By the co-author of The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2020, the best-reviewed Disney World guidebook series ever.

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Disney World Crowds in 2016

December   January   February  March   April   May   June   July

2016 CROWDS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Disney World Crowds in 2016 from yourfirstvisit.netThe chart lower on the page shows my forecasts for 2016 crowds by week at Walt Disney World.

Dates in it are the beginning of the week, and the forecast covers the recommended Saturday-Sunday 9 day stays.

(For 2017 crowds, see this, and for 2018 crowds, see this.)

Crowd levels are ranked by week from 1-11 in the following way:

1: Lowest of the year

2: Lower

3: Low

4: Low-plus

5: Moderate-minus

6: Moderate

7: Moderate-plus

8: High-minus

9: High

10: Higher

11: Highest

Disney World 2016 Crowd Calendar from yourfirstvisit.net.png

HOW TO INTERPRET THE 2016 DISNEY WORLD CROWD CALENDAR

Dates are the beginning of the week.

The “low crowd” weeks–those colored green, and rated 1-4–represent the only crowd levels a family visiting for the first time, and unsure if it will ever return, should consider.

However, lower crowds, especially lowest crowds, do not always mean a better week. The lowest weeks are often best avoided by first timers who may never return because they are in the hurricane or the ride closure seasons.

The “moderate crowd” weeks–those in black and rated 5-7–have crowd levels I would not particularly recommend to first time visitors, though the crowds can be managed with careful planning and lots of early mornings. However, I’d go during such weeks myself with no hesitation, and think these levels are OK for returning visitors who don’t need to see everything and already know how to work Walt Disney World.

The “high crowd” weeks–those in red, rated 8-11–should be avoided by everyone. They aren’t, which is why they are so high.

MY DISNEY WORLD CROWD CALENDAR GOES UP TO “11”

The influence of the Unofficial Guide  and TouringPlans.com has led almost all Disney World crowd calendars to top out at 10.

However, I’ve always thought that the really nastiest weeks of the year deserved an 11 for emphasis.

So, in homage to Spinal Tap, I assigned 11 to “highest.”
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September 25, 2014   304 Comments

Disney World 2016 Price Seasons

2016 RESORT PRICE SEASONS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Disney World 2016 Price Seasons from yourfirstvisit.netThe material below shows resort price seasons at Walt Disney World at different times of the year in 2016.

(For 2017 prices, see this, and for 2018 prices, see this.)

Only one-day ticket prices vary over the course of the year–multi-day tickets do not, although they typically have an annual increase during the year. See this for more on ticket prices.

Resort prices, however, can be almost twice as high during some periods as they are at others.

2016 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS

Below are Walt Disney World 2016 resort price seasons by resort type. 

“X% Higher” means compared to the lowest prices of the year. Because these increases are different on some weekends vs. weekdays, increases are averaged across the recommended 8 night visit.

In addition to the details below, Disney ups prices an additional $10-50 per night during certain weekends and holidays–particularly over the Marathon weekend, Martin Luther King Day weekend, Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July weekend, and Columbus Day weekend.

Disney World 2016 Price Seasons from yourfirstvisit.netYou can see–well, maybe you can see–the full prices over the year from the chart above.

Cars at Disney's Art of Animation Resort from yourfirstvisit.net2016 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: VALUE RESORTS

  • Lowest of year–the value seasonbegins 1/3/16
  • 25% higher–the regular season-begins 2/7/16
  • 45% higher–the peak season–begins 2/11/16
  • 25% higher–the regular season-begins 2/21/16
  • 45% higher–the peak season–begins 3/4/16
  • 60% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/20/16
  • 25% higher–the regular season–begins 4/3/16
  • 45% higher–the summer season–begins 5/27/16
  • 25% higher–the regular season–begins 8/14/16
  • 10% higher–the fall season–begins 8/19/16
  • 25% higher–the regular season–begins 9/18/16
  • 10% higher–the fall season– begins 10/30/16
  • 50% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/19/16
  • 10% higher–the fall seasonbegins 11/26/16
  • 45% higher–the peak season–begins 12/11/16
  • 65% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/22/16

Disney's Polynesian Resort from yourfirstvisit.net2016 DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: DELUXE RESORTS

