Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort — Hotel in Bay Lake

Before I even start this review I just want to say this is my first negative review I've ever written about a place - it takes a lot for me to do this.

The benefit of staying at the Dolphin is absolutely the location. I chose this property because I last stayed here in 2014 and I was wowed by the resort. Unfortunately, since then - it has gone downhill and I will not stay here again nor recommend it to anyone else visiting Disney.

I indicated on both our reservation as well as check in that we were celebrating our honeymoon. There was no selection for a king/double in our reservation request (I double checked my confirmation email too), but I would have assumed that indicating that we were celebrating our honeymoon, we would be assigned to a king. I was wrong. They assigned us a double bed so that my new husband and I had to sleep in separate beds all week. When I asked to change due to the fact we were on our honeymoon, they told me that the hotel was fully booked and that the best they can do is move us the next day and we'd lose our view. At this point, I really just didn't want to ruin our stay with an argument so we accepted our room accommodations of two doubles.

Our room itself needed updating, but I know there is a major renovation beginning its work so I am less concerned about that. It had not been vacuumed, and crumbs were all over the floor from the previous guests. However, the sheets were sparkling clean so that was great.

Room service was good and tasty as we ordered in one night. I also liked the addition of the Fuel stop and it was extremely handy for coming in and out of the parks as well as a coffee in the morning!

The new addition of Rosa Mexicano was odd considering the previous buffet had done well. They took out Fresh and basically anything fresh that came with it, literally. Not worth the exponential price for the buffet of items that are left under a heat lamp. The breakfast buffet used to have fresh omelettes, pancakes and waffles, made by a person right in front of you - all of those items just were hard and not good. Peekabu, the grab-and-go buffet downstairs, had the friendliest staff ever, however, a 14% service fee is just absolutely crazy. My husband and I are tip happy people, but putting a sneaky 14% fee without warning is just diabolical. A simple breakfast of eggs, bacon, a waffle and coffee for two cost us $90.

Mandara Spa was great, absolutely no notes there - pure perfection. I believe Bridgit was my massage therapist and she deserves so much praise - best massage ever.

My final issue was the connection between Disney and the hotel. We were told by the park employees that we would be able to ship our lightsaber/droid back home (which added up to a $500 value) through the Dolphin, but when we approached the concierge the night before our departure, we were told it's not possible. Thank goodness we had family that live in Kissimmee that could hold our items until the next time we are down there - we had an early AM departure the next day and we wouldn't have time to stop by a UPS store (even though we shouldn't have to - we were told by Disney CM that this was a perk of staying at a Disney resort). It should also be noted that last time I stayed at the Dolphin in 2014, they DID ship my Disney memorabilia back home to NJ for me, so I know this was indeed something that should have been offered.

Overall, the hotel is fine if you're not staying for Disney. It has truly turned itself into a corporate/conference resort. Which I knew they had the conference center previously, but please stop advertising yourself as a Disney resort and warn your guests that it's not what it used to be. It is incredibly frustrating for those trying to experience the magic of Disney (especially on...

