The 2 Disney World Hotels That Experts Always Try to Gatekeep

We preach staying at Disney World hotels all the time.

Walt Disney World

When you stay right on Disney World property at one of the many hotels, you get fully immersed in the Disney experience. You get access to special perks such as transportation, amazing theming, and extra time in the parks. But there are two (kind of three) hotels at Disney World that we don’t talk about often enough!

The Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve are three hotels in Disney World that experts don’t tell you about because they likely want to keep the magic to themselves. But we’re here to tell you today that these hotels are definitely worth talking about!

Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort

Oftentimes, you’ll hear people talk about the Swan & Dolphin Hotel as one, but technically these are two separate hotels across from each other on Crescent Lake near Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Swan Reserve Hotel is right next to them but off the lake.

Swan Reserve

Technically, these hotels are owned and operated by Marriott, not Disney. But that can actually be a perk because if you’re a Marriott Bonvoy rewards member, you can use and earn points at all three of these hotels! And just because they are not Disney hotels doesn’t exclude you from getting Disney perks.

Swan and Dolphin

All three of these hotels are considered Deluxe hotels by Disney and therefore qualify for Extended Evening Hours! You can also take advantage of Early Entry to the parks offering it just like at all Disney World hotels. Another great thing about the Swan and Dolphin is that you can easily walk or catch a boat to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. They’re also within walking distance to the Skyliner!

There’s a walkway to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT

Each hotel also has their own bus system to the parks. The only downside is that the bus to Magic Kingdom actually takes you to the Transportation and Ticket Center where you’ll have to hop on the monorail or a ferry boat to get to the park. However, we’ve found that it’s pretty easy to walk over to Disney’s Boardwalk Resort to catch a bus there directly to Magic Kingdom!

Swan and Dolphin Bus Transportation

Wanna know a few other great things about the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve? It’s not in-your-face Disney. You won’t find over-the-top Disney-theming here. So if that’s not really your thing, this could be a great option with their gorgeous art deco theming instead. We’ve also found that it’s usually a little quieter than Disney hotels. Plus, the food is totally underrated and generally quite good! There are even grab-and-go Mickey waffles at the coffee bar.

Inside the Swan

As you can probably tell, these hotels are pretty underrated. People who know how great they are gatekeep the secrets for themselves, but we’re not like that. We had to tell you about how great these hotels are and that they are an option for your next trip!