  • Lowest of year–the value seasonbegins 1/3/16
  • 20% higher–the regular season–begins 2/7/16
  • 30% higher–the peak season–begins 2/11/16
  • 20% higher–the regular season–begins 2/21/16
  • 30% higher–the peak season–begins 3/4/16
  • 45% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/20/16
  • 20% higher–the regular season–begins 4/3/16
  • 10% higher–the summer season–begins 5/27/16
  • 3% higher–near-lowest of year–the value season 2begins 7/10/16
  • Lowest of year–the value seasonbegins 8/14/16
  • 12% higher–the regular season 2–begins 9/23/16
  • 6% higher–the fall season–begins 10/16/16
  • 20% higher–the regular season–begins 11/4/16
  • 6% higher–the fall season–begins 11/13/16
  • 20% higher during Thanksgiving begins 11/22/16
  • 6% higher–the fall season, with low prices, begins 11/26/16
  • 30% higher–the peak season–begins 12/11/16
  • 55% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/22/16

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort from yourfirstvisit.net2016  DISNEY WORLD PRICE SEASONS: MODERATE RESORTS

  • Lowest of year–the value seasonbegins 1/3/16
  • 20% higher–the regular season-begins 2/7/16
  • 25% higher–the peak season–begins 2/11/16
  • 20% higher–the regular season-begins 2/21/16
  • 25% higher–the peak season–begins 3/4/16
  • 45% higher–the Easter season–begins 3/20/16
  • 20% higher–the regular season–begins 4/3/16
  • 15% higher–the summer season–begins 5/27/16
  • 20% higher–the regular season–begins 8/14/16
  • 10% higher–the fall season–begins 8/19/16
  • 20% higher–the regular season–begins 9/18/16
  • 10% higher–the fall season–begins 10/30/16
  • 50% higher over Thanksgiving begins 11/19/16
  • 10% higher–the fall seasonbegins 11/26/16
  • 25% higher–the peak season–begins 12/11/16
  • 50% higher–the holiday season–begins 12/22/16

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September 24, 2014   34 Comments

Review: Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, Page 3

(For the first page of this review of Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World, see this)

BEDS AND BALCONIES IN STANDARD ROOMS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

View from My Balcony Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

There’s two types of balconies in standard rooms. The vast majority have a full-width, standard depth balcony like this one:

Balcony Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net
Note the light and power outlet. The view from this balcony is at the top of the page.

Larger Balconies Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

But there’s also a small group of rooms that take advantage of an outthrust high in the building and get bigger balconies. In the image, the outthrust is at top center.

Balcony Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

Balconies in these rooms are at least twice as deep.

Balcony Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

The deeper balcony from another angle.

TWIN BED ROOMS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Four Seasons Resort Orlando Standard Two Bed Room Floor Plan from yourfirstvisit.net

The only standard rooms with two beds offer full beds, somewhat astonishingly in an era at Disney World when after renovations at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort finish, among standard rooms only Disney’s value resorts don’t offer queens.

Bed Side Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

Here’s the bed side of a full bed room.

Full Bed Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

The full beds are comfortable, and each comes with a couple of ottomans at its foot, so all can be dragged about for musical chairs and other impromptu room games.

Easy Chair Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

At the balcony end of the two bed rooms there’s an easy chair, where one can relax and contemplate why a room that costs more than $500 a night has such small beds.

KING BED ROOMS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Four Seasons Resort Orlando Standard King Bed Room Floor Plan from yourfirstvisit.netThe king bed rooms at the Four Seasons are much more livable, because the fold-out couch is very comfortable.

Bed Side King Room at Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

Here’s the bed side of these rooms.

Couch King Room at Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

The second bed and chair of the full bed room is replaced by this couch.

Corner King Room at Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

Another view of the couch, showing better the draperies and such at this end of the room.

Sofa Bed King Room at Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

After you’ve moved the table–no easy task, it’s so heavy you’ll be tempted to tell the kids that there’s no bed here so they have to sleep on the floor–and pulled off the cushions, the couch unfolds into this bed.

I measured this bed as 60 inches wide–same as a queen–but just 72 inches long, shorter than even a full bed. It has thanks to an ingenious springing system a mattress depth of more than 6 inches, and is the most comfortable sofa bed I have ever slept on.

Sofa Bed in King Room at Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

All sofa beds are compromises, but other than the length this is the least compromised sofa bed I’ve ever slept on!  (I pulled the comforter off the king–the sofa bed comes with blankets.)

iPad Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

Rooms of both types come with an iPad for guest use.  When you check in to the room, you sign that if you take off with it, you will pay for it. Not that typical Four Seasons guests are a bunch of iPad stealing full-bed sleeping folk.

