Disney Swan hotel not a Disney hotel?

[Ashy]

Hi everyone, doing some research and apparently the "Disney Swan hotel" is not an actual Disney hotel, but it comes up on Disneys website. I'm reading mixed reviews about this place and want to hear from anyone who knows if there is a disadvantage from staying at the Swan or does it not matter? I do want the extra Magic hours for the park and other things, does Disney pick you up from the airport? I'm just really confused if it is Disney or not. Thank you

 

[CookieGVB]

No Magic Express from the airport; no Magic Bands; no charging back to the hotel when shopping in the parks. Other than that - you get the park transportation and EMH benefits. Love the Swan and Dolphin!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You don't get 180+length of stay for ADRs, cannot buy the dining plan, and there is a charge for parking as well.

 

[Lizziotti]

When we stayed at the dolphin which is similar. We had transportation inside the parks but no magical express from the airport. It's on Disney property but not a true Disney hotel. We enjoyed it but the swan and dolphin don't have the same magical decor or feel to them. Very beautiful though.

 

[tjmw2727]

We love the Swan and the Dolphin, the ability to walk or take a boat to 2 parks, the number of great restaurants in walking distance and to have a balcony at a moderate price for us is worth the few things it doesn't offer.

You don't get DME, room charging privileges at the parks, or dining plans, you would have to a purchase MB (if you want one) - and there is a parking fee at the resort so just add that into the cost of the room if you have a car.

You do get free parking at the parks, all the same resort transportation as the other Epcot resorts, package delivery from the parks & DS, extra magic hours and 60 day FP+ window. IMHO it also has the 2nd best pool on property after SAB and there is a Disney Resort Store in both resorts.
If your looking to book I would suggest the SPG website rather than the Disney website as they offer other discounts.

We book through the SPG website and then purchase tickets from undercover tourist - link everything to the DME and we are all set

 

[HopperFan]

Swan and Dolphin are Westin & Sheraton hotels ( Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and now part of Marriott group). It's a special partnership with Disney because the land is Disney's and there are leases involved. They have never been "Disney owned".


http://www.swandolphin.com/aboutus/index.html

 

[BLLB]

We have DVC, but have stayed at the Swan several times. I think it is a really nice hotel, not as Disney-ish but very nice. We have stayed at nearly all the deluxe and DVC resorts, I think the Swan/Dolphin has the best pool! It's huge!

 

[writerguyfl]

If your looking to book I would suggest the SPG website rather than the Disney website as they offer other discounts.

For those unfamiliar, SPG stands for Starwood Preferred Guest. That's the frequent guest program for Starwood Hotels.

SPG website: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/index.html

Without question, anyone booking the Walt Disney World Swan or Walt Disney World Dolphin should book via the SPG program. In doing that, you can sign up (for free) for the program and earn points. Those points can be used to stay at thousands of different Starwood and Marriott hotels across the globe.

Note: The site ParkHopper posted links to the Starwood Hotels official website for booking. So, SPG points would be awarded there. Sites like Orbtiz or Expedia do not earn SPG points.

 

[Polydweller]

Swan and Dolphin are Sheraton hotels ( Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and now part of Marriott group). It's a special partnership with Disney because the land is Disney's and there are leases involved. They have never been "Disney owned".


http://www.swandolphin.com/aboutus/index.html

To be strictly accurate, they are owned by Tishman and managed by Starwood now part of Marriott. The Swan is operated under the Westin brand and the Dolphin under the Sheraton brand.

 

[HopperFan]

To be strictly accurate, they are owned by Tishman and managed by Starwood now part of Marriott. The Swan is operated under the Westin brand and the Dolphin under the Sheraton brand.

That is correct, I missed including the Westin part. I'll add it.

Key is they are both under the Starwood (now part of Marriott) program and the SPG, Starwood Preferred Guests points program applies. They are not Disney hotels operationally.

For most ....... owners of hotels (Tishman) make no difference in their choice since they are booking a brand. Most hotels are owned by holding companies and Tishman owns Sheratons, Westins, InterContinentals, Hilton, Fairmonts, Hyatt and many other brands.

