The Swan & Dolphin Resorts: Disney's alternative hotels

Disney's Swan and Dolphin Deluxe Resort

If your considering a vacation to Walt Disney World in Florida and are looking for the perfect hotel or resort, let me tell you about Disney's Swan and Dolphin Deluxe Resort.

Living in Florida, we are lucky enough that we can travel to a variety of destinations in just a couple of hours for a weekend getaway or weeklong vacation. We have sunshine year round, white sandy beaches and great amusement parks.

Traveling in Florida can be done on any kind of budget. I love to travel and I love to travel on a budget. Getting the most and best for my money is so rewarding, so I am always looking for ways to do something new even when I revisit a familiar destination.

Walt Disney World is one of our favorite destinations and we visit them several times a year. I always make it a point to do something new each time we go. Either we stay at a new resort or eat at one of Disney's themed restaurants. This past year, I decided to try a new resort. This is not your typical Walt Disney World resort. It's Disney's Swan and Dolphin deluxe resort. Still located in the heart of Walt Disney World, it is very different from a Disney themed resort since it's a Sheraton Hotel and Resort. Located on Disney property, this hotel has it's own unique features and ammenities.

As I went online and looked into the resort for pricing and availability, I saw the prices for the hotel were a bit over our budget. I felt a little discouraged since I had my heart set on staying here, so I decided to call them to see if they had any special rates. They did have some discounts for Florida residents but still a bit over our budget. I then went online for other ideas on where we could stay and I came to a site for Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Luckily, the Swan and Dolphin resort is a part of the Starwood Hotel Line. I went to their site and became a preferred guest member. I searched for their resort rates and found a wonderful room at 30% less being a Starwood preferred guest member. I quickly made the reservation and started planning our vacation.

Three weeks later, we arrived at the Disney's Swan and Dolphin resort. Both resorts, the Swan and Dolphin, are located on the same property right next to each other. Both resorts share the same pool, architectural style, and waterway. You are able to take a complimentary water taxi to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios or hop on one of the resorts' shuttle buses to Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon or Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park. There is no need to even use your car once you arrive here. Everything in Walt Disney World is accessible either by bus or by water taxi.

The resort also has the same conveniences as any other Disney resort would have.

• Signature restaurants such as Shula's Steak House, Il Mulino, Kimonos, and Todd English's BlueZoo
• Casual dining which include Garden Grove, Fountain, Cabana Bar and Beach Club, Splash Terrace and Fresh Mediterranean Market
• Lounges which are located in each of the signature restaurants and another lounge in the lobby area
• 24-hr convenience store on site for those last minute items
• Specialty shops for any gifts you'd like to take home
• Game room for the kids
• Salon and spa if you want to pamper yourself
• An Art gallery
• Kids program at Camp Dolphin
• Character dining on certain days
• Complimentary bus service and water taxis to Disney's themed parks

For activities on site you have:

• Pool areas which cater to everyone's needs. There is a grotto pool with waterfalls and a water slide, two lap pools, four whirlpools, a kiddie pool and a spring pool.
• A white sandy beach area for tanning, building sand castles or just relaxing
• Watercraft rentals for a fee, our favorite, a swan paddleboat
• Seasonal poolside activities
• Ping pong tables
• Basketball courts
• Volleyball games
• Jogging trails
• and Golf Courses

The hotel is spacious, elegant and quiet for the amount of people able to stay there. The staff is helpful and professional.

Inside our room we had two comfortable queen size beds, a nightstand with alarm clock, telephone, wi-fi service, an oversize chair for watching TV or reading, a small table with two chairs, a dresser with six large drawers, a TV, mini fridge, a safe inside the closet, vanity area with another small closet, a coffee maker, blow dryer, bathroom with double sinks, view of the resort, and stellar outstanding service. On our day there before checking out, we ordered room service for breakfast which was absolutely delicious.

The staff as I stated before is great and always available. We received a complimentary newspaper every morning at our door and wake up call was available which we used on two of our six days there. There is a VIP concierge service available and tickets for the theme parks can also be purchased on site.

So if your planning a trip to the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort, go online to http://www.swandolphin.com or call 1-888-828-8850. I highly recommend it.