Today I will be wrapping up my review of the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotel. If you missed out on the first two parts you can catch up with these links: Part 1 & Part 2. I will end on two great things about this hotel and a thanks to all those that made our stay enjoyable and memorable!

Day two started with us waking up and enjoying breakfast at the Java Bar, which by the way has the tastiest donuts I have ever had! After a quick bite to eat we took advantage of the Walt Disney Bus Transportation. I will tell you that not having to get in your car and drive anywhere on Disney property really makes you feel like you are away from it all. It is one of our favorite perks, and trust me you will love it too.

So where did we take the Disney bus to? Downtown Disney, of course! We couldn’t take a mini Disney vacation without stopping by our favorite shopping experience. The kids always have a blast here, riding the train, playing in the water that shoots out of the ground, and most recently they had a blast designing T-shirts at the Disney Design-A-Tee store. Of course they love acting goofy too!

After another quick bite to eat at McDonald’s we hopped on the bus back to the hotel so the baby and I could nap while my husband took the two older ones to Typhoon Lagoon for some fun in the sun. They came back red…..even though I had them put sunscreen on, that sun is hot!!! But they had so much fun and my husband loved the fact that they could go to the water park and just take a quick bus ride back to the hotel instead of piling into a hot car and driving home.

After they relaxed a bit, we ordered the kids room service, which was the fastest and according to them, the best they have had. The man that brought it up was super nice and very polite, I wish I was standing close enough to see his name so I could thank him here. The room smelled so good and I was so hungry. Luckily my husband and I were going out to dinner just the two of us, which hasn’t happened in almost 2 years!

We chose to eat at the beautiful Il Mulino, and oh my gosh I was in heaven!!!

Not only was this restaurant beautiful on the outside but the inside took my breath away. It looked exactly how I have wanted my house to look. You may laugh at that but with the lighting and the way the bar looked was perfect. The picture above is a professional picture but from my eyes it doesn’t do it justice, because the lighting is lower and little candles are lit. Funny thing is we were seated at the table at the front of the photo. We started the evening with a glass of wine to celebrate our anniversary and with the Arancini, and it was the best thing I have ever tasted. They are Italian rice balls over a spicy marinara sauce. We had never had these before and I couldn’t stop eating them, they were delicious. I ordered the Ravioli and it was wonderful and I even had some of my husbands Meat and Spinach stuffed Cannelloni in a cream sauce. We totally stuffed ourselves on some really awesome food, I will always remember that as my favorite now. And I would like to say a special thank you to our two wait staff, Drew & Monique, two very professional and wonderful people who explained what things were and helped us make our decisions.

Two very full people

Final Thoughts

I was pleasantly surprised by the Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin Hotel as I always thought it was more of a convention type hotel. And while they do have those it had plenty to offer a family with kids of all ages. The use of the Disney Transportation system is a huge plus for me and I love that it is included here. The pool is wonderful, the food is delicious, the rooms are clean and roomy, and the staff is amazing. I truly felt like I was away from the “real world” even if only for two days. I will definitely be going back to the Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin Hotel very soon.

I also want to give one more shout out to the wonderful people we encountered on our trip. So a big Thank You to Joel, Michelle at check-in, Alan at the Cabana Restaurant, Drew & Monique at Il Mulino, we really appreciated everything you all did for us. I highly recommend planning a vacation at The Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin. There was something to do for all of us including the kids and it was a nice relaxing time which we so needed.

Read Part 1 here.

Read Part 2 here.

Today, I will continue my review of the beautiful Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotel. I left you off going to our room after check in on the Swan side of the hotel, and what a cozy room it was. If you are new to this little series of hotel reviews please read yesterday’s post here, you really don’t want to miss anything!

So after checking in and getting settled in the room we relaxed for a bit before heading to the pool. Yes, those are my kids still playing video games even on vacation, they had some kind of duel with the games and then we were able to head out to the most relaxing place I went to at the hotel (they have a spa that I have heard is amazing, but I did not visit there on this trip).

The Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin Grotto pool is one of the prettiest pools I have ever seen. Not only does the pool seem to go on forever but the is a section where you can play volleyball, go down a water slide (which is so much fun!) and then just swim out in the openness with the cascading waterfall. So very relaxing. And they even have a baby pool that is perfect for the little ones.

In the kiddie pool

View of the Swan side from the Grotto Pool

After spending some time in the sun we headed back to the room to change for dinner. We sure did have a hard time figuring out where we wanted to eat as they have such a great selection of restaurants to choose from. We decided to let the kids pick since the next night was our Anniversary and we had a special place picked out for that.

We had an enjoyable dinner at The Fountain which is actually in the Dolphin hotel across the walkway.

