Does anyone prefer the Swan over a Disney resort?

[DisneyFans4]

Downsides? Not many but they don't participate with ME and you can't charge to your room any purchases made in the parks and get free dining. Those things are no biggy to me. You have access to EMH, Disney transportation and package delivery which to me are the main things.

For the price for a deluxe resort it can't be beat. Location, the best!!! It's an Epcot resort and everything is there.

We love it and I can't wait!!!!!!

 

[minnie61650]

Downsides? Not many but they don't participate with ME and you can't charge to your room any purchases made in the parks and get free dining. Those things are no biggy to me. You have access to EMH, Disney transportation and package delivery which to me are the main things.
For the price for a deluxe resort it can't be beat. Location, the best!!! It's an Epcot resort and everything is there.

We love it and I can't wait!!!!!!

I agree!

The Swan/Dolphin often has great rates that cost about as much as a Disney Moderate.

It is a real 4 star hotel.

Deluxe but not as expensive as Disney's deluxe resorts.


The heavenly beds are ...well heavenly.

The Grotto pool and hot tubs are fun and relaxing.

Plus Epcot and MGM are just a short boat ride or walk away!

From Epcot hop on the monorail and head on over to the MK!


http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/minnie61650/swan100.jpg
heavenly beds

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/minnie61650/dolp5.jpg
hot tub

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/minnie61650/dolph21.jpg
Disney transportation to Epcot and MGM on the Friendship boats
(which are very accessible for WC/ECV's by the way)

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a175/minnie61650/swan25.jpg
walkway to MGM

*note photos are from allearsnet

Have fun at Disney wherever you choose to stay!

 

[mommykds]

Thank you all so much for your responses. I think you have sold me!

Hi,

We have stayed at the Swan and or Dolphin many times over the years, see my sig. below. In fact I am writing this from our room at the Swan right now. We were able to get a rate of $179 night plus tax for the three nights that we are hear and we were given a free upgrade to a resort view balcony room, since I am an Gold SPG, we checked in at 10:30am and they took my cell phone number and said that they would put a rush on our room and that they would call me when it was ready. Well at 12:30pm I got the call. Not to bad in my opinion. You can also schedule your housekeeping and right now depending on how full they are going to be on Tuesday I should be able to get at least a free 2pm checkout and possiably even a 4pm checkout. At a Disney hotel a free late checkout is almost unheard of.

If you can get the Swan or the Dolphin for less than $200 it is a great deal for our location to EC and the ST. There is no one paying less than $200 a night to stay at the BW or the YC/BC.

We also enjoy staying at the AKL when we do our weeklong trips but the Swan is still a great place to stay. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will try to answer them since I am physically here.

I do have 1 question, we are a family of 5 (2A,3C)Does the Swan have a day bed or rollaway that can accomodate 5 in a room? If so is there a charge? THX

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Due to fire code regulations the Swan rooms can only accomodate 4 guests, but the Dolphin can accomodate 5, you can request a rollaway which is $25 per night, I think they might waive the fee if its for a child or you could bring a twin size aerobed.

 

[skiingwife]

Does anyone know how long the bus ride is to the Magic Kingdom from the Swan?

 

[minnie61650]

Does anyone know how long the bus ride is to the Magic Kingdom from the Swan?

My PassPorter books says it is a 20 minute bus ride from the Epcot resorts to the MK.( Epcot resorts are :Swan/Dolphin BWI ,BC&YC)

Have fun at Disney!

 

[nbodyhome]

I cannot say I prefer it over a Disney resort - but I enjoy it just as much...

The one thing I can state as a fact is that the beds are way better than any bed I've slept in at a Disney resort...

Ditto here, I feel the same.

I like the Swan/Dolphin as much as any Disney deluxe resort - and the beds are AMAZING!!!!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Yes, me!

I have stayed there twice this past winter and paid $125 per night and the location is the best. The beds are super comfy!

 

[mika911]

Wow. Swan sounds great, I want to stay there sometime now!

Question: How is the transportation though? Does it take a long time going to parks, since so many hotels share the bus? Is the bus a long ways from the lobby?

How far is Epcot and MGM, if you wanted to walk, bus is still better right?

THanks! Transportation is always my biggest worry.

 

[nbodyhome]

How far is Epcot and MGM, if you wanted to walk, bus is still better right?

MGM and Epcot are each about a 10 - 15 minute walk, depending where in the resort you are (and how fast you walk).

