Hello, everyone! Today I wanted to talk about one of my favorite things: Disney. It really just is. I've lived in Florida almost my whole life so I was used to growing up and driving an hour and a half twice a year to visit and stay at Disney World. As I've gotten older, it's just a place that gives me so many happy memories. Even though I don't yet have children of my own, I absolutely love visiting with my boyfriend and friends. I recently stayed in December with my mom for a night at Disney's Swan and Dolphin and I figured I need to let everyone in on this amazing hotel. This is definitely my go-to Disney World hotel.
I feel it's often overlooked because it actually isn't owned by Disney but operated by Marriot. (And yes, you can get Marriot points here.) It is located on Disney's property and the location of this hotel is one of the greatest aspects! It's called the "Swan and Dolphin" because they are actually two separate hotels that face each other but share amenities; like the pool, and you can go back and forth between hotels to use their different restaurants and other amenities. But let me just get right into it!
Best Things about Disney's Swan and Dolphin Hotel
The Value
Having stayed at multiple different Disney resorts over the years, ranging from the value, moderate and deluxe hotels, I have to say the Disney's Swan and Dolphin has the best value for what you get. Currently, the prices for this hotel range between high 100s to high 300s depending on what time of year it is. I went in December last year, which was much more expensive compared to when I went in early May with my boyfriend. In May the pricing was about $170 per night, which is amazing considering all of the factors this hotel has. If the time of year or even a specific week isn't a concern to you, definitely check out prices during different times to see when you can stay for the cheapest price. This is personally what I try to do. I'll get into it more, but it honestly feels like a luxury hotel. The amenities are top-notch, the location is prime, and so much more.
If you're looking for the cheapest Disney hotel and that's all you care about, I would stay at one of the "Value" hotels. I've stayed there once, but didn't love it. You definitely aren't going to get a relaxing, luxury feel. Aka, screaming kids everywhere. These hotels attract larger families and people with kids; they are loud. To me, without having kids, this is just not it for me.
A downside you may have, if you have kids or if you just want that extra "Disney" feel, is because this isn't operated by Disney, there aren't many Disney quirks about this hotel. There are "hidden Mickeys" in the carpet or wallpaper, but besides that you aren't going to have a statue of Mickey or Minnie or any other characters everywhere you turn. They do, however, have character dining, if you have kids that want to see Goofy or Mickey or any of the other characters. But after just checking their website, it looks like this has been temporarily suspended for some reason. Covid, maybe? Not too sure.
The Location/Transportation
The location of this hotel is simply perfect. Not only do you get free Disney bus transport to the parks that is located outside of your hotel, you also get free Disney boats that take you to either Epcot or Hollywood Studios. They run about every 15 minutes. These boats are only used by the surrounding Disney Deluxe resorts that include; Disney's Yacht and Beach Club resort and Disney's Boardwalk resort. You even have your own special entrance into Epcot. It doesn't drop you off at the globe, but instead drops you off between London and France with a side entrance to the park. Super exclusive.
If you are headed to Epcot and choose to forgo the boats, you can actually take a scenic walk to Epcot using the boardwalk that connects to all four of these resorts. It's not a very long walk. I would say maybe 15-20 minutes? Last time when I went with my mom in December, we choose to walk to Epcot because the weather was absolutely beautiful. We were able to view the Yacht and Beach club resorts from our walk and take in all the beautiful Disney magic along the way. It is just so well-kept and their man-made beaches make you feel like you're on an island. It's very pretty during the sunset/sunrise as well. You won't be able to walk to Hollywood Studios because it's too far, but you can still take the boat.
About to board our boat to Hollywood Studios with the majestic resort behind us.
Such a scenic walk to and from Epcot from the hotel. This was leaving Epcot, during the sunset near Disney's Yacht and Beach Club resort. You can see the Boardwalk promenade with it's shopping areas/restaurants in the distance.
