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Greetings from the Walt Disney World Dolphin! We recently checked in for the night and celebrated the beginning of spooky season with our annual Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party visit (more on that later).
If you’re unfamiliar with the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resorts, or you’re familiar but haven’t checked in before, you’re in luck! After years of Disney-ing, I’ve found myself electing to stay at one of the two resorts for a myriad of reasons. To be fully transparent - I tend to only stay here when the Walt Disney World Resort hotels are booked, overpriced, or if I get a great deal at the Swan or Dolphin.
Now, that’s not to say I don’t enjoy staying here because I generally do! Before we get to the nitty-gritty, it’s important to note that while these hotels are in the Epcot/Hollywood Studios Resort Area(s) and are listed as “Walt Disney World” in their titles, they are not owned and operated by “The Mouse.” The Swan, Dolphin, and newly opened Swan Reserve are part of Marriott Bonvoy and are therefore operated by that brand.
With that being said, there are a few crucial tidbits to note when electing this resort: there’s no Disney theming, and the busing leaves much to be desired… Let me explain. The resort has more of a conference/business feel to it and is more sophisticated in terms of decor and entertainment, as compared to a family-friendly Disney resort such as Art of Animation or the like.
My biggest complaint here is the bus situation, though. A few years back, the buses were operated by Disney and while that system is a little wonky on its own, Disney has a better rhyme and rhythm to its bus schedule than what’s happening at the Swan and Dolphin. In 2020, Mears Transportation took over the busing for these resorts which means the busing no longer drops guests off at Disney World bus stops - the biggest difference here is Magic Kingdom drop-off.
Guests looking to travel to and from these resorts to Magic are now dropped off at the Transportation and Ticket Center, across the Seven Seas Lagoon. Think: The Magic Kingdom Parking Lot. Yeah. You can expect to tack on an additional 15-20 minutes to your MK commute should you choose to bus this way to the park, and must walk, monorail, or ferry on over to the parks.
Transportation to other parks isn’t that much different in terms of drop-off, however, like Magic Kingdom, Disney Springs drop-off is also a bit of a frustration, as the Swan and Dolphin buses drop guests now over by the surface lot, near House of Blues. Depending on your Disney Springs plans, this can add minutes to your walk to reservations or other plans you might have and is important to take into account should you bus to the shopping and dining district.
Okay, enough with my mini rant. I don’t want to detract from the greatness of this property! It is wonderful and, I do have a great pro tip for you to overlook these busing issues at the end, hang with me.
As I mentioned earlier, these resorts are technically Deluxe Resorts and sit right outside the Boardwalk and Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. The Swan and Dolphin opened in the 90s, and have received its fair share of renovations and remodels to keep with the current trends, and really, the rooms look great!
I’ve stayed in a handful of the “off-brand” Disney Resorts like the Wyndham Grand Bonnet Creek, the Signia by Hilton, and the JW Marriott Bonnet Creek, and the Swan and Dolphin are up there in terms of room and price. Not to mention, Swan Reserve, the brand new hotel nearby just opened, completing the triad, and is a great alternative should you want that elevated feel in a brand new room.
Because the resort is a quick jaunt to the rest of the Epcot Resorts, this means it also utilizes similar methods of transportation. The hotels are a quick 10-15 minute walk to International Gateway at Epcot (and the Skyliner) and are a little under 20 minutes by foot to Hollywood Studios.
Should you choose not to walk, you can always take the Epcot Resort Area boat shuttle, which docks right outside the Swan and Dolphin to both parks with the rest of the Epcot Resort Area guests. Both options avoid the buses. ;)
Now, getting to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom requires catching a bus from the bus stop at the front of the resort. They run on a similar 20-minute rotation schedule to the Disney buses and only stop at the lobbies of each resort (no long internal shuttle like Coronado or Saratoga).
If you’re wondering which resort is “better” - that’s subjective. I’ve stayed at both resorts many times and there isn’t a huge difference - you get all of the same perks, same transportation, entertainment, and more. The rooms are almost identical, and guests are welcome to explore both resorts upon check-in as they face each other and are connected by a beautiful walkway and pool. The only real difference is the price.
In terms of hierarchy, the Dolphin sits on the lower end of the pricing spectrum and aligns more with a Sheraton-style room. The Swan is next, aligning with a more elevated style like a Westin resort, and finally, Swan Reserve, the top in this food chain, sits along the lines of an Autograph Collection resort. All under the Marriott brand, just different in terms of quality, if you’re picky like that. As a regular resort goer, there is no noticeable difference between the two original resorts, in my opinion.
The Dolphin, in particular, is home to Shula’s Steakhouse, Mandara Spa, Todd English’s bluezoo, The Fountain, and Fuel. Additionally, there are two stores within the resort as well as a full-service bar in the lobby. For one night during Labor Day Weekend, I paid $242 which included a resort fee, parking, and taxes. Really, not too shabby for a “Deluxe” resort during a holiday weekend.
Our room came with two double beds and a “traditional” view, which means no view. But, for one night during a busy weekend, we would only really be sleeping here. I’ve both paid more and less for a similar room here and have always had a pretty enjoyable stay. I keep coming back, right?
Now, for that pro tip I promised earlier: Walk to The Boardwalk. Seriously. If you want to bypass the mess that is Mears, I highly recommend walking to the Boardwalk or Yacht & Beach and using their transportation. It takes about 5-10 minutes to either resort and can save you the hassle of the TTC. I always do this when busing to Magic Kingdom and at the end of the day I just bus back to whichever resort bus is back first and walk to my resort. It’s no different than walking from the 90s room block at Pop Century to that hotel’s bus stop (at least that’s how I rationalize it).
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