The Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort

May 1, 2016

“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality” – Walt Disney

Every once and a while I get lucky, and discover a quote that simply and perfectly captures a visit; and I should have known that the great Walt Disney wouldn’t disappoint.

The Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort (the Four Seasons Orlando from here on out) is most certainly one of the loveliest and most stupendous luxury properties I’ve ever visited, but it’s the resort’s people who work so hard, and who care so much, who make the Four Seasons Orlando an unforgettable, and unparalleled luxury resort destination.

Location

There’s a lot to love about the Four Seasons Orlando, but one of my favorite characteristics is the fact that the property is located in the center of the Walt Disney World Resort; and your kids will absolutely love this. You’re just a few minutes from all of the Disney parks, and only a few minutes further from other Orlando attractions. There are multiple daily shuttles to all of the parks. The property is a short drive from the Orlando International Airport, and you can Click Here to view the property on Google Maps.

The Property

The Four Seasons Orlando casts an impressive form across the lush central Florida landscape, and there’s no doubt that you’ve arrived at a magnificent luxury destination. If you can, arrive during the day so that you can fully take in the property’s majestic countenance. Here are a couple images that show the size and scope of the property, photo credits to the Four Seasons Orlando:

Here are some images I took right after check-in:

Accommodations

The Four Seasons Orlando features 443 rooms (including 68 suites), and each guestroom offers a furnished terrace. We enjoyed lovely accommodations, overlooking the lake and the overall property. There’s nothing more extravagant than natural stone, rich wood, and luxury appointments. Here are some images from our visit:

Dining

It’s interesting, in planning our trip to Orlando, we planned to visit a number of restaurants. But when we arrived at the Four Seasons Orlando, the excellence of the dining options on property quickly persuaded us to reschedule our dining plans – and I’m most pleased that we did.

The dining options at the Four Seasons Orlando are varied and numerous, featuring four full-service restaurants: Capa, Ravello, PB&G, and Plancha; and two bars with full menus: The Lobby Bar and Capa Bar; and a separate 24-hour in-room dining menu. Perhaps the most enchanting feature of the property is the location of its signature restaurant, the steakhouse Capa; which is located at the property’s 17th-floor rooftop. The setting is resplendent, and the perfect vantage point to view the two sets of nightly fireworks – one from Disney World and one from Epcot – which provide an astonishing nightly decoration of the night sky. Here are some images of the Capa rooftop, photo credits to the Four Seasons Orlando:

Capa offers a Spanish-inspired menu, featuring inventive and refreshing signature cocktails, and a creative array of fresh Seafood and Steak dishes. We first soaked in the rooftop’s splendid views, and then moved inside to enjoy our dinner. Here are some images from our experiences at Capa:

Ravello

Ravello offers authentic Italian prepared in an impressive demonstration kitchen, and as someone who’s eaten extensively in Italy, Ravello’s cuisine exceeds expectations – so much so, that I consider Ravello a co-signature restaurant along with Capa. This is exceedingly rare as one property rarely features one remarkable restaurant. In this case, the Four Seasons Orlando offers two. Click here to view the Dinner Menu. Here are some images from our experiences at Ravello:

PB&G

Our first meal was at PB&G, the property’s poolside restaurant, which is suspended over the resort’s lake and positioned between it’s two largest pools. PB&G is a great place to take in some of the activity around the pools, have a cool drink, and enjoy a light lunch. The bartenders are great – funny and great conversationalists. I enjoyed a stellar Lobster Roll – a great way to begin our visit! Here are some images of our time at PB&G:

Kids

The Four Seasons Orlando is unquestionably the most kid-friendly luxury resort I’ve visited. The mark of a high-end luxury property, especially a Four Seasons Resort with a focus on kids, is the selection of water-based activities for guests – and in this respect, the Four Seasons Resort Orlando is without peer.

There is an expansive area termed Explorer Island, which includes the Family Pool, the Splash Zone (a full-sized splash pad), the heated Lazy River, and The Drop: two full-size water-slides – one open, and one a closed tube. Here are some images of these areas, photo credits to the Four Seasons Orlando:

Here are links to YouTube videos of my experiences going down the water-slide, and floating down the Lazy River:

Lazy River One

Lazy River Two

Water-Slide

The property includes innumerable additional activities and amenities for kids, including the Character Breakfasts, In-Room Celebrations, Complimentary Kids Camp, The Hideout, and Dive-In Movies. Here is a great shot of the Dive-In Movie, photo credit to the Four Seasons Orlando:

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Spa and Health

One of my favorite parts about visiting luxury properties is experiencing the Spa, and the Four Seasons does not disappoint. Helmed by Spa Director Derek Hofmann, the Spa space is dazzling and exquisite, awash in glimmering stone, a light, scented air, glorious appointments, and most importantly, an exceedingly tranquil and serene environment. You can also enjoy the Aroma Design Bar, and create your own signature scent for products you can use at home. To read more about the Spa and its treatments, and the Salon, Click Here.

