I have always had my doubts about the Swan/Dolphin due to those on this forum who say that they're "not Disney enough," lack the "Disney perks" of the on-site resorts, and are "eyesores" you can see from Epcot. Last summer, while hunting for discounts for a trip during the height of the summer season, I realized that my teacher discount at the Swolphin would bring the price of a room there down below what I'd pay to be at Port Orleans Riverside, my moderate resort of choice. So I booked the Dolphin, thinking it was worth a shot and that experiencing the Boardwalk area might be nice.
My experience there was so awesome...I will NEVER look back! The Dolphin will for sure be our go-to hotel for all Disney trips from here on out, unless some huge discounts or magically unlikely mid-summer free dining happens.
It was our anniversary, and we were magically upgraded to a deluxe alcove room upon check-in. We had two separate balconies and an incredible view of the Epcot fireworks at night. We paid just over $200/night for our room, including the resort fees, with my teacher discount. I shudder to think what a comparable room with a fireworks view would have cost at a Disney-owned deluxe resort.
The location of the resort cannot be beat. The walk to Epcot is 10-15 minutes on a 98-degree day with nearly 100% humidity...meaning that in more tolerable weather you could be there in 10 minutes tops. Maybe we got lucky, or maybe it was some more Disney anniversary magic at work, but the way rope drop was set up coming through the International Gateway allowed us to be the VERY first people on Soarin' during our Epcot day. Talk about convenient park access. The friendship boats to both Epcot and DHS were also extremely convenient and easy to use, and in spite of others' complaints we had absolutely no trouble getting to AK for their rope drop in the morning and to/from Downtown Disney on the buses. Again, this was at the smack-dab during summer season in early August.
The theming honestly didn't bother me at all. The resort is beautiful, the grotto pool is beyond awesome (I'd say even better than Stormalong Bay a the Beach/Yacht Club down the Boardwalk!) and the accommodations are plush. Like a PP said, I don't need hidden Mickeys all over my bedspread to make me feel immersed in Disney...fireworks out my window do that just fine!
No, you cannot do the dining plan at the Swan/Dolphin, and you do not have access to Magical Express. That said, Mears got us to the resort very efficiently on the morning of our arrival, and DH and I have never found paying for the dining plan to be a good value for us anyway. The specific perks of the Swan/Dolphin more than made up for this in our eyes.
Like I said...unless Disney gives me a really good reason to, I'll never stay anywhere else!