We are just back a few weeks ago from the Swan for the first time and loved it. We booked a standard room and put in our reservation for 'best view possible on a higher floor and a balcony if possible'. We also went to the swandolphin.com web site and under reservations and special requests plugged in the same request about 5 days prior to check-in--we added that it was our first visit ever to the Swan and we were very excited. We were given a room in the front courtyard facing the Dolphin with a view of the the Yacht Club and the lagoon, plus a balcony! It probably isn't their most premium view, but it was much better than overlooking the convention building and air conditioning equipment or whatever. We were pretty close to the pool as well. I think if you make your request similar to mine and they aren't too busy, you should have a good chance of looking at something decent.
BTW, I noticed that the rooms on the other side overlooking the front entrance may have a view of the MGM Fantasmic fireworks (especially on a higher floor), but there were NO balconies over there. It's not that I spend a ton of time on the balcony, but sometimes if you don't have it, you miss it.
Good luck!
