YAY your post made me so happy!!! Your husband sounds amazing, first off, and you definitely should do it!
I am a reverse visitor - DLR is home, but we've been to WDW 3 times in the past 10 years, last in July 2019. We're apparently fully addicted because I booked the Swan for June 2021, but that's another story...
I am a diehard only stay onsite at WDW person normally, but I am not totally sure how worth it that experience is right now. A lot of the perks (EMH, convenient park hopping, making FP+ reservations early) aren't there right now. BUT....the WDW experience is really about being in the bubble. So it's a tough call. I think the Dolphin is a really great choice (and a good compromise since it's "semi" on site), as long as you're going in realizing that the experience in the Boardwalk area is very different right now. No resort area friendship boats, a lot of things are closed, etc. On the other hand, I have seen some really cool recent pictures over on the WDW boards of a deserted Boardwalk area at night that makes me want to jump on a plane tomorrow! Side note - I know someone mentioned the resort fee. Was $850 the final total? If so, the resort fee should be included in that. When I booked Swan, I noticed it was included in the total (it was part of the price breakdown on the final page). Another side note - I'm pretty sure Marriott points can be used to book the Courtyard on Harbor by DLR...at least, that's what we're planning to do with them if we do end up sticking with the Swan.
If you do stay at the Dolphin, I recommend the YC/BC Movies Under the Stars out on the beach by BC. We stayed at YC last summer and watched A Goofy Movie out there and it was so fun! They didn't check to see if you were a guest at the resort - I'm pretty sure those are open to anyone. I just checked the YC/BC resort thread and it looks like they're still having those a few nights a week.
For information specific to the Dolphin resort area right now, I recommend checking out the Boardwalk, Yacht/Beach, and Swan/Dolphin threads on the Resorts board. They are all VERY active with lots of posts from people currently staying at those resorts, and you should be able to find out exactly what things look like in that area right now.
Swan/Dolphin:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...tion-questions.3264274/page-581#post-62305636
YC/BC:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...-updated-info-on-page-1-post-1-13-14.3400342/
BW (only the villas are open right now):
https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...tion-questions.3344344/page-525#post-62286986
As a solo, I'm assuming you'll be doing lots of rides so, here's what I would be sure NOT to miss at each of the parks as a DLR vet:
MK: Seven Dwarves Mine Train is so fun. Normally I would say Monsters Inc and People mover, but I think those are both closed.
AK: To me, THIS is the must do park for you. It's so different from anything in CA. FOP is by far the best ride I've ever experienced. Navi is beautiful. Everest is also amazing!! Dinosaur is really fun (though Indiana Jones is better, IMO)
HS: Everything in Toy Story Land!!! I am obsessed! Even TSMM is worth going on, even though the ride is identical to the DCA version, because the line is SO cool! It's so much better themed than the DCA version. RNRC is super fun, too. And of course there's the TOT classic version. I've never been to their Galaxy's Edge since it wasn't opened yet last I went. OH! Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is there! Definitely do that!
Personally, Epcot is my favorite Disney park....but with all the construction in future world right now, I am sad to say that you are probably making the right call forgoing it in favor of the others. Plus, World Showcase is kind of an anemic version of itself right now since the international program CMs aren't there.
Transportation - From my limited reading on the WDW boards, it seems like there is ME, but you're right, Dolphin doesn't get it anyway. It also seems like there are buses, and Dolphin does get those. We've never rented a car at WDW and we've never needed one, but of course that was pre-COVID. If you stay at the Dolphin you can walk to HS and Epcot (if you decide to go) very easily. We took buses to MK, AK, and DS from YC last summer. I'm not sure how that is going right now, but I know the resort threads or this thread about current experiences might be a good place to look:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/h...ng-experiences.3807247/page-100#post-62243681
If you stay at the Dolphin, you also have very easy access to the Skyliner since there's a station right at the International Gateway. That's an option as well if you want to take it to HS or maybe go check out Riviera, Pop/AOA, or Caribbean Beach.
If you want any food recommendations, let me know. I am pretty obsessed with WDW food.
Or if you have any other questions or just want to discuss. DLR might be my first love, but I love WDW a whole lot, too.
ETA: I just read that FL bars can open this week at 50%, which maybe means that Jellyrolls, the dueling piano bar on the Boardwalk, will be open when you're there. We are not bar people and we don't even drink, but we loved Jellyrolls. The piano players are so crazy talented!