The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin graciously hosted my stay while writing this blog post as well as articles for Disney Tips and additional Disney resort content for future freelance projects.
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is located in the EPCOT Resort Area in walking distance to both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well as Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. Designed by renowned architect Michael Graves, the resort features 2,270 guest rooms throughout a modern design and a full spread of amenities.
This resort is a go-to for guests planning most of their Disney trips around EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios as its super easy to get to either park from both the Swan and the Dolphin. It’s also a great alternative to Deluxe Disney Resorts (aka the priciest of the Disney-run resorts) where you can stay in the same area for a more approachable price point.
I’ve always thought this resort is just so beautiful and with its close proximity to EPCOT and array of amenities combined with its less-than-Disney-deluxe-level pricing it’s been on my list of places to stay for some time. I think for many guests (myself included) the more reasonable price point of the resort compared to its closest neighbors in the EPCOT Resort Area can be a huge draw for guests looking to be able to walk or take a boat to World Showcase.
Location-wise, this resort is an especially great pick when EPCOT has a festival going on. The close proximity means you can sleep in a little, enjoy room-service breakfast in bed, a sit-down breakfast at several restaurants at the resort or right in the area, or grab and go something from the lobby, before strolling into the park’s International Gateway Entrance between England and France.
Room Rates vs. Moderate/Deluxe Disney Rooms
As far as cost goes, you can find rooms at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin in the approximately $250/night range depending on the time of year. These rates are closer to Disney’s moderate prices, but they include the level of overall quality and amenities that would come with Disney’s deluxe pricing, making the Swan and Dolphin a truly great value.
This resort charges a mandatory service package fee (basically a resort fee) of $28 per night which includes in-room Wi-Fi, $25 off $100 worth of spa services, two bottles of water left in your room per day of your stay, unlimited access to their fitness club and daily fitness classes, a S’more Kit for each day of your stay for the nightly campfire and s’mores events, and complimentary 30-minute rides on the Swan Paddle Boats (which are adorable!).
Even with the additional $28/day, you’d be hard pressed to find similar pricing at a Disney deluxe resort, especially for the location that the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin provides. It’s also totally understandable, though, to feel that a resort fee is a resort fee, and I’d focus on the total cost of your stay rather than trying to make the extra fee make sense as the value will vary based on if you ride the swan boats, use the water, fitness classes, etc.
Disney Resort Guest Benefits
If you know me, you know I will only stay on Disney property if my entire trip will be spent at the theme parks. I’ve tried to stay off property thinking it would be such a deal and that the Uber rides and lack of Disney theming at the hotel would be worth it, but I’ve come to realize that is not the case for me. And speaking of Uber rides, the worst part about staying off property is the bus situation, where transportation to the theme parks is advertised but it’s really a bus schedule that only arrives at the most inopportune times so you end up losing a chunk of your park day.
While the Swan and Dolphin is not a Disney resort, none of those issues exist here. The transportation system is truly some of the best Walt Disney World has to offer because two parks are in walking distance, and the other two have direct bus routes that run on a continuous loop like every other Disney resort. (Perfection!)
The resort also includes several other benefits that are truly vital to making the most of your time in the parks these days, like Extra Magic Hours and early access to FastPass+ selections (60 days in advance), along with complimentary package pickup. (Complimentary package pickup, by the way, is one of the most under-utilized services Disney offers. You can shop to your heart’s content in the parks and have your items sent back to your resort instead of carrying them the rest of the day, it’s really the best.) I typically do not have a car when I’m in Disney, but if you do, Swan and Dolphin guests also have complimentary parking at the parks.
The only benefits you’d lose staying at the Swan and Dolphin are the Magical Express (complimentary bus service to and from the airport) and use of the Disney Dining Plan. Whether or not the Disney Dining Plan is worth it for you would warrant its own post, but I generally find that for most people it’s less expensive to just buy food out of pocket anyway. (You truly save on the dining plan when you’re ordering seafood and filet mignon left and right, if you aren’t tailoring your taste to the more expensive menu items, or if you’re a vegetarian, the value may not be there.)
Magical Express is a great perk for Disney Resort guests to take advantage of, there’s no denying that, so missing out on that is definitely one downside here. In terms of seeing the value of the Swan and Dolphin compared to the next door deluxe resorts, I’d factor in what an Uber ride to/and from the airport would cost or plan to take the Mears Shuttle which runs $15-25/person. (In either case, though, you’re still hundreds of dollars ahead of a comparable room rate at the Boardwalk Inn or Yacht and Beach Club.)
Dolphin Lobby & Room
During my recent stay, my room was located on the Dolphin side of the resort so this was where I spent the majority of my time. The resort went under a $140 million renovation in 2017 that completely revamped the Dolphin’s lobby, and the final result is absolutely stunning. It does have a more modern and understated vibe compared to a lot of Disney resort lobbies, but it’s somewhere that given the length of my stay I could see myself spending some time there.
