CSR vs Swan for a no parks trip?

[nkereina]

DH and I booked a quick 3 night trip 10/30-11/2. Its during the Wine & Dine half marathon weekend so between that and Star Wars, we have opted not to visit any Disney parks. Instead, we'll be doing Halloween Horror Nights at Universal with the rest of the time free to do what we want - probably Disney Springs, pool, resort hopping, maybe Volcano Bay weather permitting. Having a tough time deciding between CSR and the Swan. We currently have both booked in standard rooms, both with two queen beds.

CSR Pros:
-$200 cheaper
-Could utilize Magical Express
-Would be cool to see the new tower and restaurant

CSR Cons:
-We just stayed here in October 2018. We love it, but like trying new things.

Swan Pros:
-Location gives us more dining options and scenery, especially since its a no parks trip
-Never stayed before so would be cool to try something new
-Pool looks awesome and we'll have a decent amount of time for the pool, if the weather cooperates

Swan Cons:
-$200 more expensive
-No Magical Express so we'd have to Uber, which adds another cost

I'm leaning towards the Swan because its not a resort we'd choose on a regular week-long WDW trip when we're doing the parks. This might be a good opportunity to try it out. But the cost difference is giving me pause. Which would you choose and why?

 

[AllieBoo]

I would probably go with Swan because of the proximity to the Boardwalk. Have you considered staying at one of the Universal hotels since you said you're doing HHN and possibly Volcano Bay? We stayed at Royal Pacific and it was a really nice hotel, and you have all of the dining/entertainment options at City Walk.

 

[SteveH]

Our last trip was to the Swan and we've been a few times to both S/D & CSR. I really enjoyed the theming at CSR, but I've not yet seen the tower and have mixed feelings how it will impact the feeling at the resort.

The location of Swan is hard to beat, but the rates seem to be running high lately. This seems to be partially a result of the Marriott merger, and their anticipation of Galaxy's Edge. A few people on the S/D thread had gotten some Priceline deals, so you might check into that to see if you can save money. I assume you've factored in S/D's parking & resort fees into your prices. Here is the other thing to check on, it doesn't seem to happen often but one person on the S/D thread said they closed the pool for a day for the conference that was being held there, no other options were given and no advanced warning. If I were planning on the pool that could be a factor, personally that really bothered me that they didn't notify guests or have an option worked out. That said, the location is hard to beat and if you can score a deal it's really hard to beat.

 

[Lewisc]

I'd look at the Universal resorts. Pool hopping is allowed. Aventura, Sapphire Falls and Cabana Bay are withing walking distance of Volcano Bay. Cabana Bay and Aventure guests have a shorter walk then do guests taking a bus from another resort, or CityWalk.

Uber or Lyft from MCO.

 

[nkereina]

I would probably go with Swan because of the proximity to the Boardwalk. Have you considered staying at one of the Universal hotels since you said you're doing HHN and possibly Volcano Bay? We stayed at Royal Pacific and it was a really nice hotel, and you have all of the dining/entertainment options at City Walk.

I'd look at the Universal resorts. Pool hopping is allowed. Aventura, Sapphire Falls and Cabana Bay are withing walking distance of Volcano Bay. Cabana Bay and Aventure guests have a shorter walk then do guests taking a bus from another resort, or CityWalk.

Uber or Lyft from MCO.

Thanks for the suggestions, but we're keen on staying at a WDW resort this trip. Since we're doing HHN and no Disney parks, spending time at Disney Springs and dining at Disney resorts will help us get our Disney fix in! We'll also likely do Disney Springs before heading to the airport, so it would be tough logistically to have to Uber back to a Universal hotel first in that case.

 

[Lewisc]

OP has decided against a Universal Hotel.
For the benefit of others reading this thread Sapphire Fall is available for $224. Walk or boat to HHN. Short walk or bus to Volcano Bay. Pool hop to PBH, HRH...

Probably not much more expensive then CSR.

 

[nkereina]

For the benefit of others reading this thread Sapphire Fall is available for $224. Walk or boat to HHN. Short walk or bus to Volcano Bay. Pool hop to PBH, HRH...

What is for the benefit of others? In case someone else is staying 10/30-11/2? Aventura and Cabana Bay are even cheaper. Regardless, yes, all true. I have stayed on Universal property many times. The bulk of my time (save for HHN) will be spent on WDW property, which is why I am looking at WDW resorts. Volcano Bay is a big maybe and will be weather dependent. I know from experience weather can be iffy that time of year, so that makes pool time questionable too. It just makes more sense to me to stay on WDW property rather than Uber 20 minutes back and forth 3-4 times for dining at WDW resorts and visting Disney Springs. Especially when we're trying to get a taste of Disney without doing the parks.

 

[SwanVT2]

I would lean towards Swan for the Boardwalk dining options. However since you want to eat at disney springs have you considered Saratoga? We stayed there last winter and loved all the pools to try out. Plus we could walk to disney springs for dinner. The main pool and paddock are the best pools!

 

[saskdw]

We love CSR and would choose CSR just about everytime for any reason, especially with the new tower and all the recent upgrades.

However, given your criteria I would probably pick the Swan for location. The ability to just walk out the front door of the resort and have access to everything the Boardwalk has to offer would be ideal for this short no park stay. We would definately get a round of mini-golf in as well being that close.