Never had a character meal at either the Swan or Dolphin. We did the Cape May Cafe breakfast at the Beach Club a couple of years ago and it was fun. To answer your question about buses......there is no direct resort to resort bus service. If you want to go to the Swan/Dolphin or Beach club (or any Epcot resort) you can take a bus from the Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom. From Epcot you can exit at the International Gateway (around United Kingdom) and take a 5-10 minute walk or take a boat. From the Disney Studios you can also walk (10-15 minutes) or boat. The Friendship boats run between the Epcot International Gateway and the Studios all day. They stop along the way at the Beach/Yacht clubs, Boardwalk, and Swan/Dolphin.