always good food and service. The transportation was great! We especially loved the boat ride to Epcot and HS, so easy and quick. My only big complaint about this property was that we were there during a "Splunk" conference, and it really felt at times that they had overtaken the hotel. The first time we tried to eat at Fountain we were told it was a 45 minute wait- the room was ALL conference members. It felt like they should save some space for other hotel guests- especially with the resort fee they are charging. Overall, lovely stay, we would visit again.
Not as Good as it used to be
GeordiePeeler (Orlando, Florida) on Mar 09, 2024
This hotel for us has a great location walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood studios. We have stayed here many times over the last few years and have always enjoyed it. However having just spent two weeks here the standards have dropped. We felt like the hotel are just not interested in you unless you are a conference delegate. They will happily close resort facilities for conferences and still charge you a resort fee. They do not recognise or provide any of the Bonvoy member benefits. No room upgrades here, even though rooms are available, unless you pay extra. And no late checkout! And please don’t bother with the we’d love you to call us and discuss the issues response because in my experience that is just platitudes from the hotel management to persuade future customers you do care! There are other hotels nearby which provide much better value for money and an actual service.