Know Before You Go: Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World
Whenever we find ourselves in Orlando, this is our go-to resort. A destination unto itself, this property has brought us back to Orlando multiple times just to visit this resort and its spectacular waterpark. Though staying here comes with an eye-watering price-tag, a plethora of amenities — including a 5-acre private water park and sprawling kids club — offer unique value. Book early for Ravello character breakfasts, Capa dinners, and weekend spa appointments.
OVERALL RATING
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Exceptional
Overview
At-a-Glance
Date of stay: August 2021 (3rd stay in 3 years)
Length of stay: 2 nights / 3 (very full) days
Trip type: Long weekend getaway with family
Property type: Resort catering primarily to families and events, primarily for those visiting Walt Disney World, but welcomes all travelers
Tailor-made for: Dreamers, Disney fanatics, and water park enthusiasts
Highlights
The waterpark -- simply spectacular
Disney Character Breakfast at Ravello
Staff service
Ice cream at Lickety-Split
Dive-in movies and popcorn at Explorer Pool
Kids for All Seasons complimentary kids club (plus The Hideout for Teens)
Watching nightly Magic Kingdom fireworks from hotel room balcony
Private luxury coach service to Disney Parks and onsite Disney Planning Center
Spa services and facilities
Good to Know
Must plan ahead and book pretty much everything: dinner / in-room dining, weekend spa appointments, Character Breakfast, etc.
WDW shuttle schedule changes daily; you can request a copy via the Four Seasons app chat
During busy periods, pool seating is scarce; get in an early breakfast and head straight over to Explorer Island so the friendly pool attendants can help you build a base camp
If you don't stay in a Suite, book a room with the King Bed / Queen sleeper sofa combo (instead of 2 Queens; same price, much better room and sleeping configuration)
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Location & Setting
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Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World is set in Golden Oaks, an ultra-luxury, gated residential Walt Disney World community near the Disney parks, but not on the Disney bus line or light rail. The resort is situated on a lake between the Golden Oaks residences and golf course. We arrived from the Orlando airport via a car service booked through Mears Transportation, which we would highly recommend based on their professionalism, courtesy, punctuality, and family-friendliness.
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Property & Grounds
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The resort is a destination unto itself and features a water park, spa, golf (18-hole Tom Fazio-designed course), tennis, fitness center, aerobics studio, child and adult shopping boutiques, and meeting facilities.
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Upon arriving at the resort, we were greeted by what felt like an army of kind and helpful resort staff taking our luggage, opening our doors, directing us through the lobby to registration, checking us in, informing us about the resort, confirming our appointments/reservations, etc.
The hotel entrance and lobby were stunning.
If you arrive early, there is an early arrival / late departure lounge.
Arriving late morning, we had brunch at Ravello and went to explore the resort.
The grounds were expansive and the kids had a blast just running around outside the property.
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Room
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We have stayed in a few different room types here across all our visits: the Park View Suite (pictured) was the most spacious and family-friendly; the Golden Oak View Room with a King Bed and Queen sleeper sofa room configuration was the best value option, with a terrace, large bathroom, walk-through closet, and lake views. The rooms are all well-appointed with sunny, modern decor and furnishings. The room featured electronic controls and an iPad for in-room dining, resort information, and services bookings. There was a foldable step stool and drying rack in the bathroom upon check-in, which we loved for post-family-swim-time. The only room we have stayed in here that did not work well for our family was the Golden Oak View Room with 2 Queen Bed configuration — we found it far too cramped and ultimately had to request a crib for our toddler so the kids could get some sleep.
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In 2020, we stayed in a Park View Suite. If traveling with kids, the 1-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom Golden Oak Suite (or upgraded-view Park View Suite) is the ideal bed and bath configuration for families. If booking a room that is not a 1-BR suite, opt for the King Bed / Queen sleeper sofa room configuration instead of the 2 Queen bed room layout -- same price, but a vastly better sleeping configuration and use of room space.
In 2019, we stayed in a Golden Oak View Room with 2 Queen Beds -- we do not recommend this room configuration, no one slept well. We ultimately had to get a crib for 3 y/o V so G & V could actually sleep, which further cramped the room.
We booked all three stays through American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts program, which got us the same rate as booking directly with Four Seasons, plus some extra perks:
• Daily breakfast credit of $72 per room (note: this was advertised as free daily breakfast for two adults, but Four Seasons issued a correction at check-in).
• Guaranteed 4PM late check-out.
• Spa services credit of $100 -- they voluntarily gave us two of these credits, noting that we added the second night as a separate booking. Bonus!
• 12PM early check-in upon availability -- we did get early check-in, but it was closer to 1:30.
• A one-category room upgrade upon availability -- we received an upgrade 2 out of 3 visits, both times to a room with a park view which allowed us to watch the nightly Magic Kingdom fireworks, which the kids absolutely loved.
Another thoughtful in-room touch for families was that the mini-fridge was positioned in a top cabinet and was completely empty (no mini-bar items) so we didn't have to worry about little hands getting into things they shouldn't, and there was plenty of space to store unfinished kids milks, meals and other perishable items for later use.