I have a Boardwalk photo walk here: http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=26&Itemid=52

It took me about 35 minutes timed to go from MGM, to the BW, around the BW (walking away from the Swan and Dolphin before coming back to them) and then to Fantasia Gardens (past the S/D). The S/D are VERY convenient to the two parks and FG. I've done the Boardwalk walk hundreds of times, it's such a great place to exercise and even just to hang out. The pools are very nice at the S/D as well.

 

[DisneyFans4]

Wow. Swan sounds great, I want to stay there sometime now!

Question: How is the transportation though? Does it take a long time going to parks, since so many hotels share the bus? Is the bus a long ways from the lobby?

How far is Epcot and MGM, if you wanted to walk, bus is still better right?

THanks! Transportation is always my biggest worry.

Transportation is excellent! You can walk or take the boat to Epcot or MGM. We always walk to Epcot since it's alot faster than the boat since the boat has to stop at YC, BC and then BW first.

As far as the bus, the Swan is the first stop then Dolphin and then the park. Sometimes it will stop at BW first, then Swan, then Dolphin but it's rare. During our stay in August the BW was the first stop only once, maybe a driver was out sick that day or was running late.

 

[Tiffany]

Any downside to staying at the Swan? We were only considering on site resorts like POR and WL but all this positive talk has go me thinking. Maybe the swan could be an option?

Downsides? You cannot charge back to your room at the S/D when you are outside of the S/D complex. We just carry our actual Disney Visa with us not a big deal to us. Also, you cannot use Disney's ME or Dinning Plans. to us not a concern. You get package delivery back to your resort and you can partake of EMH as well as share the same transportation as those at the YC/BC and BWI.

 

[mika911]

Downsides? You cannot charge back to your room at the S/D when you are outside of the S/D complex. We just carry our actual Disney Visa with us not a big deal to us. Also, you cannot use Disney's ME or Dinning Plans. to us not a concern. You get package delivery back to your resort and you can partake of EMH as well as share the same transportation as those at the YC/BC and BWI.

Excellent information. Thank you. sounds like Swan will be a great choice for me in the future. I notice they also have teacher rates, if I ever have that member of my family going with me.

I'd rather use my credit card anyway, so that is fine, and getting EMH and package delivery are two nice ones.

The ME makes me rent a car, but then I can at least see how I like using a car while at WDW, so I look forward to trying the swan and a car next time, to have a different feel to my trip!

 

[TDC Nala]

Excellent information. Thank you. sounds like Swan will be a great choice for me in the future. I notice they also have teacher rates, if I ever have that member of my family going with me.

I'd rather use my credit card anyway, so that is fine, and getting EMH and package delivery are two nice ones.

The ME makes me rent a car, but then I can at least see how I like using a car while at WDW, so I look forward to trying the swan and a car next time, to have a different feel to my trip!

Last time I looked, the Swan and Dolphin charged $9 a day to self-park at either hotel. Overnight valet was $16.

 

[Touchdown]

Looking for some advice. I will be attending a business conference at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort this fall. My wife and 2 kids (5,3) will also be going along to hang out at the pool during the day and then later in the week after the conference will be doing the theme parks as a family.

I can stay at Coronado Springs for $136 a night during the conference or Swan/Dolphin for $189 using the Entertainment Book coupon.

How far away is Cornoado Springs from the Swan/Dolphin? I believe there's a shuttle that will be running each day.

Given all of that any recommendations?

 

[cara loves the poly]

Wow, you guys are making me want to try the Swan!

 

[webray]

The Swan and Dolphin are fantastic..and yes..we look there before booking a disney resort. The staff is fantastic, great ammenities, wonderful comfy beds/nice bed linens.

We were just at Dolphin again this past weekend. All the rooms are undergoing a major overhaul. They are being stripped down including the drywall. No more wallpaper, paint will now be on the walls, new carpet, furniture and new flat screen tvs. Staff told be it was time to update the rooms. Hubby and I peaked in..they look great so far!

 

[mommykds]

For those of you who stay at Swan/Dolphin what does you do for transport to & from the airport if you do not have ME?

Since we are 5 I have to check to see if they charge us $25 for a rollaway since that would decrease our discount & therefore a mod may be less expensive for us. TY

 

[DisneyFans4]

For those of you who stay at Swan/Dolphin what does you do for transport to & from the airport if you do not have ME?

Since we are 5 I have to check to see if they charge us $25 for a rollaway since that would decrease our discount & therefore a mod may be less expensive for us. TY

I arrange transportation with the Swan for my airport pick up and return.

 

[mommykds]

I arrange transportation with the Swan for my airport pick up and return.

Would you know how much they charge for that? Thanks