Light Control Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

Lighting is straightforward and adequate, with one minor exception. Most task and general lights are easy to use, but the main lighting of the room is controlled by this fixture which doesn’t look like any of the other on/off buttons in the room.  I found it only by assuming that something somewhere in the room would turn the lights off…

AMENITIES AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

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September 23, 2014   No Comments

Review: Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, Continued

(For the first page of this review of Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World, see this)

PHOTO TOUR OF STANDARD ROOMS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Four Seasons Resort Orlando Standard King Bed Room Floor Plan from yourfirstvisit.net

At 500 square feet, standard rooms at the Four Seasons are larger than those at any Disney-owned resort, and according to Four Seasons are the largest standard hotel rooms in Orlando.

Deeply Inset Entry Doors at Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

The entry doors are deeply inset from the hall, allowing for a second set of doors at the hall edge –you can see just a bit of one at the left edge of the image–to close off the entries of two connecting rooms.
Room Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

As you enter, the closet and bath are on one side, with the rest of the room ahead of you.

Closet Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

The L-shaped closet is larger than some Wyoming towns, and includes lots of hanging space, drawers and other storage.

Bath Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

A sliding  door separates it from the double sinks of the bath. In the bath mirror is a TV, marvelous to some.

Bath Glop Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

Some of the bath gear.

Tub Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

Beyond the sink is the large tub…

Shower Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

…with a separate shower on the other side.

Bath Glop Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

Some of the shower supplies…

Robes Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

…and robes hanging outside the shower.

Toilet Door Closed Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

Next to the shower is the toilet, with a sliding door that adds some needed privacy to this otherwise overly open space.

Pantry Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

Out in the room itself, on the wall dividing the sleeping space from the bath you’ll find this. The lighted center area is the coffee service.

Coffee Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

I did not figure out how to work this until my final morning–the coffee thingee goes in sideways, who knew?

Mini Fridge Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

Above is a mini-fridge and storage…

Lower Pantry Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

…with more storage, and a safe, below. Now you can use this space however you wish…but Four Seasons would be pleased were you to call room service and order a bar.

TV Side Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

On the TV side of the room you’ll find a dresser, TV, and desk/table combo.

TV Know You Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

The TV was pleased to know my name.  Me, not so much.

Dresser Storage Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

There’s plenty of storage in this room, including the six dresser drawers.

Desk-Table Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

Further down this side is the desk/table. The Disney deluxes have either a table for two or a desk. This (you’ll see similar furnishings in many other hotels) serves as either.

BEDS AND BALCONIES IN STANDARD ROOMS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

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September 23, 2014   No Comments

Review: Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World

OVERVIEW: FOUR SEASONS RESORT AT DISNEY WORLD FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS

Review Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

The Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort (the full name, which only its mom uses) is the first deluxe-level hotel to open in Disney World since the Animal Kingdom Lodge opened more than 15 years ago, and the first ever five-star resort on property.

Not owned by Disney, it does not share in various Disney hotel guest perks like Magical Express or access to Extra Magic Hours, the Dining Plan or to FastPass+ booking 60 days out.

Review Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort from yourfirstvisit.netIt also has its own transportation system and does not use Disney buses for hotel-park transport.

Its transport ranges from every half hour (to the Ticket and Transportation Center) to hourly to Epcot, the Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios.

This transport is not yet well attuned to operating hours–with, for example, first morning arrivals at or after rope drop at Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and last pickups at Hollywood Studios just 35 minutes after Fantasmic is scheduled to begin.

It is supported by some Disney cast members for planning help, but has even less Disney theming than Shades of Green.

I rank hotels on this site for first time family visitors who may never return, and because of that put pervasive kid appeal as the first criterion, and after that transportation convenience. So with its slender kid appeal (other than the pools) and transportation issues, I can’t really rank Four Seasons Orlando highly for first timers who will be spending most of their time at the parks.

Exterior Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

But for returning visitors who will be spending time relaxing at the hotel, and who have cars and can thus work around the shuttle schedule issues, Four Seasons Resort Orlando is a spectacular place to stay, with a level of service and amenities unmatched elsewhere at Disney World, the best pool complex on property, great dining for adults, and enormous and very comfortable rooms.

I had a chance to stay in it both in August 2014, its opening month, and in September.  Everything wasn’t done yet–as of my September visit, the gift shops were still not open, and neither was Capa, its 17th-floor Spanish steakhouse. But enough was going on to see and judge what this resort will be.