Each side (Men and Women) includes a brilliant assortment of features, including a Eucalyptus-scented steam-room, an outside, yet private jacuzzi, an ice exfoliant feature (that’s right), and a one-of-a-kind Experience Shower that offers four unique rain shower features. It’s even better than it sounds. Here are some images of the Spa and its spectacular coed lounge and patio:

The Health Club

The Four Seasons boasts the most impressive – and it’s not even close – fitness facility I’ve seen in a luxury resort. The main facility includes a dizzying array of state-of-the-art workout equipment, and the nave of the facility connects two ends with separate machines and book-ended comfort stations, complete with cold water, fruit, newspapers, towels, and headphones. The views from the space are superb, and serve to inspire and motivate. There is also a separate aerobics room, and an incredibly impressive and wholly separate locker room with steam-room. Here are some images from our time in the space:

The Oasis Pool

While the Four Seasons Orlando is geared in large part toward kids, the resort makes certain that its adult guests have a dedicated sanctuary to unwind and recharge. This is the negative-edge, adult-only (ages 21 & up) Oasis Pool that overlooks the lake, and I would have gladly spent every day here lounging and allowing all of my cares and concerns to wash away. The Pool also offers some of the best views of the property. Here are some of the images from our time at the Oasis Pool:

The Tranquilo Golf Club

The Tranquilo Golf Club showcases a Tom Fazio-designed golf course, designed to meld with the central Florida wetlands, and is filled with Southern Live Oak trees. Tranquilo is a popular destination for both resort guests and locals who seek a challenging and intimate luxury golf experience. Even better, Tranquilo is a short, yet picturesque walk from the Four Seasons property; which I enjoyed very much. Here are some images from my walk:

The Four Seasons Orlando has expertly integrated Tranquilo as its signature luxury golf experience, and the combination of the two properties is seamless. Tranquilo is an ideal setting, and the golf course is highly regarded. In addition, Tranquilo offers its own signature eatery, the exceedingly enchanting Plancha. By the way, for those keeping score, Plancha marks the property’s third signature restaurant. Here are images of Tranquilo and Plancha:

Click Here to view the Tranquilo Golf Club’s Website.

Cool Stuff

Lots to love about the Four Seasons Orlando, but I’d like to make note of a few very cool features and amenities.

Disney Planning Center

There is a Disney Planning Center on property, located in the main entry directly across from the Front Desk. We used this Center to plan a trip to Epcot, and it was seamless. I also appreciated that the Center was always heavily staffed to account for the high volume of inquiring guests. This is the sort of resource that exceeds expectations, and adds to the overall guest experience. It’s genius.

Be a Princess

When you walk through the Spa entry, there’s something that catches the eye – what appears to be a jewelry case, with a closet above and drawers below. It’s an unusual sort of thing for a spa hallway, but upon closer examination, it’s actually something quite charming and the sort of thing that can make special lifelong memories for a little girl. I wouldn’t do it justice by explaining, so I’ll just show you:

This is where little children can live their fantasies by becoming princesses. How great is this? Think of the countless fairy tales and memories created by these. I love this.

Late Departure Lounge

It’s rare that I see something entirely unique at a luxury property, but these are commonplace at the Four Seasons Orlando. One of the most impressive of these uncommon amenities is the Late Departure Lounge, which is precisely what it promises to be – a quiet and luxurious space to enjoy while waiting to depart to the airport for a late departure. Kudos to the Four Seasons Orlando for creating this space; quite impressive.

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People

It’s easy to get caught up in admiring all of the many shiny luxurious features of the Four Seasons Orlando – pools, spa, lazy river, stunning architecture, five-star dining, and on and on. But what makes luxury properties worth visiting, what sets these properties apart, and what provides the most enduring memories, are its people.

I’d like to thank the many people who made this visit so special, including Adam at the Front Desk; Andy and Eric at Plancha; Stephen, CJ, and Cecily at Ravello; Andrew, Claire, and Melissa at the Oasis Pool; Thomas the visiting manager from our hometown of Scottsdale; and the entertaining duo of Frankie and Cisco at PB&G.

These people care, work extremely hard, and helped to make our memories unforgettable. Thank you to all of you, in addition to all of those at the Four Seasons Orlando who helped to make our stay so special, even though we didn’t meet them personally.

Closing Thoughts

I’ve had the fortune of visiting many luxury properties, but every so often, I visit a place that exceeds all expectations, and does so in a memorable and very special way. The Four Seasons Orlando is such a place.

The resort combines the classic charm of a grand hotel featuring comfort and glamour, with the modern amenities and dining options sought after by today’s discerning luxury clientele. The experience will leave you breathless, and pondering your return visit.

I highly recommend that you stick a proverbial pin in the center of Walt Disney World in Orlando when planning your next vacation, book your stay at the Four Seasons Orlando, and then just sit back, and count the days until you will experience a luxury property that will stir your soul.