2. Con: No free parking
Image: Harshlight, Flickr (license)
If you are used to rolling into Disney-owned resorts and enjoying a week of free parking, you may be in for a shock when you arrive at the Swan and Dolphin. This was honestly one of the most disappointing elements of our stay as not only do parking fees add up, but if you want to self-park at the Dolphin, you may find yourself in for a long hike from the Swan. If you opt to try to drop your bags off at the front, be prepared for the valets to try to offer you every conceivable selling point possible to get you to do valet parking at a whopping $30 a night.
Particularly if you are staying at the Dolphin, self-parking is a uniquely challenging experience. The lot of the Dolphin was either closed or full at the time of our visit, meaning you could only park in the lot of the Swan, which was packed even on an off-season day. We were only able to find parking in the forgotten far reaches of the lot, and because we’d opted not to use the bell service, that meant a long hike with our bags over to the Dolphin. At $20 a day, the self-parking costs definitely add up. This is a big enough cost that it, combined with the resort fee, might be enough to bump the Swan and Dolphin’s price up to a point similar to some of Disney’s moderate resorts.
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega (@mykingdomforamouse Instagram)
Pro: You can’t beat the location
The Swan and Dolphin’s amazing location near both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios make it one of the most convenient resorts at Walt Disney World. If you are the sort who finds yourself eating most of your trip meals at Epcot, the convenience of both boats and a walking path to reach Epcot’s International Gateway are unbeatable. Even if you won’t be spending your whole trip at Epcot, the Swan and Dolphin still have bus transportation to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs just like the Disney-owned resorts as well as friendship boats to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
3. Con: Convention crowds and lack of Disney atmosphere
Image: CL Photographs, Flickr (license)
This was a surprising item we’ve noticed on most of our visits to the Dolphin (and sometimes the Swan as well). The Swan and Dolphin are a favorite destination for business travelers and corporate conference groups. While this isn’t necessarily always noticeable or problematic, the conference crowds do give the Swan and Dolphin much more of a “business resort” feel. If you happen to arrive on a Friday night, you may also encounter local barflies enjoying drinks as well, and they are pretty hard to miss at the Dolphin since the lobby surrounds an enormous bar and lounge. For adults, this may be no big deal, but families with kids might find this atmosphere messes with your Disney mojo. Conference crowds vary from conservative businessmen to that singularly-annoying “we-own-the-whole-resort” flavor of group, so be prepared for this if you will be visiting either of the resorts-- the Dolphin in particular due to its layout.
Pro: The Swan is one classy place
The layout of the Swan, as well as its roots as a Westin resort, give it something of a more relaxed feel. It is just crazy classy. While there are still conference crowds, they aren’t as visible as they are in the Dolphin’s massive central lobby. The Swan is a gorgeous resort, so if the corporate crowd isn’t your thing, you might want to spend a little extra to enjoy the same perks of the Dolphin in the slightly classier setting of the Swan.
Comments
Since there were so many (negative) changes to the perks of being an on property guest in the offical WDW hotels, this articale is a bit outdated and the con's at the dolphin & swan are now the same in WDW resorts. Nice articale though!