The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve is not scheduled to open until later this month, but the hotel is all but finished. The main restaurant will be Amare. The menu has not yet been released. There will also be a rooftop lounge called The Vue. Because the Swan Reserve is located in the EPCOT Resort area, it will be the perfect place to grab a drink at the end of the day and enjoy, well, the view.
When I was hosted for the Food & Wine Classic on October 30, I was offered a chance to watch Harmonious from The Vue. I did not have to think twice. Our group got to see the lobby of the new building, and then we took the elevator to the 15th floor.
Things were not yet set up for Guests, but there were stations for our group with food and beverages. The lounge has floor to ceiling windows because the name is taken seriously. In one set of windows you can see EPCOT, and if you cross the room there is a great view of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
There is an outdoor lounge that faces EPCOT. Spaceship Earth in its Beacons of Magic glory shined brightly. I’ve seen it up close several times, and it was fun to watch from a distance and see the changes as a whole.
When it was time for Harmonious, the soundtrack played inside the lounge but not out on the terrace. Those of us who stayed outside could still hear it because the door was open. It took me a few moments to realize where I needed to look. Spaceship Earth is not the centerpiece of Harmonious, so I had to look to the right of the icon.
It was hard to see the projections from The Vue. Much of Harmonious is centered around those projections, so there were times when we couldn’t see much. The people who stayed inside the lounge could see a bit more, but the windows are reflective and that was distracting to me. I decided to stay outside.
The fireworks part of Harmonious was fantastic from The Vue Terrace. We could see even the lower fireworks. I love projections shows, but it was nice to be able to enjoy just fireworks and not have to worry about trying to see everything else. The swans on top of The Swan Hotel were kind of in the way, but it was easy to ignore them after the show started.
The Vue is not going to rival California Grill for fireworks viewing. It’s not the same level of experience, and there is a lot of Harmonious that you miss. Still, once the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve opens I think that it will be a popular place each evening. I’m glad that I was able to see it for myself.
