How to take a vacation in the middle of a pandemic. Now there’s a post I never thought I’d write! But here we are, and we did it – and we did it with the Four Seasons Orlando! After a safe, comfortable and fun trip, I am thrilled to share my experience for anyone looking to do the same.
Leading up to our stay that began on July 1st, the resort’s reopening day, we hadn’t done anything resembling a trip since February. When I heard about the Four Seasons working with Johns Hopkins in a consulting capacity, as a part of their development of the global Lead With Care initiative, I began to feel like a vacation was in the cards. They closed the Orlando location along with many others in mid-march, and offered their empty hotels as lodging for volunteer health care workers in hot spots. You can read about that here. They’ve been innovative with their approach and I appreciate that their decisions are on-going. As the health concerns evolve globally and locally, so too do their procedures and protocols. As they started to discuss their reopening, I felt confident in planning a trip. We’d been this fall which I wrote about here, and of course we had an incredible time, but I was curious as to how we’d feel given all the of the necessary changes, and how our girls would adapt.
Our experience there earlier this month was not only safe and comfortable, but so. much. fun!!! I think what I marvel at the most was the resort’s ability to implement a wide-scale plan including masks, temperature checks, constant sanitation of the common areas while monitoring guest compliance, yet it was done with the velvet touch of the Four Seasons magic. We traveled with our friends who have been similarly social distancing and we all felt at ease and treasured the opportunity for vacation, while also appreciating the practice our kids got with current norms like mask wearing, hand sanitizing and physical distancing when away from home. Sarah Tucker, who has been visiting Four Seasons Orlando for years wrote up her thoughts here and we both agree we’d like to head back ASAP!
Health and Safety Changes
The changes begin as you drive through the gates. The attendants are wearing masks and confirm your reservation, and we were wearing our masks as well. Where as the resort was more open before, they are now limiting who is on property for dining to control the capacity. They handed us some informational sheets regarding what to expect upon arrival such as:
- Valet only
- Temperature checks
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the temperature check because up to this point, my experience with that was limited and so far had been someone coming in with a forehead scanner. But their thermal camera set-up made it so easy and stress free to simply walk through – Margaret didn’t even notice until we pointed it out and of course Catherine had no clue! Other points of temperature check we experienced included at the:
- Gym
- Spa
- Ravello restaurant entrance (returning from the pool)
Check-In
This process was as close to business as usual as could be. They went over what to expect and answered questions. We had a ton of stuff, so we decided to have help getting to our room. The gentleman taking care of our luggage rode up separately. As we headed to the elevators we noticed multiple hand sanitizer stations and places to get masks. There were attendants placed at the elevators to assist with insuring social distancing measures are followed. Throughout our stay it seemed that it was one family at a time, or traveling party, even if that meant a single person would ride up alone. There was one time when everyone rushed in from a rain storm so it got a bit crowded and there was a wait for the elevators, but it moved quickly and we were all appropriately apart. The attendants even offered to push the elevator buttons for you if you wish! Margaret mastered the elbow push though so we were covered! You can customize so much of your experience to your comfort level. If you didn’t want any help to your room, that was fine. If you’d rather they drop the bags by the front door, that worked too. The person helping us with our bags was wearing a mask and gloves, in our room briefly and then on his way.
Housekeeping
In our room were masks and hand sanitizer along with other subtle efforts. For instance, room service ordering happens over the iPad which makes it easy to disinfect. The remote and other high touch items came with notes assuring they’d been sanitized and were re-sanitized each day. A small but impactful detail that I posted about on Instagram and so many of y’all were as excited as I was, was that they included a Diaper Genie for Miss Catherine’s dirty diapers and it was amazing!
For those who have enjoyed the services of the Four Seasons before, you probably remember their housekeeping’s intense attention to detail, sorting, cleaning and tidying everything in sight. During our stay, we’d message the Four Seasons App to let them know we were out of our room and that is when they would clean. It was still a keen attention to detail but clearly as touchless as possible with more emphasis on sanitizing surfaces, high touch and otherwise, along with replacing essentials and removing trash. Additionally, throughout the hotel and as a part of their Lead With Care initiative they’ve incorporated the use of electrostatic sprayers.
The Four Seasons App
A key component of their safety during this time is the Four Seasons App which was already in operation and now they can leverage it to make the guest experience as contact-less as possible. Leading up to your stay and during it, you can hop on the app with any questions you might have. Requests from cribs and extra towels, to questions about evolving health policies, can be handled through the app. The app made preparing for our stay easy and I was able to have questions about safety protocol promptly answered. And then while we were there, with the tap of my keyboard, I could ask for ice or extra hangers and have them left at my door. I can message them to let them know that we’re out of the room so housekeeping knows it is all clear to clean. Though it is wonderful to meet and see the thoughtful and kind men and women of the Four Seasons Orlando staff, for everyone’s safety, the app allows for excellent service but limited contact.