Unlike the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, there was no beach/pool bag in the room for guests to use while at the resort, which was a shame as that would have come in handy.
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Service
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Throughout the resort, the warm and attentive staff sprinkled that extra Disney magic on every interaction: for example, throughout our stay, the resort staff referred to the girls as "Princesses" pretty much exclusively. In true Four Seasons style, the staff were not only responsive and professional, but they thoughtfully anticipated what we might need and provided helpful suggestions and recommendations at every turn. The Four Seasons app chat is a game-changer for responsive service for whatever you need, wherever you are, before and during your stay.
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The resort offers extensive Disney experiences and services. For example, you can request in-room Disney celebrations with a variety of themed welcome gifts. The resort has a full-service Disney planning desk onsite staffed by Disney experts for all your Disney planning needs.
There was also one especially thoughtful touch that made our trip in 2020: a member of the Concierge team, Sandra, learned that our family had experienced a sudden and unexpected loss right before our trip. Upon hearing this news, Sandra sent a beautiful floral display and lovely handwritten note to our room (pictured above). We were incredibly touched by this heartfelt gesture.
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Dining
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There are many dining options on property (Ravello, main restaurant, pictured). Over the course of our three visits, we have dined at every venue, and the food at all venues is solid by Four Seasons standards, with special mention to Capa as a great upscale dining option, which was awarded its first Michelin star in 2022.
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Here's the resort dining rundown:
• Ravello - serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Top-notch breakfast buffet; lunch and dinner a la carte or prix-fixe menu. Hosts Goofy and Pals character breakfast on certain dates. Reservations strongly recommended for lunch and dinner; reservations for character breakfast required.
• Capa - upscale dining on top floor of the hotel. Dinner only. Geared toward adults but welcoming to kids and offers a kids menu.
• Capa Lounge - sophisticated rooftop lounge offering drinks and bites. Geared toward adults.
• Plancha - Cuban-style lakeside restaurant at golf clubhouse.
• PB&G (Pool Bar & Grill) - casual lakeside dining adjacent to the pool facilities. Serves lunch and early dinner. Great for families in between swim sessions.
• Poolside dining - two-page menu of drinks, snacks, and all-day dining entrees. Great for dive-in movies.
• The Lobby Bar - smart casual option for lunch, dinner, and drinks. Great outdoor patio. Lots of families dine here for dinner as a more casual alternative to Ravello.
• Lickety-Split - coffee, delicious ice creams, and snack-focused cafe/bar.
• In-room dining - great service experience, only gripe is it routinely takes up to an hour to get dinner. The wait time was quoted accurately when we ordered, we are just used to 30-45 minute room service wait times at most properties.
The resort offers a Kids Eat Free program for kids (resort guests only) ages 5 and under at Ravello, The Lobby Bar, Capa, Capa Lounge, Plancha and PB&G, with the purchase of one adult meal. Kids Eat Free does not apply to the Character Breakfast at Ravello, Lickety Split, In-Room Dining and poolside menu.
The restaurants we dined at offered pretty robust kids menus with activities and coloring, high chairs and booster seats, and kids tableware.
Restaurant staff were quick to ask about putting in kids' food orders first while we made up our mind about what to order ourselves, and kids' meals were prepared with lightning speed.
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Family Services & Amenities
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This resort stands out from the crowd with its impressive array of amenities, activities, and services geared toward family travelers — highlights include the sprawling waterpark with water park and lazy river, Kids for All Seasons kids club (free), dive-in movies, scavenger hunt with ice cream prize, Lickety-Split ice cream shop, Goofy and Friends character breakfasts, and nightly Disney fireworks that can be viewed from the resort.
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Without a doubt, the jewel of the resort is its private 5-acre water park, Explorer Island, which includes:
• A winding lazy river with rapids, waterfalls and water jets (all ages)
• Two 4-story waterslides - one enclosed, one open (minimum height of 42")
• The Splash Zone with two zero entry "beaches" and multiple shallow swimming areas ranging from about 0.5-1.5' deep, surrounded by beach chairs and cocoon beds (all ages, but best-suited to families with young children)
• The Hideout Pool, connected to the lazy river, equipped for water volleyball (all ages, but best-suited to families with tweens and teens) and surrounded by hanging pod seating
• A large family pool with a zero entry "beach", swim-in movie screen for special events, and a mini-waterslide (with virtually no incline) for tiny tots, surrounded by beach chairs and cabanas for rent (all ages)
• A rock-climbing wall (all ages, based on ability)
In addition to the spectacular water park, the resort features some other truly top-notch family facilities.
There's a Kids For All Seasons (KFAS) supervised kids club, free for guests age 4-12 (available 10AM-6PM daily). This includes a (faux) indoor volcano and short slide, a Nintendo Wii, gated outdoor playground, lots and lots of activity / dress-up stations, and outings to the waterpark.
Our youngest, V, begged to stay with the kids club when she saw them playing water volleyball at The Hideout.
