Staying at Walt Disney World on hotel points — within walking distance of two theme parks — might sound like a pixie-dust-fueled dream, but it’s actually possible if you stay at the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve.
These large, highly visible properties are actually three adjacent but distinct hotels that share access to amenities.
The Dolphin is the 27-story pyramid that opened in 1990 and is visible from just about every Disney World theme park.
The Swan opened in 1990 and is home to two 47-foot swan statues, while the Swan Reserve is the newest of the trio, having just opened in 2021.
These three resorts are clustered together and are all bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points. This is possible because while they each have Walt Disney World in their names and in their location, the Dolphin is actually a Sheraton, the Swan is a Westin and the Swan Reserve is in Marriott’s Autograph Collection.
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Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve basics
- The Walt Disney World Dolphin is a Sheraton, has 1,514 rooms (including 124 suites), first opened in 1990 and currently has points rates starting at 49,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
- The Walt Disney World Swan is a Westin, has 756 rooms (including 55 suites), opened in 1990 and currently has points rates starting at 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
- The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve is an Autograph Collection hotel, has 349 rooms (including 149 suites) and currently has points rates starting at 57,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
That means that the current welcome bonus with the (see rates and fees) that awards three free night awards (valued up to 50,000 Marriott points each; certain hotels have resort fees) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening could cover a three-night stay at one of these properties. And that’s especially true if you were willing to top up your awards with up to 25,000 additional Marriott points if the nights you wanted cost a few more points than 50,000. Additionally, new cardholders can receive up to $100 in statement credits (up to $50 biannually) after spending $500 on eligible airline purchases (through June 30, 2027).
Generally speaking, the Walt Disney World Dolphin is a large, busy convention hotel with the most on-site restaurants and amenities. The Walt Disney World Swan is comparatively smaller but still a very large, busy hotel that’s closest to the Dolphin, with both connected by a covered walkway.
The Swan Reserve is the smallest, most upscale — and most expensive — of the three properties. But combined, these three properties are positively massive with 2,619 rooms, 23 restaurants and lounges, and a host of amenities and facilities.
Where are the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve located at Disney World?
Due to some wheeling and dealing in the 1980s, the Swan and Dolphin (and later, Swan Reserve) scored some of the best real estate at Walt Disney World.
These resorts are within walking distance of both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Or there’s a complimentary water taxi that can take you to either of those parks that leaves from the dock between the Dolphin and the Swan.
Only three of Disney’s own operated resorts can claim this same feature: Disney’s Yacht Club, Disney’s Boardwalk and Disney’s Beach Club.
All of those are deluxe Disney resorts that regularly start between $600 – $800 per night, where rooms at this trio of properties can start at half that price if you’re paying with cash.
Related: How to save hundreds of dollars on a trip to Disney with the Disney Inspire Visa
Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve pools and amenities
There are multiple pools at the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve, with each property having at least one pool located directly on-site.
But the most expansive pools are situated closest to the Dolphin, including the grotto pool with waterfalls and a waterslide.
There is also a lap pool in case you want to get a water-based workout in. A great thing about the pools — and other amenities — is that it doesn’t matter which of these three hotels you are staying at; you can use all the amenities at the other hotels, too.
But it’s not just pools you can pick from; there is a very long list of amenities in case the Disney parks leave you with some downtime.
At the Dolphin, you’ll find a good-sized arcade and even a small bowling alley.
Between the Swan and Dolphin, there is also sand volleyball, an outdoor playground area for little kids and even swan-themed paddle boats that guests can take out on the water at no additional cost, as rentals are included in the hefty $50 nightly resort fee.
If you wanted to have a resort day outside the theme parks during your Disney World vacation, the odds are high that there is plenty to do at the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve to keep you entertained.
Each of the three hotels also has its own fitness area for you to still get your workouts in.
If, after all that activity, you want to rest and enjoy a massage or another treatment, there is a Mandara Spa inside the Dolphin.
Are the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve actually Disney hotels?
Believe it or not, the reason you can enjoy these Marriott hotels, located in the heart of Walt Disney World, dates back to disputes and deals in the 1980s.
The hotels have many Disney perks and an on-property Disney location, but they are not actually Disney-owned and operated hotels. And now they are all hotels where you can earn and use Marriott Bonvoy points to stay in the middle of Mickey’s kingdom without paying Mickey’s exact price tag.
What Disney World benefits do Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve guests get?
Guests of the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve get to enjoy some really good Disney benefits that are otherwise mostly reserved only for true on-property Disney World guests.
This list of Disney perks includes:
- Early Disney World park entry of 30 extra minutes each morning
- Extended Disney World evening hours, when available, which are reserved for deluxe Disney resort guests and typically give those guests access for two extra hours after select parks otherwise close on designated nights during the month.
- Early Lightning Lane purchases of up to seven days before your first day in the park (normally three days in advance for off-property guests)
- Free parking at the Walt Disney World theme parks (normally $35 per day) — however, note that parking at these hotels currently costs $40 per night for self-parking
As mentioned, there are complimentary boats to Epcot and Hollywood Studios from these hotels if you don’t want to make the 15-20-minute walk.
