Hello Leslie,
October is one of my favorite times of year to go to Disney World.
(Although I'll admit, there's really not a time of year when I don't
like to go!) The weather's fantastic. And I have found crowd levels to
be really manageable. And on many nights, there's
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!
I have not personally stayed at the Dolphin. But my friend and her family love it there. Plus, I am a big fan of the
BoardWalk so being walking distance to it and a huge perk!
But if you're planning on only visiting one Theme Park during your trip
and it's the
Magic Kingdom, I would suggest maybe looking at other
Resorts. You can walk to the Magic Kingdom from the
Contemporary Resort. And the Park is just a quick Monorail ride away from the
Grand Floridian or the
Polynesian Resort. By staying at one of these Resorts, you'll save some travel time - which means more time inside Magic Kingdom...or if you choose, more time at the pool!
Hope this helps!