Thanks for the questions. Let's answer some of these questions.
Yes, the Swan Reserve is seen as a "Deluxe" resort. It's on Disney property, but it's not an official Disney resort, as it's ran under a Marriott banner.
It's closest to Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. You can walk or take a boat and be there in 10-15 minutes. Every other park will require bus transportation. You could take the Swan and Dolphin bus to Magic Kingdom, but that takes you to the Ticket and Transportation center. So I advise walking 5 minutes to the Boardwalk bus as it goes directly to the Magic Kingdom.
Amare is the sit-down restaurant at the Swan Reserve. A great place to have a breakfast or dinner. Reservations are allowed, but unless there's a convention I really haven't had issue walking up for dinner.
Since it's considered a deluxe, it does get the perk of Extended Magic Hours. Which is awesome when the parks empty and you can ride almost everything as walk on service!
It's a great place to stay with kids. Take advantage of the activities at the pool, smores, hair braiding etc. Don't forget about club dolphin if you want a romantic date night away.
Bus, and Boats to the parks. See my comment earlier about Magic Kingdom. However that bus from Swan Reserve to Animal Kingdom is actually better as it drops off closer to the entrance!
I like it, but I'm biased, and I appreciate being able to walk to 2 parks.
If you're a teacher/EMS/police officer/nurse/Disney passholder, they do run specials up to 30% off the rack rates. I find I shop around, and the weekdays are usually great prices if there is no convention on the property.
I'm also a Bonvoy member, and I love building up points via the credit card and status. You can earn different status levels at other Marriotts and get perks like late checkout or even discounted breakfast.
