Cons to DIsney's Swan or Dolphin

[roydavid7771]

We stayed at the Swan for our honeymoon and furor last trip right before COVID. You can't beat the location, and the Heavenly Beds are to die for after a long day at the parks. One thing that stinks is that the buses now drop you off at the TTC rather than at the front gate of MK. Other than that, we've been very happy there.

 

[cindala]

The Swan & Dolphin are now managed by Marriott. If you are a Marriott Bonvoy Member or have the credit card, you can earn points for your stay here, or use your Bonvoy points towards free nights during your stay.

They also offer a AAA discount if you are a member, along with Senior, Corporate and Military discounts. I can see this when I log into Marriott.com. We own a Marriott Timeshare and as an owner benefit we get 25% off room rates at many Marriott hotels.

 

[cindala]

emmabelle,
Great price for the Dolphin on Hotwire! Was the resort hidden or did you know it was the Dolphin before you booked?

 

[yorkieteacher]

We checked them out when we stayed at Yacht Club in June. I thought they looked like Deluxe resorts at moderate prices-beautiful places. The location is great as far as Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Same water taxis as the Disney Epcot resorts and you can also walk to those. We ate at Blue Zoo and Il Mulano, and both were superior restaurants and on par with expensive Disney restaurants like Ale and Compass at the Yacht Club, They have a much bigger choice of restaurants than most Disney hotels. I don't think having magic bands or charging back to the room is that great a perk. Their pool is gorgeous, and you have free use of the Swan Boats in the lake. The Fantasia golf course is also just behind them. They are Marriott properties. Although we have used the Dining plan when it was available, we realized this last trip we were planning around maximizing the dining plan rather than where/what we wanted to eat. We are going to consider them next trip.

 

[mster425]

Hi! Just got back from a split stay at Yacht/BW/Swolphin (switched from Dolphin to Swan after 1 night)
Differences- double bed in Dolphin. Our kids are bigger than they used to be and these were not big enough.
Pool- the pool at the S/D was much colder than Disney pools (we were at S/D, SAB, and BW pool within 3 days of each other) and unguarded the day we were there- it was very busy, and the only lifeguard was at the top of the slide. Kids loved it and there were several hot tubs.
Coffee- better at S/D! The cold brew is La Colombe which is my favorite coffee anywhere.
General cleanliness- Disney. Sorry. The S/D had a huge convention and was overwhelmed. Noticeable at the Dolphin especially. In the 2.5 years since our last stay it seemed like the rooms have been a little neglected (mildew, lots of carpet stains, peeling paint)

Transportation: we had our own car, and it was way more annoying at s/d. You can't leave it unattended at s/d to bring your luggage up, so DH was bringing all our stuff up by himself and then coming back so I could bring up kids. Disney allows you the 20 minutes to unload. Way fewer parking spaces at S/D too.

Our 4 nights at the S/D was $700 cheaper than 4 nights at Yacht, but I would pay the extra next time I think. The pools, cleanliness, and ambiance and general less PITA.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

Michael Graves does not work for me. Blah!

 

[katyjeka]

Thanks for the review. I have had bad service at several Disney hotels as well..Our worst experience to date was at the GF. Terrible service and the room was not cleaned well. I guess my point bad experiences can happen anywhere. We love the Beach club but the pool was so crowded when we were there it was hard to enjoy. Hope you enjoyed your trip.

 

[starry_solo]

Since it's next year, it depends on whether you will be driving or flying. Regardless, unless you're staying on DVC points in a villa, you will be paying a parking fee at Disney hotels as well.

So, the resort fee. According to touringplans?, the resort fee covers: Guests receive in room high-speed internet, unlimited local and domestic calls, use of the hotel's fitness club, and two bottles of water.

You will want to do the Swan vs Dophin to get two queens instead of two doubles. I know for two people, a double is not good enough (I had to share one with a sibling when we were in DC in 2019 as that hotel we stayed at was the preferred hotel for an event!) I was like, why is this bed so small?!

It is near two theme parks, like Boardwalk and Beach Club/Yacht Club. It is closer to Hollywood Studios than EPCOT. They use the same friendship boats (pre-COVID).

 

[chalee94]

You will want to do the Dolphin vs. Swan to get two queens instead of two doubles.

It is actually the Swan which has the 2 queen beds:

 

[starry_solo]

It is actually the Swan which has the 2 queen beds:



View attachment 587428

Oops, I will go fix my posting.

 

[Ss77]

So I just booked the swan yesterday for President’s week. I already have a package for boardwalk inn. We’ve stayed at the swan a few times and always had a great time, but I can’t help but miss the little Disney feel. Although I can’t pass up the $ 3,500 difference.. I know I should cancel my Disney package but I just keep wishing for a special offer, it’s not looking to good
I know it seems silly, considering the swan is rt there and still has the nest location which is our favorite! We just stayed at the yacht club this past April but SB is a must in hot weather. Please someone tell me that I would be crazy not to stay at the swan.. thank you!

 

[katyjeka]

Swan/Dolphin - Rate for us this December is less than moderate at Disney owned hotel. Savings to us is a couple thousand dollars including parking and fees.(We need 2 rooms) We still get extra hours and can walk in a couple minutes to Boardwalk and use Disney transportation if needed. We can walk to two parks. Some of the best restaurants in the area. Quieter and more relaxed pool areas. Kids love the swan boats. Could care less about magic bands and package delivery. The biggest pro - two thousand plus extra dollars in our pockets!!!!
Cons - NONE

 

[sophy1996]

So I just booked the swan yesterday for President’s week. I already have a package for boardwalk inn. We’ve stayed at the swan a few times and always had a great time, but I can’t help but miss the little Disney feel. Although I can’t pass up the $ 3,500 difference.. I know I should cancel my Disney package but I just keep wishing for a special offer, it’s not looking to good
I know it seems silly, considering the swan is rt there and still has the nest location which is our favorite! We just stayed at the yacht club this past April but SB is a must in hot weather. Please someone tell me that I would be crazy not to stay at the swan.. thank you!

For $3,500 difference, for nothing extra in concrete terms, absolutely no way would I consider the Boardwalk. Look at it this way—Disney has no incentive to offer specials if the resort is booked anyway. If you cancel, you may help give them that incentive.

 

[Ss77]

Very true The prices are out of control