On our first visit, the girls spent an hour at the K4AS princess dress-up station (when at Disney...).
KFAS also has outdoor facilities, including a shaded enclosed play area and large enclosed, treehouse-style playground.
Just outside KFAS is a landing with lawn games for the whole family including bags, giant Connect 4, giant checkers, billiards, foosball, and table tennis.
On arrival, there were children's bathrobes folded on the beds adorned with children's welcome gifts: colorful, sparkly wands, tiaras, and fairy-style wings (skirts on previous visits).
At turndown, the girls were surprised and delighted to find chocolate and fruit gummy treats (previous visits included goodie bags filled with candy and chocolate Mickey Mouse-shaped lollipops).
There were children's bath amenities provided in the hotel room, as well as separate baby bath amenities and a manatee plush in the crib.
At check-in, the kids each received a Kids for All Seasons sports bag with a pirate-themed scavenger hunt activity and decoder glasses that revealed secret words at locations around the resort. The kids had a blast going around the resort completing this activity and getting stamps at each spot, and the staff all played up the game on each stop adding to the fun.
At the conclusion of the scavenger hunt, the kids got to bring the fully-stamped booklets to the front desk to receive tokens redeemable for free ice cream at Lickety-Split.
There are thoughtful, family-friendly touches throughout the resort, similar to what we experienced at the Four Seasons Maui Resort at Wailea. For example, all restrooms in public areas had step stools and diaper changing stations. In many cases, family restrooms existed as a family-friendly alternative to the men's and women's restrooms.
The following additional complimentary family amenities (available on request) are listed on the hotel's website:
• Items to childproof guest rooms
• Cribs at no extra charge
• Infant needs, including complimentary use of high chair, playpen, bottles and plush toy
• Complimentary use of children’s video library, children’s pool toys and Little Swimmers diapers (required for infants in all pools)
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Activities
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Resort activities consist of a 5-acre water park, spa, golf (18-hole Tom Fazio-designed course), tennis, fitness center, aerobics studio, child and adult shopping boutiques, and meeting / event facilities.
Just outside K4AS is The Mansion, an outdoor family recreation area with lots of games facilities (billiards, giant checkers, bags, fusbol, etc.).
In addition to the family-friendly swim facilities, there's an adults-only Oasis pool, where it's so quiet you can hear a pin drop. Or actually hear yourself think. Or have an uninterrupted conversation with your partner. Drop the kids off at KFAS for a few hours and come here to enjoy some precious zen time / couples time.
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Geared toward tweens and teens is The Hideout (adjacent to Explorer Pool and the basketball courts), an indoor / outdoor gaming, lounge, and hangout center featuring a PS4 and Xbox, Virtual Reality sessions, billiards, outdoor hangout spots, and pool with water volleyball court and hanging cocoon chairs.
Just outside The Hideout is a basketball court and sand volleyball court.
The resort also offers special programming throughout the day for adults, kids and families alike.
To make transit between the WDW parks and the resort as easy as possible, the resort runs a luxury motor coach as a shuttle between the property and the WDW main parks. During our stay, the coach departed from the resort every 30 minutes and arrived at the ticketing center (Magic Kingdom and Epcot) in 7-8 minutes. Return trips to the resort occurred hourly.
There were typically only a few other families on the shuttle with us, so we never had trouble with crowds. However, the shuttle schedule changes daily and we read reviews in advance of our stay that made it seem like waits and crowds for the Four Seasons shuttle could be pretty long at certain times of year.
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Wellness
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The spa is truly next-level. I got a massage on two visits and a spa pedicure one visit. The spa facilities are excellent. Some highlights: a solarium with zero-gravity beds, an "experience shower", a sprawling relaxation room with fireplaces, and separate men's / women's saunas, steam rooms, and outdoor spa gardens.
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The spa has a ton of adult services, but also offers Disney-themed magical spa experiences for kids, including: Princess & Queen (mommy & me), Shining Knight, Royal Treatment, and Belle of the Ball. If you are planning to visit the spa on the weekend, book early.
The fitness center is large and well-equipped. M commented that the bootcamp at the fitness center looked awesome, but we didn't have time to take advantage of any classes / scheduled activities given the short stay length.
The aerobics center, directly across from the fitness center, is also large and well-equipped for group classes.
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Wow Factor
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All the amenities and activities on offer at this property, as well as the attentive service experience, add up to an incredible wow factor.
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Value
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While this resort is at the high-end of prices for Walt Disney World properties, all the aforementioned included amenities and activities add up to a solid value, especially if you book a rate that includes breakfasts and other perks like property credits and room upgrades. There are are also some relatively good room rates during low season (late August / early September) with no crowds to improve the value equation.
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Overall
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We really loved this property. The resort amenities and staff were truly outstanding. Based on our experience, we felt we could come back here for a week, potentially never leaving the resort, and have an action-packed, magical experience.
Rating Legend*
💛💛💛💛💛 Exceptional
💛💛💛💛 Notable
💛💛💛 Standard
💛💛 Substandard
💛 Unsatisfactory
*All ratings are relative to similar-class properties
