Skip to main content

Guest Review: Walt Disney World Swan Hotel Offers Luxury at a Moderate Price

Kingdom Konsultant client James recently stayed at the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel and wanted to share his experience with our readers. Read his review of this luxurious hotel in the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort:

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels are often overlooked resorts, but I had the opportunity to stay with my Mom at the Swan during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival in October. Staying there gave me a great insight into why the Disney Swan might be one of the best resorts in Disney World.

Park Transportation:
The Epcot Area Resorts (BoardWalk, Beach & Yacht Club, Swan & Dolphin) are one of the best locations to stay in terms of park transportation, in my opinion. These resorts have a water taxi that takes guests to Hollywood Studios and Epcot in a matter of minutes. Maybe we got lucky, but the ferry ran every 10 minutes! So, two out of four Parks have direct transportation from this area!

My Mom and I didn’t visit Animal Kingdom, but because the bus there only shares service with the other Epcot hotels (account 3-5 minutes to stop at each of the other 3 Epcot Area Resorts) you're not making a lot of stops to get there either. I'd say at most, it might take 25 minutes to get to the park. You'll see a bus arrive at the resort almost every 3 minutes with different destinations (I saw because our room had a clear view of the bus stop.) Buses always seemed pretty empty too. Magic Kingdom is the furthest park from the Swan, but even then, because the buses ran so frequently, we caught one in no time! Disney Springs, takes around 40 minutes to get to because the bus makes an additional stop at Typhoon Lagoon during its open hours.

Location:
I really wanted to go to Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club Resort this trip, and to check out the BoardWalk. The BoardWalk is literally a 5-minute walk form the Swan. As soon as you exit the resort, the walkway leads you right to the BoardWalk. The Beach and Yacht Club Resorts are a little further away and take about an 8-minute walk to get there. Beaches and Cream was awesome! I had the funnel cake and checked out the different shops on the Boardwalk too.

Other Disney resorts do have some of the same perks as the Swan, but at a higher price point. Staying at one of the Magic Kingdom resorts, you can "resort hop" on the super cool Monorail. I'd love to stay at the Polynesian and eat at Kona Cafe and try out 'Ohana. But, if you're staying at a Magic Kingdom resort, you'll probably just stick around there. It's convenient that you can go back to your room anytime in a matter of minutes too.

Pricing:
I wanted to be close to the Food & Wine Festival, while still saving as much money as we could. My first choice of resorts was Pop Century or Art of Animation but they were booked full.

I dreamed of booking a Deluxe Resort to give my Mom a memorable stay but the Deluxe resorts were out of my budget. My Kingdom Konsultant travel agent told me about the The Swan and Dolphin. Surprisingly, they aren't as expensive as the Deluxe resorts but their rooms are like the Deluxes. It offered a full sized bathroom, two queen beds, and bottled waters. To my surprise, the Swan was cheaper than a Disney Moderate Resort (at the time). The Swan is an over-the-top deluxe resort and it really impressed my Mom. I got the deluxe feel at the moderate price!

So, from a price and convenience balanced decision, I would recommend the Swan and Dolphin if you want something different than the value resorts. They are budget friendly resorts, while still maintaining good location and convenience!

- Kingdom Konsultant Client, James Um

Thank you to James for sharing his review of the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel with our readers! If you need help planning your next magical adventure, contact Vacations@KingdomKonsultant.com for a free, no obligation price quote.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cruising with a Baby: A Complete Guide

You took a baby on a cruise!? Yep, and I'd do it again knowing what I know now. So, say goodbye to months of research - Everything you need to know is here!! One of the biggest challenges of traveling with a baby is planning what you need to bring. I wanted to share what worked for us, and hopefully help others who are planning their cruise! Remember, babies can only cruise after their 6-month birthday on sailings from the U.S. If you are going transatlantic, or have more than three days out at sea, they must be 12 months old by the first day of your cruise. Pre-Cruise   We flew to the cruise port, and I couldn’t bring all the food and snacks I needed, so I placed an Instacart order for pick up near the port. I chose Publix in Cocoa Beach which is a few miles from Port Canaveral. I placed the order a few days before we left home, and set the pickup time to 11:00 a.m. I ordered formula, a box of diapers, swim diapers, bottle brush, dish soap, baby food, and baby snacks. I also broug
Post a Comment
Read more

Complete Guide to Disney's Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point

Disney's new Bahamian island destination, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is a pristine, secluded paradise reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests. The cruise port is located on the island of Eleuthera (pronounced uh-loo-tr-uh) at it's southern tip, amidst a nature preserve called Lighthouse Point. Far from any towns, Lookout Cay feels like a tropical oasis that is separated from the outside world by mangrove forests. The landscaping is gorgeous with flowers like plumerias, and tall swaying palm trees. Whether you want to just kick back and relax or go for a thrilling banana boat ride, this port has something for everyone. There are family friendly areas as well as those reserved specifically for adults. Expert Tip: If you want a view of the island from your stateroom, be sure to book a starboard (right) side stateroom. Disney Magic docked at Lookout Cay After disembarking your Disney Cruise ship, you'll cross the pier to the island on foot. (It looks longer in
Post a Comment
Read more

The Villas at the Disneyland Hotel Review

I love staying at the Disneyland Hotel so when I got the opportunity to stay at the new Villas at the Disneyland Hotel during opening weekend, I couldn’t pass it up. Because it was opening weekend, we were greeted in the entrance way of the lobby with balloons and many photo opportunities. When we arrived, there was a mural of the Haunted Mansion. I love how the seats in the main lobby were designed like the teacups in the parks. You can check in using the Disneyland app, drop your bags with bell services and head into the parks or use the amenities why you wait until your room is ready. When your room is ready, the resort will send you a text and you can use the Disneyland app on your mobile device to unlock the room. We dropped off our bags and went straight to the parks. We received a text around 1PM that our room was ready. In the new Discovery Tower (the Villas), you'll find that the lobby is very spacious with many places to sit while you read or wait for your family. Th
Post a Comment
Read more