Walt Disney World Swan
A convention-oriented resort hotel within Walt Disney World Resort, operated under Marriott International's Westin Hotels & Resorts brand.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Walt Disney World Swan is a resort hotel situated within Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios and opposite the Walt Disney World Dolphin. It is part of the Walt Disney Collection even though it is not owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. The property is operated by Marriott International through its Westin Hotels & Resorts brand, following Marriott's 2016 acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. The Swan was developed as part of a broader public-private hotel project intended to expand Walt Disney World's supply of large-scale meeting and convention accommodation. The resort opened on January 13, 1990, alongside the Dolphin as a major addition to the resort's lodging and conference infrastructure. The development emerged from an agreement involving Disney, developer Tishman, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, MetLife, and Aoki Corporation. The project was designed to place substantial hotel and meeting capacity close to Epcot and the planned Disney-MGM Studios, now Disney's Hollywood Studios. Architect Michael Graves designed the Swan and Dolphin as visually distinctive companion properties rather than conventional themed hotels. The Swan's twelve-story central structure has a gently curved roofline and is flanked by two seven-story wings. Two large swan sculptures crown the main building, while turquoise wave motifs decorate the exterior. A covered walkway connects the Swan and Dolphin across a lagoon, reinforcing their operation as a combined resort complex. Guests can also travel between the hotels and nearby Disney destinations using walking paths and water transportation. The property combines leisure-resort facilities with business and events infrastructure. Accommodation is supported by shared pools, including a grotto pool with a slide and waterfall, a spa, arcade, childcare services, Disney merchandise shops, restaurants, lounges, and meeting facilities. Dining has included Italian food at Il Mulino New York Trattoria, sushi at Kimonos, American dining at Garden Grove, poolside service at Splash Pool Bar and Grill, and quick-service offerings at Java and Chill. Palio was a former Italian restaurant at the resort. Walt Disney World Swan guests receive selected benefits associated with Disney Resort hotel stays, including complimentary transportation to Walt Disney World attractions, boat service to Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, package delivery from Disney theme parks, access to a Disney guest-services desk, and Early Theme Park Entry. Guests can also connect reservations to the My Disney Experience system for certain booking privileges. Some Disney resort benefits do not apply: room charging through the Disney hotel-key system is unavailable, and the hotel's restaurants do not participate in the Disney Dining Plan. The resort's broader complex expanded in 2021 when the adjacent Walt Disney World Swan Reserve opened. The Reserve is a separate 349-room boutique-style hotel associated with the Swan and Dolphin campus, while the original Swan remains a distinctive convention and leisure property within the Walt Disney World operating environment.
History
Walt Disney World Swan developed from Walt Disney World's effort to increase its convention and meeting capacity without bearing the full cost and operating risk of additional hotels. During the early 1980s, The Walt Disney Company was under financial pressure and pursued arrangements in which outside developers and hotel operators would finance, build, and manage new properties. In 1985, Disney reached an agreement with Tishman, a developer that had also worked as the general contractor for Epcot. The initial concept called for a Sheraton and a Crowne Plaza near Walt Disney World Village, with Disney granting a period during which competing hotels would not be added to the resort. Disney's financial position improved during the middle of the decade, and company leadership became increasingly concerned that Walt Disney World was losing convention and large-meeting business to hotels elsewhere in the Orlando area. Tishman feared that Disney might authorize another convention-oriented development during the exclusivity period. In 1986, Tishman filed a lawsuit seeking substantial damages and canceled the earlier hotel plans. The dispute continued for approximately two years before being resolved in 1988. The settlement replaced the earlier arrangement with a larger joint venture involving Disney, Tishman, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, MetLife, and Aoki Corporation. The agreement did not require the payment of damages. Disney received greater influence over the design and a share of project revenues, while Tishman obtained a long-term lease at a more valuable location near Epcot and the future Disney-MGM Studios. The site was also connected to the surrounding resort through waterways and ferry service. The resulting project was reported as a $375 million development containing the 1,514-room Dolphin Resort, the 756-room Swan Resort, and approximately 200,000 square feet of meeting space. Michael Graves was selected as architect. His designs gave the two hotels an instantly recognizable architectural identity: the Swan uses large swan sculptures and turquoise wave forms, while the neighboring Dolphin uses different motifs and proportions. The buildings are connected by a covered walkway across a lagoon and function as a closely integrated resort and convention campus. The Swan opened on January 13, 1990, initially operating under Westin Hotels & Resorts, which at the time was associated with Aoki. The property remained distinct from Disney-owned and Disney-operated hotels, but it was included in the Walt Disney Collection and received access to selected Disney guest privileges. In 2008, the resort received a One Palm designation under the Florida Green Lodging Program, a voluntary state initiative encouraging resource conservation and waste reduction. Starwood Hotels & Resorts was acquired by Marriott International in 2016. Following that corporate transaction, the Swan continued to operate under Marriott's Westin brand. Its role has remained a hybrid one: it is a convention-capable hotel operated by an international hospitality company, but it is embedded within the Walt Disney World destination and provides selected Disney transportation and park-access benefits. The hotel campus expanded on November 3, 2021, when the adjacent 349-room Walt Disney World Swan Reserve opened. The Reserve added a newer boutique-style accommodation option while the original Swan retained its Michael Graves-designed identity, resort amenities, dining venues, meeting function, and location between two major Disney theme parks.