The renovation of the lobby included the addition of Phins, a bar and lounge that features custom cocktails, and extensive wine lists, and the resort’s own Phins and Feathers beer. I can’t wait to spend more time here, and I’m already planning on coming back for Sunday brunch– their Sunday Sips menu features “brunch in a glass” with four varieties of Bloody Marys.
We stayed in a double room with a balcony and resort view, and while we loved our view of the resort and the lake along with the rest of the EPCOT Resort Area, I would hazard a guess that any of the rooms at the resort (balcony or not) all have lovely views. The option of having a room with a balcony in general is also nice to have as balconies are harder to come by at Disney resorts especially for a comparable price range.
Back to the inside of the rooms, the modern decor felt luxurious and welcoming, and we loved the conveniences of having bottled water in the room, and the beds at the resort are by without a doubt the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on at Disney (or probably any other hotel anywhere). The resort features the Heavenly Bed® and “Heavenly” is definitely the perfect way to describe it. I’m not one to sleep late during a Disney trip, but if you’re a late sleeper this is the way to do it. (Update: I actually bought this mattress for my new apartment, and can confirm I’m always getting a great night’s sleep!)
When we checked in we also noticed that the Smart TV in our room had streaming services like Netflix all ready for us on it (with your own login). At first we laughed thinking we wouldn’t be in the room enough to watch Netflix (and to be totally honest I almost never have the TV on at all when I’m in a hotel room). Having Netflix actually came in handy though because after a long day at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts we actually wanted to spend some time relaxing in the room. We spent the night watching High School Musical on Netflix and enjoying a delicious spread via room service and it was totally worth it to feel refreshed for the following day!
Dining at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin
Speaking of food, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin has 17 restaurants! We only spent two nights at the resort so we weren’t able to try them all, but the resort really does have something for everyone. I know a lot of guests who choose to stay elsewhere do so because they’re looking for a more “Disney” feeling resort, but the Disney character dining here is probably the best “deal” for character dining you can find anywhere. The Garden Grove hosts character dining for dinner and breakfast on weekends and it’s only $26 for adults and $17 for kids– if you’re a regular character diner you know that those prices are unheard of anywhere else.
We did have lunch at The Fountain that we really enjoyed, so if you are looking for a more casual non-character dining experience at this resort that’s definitely a nice option to have. As its name suggests this restaurant is a classic soda fountain featuring a menu of salads, burgers, and a few different sandwiches along with delicious milk shakes and sundaes. You don’t need to make reservations here which makes for a nice impromptu meal, something that is not always easy to come by at other table service restaurants around the Walt Disney World Resort.
For a more upscale dining experience, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin is home to a number of signature restaurants as well. We didn’t have time to check any of them out during this trip, but I have dined at Shula’s Steakhouse in the past and would highly recommend it–not only if you’re looking for an award-winning steak, but also if you’re a football fan since the restaurant is full of photos and memorabilia from the 1972 Miami Dolphins “Perfect Season.”
More to Explore
Since this was a quick weekend trip (in the winter) we didn’t have a chance to try out a lot of the resort’s recreational offerings and amenities like swimming pools. Although it was too cold for us to go for a swim, I’m sure these pools are the places to be at the resort in the warmer months. The resort has five pools along with plenty of outdoor activities like those Swan Boats I mentioned earlier, so if you do happen to stay here when the weather is right for it I would plan at least one day to spend by the pool.
We really enjoyed our stay at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin (in fact I’m already looking at planning another trip here again. I’d love to put a foodie trip in the works and stay here during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic.)
For me, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin is the ultimate resort for a trip focused on Epcot’s festivals. It’s a better deal than the other deluxe resorts in the area and it’s still a quick walk or boat ride right over to World Showcase.
I’m sure some guests also worry that the resort isn’t “Disney” enough, and I can understand that especially if you have young kids and you want to be surrounded by Disney at all times. That being said, the Disney factor may be more understated compared to Disney’s deluxe resorts, but the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin does still offer guests most of the same benefits as Disney resort guests, a character dining experience, and it even has a Disney planning center and Disney gift shop located right off the lobby.
I’m all about well-rounded reviews and I’d have to say the only real downside I see to the resort for me personally is the inability to take Disney’s Magical Express from the airport. In terms of cost, you’re still getting an excellent value staying at this resort and paying your own way from the airport. But, I really like taking the Magical Express because it’s so easy to just hop on the bus without paying anything extra at the airport, and where I arrive at the Walt Disney World alone I feel so comfortable getting right onto the Magical Express.
(It’s also worth noting, though, that this isn’t a knock on the resort. It’s Disney who limits which hotels can use Magical Express, and I’m sure it comes down to staffing or some other totally logical reason. But still, if there’s one thing I miss compared to my regular Disney resort stays, it’s Magical Express.)
Overall, I truly loved my stay and am excited to come back and check out more of the restaurants (and maybe even the swan boats!) on my next longer Disney trip. + Thanks again to the Swan and Dolphin for hosting me, and for the incredible service throughout my stay! 💙
