Hi. My daughter’s graduation trip from last summer was cancelled, and we are getting ready to rebook. She chose FQ, but it still isn’t open. I am trying to figure out our best second option. Deluxe isn’t in the budget. I’m trying to decide between Coronado Springs and the Swan, but I’m open to other suggestions. I don’t love the size of CS. I feel like the transportation will be iffy there. I’ve never really considered Swan/Dolphin before, but I’m starting to think it could work for this trip. Galaxy’s Edge will be the priority as we are all big Star Wars fans. HS is my daughter’s favorite park, and Epcot is my son’s. I thought the location of Swan might make it worth considering. What are your thoughts? I’ve been stalling around because we really wanted FQ, but I think we will have to make a plan B!
Haven’t stayed at either, but walking to HS is a huge plus!!
I love the tower at CSR, but in the current Covid-era environment I would choose the Swan. We stayed there over New Years last year, and it was awesome being able to walk (or boat at that time) to the 2 parks. We stayed at CSR right before that, and while it was wonderful, we drove to all the parks and would not stay there without a car. Transportation is a pain there as it is such a big resort. The Swan and Dolphin are great hotels with a prime location.
I recently chose Swan over Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs as it is a better price and location than the other 2. It sounds like a similar situation for you based on which parks you prioritize. As long as that benefit outweighs not having DME or charging purchases to room or opening door with MB, or Disney theming in the hotel, then it’s a win. And with ADR booking, if you’re worried about some hard-to-get ones, make a separate dummy reservation to book what you want for the whole stay and then cancel it later. Doing that is making a huge difference for my upcoming trip.
That’s what I was thinking. The location would be hard to beat. We will need to be at HS early, and I don’t want to mess around with the buses. We would likely not have a car. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay there, since our kids are the same ages!
The biggest hurdle of the things you mentioned is not having DME, but we could figure that out.
Yes, RotR is top priority, so walking to the park would be great!
It is more like staying at your regular Marriott than a Disney hotel, but the location to me makes it feel like you are at a Disney hotel. Also, there are lots of food options between the 2 hotels which is great. If you get a Marriott credit card from Chase, you can likely get a few nights free as well.
I thought Swan/Dolphin gave you ADR/APR booking as on-site stays and FP booking (when available)?
That’s possible. I researched and found conflicting info, so I didn’t wait to find out for sure and did a separate dummy reservation, knowing there were a couple hard-to-get ones on my list.
@Laura_hastings, were you able to make all your ADR’s at 60 days from check in rather than one day at a time?
My husband giving me major pushback against Swan. He doesn’t want to give up Magical Express. Said it would be too big of a hassle to get there. Is it that complicated?!
Not hard at all. Who is traveling with you? They have a Mears shuttle but it is per person. I prefer Lyft or Happy Limo. A taxi works too.
I think the thing to remember is the Swan/Dolphin are more deluxe than moderate.
We are staying at swan and will Lyft. Think you can even schedule in advance.
That is still up in the air. There will be 4 of us for sure. My parents were supposed to come last summer, but I’m not sure they will make the rescheduled trip due to health issues. If they come, that puts us at 6.
I would Lyft or get a taxi van.
I do love CSR but honestly if Swan is close in price (with the fees) just the dining alone would make it the better choice.
The site says teacher discount. Have you ever been able to use one?
It has never worked for my dates but my father (84 years old) has “his room” at the Swan and he has always booked with that discount. Often the AAA discount was close. JJT has posted about amazing deals recently.
I saw all those great deals! We will be going in the summer since my husband and I both teach.
I do not have hard to get reservations on my list. My son’s favorite is Cosmic Rays, and my daughter’s favorite is Rain Forest Cafe!! Ha Ha! I don’t need to get up early on ADR day.