Walt Disney World Swan Review: Rooms, Fees, Perks and Walks

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The Walt Disney World Swan is the Marriott-run hotel on Crescent Lake that lets you walk to EPCOT’s International Gateway in about 15 minutes while keeping most of the perks Disney reserves for its own resort guests: 30-minute Early Theme Park Entry, Extended Evening Hours and the 7-day Lightning Lane window. Opened in 1989 to a Michael Graves design, it shares pools, a beach and a boat dock with the Walt Disney World Dolphin next door, in a complex with 23 restaurants and lounges.

Fees below come from the resort’s and Disney’s pages at the time of writing; room rates vary by season, availability and how far ahead you book.

Quick answer: Book the Swan to walk or boat to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios with Disney’s hotel perks in a smaller building than the 1,514-room Dolphin, if you can accept a mandatory $50-plus-tax daily package, $40-plus-tax self-parking and no Disney Dining Plan. Families of five should pick the Dolphin, whose Traditional rooms are listed for two adults and three children; the Swan’s sleep two and two.

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Walt Disney World Swan photos

A look at the building, rooms, suites and public areas from the hotel’s own photo gallery. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or see the full gallery and current rates on Booking.com.

Location: inside the EPCOT Resort Area

The Swan sits on Crescent Lake, and Disney calls it “within easy walking distance of EPCOT”. The resort gives no walking distances, so we routed them: about 0.7 mile, roughly 15 minutes, from the hotel’s lakeside to International Gateway, EPCOT’s World Showcase entrance (about 0.8 mile from the main entrance), and about 1 mile to the Hollywood Studios boat dock or 1.1 miles to its ticket booths, 21 to 23 minutes along the canal.

Destination	Distance from the Swan	Time without traffic	How you get there
EPCOT, International Gateway	0.7 mi on foot	About 15 min	Walk or FriendShip boat
Hollywood Studios	1 mi to the dock, 1.1 mi to the gate	21 to 23 min	Walk or FriendShip boat
Magic Kingdom (TTC lot)	3.6 mi by road	About 7 min	Resort bus, then monorail or ferry
Animal Kingdom	2.7 mi by road	About 7 min	Resort bus
Universal Orlando and Epic Universe	About 12 to 13 mi	About 22 to 23 min	Drive or rideshare
Orlando International Airport	About 21 mi	About 34 min	Mears Connect, rideshare or car

Distances are rounded OSRM routes without traffic; our guide to hotels near EPCOT compares the walkable and shuttle options around the park.

Rooms: Heavenly Beds, 340 square feet and optional balconies

Every room has the Westin Heavenly Bed, with a pillow-top mattress and white down comforter, a mini refrigerator, a single-serve coffee maker and a 49-inch or larger TV with streaming apps. Bathrooms list a glass-enclosed shower or the Heavenly shower curtain and wand (a tub combination on request), a dual vanity in most rooms and backlit mirrors in most categories; all rooms are non-smoking, and connecting rooms exist in the Traditional, Deluxe and Executive Suite categories.

Room type	Size	Beds	Listed occupancy	Balcony
Traditional Room	340 sq ft	2 queens or 1 king, some with sofa bed	2 adults, 2 children	No
Deluxe Room	340 sq ft	2 queens or 1 king, some with sofa bed	2 adults, 2 children	Yes, furnished
Family Room	500 sq ft	1 king, or 1 king plus sofa bed; alcove	2 adults, 2 children	Not listed
Executive Suite	600 sq ft	2 queens or 1 king, table for six; phone booking only	2 adults, 2 children	Not listed

Every room page lists two adults and two children, while the reservations FAQ charges $35 plus tax a night for a third and fourth adult, so four adults should confirm the bedding. The room pages also say room location is assigned on availability across the three hotels, so ask at check-in if a lake-facing balcony matters.

Pools, beach and recreation

The shared Swan and Dolphin complex has six pools: the Grotto pool with waterfalls and a water slide, two lap pools, a Spring pool, a Relaxation pool and a kiddie pool, plus four whirlpools. The weekly hours page listed the Swan pools at 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and the slide at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The white-sand beach has volleyball courts, a playground and the Cabana Beach Hut for towels and tube rentals; swan paddle boats and nightly beach movies with s’mores are included in the package. The Swan’s poolside restaurant is Splash Pool Bar and Grill, open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dining and breakfast at the Swan

Breakfast is not part of the resort package. The Swan has Java, a grab-and-go coffee bar with breakfast items, sandwiches and salads from 6 a.m., and Garden Grove, which the resort lists only as open seasonally. Its page does not mention character dining, while TouringPlans, a planner site, listed a weekend character breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. in an update dated October 11, 2026, so confirm before you promise one. Chill, the Swan’s frozen-drinks counter, opens Thursday to Saturday afternoons by its own page.

