Orlando, FloridaWalt Disney World
Walt Disney World Swan
Postmodern lakeside resort
Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida
Renovated
2025
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Resort ClassicOutside the door
The house
MarriottPostmodern lakeside resort
The resort brings Disney park perks to an expansive waterfront campus of pools, evening lounges, and ferry launches.
What it’s good at
Notable
Michael Graves designed the pastel facade topped by twin forty-seven-foot swan sculptures.
Notable
A three-acre grotto pool with waterfalls sits beside Crescent Lake's white-sand beach.
What they say
Also in Condé Nast Traveler and AFAR.
The exterior of the Swan and Dolphin Resort has a retro vibe, but that all washes away once you enter the airy, vaulted lobby and see the light dancing off the thousands of crystals hanging over the fountain in the center of the room.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Water taxis glide across Crescent Lake to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, both reachable on foot along lakeside paths.
The rooms
Freshly remodeled rooms have white-oak tile floors, blue accent walls, and platform storage beds beneath nautical prints.
The pools
Bring a swimsuit.
A dedicated lap pool borders rental cabanas, and the winding grotto pool features rock caves and a water slide.
The gym
The health club sits beside the lap pool, equipped with Life Fitness cardio machines and free weights.
Restaurant
Il Mulino New York Trattoria
The restaurant serves Abruzzese cuisine beneath red-brick arches, and an adjoining wine bar terrace overlooks the courtyard fountain.
At the second property jointly presented by Marriott and Disney, clamshell fountains, wave silhouettes, and swan statues lend a distinctly Floridian feel to the family-friendly hotel.
At the table
Garden Grove serves breakfast beneath a central replica oak tree, and Java pours nitro brew beside fresh pastries.
How it began
The 47-foot rooftop swans were built using wooden ribs crafted by Wisconsin shipbuilders for the resort's 1990 debut.
Orlando
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.