Review: Marriott's Walt Disney World Swan

A non-Disney hotel with deluxe level location, moderate prices, and perks to boot?! The Walt Disney World Swan is too good on paper to go unnoticed. In this post, I review the Walt Disney World Swan, including a look at a recently renovated room and a lot of talk about the pros and cons of this offbeat non-Disney option. Here’s what you need to know about the Walt Disney World Swan!

Walt Disney World Swan Basics

The Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve are three hotels operated by Marriott at Walt Disney World. Despite their names beginning with “Walt Disney World,” they are not operated by Disney, but they share some Disney perks that we’ll get to below.

The Swan and Dolphin are located just off the BoardWalk area, where Disney has three hotels (Yacht Club, Beach Club, and BoardWalk Inn). As we’ll discuss this makes the hotels walkable to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. The Swan Reserve is about 5 minutes walking farther than the Swan.

I assume you’re a guest considering a stay at the Walt Disney World Swan. And I’ve got one piece of good news—making the decision about whether or not to stay at the Swan is a lot more straightforward than any other Disney hotel decision you’ll have to make.

To that end, I’m not going to bury the lede. The Walt Disney World Swan is a good hotel with a great location and an assortment of valuable Disney perks. It also has a price that beats Disney’s nearby hotels. What it lacks is, mostly, the theming that makes Disney hotels special.

I’m going to start with my booking and arrival, before taking a look at my room and some common areas. Then I’ll dive into a discussion of theme, perks, and transportation. I’ll close with a discussion of price (which is usually closer to Disney’s moderates than it’s deluxes) and how I think about the Swan overall.

My Booking, Arrival, and Check-In

I booked one night at the Walt Disney World Swan using a free night certificate I had for Marriott Bonvoy. Swan rooms range from 58,000 to 87,000 this time of year. Cash rates start around $350. There’s also a $50 night resort fee, plus taxes and fees, that came out to a total of $56.25 for my night.

I chose the Swan because I was attending Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios. My rule these days is that when I’m attending a late night event at a park (usually Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios), I like to be at a hotel that’s walkable from the park. I prefer the certainty of a 20-minute walk to the uncertainty of the wait associated with even the shortest bus or boat ride.

As it happens, all the walkable hotels to Magic Kingdom are Disney deluxe resorts, and half of the hotels walkable to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT are Disney deluxe resorts (the other half are the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve).

The Disney BoardWalk, three minutes walking from the Swan

Disney deluxe resorts are incredibly expensive, so I tend to like visiting them for only one or two nights, so a trip with an event often involves a split stay. I was also heading to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on this trip, so I wound up doing a split stay between the Swan and the Island Tower at Polynesian. (On the logistics of the split stay, know that bell services at Swan and Dolphin sometimes transfer bags to Disney hotels, you’ll just have to ask and have a plan if they can’t.)

I opted for the Swan over one of the Disney hotels on the BoardWalk mostly because of money (prices discussed below) and the fact that it’s been a while since I stayed at the Swan.

I’m still on my Mears Connect kick, so I was happy to see Mears Connect serves the Walt Disney World Swan. I always still consider Uber to get from MCO to my hotel, but I decided the time would work out just fine, so I saved some money and booked Mears Connect the morning of my arrival.

Ultimately, when I got to Mears Connect I was on a bus in only a few short minutes, but the Swan was going to be the fourth stop. The first stop was Art of Animation. I only had my backpack and I’d been wanting to check out the updated Pop Century common areas, so I got off at Art of Animation, walked to Pop, then took the Skyliner to EPCOT and walked over to the Swan.

(As an aside, you should always keep in mind that frequent visitors and experts have unique perspectives that don’t always speak to what a typical guest wants. My opinion of Mears Connect may have suffered if I actually sat on that bus for four stops, but I didn’t.)

I arrived at noon, still a few hours before check-in, so I’m not surprised my room wasn’t ready. I really wanted to get a run in, so I headed to the fitness center (I wanted a short, fast run, so I preferred a treadmill; the next day for a longer run I ran around the BoardWalk and path to Hollywood Studios). As it happened, my room was ready just as I got on the treadmill.

My “Traditional, 1 King, No View” Room at the Swan

Here’s a look at the room. The Swan rooms were last updated in early 2025, and their quality is indicative of that.

As compared to the aesthetics of Disney rooms (remember, this is not a Disney hotel), I’d say these rooms sort of fall between the current and previous generation of rooms. The most current Disney rooms are refined but themed, and a step away from the minimalism that gave us hospital room comparisons when discussing the previous generation of rooms.

