The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin has announced a massive expansion that will aim to make the resort the premier convention destination in the region. The $275 million update will add 120,000 feet of additional convention space, refresh and modernize guest rooms, and improve technology around the resort.
Once complete in summer 2026, the new convention space will bring the total amount of meeting space to 469,000 square feet. That will make the Swan and Dolphin one of the largest convention properties on the east coast. All of the existing meeting and convention space will be updated and modernized by November 2025.
Meanwhile, work on updating all of the rooms in the Walt Disney World Swan is already underway and is expected to be completed this year. Below is a first look at the modernized rooms that include tile flooring, new furniture, and more.
The updated rooms carry on the clean and modern trend we’ve seen at many hotels at Walt Disney World and around the country. They have a similar aesthetic to the rooms over at the Swan Reserve, the boutique hotel that opened in 2021.
The lone negative in this story is that the new convention space appears to be taking out a significant chunk of parking with no current plans to replace those spots. That could be an issue when parking already can be a bit difficult during busy times.
This significant expansion could – and should – bring a wave of new guests to the Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, and the BoardWalk area in the next few years. Disney may aim to capitalize on the Swan and Dolphin’s updates by adjusting what they offer at the BoardWalk. The Atlantic Dance Hall continues to be a spot that’s mostly only filled for special events and sits relatively empty the rest of the time. Will Disney make a change here, or in other spots on the BoardWalk, preparing for more convention attendees?