Dinner is the Swan’s strength. Il Mulino New York Trattoria serves Abruzzi-style Italian food and wood-fired pizzas from 5 to 11 p.m. daily; Kimonos does sushi from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. with karaoke from 9:30 p.m. Both give diners two hours of free Camp Dolphin childcare. The Dolphin adds Bourbon Steak, bluezoo, Rosa Mexicano and The Fountain; in-room dining runs 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to midnight, and Dolphin meals can be charged to a Swan room. The resort’s pages never mention the Disney Dining Plan, and Disney sells its plans only in packages with a Disney Resort hotel stay, which the Swan is not.

Parking, the resort fee and other charges

The mandatory resort service package is $50 plus tax a day, with daily benefits for two guests: in-room Wi-Fi (faster for loyalty members on eligible stays), daily swan paddle-boat rentals, fitness classes, nightly beach movies and s’mores, a game credit and $30 off spa services of $230 or more. Orange County’s hotel tax is 12.5%.

Registered guests pay $40 plus tax a day for self-parking and $51 to $61 plus tax for valet, figures Disney’s parking page repeats. Your resort ID then gets you standard parking at all four Disney theme parks, worth $35 a day at Disney’s current rate (the resort’s FAQ still quotes the older $30). Also budget one night’s room and tax if you leave early and a possible late check-out fee. Check-in is at 4 p.m., check-out at 11 a.m., and pets are not allowed apart from service animals.

Getting to the parks: walkways, boats and buses

By our routing, the walkway to International Gateway follows the shore of Crescent Lake past Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club, and the path to Hollywood Studios runs beside the waterway in the other direction.

FriendShip water taxis leave from the dock by the covered walkway between the two hotels about every 20 to 25 minutes, starting an hour before the parks open, for EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and the BoardWalk; they do not run in bad weather. Buses stop at each hotel’s front entrance about every 20 to 25 minutes for Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs, until 45 minutes after park close and up to 90 minutes after Disney Springs closes. Magic Kingdom buses drop you at the Transportation and Ticket Center, so add the monorail or ferry, and the Skyliner does not stop here. Our guide to hotels near Hollywood Studios compares the walk, the boat and the Skyliner.

From the airport, the resort’s FAQ points to Mears Connect, which lists the Swan and showed standard fares from $16 per adult and $13 per child aged 3 to 9 one way, plus a 6% fuel surcharge at the time of writing; the drive takes about 34 minutes without traffic.

Disney perks: Early Entry, Extended Evening Hours and Lightning Lane

Disney’s Early Theme Park Entry page names the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel among the 15 other select hotels whose guests enter all four parks 30 minutes early on every day of their stay, including check-in and check-out days, through 2027. You need valid admission plus a MagicBand, MagicMobile pass or Key to the World card. Our list of non-Disney hotels with Early Theme Park Entry compares them.

Disney’s Extended Evening Hours page names only four non-Disney hotels, the Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve and Shades of Green, for late access to select parks on select nights through 2027. Disney’s Lightning Lane and hotel pages and the resort’s benefits page all give Swan guests the 7-day Lightning Lane purchase window that Disney Resort guests get, against 3 days for everyone else; our Disney Lightning Lane guide covers windows and prices.

What you do not get: the Disney Dining Plan or charging Disney dining to your room. The resort’s home page still says Early Entry runs through 2025, but its benefits page and Disney’s say 2027. Bonvoy points and member rates apply to bookings made through Marriott, so a Booking.com stay will not normally earn them.

Amenities: spa, fitness, kids club and Wi-Fi

The lobby has copper lantern chandeliers, a white swan fountain and a Disney Desk, and the Disney Planning Center sits in the Swan’s gift shop. The Swan Health Club, beside the Swan lap pool, is open 24 hours with your room key; daily classes such as Aqua HIIT and beach yoga are included in the package. Mandara Spa, 10,500 square feet and Balinese-inspired, opens 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; the Dolphin’s page lists it among that building’s amenities.

Camp Dolphin, the evening kids club on the Dolphin’s lower level, takes potty-trained children aged 5 to 12 by the resort’s FAQ (Disney’s page says 4 to 12): an all-inclusive 3 to 10 p.m. session is $120 with dinner, and two-hour early- or late-evening sessions are $60, reservations required.

Views: what the window shows

The resort says Deluxe balconies overlook the courtyard, the landscaping or Crescent Lake, and its own photos show rooms facing the Dolphin’s pyramid. Only “no view” and “resort view” (extra cost) are sold, with no fireworks-view category, so do not book the Swan for the show; our round-up of hotels with views of Disney fireworks lists the rooms that deliver one.

Swan vs Dolphin vs Swan Reserve: how the Swan differs

The three share fees, perks, pools, boats and buses; the choice is about building and rooms. The Swan is mid-sized: 756 rooms over 12 stories, Heavenly Beds and two-queen or king rooms for four. The Dolphin is the giant: 1,514 rooms and 124 suites over 27 stories, the spa and Camp Dolphin on its pages, and Traditional rooms for two adults and three children. The Swan Reserve, opened in 2021 across Epcot Resorts Boulevard, has 349 rooms including 149 suites, but a longer walk and no boat dock of its own. Our Swan vs Dolphin vs Swan Reserve comparison and Walt Disney World Dolphin review go deeper.

