Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort by Michael Graves, In a world where anything in your imagination can become a reality, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida stayed true to their word and hired architect Michael Graves to design a resort consisting of two hotels that would become part of Disney’s famous collection of “entertainment architecture.” Graves’ postmodern, colorful style was the perfect choice for the playful theme-park resort, and his whimsical design decisions and statues of grandeur contribute to the famous Disney kingdom.

The theme for the design of the hotels sprung right from its early conceptual stages, where Graves developed an entire story to create characters for both the Swan and the Dolphin in a magical tale that he thought could potentially become Disney characters.
Graves’ story behind the hotels began with the idea for the Dolphin, which he said was an island that was formed by a sudden cataclysmic event, such as an underwater volcano or earthquake. When the island emerged from underwater it lifted the dolphins up as well, and these are represented by the dolphins on the roof of the hotel, each 63′ feet tall. The banana leaves painted on the side of the hotel represent the foliage on the island, and the “black box” on the front elevation of the building is the heart of the mountain. In Graves’ tale, this burst open and water began flowing down to the do...