Our trip to Disney World earlier this year provided the perfect opportunity to review the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve. This hotel is part of the Marriott Bonvoy family but is situated near Walt Disney World property and includes some of the same benefits as a Walt Disney World Deluxe Resort (more on that later!).

Location of the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

This hotel is located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, within the Epcot Resort Area of Walt Disney World. It is part of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resort complex and is within walking distance to both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

The Room and Amenities

Our room, a Traditional Epcot View, was a fairly typical hotel room with better-than-average space (330 sq. ft./30 sq. m). It had two (very comfortable!) queen beds, a mini fridge, a coffee maker, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Epcot Resorts area. The bathroom was huge – plenty big enough to fit the free crib they provided us into for a dark and quiet nap time during the day. Check out a room tour here!

The general decor of the hotel has a much more boutique vibe than the other resorts in the complex. It’s relatively new (2021), so everything feels really clean and fresh. The lobby area is located on the second floor, despite the main entrance being on the first floor, which felt a little clunky to me.

The hotel only has one restaurant, Amare, but it’s easy to walk over to the many options located at the Swan and Dolphin in the same complex.

We were also able to order room service for breakfast during our stay. The food was quite pricey (as expected for room service), but it was absolutely delicious and a huge convenience for me in the morning.

The pool at the hotel is fairly basic, but guests are welcome to walk across the street to use the more lively pools located at the Swan and Dolphin.

Staying with Toddlers: Pros and Cons

I stayed at this hotel solo with my 1.5- and 3-year-olds. Here’s a list of pros and cons for our stay:

Pros of Staying with Toddlers:

• Clean and fresh, so I wasn’t grossed out about them crawling around on the floors.
• A free crib was provided when requested.
• Floor-to-ceiling windows – my toddlers had a full view of everything, and we were able to see the fireworks at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot, as well as the drone show at Disney Springs, all while cozily tucked into our room.
• The availability of room service for breakfast before our early morning.
• The proximity to Epcot (our only park for this trip) – I was able to walk our stroller there without needing transportation that required me to get them out and fold it up.

Cons of Staying with Toddlers:

• The rooms are so white! We ate several meals in the room, and I was terrified that we’d stain everything.

Disney Benefits

The Swan and Dolphin complex hotels (Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, Walt Disney World Swan, and Walt Disney World Dolphin) are unique because they are the only non-Disney-owned hotels that provide Disney World resort perks. And those perks are equivalent to Disney World Deluxe Resort guest perks – the top-tier perks!

The perks include:

• Early theme park entry: Guests can enter the theme parks 30 minutes before they open. This benefit is available each day of the stay, at any park, subject to capacity.
• Extended evening theme park hours: Guests can stay in select theme parks after closing to enjoy popular attractions, shops, and dining.
• Complimentary transportation: Guests receive complimentary transportation to all Walt Disney World theme parks and attractions, including water taxis to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
• Complimentary parking: Guests receive complimentary parking at Disney theme parks with their room key and MyDisney Experience app confirmation. Guests can also choose preferred parking for a fee.
• Advance tee times: Guests receive advance tee times on all four Disney golf courses.

The coolest part is that these hotels are generally much cheaper than Disney’s Deluxe Resorts. I checked the rack rates for the cheapest room at the Swan Reserve on the night we stayed vs. the cheapest room at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, located just next door. The Swan Reserve was nearly half the price at $342/night vs. the Beach Club at $643/night. It’s pretty awesome that there’s an option for these types of Disney perks at such a low price point.

The Bottom Line

We really loved this hotel and would definitely stay here again. The food and service were excellent, and the proximity and perks are hard to beat. We’re still a Disney Property Resort family through and through, but I’d happily recommend this hotel to anyone wanting to stay “off property” for any reason. It’s an ideal option for families who want a deluxe experience without the deluxe price.