Walt Disney World Dolphin
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| Walt Disney World Dolphin | ||
Epcot Resort Area |
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The Walt Disney World Dolphin is a resort hotel designed by architect Michael Graves located between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios next to Disney's BoardWalk Resort area. It opened in June, 1990 and is joined to its sister hotel, the Walt Disney World Swan (also designed by Graves) by a palm-tree lined promenade splitting a lagoon. The Dolphin, located on Disney property, is an official Disney Hotel but is operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide under the Sheraton Hotels brand.
The Dolphin and Swan share similar whimsical elements, but each has a distinctive appearance. The Dolphin is composed of a 257 foot tall triangular tower bisecting a 12-story rectangular mass with four 9-story wings on the Swan-side of the structure. The roof of each half of the main mass is adorned with a 56-foot tall Dolphin statue. On the main colored facade there is a turquoise banana-leaf pattern echoed by a similar wave pattern on the Swan.
A strange aspect of the Dolphin hotel is that the statues on the roof are clearly not (mammal) dolphins but a stylized version of a nautical dolphin, a common symbol used on old world nautical maps. The design of the creatures is based on Triton Fountain in Rome, which was designed by Gianlorenzo Bernini around 1643.
Restaurants at the Dolphin include: Shula's Steak House and Shula's Lounge, the Fresh Mediterranean Market, and Todd English's BlueZoo. There is over 329,000 square feet of meeting space for conferences between the two resorts.
In 2006, the Dolphin and Swan underwent an over $135 million dollar renovation to their lobbies and 2265 guestrooms. In addition, the renovation added more shopping as well as the Mandara Spa.
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[edit] Rooms
All rooms include either a king bed or two double size beds, hair dryer, bath robes, 27" TV with Cable, High Speed Internet (extra charge), coffee maker and iron & ironing board. Non-smoking rooms available.
[edit] Hotel amenities
Hotel amenities include room service, on-site fine dining, and workout room.
[edit] Dining
[edit] Casual
- Cabana Bar and Grill - Poolside grill
- The Fountain - Malt shop
- Fresh Mediterranean Market - Breakfast and lunch
- Picabu - Cafeteria
- Splash Grill - Indoor poolside
- Splash Terrace - Seasonal poolside
[edit] Fine dining
- Todd English's bluezoo - Seafood
- Il Mulino New York Trattoria - Italian
- Shula's Steak House - Steak and seafood
- Kimonos - Japanese
- Garden Grove - Family
[edit] History
[edit] Walt Disney World privileges
Dolphin guests enjoy full transportation benefits to all Walt Disney World locations. Length-of-stay passes are available, as is package delivery from shops across the resort. Dolphin guests also enjoy Extra Magic Hours at certain theme parks on certain days. Room charging (using hotel key as a credit card at Walt Disney World) is not available and hotel restaurants do not participate in any Disney dining plans or discounts.
[edit] External links
- Home Page for Swan & Dolphin
- Dolphin resort page at Sheraton website
- Dolphin Resort Official Site. Walt Disney World. Retrieved on May 2, 2006.
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| Location | Deluxe | Moderate | Value | Deluxe Villa / Disney Vacation Club |
| Magic Kingdom Resort Area |
Grand Floridian Resort Polynesian Resort Contemporary Resort Wilderness Lodge Shades of Green |
None | None | Villas at Wilderness Lodge |
| Epcot Resort Area |
BoardWalk Inn Yacht Club Resort Beach Club Resort Walt Disney World Swan Walt Disney World Dolphin |
Caribbean Beach Resort | None | BoardWalk Villas Beach Club Villas |
| Downtown Disney Resort Area |
None | Port Orleans French Quarter Port Orleans Riverside |
None | Old Key West Resort Saratoga Springs Resort |
| Disney's Animal Kingdom Resort Area |
Animal Kingdom Lodge | Coronado Springs Resort | All-Star Music Resort All-Star Sports Resort All-Star Movies Resort |
Animal Kingdom Villas |
| Wide World of Sports Resort Area |
None | None | Pop Century Resort | None |
| Campsites and cabins | Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground | |||
| Hotel Plaza | Best Western • Doubletree • Regal Sun Resort • Hilton • Holiday Inn • Royal Plaza • Buena Vista Palace | |||
