CS Tower standard view vs Swan Balcony resort view

[geetey]

Two adults traveling to WDW in late October and room availability is limited. I have secured a reservation for CS Gran Destino Tower standard view room. In the never-ending search for a better deal, I found a package for a Swan Balcony resort view room that includes the resort fee. We haven't been to WDW since Aug 2019.

Pros of Coronado:

• magical express
• magic bands (we like using them) and the ability to charge to your room
• Disney theming - that Disney "bubble"
• everything is already loaded to MDE

Cons of Coronado:

• bus system - we've stayed here twice before the addition of the Tower and the wait for buses can be long
• I have a bucket list goal of staying at every WDW resort and we've already stayed here
• location - only doing 1/2 day at AK so it is further from the parks we are focused on
• costs more that Swan deal

Pros of Swan:

• cheaper
• location for Food and Wine as well as Ratatouille and Galaxy's Edge
• I don't really count it as a WDW resort so it doesn't really check off my bucket list

Cons of Swan:

• no magical express - will need uber/lyft to and from airport
• magic bands serve no purpose - will need to carry keycard and room key
• I've read that the Swan bus stops at the TTC on the way to MK (not sure if that will still be happening in October and know we can walk over to BW or YC)
• Biggest con - Non-refundable Non-changeable

I get that my pros and cons lists are rather silly. The non-refundable non-changeable part is what's really holding me back. I have never booked through Costco Travel. Anyone have an argument to swing me one way versus the other? Please help this over-researcher decide! Swan package expires soon!

If you've read this entire post, thanks for hanging with me. Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Dug720]

Putting aside the non-refundable/non-changeable (which yes, is a BIG con), my personal con about Swan/Dolphin/Reserve is that it is Marriott. I've had too many bad experiences with that company in the past.

I would also not count on being able to walk over to a Disney property to jump on their bus. Especially around the anniversary, I suspect if they start getting overrun with people doing that and get enough complaints by Disney resort guests they will come up with a way to verify that people are Disney resort guests getting on - at least in the morning until after the Rope Drop crowd has died down.

 

[SwanVT2]

It sounds like your heart is set on the Disney bubble and I think I have read that the tower has its own bus? You'll want to confirm that.

 

[Marthasor]

Two adults traveling to WDW in late October and room availability is limited. I have secured a reservation for CS Gran Destino Tower standard view room. In the never-ending search for a better deal, I found a package for a Swan Balcony resort view room that includes the resort fee. We haven't been to WDW since Aug 2019.

Pros of Coronado:

• magical express
• magic bands (we like using them) and the ability to charge to your room
• Disney theming - that Disney "bubble"
• everything is already loaded to MDE

Cons of Coronado:

• bus system - we've stayed here twice before the addition of the Tower and the wait for buses can be long
• I have a bucket list goal of staying at every WDW resort and we've already stayed here
• location - only doing 1/2 day at AK so it is further from the parks we are focused on
• costs more that Swan deal

Pros of Swan:

• cheaper
• location for Food and Wine as well as Ratatouille and Galaxy's Edge
• I don't really count it as a WDW resort so it doesn't really check off my bucket list

Cons of Swan:

• no magical express - will need uber/lyft to and from airport
• magic bands serve no purpose - will need to carry keycard and room key
• I've read that the Swan bus stops at the TTC on the way to MK (not sure if that will still be happening in October and know we can walk over to BW or YC)
• Biggest con - Non-refundable Non-changeable

I get that my pros and cons lists are rather silly. The non-refundable non-changeable part is what's really holding me back. I have never booked through Costco Travel. Anyone have an argument to swing me one way versus the other? Please help this over-researcher decide! Swan package expires soon!

If you've read this entire post, thanks for hanging with me. Thanks in advance for any advice!

I would pick Swan over CSR in a heartbeat except for the fact that I despise non-refundable/non-changeable reservations. Have you priced Swan/Dolphin out on the Marriott site to see what the cost would be to book directly with Marriott? That is the only way I ever book Swan/Dolphin as you can pick a rate with more flexible cancellation policies. Otherwise, Swan would be my choice. You can still use your magic bands to access any WDW ticket media linked in your MDE account, so they aren't completely useless. You can also walk over to YC or BWI to access the MK bus - I just stayed at YC and no one is checking to see where people are staying before they board buses. Once you are on property at Disney, you are free to use any Disney transportation - bus, monorail, boat, Skyliner.

 

[Disneylover99]

I’d go for the tower at CSR.

It’s the non-refundable/non-changeable that’s a deal breaker for me. Otherwise, I’d choose the Swan.

 

[Nabas]

The Swan is a superior resort to Destino Tower but I will echo what others have said about the non-refundable being a deal-breaker.