Who the Walt Disney World Swan suits

EPCOT regulars first: the walk into World Showcase makes festival days easy, and our EPCOT festivals calendar shows what runs when. Runners can base a runDisney weekend here; see our guide to where to stay for runDisney race weekends. Couples who want a walk home after the evening show and families of four happy with two queens complete the list; its sister, the Swan Reserve, features in our ranking of luxury resorts in Orlando.

Pros

• Walk to EPCOT in about 15 minutes and to Hollywood Studios in 21 to 23, with boats as backup.
• Early Entry, Extended Evening Hours, the 7-day Lightning Lane window and free park parking.
• Westin Heavenly Beds, two real queens, mini-fridges and connecting rooms.
• Six pools, four whirlpools, a slide, a beach and paddle boats.
• Two signature restaurants in the building and 23 venues across the complex.

Limitations to know

• The $50 package and $40 parking add about $100 a day with tax for a driving family, before the room rate.
• Rooms sleep two adults and two children; no standard rooms for five, and extra adults cost $35 plus tax.
• No Disney Dining Plan, no charging Disney dining to the room; Bonvoy perks need a direct booking.
• Magic Kingdom means a bus to the TTC plus the monorail or ferry.
• Views are sold only as no view or resort view, so a lake-facing balcony is not guaranteed.

What to check before you book

1. The current package and parking amounts on the resort’s reservations and transportation FAQs.
2. Bedding for four adults or a baby who needs a crib; the Swan’s room listings mention no cribs or rollaways.
3. Whether Garden Grove and its character breakfast will operate on your dates.
4. Extended Evening Hours nights and Early Entry attractions for your park days on Disney’s calendar.
5. Your Lightning Lane plan: link the reservation in My Disney Experience with the exact party size.

Nearby alternatives

The sister hotels come first: the Walt Disney World Dolphin for families of five and anyone who wants the spa, kids club and most restaurants in their own building, and the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, the newest building. See available rooms at the Walt Disney World Dolphin or compare rates for the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve.

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Yacht Club and Beach Club across the lake are Disney-owned Deluxe resorts, booked through Disney rather than Booking.com. For other Early Entry options, see our Early Entry hotel list and our guide to hotels near EPCOT.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Walt Disney World Swan a Disney hotel?

Not a Disney-run one. Marriott International manages the Swan on Disney property in the EPCOT Resort Area. Disney lists it as a Deluxe Resort among its “other select hotels” and grants Early Theme Park Entry, Extended Evening Hours and the 7-day Lightning Lane window, but not the Disney Dining Plan.

Does the Walt Disney World Swan have a resort fee?

Yes. The mandatory resort service package is $50 plus tax per day for two guests at the time of writing, covering Wi-Fi, swan paddle-boat rentals, fitness classes, nightly beach movies, a game credit and a spa discount. Self-parking is a separate $40 plus tax a day.

Can you walk from the Swan to EPCOT?

Yes. A walkway runs from the Swan along Crescent Lake to EPCOT’s International Gateway, the entrance into World Showcase: about 0.7 mile from the lakeside of the hotel, roughly 15 minutes by our routing. Hollywood Studios is about a mile the other way, with FriendShip boats as backup in good weather.

Do Swan guests get Early Theme Park Entry?

Yes. Disney’s Early Theme Park Entry page names the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel among the select non-Disney hotels whose guests enter all four theme parks 30 minutes early every day of their stay, through 2027, with valid admission and a MagicBand, MagicMobile pass or Key to the World card.

What is the difference between the Swan and the Dolphin?

Size and rooms. The Swan has 756 rooms over 12 stories, with two-queen or king rooms for two adults and two children; the Dolphin has 1,514 rooms over 27 stories, Traditional rooms for two adults and three children, more restaurants, the spa and the kids club. Fees, pools, transport and Disney perks are identical.

Does the Swan accept the Disney Dining Plan?

No. The resort’s dining pages and FAQ do not mention it, and Disney sells dining plans only with packages that include a Disney Resort hotel stay; planner sites also list it as not accepted. Meals at the Dolphin can be charged to a Swan room, but dining elsewhere at Walt Disney World cannot; Il Mulino and Kimonos take reservations through OpenTable.

Bottom line

The Walt Disney World Swan puts you inside the EPCOT Resort Area with Disney’s hotel perks and a Marriott room. Budget the $50 package and $40 parking, book two queens for a family of four, and confirm Garden Grove before promising a character breakfast. Check your dates for the Walt Disney World Swan on Booking.com.

Sources checked in October 2026: Swan and Dolphin room reservations FAQ, Swan and Dolphin transportation and parking FAQ, Swan and Dolphin special Disney benefits, Disney Early Theme Park Entry, Disney Extended Evening Hours