For the most part, I was happy with the last generation of Disney rooms, and I’m universally a fan of the newest Disney rooms. So when I rank these non-Disney rooms between those, I’m giving a thumbs up—the Swan rooms are nice. But if you’ve been looking at the latest rooms at Grand Floridian or Port Orleans French Quarter, I think you can pretty clearly see those have a spark that most any non-Disney room lacks.

Functionally, the room earns pretty high marks. The lamps have outlets, enabling bedside charging. The console has plenty of surface space, something I learned was essential as soon as Disney started introducing gigantic consoles at their hotels. Hotels should just have Keurig machines, but I found nothing wrong with this coffee machine.

The bathroom area has two sinks, one inside and one outside the bathroom. I’ve got no complaints about the functionality of the bathroom, but I’m a little thrown off by just how much they’re into “White Tea” scented products. Surely you can pair that with something.

Common Areas and Amenities at the Swan

I didn’t check out any of the restaurants at the Swan. I’m not a foodie, so I’d personally book one of Disney’s table service restaurants at EPCOT (Space 220, Biergarten are our picks) and Hollywood Studios (Roundup Rodeo BBQ is my pick), or perhaps the Cape May Cafe character breakfast at Beach Club, over any restaurant at the Swan.

There is a small quick service cafe with a few salads and sandwiches. As always, I’d prefer a deep quick service lineup for a theme park vacation. Mobile order was available in the Swan and Dolphin app—not the Disney World app.

There’s a small lap pool just outside the fitness center, along with a larger “grotto” complex between the Swan and Dolphin. There’s also a small playground.

Because they cater to corporate and convention guests, the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve all do pretty well with having usable common areas. There is plenty of seating and outlets.

Just off the lobby, there’s a small Disney planning center and store.

Magic—It’s All Relative

Hopefully these photos have given you a sense of the place, and I think it’s a good time to talk about theme.

I would be surprised to meet a guest with multiple (or maybe even one) Disney hotel stays who didn’t feel like the Swan was “missing” something. It’s definitely not something essential, but it’s not wholly amorphous Magic, either—it’s mostly what you’d usually call “theme” at the Disney hotels.

ICYMI, “swan” is…not really a theme. At least, it’s not a theme in the same way that “New Orleans” or “the Incredibles” or “yacht club” are themes. Inside the rooms and out, the feel of the Walt Disney World Swan is that it’s a good resort hotel you could find literally anywhere in the world. There is next to nothing about the hotel that tells you this is a vacation unlike any other (there is that small Disney store, though).

But if you’ve never stayed at a Disney resort before, does that matter? (Well, to the family member who drew the short straw to read this review, I hope I didn’t ring any bell that can’t be un-rung with this whole section.) If you’ve got nothing to compare it to, there’s no reason to think you’d feel like you missed out staying there, though I would say if you popped into a Disney hotel for a meal you might have your world lightly rocked.

Walt Disney World Swan Perks

We have a more thorough discussion of perks at Disney and partner hotels here, in case you’d like a more comparative approach. But here are the key perks available at the Swan:

  • Swan guests have access to Early Theme Park Entry, granting them access to each Disney World theme park for 30 minutes before park open every day. This is a perk shared with all Disney hotel guests and guests of other partner hotels, including those in the Disney Springs Resort Area.

  • Swan guests have the ability to book Lightning Lanes 7 days in advance of check-in (alongside Disney hotel guests), earlier than the standard 3-day window.

  • Swan is one of the very few non-Disney hotels that has access to Extended Evening Hours. While this is something of a cool perk—late night access to select parks on select nights—it usually only occurs twice a week and you’ll often find you’re just too tired (or in need of too early a morning) to take advantage of it.

The other perk of the Swan is its location, which is really part of a bigger transportation discussion…

Friendship Boat launch between Swan and Dolphin

Transportation at the Walt Disney World Swan

The transportation situation at the Walt Disney World Swan is a mixed bag. Let’s start with the good—you can walk or take the Friendship Boat to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. As to those two parks, the location is just about as good at Disney’s Yacht Club, Beach Club, and BoardWalk Inn hotels.

My walking time to Hollywood Studios was 18 minutes, and to EPCOT 12 minutes. As I mention again in the conclusion to this post, I admit to overvaluing walking relative to a typical guest. Our family will walk anywhere in most any conditions—this includes Zoe walking between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios (lots of sun) in extreme heat.