Grounds
There are so many amenities at the FS Orlando and many of them fit well into the current health concerns. With the kids we spent most of our time on the lazy river and on the splash pad. The kids did the water slide and we enjoyed the “Dive-In” movie which was Toy Story. With so much outdoor, poolside opportunities available we felt very comfortable. Masks are not required in the pool so we’d wear ours from the room, to our seats, and remove them. Beyond the pool, some members of our party tried out the Par-3 course, and on our walk back from dinner I got to peek at the tennis courts which would be fun to do next time we visit! From a cleanliness standpoint there were hand sanitizing stations placed around the grounds. They were diligent about the inner tubes used for the lazy river and each person would check them out so they’d routinely sanitize them which while that was happening before, it was very clear that this was happening constantly throughout the day. The lounge chairs were sanitized after each use, waters were delivered in bottles instead of pitchers and cups, and the servers were wearing masks. The adult pool is called The Oasis and it is literally an oasis. With a bit of time stolen while the kids were enjoying the Kids For All Seasons and Catherine was with Curtis, Sarah and I grabbed an iced tea and some girl chat.
The Spa
Their beautiful spa opened up while we were there and thought we hadn’t gotten a service, we were able to enjoy the facilities. Masks are required unless in the jacuzzi. They’re required during services with the exception of facials. The sauna is on pause as apart of their Lead With Care plan. They offer a Magical Moments princess (or prince) makeover package that I am thinking might be fun for Margaret and I to do in the future while we miss our time in the parks.
Kids For All Seasons
A signature offering of the Four Seasons, the Kids For All Seasons service is included in your stay for kids 4 -12. They’ve adapted the program to be out doors with everyone wearing a mask. You’ll be asked for the contact number of two guardians because during inclement weather you’ll be called to pick-up. The children will be moved inside until then. This is a little different than the usual set-up since typically they’re inside at the beautiful KFAS facility which means they proceed whatever the weather, but right now this is how they are more safely offering the service, which we all appreciated. For other babysitting services, they are referring to Sunshine Babysitters.
Dining
One of the biggest impacts of the enhanced safety measures is on dining. In order to allow for safe and compliant physical distancing there are less tables so they can be spread far apart, thus dining reservations are essential. A huge plus is that kids 5 and under dine free in the restaurants! I don’t know about you, but during our typical travel we’re not that likely to make dining reservations because with we like to be go with the flow and I’ll admit we’re used to hotels being able to accommodate that. So normally it isn’t an issue to plan a trip without dining reservations, but in this scenario, dining reservations were essential. The first night we planned to eat by the pool while watching the Dive-In movie but that plan was almost thwarted by a Florida thunderstorm. The pools were shut down therefore pool side dining was shut down. Luckily the weather cooperated in the nick of time but had it not, our options would have been in room dining or to-go from one of the restaurants. For breakfast during our stay we did room service each morning which is such a treat to enjoy on the balcony. Curtis and I both agree the prices are completely reasonable! Lunches were also by the pool and you can’t miss the gelato! We’ve eaten at Ravello and the Capa bar during our last visit, but from what I hear, when we make it up again we need to try the Capa Steakhouse! PB & G opened up back to 7 days a week, 11 AM – 6PM, which is a great covered platform dining option right on the little lake near the pools. We were able to try out Plancha which is at the golf club. It was delicious and I highly recommend! The guacamole was amazing and if you’re thinking, “How special can guacamole even be?” well let me assure you, you’ll want to try it! I also had the salmon dish and will be aiming to recreate it at home, but not sure I’ll ever match the skills of their talented experts!
After we left, they re-opened the character dining that has been re-imagined and also had trial runs before being offered to the public to insure protocols were understood and effective. Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy and Pals is on Saturdays from 7-11 and adults are $48 while kids 12 and under are $28. It is no longer a buffet, but the menu looks delicious! The characters are Goofy, Micky and Minnie and they do a parade around the restaurant. There is a photo-op included with a “touch of Disney magic”. As of publishing, the Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy and Pals is only for hotel guests. Next time we’re going to try this because sweet Catherine has a Minnie Mouse obsession and would get a kick out of it!
The Parks
The Disney parks are currently reopened, and though we are Annual Passholders and miss our visits, our comfort level isn’t quite there yet. Which is one of the reasons the FS Orlando was so perfect, because we still got a little bit of the Disney magic! But if you’re considering a visit, the resort’s Disney Planning Center is open and assisting guests in their park needs.
Incentives
The Florida Resident Rate is offered through September, so we’re already talking about a trip back. It starts at $359 and goes up depending on whether you’re looking for a weekday or weekend stay, or based on room type. But fear not my non-Florida friends, the Experience More package is enticing as well with a $200 – $500 a nightly resort credit available which can be used on a variety of dining and entertainment options. I also noticed a Fourth Night Free option on their website that has me dreaming of a longer trip. We were there for two nights, but it was the kind of fun that made me wish we were staying for at least another. To book the FL rate call 1-800-267-3046 and for all other booking inquiries, head online.
For more questions about our experience I am happy to discuss in the comments or via my Instagram. Otherwise, the Four Seasons Orlando staff would be happy to answer your inquiries any time!
