Swan & Dolphin Resorts

[katzctkpt]

Transportation to and from the Swan & Dolphin is it on the Disney Buses and is the wait time the same as the other resorts? and has anyone stayed at these resorts how are they compared to the Disney operated ones?

[meandmydog1]

I have stayed at these resorts as well as Boardwalk. I found that the Swan/Dolphin charge you extra for every little thing like parking and using the exercise facilities. The bus system in that entire area needs some work. I was just at the Boardwalk last week and it took me a solid hour to get to Animal Kingdom because we had to go to Swan/Dolphin/YC/BC and Blizzard Beach. Talk about a packed bus. Not to mention the time factor was horrendous. Hope this helps.

[Figment!]

The Swan and Dolphin use the same Disney Transportation as the other Disney Resort hotels.

They offer the Disney Bus transportation, as well as, the FRIENDShip Boat Transportation to Epcot and the Disney-MGM Studios. There are also walking paths to Epcot and the Disney-MGM Studios.

We have stayed at the Swan three times and the Dolphin once and have never experienced any waits for or crowding of buses differently than any of the other Disney Resorts.

[MidnTPK]

Just to add to the previous poster: the Swan and Dolphin buses are Disney buses. For most of the parks, the bus route is shared with the Boardwalk Inn and Villas. For a few places the route includes the YC & BC in addition to the Boardwalk resorts and the S&D.

I found the waits for buses the same as at other resorts I've stayed at (YC and CBR)...sometimes there's a long wait and sometime a short one....sometimes crowded sometimes empty.

The quality of the resorts is equal to deluxe resorts, but they're a little less magical. But usually you can find a good deal that makes them much less expensive than a Disney luxury resort. While the S&D have access to Extra Magic Hours, you can't buy the Disney dining plan, get packages delivered to your resort, or use Disney's Magical Express. But as I said before, this is usually made up for by the lower nightly room rates.

A previous poster was correct that they have many more incidental charges, but did I mention that this is usually made up for by the availability of much lower nightly room rates?

Personally, I really like these resorts because of the lower rates plus the little things that make it more like a business hotel. While my absolute favorite resort is the YC, the S&D come close because they have little conveniences that I've grown accustomed to (like a 24 hour place to eat, Starwood Preferred Guest points, and different classes of rooms for preferred guests).

[JoRy]

I have stayed all around the Boardwalk and specifically at the Swan/Dolphin a lot. I discovered I do best when I have rented a car. I know it costs a little bit more, but the convenience is well worth it...especially for the Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. The boat is good for EPCOT and DHS.