Swan or AKL

[Bracelet Babe]

DH and I will arrive Nov 24. We have ressie at AKL but noticed a good deal at the Swan. We stayed at the Boardwalk last visit and loved the location. Opinions of the Swan/Dolphin? Have seen + and - for these. Thanks!

 

[sherry8253]

I love the Swan and Dolphin. But I love the AKL too. It would be a hard choice for me. We have occasionally split our stay between the Dolphin & AKL. We always have several dinners in Epcot so it is hard for us to not book the Swan or Dolphin if we find a great price. It make Epcot so convenient. We have always been very pleased with the service at the Swan and Dolphin and you have to LOVE those HEAVENLY beds!!!!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

A great plus besides location is that the Swan is in the midst of rooms being refurbished. Request a higher floor to be sure to get one. Dolphin rooms scheduled to be done when Swan is completed....as told by a Swan manager.

The location is fabulous, service great, still have EMH...and if you are an spg member (www.spg.com) it is likely you'll receive a room upgrade at check-in, if available - even if it is your first stay.

Have a great trip!

 

[elastigirl]

AKL, definitely. The Swan was nice, but still just an SPG hotel to me. Not Disney.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

AKL is my favorite hotel. You cant look out your balcony at the swan and see a giraffee now can you??

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

That is a tough choice. I love AKL but it sounds like you're going without kids so the Epcot resort area would be great for the dining and nightlife. We've stayed at the Swan many times and always enjoyed it. There is so much to do in the evenings... Kimonos for karoke, ESPN club close by, Jellyrolls, etc. But I do love the theming of AKL. That would be really peaceful and romantic. How do you picture your nights... out on the town or relaxing in your room?

 

[disneydance]

According to the AKL snob i will say AKL but again i refuse to stay at any other resort than AKL...

 

[Joshua_me]

The Swan/Dolphin are our fav. hotels, (the location and the great rates you can get are the main reason) but, AKL is amazing as well. If you have a savannah view, I'd stick with the AKL. Just know that because of it's remote location, it's best to have a car.

Then again, since you've stayed at Boardwalk, I don't have to sell you on the wonder of the location of the Swan...

Heh...this is of little help, I know. The Swan/Dolphin are great hotels with wonderful beds and lots of restaurants to choose from...I've never understood the 'they're not 'Disney enough' comment, and I've never met anyone that was sorry they stayed there.

Bottom line, it's up to YOU.

 

[webray]

For us that is a hard choice. AKL is one of our favorite places to stay, but..we usually end up at the Swan or dolphin because of the great location. We spend most of our time in EPCOT.

The Swan/Dolphin have great rooms, wonderful restaurant options nearby, entertainment nearby..you are already familiar with the location. Easy access to EPCOT and MGM.

AKL...totally fantastic. Wonderful restaurants. You just take a bus or drive to where you want to go.

 

[swilphil]

Since you can get a good deal at the Swan, go with that for this trip and save AKL for a future trip. Swan deals are harder to come by these days, and it's a great resort-- super rooms, nice beds, prime location, top-notch service. With the money you save, you can have a nice meal at AKL, plus do lots of other cool things.

 

[raven69david]

I've never been to the S/D, but i've seen tons of pictures and have heard great reviews on the hotel.

This is the way i see it, the S/D are great hotels with nice regular hotel theme-ing. AKL on the other hand, is like visiting an African-style lodge with authentic food, arts & crafts and animals. How many activities does S/D offer vs. AKL?

There's no way, IMO, to evenly compare both resorts unless the price difference sways you that much. I'd pick AKL at $225.00 a night over any other hotel at the same or lower rate; even if a MOD was priced at under $100.00 (no way w/o a heck of a discount or pricing error), i'd still pick AKL; the resort is that nice, at least that's the way we feel about it.

 

[Tiffany]

DH and I will arrive Nov 24. We have ressie at AKL but noticed a good deal at the Swan. We stayed at the Boardwalk last visit and loved the location. Opinions of the Swan/Dolphin? Have seen + and - for these. Thanks!

We have stayed at the AKL eight times over the years, recently back from our latest stay as well as the S/D. If you can get the Swan/Dolphin for less then $200 a night before taxes take it over any Disney owned resort it is a great deal. The location as well as service is outstanding. We will be back in WDW three times over the next eight months and all three trips are booked at the Swan.

 

[DisneyFans4]

AKL is my favorite hotel. You cant look out your balcony at the swan and see a giraffee now can you??

But you can be at your balcony to watch Illuminations and Wishes

 

[DisneyFans4]

I know I'm a big Swan fan but with the great rates and discounts that they offer you can't turn it down.

The location is fantastic!! Epcot is our favorite park and we just walk over there at all times of the day and night. MGM is also in walking distance and if not, you can take the boat.

I just love being able to enjoy the amenities of the BW, YC and BC. As well as the Swan and Dolphin you have all these restaurants at your disposal as well.