- 2021
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve opens
[1]The adjacent 349-room Swan Reserve opened on November 3 as a new accommodation component of the campus.
- 2016
Starwood becomes part of Marriott International
[1]Marriott's acquisition of Starwood changed the corporate ownership of the hotel's operating brand, with the Swan continuing under Westin.
- 2008
Florida Green Lodging designation
[1]The resort received a One Palm designation under Florida's Green Lodging Program.
- 1990
Walt Disney World Swan opens
[1]The 756-room Swan opened on January 13 as part of the new Swan and Dolphin convention resort complex.
- 1988
Settlement creates expanded hotel joint venture
[1]A settlement led to a new development partnership involving Disney, Tishman, Starwood, MetLife, and Aoki, replacing the original hotel proposal.
- 1986
Tishman files lawsuit over convention development
[1]Tishman challenged Disney's handling of the hotel exclusivity arrangement and canceled the earlier Sheraton and Crowne Plaza plans.
- 1985
Initial Disney–Tishman hotel agreement
[1]Disney and developer Tishman developed an initial plan for two hotels near Walt Disney World Village, supported by an exclusivity arrangement.
Products and positioning
An upper-upscale, convention-capable resort hotel combining Westin hospitality with access to selected Walt Disney World guest benefits. It targets theme-park visitors, families, leisure travelers, and meeting or convention groups seeking a location inside the Disney resort area.
Hotel accommodation · 1990
Walt Disney World Swan guest rooms
The original Walt Disney World Swan provides resort accommodation within the Walt Disney World property. Its location between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios supports both theme-park visits and convention travel. The building is part of the larger Swan and Dolphin campus and shares selected recreation, transportation, and guest-service infrastructure with the neighboring resort.
Events and business hospitality · 1990
Convention and meeting facilities
The Swan was created as part of a large convention-oriented development intended to keep major meetings and business events within the Walt Disney World destination. Its facilities operate as part of the broader Swan and Dolphin complex, which was planned with approximately 200,000 square feet of meeting space.
Leisure amenities · 1990
Resort recreation
Guests have access to shared resort amenities including two lap pools and a grotto pool with a waterslide and waterfall. The campus also includes poolside food and beverage service, a spa, an arcade, childcare programming, and Disney merchandise shops.
Fine dining
Il Mulino New York Trattoria
An Italian restaurant serving the resort's fine-dining segment. It is accompanied by Il Mulino Lounge and forms part of the property's broader mix of full-service restaurants, lounges, and quick-service venues.
Fine dining
Kimonos
A sushi-focused restaurant within the resort complex, with an associated lounge. It provides an Asian dining option alongside the property's Italian and American restaurants.
Adjacent hotel · 2021
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
The Swan Reserve is an adjacent 349-room luxury boutique-style hotel opened in 2021. It expanded the accommodation capacity of the Swan and Dolphin campus while offering a newer lodging format associated with the original Swan resort.
Brand decisions
2021
Launch of the Walt Disney World Swan ReserveProduct launchBackground
The established Swan and Dolphin campus required additional accommodation capacity and a newer lodging option.
Action taken
An adjacent 349-room property, the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, opened on November 3.
Aftermath
The Reserve broadened the campus's accommodation portfolio while the original Swan continued operating as the convention-oriented Westin resort.
1988
Settlement restructures the hotel developmentStrategyBackground
Disney wanted more convention capacity inside Walt Disney World, while Tishman disputed the earlier exclusivity arrangement and had canceled the original hotel proposal.
Action taken
The parties settled without damages and created a broader joint venture involving Disney, Tishman, Starwood, MetLife, and Aoki. The revised plan moved the hotels to a more valuable site near Epcot and the future Disney-MGM Studios.
Aftermath
The settlement produced the Swan and Dolphin project, including the Swan hotel, the Dolphin hotel, and a large convention complex.
Reported project cost. $375 million (1988 development plan)
Recent events
- 2021
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve opens[1]
Product launch
A new 349-room adjacent wing, the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, opened on November 3, expanding the accommodation capacity of the Swan and Dolphin hotel campus.
- 2008
Walt Disney World Swan receives Florida Green Lodging recognition[1]
Other
The resort received a One Palm designation through Florida's voluntary Green Lodging Program for practices intended to reduce waste and conserve natural resources.
- 1990
Walt Disney World Swan opens within the Walt Disney World Resort[1]
Other
The Walt Disney World Swan opened on January 13 as part of a joint hotel and convention development with the Walt Disney World Dolphin.
Sources1 sources
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