Must be 4+ years old (kids under 18 need an accompanying adult)
Experience “backstage” of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Get up close with the animals in a private viewing area – 80 to 100 feet away!
Overview:
On this one hour tour, you get to meet with animal specialists from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. These are the cast members who care for these massive elephants, so you’ll get to hear all about what it’s like every single day with the African herd. You also get to hear from an African cultural representative who will share about Disney’s conservation efforts in their homeland.
As you listen to these experts, you’re in a special viewing area about 80-100 feet away from the elephants! It’s a unique angle and closer than you get to see them on Kilimanjaro Safari – so worth it just for that.
Our Experience:
We got tickets for this tour to celebrate my sister’s birthday! She is an Environmental Science major and loves animals, so we thought this would be a special way to celebrate her golden birthday (she turned 19 on the 19th!).
Despite the torrential rain all day at Animal Kingdom, we still had a great time on this tour. The rain miraculously held off during our viewing portion – for which you’re outside with no coverage – so we lucked out!
Our tour guide was coincidentally from a town close to where we’re from, so we hit it off right away. He took us backstage in Animal Kingdom to our bus, which he drove and took us a few minutes away to the viewing area to observe the elephants. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the African herd and how they were cared for by the Disney specialists.
When our guide was done, he turned it over to the cultural representative, who was from Tanzania. He shared stories of his homeland and about how Disney was working to conserve the wild populations.
Overall, we thought this tour was worth the money spent. For $30, and one hour of our day, it was great! I love seeing the backstage of Disney (as un-glamorous as it is). If you’re looking for something unique and reasonably priced at Disney, then this is it!
It is our deepest pride and greatest pleasure to welcome you to…Enchanted Rose!
When you visit the Enchanted Rose lounge at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, you are transported to the live action Beauty and the Beast film. This lounge is the perfect addition to the resort and definitely worth a visit for the whole family!
What we like:
This lounge is beautiful from top to bottom and fits so seamlessly into the Grand Floridian’s overall aesthetic. Upon entering, there’s the main bar area, which is where we were able to snag the one remaining seat. The spectacular chandelier hangs overhead and sets the romantic tone for this area.
The lounge serves light appetizers and drinks – their extensive wine and cocktail must should be on your adult Must Do list! There are some non-alcoholic specialty drinks for the kids too 🙂
Things to note:
The menu is on the pricier side, but worth a visit for the amazing experience. There are three separate sections to the lounge – the main bar area and then two seating areas on either side. Try to get there on the earlier side, especially if you have a group, as seats and seating areas tend to fill up!
WDW Park Planners’ Tip:
If you’re an adults only group, try to sit in the main bar area. If you have kids, there’s better seating options in the “wings” – the rooms on either side of the main bar area!
I was blown away by the Four Seasons Orlando after our stay at the resort. The level of service is hard to match – each and every staff member took such great care of us. They truly go above and beyond, which is what sets the Four Seasons apart.
Special treat for WDW Park Planners delivered to our room!
Disney Affiliate Resort
The Four Seasons Orlando is not considered a full, on-property resort at Disney, but it offers many of the amenities that Disney resort guests receive. These include:
Access to Extra Magic Hours at the parks (window of time when the park is only open to resort guests)
Fast Pass selections are available 60 days out from your trip (vs 30 days for off-property guests)
Character breakfast at Ravello with Goofy & his pals (available on select days)
Disney Planning Center at the front desk to help with your Disney specific questions
The lazy river that’s actually really fast 🙂
Family Friendly Atmosphere
The resort is incredibly family friendly but maintains the high end luxury feel throughout. There are great options for both adults and kids, so I’ve broken some of those out below.
The kids’ play area!
Kid Must Dos
5 acre water park complete with water slides, fountains, pools and a lazy river (that isn’t so lazy – it moves at a pretty quick pace!). The water park is designed for kids of all ages!
Complimentarykids camp (if you need some time to hit the Adult Must Dos).
Basketball and sand volleyball courts and a game area with activities and a ping pong table.
Princess makeovers available on site. It’s similar to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, but is done at the resort.
Adult Must Dos
Adults only pool called The Oasis – it’s complete with cabanas and a hot tub.
The spa is pure heaven. I went for a massage and had the most luxurious experience enjoying the extra amenities the spa offers. Plan to spend a few hours here.
The lobby bar is a great spot to grab a drink, watch sports, or enjoy the beautiful terrace overlooking the property.
Poolside cocktails are the best kind of cocktails.
Dining Options
Ravello
Ravello serves a wonderful breakfast buffet, and as mentioned above, it’s a character breakfast on certain days (Thursdays, Saturdays, and select Tuesdays)! You can also order off the breakfast menu if the buffet is too much we ordered coffee and individual meals and everything was great. Ravello also serves a traditional Italian dinner featuring house-made pizzas and pastas. Yum!
PB&G
The pool bar & grill sits on a terrace overlooking the lake next to the pool area. The menu is full of fresh flavors and is DELICIOUS. We ate on the terrace one time and also ordered to our pool chairs another time – the veggie burger was everyone’s favorite!
Beautiful views and great food at PB&G.
Capa
This signature steakhouse is located on the 17th floor of the Four Seasons. It serves the freshest seafood and has an extensive wine list.
Capa Bar
The Capa bar sits on the 17th floor of the Four Seasons and overlooks a spectacular view of the parks – ideal for a fireworks viewing! It was a little too hot for us to sit outside with the sun beating down, but in the evening temperatures are much more manageable to enjoy the outdoor terrace.
Transportation
The Four Seasons has complimentary shuttles to/from the four main Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom). They run on the half hour (approximately) and you can confirm the exact schedule a day in advance with the front desk. These are not the same as the Disney buses that run to the Disney resorts.
If you’re traveling with the kiddos, the Four Seasons shuttle is great – they will help you with strollers, etc. and make sure everyone is safe. Because we were there for such a short amount of time, we ended up taking an Uber to most places (we only went to the parks one day and it was for the 6am Extra Magic Hours!). Ubers are easy to come by and relatively cheap, so if it’s an adults weekend this might be your best option.
There is also Four Seasons transportation available (black SUV) for a charge that can take you to Disney Springs, both water parks and anywhere else you might be visiting.
You can arrange Four Seasons airport transportation for a charge as well.
The light fixtures in the lobby are inspired by Disney fireworks 🙂
WDW Park Planners’ Experience, Takeaways and Tips
We had the BEST stay at the Four Seasons Orlando. The entire staff is phenomenal and provides the highest level of service.
That being said, staying at the Four Seasons Orlando does not give you the same feeling as staying on property at a full Disney resort. It was a different vibe – which was okay – it was just different than what we were used to! You almost forget you’re at Disney when you stay there. The resort is close enough to the parks but the property itself feels very removed from Disney (even though you can see the parks from the balcony).
The price point is comparable to the Grand Floridian and The Polynesian Resorts (maybe a bit higher depending on the time of year), but the service and extra amenities are well worth the money spent.
Picture perfect views from our balcony. We could even see Epcot Forever, Star Wars Galactic Spectacular and Happy HalloWishes at night!
So should you consider this resort?
If you want to be totally immersed in the Disney magic, I would recommend staying on-property at Disney.
If you’re looking for an adults-only getaway with a bit more luxury or a family trip with some time away from the parks, then this is definitely your spot.