OVERALL LOOK AND FEEL OF THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

The main point is that once you arrive on the grounds of Four Seasons Resort Orlando, you could be almost anywhere. With next to no Disney design or decorating touches, nor any architecturally playful elements, the overall feel is simply that of a lovely high end resort.

Speed Limit is 25 in Golden Oak at Walt Disney World

The seventeen story tall building is deep in the Golden Oak area of Disney World, between Fort Wilderness and Port Orleans Riverside. Note that the speed limit back here is 25 mph.

Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

The building is quite lovely, though I never really fully captured its appeal in a photo. The architecture has elements of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, mixed in with a bit of Tower of Terror.

Lobby Flowers Four Seasons resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

In a contrast to the Disney resorts, you’ll see more greenery than flowers in the landscaping–making the flowers that you do see, such as these on the lobby level, that much more welcome.

The slender Disney theming here is wonderful for some–those who have enough Disney in the parks themselves, or those staying here largely for purposes other than playing in Disney World: a convention, a wedding, simply relaxing at a luxurious resort. But it’s not so fun for others.

ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Bed Side King Room at Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

You could reserve the nine-bedroom suite that’s available here among the more than 60 suites on offer.  For a lot less you could book 80 or so rooms at Pop Century, losing however a certain je ne sais quoi.  Or you could, like I did, book standard rooms.

Four Seasons Resort Orlando Standard King Bed Room Floor Plan from yourfirstvisit.net

Standard rooms here come in two flavors: one with a king bed and a couch that folds out into a bed, and one with two full beds. I’ve stayed in each type. The king room floor plan is above, and the full room plan below.

Four Seasons Resort Orlando Standard Two Bed Room Floor Plan from yourfirstvisit.net

Either choice yields an enormous room–with 500 square feet they are, according to Four Seasons, the largest in Orlando–a simply huge closet, tons of storage, and a nice, though mostly undivided, bath (the toilet is set off in an opaque glass surround).

Bed Side Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

I can’t imagine why adults would want a room with full sized beds, so pretty much everyone who is booking just one room should aim for the king/sofa bed combo.

Sofa Bed King Room at Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

The sofa bed at the Four Season is the most comfortable such I’ve ever slept on, and puts the sofa beds in the Disney resorts to shame. I measured it as 60 inches wide by about 72 inches long–as wide as a queen, but shorter.  The cushion is an astonishing 6+ inches deep.

Deeply Inset Entry Doors at Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

But I’m not seeing the why of the full beds–at Disney, even the Caribbean Beach Resort is getting queens. Likely these rooms are designed for kids/staff, with the expectation that the parents/bosses would be in a connecting king room. Many rooms are built in pairs of king rooms connecting with full rooms, with deep entries to both that allow another set of doors to close off the front doors of the connecting spaces from the hall.

VIEWS AT FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Park View rooms are worth the extra money. One long side of the Four Seasons overlooks the parking lot and construction; the other side overlooks the pools, and, at a distance, both Epcot and the Magic Kingdom–much to be preferred.

Not So Magic View at the Four Seasons Resort from yourfirstvisit.net

Here’s one of the worst views–the east view from my tenth floor room at the short north edge of the building, on my first stay.

Even though the fireworks really are quite distant, the pool and water views are themselves spectacular.

Balcony View Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

From my 12th floor Park View room on my second stay, you can see Epcot in the distance from one side of my balcony–Spaceship Earth and the Swan and Dolphin…

Balcony View 2 Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

…and the Magic Kingdom from the other, with the distant bulks being the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower.

Pools at Night Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net (2)

The night view of the pools is particularly nice…and speaking of them, just a few quick word on the pools–more to come later.

THE POOLS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Map Four Seasons

The pool complex at The Four Seasons is better than the pools at any Disney owned resort–yes, better even than Stormalong Bay at the Yacht and Beach Clubs.

Adult Pool Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

There’s four pools here: a lovely adult-only infinity pool…

Kids Pool and Water Play Area Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

…and then in the separate “Explorer Island” area  (see the map above) three more pools: a kids pool and splash and play area that itself is bigger than most Disney World main pools…

Lazy River Pool Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

…a lazy river pool…

Family Pool at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

…and a large and long family pool.

Dual Water Slides Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

There’s also dual pool slides, one open and one enclosed, that splash down into their own landing zone near the kid’s water play area.  Pool lovers will simply love the offerings at the Four Seasons.

