Reviews

Resort Review: Four Seasons Orlando

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Location: Walt Disney World Area

Rating:

Category: Deluxe Resort

Overview

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! 

Complimentary kids 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.

Other questions? Send me a message! 

Planning Tips

Top Reasons to Stay on Property at Disney

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Should you stay on property at Walt Disney World?

My recommendation to friends and clients has always been “YES! You have to stay on property!” Don’t get me wrong, there are some other really great non-Disney options in the area, and many are becoming Disney affiliate properties. This means while they’re not owned and run by Disney, they receive some of the perks that Disney resort guests receive.

I’ve stayed primarily at on-property Disney resorts on our trips, but have also stayed at Disney affiliates and had a great experience!

There are a ton of reasons to stay on property, so I’ve pulled together my top few to help you in the decision-making process 🙂 Keep in mind, there are different tiers of Disney resorts with different price points (but all of them receive these perks), so find the tier that fits your budget!

1. Extra Magic Hours

Extra Magic Hours are a window of time in the morning or night when the park is only open to Disney resort guests. EMH are only offered on select days at select parks, so make sure you always check Disney’s website for the latest dates/times!

We always take advantage of this perk, and I encourage my clients to do the same. In the morning, it allows you to beat the crowds AND the heat – a huge benefit if you can get your group out of bed early enough to make it! And there’s nothing better than being the last ones in the park at night. It’s so magical walking down a near empty Main Street!

2. Complimentary Transportation

a. Magical Express: Disney offers a complimentary shuttle service to/from the Orlando airport from your resort. You need to register online in advance of your vacation, but it’s super easy (and free!). On your way back to the airport, you can even check your bags at your resort for your airline so you don’t have to do it at the airport. It takes a bit longer than if you rented a car or took an Uber, but as you would imagine, the experience of riding the Magical Express is, well, magical!

b. Service to/from the parks: Monorail, bus and boat – Disney’s got you covered! No matter what Disney resort you’re staying at, you can get to any of the four parks, two water parks and Disney Springs. They’re service is (usually) very reliable and runs frequently! Now you can track the bus arrival times on the My Disney Experience app!

c. Standard parking at the parks: Complimentary standard parking is included for Disney resort guests!

3. Full Disney Experience

Staying on property at a Disney resort keeps you immersed in the magic throughout your vacation. The Disney level of service is unmatched, and cast members go above and beyond to make sure your stay is extra magical. Every last detail adds that touch of pixie dust – from the special TV channels (we love watching Stacy’s Disney Must Dos!) to the Disney soaps and shampoos – it’s the little things that make your experience at a Disney resort.

What are your top reasons for staying on property at Disney?!

Reviews

Resort Review: Dolphin Resort

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Location: Epcot Resort Area

WDW Park Planners Rating:

Resort Category: Deluxe Resort

The Swan and Dolphin Resorts are two separate properties located next to each other. They are Disney affiliate resorts but are not owned by Disney. The Swan is a Westin property, while the Dolphin is a Sheraton.

That means you can use points to stay at these properties, which is what we did! My husband and I stayed at the Dolphin hotel this past June when we visited Disney for a long weekend. Points don’t get you very far, but every bit helps, right? We used points for 2 of the 3 nights and also received a complimentary room upgrade to a suite.

Take the boat to Epcot or Hollywood Studios!

What We Liked

We’re all about location when we go to Disney, and the Epcot resort area is by far our favorite. You’re either a quick boat ride or a 20-minute walk (depending on how tired your feet are) to Epcot AND Hollywood Studios. Having those options saves a ton of time, and honestly, we like walking around those areas! For Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, you’re a bus ride away and receive complimentary transportation on the Disney buses to those parks (which isn’t the case for all affiliate resorts).

The lobby of the Dolphin is awesome – it was recently renovated and is big and spacious. There’s a cool bar in the middle and a yummy little coffee shop that we went to a few times. Between the Swan and Dolphin, they offer tons of great dining options (4 signature restaurants, 5 casual spots, 5 lounge areas, and 3 quick service options). They even have an on-site character meal at the Swan – check out the Garden Grove restaurant which has characters every night for dinner as well as on the weekends for breakfast!

The pool area is shared between the two properties and is a great set up. It’s incredibly family friendly, with lots of games and activities for the kids!

The lobby at the Dolphin is always bumpin! Lots going on – there’s a great bar, coffee shop and retail stores!

Things to Note

One thing to note, especially if you’re traveling with a family, is that the Swan and Dolphin don’t have access to the Magical Express to/from the airport. This was actually okay for us since it was a quick weekend trip (and my husband doesn’t love the Magical Express like me), so we grabbed a Lyft and were at the hotel in 30 minutes. It cost about $30 each way, which isn’t too bad for us Chicagoans!

The Dolphin feels less “Disney” than an actual Disney resort. It’s a conference hotel, so as we were leaving on a Monday, there were tons of business people there walking around, which felt a little strange on vacation. The little touches of Disney that I love – all of the magical TV channels (WDW Today, Disney Must Dos with Stacy, etc.), the Disney shampoos and soaps and the towel characters on your bed (I still love when the maids do that!) – are not at the Dolphin. So, if any of those things are important to you, consider yourself warned!

The room itself was mediocre, especially considering we got upgraded to a suite. The room was spacious and the bathroom was really nice, but the room felt like they hadn’t done a very thorough job cleaning it. We’re barely in the room on our quick weekend trips, so the room wasn’t the end of the world, but, if you’re someone who spends more time in the hotel room you may want to reconsider.

WDW Park Planners Tip:

Spend an evening walking around the Boardwalk area – it’s extra magical at night! The Swan and Dolphin are super close to it, so be sure to make time to enjoy all the Boardwalk has to offer. Adults can visit the dueling piano bar Jellyrolls, while kids can enjoy the “street” entertainers such as magicians or musicians! Be sure to stop by Ample Creamery for some of the BEST ice cream – I’m obsessed!