Because of it's location, you have assess to some other amenities at the other resorts, which are all considered "deluxe" resorts. If you want a new experience, stroll down Disney's Boardwalk promenade and take in it's vintage, "Coney-island" style vibes. You can enjoy some dining experiences, shopping, and a cute bakery. There is even "nightlife" here. At the "Disney's Boardwalk Atlantic Dance Hall", you can experience a 1940s nightclub vibe and have a few drinks. They do play modern music. But it's pretty cool and not very well-known. There are also a few other bars in the area. If you're wanting to go out drinking one night, it's a great place to go because you can walk or take the boat back to your hotel. Keep in mind, the boats do stop running at 9:30pm.
Our walk to Epcot in the morning. How pretty is this?
The Atmosphere
This hotel is absolutely stunning. Honestly. It's up to you which hotel you want to stay at, either the Swan or Dolphin (I usually just pick the cheapest at that time to be honest) but both are equally beautiful. The Dolphin hotel has crystals hanging down above a majestic water fountain in the middle of the lobby, when you enter. Behind this is a large full bar and there are seating areas and table located all around the lobby. Everything is pretty exquisite.
The lobby of the Dolphin Resort.
Amenities
The pool and beach area is my absolute favorite amenity. There are six unique pools here. There's a pretty decent sized pool that is near the outdoor bar that may be more relaxing for you if you don't have kids. There is also a crystal blue lap pool if you're wanting to get in some exercise. The larger sized pool has a slide, waterfalls, and hot tubs/whirlpools located on top of the rocks. When you grab some lounge chairs, you will see a number that is on each of your chairs. You can use their app to order and pay from where you're seating, either food or beverages and servers will bring you your food and drinks while you get to sit back and relax. If you want to go up and order, you can do that as well. They have a full bar, food, and plenty of seating. Of course free towels are available up at the stand and you can rent extra pool equipment if you'd like to.
The beach area is an absolute treat. Although please do not go in the water, for the love of God, as there are definitely alligators in there because this is Florida. They do have signs saying to not go into the water and beware of alligators. But you can still definitely enjoy dipping your toes in the sand and laying on some lounge chairs or a hammock on their man-made beach which is located right next to the pool area. They have volleyball courts on the sand and a beachside playground for kids. They have other games such as a giant chess board, pool and ping pong tables. The water, sand and palm trees make it feel like an absolute oasis on a cloudless blue day.
Something cool people don't know about, is you can actually rent a swan shaped paddle boat for free! I have yet to do it since I've visited here, but it's a cute idea if you have extra time.
There are more things for you to rent along the boardwalk that connects all four hotels! One of my very favorite memories as a kid was when my parents and I rented a 4 person surrey bicycle and got stuck on a upwards hill around the resort area. (Sounds like it wasn't a good experience but we were laughing so hard.) If you have extra time, this is a fun activity to do, but it is an additional cost.
Dining
There are tons of dining experiences here that you won't want to miss. In the morning, if you're on the way to a park and you want a quick bite to eat, there's a cute little café in the Dolphin resort called "Fuel" (where you will definitely want to be fueled up before the parks) where you can grab snacks, coffee, tea, or a bite to eat. For breakfast, I got some coffee and a sausage and egg croissant. (They do have mickey waffles here too). Be aware that the line for the café DOES get very long very fast. So prepare a few extra minutes to be waiting in line. In the Swan resort they also have a quick little place like this you can grab food at, called "Java Bar". If you have more time, they do have a buffet breakfast, which is more pricey but delicious.
As far as lunch and dinner go, there are many restaurants to choose from and remember, you can walk between the hotels for more options! The Swan resort has one of my absolute favorites, which is an Italian restaurant called "Il Mulino". If you are craving Italian food, I promise you will not regret going here. It's honestly one of the best Italian meals I have ever had. (Also, a little tip, they decorate for Christmas beautifully in these hotels, and I know the past year they had a large real gingerbread house that is pretty cool to view, outside of this restaurant.)
Let me know if you end up checking it out! Have a wonderful day,
- Sam