DINING AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

There are five restaurants at Four Seasons: PB&G, the pool bar and grill; Cuban-American dining in Plancha at the golf clubhouse; Capa, a 17th-floor Spanish steakhouse; Ravello, with downstairs Italian dining and an upstairs bar (with its own bar menu, but where you can also order off the Ravello main menu). There’s also a grab and go coffee shop, Lickety-Split.

Dinner at the Ravello Bar Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World from yourfirstvisit.net

The only one I had a chance to experience on my 2014 visit was the Ravello bar, where I ordered a wonderful ribeye off the main Ravello menu.

Unadventurous, I admit, but I was here to watch Monday Night Football–steak seemed to suit. It was glorious (the food, I mean, not the game)–as nicely seasoned a steak as I’ve ever had…

Anyone can book meals at the Four Seasons…and I suspect many will. I’d suggest you dress for dinner at Ravello, Plancha, and Capa–though I saw plenty of people in shorts in Ravello.

Note: in April 2016 we had dinner at Capa, and it was less formal than I expected it to be.

Menu Capa at the Four Seasons from yourfirstvisit.net

The Capa menu (click to enlarge)–note the beef organized by origin…

Capa at the Four Seasons from yourfirstvisit.net

…and the setting.

PARK TRANSPORTATION AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

All parking is valet, and getting your car in and out is fast and very straightforward. For those guests who want to use Four Seasons transport to the parks, there’s two options.

One option is the free shuttles. There’s two free shuttle routes:

  • One leaves on the hour and goes to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), a monorail or ferry ride away from the Magic Kingdom, then the Animal Kingdom, then back to the Four Seasons.
  • The second leaves on the half hour and goes to the TTC near MK, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and back to the Four Seasons

The result is twice hourly service to and from the TTC with its easy access to MK (and Epcot), and hourly to the other parks, with some stops in between. The scheduling is not right–the shuttles begin too late and end too early–and the frequency is not sufficient.

The other option is to pay for town car service, at $16 for Epcot and HS, $18 for MK, and $29 for AK.

THE STAFF AND THE GUESTS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

I have been in a lot of hotels (including more than a hundred different rooms at Disney World itself…), but only have stayed a couple of dozen times at five star resorts–mostly Ritz-Carltons, but also a few InterContinentals and Four Seasons.

People who haven’t stayed in such often have two questions: will the staff treat me like a peon, and how supercilious are the other guests?

Front Desk Four Seasons Resort Orlando from yourfirstvisit.net

I loved, loved, loved the staff here, from the valets through the front desk folk to the pool staff to the Ravello team, and all the other staff I walked by in less structured settings. They were friendly, cheerful, and helpful.  They were a little more formal than Disney cast members–it was always “Hello,” or “Good Afternoon,” not “Hi!”–but they were most welcoming.

The other guests I was a little less keen on.  Three vignettes:

  • A Four Seasons staff member was touring me through Explorer Island. An overly thin guest walked up and simply straight out immediately interrupted us to demand a drink. The staff member told her she would be right with her, and after the guest walked away, I said to the staff member that she should feel free to take care of that guest and that we could return to our chat later, which is how things unfolded
  • Most people know how to wait for an elevator, and in what order to board one when it comes, based on where they are standing in proximity to the doors, as balanced out among men my age by gentlemanly factors.  But one tall wiry father with his tall wiry teenage son simply tried to elbow me out of the way to enter the elevator ahead of me. Luckily I’ve spent enough time walking on Oxford Street to know how to tenaciously preserve my little bit of this green Earth
  • A short wiry father with his short pre-teen son walked by in matching Speedos

Now the hotel was not busy during my visits, so the sample size here of fellow guests encountered is small…but really??

PRICING AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

Guest rooms here range from $545 to $2,000 per night. Suites range from $1,050 to $12,000 per night.  Add taxes and valet parking, and soon that adds up to real money.

My full-bed and king bed rooms were at the lower end of that scale, putting them 10-25% higher than the least expensive rooms in the monorail resorts the same time I stayed.

However, now through December 19 the Four Seasons Resort Orlando is offering a buy two nights, get the third free deal, which will put it below the cost of three nights in a monorail resort at standard rack rates. (You still may pay less at a Disney deluxe via a deal.)  To book a room at the Four Seasons, start with my friends at Destinations in Florida.

PHOTO TOUR OF STANDARD ROOMS AT THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

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September 22, 2014   No Comments

Walt Disney World in 2016

Disney World in 2016 from yourfirstvisit.netSee below for my thoughts on rides, hotels, crowds and such at Disney World in 2016.