The boat isn’t a huge upgrade over Disney bus transportation, and your family may feel the walk is worse than any wait for a bus.

Swan and Dolphin, as seen on my way to EPCOT

Like every hotel near and far, you’ll rely on a bus to take you to Animal Kingdom.

The weak point of transportation at Swan is getting to Magic Kingdom. You’ll take a bus to the Transportation and Ticket Center, and from there it’s a ferry or monorail ride to Magic Kingdom. Disney hotels have buses that drop you off directly at the park, but guests who drive, ride-share, or take buses from non-Disney hotels will go through TTC. You also could take a Minnie Van from the Swan directly to the Magic Kingdom gates.

(As a brief aside, I stumbled upon a benefit of this bus situation my last visit. I was changing hotels to Polynesian, and since you can walk from TTC to Polynesian, the bus to TTC was quite helpful. You might consider this if you wanted to book a meal at Polynesian during your trip, for example.)

Guests of the Swan get free parking at Disney’s parks, but the hotel itself does have a parking fee (currently $38+tax per night).

Comparing Swan’s Price to Other Hotels

To begin to wrap up, let’s get to the crux of the matter—price. Here’s a look at a prices I pulled for a 5-night summer stay at Swan, three Disney hotels, and a non-Disney alternative:

Here are some key things to know and take away from this list.

Beach Club prices reflect Disney’s pricing superpower, not quality. The prices at Disney’s deluxe resorts—Beach Club included—basically reflect that there is a segment of guests who will just pay whatever price Disney tells them for a Disney deluxe resort stay. For these guests, the nebulous Magic of a Disney hotel is worth $400. This is obviously a subjective matter, so I don’t think they’re “wrong”, but I do think someone more objectively comparing hotels will always be at a loss to explain Disney deluxe pricing.

Swan has clear advantages over the Disney Springs hotels and All Star Sports. With its walking / boat access to two parks, plus the adjacent dining and entertainment options around the BoardWalk, and Extended Evening Hours as the smallest cherry on top of the sundae, it makes sense that Swan has a premium over the lowest priced Disney and Disney Springs options.

Drury Plaza is one of the least expensive Disney Springs hotels, i.e. the lowest price point to get Early Entry. For what you pay for a Disney World trip, I consider Early Entry an essential. So if the prices at Swan make you think twice, I think you first need to understand that prices at the All Stars and Disney Springs Resort Area are the effective bottom (from my perspective, at least).

Walt Disney World Swan prices look similar to Caribbean Beach—that makes sense. Caribbean Beach has Skyliner access to the same two parks that Swan has walking and boat access to. Caribbean Beach has bus access directly to Magic Kingdom (not TTC, like Swan). Caribbean Beach has the Disney vibes, while Swan is a better hotel and also has access to Extended Evening Hours.

Conclusions — When Does the Swan Make Sense?

I think it’s clear from my review thus far that staying at the Walt Disney World Swan at least makes sense sometimes, so let’s close with for whom and when I think this hotel makes sense.

First, a factor I haven’t mentioned yet. Stays at the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve make a lot of sense if you have Marriott points to use or Marriott status. I used a Marriott free night certificate for this stay. I still had to pay the resort fee, but it made a lot of sense for me.

Staying at the Swan also makes a lot of sense if your family has never visited Disney World and you—to put it bluntly—want to save a little money while pulling a bit of a fast one on your family. A partner or teenager in the know could probably tell you’re not at a Disney hotel, but a kid probably won’t miss out on the theming. (And, completely seriously, if you want to see your kid’s heart melt over theming and you don’t want to spend a bunch, just go with a value resort—we love them!)

Now—again, I overvalue walking paths. If you hate walking, or even if you just have kids who won’t want to walk 15 minutes in 90-degree heat, then you’re not really getting a huge boost picking Swan and Dolphin. Taking this into account, the Swan is probably much better for adult-only Disney World trips, or for families with older kids.

My personal take is that I’d probably rather be at a lower-priced resort along the Skyliner (Pop Century, Art of Animation, or Caribbean Beach) than at the Swan, at least when I’m traveling with Zoe. With Zoe, if I had some reason to compromise—like Zoe was going to Jollywood Nights, or maybe when Monstropolis opens and easy access to Hollywood Studios is extra valuable—then Swan would definitely make my list, too.

But Swan worked really well for me this trip. As a solo (adult) traveler who didn’t need to be wowed by theme, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on much. I was happy with the room, and I was incredibly happy to have two parks a walk away.

All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered

Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.

Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.

When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!

Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.

Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.

Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.