Walt Disney World Swan

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.

Rating: 4 stars
Rooms: 756 rooms & suites
Rates: from $119 Check rates

Address: 1200 Epcot Resort Boulevard, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Area: Epcot Resort
Nearest airport: Orlando International (MCO)
Map: Click to view

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's Hollywood 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.

Dining

The Walt Disney World Swan and it's neighbor, the Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort share their facilities including 17 restaurants and lounges so there really will be something for everyone. The Dolphin Resort is only a couple of minutes walk away and then there are the restaurants at the nearby Disney's Yacht Club Resort, Disney's Beach Club Resort and Disney's Boardwalk Inn Resort plus other nearby Disney resorts on Crescent Lake and the World Showcase restaurants at Epcot are only a few minutes away.

The two signature restaurants are Kimonos and Il Mulino New York Trattoria. Kimonos is an award-winning Asian styled authentic Japanese sushi bar serving fresh seafood, sushi, Oriental hors d'oeuvres, gyoza, tempura platter, kobe beef and duck satay. The nearby Kimono's Lounge, serves saki and cocktails until midnight each evening complete with karaoke sessions.

If you prefer Italian, then the Il Mulino New York Trattoria by chefs and founders Fernando and Gino Masci is an alternative option for dinner. Il Mulino offers you traditional Italian cuisine from the Abruzzi region of Italy served in a rustic trattoria atmosphere.

The Il Mulino Lounge is open each evening serving fine Italian wines and cocktails plus authentic Italian antipasti and other hors d'oeuvres.

The Garden Grove Café serves American style breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual indoor Central Park setting complete with 25 foot oak tree festooned in twinkling lights.

At breakfast there is a buffet including a Japanese breakfast menu and at lunch you can choose from soups, salads and sandwiches. For dinner, the menu includes pizzas, burgers, barbecued shrimp and prime rib. Character dining is available each evening and at breakfast time at the weekends.

You can also catch a breakfast pastry and beverage from the Java Bar in the lobby.

For a quick service lunch, there is the Splash Grill (open seasonally) next to the pool serving pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, snacks and ice cream. Lastly there is 24 hour room service.

Recreation

The Swan and Dolphin Resorts share a total of 5 heated pools including the 3 acre pool area called the Grotto with fountains, a waterfall, waterslide and white sandy beach. There are also two lap pools, a spring pool, children's pool and four whirlpools (spa tubs).

If you want to relax then you can lie in a hammock and soak up the sun on the white-sand beach.

You can rent a boat including swan shaped paddle boats from the Cabana Beach Hut, where you will also find floats, towels, suntan lotions, summer apparel and complimentary life vests.

If you enjoy playing tennis then there are four floodlit hard courts (racquets and balls are available for rental) whilst joggers and walkers can take advantage of the various jogging trails around Crescent Lake (0.8 mile loop) past five Epcot area Disney Resorts.

There is also a volleyball sand court and basketball court.

Guests can take advantage of the Swan's WestinWORKOUT® gym where you can work out on state-of-the-art exercise equipment like Life Fitness and StairMaster® exercise machines, take a sauna or join a fitness class like yoga, Pilates, or aerobic dancing.

There is also the Balinese-style Mandara Spa where you can meditate, enjoy massage treatment, aromatherapy and reflexology or have a drink in the Tea Garden, inspired by the Zen Buddhist tea ceremony.

For children aged 4 to 12, there is evening supervised activities at the Camp Dolphin at the nearby Dolphin Resort where they can play computer games and watch Disney movies plus dinner and snacks are provided.

There is also a children's playground near the Grotto and a video game arcade.

Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf courses are just 5 minutes walk away.

Amenities

The Walt Disney World Swan Resort offers (along with the Dolphin Resort) a host of amenities including:

• 24 hour room service
• concierge service
• rooms and facilities for guests with disabilities
• self parking or valet parking (charge applicable)
• babysitting and childcare services
• voice mail, high speed wireless internet access (surcharge for high-speed access)
• laundry facilities/services (coin operated)
• 27" color Cable TV with Remote Control
• in-room movies (charges apply)
• complimentary daily newspaper
• The Heavenly Bed®
• bath robes and hair dryer
• in-room coffee maker and refreshment center
• in-room safe
• rollaway beds (upon request)
• writing desk
• Health Club
• a range of shops including Picabu (open 24 hours at the Dolphin Resort) for sundries, snacks and gifts, Disney Cabanas for sundries, Disney merchandise and souvenirs, Daisy's Garden for sundries and Disney merchandise, Galleria Sottil for Fine art and jewelry, Lamont's for upscale boutique resort and swimwear from labels including Tommy Bahama, Quicksilver, Lilly Pulitzer and Ralph Lauren and Sugar³ for gourmet confections

Meeting Facilities

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts share over 329,000 square feet of combined meeting and exhibition space, a total of 84 meeting rooms (including two executive boardrooms), four ballroom options from 3,500 to 56,000 square feet, 51 hospitality suites, outdoor function space (including the 16,200 square feet Pacific Terrace) and two Business Centers (open 24 hours).

Weddings

The Walt Disney World Swan is also ideal for a wedding ceremony with its own outdoor area called the Crescent Terrace and banqueting rooms and ballrooms that can accommodate over 1,000 people.