NEW RIDES AT DISNEY WORLD IN 2016

The opening of the redo of Epcot’s Maelstrom as a Frozen ride (“Frozen ever After”) is targeted for early 2016.

Waits for the new Frozen ride will be really long, especially during the period Soarin is closed for refurb.

Rivers of Light—the new evening spectacular at the Animal Kingdom along Discovery River between the Tree of Life and Expedition Everest—is in construction, and is expected to open in 2016, the current guess being after Easter.

“Avatar Land” (more formally, “Pandora — The Word of AVATAR”) at the Animal Kingdom is in construction in the former Camp Minnie Mickey, and currently has an opening target of early 2017

An announcement about more Star Wars and Toy Story in Disney’s Hollywood Studios came out in August 2015.

In the park, for 2016 there’s some new Star Wars meets and greets, an update to the Star Tours ride, and new evening fireworks that flow to the movie’s soundtrack. (It’s unclear whether these fireworks are meant as a permanent or temporary addition to the park.)

The new Star Wars and Toy Story rides won’t be open for years…

DISNEY SPRINGS AND THE DISNEY RESORTS IN 2016

Most of the Disney Springs reconstruction of Downtown Disney will be complete in 2016. The transformation is pretty profound, making parking much easier, and adding some really great restaurants to the mix.

I’m not seeing much profound change on the resort front for 2016, although there is a potentially distracting refurb happening at the Wilderness Lodge, and a major re-do of the Fort Wilderness Cabins should be complete by Easter.

DISNEY WORLD CROWDS IN 2016

Presidents Day, February 15 in 2016, is as early as it can be, meaning fewer good January and early February dates, and more good late February dates. Crowds for this week actually begin the Thursday before, and in 2016 Mardi Gras–which some southern school districts have off as a single or multi-day holiday–is Tuesday the week before. The combination makes me see the week beginning 2/6 as worse than this part of February usually is.

Easter in 2016 is early, on March 27. As a result of the overlap between March breaks and Easter breaks, March other than the first week will be even more of a zoo than usual, but most of April—after the 3rd—will be great.

While this is not a crowd point, El Nino may increase the tornado threats in late winter and early spring.  See this.

Summer crowds will continue to be rough, as more and more South Americans take advantage of their winter breaks to come to Disney World and join the hordes of US families on summer breaks.

Or maybe not–South American recessions, currency troubles, and the draw of vacation dollars into the Olympics in Brazil may make for less South American visitation, and a better summer than I am predicting…

There was much comic panic in the fall of 2015 over high standby waits in the afternoons at rides that shifted from no FASTPASS in prior years to FastPass+.  You should keep this in mind if you plan to visit in the fall of 2016, you plan to not use FastPass+, and you plan to ride only standby only during the busiest times of the day. A good plan, however, that avoids this silliness will result in great fall visits.

Thanksgiving, November 24, is earlier in 2016 than it has been recently, giving more good late November dates but fewer good early November ones.

Christmas is on a Sunday in 2016.

  • Many, many school districts that take long holiday breaks will begin their breaks on Monday December 19, so holiday crowds at Disney World will begin to roll in on December 16th—a few days earlier than we’ve seen the last couple of years with mid-week Christmases.
  • Districts that take shorter breaks will be off something like Friday the 23rd through Monday the 2nd. This means that the week between Christmas and New Years—always the worst of the year at Walt Disney World—will be an especially crazy mess in 2016.

For more on 2016 Disney World crowds see this, and for my Disney World 2016 week rankings intended for first time visitors who may not return, see this.

DISNEY WORLD PRICES IN 2016

Disney World resort hotel prices largely follow their usual patterns in 2016, with a couple of twists–prices overall have gone up a fair amount, and there are fewer low-priced weeks over the course of the year.

For the details on 2016 hotel pricing at Disney World, see this, and for the scoop on 2016 price changes, see this.

Current Disney World ticket prices are here. They could go up any day, and likely will increase before the end of February 2016. Buying them now will let you avoid this future price increase.

DISNEY WORLD DEALS IN 2016

The Disney Armed Forces Salute has been extended into late December 2016.

Room rate deals for 2016 have been out for a while.  You can always find up to date details on the major Disney World deals here.

While I am largely out of the Free Dining prediction business, I do expect to see something like the 2015 deal in 2016. For more on Free Dining at Disney World in 2016, see this.

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September 21, 2014   128 Comments