I'll add that Gran Destino Tower is probably the least "Disney themed" hotel at WDW. That's not necessarily a bad thing, only that I don't consider "Disney theming" to be a pro at GDT.

I was going to say DME was a big reason to go with GDT but I've read recent stories of long waits to get to WDW. On the return side, they pick you up hours before your flight. So DME perhaps is not much of a pro either.

I'm a big fan of staying at new hotels, and you've already indicated you've stayed at CSR a couple of times. Staying at the Swan (which appears on Disney World's webpage) could be considered a Disney hotel. Staying at the Swan would be a different experience, and you can walk or boat to 2 theme parks.



How much are you paying per night for CSR? How much is the Swan?

Have you checked AAA prices on swananddolphin.com?

 

[Brett Wyman]

Swan wins hands down. WALK TO TWO PARKS, vs one of the worst bus systems in WDW. Are you swimmers? The pool complex at the Swan/Dolphin destroys CSR's Dig Site. Im a Disney Bubble fan too, but I don't know that staying at CSR really gives that bubble feel. I'd say its the least bubbly of all WDW properties plus it has a horrible location. Id feel more in the bubble looking out over Crescent lake, waking to Epcot, and enjoying the amenities of BW, YC and BC from the Swan. Are you a Bonvoy member? You should join to see what deals that provides. Maybe similar without the non-refundable status.

 

[anjuan]

I booked a package through the Dolphin for August and they did have an option that was refundable if you paid a little more. I was also considering the CSR at the time and decided that location was the most important factor. I've also heard that the heavenly beds at Swan and Dolphin are great.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

We just returned from Gran Destino June 4-9, and I agonized over the CSR/Swan decision. We like CSR but hadn't yet stayed in the tower. Our DD stayed at the Dolphin in December and enjoyed her stay, which , along with the Costco deal, made us consider the Swan. We had a first-timer with us and decided on the Disney experience.

Pros:
The tower rooms are gorgeous. One of the nicest and most comfortable rooms we have stayed in at Disney, and we have stayed at all levels (we haven't stayed at Grand Floridian, but we have stayed at Poly, Beach Club, Boardwalk and AKL of the deluxes)
We had very good luck with buses, but we walked to the casitas stop in the mornings (first stop on the way to the parks). There is no separate tower bus.
We were at the parks well before opening even using the buses. I was worried about DHS, but we had to wait at the tapstiles to enter, along with those who had walked and arrived from other resorts.
Bus rides in general were pretty short to each of the parks.
Cast members were wonderful at all positions - housekeeping, front desk, and food service. We felt the Disney magic.
We had six people in three rooms - being able to charge to the rooms was great since we occasionally split up and DH and I paid the bill for all three rooms.
I also like the convenience of magic bands for tickets and charging.

Cons:

El Mercado was still grab n go when we were there, and our first night meal wasn't great. We had actually planned to eat at the Fountain at the Dolphin, but it was $30 to park and DH said no way. So we ended up back at the resort.
The buses do fill, and several times in the morning we skipped the tower stop. I assume they sent another bus for those waiting at the tower.
The tower is the last stop coming from the parks (usually - a couple of times we were dropped off first, but I don't know why). It doesn't take long to circle the resort though.
I like being able to walk to the parks and not rely on the buses in general, although we had good luck with buses. Being able to walk back after Food and Wine would be a nice perk.

As a PP said, there is generally an option through Costco to book the package as refundable - it costs a bit more though.

I would go with the cheaper resort, assuming it is refundable. I think the location of the Swan is better but the rooms at the tower are nicer.

 

[geetey]

Update! Per several suggestions, I went back to Costco travel's site and looked for a refundable option for the stay.

CSR Tower room, standard view for 6 nights with 6 day park hoppers $3854.14
Swan (Limited Time pkg) Balcony Resort View for 6 nights with 7 day park hoppers $2938.95
*** this is non-refundable non-changeable ***
Swan Balcony Resort View for 6 nights with 7 day park hoppers $3094.87
*** this rate can be refunded within 5 days of arrival
Both Costco rates include the daily resort fees and gives 2% back.

For the $750+ in savings, I think we are going with the Swan! Thanks for everyone's input!

 

[geetey]

Putting aside the non-refundable/non-changeable (which yes, is a BIG con), my personal con about Swan/Dolphin/Reserve is that it is Marriott. I've had too many bad experiences with that company in the past.

I would also not count on being able to walk over to a Disney property to jump on their bus. Especially around the anniversary, I suspect if they start getting overrun with people doing that and get enough complaints by Disney resort guests they will come up with a way to verify that people are Disney resort guests getting on - at least in the morning until after the Rope Drop crowd has died down.

