Booked at the Swan (Convince me I will love it)

[Barb0307]

I booked the Swan for December of this year and I'm nervous. I just read where buses to Magic Kingdom don't take you to the front of the park, they take you to the TTC, which I just feel is a hassle. Wondering if this should be a dealbreaker, or if the resort is worth the inconvenience. I also read where resort mugs aren't refillable here either. Any advice?

 

[disneydreamer1980]

It’s a great location at a great price and you get the deluxe extra hours. If you want you could always take the bus to MK from one of the neighboring resorts.

 

[L.K.]

It's all a matter of your priorities. On the plus side, you can walk (or take a boat, which is pretty reliable) to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios from the Swan. Generally, Swan/Reserve/Dolphin are less $ with the same benefits as Disney Deluxe resorts, including extended evening hours at both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT (on certain nights). I still remember the first time I took the ferry from the TTC to Magic Kingdom and seeing Cinderella's Castle come closer and closer. It made my heart sing and still does so being dropped off at the TTC isn't necessarily a deterrent. However, if you prefer to be dropped off right at Magic Kingdom, you can walk (or take the boat) to one of the other Crescent Lake resorts (Boardwalk, Beach Club or Yacht Club) and take a bus from there to Magic Kingdom. Swan/Reserve/Dolphin has some really great restaurants.

So, it really depends on what is important to you. Maybe you care not a whit about any of the things I mentioned. In that case, the Swan may not be right for your trip. Otherwise, I think the Swan (or its sister resorts) are hard to top for a balance of amenities within a reasonable (by Disney standards) budget.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Here is a link to the Swolphin thread. You need to spend some time over there as these are common questions. Swolphin is owned by Marriott, not Disney. They do not accept Disney payments like magic bands or gift cards- and they do not accept Disney Resort Mugs.

 

[weather_lady]

We stayed at the Dolphin a couple of years ago, after realizing we could book a 2-room suite there with a AAA discount for half the price of the standard room we'd booked at the Polynesian (also discounted). While I missed the "Disney-ness" you see in the theming of the Disney-owned resorts, that was the only downside. Our room was clean and comfortable, we got free bottled water every day, the pool was spectacular, and all other amenities were comparable to Disney deluxe. We could walk or take Friendship Boats to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT (particularly convenient for HS, where Swan/Dolphin is the last pick-up to, and first drop-off from, HS), and if we were headed to MK, we strolled over to Boardwalk for a morning snack and rode the Boardwalk buses to MK. For AK, we took the Swan/Dolphin's own buses.

 

[Marthasor]

I booked the Swan for December of this year and I'm nervous. I just read where buses to Magic Kingdom don't take you to the front of the park, they take you to the TTC, which I just feel is a hassle. Wondering if this should be a dealbreaker, or if the resort is worth the inconvenience. I also read where resort mugs aren't refillable here either. Any advice?

Swan isn't a WDW resort, so WDW refillable mugs do not work there. Swan/Dolphin are the biggest bang for your buck on-property, IMHO (we prefer the Swan). As others have said - clean, comfortable rooms, great restaurants and fantastic convenience to EP and DHS, typically, at a fraction of the cost of a WDW deluxe room. For MK, we either walk to YC or Boardwalk or take a Minnie Van. To come back, we just hop on at BWI or BC/YC bus - we enjoy walking the Boardwalk, so don't see it as a huge inconvenience. You can take the AK bus from Swan and just take a BWI, BC/YC bus back or Minnie Van or lyft. The cost savings are worth any type of inconvenience to us. Plus, we are Marriott Bonvoy members, so enjoy accumulating our points there. You didn't mention this, but, if you booked Swan through Disney, I would re-price and book directly through Marriott or by calling the Swan directly.

 

[Dave006]

I booked the Swan for December of this year and I'm nervous...Any advice?

Only issue we have noticed over the last 30 years is that since the Swan / Dolphin resorts are conference resorts. If they are holding a large conference during your visit you may notice busy times at the onsite bars and restaurants.

Dave

 

[jsbowl16]

Swan isn't a WDW resort, so WDW refillable mugs do not work there. Swan/Dolphin are the biggest bang for your buck on-property, IMHO (we prefer the Swan). As others have said - clean, comfortable rooms, great restaurants and fantastic convenience to EP and DHS, typically, at a fraction of the cost of a WDW deluxe room. For MK, we either walk to YC or Boardwalk or take a Minnie Van. To come back, we just hop on at BWI or BC/YC bus - we enjoy walking the Boardwalk, so don't see it as a huge inconvenience. You can take the AK bus from Swan and just take a BWI, BC/YC bus back or Minnie Van or lyft. The cost savings are worth any type of inconvenience to us. Plus, we are Marriott Bonvoy members, so enjoy accumulating our points there. You didn't mention this, but, if you booked Swan through Disney, I would re-price and book directly through Marriott or by calling the Swan directly.

Good point about the mugs. We bought them from Beach Club while staying at the Swan since we go to Epcot every night we are there. We would get a drink on the way into Epcot at Beach Club and then stop and get another on the way back to The Swan each night. Still saved us a nice chunk of money over a week long trip.

 

[Dave006]

We bought them from Beach Club while staying at the Swan since we go to Epcot every night we are there. We would get a drink on the way into Epcot at Beach Club and then stop and get another on the way back to The Swan each night.

