Walt Disney World Swan Resort

Overview

The Walt Disney World Swan and it's neighbor, the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort are not actually owned by Disney, they are part of the Starwood Hotels group and appeal to the business and convention traveler as well as Walt Disney World vacationers.

Even though they are not owned by Disney, they are official Disney hotels and therefore it is still possible to take advantage of some of the special Disney onsite benefits such as the Extra Magic Hours, character dining, free transport and parking at the parks. However, the Swan and Dolphin Resorts are not part of the Disney Dining Plan or serviced by the complimentary Magical Express Orlando Airport shuttle. Nor can you charge to your room when visiting the parks and there is a daily parking charge of $9 for self-parking or $12 for valet parking.

The Walt Disney World Swan was designed by the award-winning architect Michael Graves and first opened in 1990. It is operated by Westin and has recently been extensively refurbished.

As its name suggests, swans are used to decorate the hotel throughout and it has both a contemporary and a whimsical feel to it with giant 47-foot tall swan sculptures on the roof of the 12 story hotel.

Complimentary water taxis operate to the nearby Disney's Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios theme parks plus to the entertainment area at Disney's BoardWalk but they also accessible on foot, Epcot is just 15 minutes away.

All the other Disney theme parks are accessible by free shuttle buses.

Nearby on Crescent Lake are the twinned Disney's Yacht Club Resort and Disney's Beach Club Resort plus Disney's Boardwalk Inn Resort.

Rooms/Suites

The accommodation in the Walt Disney World Swan Resort has also been designed by Michael Graves with original artwork and contemporary designs plus the renowned Westin Heavenly Beds®.

Rooms range from standard rooms sleeping up to 4 people to luxury suites accommodating up to 10 people with separate living areas and 1 or 2 bedrooms. There are a total of 59 suites and 44 club rooms at the Swan.

Standard (Traditional) rooms will sleep 4 on either 2 queen beds or 1 king bed and a sofa bed.

With the standard rooms, there are a choice of views; Standard View overlooking the grounds, Lake View looking onto Crescent Lake, Courtyard View with views of the gardens and landscaping, Resort View with views of Resort grounds and the nearby Walt Disney World Dolphin and Resort View with Balcony for a premium view of the Resort grounds, pools or the Walt Disney World Dolphin.

Not all the rooms have balconies and some balconies are large full balconies whereas other are quite small so if you want a balcony you need to request a room with one.

There is also a range of Suites with either 1 or 2 bedrooms sleeping up to 10 people.

The Studio Suites don't actually have a separate bedroom. They are L-shaped with the bed and living area at one end and dining area with extra mini bar at the other end. There is a sofa bed or rollaway bed in the living area and the suite sleeps up to 5.

The Executive Suites have either 1 or 2 bedrooms each with their own bathroom and sleep 6 or 10 respectively. The large living area also has a sofa bed, wet bar, dining table and additional bathroom.

Slightly bigger than the Executive Suites are the Grand Suites, again with 1 or 2 bedrooms each with their own bathroom and sleeping up to 7. They come with an extra large living area with sofa bed, wet bar, kitchen area and a spacious dining/conference table and an additional bathroom.

The Governors Suites are designed for couples wanting a bit of extra luxury or someone wanting to host a business meeting. There is one large bedroom with its own deluxe bathroom and sitting area plus a large living area with its own bathroom, a wet bar, kitchen area, sofabed, entertainment center and conference table. All the Governors Suites have private balconies.

The Presidential Suites are luxuriously appointed with two large bedrooms (king-sized in one and two queen-sized in the other), each with their own bathroom and balconies. The large living room boasts a grand piano, sofa bed, 42-inch plasma TV, an extra full-sized bathroom, full-sized kitchen with private bar plus a dining room for up to eight people.

Rates for 2008

All prices quoted are the general Disney rates (rack rate) per night for 2008 and do not include taxes. Occupancy is based on two adults sharing, extra charges may apply for additional adults. Prices vary by season (see sidebar) and sometimes offers are available. 2007 rates can be seen after the 2008 rates.

Because the Walt Disney World Swan is not operated by Disney, you will often find special rates well below the standard rack rates.

Room Type	Value	Regular	Peak	Holiday
Standard rooms
Standard view	$369	$380	$429
Lake view	$405	$435	$485
Resort view	$425	$455	$505
Resort view with balcony	$445	$475	$529
Suites
1 Bedroom Executive		$995
2 Bedroom Executive		$1525
2 Bedroom Grand		$1325

Click here to show/hide the standard 2007 room rates.

Note that as of June 1, 2007 all Disney Resort hotels are smoke free and guests may only smoke in designated outdoor smoking areas. No smoking is permitted inside the hotels including guest room patios and balconies.

Read our reviews of all the Walt Disney World Deluxe Resort hotels - Animal Kingdom Lodge, BoardWalk Inn Resort, Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Yacht Club & Beach Club Resorts, Polynesian Resort, Wilderness Lodge, Walt Disney World Swan and Walt Disney World Dolphin.