Now to me, I do check some hotels owners and choose not to stay due to owners if they are not operated under a brand I know and like. But I think most don't do that.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I found the Swan utterly sumptuous when we stayed there last month. The staff was super, the rooms and grounds are gorgeous, and the dining options were excellent. You really know that you're staying in a luxury hotel at the Swan.

As Cookie pointed out, there is no Magical Express. (Hi, Cookie! ) As Aurora mentioned, you can't purchase a Disney Dining Plan. IMO, those are the two biggest drawbacks versus staying at a Disney operated resort.

But you get many Disney benefits and usually for a good price. You're on property within boating or walking distance of two major parks. You get Extra Magic Hours and Fastpass Plus.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We love the Swan. It's alot cheaper than the Yacht Club/Beach Club, our 2nd favorite resorts. Agree with what all the other posters said.

They also give you two free bottles of water in your room a day and if you are a member of some frequent flier programs you can use your miles to book a room. We do this with some of dh ff miles. Last month we got 2 nights for free and next month we will get another 2 nights for free.

Not to mention the heavenly beds. They truly are the most comfortable beds we have slept in.

The Swan is the first bus stop so you will always most likely get a seat on the bus going to your destination.

The Swan maximum in the room is 4 and the Dolphin is 5.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I agree with the others. The Swan is fantastic. Just make sure to factor in private ground transportation (if you need it) into your total cost as they do not provide DME to Swan or Dolphin. You will not get magic bands and you can't make 180+10 ADR's or charge back to your room. Otherwise, you get the other onsite perks (60 day FP+ and extra magic hours). If you can find a good deal on the Swan/Dolphin or SPG website, it usually prices out much less than the other EP WDW resorts. We once stayed 3 nights for the cost of one night at BWI. Can't beat that!

 

[Polydweller]

That is correct, I missed including the Westin part. I'll add it.

Key is they are both under the Starwood (now part of Marriott) program and the SPG, Starwood Preferred Guests points program applies. They are not Disney hotels operationally.

For most ....... owners of hotels (Tishman) make no difference in their choice since they are booking a brand. Most hotels are owned by holding companies and Tishman owns Sheratons, Westins, InterContinentals, Hilton, Fairmonts, Hyatt and many other brands.

Now to me, I do check some hotels owners and choose not to stay due to owners if they are not operated under a brand I know and like. But I think most don't do that.

Agree, very few people know which hotels the group I've belonged to own but they know the brands the hotels are operated under. A lot of consideration goes into selecting the brand for an area for that reason. Each brand has its standards you have to meet in order to keep the brand. Some brands require very high standards and some more minimal. So choosing a hotel by brand will give you a good idea of the services and amenities you can expect.

 

[HopperFan]

Agree, very few people know which hotels the group I've belonged to own but they know the brands the hotels are operated under. A lot of consideration goes into selecting the brand for an area for that reason. Each brand has its standards you have to meet in order to keep the brand. Some brands require very high standards and some more minimal. So choosing a hotel by brand will give you a good idea of the services and amenities you can expect.

Which is a very good reason to choose a hotel by brand. Many hotels in Orlando are being bought by foreign holding companies with no "brand" and while they may offer some great rates, I would never stay at them.

 

[cutigerlady]

We are staying at the Swan now. We used a town car service from the airport and it was a breeze! This way we don't have to pay for parking. You don't get magic bands, but we just used a set we had to access our APs. No charging privileges across Disney property, but that is not a big deal to us. Your room keys are your entry for extra magic hours. The newly renovated rooms are very nice. We were able to request a late check-out with no extra penalty and the staff has been super nice. The buses are no longer shared between the Swan, Dolphin, Boardwalk so getting to the parks was very easy. Definitely will be back!

 

[WDWNY]

We're staying there in a few weeks. My only question is can I get mickey waffles there?

 

[Ashy]

Thank you all for your replies! So helpful!
We have decided the either pick the Pop Century resort or the Contemporary resort ( I know big price difference)

 

[SA mom]

May not be Disney Themed, but I do enjoy the theme of luxury. The main thing we look for is extra magic hours, transportation to the parks, and comfortable beds. Swan and Dolphin have emh and share Disney Transportation with the other Epcot resorts. Swan and Dolphin have Heavenly Beds and they are amazingly comfortable. The pool complex is really fun and they both have great food options. I love having a fireworks view.