For our Thanksgiving break we tackled an item on my 45×45 Carpe Diem List: TAKE THE BOYS TO DISNEY WORLD! In the midst of a crazy and trying year, we were thrilled to able to bring some magic to our family and enjoy Disney as a family for the first time. After researching all of the safety precautions in place at both the park and resort- we felt that the timing was just right for our family to safely enjoy the adventure… and it did not disappoint. I will be sharing a full recap of our Disney experience next week – but first today I want to share all about our stay at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World.
One thing we knew for sure when planning this vacation… we are not a “Disney Family”. Brian and I lived in Orlando for 3 years early in our marriage and never visited the park, and our kids are 9 and 6 and this was our first time. The reason this is relevant is because we knew a big part of our 4 day Disney trip would be spent at the resort so it was a VERY important aspect of our trip. When our friends (who are also not a “Disney Family”) tipped us off about their Disney trip and their amazing stay at the Four Seasons, we were sold!
Overall, our Disney experience was great and staying at the Four Seasons Orlando truly made it feel like a vacation. We left feeling relaxed and recharged, which is quite a feat after spending two days at theme parks.
Well, to be honest was more like 1.5 days since on day 2 we all looked at each other as we were standing in a line at Hollywood Studios and collectively said “Lazy River?!?!?” Yes, the Lazy River was the star of our trip for us, but there are lots of reasons we loved our stay. Read on for our top six reasons why we loved Four Seasons Orlando.
|| ABOUT THE FOUR SEASONS ORLANDO RESORT ||
Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World is Florida’s only AAA Five Diamond rated resort that combines the ultimate in luxury accommodations with a dash of Disney enchantment. Located within Walt Disney World Resort and featuring exclusive amenities such as the five-acre Explorer Island water park and a separate adults-only pool, Four Seasons offers the perfect getaway with amenities for all ages and interests.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando is a 26-acre (10.5-hectare) lakeside paradise nestled within the idyllic enclave of the Golden Oak luxury residential community. There’s endless fun to be had at the 5-acre (2-hectare) water park, featuring a winding lazy river, two water slides, a splash zone, family pool with dive-in movies and more. Little ones can experience virtual learning with a supervised schoolwork session followed by the ultimate “recess” at the water park, while parents relax and rejuvenate at the adult-only pool. Those seeking active recreation will enjoy the state-of-the-art fitness centre, three Har-Tru tennis courts, on-demand fitness classes in the aerobics studio and more.
Six Reasons We Loved Our Stay at Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World
- LAZY RIVER
- FAMILY POOL & ACTIVITIES
- LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
- FOOD & SERVICE
- HOTEL ROOM
- HOTEL GROUNDS & AMENITIES
So let’s take a closer look at our favorite aspects of Four Seasons Orlando.
LAZY RIVER
Hands down, the lazy river was our favorite thing about the resort. Now keep in mind- we have two boys ages 9 and 6 so a lazy river is right up their alley. It was the perfect activity to keep two active boys happy while Mom & Dad could take a few minutes to relax. With chairs and cabanas nestled all throughout the lazy river, we could easily keep an eye on them and hop in at any point to float a lap with them. It was the best of both worlds and we had tons of laughs enjoying this together.
FAMILY POOL & ACTIVITIES
If your crew tires of the lazy river, there is lots of other activities to enjoy around the five acre water park and the rest of the family friendly areas. From a large shallow pool to the water slides. to the splash zone and lots of games scattered around will keep everyone busy. With the limited capacity at the resort due to the pandemic, we often felt like we had the place to ourselves and were able to have several epic family water slide competition with nearly no lines for our turn. The water temps were very comfortable but if we got chilled we could hop in the nearby outdoor hot tub.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION & CONVENIENCE
Managing a family trip to Disney can be overwhelming- especially during a pandemic. As a guest of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando we were able to enjoy complimentary luxury transportation to the nearby Disney Parks. Once we valeted our car at the resort – we never had to drive during the entire four day stay. The park shuttle schedule is robust and the drivers were awesome. The plush leather interiors were a welcome reprieve at the end of the day and I loved that we didn’t have to have the stress of driving to the parks and find a parking spot. We also brought our stroller with us and were easily able to leave it with the hotel valet at the end of the day so we didn’t have to worry about bringing it our room.
Also, the hotel is convenient to the parks- and it was only about a 10 minute ride to Magic Kingdom. From our room, we could see the Epcot ball. Currently, Disney is not doing fireworks but we could see the large spotlights they were projecting every night from our balcony. If the fireworks were happening, I could not imagine a better viewing spot than from the balcony in our room.
FOOD & SERVICE
Another stress free part of this trip was meals. Each morning we ordered room service for breakfast so we could eat while getting ready and enjoy a few extra minutes of the view from our room. Each time the staff made a delivery, they were courteous, the food came quick and everything was tasty. It always felt safe as they were wearing masks and we would just go out on the balcony to remain socially distant. Due to the pandemic (and having two young boys that have zero interest in fine dining) we didn’t visit the nicer restaurant options within the resort this trip. However, between room service and the outdoor PB&G Restaurant (pool bar and grill) we ate like Kings and Queens!
We also always had superior service while hanging by the pool and Lazy River – from the minute you enter they ensured we had a comfortable seating area with plenty of towels, filled water pitchers and food and drinks.
HOTEL ROOM
Upon arrival we were greeted with these darling robe and sheriff sets for the boys…
We absolutely LOVED our hotel room! From the balcony views, to the comfortable beds, to the robust closet and storage area- the four of us were so comfortable during our stay. At turn down in the evening- they came and turned the sofa into a bed for the boys. I was blown away at how comfortable this bed was with a standard mattress and full comfortable bedding. Again- we slept like Kings and Queens!
HOTEL GROUNDS & AMENITIES
Last but not least- after a stay at the Four Seasons Orlando you will be completely in love with the grounds and amenities. Our view each morning and evening was truly magical and you can tell they truly thought of everything when laying this property out. I loved strolling around just enjoying the beauty of the property. I didn’t want to leave!
I am so thankful for these precious days with my family and I know that we will all remember this vacation forever! We appreciate all of the work the staff did to ensure our trip was perfect and all of the behind the scenes efforts to keep everyone safe and healthy.
If you are looking to book a Disney Trip this year- here is a fun article from the Four Seasons: How to Plan a “Revenge Vacation” at Four Seasons Resort Orlando
I am thankful to have partnered with the Four Seasons Orlando for our stay. I shared lots of real time coverage on Instagram during our visit. To catch up be sure to visit my Disney highlight.
Catch up on all things DISNEY:
MAGICAL MONDAY || We Are Disney Bound!
MAGICAL MONDAY || Six Reasons We Loved Our Stay at Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World
MAGICAL MONDAY || Disney Vacation Recap
MAGICAL MONDAY || Disney – What We Wore
Happy Trails, XOXO-
Heather
What a great place to stay! It look absolutely wonderful! The boys are adorable in those robes and cowboy hats.
Wow! that Lazy River looks like some place to hang all day long! So glad it turned out well for you during this
pandemic. Sounds like the staff took good care of you!
Well, I live in Orlando and don’t really need a hotel recommendation, but gosh if you don’t have me wanting to do make a spin on staycation and resort it up in our backyard. So glad you had such an epic trip and that the 4 seasons made it what it was.