Been awhile...which hotel would you recommend? (Pop/Swan)

[Kate Alan]

Between other travel and then the pandemic, it's been a long while since we've set foot in WDW (2017 to be exact). We're now contemplating a trip for this year to get back into the swing of things. We're debating between Pop and the Swan for our hotel.

Have some questions regarding the transportation changes for both hotels. Now that the Skyliner is in place at Pop, has bus service been eliminated for those parks, or is it still an option? We have a member of our travel party who is deathly afraid of heights, and another who has a medical condition that requires fairly frequent use of a bathroom who has concerns (which they acknowledge are unlikely to happen) concerning the Skyliner getting stuck/broken down with them on it. Would we simply need to Uber, or is the Skyliner no big deal overall?

Reading recent reviews about Swan and Dolphin, I see that they are using Mears now and not Disney's own buses, so they are dropping at TTC instead of MK directly (and someone mentioned they also have a different drop location for Disney Springs - where is that in reference to the usual drop point)? I know that many are just walking to the next resort over and catching the MK bus from there, but not sure if that's more of a hassle or not.

Which would you choose? Right now, I'm personally leaning toward the Swan, both for the ease of getting to DHS and Epcot, but also the evening extra hours at Epcot and MK during our stay. It's also just nice to be by the Boardwalk. Then again, the cost for Pop is obviously a few hundred bucks better.

It's been so long that I'd very much like to hear from anyone who has recently stayed at either and get your thoughts.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

1. Have some questions regarding the transportation changes for both hotels. Now that the Skyliner is in place at Pop, has bus service been eliminated for those parks, or is it still an option? We have a member of our travel party who is deathly afraid of heights, and another who has a medical condition that requires fairly frequent use of a bathroom who has concerns (which they acknowledge are unlikely to happen) concerning the Skyliner getting stuck/broken down with them on it. Would we simply need to Uber, or is the Skyliner no big deal overall?

Reading recent reviews about Swan and Dolphin, I see that they are using Mears now and not Disney's own buses, so they are dropping at TTC instead of MK directly (and someone mentioned they also have a different drop location for Disney Springs - where is that in reference to the usual drop point)? I know that many are just walking to the next resort over and catching the MK bus from there, but not sure if that's more of a hassle or not.

Which would you choose? Right now, I'm personally leaning toward the Swan, both for the ease of getting to DHS and Epcot, but also the evening extra hours at Epcot and MK during our stay. It's also just nice to be by the Boardwalk. Then again, the cost for Pop is obviously a few hundred bucks better.

It's been so long that I'd very much like to hear from anyone who has recently stayed at either and get your thoughts.

1. We had our own car. Swan is an easy walk to both Epcot and HS, Though the free shuttle boat is also fun, relaxing option. Walking is usually a bit faster, but HS it is a bit of a toss-up when going to HS.

1B. We have tried the Skyliner for fun to Riviera, and CBR. For short trips it was great, and very quick. I can't say too much more though, as we did not rely on it to get around.

2. We drive to MK. Generally speaking, I don't mind taking the monorail when we drive. We used to take the WDW buses, but got tired of waiting on them. Walking to one of the other hotels is not very far, but it is a bit of a toss-up as to which option is fastest. Any time you opt to take a bus, you might board the bus right way, or you might wait a while for the bus to arrive. Google maps now gives pretty good information for how long various transportation options take, and how variable they can be.

3. I would need a bit more information to decide. The price of both hotels varies quite a bit based on dates and what types of discount offers they offer. My most recent Pop stay was prepandemic, but it is a decent place to stay. The theming is cute. If it matters, the pool at the Swan has a water slide. The Pop pool is themed, but no water slide. The Pop food court is great as food courts go, but the only other dining option is the food court at AoA. AoA has probablly the best food court at WDW, but the Swan/Dolphin area offers a number of dining options. Most cost more than the food court though. Swan's beds are great! Pop was also fine, but Swan's are better.

4. The extra PM hours are a fun option when they work out. You get 2 hours in a nearly empty park. MK PM hours are more useful than Epcot PM hours. It is possible to get a GoG Boarding Group if you sign up at 6pm. On the other hand, the extra PM hours are late at night. If the weather is lousy, or you don't feel up to staying out late, then you won't get any value out of them. It is a bit of a gamble. Regular ticket holders are allowed to get in line right up until park closing. In Epcot, that means the top attractions will still have a wait at the start of the extra hours, but then the wait quickly gets shorter. Towards the end of the extra hours, all of MK was walk-on.

One more tip, there are few food options, especially in Epcot. You can buy packaged snacks in the gift shop that is open. The WDW hotel eateries also all close. The Boardwalk Deli is open until 10pm. I think the BWK pizza window is also open until 10pm, and Big River Grille is open until 11pm. We opted to get carry out from an offsite restaurant. Having snacks/drinks on hand might come in handy that night. The Swan/Dolphin might offer 24 hour room service, but Fuel closes at 10pm. Kimono's is open past midnight, but I think everything else closes by 11pm.

Last, a split stay is another possible option to explore, and it might offer the best of both.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Another factor to consider: when do you plan to visit? If it's during hurricane season, the Swan has a major advantage given that you can walk to HS and EPCOT from there, even if stormy weather shuts down the Skyliner. We ran into this issue repeatedly when we visited in August 2021 (or rather, Skyliner resort guests did, because we were staying at the Dolphin and were still able to get around, so long as we didn't mind girding our loins and putting on heavy-duty ponchos to brave the torrential rains).