January 24, 2023
Petit Peony Travels: Four Seasons Resort Orlando
As my cousin, Kate, can more than attest to — I grew up in one of those ‘Disney families.’ For years, my parents, siblings and I would head down to Florida and couple trips to Disney World with visiting Grammy Q at the beach during school vacations. The trips and celebrations have certainly changed over the years, but there’s just something incredibly special about Disney World and the timeless memories we have made there as a family.
This fall, to celebrate my mother’s birthday, we made the trip with a new generation of our family to experience the magic. (We also decided to couple this trip with a Petit Peony photoshoot, featuring several styles from our Rose Collection and Sweet Summer Collection, of which many are now available in our recent Swim Collection and Cozy Collection launches!)
Upon arrival at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, we were blown away. From start to finish, our trip was filled with such special memories.
PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL
In the weeks leading up to our trip, I definitely took advantage of the Four Seasons' app and direct messaging function with the property's concierge team. Whether it was arranging special gifts for the birthday girl and our Disney first-timers, making dining reservations or inquiring re: Disney park hours, transportation schedules, etc., it was such a wonderful perk to have.
TRAVELING WITH LITTLES
The Four Seasons Orlando might be the most family-friendly property we've ever stayed at... I really think they've thought of everything! We were traveling with two toddlers in our party and the property provided cribs in both rooms, a diaper genie in each bathroom, pouches in the room, bath essentials (bath wash, lotion, a small packet of wipes, etc.) and there were life jackets of all sizes at all of the pools on property.
TRAVELING WITH THE ENTIRE FAMILY
Traveling with large parties, including two toddlers with varying nap/ bedtime routines is not easy; but I’m so happy we were able to all stay in adjoining rooms on property. We stayed in a Park View Suite, which connected to two Park View Rooms. The balcony off of our Park View Suite offered incredible views of both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot fireworks.
I don’t think our two-year-old travelers had it in them to catch the fireworks at the parks, so it was so wonderful to be able to watch them from our hotel after dinner & bath time. Dempsey sat on Nana’s lap each night and as each firework would blast into the sky, Dempsey and Eamon would yell, “Kaboomy!” which is now a must-use word while firework viewing.
Once the kids went to bed, we were able to congregate in the living room and still spend time together during the evenings. (We also took advantage of the Plum wine by the glass machine in our living room!)
THE PROPERTY
The property is exquisite and there is so much to do for the entire family. We ended up going to the Disney World parks for two days, but I wish we had more time to spend by "Explorer Island," in particular. The kids could've spent the entire day by the family pool, splash zone & lazy river. (I really can't stress enough how nice it was to have the life jackets onsite vs. squeezing one into a carry-on!)
THE FOOD
Michelin-star Capa is located on the 17th floor and it's absolutely incredible. While it was a fine dining experience, we all commented how family-friendly it was, too. (I guess that makes sense, being in Walt Disney World!)
We were able to get a reservation at Ravello for the "Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy & His Pals," and Dempsey still claims this was her favorite part of the trip! "Minnie sat RIGHT next to me," she tells anyone who will listen to this day. It was adorable to see Eamon and Dempsey light up as each character visited and spent some quality time at our table.
We also ate at PB&J several times. It's an open-air, covered lakefront eatery and bar that serves lunch and dinner.
WALT DISNEY WORLD
I will say that the Four Seasons does not offer the ease of the Grand Floridian, Contemporary or the Polynesian in terms of transportation with the monorail, but to have the Four Seasons experience coupled with complimentary park transportation was perfect. Each morning, I messaged the concierge via the Four Seasons app for the transportation schedule (I believe it does change slightly each day with Early Park Entry, which you do still get if you stay onsite at the Four Seasons) & off we went for the day!
There's also a Disney Planning Center onsite that you can work with ahead of time to organize your Disney experience, schedule VIP tours, etc.
It was such a special trip, celebrating Nana's birthday while also seeing Dempsey and Eamon hand-in-hand and enjoying every moment of their first vacation together.
We can't wait to go back.