Boardwalk or YC vs Swan

[mickey+minnie91]

Hubby and I are going to WDW for the first time for our 30th anniversary in June. Trying to decided if we go for staying at a resort hotel vs staying at the more affordable Swan hotel. Aside from the ME, is there any other reason to choose either Boardwalk or YC over the Sawn?

 

[Karebear]

I haven't been during Covid, but I read that the Swan now outsources their transportation which means that the MK bus drops you at the transportation center and then you need to take the monorail or the boat to the MK which is a pain. Also you can charge things to your room with a Disney hotel and you can't do that at the Swan. YC is my favorite resort, so I would vote for that!

 

[olive]

We have stayed at the Swan (and Dolphin) and at YC, but not BW. We liked both. You can check out menus at the onsite restaurants and see which appeal to you more. The pool area at Swan is a bit more "adult" compared to Stormalong Bay at YC, and I preferred the food options/being able to order food and drinks from the pool area at the Swan. It is a shorter walk to DHS from the Swan, but I think about the same distance to Epcot from each. Check out which room styles you prefer, of course, between the two! We were able to have a fireworks view room when we stayed at Swan and Dolphin, though that may not be relevant when you visit, since at least for now there are no fireworks. We have had pretty poor luck with Disney transportation from the Epcot area resorts (other than walking! that always works ) so we preferred getting around by car over there anyway. We got an excellent rate when we stayed at YC so we tried it out, but usually we go with Swan or Dolphin when we want to stay in that area. We have stayed in those hotels many times and always had a positive experience. We had excellent service at both Swan (and Dolphin) and the YC. (When we choose to stay in the MK area, though, we have only stayed at monorail resorts. There really are no comparable options.)

Good luck with your choice! I don't think you can go wrong.

 

[NancyJoOliver]

I was just at the Swan. There is some construction going on there so you have to take this wooden path out to the pool. I wasn't thrilled. Plus the pool was shared by both the Dolphin and the Swan so it wasn't that enjoyable. But if you aren't a pool person, then it's a go. it's great for Epcot and HS, you can walk or boat. Its true they use a different bus company for the other two parks but that didn't matter, a bus is a bus is a bus. It showed up, took us to the park.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Happy anniversary! I've stayed at all three - Swan, YC, and BW (have stayed at BC too). I'd agree that you can't really go wrong with any of them. My personal preference is Yacht Club. I like the room decor, it seems a bit more "adult" to me than Beach Club or Boardwalk, I like the Marketplace and Ale & Compass, really enjoy Stormalong Bay as well as the quiet pools. I LOVE the restaurants over at Swan and Dolphin but those are a short walk from Yacht Club. Boardwalk is very nice but I don't love that you have to go down to the boardwalk for the Screen Door store or to the Bakery. I also really dislike the clown pool ... know that has changed and haven't visited BW since but I'm guessing regardless of the theme it's still pretty chaotic. The Swan is very nice but just misses that quintessential Disney vibe for me. I also like being able to charge purchases or meals to my room (can't charge to Swan from a Disney location), it's like it's not even real money...until you check out. All that said, depending on the room rates, I'd be perfectly happy to stay at the Swan again and am sure I will (when comparing just remember to factor in their resort fees) - also I typically have a car so the change in park transportation (Mears buses & I believe you also get dropped off further from the gate) doesn't bother me but could potentially be a concern.

 

[supamaki]

I don't know why anyone would pay the price for a Disney deluxe. The prices are so out of whack with reality it's staggering. 5 star hotels in NYC charge less and these are some of the finest hotels in the world.

Don't get me wrong, the YC/BC are wonderful hotels, but the prices they charge are abhorrent.

 

[Marthasor]

The Swan is lovely, IMHO. It has less of a convention resort feeling than Dolphin, IMHO and the rooms and beds are very comfortable. Swan/Dolphin also has a lovely pool area and some of the best restaurants on-property, IMHO. That being said, YC and BWI feel more "special" to me, so it really depends on how much more you are willing to spend for a more themed experience. If saving money is your top criteria, I would choose Swan in a heartbeat. If you want a more Disney-feel, I would go YC over BWI. I love the Boardwalk area but we have had some very loud rooms at BWI and you have to go outside to access any type of QS or TS restaurants. YC is nicely themed and is very low-key. I would also suggest looking into a studio at Beach Club Villas, if available. We love the villa building at BC - very quiet, a lovely quiet pool next to the building and super quick walking to EP, the Skyliner, the BC QS and the park buses.

 

[Martie Parker]

We have stayed at all multiple times (Swan/Dolphin/YC&BC) if it was my first time staying in that area then I would splurge on YC. I have never regretted staying “on property” as opposed to Swan/Dolphin. The restaurants, bars and lounges, and amenities are very similar, but there is something special about being on a Disney property in my opinion. Congratulations on your 30th anniversary we are celebrating our 38th this year!

 

[roydavid7771]

Considering it's your 30th anniversary trip, I'd head to the Swan. More adult themed hotel out of all of them in that area, and you can't beat the beds at a Westin. Prices are crazy at a Disney resort, but that's why we bought DVC so we can afford to stay at deluxe resorts every time we go.

 

[Nabas]

Hubby and I are going to WDW for the first time for our 30th anniversary in June. Trying to decided if we go for staying at a resort hotel vs staying at the more affordable Swan hotel. Aside from the ME, is there any other reason to choose either Boardwalk or YC over the Sawn?

We just got back from a stay at the Swan. The Grotto pool is surrounded by construction, which is loud and constant. I assume the construction will be over by the time the Swan Reserve opens this summer. If you are going after that, you'll be fine. However, if you plan to spend time at the pool, I would avoid the Swan and Dolphin until the construction is over.

 

[Tdisney]

If you get a much better price then the swan and dolphin are fantastic hotels. It is much less Disney and more adult themed than the others. I would rule out the boardwalk as you can walk over there easily if you want to take in the street shows which are a lot of fun. Besides that the hotel itself is not as nice as the Yacht Club. The restaurants are really good at the swan and dolphin but it is not a far walk from the yacht club. Il Mulino is one of our favorites. The pool at the yacht and beach club can not be beat. It is busy but they have a kids area that helps separate the really little ones from the rest and it is big enough where to us it doesn't seem that crowded in the pool itself. We are Beach Club DVC members and never regret staying there. They also have a great gift shop that has a pretty good quick service area. It is a closer walk to Epcot than Swan and Dolphin but further away from Hollywood. If money is not an issue my order would be Yacht , Swan, Boardwalk. Regardless, congrats on 30.