We have stayed at the YC and BW in the past and always shared buses with the Swan/Dolphin. The TTC stop to MK is a new thing. It's something we have always kept in mind for mornings at MK and AK when staying at the Epcot resorts. I am going to make the reservation and see if any discounts are released for the October time frame at other resorts. Fingers crossed but not feeling terribly hopeful about that.

 

[geetey]

I would pick Swan over CSR in a heartbeat except for the fact that I despise non-refundable/non-changeable reservations. Have you priced Swan/Dolphin out on the Marriott site to see what the cost would be to book directly with Marriott? That is the only way I ever book Swan/Dolphin as you can pick a rate with more flexible cancellation policies. Otherwise, Swan would be my choice. You can still use your magic bands to access any WDW ticket media linked in your MDE account, so they aren't completely useless. You can also walk over to YC or BWI to access the MK bus - I just stayed at YC and no one is checking to see where people are staying before they board buses. Once you are on property at Disney, you are free to use any Disney transportation - bus, monorail, boat, Skyliner.

I found a refundable rate on Costco Travel that is significantly better than other sites. I think the location is key since we haven't experienced any of Galaxy's Edge in DHS and Ratatouille is right there! Thanks for your input!
PS: Love YC. Still need to cross BC off of my bucket list.

 

[geetey]

I’d go for the tower at CSR.

It’s the non-refundable/non-changeable that’s a deal breaker for me. Otherwise, I’d choose the Swan.

Thanks! Found a refundable rate for the Swan!

 

[geetey]

The Swan is a superior resort to Destino Tower but I will echo what others have said about the non-refundable being a deal-breaker.

I'll add that Gran Destino Tower is probably the least "Disney themed" hotel at WDW. That's not necessarily a bad thing, only that I don't consider "Disney theming" to be a pro at GDT.

I was going to say DME was a big reason to go with GDT but I've read recent stories of long waits to get to WDW. On the return side, they pick you up hours before your flight. So DME perhaps is not much of a pro either.

I'm a big fan of staying at new hotels, and you've already indicated you've stayed at CSR a couple of times. Staying at the Swan (which appears on Disney World's webpage) could be considered a Disney hotel. Staying at the Swan would be a different experience, and you can walk or boat to 2 theme parks.

How much are you paying per night for CSR? How much is the Swan?

Have you checked AAA prices on swananddolphin.com?

Thanks for your help! I posted details regarding my rates above. Costco is better than AAA or any other rate I could find, especially because it includes the $35 daily resort fee.
I have heard about DME taking a while so maybe ubering isn't such a bad thing, even if we enjoy the silly cartoons.

 

[geetey]

We just returned from Gran Destino June 4-9, and I agonized over the CSR/Swan decision. We like CSR but hadn't yet stayed in the tower. Our DD stayed at the Dolphin in December and enjoyed her stay, which , along with the Costco deal, made us consider the Swan. We had a first-timer with us and decided on the Disney experience.

Pros:
The tower rooms are gorgeous. One of the nicest and most comfortable rooms we have stayed in at Disney, and we have stayed at all levels (we haven't stayed at Grand Floridian, but we have stayed at Poly, Beach Club, Boardwalk and AKL of the deluxes)
We had very good luck with buses, but we walked to the casitas stop in the mornings (first stop on the way to the parks). There is no separate tower bus.
We were at the parks well before opening even using the buses. I was worried about DHS, but we had to wait at the tapstiles to enter, along with those who had walked and arrived from other resorts.
Bus rides in general were pretty short to each of the parks.
Cast members were wonderful at all positions - housekeeping, front desk, and food service. We felt the Disney magic.
We had six people in three rooms - being able to charge to the rooms was great since we occasionally split up and DH and I paid the bill for all three rooms.
I also like the convenience of magic bands for tickets and charging.

Cons:

El Mercado was still grab n go when we were there, and our first night meal wasn't great. We had actually planned to eat at the Fountain at the Dolphin, but it was $30 to park and DH said no way. So we ended up back at the resort.
The buses do fill, and several times in the morning we skipped the tower stop. I assume they sent another bus for those waiting at the tower.
The tower is the last stop coming from the parks (usually - a couple of times we were dropped off first, but I don't know why). It doesn't take long to circle the resort though.
I like being able to walk to the parks and not rely on the buses in general, although we had good luck with buses. Being able to walk back after Food and Wine would be a nice perk.

As a PP said, there is generally an option through Costco to book the package as refundable - it costs a bit more though.

I would go with the cheaper resort, assuming it is refundable. I think the location of the Swan is better but the rooms at the tower are nicer.

Thank you SO much for your detailed response! I was able to find a refundable deal at Costco Travel but your list of pros makes me want to consider rearrange my park days and consider a split stay.

 

[Lewisc]

You can use the Disney app instead of a magic band. You should be able to use your phone to open your room at the Swan