The Four Seasons Orlando has become such a special place for us. Growing up, my family was a big fan of staycations. We were surrounded by such beautiful resorts and when my dad’s call schedule was such that we couldn’t get away for too long, we stayed nearby which eliminated travel time and allowed us to live like tourists for a little bit! And now, Curtis and I have been enjoying the same feeling with our girls.
Most recently we visited for Margaret’s 6th birthday. We wanted to do something special and while Margaret is such a party loving girl, we didn’t feel like this was the year for that, so we hatched a plan to head up to the Four Seasons Orlando along with our friends, the Tuckers. It was perfect because Margaret and their boys are great friends, and their oldest was also celebrating a birthday! I know health and safety is top of mind for those who are making travel plans right now, and I wrote about our visit upon their reopening in July to highlight how they are addressing mitigation efforts.
We ducked out of school on Friday and drove up with the girls. Thanks to the app we’re able to communicate via messaging to determine availability of our room and we could also make reservations for lunch at Plancha, their restaurant at the golf club. Reservations are highly recommended because even though the resort and the restaurants are fully operational, they have more limited seating than usual to ensure physical distancing. We love the guacamole there, in addition to their spicy margaritas! I had the salmon dish and it hit the spot! They were so sweet and brought out a piece of cake with a candle for Margaret to enjoy. Kids 5 and under eat free here, and Margaret had a few days left before officially turning 6! We headed back to the hotel to officially check in. Kids get a little backpack with a map for a treasure hunt and Margaret poked around for a bit, and of course Catherine followed her sissy. The prize at the end of the treasure hunt is a tasty treat in their cafe and gelato shop!
We headed to check out our room and when we arrived Margaret was so touched to see birthday surprises awaiting her! Be sure to tell them if you are celebrating something and they will go out of their way to make it special. This time we were in a Golden Oak View Suite, which is an absolutely perfect layout for traveling with children with a completely separate sitting area and bathroom, it is like you have two rooms! We’ve stayed in their standard Four Seasons room before with the girls and it is totally comfortable as well, but this was a nice treat. After a little afternoon rest and time to get ready for dinner, we headed up to Capa for more birthday celebrations and to link up with the Tucker family. I’ve written about Capa before but every experience there is special, especially these days when we aren’t going out to eat nearly as often. It is so fun to get dressed up and have a delicious meal with people we love. It is situated at the top of the resort and has beautiful sweeping views. It is a steakhouse and each time we’ve gone that is what I have gotten – it is that good! This time we were still pretty full from lunch so Curtis and I split a steak and enjoyed the most delicious dish, their polenta with corn which is just heaven. Earlier in the week I’d put in an order for custom cakes to be delivered for Margaret and John. They start at about $70 and are not only delicious but are beautifully decorated. The kids were so touched and we all sang happy birthday to our little January birthday crew!
We tucked in pretty soon after dinner because the next day we planned to head to Hollywood Studios. When we came up for Catherine’s birthday we didn’t go into the parks but instead enjoyed the character brunch at Ravello. You can read more about our experience in the parks in this post. We woke up Saturday morning and had prearranged to have breakfast delivered in time before heading to the Four Seasons bus. It is a luxury coach playing Disney movies that makes getting to the park easy breezy. The driver grabbed our stroller and stored it underneath for us and then retrieved it when we arrived. There was only one other family on the bus besides us, and on the way home at the end of the day it was just us.
When we got back from the park it was time to put the pool area to the test because it was one of the rare chilly Florida days that are perfect for the parks, but make pool time a little trickier. I’d heard that the hotel heats their pools and the lazy river to 84 degrees but for whatever reason I was a little suspicious. Could it really be that comfortable? YES! The answer is YES! The pools, the lazy river, the splash zone – all of them were so cozy and truly comfortable. The tricky part is getting out! But once you’re in, it is just the perfect way to relax after a day at the park. We watched a movie from the hot tub and saw the sun set before heading up to order room service for dinner. We were able to use the app once again to order from the Lobby Bar, which we were eager to try! I had the most delicious dish, the Brick Chicken. And I am still dreaming about the French onion dip they had. We were so thankful for the Plum in-room wine dispenser and poured ourselves a glass and turned in feeling so refreshed.
Our plan for Sunday was to stay as long as possible. You can request late check out and then beyond that, they are happy to hold your bags while you enjoy the property. Margaret loves the Kids For All Season camp program, complimentary child care and activities for kids 4 to 12, and once she learned they would be making and racing paper airplanes in the morning, she and the Tucker boys were signed up. Everyone wears masks and gets their temperatures checked. They had so much fun and Catherine is counting down the days until she gets to go play with the big kids! We picked them up in time to go to brunch at Plancha, which we’d never tried before, and it was delicious. I love the walk from the hotel to the golf course. I learned this time that it is a Certified Audobon Cooperative Sanctuary, which makes so much sense because it is beautiful. We’ve even seen deer during our last stay!
We headed back to the room and got packed up. Margaret needed to shop a little bit in the gift store, Fable, before we left. I don’t blame her! It is so well curated – they even have special edition Stoney Clover Disney patches, and I finally grabbed myself some this trip.
There is so much to say about this resort, and I’ve written about our various trips there, both before Covid-19 and during. They have been an industry leader in hospitality and safety and I detailed their standards and practices in this post here from when they reopened. We consistently feel safe, with absolutely no hesitations. The staff is confident and competent in how they carry out their best practices, yet it doesn’t detract from the luxurious relaxation you’ll undoubtedly feel. I have no doubt we’ll be back because the thing about a place like the Four Seasons Orlando is that they offer so many amenities and recreation opportunities that we’ll never get bored! Whether you visit the parks, come with children, or are looking for a romantic getaway, this surely is a special spot.
To receive a quote on a Florida Resident Rate, being offered through February 28th, 2021, please call (407) 313- 6868
