ORLANDO is a city designed for pure, undiluted FUN. A place where adults can go to rekindle their joyous inner child , press pause on the trials of being a grown-up and where children can welcome parents back to their world. 9 Stunning Four Seasons hotel has space to relax after exhausting days at Orlando's theme parks 9 Maisie and Molly loved the Four Seasons Resort Orlando's pool 9 Maisie met Minnie Mouse at the hotel's character breakfast 9 The hotel's fabulous Lazy River 9 Adults are well looked after at their very own Oasis retreat Full throttle fun in the searing Floridian heat comes at a price, however, it can be utterly exhausting.
This is why we chose a hotel synonymous with luxury on a recent trip to the theme park mecca — the fantastic Four Seasons situated within Disney’s world famous resort in Orlando. Offering the ideal balance of relaxation, opulence and loads of fun, the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort is the perfect retreat for tired and weary fun-finders. Starting with a Disney character breakfast on our first morning my wife and I and our two girls were treated to a feast of tasty morning goodies all served alongside larger than life Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Read more in travel TAKE OFF Airline launches new flights from Glasgow to popular European city ISLE BE THERE Scotland named among best island hopping destinations in world on global list Watching Molly and Maisie, who at 13 and 9 have grown up more with Elsa and Moana, melt into the arms of the giant mice was pure joy. After several hours of happily saying ‘yes’ to all the girls’ Disney requests we retreated for a time-out on the hotel’s complimentary shuttle to enjoy more of the Four Seasons’ first class facilities. With an on-site water park offering lazy river, water slides and huge family pool we were able to leave the kids in their ‘splash-zone’ while my wife, Annabelle, and I relaxed in our ‘zen-zone’ at the adults-only Oasis pool.
A blissful way to soothe those ‘theme park aches’ while enjoying some sunbed service snacks. The following day, an easy drive south of Orlando offered us an escape to nature at Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures . Most read in Travel ISLE OF SKIES Scots island among world's best for stargazing with its clear night skies JETS GROUNDED Scots flights CANCELLED as 80mph Storm Lilian sparks 'do not travel' warning HAPPY DAYS Scottish city crowned the 'happiest' place to the live in the UK SHIP SHAPE Huge cruise ship dubbed 'theme park at sea' to launch next year The enchanting 32-acre site near Kissimmee also offers a peaceful antidote to the hectic pace of Orlando’s parks — but even here, adventure awaits.
9 Take a boat ride through the Everglades for that iconic Florida experience 9 Enjoy the nightly Disney World Florida fireworks show from the Four Seasons Capa rooftop restaurant Credit: Supplied 9 The Four Seasons Orlando 9 Boldy go to Kennedy Space center for some out of this world adventures Credit: Alamy The thrill of living out my Gentle Ben fantasy of whizzing about the Everglades on a speedy airboat was matched only by the excitement of encountering several magnificent alligators in their natural environment . Being among the brooding swamp critters, semi-submerged and staring with unblinking focus feels like being amongst animal royalty. Dangerous and prehistoric in look, they’re truly majestic in presence.
With a beautiful butterfly garden, and the chance to discover fossils and gems, Boggy Creek had plenty to entertain us all for an afternoon. Later that night we dined at the Four Seasons’ rooftop steakhouse, Capa. Boasting views of Magic Kingdom’s nightly fireworks , we devoured sensational steaks and seafood before crashing out in our luxurious suite in the kind of beds you dream about dreaming in.
While oozing opulence, the real gems in this sparkling hotel are undoubtedly their superb staff. In my experience, nowhere does service quite as well as the States and the fantastic Four Seasons team epitomised a customer-first, can-do attitude to perfection. The hotel’s invaluable in-house experts sorted tickets , answered all our queries and offered great tips for our itinerary, and next on it was Kennedy Space Centre .
GO: ORLANDO GETTING / STAYING THERE : A week room only at the 5* Four Season Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World is from £2,545pp, two adults and two children sharing, leaving Edinburgh on October 30. See onthebeach.co.
uk MORE INFO: For more on the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World see fourseasons.com. For Kennedy Space Center see kennedyspacecenter.
com , and for info on Boggy Creek Airboat Rides see bcairboats.com . See visitorlando for more on Orlando and visitflorida.
com for more on heading to Florida Situated on Florida’s Atlantic coast just an hour east of Orlando , the home of spaceflight, and NASA’s primary launch centre, is a must visit. Whether you want to meet an astronaut, or discover more about past and future missions, Kennedy offers visitors the chance to explore the story of humans in space . Leave time to do this attraction properly, as you can comfortably enjoy a full-day of space fun and inspiration for all ages at Kennedy.
Read more on the Scottish Sun MORAY MANIA Cops called amid huge queues as fizzy drink re-launch causes chaos MURRAY MAKEOVER Andy Murray hit with fresh warning over renovations at luxury Cromlix hotel We were blown away by the Atlantis Mission Zone — the overwhelming reveal left us all very emotional — and our guided tour of the Rocket Garden was, well, out of this world. Orlando had brought the fun and adventure that makes holidays so memorable . .
. and for that extra special magical touch it Disney get better than staying at the Four Seasons. .