I ordered the Grilled Spicy Chicken Fladen, and it was delicious and lived up to its “spicy” name. I think I went through 3 sodas with that meal, and it was so worth it. The rest of the family loved their food as well. After or wonderful meal we did some shopping in the hotel shops and then headed back to our room where we watched the fireworks that Walt Disney World sets off every night. I saw fireworks I had never seen before and the kids just loved it.

As the kids drifted off to sleep my husband and I planned out the next day, which was Father’s Day and our 11th Anniversary. I was excited that the older kids would get to spend the day with him at Typhoon Lagoon and that I would have some one on one time with our toddler. Then at night we would celebrate, just my husband and I. So come back tomorrow for all the exciting things we did and to hear all about one of my new all time favorite restaurants that served food so delicious I was in heaven and for the final wrap up of my review of the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Hotel.

Read Part 1 here.

Read Part 3 here.

I have been excitedly awaiting the start of my newest feature here at The Dirty Shirt. Today I will launch my hotel reviews feature, and I start off with a wonderful hotel the Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin. Because there is so much information I want to give you this one will be a three part review starting with the hotel in general and ending with the restaurants and special activities that we experienced as well as my thoughts on the whole experience.

For the guest who wants a truly “magical” Walt Disney World experience, there’s no better place to stay than the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. From the majesty of the swans and mythical dolphins sitting atop the luxury hotels to the child-friendly amenities, the resort provides the perfect complement to any Walt Disney World vacation.

Inside, amazing architectural designs are found throughout the resort complex, including the giant swan and dolphin water fountains that are the centerpieces of the hotel lobbies. Extra touches complete the feeling of being in a truly unique place.

Beyond the rooms, a multitude of activities and adventures awaits guests of all ages.  From tennis, beach volleyball, miniature golf, swimming pools and health clubs, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has it all.  Additional special benefits include complimentary transportation to all Walt Disney World Theme Parks and Attractions and an on-site Disney ticket and information desk.

Children can join others their age at Camp Dolphin, the resort’s year-round summer camp for children ages 4 to 12.  After a day at the theme parks, the camp offers fully supervised programs, including arts, crafts, movies, board games, video and arcade games, nightly themed activities with prizes and souvenirs, a Disney movie and even a special dinner program.

Outside, the amusement continues with more than three acres of water fun, including a lavish swimming grotto pool with waterfalls and hidden alcoves, a water slide and white sand beach, perfect for building sand castles and other creations.  For adults, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort offers whirlpools, saunas and lap pools.  Over-sized hammocks are scattered along the beach and pool area.

Families with teenagers will enjoy the resort’s beach volleyball, video arcade, tennis courts, ping-pong and paddle boat rentals.  Health clubs at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort offer aerobics, free weights, stationary bikes, stair machines and more.  Disney’s BoardWalk entertainment district is just steps from the resort, offering a myriad of shops, entertainment and themed restaurants.

Parents and children alike will share in the adventure of Fantasia Gardens miniature golf courses, adjacent to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.  The 36-hole adventure features an 18-hole miniature golf course themed after Disney’s classic animated film Fantasia and the 18-hole Fantasia Fairways challenge course designed with strategically placed water hazards and bunkers.

Dining at the hotel is just as exciting as the hotel itself. There are 17 restaurants and lounges, including: Shula’s Steak House, “One of the Top 5 Steak Houses in America” and “Critic’s Choice for Best Upscale Steakhouse Chain in Orlando”; Il Mulino New York Trattoria, complete with authentic Italian cuisine, Kimonos sushi bar, one of the most popular in Orlando and Todd English’s bluezoo, featuring coastal cuisine by this internationally acclaimed chef. Kids also will enjoy the opportunity to dine with the lovable Disney characters for breakfast or dinner at Garden Grove.

Day One Of My Stay

We arrived early and checked in on the Swan side, and went to reception where I was met by Michelle, a very friendly person, who went out of her way to get us settled in. The room was not quite ready yet, but that was fine my family and I set off to see the beautiful pool and have some lunch at the Cabana, which not only had amazing food but a very courteous staff as well. Just look at this beautiful place:

I will have to say that our waiter, Alan, went above and beyond and really blew my husband and I away with his attention to detail and his friendliness. I can’t recall a time when I was treated so nicely. After our experience here we decided that we wanted to live in the Cabana.

After filling ourselves on some pretty tasty food we went poolside for a bit and let the kids swim (waiting the appropriate 30 minutes of course). They had so much fun I almost hated to take them away from it all, but in the Florida sun you really need to give yourself a break. And what better place to take a break then here, our room:

Come on back tomorrow as I share how great our room was, our dining experiences, kid activities and the Disney Transportation System.

Read Part 2 here.