Walt Disney World Swan Reserve Review
My family recently took a quick long weekend trip to Disney World and spent 2 days at the Disney World Swan Reserve. Our usual go-to resorts when staying at Disney World is either Walt Disney World Dolphin (for park heavy trips – so convenient) or Hyatt Grand Cypress Orlando (for trips where we plan to be at the resort more). So we were excited to try this “new to us” resort.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Earn Up to 4 Free Night Awards
3 50K Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 within 3 months of account opening, and an additional 1 50K Free Night Award after spending $4,000 total within 4 months of account opening
BOOKING SWAN RESERVE WITH MARRIOTT POINTS
Marriott uses a dynamic award chart, meaning the prices can fluctuate a ton by date. But recently I have found quite a few very well priced nights using Marriott points.
One thing I LOVE about the Marriott program, is that if you book 5 nights you’ll only pay for 4 when booking with points. They will deduct the lowest points night from your 5 night stay. This could definitely be ideal for a stay at Disney World.
LOCATING CHEAPEST AWARD NIGHT STAYS
Another great thing about Marriott is they have a super easy to search award calendar. You can see an entire month at a time, simply by selecting “Flexible Dates” in the date section.
CHECK IN, LOBBY, FIRST IMPRESSIONS
When you arrive at the Swan Reserve, you’ll enter on the lower floor. As soon as you enter you’ll see the luggage service desk. You’ll need to head up the escalator for check in. But just to the right of the lobby desk, there is cold water and cups for guests. This is something I wish more hotels offered. It’s just something nice if you are walking in from a long day or travel or Disney Parks 😉
We headed up the escalator, there was no line to check in. Our room wasn’t ready but she went over all the details of the resort – we’d been upgraded to an Epcot view (which WOW!, LOVED it) – and then we headed back down stairs to store our luggage and head to the parks.
This resort is the newest addition to the Swolphin Resorts (Swan/Dolphin) and it’s beautiful. Everything is new and clean and modern and beautiful. It is very compact (unlike the Dolphin which is a major conference hotel). The bar area is beautiful, tons of seating. Next to that is a narrow hallway filled with cubby tables for working or lounging. And behind that is a little mart for breakfast/lunch/snacks/drinks/etc.
ROOM REVIEW – DOUBLE QUEEN – EPCOT VIEW
As soon as we entered the room, it felt… small. But I couldn’t really put a finger on why. It felt narrow. The standard rooms at Swan Reserve at 330 square feet while our usual Dolphin resort is 360 square feet. BUT these rooms are much nicer! Updated. Super comfortable beds. And the bathroom was really pretty. Except… the bathroom has a sliding barn door style which I hate – they seem to make more noise than a normal door.
SWAN RESERVE & LOCATION TO DISNEY PARKS
The Swan Reserve is located in the “Epcot” section of hotels, near the Disney Yacht, Beach Club & Boardwalk. If you have stayed at Swan/Dolphin before and are worried about Swan Reserve being a longer walk – don’t be. It’s a 5ish minute walk, all paved, takes you right past swan and up to Dolphin.
Epcot: 15 minute walk or walk 5ish minutes then take boat from Dolphin
Hollywood Studios: 20 – 25 minute walk or walk 5ish minutes then take boat from Dolphin
Animal Kingdom – Bus stop is at Swan Reserve & the buses run regularly – they do pick up from Animal Kingdom in a weird spot though (a gazebo in the parking lot), not where the other buses are – so it’s important to note where you get dropped off.
Magic Kingdom – Bus stop at Swan Reserve will take you to the transportation center
TLDR: It’s super convenient.
SWAN RESERVE POOL & USING OTHER POOLS
Pools are a big deal to me when we visit Disney World because we love coming back mid day for a pool break. The pool at the Swan Reserve is nice but very small.
When we were there, there wasn’t full service at the pool. However, the outdoor bar/restaurant is right behind the pool so it was easy to grab drinks there. We did order a flat bread to the pool one afternoon and it was delicious!
Overall, this is a pretty small pool. The 1st day it was pretty empty. No issues. The 2nd day it was packed. And you know when a pool is packed with kids it’s not ideal. Lots of splashing, throwing toys, etc. After that experience, I really missed the pool at the Dolphin – which is HUGE.
BUT… one huge advantage of this hotel is that you have access to all 3 resorts when you stay at 1.
WOULD WE STAY HERE AGAIN?
There is a lot to love about this hotel. Specifically the location, newness, a resort (not conference) feel. The negatives are: the size of the pool, the extra 5ish minute walk (vs the Dolphin).