My family and I stayed at the Dolphin Resort in July for a quick 2-night stay, following a 7-night stay at another Disney resort. We booked this as a bonus to extend our park access and enjoy a more deluxe experience. We transferred over via a Minnie Van, which was smooth and convenient.||Upon arrival, our driver kindly went to get us a luggage cart since we had several bags. However, a hotel staff member informed us that guests are not allowed to use luggage carts themselves and that all bags must go through bell services. While I understand this may be policy, it felt a bit inconvenient, especially since we were just checking in. I asked if I could simply borrow the cart, but was told that wasn’t permitted. So I ended up leaving my family waiting outside while I checked in.||The check-in itself was quick, and the front desk staff member found us two rooms next to each other, which I appreciated. However, there was little to no explanation about the hotel, amenities, or even a map—something we’ve come to expect at other Disney properties.||We were placed on the second floor, which we later realized is essentially the basement level. Our room had a porthole-style window that faced directly into a palm tree, completely obstructing any view. One of the reasons we chose the Dolphin was for the views, so this was a bit of a letdown. Given we were only staying for two nights, we decided not to request a room change to avoid the hassle of moving our luggage again—especially since I had to manually bring it all down myself after declining bell services.||The rooms were clean, but the beds were full-size—not ideal for our party. We later found out the Swan offers queen-size beds, which would’ve been better suited for my tall father (6’3”). Something to keep in mind when booking.||We headed to the pool that afternoon, and while it looked nice, it felt a bit chaotic. Seating was limited, and the towel process was a bit odd—you needed your room key to check them out, but returning them wasn’t necessary. There were guests eating and drinking directly in the pool, which made the atmosphere feel more like a party than a family-friendly resort experience.||Transportation was another area where the Dolphin fell short for us. Unlike Disney-operated resorts, the Dolphin uses third-party transportation, which means longer wait times and less direct routes. For Magic Kingdom, we were dropped off at the Ticket & Transportation Center, then had to transfer to the monorail. Disney buses, by contrast, take you directly to the park entrance—something to consider if you're on a tight schedule.||We also took advantage of the Extended Evening Hours, which are supposed to be a great perk for deluxe resort guests. Unfortunately, it didn’t feel worth it. We only managed to get on one ride due to wait times—one line was 65 minutes long—and while we entered another queue just before park closing, we didn’t get on the ride until afterward. Many shops and attractions were already closed during these extended hours, which was surprising. You’d expect the full experience to be available during a special benefit like that, but it felt like a watered-down version of regular park time.||Dining options at the Dolphin were also limited. If you’re looking for quick service or grab-and-go breakfast options beyond just a bagel, you may be disappointed.||Overall, while the Dolphin may appeal to those who haven’t stayed at a Disney-operated resort before, for us, it lacked the signature "Disney magic" we’ve come to expect. The staff didn’t feel as warm or welcoming, and the experience just didn’t match the standard we’ve enjoyed elsewhere on property. Unfortunately, we likely won’t...

The hotel itself is old and rundown and the workers are just not happy. This was my second time staying here and will be my last. It was a absolute horror show

I stayed at the family outcove room last year around the same time. For the price and where you are we had to no issues with check in or check out and the room was fantastic. We decided to book it again this year.

It was the total opposite of the check in last year. The front desk person was totally clueless and initially was arguing we did not have a reservation despite having multiple confirmations. We finally got it sorted out and left our bags with the bell hop and walked over to Epcot for our first park day as we arrived early.

At about 11am we got a text our room was ready and headed over at 1 to check it out and so my kids could rest. The bellhop couldn't find out bags despite us having a ticket. 30 minutes of back and fourth suddenly they're located and we make our way to our room in the East Tower (had West last year).

The moment I got off the elevator I knew this wasn't going to be good. I felt like I was in the twilight zone compared to last year this floor felt like a motel 6. The carpet was worn, it was hot and incredibly muggy. I opened the door and was slammed in the face by mildew smell. It was so horrible. We left the room and came back again a few hours later hoping it maybe would improve and tried to tough it out but between the smell and the doors not closing properly (assuming they were swollen from the humidity) we called the front desk.

About 2 hours and 30 minutes later (this is now 930 at night) a worker from house keeping comes. This poor guy speaks 0 english and starts spraying some sort of cleaner or liquid all over the room. With what little Spanish we speak we explain it's not going to work stand by the vent and he smells it and leaves. Another hour goes by and he knocks on the door and on a piece of paper is written "your room will be changed".

So next morning we get up at 6, repack bring everything down to the bell hop and go do a park. Our new room was in the west Tower, smelled better but was beat to hell. The bathroom door got stuck closed and I had to essentially rip it open to get my wife out. The carpet again was worn and dirty and the main door itself didn't properly close.

We leave dolphin to transfer to Riverside for 2 days, and dolphin says they can transfer our bags. Somehow they wind up transferring them to animal Kingdom Lodge, they send someone to correct it and he transfers them from animal Kingdom to carribean Beach. We request the driver's phone number because we need these bags. The dolphin claims he has no phone. At this point it's 630 and 4 of our party has a flight to catch. Finally the bell service at river side steps in and the bags arrive at 715. The delivery driver again spoke no English and is matching letters on tickets to confirm, then PULLS OUT A PHONE to take a picture of the bags. He then repeats the process for the other batch of bags further delaying us.

Overall this was one of the worst expirences I have ever had. We had to spend an hour repacking our luggage, getting it picked up and then come back from the park and spend another 2 going to the new rooms. I feel like I must have gotten extremely lucky last year as my parents room as well was disgusting. I know some people luck out but this hotel seems really hit or miss and I would avoid it because for the small discount it's not worth the coin toss of will you get the motel 6 room or nice...