FYI, you can also use your purchased Disney Resort refillable mugs at any Disney resort during your stay.

Dave

 

[Frugal Fairy Tales]

We stayed at the Swan recently for a long weekend and visited all four parks. So easy to get to HS and Epcot. Easy walk to Boardwalk. Buses to AK and MK no problem. Being dropped off at the TTC was not the issue I thought it would be… the TTC was very organized, we breezed through security, took the express monorail and were in MK for early entry. Swan location overall is quite good. We don’t do refillable mugs so not an issue for us.

 

[Frugal Fairy Tales]

The Swan is a great location (unless you are mostly interested in MK). It doesn’t have to look like Disney when I’m sleeping.

 

[jtopp]

Beautiful resort. Lack of refillable mugs pales in comparison to the other perks of a deluxe resort. Transportation is good to all locations, with minimal wait. The ability to get deluxe perks for a moderate price makes it worth the while.

 

[clapton]

Have never stayed at the Swan, but stayed at the Dolphin many times over the years and always loved it! Great location, great restaurants and pools. Don’t be nervous you’ll have a great time staying there! Enjoy!

 

[GoofyDad_4427]

The Swan is a great location (unless you are mostly interested in MK). It doesn’t have to look like Disney when I’m sleeping.

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

One of the best pools in all of Disney. Love the Swan too and will take it one step further. It DOES feel like a Disney resort. It's got a Floridian/Caribbean vibe. And you're on the lake. And can see all the other Disney resorts. What's the real difference? No hidden Mickeys? Oh well. If someone didn't tell you it was a Marriott you absolutely could buy the idea that it was a low key themed Disney resort a la OKW or a remote building of Caribbean Beach. Much prettier building than Contemporary for 1/4 of the price! Just my opinion.

 

[Halle]

We stayed at the Dolphin a couple of years ago, after realizing we could book a 2-room suite there with a AAA discount for half the price of the standard room we'd booked at the Polynesian (also discounted). While I missed the "Disney-ness" you see in the theming of the Disney-owned resorts, that was the only downside. Our room was clean and comfortable, we got free bottled water every day, the pool was spectacular, and all other amenities were comparable to Disney deluxe. We could walk or take Friendship Boats to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT (particularly convenient for HS, where Swan/Dolphin is the last pick-up to, and first drop-off from, HS), and if we were headed to MK, we strolled over to Boardwalk for a morning snack and rode the Boardwalk buses to MK. For AK, we took the Swan/Dolphin's own buses.

Do you book through AAA or Marriott?

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

We stayed at Swan/Dolphin several times over the years when we are running low of DVC points. It's a nice hotel for the price. The location makes it a great deal most of the time. Our latest trip in April for our MK day we took a Minnie Van which was $36.99 and took 11m.

 

[Dave006]

Do you book through AAA or Marriott?

or Reservations: Contact Marriott at 1-888-828-8850 and ask for promotional code AAA RATE or when booking online, make sure Promotional Code AAA appears in the Corporate/Promo code box. Valid AAA or CAA card required at check-in to receive this offer.

https://swandolphin.com/offers/

Dave

 

[Halle]

or Reservations: Contact Marriott at 1-888-828-8850 and ask for promotional code AAA RATE or when booking online, make sure Promotional Code AAA appears in the Corporate/Promo code box. Valid AAA or CAA card required at check-in to receive this offer.

https://swandolphin.com/offers/

Dave

Thank you.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I booked the Swan for December of this year and I'm nervous. I just read where buses to Magic Kingdom don't take you to the front of the park, they take you to the TTC, which I just feel is a hassle. Wondering if this should be a dealbreaker, or if the resort is worth the inconvenience. I also read where resort mugs aren't refillable here either. Any advice?

Swan and Dolphin are our go to resorts for the location and transportation options. They're the best location properties for the price at disney world as you won't usually beat their rates for the other epcot area resorts, sometimes it can be close but not usually. No mugs, it's not a disney owned property, it's Marriott. But you get the deluxe disney resort benefits. You will get ETPE and deluxe evening hours when offered. The only "snag" is that you do want to double and triple check your Swan reservation in MDE and make sure it's in there before and during your trip so you can book your G+ reservations. For some reason, the S/D reservations have a tendency to disappear out of MDE.

I don't think the MK bus is bad, you have a few options-

1. just pad in 10-25 min for your bus ride. We don't mind the extra stop at TTC and you can ride the monorail or ferry to the park, it's not that bad, sometimes it's not a long wait and sometimes it can take longer. If you need to be somewhere by a certain time, plan a minnie van or pad in a good bit extra.
2. Walk to BC/YC/BW and hop on their bus, you can do this coming/going but it just adds time to the walk, so it's kind of like splitting hairs, do you want to walk and still potentially wait or just make an extra trip?

Unless you are only visiting MK, I can't see any real negatives to staying at the Swan. The location is awesome for your epcot/dhs days, it's definitely worth the location. Taking the boat/walking are so nice and easy. It's got great dining options, a nice quick service and much better rooms than some of the comp priced disney resorts. The only other real tangible negative of swan is that it's not a disney resort, so it's not CM working there and it's not really a disney feel for some people.