There are buses that leave from these hotels to Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom. The one downside to the buses vs. those at “true” Disney resorts is that the bus to Magic Kingdom takes you to the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) instead of to Magic Kingdom itself. From the TTC, you have to take the monorail or ferry boat to the Magic Kingdom.
If that sounds like a hassle to you, it can be a good time to splurge on a Disney-operated Minnie Van you book in the Lyft app to take you directly to the front of the Magic Kingdom with the money you saved by staying at these hotels instead of actual deluxe Disney resorts.
At these hotels, you will find true Disney gift shops, along with Disney park tickets and Disney vacation planning assistance.
Which is better: Disney Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve?
If by which hotel is best you mean the nicest, then the answer is likely the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve. It is not only the newest and most expensive of the three hotels, but also the one that falls under the higher-category Marriott Brand, Autograph Collection.
But everyone has different tastes and priorities for their Disney trip, so each of the three hotels has its own fans.
Which Swan and Dolphin hotel is best for families with kids?
All three of the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotels are great choices for families, but if we have to choose, families with young kids may enjoy the Swan and Dolphin a bit more due to more on-site amenities such as the playground and arcade and a slightly shorter walk to the boats or to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
There are also more on-site food options at the Dolphin and Swan than you’ll find at the Swan Reserve.
Which is cheapest: Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve?
In part because of conventions and events that do come to these hotels, no single hotel among the three is always the cheapest. The only real way to know for sure on your dates is to run some searches.
However, the Dolphin is the least expensive of the three on average, whether booking on Marriott points or cash, typically followed by the Swan and then the Swan Reserve.
Which Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve hotel has the best rooms?
All the rooms at these hotels are nice, especially once the Dolphin finishes its current renovation, but there are differences among them.
Swan Reserve rooms are likely the nicest between the three, with higher-end finishes, two robes available, walk-in showers, a better coffee maker, etc.
The rooms at the Swan are also nice and have been recently renovated. In my experience, they typically offer one robe, and importantly, two queen beds in the rooms with the two bed option.
The rooms at the Dolphin are currently undergoing renovation to make them more similar in appearance to the Swan. However, a significant difference will remain even after the renovations.
The beds at the Dolphin in rooms with two beds are full-sized or double beds, not queen beds. This makes it a tighter fit if you are putting two people in each bed.
There were no robes in our Dolphin room, and the coffee maker is a step down, which makes sense, as this is a Sheraton rather than the higher-tier brands at the other two hotels.
Where to eat at the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve?
There are more restaurants at the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve than it makes sense for me to put in a big list here, but I will mention a few of my personal favorite options.
First, I’m a fan of Rosa Mexicano, especially for an easy, fun arrival-night dinner with margaritas — especially if I have a resort credit to put to good use, as I did recently by booking via Amex’s Hotel Collection with my .
Amare, a Mediterranean restaurant at the Swan Reserve, and Todd English’s bluezoo, a seafood restaurant in the Walt Disney World Dolphin, are two additional standouts for me, though there are plenty of other great picks, too.
And believe it or not, if you order an entrée at Todd English’s bluezoo, Amare, or Il Mulino New York Trattoria, Rosa Mexicano, Bourbon Steak or Kimonos, your kids ages 5 – 12 can get two free hours at the on-site Camp Dolphin. This supervised childcare includes a take-home craft and a snack.
I also enjoy the grab-and-go options that are available at each of these three hotels for an easy muffin and coffee sort of breakfast in the morning.
If you have Marriott Platinum elite status or higher — which you can get just by having the — you can choose free breakfast as your benefit for the stay, which will get you a daily voucher to use in these shops.
Are the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve worth it compared to Disney-owned hotels?
I’ve stayed at these hotels over a dozen times and there is no doubt in my mind that the Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve can absolutely be worth it when deciding between them and Disney-owned resorts.
And don’t get me wrong — I really love a good, true Disney resort stay with all of the elaborate themes and locations — but the prices for deluxe resorts owned by Disney are often more than the prices that these three resorts charge. At these hotels, you’re often paying a price that is more in the Disney moderate, mid-tier resort range (and sometimes even a value range), but getting closer to deluxe-tier location and amenities.
And you can even use some of your hotel credits from certain Amex or Chase cards and book via programs that give you free breakfast, resort credits and more, like I just did via American Express with my to get $450 in bonus savings and inclusions on a recent stay.
So there are ways you can really bring down your total cost here that typically don’t work at true Disney resorts, which don’t participate in most of those programs, including even using the simple $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit from the (see rates and fees).
And that’s assuming you’re even paying cash — you can also use your Marriott points or free night awards here and save your cash for other parts of the trip.
So yes, I absolutely think it is sometimes worth potentially spending less to stay in the middle of it all at the Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve and still get the overwhelming majority of the perks of being at a true Disney resort.
Bottom line
There are a lot of great places to stay while on a Walt Disney World vacation, but often you have to make trade-offs. You can have a great location, good value, or an upscale stay, but typically not all three at the same time … except at the Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve, which have the potential to give you the best of all worlds.
While the Swan Reserve is my favorite of the three, I’ve stayed at all of these hotels multiple times over the years on cash, Marriott points, and even using some of the hotel credits from my various credit cards, and I have every intention of many more stays in the future.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thepointsguy.com
